Hot Trash

Where to begin? I am beyond aggravated with where the Mets find themselves two days into the Cardinals series, with all that has transpired. I shouldn't blame anybody but the Mets for what they themselves can control. They could have taken adversity and gotten over it. They unfortunately continue to be the first and foremost thing in their own way.

Photo via My Motherlode

What a metaphor. Maybe that is why we all can relate. So many of us have such potential for greatness, yet we find ourselves continuously self-sabotaging. You have to think to yourself, of course, there is no way the Mets are doing so in this particular instance. Whether it is fear of success...for the more we succeed, the more we have to lose...because obviously why would the Mets and their players not want to achieve greatness? They clearly don't WANT to continuously trip over their own two feet. Top down, however, they continue to put themselves in the position to be the most glaring reason they have the entire league shaking their heads wondering if the Mets will ever get it together for a prolonged period of time.

I begin writing this without having gotten enough sleep but with a parking spot on my block in Manhattan that at least renders me some time to gather myself. I, however, am a hot mess indeed, so I might as well take a moment to rant without the rave about the hot trash that has helped to keep the Mets on the losing end of things 2 strange games in a row.

1. The Umpires - Could you make a decision with any conviction at all? Thursday night and the debacle with the tarp is front and center why most fans in the league think you are the worst officiating in sports and with absolutely no accountability amongst your ranks. Of course we all would rather wrap the game up as quickly as possible but the conditions were clearly within the traditional form of unplayable and you stand around, while things get worse, going back and forth about what to do AFTER you've already made a decision to begin the tarp proceedings. I mean, look at that photo I used. It looks like it was taken underwater. There is no thought given to what your indecision means for the young arm being forced to get up and sit down, attempting to stay warm before finally throwing a baseball in a downpour. Edwin Diaz will not be included in my hot trash takes because our young closer whom some fans want to give shit to right now has been nothing but dicked around.

2. Jeurys Familia - There was a hot second when I thought he may be turning a corner, but he continues to be put into high leverage situations and continues to fail miserably. The body language is completely off and the confidence of his youth has been completely wiped away. It is sad considering I keep flashing back to us fans dreaming of what could be when he was just a lil-ol' B-Met in Binghamton. Whether or not he should have even been brought back in the first place this past offseason has no place in my discussion right now. The only thing is he is what brewed the phrase in my head, "Hot Trash" after last night's horrendous 8th inning. At this point he should clearly not be anywhere near situations of that nature, no matter who may be rendered unavailable at the time. Speaking of which...

3. Mickey Callaway - I keep telling myself he will get better as a manager. I see no proof, however, of this way of thinking as of now. He would look much better as a manager if Familia was anywhere near dependable this year but he keeps making himself look bad by continuing to trust Familia in those moments. I can't tell you what the other options could have been considering apparently Gsellman had some back aches after his 7th inning last night, but at some point, Familia clearly once more did not have it, yet Callaway gives him all the room to fail. That isn't even the most egregious moment of the day. WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS YOUR CLOSER DOING STARTING THE 10TH INNING OF A SUSPENDED GAME WHEN YOU MIGHT NEED HIS ARM COME THE 9TH INNING LATER ON THAT NIGHT?! I'm sure that was indeed the plan had Familia gotten through the 8th, but why, oh why, was Diaz even close to an option earlier?! It makes absolutely no sense. The only thing I can think of is you're trying to save other arms in case it goes deep and also trying to save other arms for the night billing. So, you think, I want my best available arm to shut these guys down immediately. Complete backfire. I just wouldn't have gone that route and I'm irrationally upset Callaway did.


As I write this, I've been back and forth with a fellow fan who said it's time to move Wheeler or Matz. I would keep Matz 'cause he is still cost-controlled for a few more years (and better at this point) and Wheeler is on his way out most likely. I'll just go ahead and copy-and-paste the rest....At some point, if it keeps going this direction, move Frazier, Wheeler, and maybe even Diaz. I don't know, (to reiterate something I wrote way above) the Mets have all the potential in the world but cannot get out of their own way, and the Wilpons keep operating like the way they have all these years has been a formula for success. So frustrating.

