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How Long?

Written by Justin "Tito" Dellow | 05 August 2010

Justin “Tito” Dellow is the Founder/Editor of the fantasy baseball website, Fantasy 40/40. Be sure to visit his site for great fantasy insight and the ever-important music, women, and pop culture thrown in to keep you in good spirits, even if your fantasy team is garbage.

“How long?”  That’s the first question I asked myself this morning.

I asked this because of yesterday’s poor performance where the New York Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves, 8-3.  A night after they came back on former closer, Billy Wagner, with an inspiring homerun from former Brave, Jeff Francoeur.  Thrilled.  Excited.  Giddy.  The Mets were saying the right things after an important victory.  Like a team ready to move forward and take the next step.  And then? NO AND THEN! And then? And then Wednesday night happened.

And that’s the story with these Mets – Jeckyl and Hyde – gritty and tough on one day and flat the next.  I watch these inconsistent Mets, year in and year out, at least, 140 out of 162 games a year.  Every inning.  Every game.  For at least the last 18 to 20 yrs.  I continue, like most of you reading this, to support my favorite team in my favorite sport, through thick and thin.  But, how much longer can I take this?  Can we take this?

How long will Mets’ fans continue to put themselves through the heartbreak and pain every baseball season?  Heilman’s change-up to Molina.  Tom Glavine, The Marlins, the bullpen and collapses two years in a row.  The entire team spending time in the nurse’s office last season.  Every year there’s another excuse.  How long?

The second question I asked myself was, “Are these Mets really a serious contender?”

This “core group”, this team won the NL East and almost made the World Series four years ago.  Four years ago kids.  Big deal.  Yet, fans expect greatness like they’ve done it or have won something before.

Wednesday’s game was a night where most knew the importance and impact a victory could have for the team.  For their confidence, morale and chemistry moving forward.

The importance and impact on the standings.  To move a game closer to the division-leading Braves, closer to the rival Phillies and win a crucial rubber game on the road.

The importance and impact in a game with possible ramifications that could help push the Mets into the NL East race and make them relevant again.  The Mets needed energetic, lively and inspiring team play.  Instead, they came out not concentrating, lifeless and imprecise.

Again, is this team, the way it’s currently built, in a perfect, non-injury free world, a serious contender in this division?  Can they play and sustain the level of play necessary to win championships?  On Tuesday night, I would have said, “yes.”  After yesterday’s lackluster, unfocused and Bad New Bears performance, I am not so sure anymore.

Francoeur Comes up Big in Atlanta

Written by Nikki DeMaio | 04 August 2010

Last night, I was talking to one of my friends about baseball and how I was kind of running out of things to write about.  I said that I just needed something to happen.  About an hour later, I got my wish.

That win against the Braves is the type of win that can start something.  Everyone has been saying how this road trip, against Atlanta and Philadelphia, will determine the rest of the season for the Mets.  Last night, they showed us it might be a season worth sticking around for.  Jeff Francoeur has had a tough few weeks.  Not only has he been mired in a horrific slump, he essentially lost his job to Angel Pagan (only to get it back because Bay had to go on the DL), and has been the subject of trade rumors since the All-Star Break.  Francoeur the Baseball Player frustrates the hell out of me.  I love him for his arm in right field, I hate that other than that he is an average defender and potentially one of the streakiest hitters I've ever seen.  But Francoeur the Guy.... I feel badly for him.  I know that being a nice guy really has nothing to do with baseball, but it makes it harder to wish for him to just be traded already.

Anyway, my point here is that last night, Jeff Francoeur showed up to fight.  Apparently, he's been working with HoJo and Carlos Beltran in the cage to just find some sort of consistency at the plate.  It paid off because last night, HE DREW A WALK.  Jeff Francoeur does not walk.  He seems to be genetically programmed to swing at anything and everything...but last night, he got one.  Of course, this accomplishment would be forgotten by the end of the game because Francoeur came up big against Billy Wagner with a game winning solo shot in the top of the ninth.

Could that have been any more of a feel good story?  Or more dramatic?  The Mets are fighting for their season, Francoeur is fighting for everything... and he becomes the hero in a game that took place in his home town against the team that completely gave up on him last year.  Plus, I get the satisfaction of knowing that Wagner blew another game, since I have a running tally of his blown saves and losses in my head (I think rooting against Billy Wagner in every possible way is one of the few things Mets and Phillies fans can agree on, by the way).  With that kind of win under their belts, I want to see the Mets take that momentum and go for the jugular and the series win tonight.  Like I said, it's the kind of win that can start something... now we just have to wait and see what the Mets do with it.

