“Here’s the problem: the Mets aren’t just bad, they’re DULL and bad”
Those were the words Tweeted by your intrepid columnist as Andrew Brown struck out against Craig Stammen to wrap up the Mets’ first 0-2 start in nine years. 2005, when the Mets got off 0-5 and were only rescued by a Pedro Martinez gem. The feeling around the team was better back then – Martinez and Carlos Beltran had just arrived, after all, trumpeting the “new Mets” – and the disgust level didn’t rise until mid-summer. Here in 2014, the funk has arrived early.
It seems like all the Mets’ issues of the past seven years have been encapsulated in the first two games of 
this infant season. Bad bullpen work, ill-timed injuries, cascading hitters’ strikeout totals, personnel mismanagement, roster construction based on the financial bottom-line and lack of that unquantifiable and elusive quality – “clutchness” – have all conspired to poison the atmosphere at Citi Field even before Spring as really sprung. As soon as Bartolo Colon gave up a homer to his opposite number – Gio Gonzalez’s third career blast – you could tell that game number two was done.
It was only the fifth inning.
Such is the malaise that permeates Flushing right now. Let’s take a look:
– GM Sandy Alderson has bristled that his “90 win” statement – mandate? – leaked to the press. The press of course, are taking that statement and running with it in the wrong direction. Alderson never said he thought this team could win 90 games or that he expected to win 90 games. He set it up as a goal, as an organizational philosophy that vague wishes for “meaningful games in September” or “being competitive” aren’t going to get it done and that the bar should be set high. Nobody seems to want to listen to that, though.
– The MSM – mainly the Mets’ former radio home, WFAN – have been screeching about Daniel Murphy and his wish to be with his wife for the birth of his first child. How dare he? That this is even a debate among fans and media is ridiculous. The man is human. The man has a family. The man has a right to be with his wife as she gives birth. His working conditions allow him three days for this. He has exercised those conditions. Case closed.
– Bobby Parnell came close to wrapping up his first save of the year on Opening Day, but did not. Almost immediately afterward, news came out that he had a major ligament tear in his pitching elbow. The jokes about the crack Mets medical and training staff would write themselves if the situation weren’t so pathetic. Yet another key Mets player goes down to injury at one of the worst possible times. How many times have we heard that since 2006? There isn’t enough space here to list them all.
– In the first two games of this dawning season, the Mets have struck out 31 times. Big-ticket bopper Curtis Granderson has nine at-bats and struck out six times. Already fans are making comparisons to Jason Bay. Not much more need be said about that.
– Why is Omar Quintanilla on the 25-man roster as the backup infielder rather than Wilmer Flores, who could take on the vacated Justin Turner role? Why are both Lucas Duda and Ike Davis still on the roster? Why is Ruben Tejada still starting when there is a shortstop available who would fit seamlessly into this lineup? No, not Stephen Drew: Eduardo Nunez. Why are the Mets relying on Kyle Farnsworth to be effective, rather than looking up a Ryan Madson or Joel Hanrahan? Among the Mets’ hierarchy, there seems to be an inability to see beyond one’s own nose.
– The fans have gotten the feeling that they’ve been had. AGAIN! There’s all this palaver about the young pitching and having hope and spending money to “compete” – there’s that vague word again – but the fact is the Mets are a team in the biggest market of all with payroll out of Podunk. Yes, payroll flexibility is good. Building up the farm system is a noble goal. Spending foolishly – coupled with shady financial dealings on the part of the owners – is what hamstrung this franchise in the first place. But at some point, some funds are going to have to expended and not just in the bargain bins. What’s the good of having all these great kid pitchers if A.) you aren’t gong to be able to put major offensive pieces around them or B.) you’re not going to want to pay them when their arbitration/free agency is imminent? Thusly, the lack of excitement over Zack Wheeler’s first start of the year this afternoon or the general dread among fans about the departure of Matt Harvey some five years hence. The speculation is even more dreary in other quarters.
One has to wonder if upper management is adhering to that old saw about there being no such thing as bad publicity. The muck is too thick to chuck it all, sit back, shout “Let’s go METS!” enjoy watching Wheeler and pine for 2015, as 2015 likely wouldn’t be any better.
We fans are hamstrung, too.
Follow me on Twitter @CharlieHangley.
I don’t think you have watched Nunez play SS before. He’s a butcher out there. He has a career -33.9 UZR/150, which i’m guessing is the lowest among active shortstops. To throw that into perspective, Duda had a -29.6 UZR/150 last season in LF.
I think Andrew Brown’s line over the first two games are representative of the Mets so far.
1-8 with 1 HR and 4 strikeouts.
Wow, i just saw the WFAN-Murphy controversy. How ridiculous. Everyone already knew Francesa was a joke, so that’s nothing new. Those guys need to put it in perspective. Baseball comes first?
Francesca is a rude old codger who’s opinions are based on his ego more than listening to people. I’ve never heard someone interrupt their callers more and seem more disinterested in carrying out their day job. How were we not able to get a new contract on a FM station? We are a major sports franchise……. right?
Why would any Met fan listen to WFAN any more?
To hear NYC-centric sports talk without having to resort to Michael Kay.
Well Charlie, that pretty much summed it up.
There are 3 rays of sunshine for the moment that I like to give props to.
1. Game balls 1 and 2 go to Juan Lagares. He the best defender we have on the team,but who’d of known he would be same on offense. Well, Lagares is our “most interesting man in the world!”
— “I once saw a batter hand deliver a ball to the outfield rather than make him run to catch it”
— “center field outfield grass grows faster just to make the landings on his dives a little smoother”
— “his leather glove has self-decided to turn to gold”
— “He once got 3 outs on a short fly ball when base runners realized there was no hope and scurried back to the dugout”
2. Captain America is still our guy.
3. Who knows what Valverde will really bring, but for now, he is the alpha and omega of the pen.
Panic, Met fans!! two loses to one of the best teams in baseball. Panic time. Bobby Parnell and Chris Young hurt. Oh my God whats happening? Daniel Murphy wants to be with his wife on birth of first Child. Hey my boss will fire me. Colon can’t throw a ground ball out, in first appearances. He stinks! Every hitter on team is stricking out. Granderson can’t make any contact with pitches. Time to Panic, bullpen implodes in first game. Owners refuse to bring rookies up to strengthen bullpen, Panic time. Same crap at first base and shortstop as last year, time to panic. Catcher has two pass balls in two games, he can’t hit, let Panic.
It only 2 freaking games, don’t jump overboard
What did the cover of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy say again? Oh yeah. Don’t Panic! Haha.
Now 0 and 3.I’m not panicking but than again,I never expected much from them this season.I expect around 85 losses.
Fred, Jeff, Sandy and TC desperately wanted to get out of the starting gate fast but that was just wishful thinking. They had all winter to address the needs and they chose not to. Lagares has started off well and with Young hurt that should take some of the pressure off him for two weeks so he doesn’t have to keep looking over his shoulder. Now he can relax, keep playing his game and it will tank to get him out of center field. Bad start to the season but they should straighten out to a 74 win team unless the bullpen stays this atrocious.
I know it’s only 3 games and we have bigger problems, but our supposed strength has a 4.82 ERA in the first 3 starts. Not going to win many games if the SP consistently puts up those type of numbers. They’ve also given up 5 HR’s in the first 3 games, which should stabilize as the season progresses as well.