I'm spent. Time to go driving.

TAKE. A. BREATH. NOW.

LET'S. GO. METS.

The Contradictory Nature of Mickey Callaway

After Sunday's loss, Mickey Callaway had no positive spin to put on the exemplarily bad play of his New York Mets ballteam. According to the NY Post:

“Overall game, bad defense, bad pitching, no offense," Callaway said. "We can't allow people to have the best games of their career against us. That's the bottom line. 

Inconsistency is not going to win you games. That is why we are where we are in the standings and what our record looks like. We are just too inconsistent. I don’t think it is a focus issue at all, it’s going out there and trusting you are going to get the job done and doing it every time. We play great at home and then we go on the road and what we do on the road is not acceptable.’’

“We put ourselves in a position to win more games than we did but we lost them so it doesn’t matter what position you put yourself in, you gotta go get the job done,’’ Callaway said. “We have to do better. I’m kind of getting sick of saying we have to right this ship.’’ 

Norm Hall/Getty Images
Photo via Yahoo! Sports

Up until this point, he has tried to stay positive, using clichés such as "hard fought" and "toe-to-toe" and what have you. Obviously, after yet another listless loss following a game the Mets should have won, which is standard practice for this team, he couldn't take it anymore.

Unfortunately for Callaway, in my opinion, no matter how awful you want to say the roster is, he himself has been inconsistent in doing what he says is the strategy they are taking.

I have a habit of being a chronic reneger. I'll say one thing, and then eventually do another. I lose steam on momentum and the goals fall by the wayside. I get life is a hard thing to overall follow through with sometimes. Maybe that is why, as I personally try to correct my reneging nature, I'm so sensitive these days to when Callaway says one thing then does another.

When Jeurys Familia got back from his injury, Callaway said they would ease him back into high-leverage situations. The Seth Lugo injury certainly left them altering strategy, but only within a few days was he given back the 8th inning mantle, and a day after giving up a run in the 7th, no less.

Then, as another example, Callaway overall preaches taking everything one game at a time, but then is quoted as not committing to Tomas Nido being deGrom's personal catcher because they'll need Wilson Ramos's bat out there in the playoffs.

He makes a point, for sure, that it won't be ideal for the light-hitting Nido to be starting game 1 of the division series if we even make it that far. Guess what, though? There are better ways to frame that. Say, we need Ramos to be catching our best pitcher because we need all of our personnel on the same page. Whatever is the wording, don't be mentioning the playoffs when you are struggling to even push over the .500 mark.

For the Mets, and for Mickey Callaway in his green managerial career, it's 1 step forward, 3 steps back. For two years in a row, Mickey has struggled to maintain his club's hot start. Last June, the Mets went 5-21. Any chance they had for the season completely fell by the wayside then, obviously. I and others wondered whether they were going to lose 100 games for the first time since the 90's. The way they were playing, it was a grand possibility.

Now, this June, they play the likes of the Phillies, the Braves, the Yankees, the Rockies, the Cardinals and the Cubs, with the Giants the only team under .500 they face. As we saw on this past road trip, every flaw the team has was exposed by the better clubs after they were able to mask their flaws, which still bled out some, against the Nationals and Tigers at home. Callaway may not survive long enough for his team to have yet another similarly bad month.

I am not sure I like the way Brodie Van Wagenen is operating the ballclub. We all know it always comes back, regardless of the management personnel, to the way the Wilpons operate the team. Callaway, however, is leaving much to be desired. I talk about the nature of New York sports in not letting anybody, whether it is a player or a manager, settle in to their role. Callaway is only in his sophomore year managing at all, though this may be why it is so difficult for a newbie to get his feet wet with a team like the Mets. Tony LaRussa survived a few 90-loss seasons to go on and have a very successful career split between the White Sox, the A's and the Cardinals. Terry Francona, Callaway's supposed mentor with the Indians, was not immediately the genius he is viewed as now, beginning his managerial career with the Phillies and 4 losing seasons. We never give anyone, whether it is Amed Rosario or Mickey Callaway, a chance to settle in.

