It is easy to nitpick the New York Mets and everything that has gone wrong this season. Their offensive performance has been absent, the bullpen has been as reliable as the New Jersey Transit system, and at times have even been mismanaged to the point of making someone want to pull their hair out. This team is very flawed, but it even goes deeper down than just the way they have been playing. This team lacks a fire that every winning team needs to push them to the next level. This became more evident than ever in the eighth inning of Tuesday night’s 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In the top of the eighth inning, on a potential double play ball, Josh Harrison slid hard into Asdrubal Cabrera, which ended the possibility of the double play. Jeurys Familia was the pitcher on the mound, and he did not take kindly to Harrison sliding into his teammate. Familia exchanged verbal jabs with Harrison, and soon the benches cleared. Before a melee could break out however, Cabrera (the guy who was taken out) hugged it out with Harrison and ended a potential fight. I’m not saying that fighting would have been the best thing to happen in the situation, but it is still odd that Cabrera did not side with his own teammate in an argument.
This approach of backing down, or talking your way out of a fight, or whatever you want to call it is an embodiment of a Mets team that has shown a lack of care towards this season. Cabrera, let alone the rest of this team, did not care enough about the season to stand up for their own teammate. As a Mets fan, this disturbs me. Not only because the fan base seems to care more than the actual team does, but because this team used to care. Think back to one of the seminal moments of the 2015 season, when Hansel Robles quick pitched Darin Ruf. When the Phillies came out of their dugout, the Mets were ready to protect Robles. When Noah Syndergaard threw behind Chase Utley in the following season, the same passion was shown by his teammates and then manager Terry Collins.
When teams are good, they usually have an aura of toughness that surrounds them. A look back to the 1986 Mets shows that more than anything. The bad boys of baseball would never back down from a fight, and they cared about the games they played in. More importantly, they team worked together as a unit and came together to eventually capture the World Series.
I’m not saying that this team has anywhere near the talent that the 1986 team had, or that throwing punches will make you a more successful ball club. What I am saying is that it appears that this team has already given up on the season, and that they simply don’t care about each other anymore. When a teammate gives up on another, it marks that a team has simply drifted apart from each other.
Couldn’t agree with you more Dalton. Spot on.
In addition to the Cabrera love hug, how about last week when Nimmo got drilled? I thought for sure someone on LA would end up wearing one after that. No such chance. These guys have completely flat lined.
The sooner guys like Cabrera and Reyes are gone, the better. It’s time to fumigate this utter mess.
That’s crazy. Since Cabrera was the victim I think he has the right to react however he feels. As far as fumigating the place, Cabrera has been the best day to day player on this team this year. Bar none. As bad as our record is I can’t imagine what it would be if he was playing elsewhere. If you want to get on veteran players for underperforming how about looking in Frazier and Bruce’s direction? That’s 55 million wasted.
I did say fumigate. That would certainly include Frazier and Bruce. The only possible exceptions should be Nimmo and Conforto.
I believe Cabrera is a cancer, best day-to-day player or not. Quite often, he doesn’t run balls out and that is not the type of baseball young players should be exposed to.
If you have any doubts about what kind of team mate Cabrera is, you only need to look back to his demand to be traded last season. That exposed him completely as far as I am concerned.
Best player. Sure. What does it matter? Would we be 20 under without him? So what. He needs to be the first to go.
I totally disagree Matt. Familia was having a hissy-fit over nothing – he was not involved in the situation.
Most importantly, Harrison’s slide was absolutely fine . He was in the baseline and popped up on the base. Every single runner should *exactly* do that.
Cabrera defused the situation before something stupid happened. Harrison’s slide was direct, clean, and aggressive baseball- exactly what we should be doing and embracing. Instead we play a brand of sandlot and cry when things don’t go our way. Not only was Cabrera right to let Harrison know there was no bad blood at any level, he should have gone over to familia and decked him for being an idiot.
Excuse me, Dalton, not Matt. Apologies.
Only the Mets could park Dom Smith in LF and somehow try to package it as an “opportunity” no matter destructive it is to him and the team. Really, and now we hear how much about how MC says we got to balance win v development. Same drivel that came out of TCs mouth year after year. Flores needs to be traded, the sooner the better.
We still owe the Pirates a fight for when Ed Ott body slammed Felix Millan.
This team has no fire. They are reallyvftagile and the manager is clueless and lost.
Too bad Billy wasn’t still alive.
This team needs a house cleaning and a new experienced aggressive manager.
Willie Mays did he same to Elio Chacon a few years prior.
You will probably get your wish because unlike most of his teammates Cabrera has value and will return something. The guy is a solid pro with a good bat and glove and bad legs. I’m not going to begrudge him from not running out easy out grounders. Unlike Bruce and Frazier he has spent very little, if any, time on the DL this year. Your cancer comment is unfair because anything I’ve read in the papers or listened to the radio says he is well liked in the clubhouse. After moping for a few days he moved off SS and has played a more than adequate 2B.
I’ve lost nterest too and I’m sure many other diehards have. Hope the Reyes retirement day brings some fans into what will soon be an empty stadium.
Familia was out of line. Harrison’s slide was clean and legit, Cabrera knew that there was no need to get riled up.
We have no business getting mad at the Pirates for playing with hustle when we won’t.