Well it’s 2012 and the Mets feel like the Mets of 2011, 2010 and 2009… Looking around, I can’t see Luis Castillo, Oliver Perez, Jerry Manuel, or Omar Minaya… So, why are the Mets still the Mets and not something new and better? Could it be Jason Bay? Terry Collins? Maybe it’s Jeff and Fred Wilpon and their special friend, Bernie Madoff? Maybe we should drum Sandy Alderson out of town because he drafted some guy named Gavin and didn’t make a trade for Francisco Rodriguez?
No. You know what? No, calm down and take a reality check. These 2012 Mets ARE different. They were supposed to crawl under a rock to hide until 2014. This team holding around .500 is actually pretty special and perhaps it means that the Mets are not this dismal team of no return.
Around this point most of you are probably thinking, “Is David crazy? This team is supposed to make me feel good about the Mets future? I’m not the one who needs a reality check.” Then you’ll go on Twitter or Facebook and write off a few depressing tweets about how you’ll be dead before the Mets have turned the team around. Rose glasses or not, look:
- David Wright looks like he is a star again.
- Johan Santana tosses a no-hitter.
- Ruben Tejada has been a solid contributing SS.
- R. A. Dickey has 15 Wins… 15!
- Ike Davis looked bad, but he looks like he’ll pull through.
- Matt Harvey!!!
- Daniel Murphy is not the worst 2B in MLB history.
- Jon Niese has been more good than bad with tastes of very good.
- Zack Wheeler, Jenrry Mejia, Jeurys Familia, Wilmer Flores and looking at the first well stocked minor leagues I’ve seen the Mets have in a while.
- Another year off Jason Bay’s contract.
- Josh Edgin maturing into a quality lefty RP.
The Mets are not lost and sunk and the year hasn’t been a waste. What exactly did you expect from the Mets in 2012?
I couldnt agree more. Sure we have lots of painful days but there are some real accomplishments to be proud of after staggering out of Spring Training as basically the worst team in the MLB. (Yes, it was spring training, but…). The other thing is that we have seen who are real gamers and exposed the weaknesses that need attention. This year started as a giant unknown: who would the Mets be after losing > $50M in payroll? Could Johan even throw a ball much less than pitch in the Bigs? Could Ruben Tejada even half fill Reyes at short (and overfill if you ask me!)? Could some of our AAA squad be good enough for the Show? Did Sandy’s move in winter solve the pen? Do we have a capable starting rotation?
Not all the answers to the above are the ones we wanted. Nevertheless, a team in building mode must have this kind of knowledge to get to play in October. We have had quite a few team and individual accomplishments, and despite not being in contention (which we never were from a realistic standpoint IMO), I am calling 2012 a year of good things and promise. Im hoping for the following this year to round out 2012:
1. Finishing overall at least .500
2. Finishing at home at least .500
3. Tejada, Murph, Wright all batting over .300
4. 20+ Ws for RA, and a Cy Young serious contender (winner)
Add that to the list of other things, and theres nothing to be ashamed of for 2012.
When we rolled out of Spring Training, we were not the worst team in baseball. We were only labeled that by “pundits, announcers, and by so called baseball-experts”. But how much do these people really know? They know didly-squat.
These are the same guys who thought that the Phillies would be the NL east champs and that the Marlins would be surprise contenders. These guys were “surprised” at how well the Pittsburgh Pirates are doing. These are the same guys who proclaimed that the Dodger had a bad season last year when they infact finished at .500. The same guys who counted out the White Sox, Orioles, and Athletics and who proclaimed the Angels to be the “prohibitve AL favorites”. Yes, these so-called baseball analysts were also the ones that predicted the Mets to be the worst team in baseball.
Now. I am not saying that the Mets were going to be really good, as even some of the people who regularly cover the Mets thought they would be bad, but a better characterization would have been to view the team as a bunch of unknowns. They had the potential to be really bad, but they also had the potential to do good things.
Their biggest postive has to be the Starting Rotation. Dickey has had a magical season. Santana has been excellent 75% of the time(including a no-hitter). Niese has also a solid #3. Gee’s season gets better in my book when you consider he was probably pitching with a blood clot the whole year and Young has given us pretty much what we expected.
These 2012 Mets also had the penchant for the 2 out magic, as they have the most runs scored with 2 outs.
And the pinch-hitting this year has been unbelievable. First Baxter, then Hairston, then Valdespin.
All in all, this year has given hope that they have the core needed to contend for a full year.
The 2012 Mets have so far played better than was expected going into the season. Collins has to not lose these guys over the remainder of the season. The Mets are getting closer to having viable AAA players that they can call up and send down with options, something they sorely lack in 2012. The minor league pitching system really appears to be stocked and we all witnessed during the first half what good starting pitching can do for a team. The infield positions seem competitive, but catching needs some help and the outfield is a big question mark. Signing short term veteran help for some of these 2013 holes should make the Mets more competitive on the field and make me optimistic that 2013 will be a more competitive year. Last winter, there were some short term veteran contracts available. Veteran signings would only “impede” a prospect for one year, (or “mature” a prospect for one year) depending on your point of view. The pitching in the minors makes me optimistic for the future.