Working in the Walkoff

Look, I don’t have much time today, so I’m going to get right to it. I know Seth Lugo just went on the injured list, rendering Mickey Callaway the need to improvise what he was going to do with a lead in the 8th inning. I just don’t think, after having recently come off the IL himself, having given up a run in the 7th in the game prior and with management stating they were going to ease him back into the role, Jeurys Familia should have been given the 8th so soon. He has struggled this year, continues to do so, and you have a pitcher in Robert Gsellman who has succeeded more often than not so far this year. I think it is a no-brainer to go to the latter, as much as you want to show confidence again in Familia. A big part of what is going on with him may be mental, and showing you believe in him can go a long way. You have to, however, if you’re Mickey Callaway, be practical right now, especially with the microscope clearly finely tuned your direction.

Kathy Willens/Associated Press
Photo via Washingtonpost.com

The weird thing about games like this where the bullpen gives up the lead and the tie is it can lead to beautiful memories and other players stepping up. Whether it was JD Davis stepping up to initially give us the lead, Pete Alonso to tie it with that gargantuan moon shot over the foul pole, or Amed Rosario legging out the winning infield single, the youth of this team, including Dominic Smith off the bench, has stepped up big time on the field and off of it where the veterans have struggled. The future is on full display, they are owning the present and stepping up amidst the overall team struggles. This is the way the game should be played, especially at home where the franchise has struggled to gain consistency.

Two more games left in this 4-game series, and the Mets have taken care of business prior to facing the meat of the Nats starters, Max Scherzer and Steven Strasburg. They’ve got a tall order ahead of them, but you know what I always say…

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN’.

LET’S. GO. METS.

Getting Ahead of Not Getting Ahead of Ourselves

They've trained us plenty at this point, but that doesn't stop a fan from getting excited after one game. It's the reason why we get excited on Opening Day. It's the reason why fans start posting standings with the Mets in 1st place at a 7-3 record, something I cannot stand, as cautiously excited as we all can be.

AP Photo/Sara Stier
Photo via https://sports.yahoo.com

I've given them props for responding well to adversity before. They've come off of miserable road trips and played with life at home after looking so lifeless prior. They understood there was a lot of heat, at least in the press, on their manager after they played so atrociously for 5 straight games, and a good portion of this season since starting off so strong. It is certainly better than losing their 6th straight, and they needed an insurance run provided by the combo of a Carlos Gomez walk and a Dominic Smith single to more securely lead themselves back to the win column. This is all well and good. Even the worst teams, however, tend to win 70 games.

Everyone wants to point to Brodie Van Wagenen only going so far to state the security of Mickey Callaway's job. There is no reason, however, for BVW to state unequivocally that Mickey's job is safe. Mickey could take a shit on Jeff Wilpon's desk tomorrow, something I can only assume is a fireable offense, though you never know with this shit show of an organization. There could always be a fireable offense that pops up, so it isn't exactly surprising that this kind of lawyer-like language is used.

Good for Wilmer Font for serviceably pitching 4 innings, who's fault it is not that he's having to start every fifth day for this team. Good for Amed Rosario and Pete Alonso and Todd Frazier and Carlos Gomez and Dominic Smith for their RBIs. Good for Gagnon, who collected the dubbya, good for Zamora, good for Gsellman and good for Diaz (notice who's "Familiar" name I passed over?)

Until we see more consistency from this team, however, there is no reason to get ahead of ourselves. Hell, until they secure a playoff berth, there is no reason to get ahead of ourselves. Until this team wins the World Series, there is no reason to get ahead of ourselves. I will always be frustrated over the fact that the Wilpons keep proving us all right; that the organization will never have sustained success year to year as long as they are owners. I thought it in 2015 and I desperately wanted them to prove me wrong. They reverted to the mean, however. And I'll always be sad about that.

I'll also be sad that Yoenis Cespedes will most likely never play another inning for the New York Mets after breaking his ankle...falling into a hole on his ranch?

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN'.

LET'S. GO. METS.

The Mr. Met T-Shirt Effect

It wouldn’t stop raining. Anyone who currently lives in the New York region knows it has been raining as if the Pharaoh needed to be proven something. The plants all around us had more than blossomed, in some places spilling over into the roads they lined. As yet another day carried onward as drenched as we could be, I wondered whether yet again would the fates tease the Mets as they attempted to get back to the .500 mark.

Wearing my Mr. Met shirt, which plays on the MLB logo with Mr. Met as the silhouette gearing up for the pitch, I worked the rush hour completely spacing on the fact the Mets were on the road in Washington this time. Even though the weather between the two cities can sometimes pair up, a Mets fan who got in the rideshare car just before gametime not only informed me they were about to start, but reminded me that the game was down the interstate this time. Maybe luck was finally in play for the Mets after all.

