MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Thank you to my wonderful girlfriend Jillian for getting this for me.
10/25/11
10/21/11
The flawed argument of 'If they lost with them, they can lose without them!'
Today, Joel Sherman "perfect stormed" a story about how the Mets may lose Jose Reyes to free agency and will listen to offers on David Wright.
I tweeted, "If 2012 opens without Reyes or Wright, I might jump off a bridge."
Richard DeCicco responded with, "why we have stunk with them, I'm sure we can lose without them."
This is not the first time - or the last time - I will hear this argument. I'm sure many Mets fans out there have heard it too, or even suggested it themselves. But there's one giant flaw in that argument.
These guys were a huge part of the reason they won any games at all.
Sure, let's pull the guys with the .887 OPS (Wright) and .877 OPS (Reyes) out of the lineup. See how the team functions now. You have to remember that these are two of the best players in baseball at their positions. You will not be able to replace them with equal or greater players. Therefore, you lose production.
If you're losing production at two positions, how do you expect to win?
Grit? Tenacity? All those intangibles people love to talk about, always circling around David Eckstein?
Bull.
Wright and Reyes are arguably top 5 in baseball at their respective positions. The team won't land anyone above that in a deal, free agency, or trade. Maybe they can develop one in 3, 4, 5 years. But nothing is really on the horizon to take the place of these two currently.
So sure, they've lost with them. But they'd lose even more without them.
And no one wants to see that.
I tweeted, "If 2012 opens without Reyes or Wright, I might jump off a bridge."
Richard DeCicco responded with, "why we have stunk with them, I'm sure we can lose without them."
This is not the first time - or the last time - I will hear this argument. I'm sure many Mets fans out there have heard it too, or even suggested it themselves. But there's one giant flaw in that argument.
These guys were a huge part of the reason they won any games at all.
Sure, let's pull the guys with the .887 OPS (Wright) and .877 OPS (Reyes) out of the lineup. See how the team functions now. You have to remember that these are two of the best players in baseball at their positions. You will not be able to replace them with equal or greater players. Therefore, you lose production.
If you're losing production at two positions, how do you expect to win?
Grit? Tenacity? All those intangibles people love to talk about, always circling around David Eckstein?
Bull.
Wright and Reyes are arguably top 5 in baseball at their respective positions. The team won't land anyone above that in a deal, free agency, or trade. Maybe they can develop one in 3, 4, 5 years. But nothing is really on the horizon to take the place of these two currently.
So sure, they've lost with them. But they'd lose even more without them.
And no one wants to see that.
10/19/11
Ron Darling SU2C for Gary Carter
Ron Darling in the latest "Stand Up To Cancer" commercial, running during the World Series, holds a sign up for Gary Carter, who is battling brain tumors.
Via Remembering Shea
10/11/11
The one where I stump Jimmy Rollins with a yes or no question
What I asked...
What he responded with...
What???????
10/7/11
10/5/11
Mets make major coaching changes
I'm truly bummed to see Chip Hale go. He was my favorite.
Firing Mookie is never cool. No matter what. What did he do wrong?
Also, if Teufel is promoted, that leaves a empty Triple-A managerial spot. Wally Backman, anyone?
10/3/11
Sixty years ago, this happened
At 3:58 p.m. on October 3, 1951...
Not Mets, per say, but still great baseball history.
Not Mets, per say, but still great baseball history.
9/29/11
Thanks, Deadspin
Jose Reyes won the batting title yesterday, the first Met to do so. Hooray!
But, of course, something had to go wrong and Reyes' feat is being tarnished. He got a hit, then promptly left the game. It was his decision and the media went bonkers because of it. But thankfully, Deadspin comes along to highlight the dumbest story and then takes them down a peg or two.
Congrats, Jose.
Please stay.
But, of course, something had to go wrong and Reyes' feat is being tarnished. He got a hit, then promptly left the game. It was his decision and the media went bonkers because of it. But thankfully, Deadspin comes along to highlight the dumbest story and then takes them down a peg or two.
Congrats, Jose.
Please stay.
9/27/11
When will it be March?
Confession time: I haven't watched a Mets game the entire month of September.
It's not that they're boring, they're just not overly interesting. There's no young player(s) to track as he gets his first reps at the major league level - mostly because he's been getting reps all year with the team. There's obviously no playoff race, and barely a hint of playing spoiler. It's just, well, uneventful.
So now, as the season draws to a close, I - and every other baseball fan not waiting to watch their team play in October - look forward to March (or even February, for that matter). The time when hope springs eternal, the team assembles, hopefully with a few new faces, and they play meaningless - but more interesting - games again.
This offseason will likely be a long, long one. With one name thrown around more than any other: Jose Reyes. We will hear that he's staying, that he's going, that he hates the Mets, that he loves the Mets, that he wants to play here, that he wants to play there. We'll hear it all from the media, but for the sake and sanity of every fan, I hope this journey ends soon. If he stays, I'll be a happy man. If he leaves, I'll be devastated. So, stay Jose. But please, don't drag it out.
And now it's time for the offseason. Sandy & Co.'s first full time off together, to tweak, to adjust, to sign and to deal. To do what they need to do to make the team win. It will be fun to watch them work, watch them get critiqued and watch how they respond.
Let's look forward to March. Let's look forward to baseball. Let's look forward to hope, for a season that might not be lost - at least not yet.
It's not that they're boring, they're just not overly interesting. There's no young player(s) to track as he gets his first reps at the major league level - mostly because he's been getting reps all year with the team. There's obviously no playoff race, and barely a hint of playing spoiler. It's just, well, uneventful.
So now, as the season draws to a close, I - and every other baseball fan not waiting to watch their team play in October - look forward to March (or even February, for that matter). The time when hope springs eternal, the team assembles, hopefully with a few new faces, and they play meaningless - but more interesting - games again.
This offseason will likely be a long, long one. With one name thrown around more than any other: Jose Reyes. We will hear that he's staying, that he's going, that he hates the Mets, that he loves the Mets, that he wants to play here, that he wants to play there. We'll hear it all from the media, but for the sake and sanity of every fan, I hope this journey ends soon. If he stays, I'll be a happy man. If he leaves, I'll be devastated. So, stay Jose. But please, don't drag it out.
And now it's time for the offseason. Sandy & Co.'s first full time off together, to tweak, to adjust, to sign and to deal. To do what they need to do to make the team win. It will be fun to watch them work, watch them get critiqued and watch how they respond.
Let's look forward to March. Let's look forward to baseball. Let's look forward to hope, for a season that might not be lost - at least not yet.
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