With yesterday marking the first playoff game of the 2014 season and today being the first day of October, it is another year without the Mets being post-season bound.
It felt just a little bit different this year for those that followed the team for 162 games. There was a buzz around this team that they knew they were close to something special. Close to ending eight years of torture and flashbacks to 2006 and Adam Wainwright. For once, it felt as though the Mets were moving in the right direction.
Then last night’s game happened. The A’s and Royals clashed in a Wild Card game that may go down in history as one of the best post-season games in recent memory. Kauffman Stadium was loud as they watched their team come back from being down 7-3 to beat the A’s in the 12th inning 9-8.
It got me and a lot of Mets people on Twitter thinking the same thought: Imagine what Citi Field will be like when it finally gets a playoff game? Citi Field has been a bit of a black rain cloud over the New York Mets, with the Mets not playing a single playoff game their so far.
The past eight seasons have been very familiar to fan, wondering when the Mets will dig out of this hole. There are even some who think the Mets are doomed to never win again. This season seemed to give most of these people hope. The sentiment is that the Mets are close to turning a corner, close to competing again.
Those of this that follow the team on a daily basis won’t take this as a surprise. We have been fed that line for years now, at least since Sandy Alderson took over the front office. But, just this once, it feels like it’s true. Zack Wheeler took the next step. We had the emergence of Jacob deGrom. Lucas Duda hit 30 HRs and showed he can be an everyday player. Travis d’Arnaud proved why he was one of the highly touted hitting prospects in the past. A bullpen came to life that made the ending of games bearable again.
All of this happened without Matt Harvey and with an unhealthy David Wright. The thoughts begin to form about what this team can really do next year. There are holes (shortstop and a corner outfielder are just two) that need to be address, but the team as is really close. There is still a ton of talent in the system that is highly regarding and close to making an impact.
It’s exciting to be a Mets fan again and for those of us that have stuck through all the bad, it seems that it’s all about to pay off soon.
How exciting can it be when you have the Wilpons holding back Alderson because they are using their baseball revenue to keep the team afloat? What’s the name of that cartoon character who has a rain cloud following him wherever he goes? Just insert fred and jeff.
Hey Chris! The Mets don’t play in a vacuum. The Marlins get Fernandez back as well. The Nat’s will win the division again and the Braves will make adjustments to their roster. The Reds will have a healthy Votto and the Mets will have an opening day payroll of 80-85 million dollars
By the way the Mets have 54 million dollars invested in 4 players and have 10 players eligible for arbitration. So you can conservatively add 25 million to that total and viola! No more money. Please don’t be suckered into what Alderson said when he stated there was money available to improve the team.
Pete, regarding your last sentence of the comment, when have you heard Alderson say that before?
I believe it was during free agency when reporters were asking SA if the Wilpons would increase payroll. I was paraphrasing Alderson’s belief that there really was money for upgrades the Met fans were hoping for. As it turned out the Mets actually spent less money this year than in 2013.
Don’t forget pete, in Alderson speak, less is more, because he spent all kinds of cash on Grandy…the Mets are spending and don’t ever forget that!
Chris I’m sorry but I don’t always understand Aldersonese. Sometimes I just think he’s the eternal optimist who can make a pile of crap sound like a gold nugget.
Every time he speaks, I need a new version of rosetta stone to see if the language he uses actually is known on this planet.
This article sums up reality, not just hopeful fandom. There were no predictions of big acquisitions or some unreasonable jump in talent for a young player. Pete, you mentioned the Marlins are getting back Fernandez. We have an ace of our own coming back, with more rest on that throwing arm. While the Nats do stand a chance of winning the division again, nothing is set in stone, and I doubt all five SPs have such good years together, or just avoid major injury again. The Braves can be better, but they have already spent a lot of money on young players, so don’t think they are going to break the bank for any huge fix. They will struggle again. And Votto, how many championships have the Reds won with their often-injury star? There is real hope to compete, even without the Wilpons spending huge. The Mets have the young farm talent to promote from within, and trade for a missing piece. The roster we’re complaining about now will look better come spring time.
The roster looks better already because there is no urgent need to have old fossils holding back the kids any more. No Farnsworth, Lannon or Valverde. No Abreu. That’s addition by subtraction. one package deal for a left fielder and you can realistically set your sights on a wildcard. Harvey will have his innings capped to about 160 (as the Nat’s did with Strasburg) The Pirates and Giants will be there next year. Hopefully the Mets will be the KC of 2015.