After I dropped him off at his location, I had some moments to take to Twitter while viewing gameday. A few minutes into first pitch and before I had seen what the batting Mets were up to, I got this tweet off:

It’s time. Ain’t no better moment than the present. Do NOT act as slump busters anymore, #Mets. The #Nationals, struggling mightily right now, are obviously gonna be ripe to show they aren’t who they’ve been as the take on a divisional rival. DO NOT LET UP, @METS! DO THIS! #LGM pic.twitter.com/vHtR4TQWRw

— Sam Maxwell (@THE_SamMaxwell) May 14, 2019

Not much need to elaborate on what I said above. If you're a fan of this team, you know how it can go. It was and is time for the Mets to make those bad habits a thing of the past.

They were brewing something in the first inning when former National Wilson Ramos, at the time sporting a .235 AVG, walked to the plate with the bases loaded. Feeling this was a prime opportunity for him to get it going, I tweeted this off:

It’s time, Ramos

— Sam Maxwell (@THE_SamMaxwell) May 14, 2019

Sure enough, the next gameday alert I was alerted to read, "In Play, Runs." When the bases are juiced, this could me loads of things. It meant only one thing in this particular instance: a grand slam.

Psychic

— LI_Weather (@michaeld021) May 14, 2019

I appreciate the ego boost, but I think the tweet was more words of encouragement than predicting anything.

With the inning over, it was time for Noah Syndergaard to hold those runs up. He has struggled mostly this season, but in this game, though I wasn't able to watch any of it, sometimes you can just tell by the gameday results when someone has it. He no-hit the Nationals till the 6th inning, which was his least sharpest frame of the night. Still, it was the only runs he would allow, and he ended up going 8 fantastic innings.

By the time the 9th inning rolled around, I had the booth of the Mets in my ears well into a workout at the Fairview, NJ, Planet Fitness. One of my favorite prospects-turned-pinch-hitter-extraordinaire, Dominic Smith, rolled up to the plate looking to get an insurance run on the board. Though he's been great off the bench, his power has yet to arrive. So, I once again went to the twitterverse:

I need a Dom HR

— Sam Maxwell (@THE_SamMaxwell) May 15, 2019

Thing is, gameday is generally ahead of the radio. So, I decided to go to it with the count 2-0. The count became 3-0 and I thought to myself, "Let him rip." Next thing I knew, with the bases empty, "In Play, Runs" flashed across the screen. When there is no one on base, it obviously means ONLY one thing.

Echem...

I’m waiting @michaeld021... https://t.co/aflPxLZBMd

— Sam Maxwell (@THE_SamMaxwell) May 15, 2019

What the hell tonight is it with you predicting these things

— LI_Weather (@michaeld021) May 15, 2019

https://t.co/qslSzYvAzg pic.twitter.com/E9qLebbmjc

— Sam Maxwell (@THE_SamMaxwell) May 15, 2019

Obviously, all of these things are just coincidences. I have never had a knack for "predicting things" on Twitter. Most usually, the basket rolls around the rim and hops out, with the asked-for HR becoming a strikeout or something of that nature. Last night, however, was not the case, and I was on my prophet game. What's the difference between the other times and the night the Mets needed to make a clear statement against a struggling Nationals team hoping the Mets could be inspirational slump-busting fodder?

The Mr. Met shirt.

It is not a 7 Line branded shirt, nor official MLB gear. It is just some random shirt advertised to me on Facebook, and they got me. The funny part of it all is that Mr. Met is never at bat. He is only leader of cheer, truth be told. Even Mr. Met, however, wants to get some swings in from time to time. 

I sweated rather profusely in it last night so the Mr. Met shirt was in need of being tossed in the hamper once I got home. Today, I am wearing my Robin Ventura black t-shirt and I'm hoping it holds the same powers, especially with a better pitcher on the mound for the team from Washington. Now, I'm also realizing it is time to get all of my Mets shirts back downstate as they are all mostly in my mother's basement upstate. I guess blame me for any inconsistencies the Mets have shown and show from here on out. Or just keep blaming the Wilpons.

PEDAL. TO. THE. METAL.

LET'S. GO. METS.

LIVE at 9pm ET, A Metsian Podcast, Ep. 25 - John Strubel of Mets Rewind

A Metsian Podcast returns for our 25th episode! LIVE at 9pm ET, we welcome John Strubel of Mets Rewind to the podcast!

John Strubel publishes the team history website Mets Rewind, as well as its social media feed, @MetsRewind. He has spent 25+ years in broadcast media, freelance sports writing and minor league baseball.

The Mets are coming off of a horrendous 1-5 road trip that saw them fall to 17-20 on the year. Dominic Smith was sent down for backup shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, and while it's clear they needed a better spell for Amed Rosario at shortstop, was sending down their backup 1st baseman and key bench piece truly the best move? Jed Lowrie is also slated to come off the IL shortly, so who is the odd man out when that decision reaches a junction?

That plus much more! We'll, as always, delve into Mets history by exploring the players to wear number 25 for the Mets over the years.

So, join us at 9pm ET for the latest edition of A Metsian Podcast!

You can listen LIVE down below, or at the direct link here.