If you go to Metsblog.com and check out the in-game comments for today's 12-8 Mets loss to the Cardinals, you would think that the world is ending or something. People are calling for Jerry Manuel and various members of the coaching staff to be fired, for core players to be traded, and for a nice tall glass of whiskey to deal with the pain. And Matt Cerrone tells us after the game that:
"Today alone, I have been sent 27 e-mails about the team’s perceived lack of ‘passion,’ ‘urgency,’ etc., and 11 e-mails suggesting Dan Warthen and/or Howard Johnson be fired. I can’t believe we are already at his point, just 15 games in to the season, but here we are."
Yes, here we are. All things being equal, the way Mets fans are reacting to their team's 6-9 start is pretty silly and stupid.
It's only April, folks.
But if only things were that simple. Unfortunately, the Mets cannot avail themselves of the "It's only April" defense. Because it is not "only April" for this team.
This is a team that has had their collective tails handed to them in the most embarrassing fashion for two years in a row, and AGAIN they come out of the gate looking like they couldn't care less.
We see the same lackadaisical play, the same mental foibles, and generally, the same problems. Yes, the starting pitching is unusually bad right now—worse than it was at this time last year. But the offense couldn't get a hit with runners in scoring position if the ball was placed on a tee. It's the same garbage over and over and over again.
Most of all, this team just feels exactly the same. From the point of view of a diehard fan who watches every game, you have the same exact feelings this time around as all the other times around over the past two years. You know that if they score a lot of runs early, there is a decent chance that the opposition will tie it or take the lead.
And you absolutely know that once that happens, the Mets will not score any more. When the Mets are batting, one out always feels like two, and two outs feels just like three outs.
And you most certainly know that when the bases are loaded, the Mets probably will not be able to push more than one run across. Kinda like today, in the fifth inning.
It's not "only April." It's not "only 15 games into the season," because this began in 2007. It's more like 339 games into the life of a team that just can't get out of its own way.
Perhaps we ought to just face the fact that this is a mentally fragile team that just does not know how to win. They have lots of individual talent, as evidenced by the individual batting averages and on-base percentages.
You can count on Carlos Beltran or David Wright to get that one-out single in the eighth inning, down by five runs. You can even sometimes expect a three-run homer in the eighth inning to make the deficit only four runs instead of seven.
But you can't count on anyone on this team to do anything worthwhile when something really needs to be done.
The Mets go home now to play the Nationals—arguably the worst team in the majors.
Would it shock anyone if the Mets lost two out of three?
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