8
2009
The Three Stooges Redux
An article by Doug Branch
My head nearly spun off it’s axis Monday listening to Jeff (Wilpon), Omar (Minaya), and David (Howard), aka, “The Three Stooges,” putting a spin on the worse season in franchise history over 50.000 Watts. One sounded like an idiot son, another should be fired for cronyism, and the third (what the heck was he doing there?) a bean counter.
(If Howard called the fans “customers” one more time, I was going to heave a live child at the TV. A customer is one who walks in interested in a purchase with the possibility of leaving on their own accord, and dignity in tact. A fan is someone that risks sky-high ticket prices, exorbitant concession costs, parking rip offs-which Howard was proud to say belonged to the Mets after many years going to the City, in hopes of seeing a professional baseball team in action.
Mets fans were fleeced all season. Many times the faithful paid top dollar only to see the understudy. Many times they had to buy junior a hot dog during a three-hour plus game, at six dollars a pop (in the press room it costs $1.50-hey get a media credential if you don’t like it). Moreover, $17 to park the car if you live outside the jurisdiction of the 7-train, for entertainment as scintillating as a root canal.
Jeff’s mistake was he was born into this mess, but has profited handsomely from that. Omar hired all his friends and obviously they helped run the organization into the ground. He also bought the groceries that mostly turned rancid. Howard, embarrassed himself with terms such as, “pockets of the ballpark,” aforementioned “customers,” and other business speak (I tuned him out, sorry).
But, they did fire Sandy Alomar. Rejoice!
I was only interested in Citi Field conversation if they were getting realistic about revamping the dimensions and lowering the Walls, as tall as China’s Great Wall. Howard showed his ignorance by proclaiming the new park’s dimensions about the same as the old park’s.
I know Shea has been closed for a long long time, but I recall the gaps were 396 feet from home plate. The Mets bullpen is located in the right-field expanse, 415 feet from the dish. I was not a math major, but that is a 19-feet disparity, and a lot of lost home runs (think David Wright) later.
The home bullpen is so far from home plate, Randy Neimann, the bullpen coach, needs the Hubble Telescope to spot the action, binoculars are useless.
Only the Mets could build a ballpark to tailor a team that strengths were purportedly speed, defense, and pitching. Not only did they negate their best hitter, but their best all-around performer, Carlos Beltran, had knee woes that certainly were attributed to roaming the vast outfield. Moreover, they lost their home-run hitter in the speed department, Jose Reyes in late May (but he is scheduled for surgery soon-be patient my friends, the wheels of medicine turn slowly).
Wright did swipe a bunch of bags, (but committed a bag full of errors) and Angel Pagan (11 triples, but shoddy base-running) and Luis Castillo (hit .300, with one infamous dropped pop-up) could run-how exciting, but how is speed going to translate into runs scored when no one on this team could hit a bull in the fanny with a bag of rice with two outs and RISP?
By the way, one leg injury wiped out that plan, regardless. Don’t get me started about the putrid pitching staff-it was Santana and pray for a Tsunami. The team ERA was so high it routinely bumped into the Goodyear Blimp. The pitchers walked more in one year than seemingly Nolan Ryan did in his long career.
However, the pitching coach survived the ax, but management nailed the first base coach to the cross. Rejoice, again!
Now, I don’t need a home run (or strikeout) to satiate my baseball desires, but too much small ball is overrated and the way the Mets ran the bases-station-to-station, with the third base coach having no clue, they required four hits per inning to plate a run.
Give me a bloop and a blast anytime. All the Mets got was poop and a pop-up this year, and yesterday Mo, Larry, and Curly, sans the laughs.
About the Author: Doug Branch
Doug has been sports writing since 1983. He first wrote about the Mets at spring training that year, and his first interviewee was surly catcher Ron Hodges. He currently writes for Mets Inside Pitch, among other magazines published by Scout Publishing-which is owned by Fox Sports. He began following the team during the Wes Westrum era, and redeemed many Borden milk coupons for free Saturday baseball. The night of Tom Seaver's imperfect game against the Cubs, he was in line to buy a ticket when the windows slammed shut and abject disappointment ensued.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationals | 26 | 18 | .591 | - |
| Braves | 26 | 20 | .565 | 1.0 |
| Mets | 24 | 21 | .533 | 2.5 |
| Marlins | 24 | 21 | .533 | 2.5 |
| Phillies | 23 | 23 | .500 | 4.0 |
Last updated: 05/25/2012
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Great story that just fits the bill. The Mets built a Pitcher’s Park but didn’t realize that to take advantage of it they couldn’t rely on the Heritage pitchers, but needed real live ones today. Total mismanangement and now we have to rely on THEM to get it together for 2010! They have to prove it to me that the current administration can get it done.
Worst season in franchise history? Hardly. The Mets have historically been second-division most of their existence. Nonetheless, the rest of post seems to be on the nose. Mets need changes, not just player personnel changes, but structural front-office changes. The Minaya illusion is just that..prestidigitation, with no real content. Unfortunately,it’s not going to happen. You’ll probably see marginal, unimportant changes and that’s about it. I was checking out Chris Carlin’s interview with Jeff Wilpon in which he quite timidly stated their interest in keeping Minaya and Manuel on the grounds that,get this, “they deserved a chance”. Wow. How much is enough?