Mickey, however, is making it rather hard for us to give him the benefit of the doubt when he contradicts himself so much.

June is here, buddy. What have you done for us lately?

TICK. TOCK. TICK. TOCK.

LET'S. GO. METS.

(too fitting a song title to not use twice this year)

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.

Back to Form...on Both Sides of deBall

There is no end to dePuns we can come up with when it comes to deGrom. What a sight for sore eyes, even though my ears were doing the work last night when I got a chance to tune in. Throughout the night, I and most Mets fans had flashbacks to his Cy Young season, when luckily he was too damn good to overlook giving the award. The lack of support he got on the offensive side, however, was a big reason we were mired in the disgusting grime of the sewage that was the 2018 season.

Elsa/Getty Images
Photo via nytimes.com

The Reds, who are trying to grow themselves after years of frustration, have not yet won the series but have already left two bad tastes in our 9th inning mouths. I have never been a fan of pitching your closer in the 9th inning of a tie ball game. Logic would dictate you want your best relief pitcher out there to keep the game intact. Edwin Diaz, and numerous other closers, however, have a history of having ERAs and AVG against that tick up when in these situations. I couldn't tell you why this is, but even going back to Mariano Rivera, and of course the 2016 Wild Card game with our former closer now on our IL, I would love to see how widespread this is across the league over the last 20 years, and whether my trepidation is warranted. Many point to the fact Seth Lugo only pitched to one batter before Diaz was brought into the 9th, a valid point to make about the managing.

The turnaround to the next game is the first of its kind this year with a 12:10 game today and temps heading into the 70's. No matter whether we split this 4 game series, the bad taste of yet another uneven series, where even the game we've won so far had to be salvaged in extra innings, makes optimism with the way this team plays the game right now hard to process. Still, you must keep that head held high, because no one in the NL East is running away with anything as of yet. I wish I could just stop everything and head on out to Flushing, Queens, today, but alas, I will have to find another time to take in my first game of the year. I wasn't able to make it out to Citi Field until September last year, the two games I watched the Mets lose in Denver notwithstanding. No matter how much I currently have on my plate, I could use a little Metsian teacup as soon as possible.

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN'.

LET'S. GO. METS.

(as I got back to work last night having taken a dinner break that coincided with the end of the game, this was the first song the Pandora app played for me on the oldies station I was listening to. I voiced it on Twitter as well at the time that I appreciated the optimistic sentiment.)

The Polar Bear Gets it Done After Familia Territory

I'm sure many people have made that "Familia" joke or a rendition of it, but at least it allows me to use my favorite "badum tsst" gif.

Also...oy, I had one-a doze emotional posts yet again. Ironically, the last one like that, coinciding after deGrom ended his crazy-good streak, was written while I waited for my tires to get fixed, and yesterday, after the post was published, I discovered my driver's side rear tire losing air as well. Got it fixed again, but not sure what the universe is trying to tell me...

Thankfully, I nipped it in the bud rather quickly so I could keep driving and earning yesterday evening. I decided to end the day just in the nick of time to catch Familia 1 out into the 9th inning. "Alright!" I thought to myself. "Jeurys is going to use this Edwin Diaz offnight to get it together as Wayne and Howie take me home." So, if you're playing the home game, the Mets had a lead and Familia was pitching well before I started listening, and then I listened to it all fall apart. If it weren't for Jeurys's 2019 track record, I would think I was the jinx.

Brad Penner/USA Today Sports
Photo via amazinavenue.com

I kept listening, however, and heard the new cavalry of JD Davis, Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso combine to give us a much needed walkoff win in extras. I'm not quite sure how to approach the JD Davis situation, though. I do understand that he's hit rather well when he gets his chances, but his defense leaves much to be desired. Todd Frazier is a pro out at 3rd base, and keeps running into baseballs with his bat at opportune times. We're not talking garbage time home runs, no matter whether he swings and misses a good amount of times as well. I'm not going to go outrageous about whether JD Davis should be starting over him at this particular junction. If Todd becomes a major liability, it will most likely play itself out.

