The New York Mets arrive in Philadelphia today with a lack of “confidence” – no, “heart.” No, wait, “intensity.” Sorry, I meant to say the Mets lack “grit.” OK, wait … take a deep breath … scratch all that. The New York Mets have a lot of labels, but no “identity” (see J.J. Putz below).
I’m not doing a very good job defining why the Mets are 9-12, maybe I’ll just let the experts, the players and media clarify this issue.
In Joel Sherman’s New York Post column today, he writes … “The Phillies have confidence, the Mets do not … Because to be around the Mets is to feel a palpable blend of negativity and dread. Remember when “Ya Gotta Believe” was the motto? Well, right now, no one believes … And, it seems to me, the first step in fixing this problem has to start in the manager’s office … Manuel’s words and actions are too inconsistent for a leader.”
So that’s it, the Mets don’t have “confidence.” OK, I get it.
In a column for Newsday, David Lennon writes, “… the Mets, when compared to the Phillies, are missing something that is not easily bought or traded for. On the first day of May, there is a gaping hole where this team’s heart should be … At least the Mets no longer can be considered ‘choke artists,’ as Cole Hamels branded them last November. You can’t ‘choke’ from behind, which is where the Mets find themselves on a daily basis …”
Wait, Lennon says the Mets lack “heart.”
OK, but David Wright said Wednesday, the Mets lack “intensity”:
“That’s been a part of our problem the last couple of years, that we don’t match the intensity we bring to Philadelphia day in and day out. I’m sure everybody is going to be hyped for it. I’m sure everyone is going to be pumped up for it. But we have to remember what that feels like, that intensity in Philadelphia, and bring it on a daily basis.”
… and reliever J.J. Putz told the Philadelphia Daily News, the Mets are suffering from an “identity” crisis:
“I don’t think anybody can tell me who was leading each division last year at the end of April. It’s a long season and I think we’re still trying to find our identity. We’ve got a lot of new people here and things are starting to come together very nicely. It’s just a matter of time. Have we played great baseball? No. Have we played our best baseball? No. Are we accountable for the way we’ve played? Absolutely. Are we happy with it? No. Are we going to change it? Yes.”
In 21 games here’s what we’ve learned: The Mets lack “grit … intensity … heart … confidence … and identity.”
There’s 141 games left in the season. This list is going to be long.