I seem to start every piece I present here with the reminder to our readership – and myself – that we are fans. Fans who are not privy to the inner workings of the team we love. Fans who are not in the clubhouse every day to witness the interpersonal byplay of the players we idolize. Fans who cannot begin to fathom what it’s like to perform on the biggest stage of all. No, all we know is what we see from the stands or on TV, and what we’re seeing from the Mets right now is infuriating.
If you’re reading this, you probably already know that this team, fresh off a 101-win 2022 campaign, seemed primed for continued, sustained success in 2023. That 101-win team — already boasting the NL Batting Champion, a runner-up for the NL home run title, and the best closer in the sport — added the reigning AL Cy Young award winner. They also bolstered their pitching staff with the addition of the latest ace from Japan. They had a core of young sluggers ripening in AAA and it looked like they would battle the Atlanta Braves tooth-and-nail for the NL East title once again. You also know that all these pieces – the holdovers from last year, plus the newcomers – have woefully underperformed. To wit: last night’s (June 9) game in Pittsburgh vs. the Pirates was not played by the New York Mets, but rather by the Bad New Bears. The third inning alone saw a muffed double-play grounder by Francisco Lindor, wild sequence in which Eduardo Escobar fielded a squeeze bunt and threw the ball a mile-and-a-half over the head of first baseman Mark Canha… who then threw too high to home to catch the runner from first from scoring. That inning started in a 2-2 tie. The game ended in a 14-7 defeat. It wasn’t even that close. The almost universal fan response: this is what Steve Cohen is paying $360 million for? This is what the highest payroll in history gets you? In that case, turn us into the Tampa Bay Rays, leading the majors in wins while paying out $72 million in salaries in 2023. The Rays are a team, where the Mets are a collection of talent. And they don’t look all that talented. Typical of any fan, I made a list of who to keep, who they can’t move and who to punt at the training deadline. The “punt” list was the longest.
This is looking like “one of those years,” of which we’ve seen many. Just since their last title, I can rattle off 1989, 1992-’93, 2001, 2007-’08, 2017-’18. Teams which were coming off success the prior year but couldn’t get out of their own way on the field. Yeah, it looks like ’23 will be added to that list of ignominy. It looks as though we’ve been had…again. Part of the fan frustration with that stems from the realization that the Mets aren’t “doing this to us,” but that we’re doing it to ourselves. We keep coming back because we love the team or love the game or love to watch elite athletes perform at the highest level, even when they are not. Remember, we do this for enjoyment. Paradoxically, part of that enjoyment is complaining when the team isn’t doing well. That side of things has been clear, in all its full-throated fury. If you remember the movie “Fever Pitch,” a rom-com set against the backdrop of the Boston Red Sox’s unlikely 2004 World Championship, the protagonist is presented with the realization that after a devastating playoff game loss, the players still go out to eat, still laugh, still joke around with each other, like any co-workers after a hard day. He wakes up to the fact that while he loves the team, the team is under no obligation to love him back: he chose this. As did we.
Is there a lot of season left to go? Sure. It’s “only” June 10 and as anyone will point out, for the last four seasons, the eventual NL pennant winner/World Champion has found themselves under-.500 and many games out of first on this date. How many times were we reminded in late-September, 2022, of the fact that the Braves were 10.5 games back on June 1 and won the division at the end? I guess that’s still possible and if it were to come to pass like that, it would make the legendary 1973 run look positively pedestrian. Ya gotta believe and all that, right? Right now, what you would call belief is degenerating into blind faith, borne out of desperation.
And we do this on purpose: we are fans.
Well put. I’m clearly a masochist. I’ve been following the Mets since 1968. I was transfixed by the way the 1969 team drove to the title later in the season. They beat the mighty Orioles in the W.S. I was hooked. There have been some highlights like the 1986 season and the incredible win over the Red Sox in Game 6. But most of the time it’s been disappointing and frustrating. Then came along Uncle Steve and last year’s team. Finally, we had a team that would be more satisfying than frustrating. Then the season began. I’m getting old and life has a lot of difficulties, esp. physical pain. Like many of you, I look to the Mets to bring pleasant relief, but what we are getting is more aggravation on top of the aggravations of daily living. You are right Charlie. We chose this. The only reason I pay attention anymore is to see how the ‘Baby Mets’ are doing. Ever since we lived in Greenville, NC, and saw Gooden and Dykstra when they came into town with the Lynchburg Mets, I became hooked on the joy of watching the youngsters strive for greatness. That’s what sustains me now. Having been a fan for so long, I wonder if I could choose to stop, to walk away, to stop caring. I doubt I’ll ever be able to do that, so for now and forever ‘Let’s Go Mets!’
Well put, James.
I am a Mets lifer too, a fan since 1969, when as a young boy I fell in love with the game. Spoiled because the expectation was the Seaver would win or pitch a great nine inning game.
I am not surprised by this team. I felt funny at the beginning of the year when the team we fielded was the same team we ended up with last year. Plus, I felt like there is not enough horsepower in the pen.
Looking at Verlander, he came off of a 17-3 season as a Cy young award winner. But father time seems like it has caught up to Verlander and Scherzer.
In looking at the farm, where are the young stud pitchers? That us a recipe for failure. Seaver and Gooden, part of the reason we win in 69 and 86.
Cohen must be besides himself. It may be too early, but we may want to look at the list and start jettisoning players. Lindor looks like 21. McNeil is hitting 50 points below last year. What hurts is the 86 million going to number one and two. Most of our hitters are hitting a good ways below .250. Even Alonso is hitting around .230. Home run or bust. He looks like Adam Dunn.
So, who is to blame? Can you spell Eppler. Barnes needs to go. Maybe we can coax Chavez to go back to being the hitting coach.
So again. If we are going to lose, let’s play the kids. They are the future, not Canha, Escobar and friends. If all McNeil is going to be is Mr ground ball or Mr single, could be time for him to go too.
We need youth, besides the rookies, the team is just too old.
I agree, as I wrote above, about playing the kids, but I suspect that with the ages of Verlander and Scherzer, Cohen and company want to win now and think that veterans are more likely to get that done than rookies. Of course, Alvarez has earned his spot in the lineup.
There’s no question the culprit here is Eppler — and Cohen.
Cohen wanted Lindor (when we had a fine keystone woth Gimenez at SS and Rosario at 2B, and he wanted both Scherzer and Verlander.
After that, theres a lot of eppler who’s to blame.
Quintana? Big fat 0
Carrasco? Big fat 0
Vogelbach? Big fat 0
Marte? Big fat 0
Etc etc
How about Ruf for 3 prospects and JD Davis. I’d like to get Holderman back for Vogelbach.
MLB is reporting that Lindor now has a Rawlings glove co made by Gucci. Can’t help but wonder if it’ll help him field a tailor made DP ground ball????????
Seems a bit like the wrong time to be going all Marie Antoinette on the Mets faithful. Let them eat cake indeed.