Mets Wave Good-Bye, Leaving Fans to Sort It Out
By JAY SCHREIBER
Highlights this season included David Wright’s passing Ed Kranepool as the Mets’ career hits leader on Sept. 26.
Wake up, Mets fans, the season is over. If you dozed off in recent weeks, put to sleep by the Mets’ listless play, you’re forgiven.
You did miss one of the few real highlights of the season — R.A. Dickey’s 20th victory of the season last Thursday. After that, the Mets dropped four of their last six games to finish with 88 losses on the season, or three more than last year. But who’s counting.
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Next season could be better. Matt Harvey looks like he will be a genuinely tough starting pitcher, Zack Wheeler may be on the scene by June, Jon Niese has developed into a reliable left-hander and Dickey will be probably be around, too, assuming he is willing to sign a contract extension to take him past next season.
That’s the core of a pretty good starting staff. To that you add David Wright, assuming he, like Dickey, is willing to sign a contract extension; a pretty good young shortstop in Ruben Tejada; a good-hitting second baseman in Daniel Murphy; and a power-hitting first baseman in Ike Davis.
But the team doesn’t have an outfield, or a first-line catcher, or a believable bullpen, or even a cleanup hitter, since Davis probably will not hit for a high enough average to thrive in that spot. Nor, based on General Manager Sandy Alderson’s comments Wednesday, do the Mets have any significant money to spend on free agents this winter.
So, in the end, it could be the same team next year, nowhere near as good as the Nationals or the Braves or the Phillies, and maybe headed for a fifth straight fourth-place finish. Yes, the Orioles and the A’s pulled off huge surprises this season with rosters that did not really impress anyone, and maybe the Mets can, too, in 2013. But maybe not.
For now, they depart the scene, as they usually do when the postseason begins. And their fans are left to mutter among themselves about another season that didn’t really go anywhere.
All such mutterings can be listed below.
Stu Freeman
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Wake me up when they sign or trade for at least one legitimate outfielder who can hit with power. There are lots of them out there (Jason Bay to the contrary). One such guy wouldn't solve all of the Mets' problems but he might give them a fighting chance at third place.
Oct. 5, 2012 at 2:11 a.m.
Eric K baker
LI NY
Geeez what a rotten season.
Who cared the last 5 weeks?
The outfield was the worst I can recall in my 35 years of following baseball.
When is the last time the mets had a catcher...probably Piazza...?, and how many years ao was that ...Thole is the softest catcher in baseball.
Next season they have the semblance of a rotation and infield.
They need a bullpen, catcher, and outfield.
That's a tall order for the worst owners in baseball...the Wilpons.
They should call it a day and sell....we needed new ownership 5 years ago....this is exhausting...year after year of garbage and losing.
Give me the Russian owner of the nets ...now that's an owner.
All he wants to do is win.
Like al Davis but with unlimited $$$$$$$$
" just win baby"
Yeah right...like we would ever get that lucky.
See ya in 4th place again in 2013.
Oct. 4, 2012 at 11:37 p.m.
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lhjbbw
New Windsor NY
Maybe we can trade the Wilpons for a decent cleanup hitter and 3 good outfielders
Oct. 4, 2012 at 9:50 p.m.
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Mark
Los Angeles
We're #4! We're #4! We're #4!
Oct. 4, 2012 at 9:50 p.m.
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Matt
Brooklyn, NY
Second new ownership. I like Ruben Tejada, but they really let one of their homegrown prospects go with Reyes. The leak about Ike Davis staying out late, rumors about their concern with RA Dickey's age, really make me wonder if anyone in the front office is in charge. I can't believe Bay is still on the team, Torres & Baxter started so many games - that Duda played in right, Valdespin played everywhere but second....on and on. The no-hitter and hopefully a Cy Young award were highlights. Dickey's one-hitter against the Orioles was one of the best games I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. All in spite of the Wilpons.
Oct. 4, 2012 at 9:50 p.m.
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David Gustafson
Minneapolis
Mets fan since '71, but even I have to concede that a team giving away five-ninths of its at bats -- pitcher, catcher, outfielders -- would have to play miraculously well to even achieve .500. If the Mets intend to use Thole and Bay as regulars next year, no one need yet take this team seriously. I still believe that as long as the Wilpons own this team, the future is extraordinarily limited.
Oct. 4, 2012 at 2:57 p.m.
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jgbrlb
Yonkers, NY
It seems in baseball, payroll is way overrated. Just look at the A's and the O's this season. And Tampa Bay just missed the playoffs with their low payroll. The Marlins upped their payroll and finished behind the Mets!
I don't know if Sandy Alderson is the G.M. to bring this team back into playoff contention. His signings of Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco wasn't successful, Angel Pagan for Angel Torres was a bust, and Chris Capuano would have helped more than Chris Young. I think the Mets should try to sign A.J. Piersynski, who's a free agent this winter. Maybe trade Jon Niese, Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda for Giancarlo Stanton, since the Marlins are going to have another fire sale.
Oct. 4, 2012 at 2:56 p.m.
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Stu Freeman
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Absolutely right on Pierzynski. I can't imagine the Marlins trading Stanton, though. I doubt that he's even arbitration-eligible yet.
Oct. 5, 2012 at 2:07 a.m.
Steve B.
Pacifica, CA
Loved rooting for this team in the beginning of the season, but there's no surprises here. Season ended in accordance with expectations. Could anyone blame Dickey and Wright if they left? Careers are short. Great respect for those guys either way.
Oct. 4, 2012 at 1:46 p.m.
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smarcy
New York
No muttering, just waiting until new ownership arrives.
Oct. 4, 2012 at 1:46 p.m.
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MJ
New York City
Yep, seems about right, although maybe even overly optimistic. I'm curious about Gee and Pelfrey: Are these still guys rotation-worthy? Is there some way to funnel some of the Mets' starting talent into the pen? Oh, not that it matters. With no outfield and no catcher, the Mets are giving away four or five innings right off the bat, and that way lies the egress. Well, I still think Wright passing Kranepool is a statistical triviality, and emphasizing it takes some of the true lustre away from Dickey's near-miraculous achievement. Hey, I'm glad the team rallied and saved him from being tagged with another loss. For me, the season ended when Duda fouled out with a man on third, when a single would have put RA in a position to win 21: a bitter-sweet memory that half-inning to take into the off-season.
Oct. 4, 2012 at 1:46 p.m.
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