Thursday’s Mets News: Expectations Falling?
For one day, the Metropolitans were able to put it all together. They came home from their west coast trip with a 3-3 record. The Mets are sporting a 17-15 record now. Kinda boring, huh? It seems like they are always around .500. My expectations of the ‘08 season are dwindling because they aren’t showing me anything special. Something isn’t right with the team, and it doesn’t make sense because I thought they had a shot at winning the World Series a month ago.
When I just watched the Giants win the Super Bowl, they did it by having a chip on their shoulder. They got into that ‘us against the world’ mindset in Week 3 in Washington when they had the goalline stand, and they carried it through the Playoffs.
The Mets don’t have that chip on their shoulder, and they should because they never won anything yet. Except their division in 2006. When Beltran stared at strike three in game 7 of the NLCS, the team should’ve had a chip on their shoulder to do it again in 2007 and gone even further. That didn’t happen because of the collapse. By now, they should have a chip on their shoulder for ‘06 and ‘07, but they appear content playing .500 ball. These are the four players that have been in the lineup since 2006: Beltran, Delgado, Reyes, and Wright. These are the players that should have the most to prove now. Beltran declared that the Mets are the team to beat, but hasn’t backed it up on the field. Delgado appears to be in the twilight of his career. He was bored in ‘07 with a .259 average, and it’s even worse now. Reyes has all of the skills in the world, but he appears to be too soft mentally to play the game. Wright has been the only one of these four to play at a high level consistentely since ‘06. On the mound, the Mets mostly have the same rotation: Martinez, Hernandez, Perez, and Maine. Pedro and El Duque have barely pitched since going on the DL a few days prior to the Playoffs in 2006. Perez has remained inconsistent since then, and Maine has improved a great deal since then. These players need to communicate how pissed off they are for not winning the World Series in ‘06 and/or ‘07 in order to motivate them to play at the highest level each and every game. Nothing less than the best should be tolerated.
Beltran waiting for something to click
Mets run on all cylinders in LA blowout - Anthony DiComo summarized today’s game between the Mets and the Dodgers.
Mets return home, aim to impress fans - Anthony DiComo put together a pregame analysis for Friday’s game between the Reds and the Mets.
Mets cautious with Pagan after catch - Anthony DiComo reported that Angel Pagan will have an MRI on Thursday to determine the severity of the injury.
El Duque cleared for next step - Anthony DiComo informed us that Orlando Hernandez had the protective boot removed. He will begin a rehab program soon.
Beltran fights flu, returns to Mets’ lineup
Mets falter against Dodgers - Anthony DiComo summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Dodgers.
Mets anticipating Castillo surge - Anthony DiComo wrote up a pregame analysis for today’s game between the Mets and the Dodgers.
Boras: Perez, Mets on good terms
Newsday:
Mets’ bats wake up, back Maine in rout of Dodgers - David Lennon also summarized today’s Mets-Dodgers game.
Maine goes into 9th on eve of 27th birthday
Mets’ Pagan may have to pay for hard-nosed play
Mets fall to Dodgers, 5-4 - David Lennon also summarized last night’s Mets-Dodgers game.
Mets’ Martinez shows some progress
Agent Boras shows up to support Mets’ Perez
New York Daily News:
John Maine dominant as Mets deck Dodgers in Los Angeles
Angel Pagan hits seats and maybe DL
Ryan Church brushes off Brad Penny’s brushback
Inside-the-park homer, strikeouts doom Mets in loss to Dodgers
Omar Minaya sees Pedro’s progress
New York Post:
AMAZIN’S AWAKE FROM LUMBER SLUMBER
PAGAN HURTS SHOULDER AFTER GREAT CATCH
METS, MAINE MAUL DODGERS - Bart Hubbuch summarized yesterday’s Mets-Dodgers game.
IT’S AN INSIDE JOB - Bart Hubbuch describes the inside the park home run that Blake DeWitt hit on Wednesday night.
WISE WILL SHAKE UP WILLIE’S PEN
New York Times:
Hitting the Wall and the Ball, the Mets Lack for Nothing
Randolph Preaches Patience While Rotation Tests His
The Star-Ledger:
acrobatic catch bangs up Pagan
Church can’t corral ball as Mets drop another
