Are You Still Watching? Mets Tank Early This Year

The time since the All Star break has been a blur, but I'm still having nightmares about that guy (below) we saw in San Francisco. Mostly his hair. He wasn't the last opposing pitcher to dominate the Mets as Aaron Heilman and Hong-chih Kuo have also taken their turn, but he was the scariest looking of the bunch.














First the resignation. Then the false hope. Then the gut-wrenching but inevitable failures, followed by the gnashing of the teeth. Then the Oliver Perez appearance. The cycle is all too familiar for Metz fans these days.  And being the Metz, they find a way to make losing interesting, and if at all possible, devastating. This year, the Metz have decided they just won't score anymore (shut out 4 of last 10 games). Take that, few remaining Met fans.


Unfortunately, I've already done all I can do with Tim McCarver based humor.

At the break, we had reason to hope.  Beltran was coming back, Reyes was only mildly injured, and Santana had been coming around.  Oh what a difference a few series make.  Now all seems really lost.  Solidifying his reputation among Los Mets types, Carlos Beltran has (perhaps presumptuously) publicized his problems with appearing in Arizona at next year's All Star snoozefest. Unfortunately, he also is having problems with catching fly balls these days, perhaps due to rustiness, perhaps due to decline, or perhaps due to dragging an exo-skeleton around center field.  Truly horrible hitter Rod Barajas also took a laudable political stand by wearing Mike Pelfrey's jersey (better watch out or you might draw fire from Alex Cora!). I wonder if these guys shouldn't stick to figuring out how to win ballgames.
 
Will the Mets make a killer move at the trade deadline?

In any event, you can't say the Metz have received a boost by Beltran's return. They look even more putrid than they did right before the All Star break.

 
Brace yourself, the rest of this season might get uglier.

Is Our Short Local Nightmare Finally Over?
Chemistry master-power arm-frequent flier-clubhouse barber Jeff Francoeur may be traded soon, so that's kind of neat.  Unlike a lot of fanboys, I'm not ready to indict the French Connection for crimes against humanity.  Maybe I just don't care enough, deckchairs on the Titanic and all. Now, if Omar can find someone dumb enough to take Frenchy, I'll just be happy I don't have to learn to spell his name.  But Frenchy just wants to play, man, even apparently going so far as to demand a trade.  Jeff, you can't hit a baseball. For the most part, that's an occupational requirement for all clubs.  Other than the Mets, who will employ you?

 Yay! the Wilpon's favorite team is going to sweep the Mets!


Omar's had his interesting moments. But after 6 or 7 years, 3 or 4 of which have been jaw dropping failures, Omar's time has come and gone.  I expect him to be fired at some point in the next 3 months. Jerry won't be rehired, of course, if he does make it through the season.  The Wilpons too, need to look in the mirror, and ask themselves if they really know what the hell they're doing. If I was owner, last season, when their team defiled the opening of their brand new stadium, would have seemed like rock bottom to me. But the Wilpons are delusional when it comes to rock bottom. The injury excuse has been exposed as bogus, the starting rotation exposed, the bullpen laughable, and the team is now tied down to the contracts of Jason Bay and "K-Rod" (I think even the Mets will cut ties with Oliver Perez eventually), and has no idea if Beltran's career is over.  They have intriguing youth at first and catcher, and I wonder if, by expertly filling right field and second base holes with guys that can change the offensive chemistry, some management could get this team to click again like in 2006.  I can't really say what they could possibly do to fix this team short of blowing it up, but I think the next six months may turn out to be the most important time in recent franchise history.  Next time they go shopping for a GM and manager, the Wilpons need to do it right. Or even better, sell the team to someone with a clue.

 
On second thought, maybe the Wilpons shouldn't look in the mirror.