I like the article. I think alot of people walked away from the “3 stooges” interview drinking the kool-aid but I did not. Although I am happy they are adding more Mets related items to Citi, IMHO it is just a tool they are using to boost ticket sales. I mean, promise the world for aquisitions, lower season ticket prices, and make the park more “Met friendly” = ticket sales. This is the easier complaint to fix and probably cheaper than the complete management rebuild they should do. I am still totally baffled why Warthen is still a Mets employee. That interview satisfied many, but I choose to wait and see if Omar can change his stripes.
Cheer up, Man!
Chris Carter is a Met, and sky could be the limit if we sign that gritty Mike Jacobs!
LMFAO!
Free agent fix- at least two legit ML starters (one doesn’t have to be the often wished for #2 starter,but that would be nice!) and then hope you can get two more from Pelfrey,Perez,Neise(don’t just give him the job!),Nieve,Misch,Figgy, and Redding. And that’s only a start!
CAPSLOCK=DISABILITY ACCOMODATION
HYPERBOLE WAS SUCCINT; BUT “RAN THE ORGANIZATION INTO THE GROUND”?THAT’S CETAINLY OVERHYPE & REVISIONIST. TRY LOOKING AT THE BEGINNING END OF ’04 START OF ’05:
THE FACTS AT END OF ’04:
FINISH 71-91 FOURTH PLACE 25GB CORE OF 1 END OF CAREER PLAYER (PIAZZA)
TOP PROSPECTS – ONE(LASTINGS MILLEDGE)
OUTLOOK FOR CONTENDING: NONE
ROTATION: LIETER,BENSON,GLAVINE,TRACHSEL,ZAMBRANO
CLOSER: LOOPER
SETUP: FRANCO
GOING FROM THERE TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY CONSTUITUES A RUNDOWN? IN WHAT UNIVERSE OR CONCUIIOUS PLANE?
BTW, THAT PAYROLL WAS NOT MODERATE OR MIDDLING.
How exactly were Mets fans “fleeced” this season?
You are aware that there are teams every year that aren’t competitive and have lousy years, right? Is any revenue they take in during that year a “fleecing” of the fans as well?
Sports fans tend to, for some idiotic reason, think they are ENTITLED to sympathy and retributions when, heaven forbid, the team disapoints during a season–as if the Mets OWE IT TO US AS FANS (!!) to challenge for the pennant every October lest they be thrown in jail for being nefarious, greedy crooks.
Any fan that was insulted by the fare being charged to watch this season’s admittedly depressing on-the-field product simply should have refrained from buying tickets and going to the game.
And those that were unlucky enough this year to be locked into season tickets this year know the risk/reward scenario that results from purchasing season ticket plans when they sign up. It’s not as if season ticket holders OWE THE TEAM anything when a playoff season results in priority for playoff tix at below market rates.
MASK, U R SO EXCELLENT IN YOUR HINDSIGHT AS TO QUALIFY FOR A NEW MONIKER…MAY I SUGGEST A MOORE APPROPRIATE ONE: KNOWSTRADUMBASS IS ONE.
BTW WHAT HIT U IN THE HEAD ASN’T A PIECE OF SKY IT WAS FROZEN AILINE PISS. LOVE,YA OPTIMISTIC OPINEINGS…’62 LMAO!
TRY “D’OUTING THOMAS”
Hey 62, You really are all for free speech aren’t you? That post was pretty objectionable and I take exception to it. Once again, MY opinions are My opinions and I am free to express them. If you don’t like them, you can kiss off. You can take your “frozen airline piss” to bed with you and suck on it all night. Why don’t you take a new moniker for yourself. I think “BLINDASABATANDSTUPIDERTHANSH_T” would be fine.
I’ll make a deal with you: DONT’T REPLY TO ANY OF MY NOTES AND I’LL DO THE SAME TO YOURS”.
(My apologies to the rest of the readers, but his note was objectionable and inexcusable).
If you read this guy’s posts, he consistently writes offensive comments to anyone that disagrees with him. no excuse for behaving like a jackass.
SORRY! I WAS WRONG.
Hey Mask: For what it’s worth, I think you always post astute and considerate thoughts. I just hope people realize that debate is the goal of the writer and thankfully we now have a forum for the reader to express themselves. I just don’t have time for name-calling and skirmishes in the sand box.
As far as the Mets are concerned, I think we all agree it was a stormy year with no silver lining and ensuing rainbow. Changes have to be made and just because ownership opens up the coffers doesn’t gurantee diddly.
Let’s hope they add a frontline hurler and someone who can reach the seats more often than I scratch-off a winner.
Doug, Thanks for the consideration. You’re absolutely correct there is no place for skirmishes and name calling here. I find this website as a great place to get update information regarding the Mets and appreciate the opportunity to exchange ideas with other Mets fans. In the process, we need to respect each others rights to our individual opinions without resorting to a mud fight.
I agree with the bottom line for 2010. The Mets need to improve the starting pitching and get some additional power into the lineup. The press conference by the sdministration attempted to say the right things, but now they have to deliver on the promises. Let’s Go Mets!
MASK, GREAT POST, UI’M WITH U 100% GOOD OPTIMISM, WE’RE FORTUNATE THERE ARE AVAILABLE ANSWERS TO WJHAT AILED US OUT THERE: MY PREFFERD TARGETS ARE:
VIA TRADE, FIELDER,CRAWFORD
VIA FRAEE AGENCY, LACKEY,MARQUIS,MOLINA
FORTUNATLY NOT AT LIKELY CROSSPURPOSES WITH NYY OR BOSOX OR OTHER BIG GUNS.