Pete Alonso cannot help but swing hard. Though it was a classic Citi Field warning track shot, it was all we needed last night but man, is that guy strong. His energy is also contagious, and he seems to have taken a quick leadership role in his rookie season. With the Captain David Wright no longer there (single tear) it is nice to see such a young player taking some of the responsibility lost as Wright, head held high, marched into the sunset at the end of last season.

Back to Familia, however. I don't know how to dissect what is going on. It seems to be more mental than physical as his confidence is completely through the grass, scratching the bottom of the soil. Do I agree they should continue to put him out there in high leverage situations? On the one hand, he needs to fix these moments somehow, some way, but as players like Drew Gagnon proved last night, proper performances should be rewarded. It may behoove management to let Familia take some of the pressure off himself and pitch in moments when the game isn't on the line, because every time the game is on the line, he has come undone. We need these W's right here, right now, because this East of the NL is proving quite the crap shoot.

Here we come to another deGrom start. Luckily, the weather doesn't look to be nearly as volatile this evening as it was the night last week he should have never started in the first place. All of a sudden, Jason Vargas isn't the worst pitcher on the Mets, and I was hoping to not invoke his name in this post, but you know what? His performances lately has left me no choice. The Mets, however, need to put all their pitchers in the best positions to succeed and hopefully deGrom can do so once more going forward as the best pitcher in baseball.

MAKE. IT. SO. DUDES.

LET'S. GO. METS.

The Give and the Take

Sometime while driving around New Jersey on Saturday evening, with the Mets offense softly fizzling, I realized, or at least saw the facts through a figurative magnifying glass, that they had been utterly nonexistent since the behind-the-back statement made to Rhys Hoskins and the Phillies on Tuesday evening. The momentum, the cliché goes, is as good as your next starting pitcher, but no matter how good or bad the opposition's starting pitcher is, you have to back up your assertion that "we're not going to take it anymore." The Mets, ever so inconsistent, had given none of their starters since then, albeit only 2, any real chance of gaining the momentum back, removed from the completely botched, naturally, Jacob deGrom activation Friday night.

At some point Saturday night after thinking the above about the offense to myself (and whoever saw it on Twitter) the Mets staged a semi-comeback that was hot enough for an At Bat alert. I stayed silent, literally with the "speechless" emoji being tweeted. Jeurys Familia, however, decided to hand the momentum directly back to the Brewers and so went the game 8-6 Brew Crew.

I should have once again stayed silent on Sunday, an opinion many of you out there may echo, when I gave Steven Matz props for the performance, outside of 1 inning this year against the Phillies, he has rendered so far in 2019. Though the Brewers basically immediately tied it after I tweeted as such, the Mets were able to take back the lead and win the game 5-2, including on a hit by their new backup catcher, Tomas Nido.

There isn't much to say regarding Sunday morning's DFA of the failed Travis d'Arnaud chronic experiment. I was going back and forth, in favor of giving up on him, with someone on a facebook group page when the news came through that he had been designated. He gave us some brief memories and was an anchor in the 2015 late-season run, but he's been given chance after chance and it didn't work. Yes, a lot of that had to do with not being able to stay on the field, but that just comes with the overall picture. I still do not like that Devin Mesoraco did not make the team in the first place but I do not have the energy to go back into that right now. Yes, I've just used a lot of words after starting this paragraph with, "not much to say," but in my defense, there could have been more. I wish Travis nothing but the best and I'll leave it with this: one of my favorite memories is some random Twitter video back in August 2015 I saw of a fan finding d'Arnaud leaving in his car from the player's parking lot. The fan said some words of encouragement, and as Travis pulled away, he said, "Let's take this shit." To an extent, he backed up those words all the way through to the pennant. Wherever you go from here, take that shit, d'Arnaud.