Remembering the Good ol' Days

Written by Nikki DeMaio | 02 August 2010

Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Mets Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Frank Cashen, Davey Johnson, Doc Gooden, and Darryl Strawberry. As I listened to these men give speeches of thanks and talk about their time spent with the Mets, it really struck me just how special that 1986 team was.  Since I was only 10 months old when the Mets won the World Series, everything I know about the '86 team has come from either my father, TV specials, or books.  The thing I found most interesting about this ceremony was the fact that the 1986 Mets loved the fans just as much as the fans loved them.  Gooden and Strawberry in particular made it clear that not only did the Mets have the most passionate fan base, but that there was nothing better than hearing the crowd when Gooden had 2 strikes on a batter or Strawberry stepped to the plate in a big moment.  Hearing the reception for these two men, the epitome of "should have, could have, would have" in sports, was unreal - there is just as much love for Doc and Darryl now as there was in 1986.  That team has a special place in every Mets fan's heart, even fans like me who were too young to see or remember the World Series run.

Unfortunately, the '86 magic didn't stick around for very long, as the Diamondbacks (and Adam LaRoche in particular) routed the Mets 14-1.  It was so bad that Oliver Perez came in to finish off the game.  It was ugly, and not the way we wanted the afternoon to end.  But the thing that made an impression on me was the crowd.  These same people who cheered and gave an uproarious welcome to Keith Hernandez, Ralph Kiner, and all the new Hall of Fame inductees were DEAD QUIET.  And the game wasn't always out of control.  Although Jon Niese was ineffective by the time he left the game, he started the day cruising through the first three innings - but you would have thought the Mets were already losing.  It was disheartening.

My point is that maybe there is a little bit of a cycle going on here.  Yes, as fans, we are frustrated with a team that was built to succeed and seems to continuously under perform... but at the end of the day, the Mets are still our team.  If the players feed off the crowd as much as Doc and Darryl claim to have done, don't we owe these guys some energy in the stands?  At the same time though, the kind of devotion that people had towards the 1986 team has to be earned somehow.  Are we all just waiting for the next 1986 instead of taking what we have and helping to create it?

Serious Contenders or a Serious Joke?

Written by Nikki DeMaio | 31 July 2010

As the 2010 season for the Mets progresses, does anyone else get the feeling that they've seen this movie before?  I know I have.  The July 31st trade deadline has come and gone and what did the Mets do?  That's right, nothing.  And I get it - I didn't want to see our team give up Ike Davis, Jon Niese, Jenrry Mejia, etc. either.  In spite of that sentiment, I find it frustrating that the Mets don't seem to be committed to winning.  Recently, there has been some speculation that the Wilpons took a more severe financial hit in the Madoff scandal than was originally suspected, and that makes perfect sense to me.

It just seems like the Mets are never running on all cylinders.  We're either getting great pitching, or a productive offense - never both at the same time.  We've been seeing the ill effects of the way our bullpen was (ab)used during the first half of the season.  And honestly, that's not completely Jerry's fault.  What exactly was he supposed to do when we were lucky if our starters made it through the 5th inning for 2 months?

I'm just getting tired of the cycle:  the Mets start out the season badly and get everyone calling for the heads of management.  Then they go on a tear and make everyone believe they're going to really contend this year.... and after the All-Star Break, it all just falls apart.  In June, the Mets were one of the best teams in baseball with a record of 18-8.  In July, almost the exact opposite occurred as the Mets posted a record of 17-7 (not counting tonight's game which is currently tied in the 9th inning).  This is the scenario a lot of Mets fans feared before the 2010 season kicked off:  a team that was just good enough to keep Jerry and Dan Warthen, but just bad enough to miss being serious contenders.  And that's the thing - does anyone take the Mets seriously?  I don't think I can at this point, and that's sad to me.  What do you guys think?

Mets Make Front Page of ESPN.com!

Written by Mike Mariano | 28 July 2010

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Honestly I was completely flabbergasted when I saw Mets logo's on the front page of ESPN.com.  Why in the hell would do something so foolish?  Then it was obvious, Ron Artest and some weird looking guy are going to talk about New York baseball and do some rapping.  Phew, I thought David Wright got traded or something hilarious like that.  The Mets are almost in fourth place, is that front-page newsworthy?

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