What Can Go Wrong...
Even watching on television, you can feel the Mets' lack of confidence, their lost mojo. You see it when Orlando Hernandez walks the allergic-to-OBP Juan Pierre to start the fourth inning. Or when Paul Lo Duca thwarts a squeeze play in the sixth inning, only to try and be a hero with a double play (rather than holding onto the ball) and committing a two-base throwing error, helping the Dodgers score an insurance run. Or when Carlos Delgado once again fails to deliver with men on base, all of which led to a 5-3 loss.
Not once last year did the Mets lose 8 of 10 games, and while they still hold the National League East lead, it seems like the Braves and Phillies, though obviously flawed, intend to stick around.
Every team is entitled to a slump. But what we've seen from the Mets the last 11 days does reflect some of the concerns people had about them going into the season. In no particular order:
My hunch is, this slump is not a mere aberration. The Mets are in great shape for the long term, but they took some risks with this 2007 club, and some of them are backfiring now. It's going to be a battle the rest of the way, and I think they will fall short in their bid to return to the playoffs.
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Comments (10)
Typical DUMB media article. When the Mets were winning NO ONE covered the team and any mention was buried in the paper. Now they go through a bad streak and the media morons run to cover the team. Davidoff where were you with these CONCERNS about two weeks ago??? PHONY
You're right on track. The Mets who looked largely decent the first part of this season, are now spinning their wheels to go no where, sadly. Joe Smith has done yeoman's work, and he can't be expected to produce that solid stuff every time out: hello; he's a ROOKIE, but a good one at that. Wright's been great, Beltran's been great, Shawn Green had best stay healthy, but otherwise, this team is what it was last year, AVERAGE, yet they overachieved, made the playoffs, and won the NLDS, before a superbly talented Cardinal team beat them; in 7 games in the bottom of the 8th. Mota's a mess; always has been, and we need Pedro, but he's out until, God knows... Glavine must have run support; or else he loses to teams like the Nationals (how???)... Enough said... Keep up the great coverage.
i dont know where "DTRINCE" was last year. To call the Mets an average team that overachieved last year is rediculous and to call the Cardinals superbly talented is even worse. They went on a hot streak and we didn't end of story. I agree that the rest of the season is most likely going to be a battle with the much improved teams that Philly and Atlanta are putting on the field, but I still believe we have the better team. Both teams are just as flawed as ours. Our offense is better than the rest of the divisions and the pitching is flawed but still doing well. The team hasn't been clicking during the last 10 games and that is why we are losing. When you are starting Gotay, Newhan, Gomez, and Easley do you really expect to be winning the amount of games they did last year. Now that Valentin and Green are off the DL and Alou is due back soon the team will improve.
Kevin, here is where I was two weeks ago (actually, three weeks and a day ago):
http://blogs.trb.com/sports/baseball/blog/2007/05/the_path_to_redemption.html#comments
Ken,
Why assume that the risks the Mets took that are currently "backfiring" will continue to do so? There's no less logic in assuming that this rough patch will pass.
Who's to say "the mean," once it's regressed to, is necessarily a bad thing (especially when so many - including you - expected so much worse than "the mean")?
- ryan
Oh, I get it. The pitching will return to the mean, but the offense will continue to struggle all season. Delgado and Beltran are D-U-N, done!
I'm glad your crystal ball is sparing me the heartache of watching the season.
Davidoff asccurately points out some of the Mets problems, but to conclude that that they will fall short of the playoffs is a stretch. The Braves have slumped badly and have significant pitching issues, as well as a perpetually banged-up Chipper. The Phillies pitching is simply awful, and the bottom of their lineup is poor. With all of the Mets' problems, they are still by far the most talented team in the division, and a healthy Pedro will only widen that gap.
Los Metamucils eat it!! dey wil neber be as good as de Jankees.
Ken:
While admirable that you are sticking to your guns and your pre-season prediction that the Mets won't make the playoffs,
you were wrong then, you were two weeks ago and you are wrong today.
First, while they never lost 8/10 they did lose 7/9
at about the same time last year. Mets had trouble with interleague play then righted themselves. They did that with Pedro out and a rotation of Glavine, Hernandez, Trachsel, Maine
and Misc. We'll see tonight, but Maine looks like the real deal and one bad start from Glavine and Perez does not a regression
make. If anything Beltran and Delgado will likely progress towards the mean.
Moises Alou was basically a flyer. If he worked out great, if he didn't the Mets basically platoon Chavez and Milledge. Chavez and Mileldge will be back in a month or so when the Mets will likely be no worse than 3 games out or so. Maybe Alou comes back and that's great too, but what real "risk" was there?
Mets have yet to play the soft part of their schedule, i.e. Pirates, Reds or Astros.
Braves are looking at Smoltz being touch and go the rest of the year. Let's see if Hudson can keep it up, after that they are actually worse than the Mets starters. Phillies are counting on Alfonseca.
The Mets will make the playoffs.
MT is right on. Way too early to write off the Mets. At the end of the season they will be there.