Seth Wenig/AP Photo
Photo via msn.com

It truly is a give and a take with this team. Every time we think they're going to run with it, they take a step back. Every time we think they're going to continue to crash and burn, they give us reasons to believe. I can only hope for consistency out of this franchise one day, though I personally have to find my own as well. I, us and they have to continue to put in the work, find the balance and get better as much as possible every single day.

That's all we all can do. And that always brings me back to a familiar phrase I tend to use below.

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN'.

LET'S. GO. METS.

$&#*@in' Familia, But What a Diaz

Monday nights these days are set aside for improv classes as I try to get out of my head a bit. A bit is a bit of an understatement. Improv is therapeutic that way as you have to be on your toes and ready to accept offers as they come from your fellow improvisors. There technically aren't any wrong things you can say; just say it, stop thinking. It is only wrong to throw off the rhythm and flow.

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Photo via Metstradamus

I found myself turning off the radio feed of the game just before the Mets scored their first 2 runs of their eventual 7-6 win over the Phillies on Jackie Robinson Day. At points where my attention wasn't directly needed, whether it be myself improvising or giving the respect ones on stage deserve, I saw a prototypical Mets-Phillies battle ensuing as I was checking the score on the At Bat App. It was the type of game we have gotten plenty used to these teams partaking in against one another. Back and forth, up and down, never a moment where you felt any particular relief on either side of the respective fanbases.

And I don't want to get into the Noah Syndergaard factor right now. The Phillies' ace, Aaron Nola, was pitch-for-pitch basically not as sharp as well. The biggest issue right now is the bullpen for us, other than the Jason Vargas issue.

I got out of the improv class just in time to see a runner on and no outs with Jeurys Familia on the mound in the 8th. He both did a poor job of sticking to the script as well as keeping the rhythm and flow of the scene moving with a Mets 1 run lead at 6-5. After his sensational breakout season of 2015 where, from my memory, he was the most reliably consistent closer the Mets had ever had (up until his 2nd quick pitch in a row to Alex Gordon in game 1 of the World Series) he has resorted to typical Mets closer fashion, i.e., forcing you to self-manicure with your teeth as the clippers. Whatever is going on with him, he cannot seem for one second to find the plate with any pitch he administers, lolligagging the ball every which way. When he's over the strike zone, his pitches are way too hitable, and he provides no sign he will be getting any better any time soon. At 3 years and 30 million dollars, let alone the familiarity factor of why Brodie decided to offer him the sizable contract, Familia must figure out how to get out of his head before he is a non-factor on the field but a huge factor on what we know is a tight, specific, non-altering budget the Wilpons have come up with.

In the end, however, the Mets persevered. They came up with big hits in their first extra inning game of the year to pull a much-needed division win against the Phillies in their first match with Bryce Harper in a different logo's red. We were all wondering why Edwin Diaz wasn't in there instead of Robert Gsellman in the 8th inning after Familia walked the world. Apparently the answer is they are committed to only using Diaz for 3-out saves. While I'm not sure I agree with this, Gsellman settled down in the 9th inning after walking in the winning run and WOW did Diaz deliver when he got the opportunity in extras, striking out the heart of the Phillies order to close out the game. 

Also, if the Phillies fans weren't aware of Jeff McNeil before last night, they sure as heck are now, as he collected 3 hits, 1 RBI and made 2 spectacular defensive plays.

They were able to push past the lost momentum from the Atlanta weekend and get what we hope is back on track. Lock down the series tonight and render Wednesday's day game only playing for icing on the cake.

Stay focused, but out of your head. Transition, revelation, resolution. It's a long season, but sharpen the senses now and it will make the rest of the stretch that much easier.

And please, figure out how to throw more strikes!

GET. IT. OVER.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Walk On By

Forgive me for not getting to this sooner. I made the severe miscalculation of eating yesterday evening at a random chicken place in Elizabeth, NJ. After I was done with my Lyft rides last night, I came home, listened to the game, brushed my teeth and Listerined. All of a sudden I felt sicker than I have in a long time. I have rarely gotten all that sick as an adult, but I must have gotten food poisoning from this place. After being sick all night, I slept all day trying to crush this fever so I can get back to work Friday morning. My nausea ironically started when Jeurys Familia was giving up hit after hit.

Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Photo via twinsdaily.com

Prior to that moment, I had only been checking the score in between rides, with my first check-in coming when it was 1-0 Twins and the Mets had not gotten a hit yet. Just in the nick of time for me to go to Twitter to comment on the lack of hits, they collected their first one. Good timing. I received a request for a ride and based on his North Bergen location, which is more or less right near the Lincoln Tunnel, I decided to make it my last. That allowed me, afterwards, to not only check on the score but put the Mets radio on. I do so immediately after the Mets had scored 6 runs, taking a 6-1 lead. I wondered to myself, "How'd the Mets string all those together?"

I imagined a Pete Alonso 3-run home run, a Michael Conforto 2-run double, and Robinson Cano hitting a solo shot. Naaaaaaaah.

I haven't even brought myself to watch the highlights because I can only imagine the moans and groans from Keith Hernandez, even if we're all on the Mets side. I might muster up the strength just to hear the collective eye roll from the whole crew and ballpark, even if it must have been the most non-clinical pitching inning in baseball history.

The frustrating part, and the one that coincided with my sickness, was that the bullpen continues to induce nausea. Noah Syndergaard, who was brilliant all night, might have lost some steam at the end, but the bullpen were the real culprits in making it a closer game than it should have been. Familia signed back with us because he wanted to be a Met, not because he was going to close again. Yet he seems, like when he was the closer being put into non-save situations, that he just can't psychologically put himself into these must-hold innings. Forget about the 30 million dollars. He's got to figure out his stuff because right now it is not all that inspiring.

Now, at 7-4 tied with the Braves and the Phillies at the top, the Mets enter Atlanta for a 4-game series needing to make an early-season statement that they will be playing with the cream of the crop from last summer all summer long.

Hopefully, they don't make me want to puke more.

LOW. GRADE. FEVER.

LET'S. GO. METS.

The Difference Between 2012

Back in 2012, when I wrote about my hope for the 2nd Half, I used a photo of Jordany Valdespin after he scored the winning run against the Phillies in the Jonathan Papelbon game, July 5.

After losing 2 of 3 to the Cubbies going into the break, the Mets went out of the break on a 1-11 run.

The fact Jordany Valdespin is no longer on the team is not the ONLY difference between 2012, but it does interestingly offer a fitting symbol between the difference of this year, and the last year the Mets crashed and burned in July.

2013 and 2014 were miserable first halves with 2nd halves to build on. 2012 was the last time the Mets were in a position to contend, but they fell apart, and too quickly to even think about making a deal to support them.

Like 2010...

And kinda 2009, but that was the culmination of the mess of post-2006.

When you look at 2012, however, you remind yourselves of where the Mets were.

Johan Santana completely broke down.

Lucas Duda, still in the outfield, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis stopped hitting and were sent back to AAA.

The completely unsustainable rampage of 2-out hits predictably dried up.

And Frank Francisco was the closer.

It's crazy to think of how bad the offense currently is, but when you look at the lineup, even without Wright or d'Arnaud in there, it should be much better. Is how historically bad they've been really sustainable?

The pitching is world's and world's above where it was in the 2nd half of 2012, when Johan Santana, a great 1st half, was a non-factor, Matt Harvey was getting his feet wet, Dillon Gee was an anchor and R.A. Dickey was the only true ace. And Jeremy Hefner was getting innings.

Plus, now, there is Jeurys Familia, arguably the best closer in baseball currently.

The Mets are in a MUCH better position to continue to contend heading into these final games of the year.

It's up to Sandy Alderson and the Wilpons, however, if they want to make 2015 it's own special thing...

Or they want to have another 2012.

LET'S. GO. BASEBALL.

LET'S. GO. METS.

No Worries. The Bat's Got it.

Hey, New York.

It's me. Matt Harvey.

Oh. Some of you haven't heard of me? Well don't worry. By June or so, you will have.

