Tue 17 Jul 2007
I would like to thank the fellas over at the Big Lead who threw me some props yesterday. If you don’t usually read non-Mets sites, you may want to start, the Big Lead is genius. If you found me though that link welcome, and I hope you stick around.
On to tonght’s severe beating…
Now that the Mets are actually playing a decent team, it doesn’t look so easy does it.
Tonight’s game was painful to watch as the Mets lack of offensive production reared its ugly head. The one thing that kept going through my head was the Mets “new approach to hitting” working counts and fouling off more pitches. I totally agree with that stance, except for tonight. David Wells was successful throwing first pitch slow hanging curveballs to right-handed hitters to get ahead quickly in the count on a called strike one. If I am Rick Down Rickey Henderson Howard Johnson, I am telling all my right-handers to look for that pitch early in the count, wait for it and go the other way to right field.
NOTE: My apologies if the SNY boys covered this already, I watch via MLB TV and get the home team potheads play-by-play guys, who were too busy talking about Tony Gwynn than analyzing the game.
While I am on the subject of Wells, I really hate guys nicknamed “Boomer.” Chris Berman, Boomer Esiason and David Wells.
- Berman - hot airbag with a 10 year old stale bit.
- Esiason - Worst Monday Night Football analyst ever (yes even worse than Dennis Miller
- Wells - Isn’t having worn a Yankee uniform enough of a reason?
I really believed that Delgado would come out of his slump and catch fire. That hasn’t happened in a long time. It may be his bat slowing with age or that godforsaken shift., but make no mistake, Delgado is ice cold. Delgado’s lack of production has to be hindering David Wright, who while not playing poorly, isn’t the David Mets fans have come to know and love. I think it may be time for Willie to face the fact that a veteran such as Delgado may not be the Monster he was in his Toronto days. I think 6 or 7 may be a more suitable spot for Delgado in the batting order.
The same lack of production is ailing Carlos Beltran. Beltran is too talented of a hitter to be in such a prolonged cold streak. I have to believe Beltran is still suffering from a leg injury or may have reinsured the quad. Beltran’s legs are essential to his power, which hasn’t been seen in sometime.
The solution may be one that Willie won’t like. Beltran to the DL and Delgado farther down in the order. Just for grins, The Mets might be behooved to try Milledge in the three hole, Wright in the four and Gotay in the five. Yes, I realize that is a lot of pressure to put on two very young players, but at this point, I really don’t see an end to the offensive futility (besides, on the road, away from the leering press and boo-birds would be a much easier place, especially against the opponents we are facing.) Even if it doesn’t work out, it can’t get much worse. If anything it might shake up some things in the clubhouse, though the odds of Willie “I hate young Players” Randolph are slim to none.
With the Braves and Phillies both losing, the Mets lose no ground tonight, though I am starting to think that is a bad thing. I still firmly believe that the Mets won’t hit a hot streak until ceding first place and maybe even second. The NL East may turn in to the NL West of recent years; a division won by default by the least bad team. I really don’t think the Mets are a bad team, but something is definitely wrong in Flushing.
July 17th, 2007 at 10:46 am
I’m not sure if I’m believe Beltran is hurt. He’s tracking down balls like it’s nothing out in the outfield to have a hurt leg.
I do like the thought of testing the “kids” in the meat of the order. Can they really do any worse than Delgado & Beltran at this point?
July 17th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Fair point Dave, but in the past, when we saw sub-Beltranesque performances over an extended stretch, we found out that leg injuries were to blame.
In an organization that makes hiding injuries and disdain of the DL a way of life, I wouldn’t rule it out.
September 26th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
[...] I don’t want to harp on strategy or Thursday morning Manage here, but Willie should have gone to El Duque earlier; match up be damned. Sure he would have gotten torched by the media if it backfired, but how could Duque have been any worse than we’ve seen lately? I really hope I wasn’t right back in July. It’s time to drink heavily and watch the 1999, cheap ass Mets season video, Amazin Again. Can we at least see if Dennis Cook, Turk Wendell and Octavio Dotel are available? [...]