29
2011
And So It Goes…
An article by Gregg Hopps
To paraphrase one of Howie Rose’s quotes, the 2011 baseball season is over, “put it in the books.” I guess on the positive side, things were not as bad as many baseball pundits predicted, but by no means were things great. GM Sandy Alderson is going to be in for a busy few months trying to address the many needs this club has going into the 2012 season, and we’ll touch on few of them in bit.
First off, I think manager Terry Collins did just an outstanding job this year. If I was handing him a report card he’d get a B+. Terry made the Mets competitive and instilled a never say die attitude with his team. Let’s be honest, expecting Terry to win with this team was asking a lot. Ike Davis missed over 100 games, David Wright was on the DL for a prolonged period, and the talent just was not there.
Sandy Alderson on the other hand, gets a grade of incomplete. Yes, Sandy had a mess to clean up here, and he’s done a decent job of it, but there are just so many questions heading into 2012, that this off season will be the one by which we judge Alderson.
The Starting pitching is loaded with question marks. For years I’ve been writing the Mets need to move Pelfrey while he’s still fooling people. The word is out now, Pelfrey (at best) is a number four starter. Will the Mets find an ace is 2012? What can we expect from Johan Santana and Chris Young? Can Jon Niese stay healthy? When journeyman R.A. Dickey is the stud of your rotation, you’ve got a problem. Who is going to be the closer? Let’s end the Parnell experiment now.
What can we expect from Ike Davis in 2012? Where will Murphy play? The outfield is in bad shape. Jason Bay has been a bust. Can Alderson find a sucker to take him? Angel Pagan had a less than stellar year. Lucas Duda needs to convince us he’s an everyday player. What ever happened to that five tool star of the future Fernando Martinez?
How will the Madoff deal affect what this team does? Will Fred Wilpon ever wake up and realize that what he has done to this team is inexcusable and unacceptable?
For us Met fans, it’s been 25 years and counting since the last world championship. And so it goes.
About the Author: Gregg Hopps
Gregg lives on Long Island, and has been a Mets fan since Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose slugged it out in the 1973 playoffs. "Keith Hernandez is the best defensive first baseman to ever have played baseball."
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how did Terry make the Mets competitive? they finished below .500. i guess you just ignore the facts like most of the mmo writers, to say the mets were competitive is a complete joke unless you mean for last place.
Will, I’n not ignoring the facts at all, perhaps you are. Until Daniel Murphy (who was 7th in the league in hitting) got injured the Mets were at or above .500. As I mentioned in my post both Wright & Ike missed significant time. Get those two guys playing 150 games this past season, and things are very different.
Speaking of Omar’s studs, where is the great F-Mart?
just more coulda, woulda, and shoulda, the record is the record and you continue to make excuses for it. not that i am surprised.
What can we expect from Johan Santana and Chris Young?”
chris young??? isn’t he a FA? please i do not want any part of this man…. people here used to sh** on minaya for bringing in injury prone guys and some of you want chris young back?? what did the man do? throw 4 no hitters in his 4 starts??
Using Gregg’s post as my signing off for a while, at least till we’re in the thick of the Hot Stove season.
I will miss all of you, even those w/ whom I don’t really get on. Another tough Mets season with a bittersweet ending, and no real sense of what this team is going to look like in April 2012.
Still, without Metsmerized my experiences of being a Mets fan just wouldn’t be as rich and meaningful. I mean that. Hats off to all of the writers and members of our virtual community who pour out so much passion and analysis in supporting our Mets.
My one post-directed comment here is that I generally see eye-to-eye w/ Gregg: Collins did a really good job. He’s a little bit like a baseball Rex Ryan without the stars.
As for Alderson, I am feeling pretty restrained or neutral. Definitely an anti-Wilponian, I still expect Alderson to make things better in 2012. I also appreciate the irony that the Wilpons hired Alderson. Be this as it is, I will consider Alderson a failure if the Mets don’t end 2012 with at least a winning record; it’s got to be a top priority. The time is now, Mr. Alderson, to roll up your sleeves and work very hard on Mets “R & D.”
Five years of collapses and/or sub-.500 records must come to an end.
LET’S GO METS!!!
I agree with you. Mr. Alderson has had his one year to get acclimated. He got his flexibility – $65 million dollars worth. He got a right fielder from the farm that looks like a budding star. The pitching is still in shambles but mostly because he did nothing to fix that last offseason. It’s time to start winning now. Get to work and start earning the millions we are paying the highest compensated front office in the NL.
russell, we’ll hold the forth down for you my friend.. a usual the CORE is with you my friend!
“e this as it is, I will consider Alderson a failure if the Mets don’t end 2012 with at least a winning record; it’s got to be a top priority.”
No. top priority is to make the Mets a sustainable winner. When you prepare for the upcoming season starting the previous winter, you end up with the mess we are currently in.
you got to love it, already setting up the excuses for next october when we are right back here or worse since i know flordia will improve.
Florida might have one good year, but that is going to turn into a circus.
And it’s not excuses. You and other people need to grow up and think a little deeper than “WAAAAAAAHHHHH! SPEND NOW!!!!!!”
not spend, WIN, something your mindset is incapable of doing.
No, you are about spending. You are implying that not grabbing a big ticket free agent every year is doing nothing.
If your team is already bogged down by bad contracts, how can you honestly justify to yourself or anyone just running out and getting more?
So, if they spend big to win a few more games in 2012, what about 2013? Just keep spending?
here we go with your forvite punch line. “spend just to spend” i think u need to read a little closer. not once have i said that or have the mets done that. bad contracts yes but what you are saying is just crazy.
Ok, I’m thinkin’ the part about “R & D” was lost on you.
No, but you said top priority was winning next year.
Oy vey!
You saber heads are so dopey.
Sign Jose. Find pitching, mostly relief. Basically we have a decent team in the field.
Pops