You see, my team, The New York Mets, had started looking listless. Though they played well without getting the winning runs in those last 2 Miami games, unfortunately, our first loss at home was suffered because of miscues up the middle.

Our team, well positioned after one month, exACTLY where I wanted us to be when I went on my quest to return from the darkness of the DL and lead our team towards the promised land, had not looked good over the last week of April, while the divisional opponents that were "predicted" to give us the most problems had started playing a much crisper brand of baseball.

One of those divisional opponents had beaten us SOUNDLY on Thursday night, and they had driven in a ridiculous amount of runs over the last 3 games. They were sending a man I very well know to be SICK at pitching a baseball, and that man was Max Scherzer.

How could I give up a run?

There was nowhere and no place that I could possibly give up a run to a team that had been raking the past 3 games. Why would I do that? There would be no logical sense to it.

So, our veteran of the team, Mr. Cuddyer, teed one the other way off Maxwell, and later on, Mr. Werth stumbled on what would have been a 2-0 sac fly.

But the shoes went every which way.

And I pumped my batfist into the air as we made it what would be a 4-0 win.

Because there would be no logical sense for us to go 15-9. Because things have changed around here.

You know why?

Because I'm BATMAN.

And WE Are the NEW YORK METS.

LET'S. GO. GOTHAM.

LET'S. GO. METS.

The Wild One

When they peered out into the bullpen in the late innings and I saw Ramon Ramirez, I said, "Oh, great. It's Ramon Ramirez." Its amazing how quickly a reputation can change, and Ramon Ramirez, after having the 6th best reliever ERA from 2008-2011, has fallen into a long line of relievers to exert that kind of reaction from Mets fans after killing it in other corners of the MLB. He continued what Jeurys Familia began, who walked the park in his debut but kept the Marlins off the board through 4. Other relievers followed suit, and what was a 2-0 lead became a 2-3 deficit. Mix that with double digit LOBs, and you have a loss.

That's just the nature of the beast.

Of all the bullpen problems, Ramon Ramirez is the most troubling. Others, like Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch, were coming off of uneven seasons. The former you kind of expected something like this (an odd mix of a 5.53 ERA and 23 out of 27 opportunities locked down) and the latter with solid showings sandwiched in between early on and recent non-effective outings. Manny Acosta kind of gets the same "Oh, look who's in the bullpen" reaction Ramon Ramirez gets, but I like Manny when he's pitching well. He's an peculiar show on the mound. Ramon Ramirez was supposed to be THE piece of the Angel Pagan trade. Andres Torres was just replacing a position player, with the hopes he would somewhat duplicate his World Champion 2010 season. "Whatever. Sandy got Ramon Ramirez, one of the most effective righties in the National League." Oofph. He looks lost out there. In another world. I hadn't seen a pitch sail like that in a long, long time. I look forward to not seeing Ramon Ramirez in that bullpen next season. I'd rather see a kid get the chance than give him another shot.

You know, the funny thing about baseball is that even in a game the TV crew dubbed "a 4th place team playing a 5th place team kind of game," and rightfully so, it still tugs on your nervous system as you wait for what the next pitch will bring. After Fred Lewis* got hit by the pitch in the 9th, every Ike Davis foul had me waiting and hoping for the dramatic from my team. I was on the edge of my seat till he almost hit it passed Carlos Lee at 1st for the final out. That's what people who call baseball boring don't understand. All you have to do is focus your mind on following that little white ball from the pitcher's hand to the small diameter of the plate, and seeing what happens to it every time that motion occurs. It's a fascinating game. I absolutely love it.

Anyway.

I'm gonna go watch the rest of episode 3 of New York: A Documentary.

So, let's file this wild one away, and get ready for the final R.A.

KNUCKLE. THAT. BALL.

LET'S. GO. METS.

*Fred Lewis has yet to have a 2012 New York Met Moment. He's running out of chances. I was hoping he would have that moment with 2 out in the 9th, tying the game with a pull home run down the line. Got hit instead. Oh, well.

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