Let me jump right into business.
Well, its been a few months into the offseason. Not much has been done, but all over you read, it seems the Mets don't have the same intimidation level they had at this time last year. I don't know how all of you feel about that, but me personally, that is where my love of the Mets started. We're the underdog, its the way it is.
I remember listening to Fatcessa and Fruit Loops last summer in Mid-July and Francessa called the Mets a Juggernaut. Wait, What?
Yeah, when I heard that I had mixed feelings. Sure I want the Mets to win, I want people to respect them, but when you hear Mike Francessa say it like that, you finally realize that something has changed since the Bobby V years.
It finally hit me, this was a new Mets team, a team that could compete with the Yanks and Sox over in the big bad AL, atleast in terms of payroll and marketability. Sure, it was great to have big name players, and it still is great to have Beltran, Pedro, Glavine, Wagner, Delgado, etc, but you don't get the same type of feeling from winning that you get when you are counted out.
Well, you don't know this yet, I'm generally very pessimistic about baseball (and a lot of other things), however I'm choosing to take the high road this time and see the best in this in active off season (I know theres still time left, I know.) and see the best in 2007.
"What the hell is good about 2007?"
Well, we are the underdog again. We are no longer the focal point, the definitive best team in the NL (or even the NL east) in the eyes of most "experts". A lot of people are counting the Mets out, the big baseball stories in New York are about the Yankees and about Hankbrenner. Sportswriters are questioning the Met's Roster, their heart, their fire, and anything else that wears Blue and Orange when they should be questioning the Yankees team.
Need some talking points for Yankees fans who tell you "Wow, in June I could imagine the Mets not making the playoffs and the Yankees getting in" Here you go:
1. 3 Unproven Starters in the Rotation, a combined 115.2 Innings pitched between them (Chamberlain as a reliever). Joba has electric stuff, yes, but he has had weight problems, and as far as I am concerned his .0000000000000 ERA means nothing out of the bullpen getting 3 hitters out over 1 Innings time. He's not going to be able to just let it fly anymore, he's going to have to develop his curve more, and basically he's realistically not going to be as special as people think right off the bat as a starter. Kennedy really has proven nothing, except he's a clone to Mussina (which could be a good thing). The only starter who could go out there and be great from the start is Hughes. He has 72 Innings under his belt.
2. A worse Bullpen Situation (how's that possible???) in 2008 than the year before with the loss of Vizcaino and Joba to the rotation. As well as the added weight that Bruney and Britton put on.
3. Matsui, Posada, Jeter, Giambi, Just to name a few, are all getting older and futher past their prime, that "greatest line up ever" from 2006 is sure getting old and dismantled.
Basically the Mets are going into next year with at least a just as good team as last year. It is safe to say they under performed in most aspects last year and what are the chances that will happen again.
As amazing as Johan would be, and as much as I want him, all they really need is another maine/perez type.. alla Joey Blanton. Regardless of his fatness, I think he'd be a good pickup (although not at Beane's current asking price).
Either way, as the confidence rating on Metsblog is now down to 5.4 among readers, down from over 9 at the end of 2006, there really is no reason to be that blue. Minaya and The Wilpons have ushered in a not so underdog, big market Met team for the next few years. Like I said before, who knows if thats what I want personally.
2. A worse Bullpen Situation (how's that possible???) in 2008 than the year before with the loss of Vizcaino and Joba to the rotation. As well as the added weight that Bruney and Britton put on.
3. Matsui, Posada, Jeter, Giambi, Just to name a few, are all getting older and futher past their prime, that "greatest line up ever" from 2006 is sure getting old and dismantled.
Basically the Mets are going into next year with at least a just as good team as last year. It is safe to say they under performed in most aspects last year and what are the chances that will happen again.
As amazing as Johan would be, and as much as I want him, all they really need is another maine/perez type.. alla Joey Blanton. Regardless of his fatness, I think he'd be a good pickup (although not at Beane's current asking price).
Either way, as the confidence rating on Metsblog is now down to 5.4 among readers, down from over 9 at the end of 2006, there really is no reason to be that blue. Minaya and The Wilpons have ushered in a not so underdog, big market Met team for the next few years. Like I said before, who knows if thats what I want personally.
