13
2011
It’s Interesting How October Is Shaping Up
An article by 
The networks must be loving baseball’s final four of Milwaukee, St. Louis, Texas and Detroit. Their thinking, of course, is any LCS without the Yankees and Red Sox, or a Chicago or Los Angeles team, can’t be worth watching.
Actually, I tend to root for the match-ups the networks least want to see.
I don’t care either way that the Yankees and Phillies are done. I realize many Mets’ fans were thrilled to see them lose, and I understand the initial burst of joy, but does it really matter? Is that what you’re going to take from the season?
Who cares what those teams do? Savoring them lose is admitting to an inferiority complex. The Mets have enough on their plate for their fans to worry about what the Yankees did.
After all, it doesn’t change what happened to the Mets. For a while, it looked as if the Mets would overachieve, but they finished as expected. I was thinking .500, which would have represented significant improvement – I never imagined the playoffs – and for a period they were fun to watch.
But, talent seeks its level and the Mets did what most of us thought they would.
I am ambivalent as to who wins, but I’m cool on the Brewers. For a team that hasn’t won anything, their act is tiresome.
I get a kick out of how Prince Fielder points to the crowd whenever he does something. This is the same crowd he can’t wait to abandon, right?
Speaking of Fielder, the Mets should be thinking NO. It’s not as if Fielder isn’t superior to Ike Davis, but he’s another Mo Vaughn in waiting. He’s an offensive force now, but his body type is one to balloon and I can see him putting on a ton of weight after he gets his payday and eventually breaking down.
At least Jose Reyes wouldn’t comment on his free-agency during the season, but Fielder can’t seem to wait to get out of town.
There’s absolutely no comparison between him and Albert Pujols. But, the Mets won’t go after him, either. I believe he’ll stay in St. Louis and Fielder will bolt Milwaukee for the Cubs.
It’s nice to see a team like Milwaukee do well after years of mediocrity, but Nyjer Morgan makes it difficult to root for the Brewers.
Exuberance? Who are you kidding? When he was being mobbed by his teammates after delivering the game-winning hit against Arizona, he had to struggle to get up so he could run into the open field and flex and pump his fists and draw the cameras to him. It’s like most NFL players who celebrate sacks and five-yard receptions for first downs.
Why didn’t he run into the stands like he was a Packer doing the Lambeau Leap?
Morgan’s act of being loud and obnoxious got tired in Washington and Pittsburgh, and it is the same in Milwaukee.
Morgan knew the cameras and a live mike were on him when he dropped those F-bombs. He has no class, reminiscent of guys like Carl Everett and Milton Bradley.
If they win, the Cardinals would be the most compelling story of the post season. Being down that far and overtaking the Braves for the wild card is one of the great comebacks in history. That is always an interesting, even if it involves Tony La Russa.
So far, the most meaningful image of the postseason in relation to the Mets was Ryan Howard going down with an Achilles injury. The Phillies have pitching, but their offense snoozed in the NLDS, and with Howard out indefinitely and Jimmy Rollins possibly leaving, who can’t see them trying to make a splash by signing Reyes?
They have the money and need for offense, so it makes sense. Reyes-Shane Victorino-Chase Utley would make for a dynamic top of the order. I know you don’t want to hear it, but even in your worst nightmares you know it could happen. They would miss Howard’s power, but in that park Reyes could be good for 20.
However, nothing in the playoffs can touch what’s happening in Boston for riveting off-season drama. Talk about a dysfunctional group. It is a shame some in the organization hung Terry Francona out to dry by talking about his marriage and suggesting his abilities were impaired by prescription painkillers.
Interesting one of the in-game partying pitchers was John Lackey. Remember all those people who were saying the Mets should go after him?
If you are supposedly a stud pitcher and your own team doesn’t try hard to keep you – in this case, the Angels – that should tell you something.
Every year it is the same in the postseason. Some favorites fade and there are underdogs. There’s a myriad of story lines until there’s a defining moment in the World Series that takes us into winter.
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
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john, good job on this article, fair points all across.. the ratings for the NLCS has been atrocious, but the ALCS has gotten good ratings, really good in fact, the best in the postseason so far. also, i’ve said many times, the phillies are in WIN now mode, they can try to make a splash and sign the one guy who’s super dynamic and can creat offense by himself, but hey, if it happens at least we get 2 draft picks right t aggee??
Getting two draft picks isn’t what I would want. I want us to resign Reyes.
To me it would just be unfathomable to have spent so much money through the years on so many guys who played like utter crap and then not have any money left over to pay one of your own who just so happened to play very well here. Hard to believe.
The two draft choices would be a hell of a lot more than Pedro, Delgado, Wagner, Alou, Schowenweiss, Cedeno, Vaughn, Appier, Burnitz, Weathers and too many millions of others to name ever left behind though. At least it would be something, unlike all the others.
STILL SECOND GUESSING.. we sign jason bay you know, wasn’t he a type A free agent as well?? did you KNOW he was gonna be a POS or you will second guess after his contract is up?? you know, is not like our picks in the 50 year of the franchise have all worked out.. should i make you the list of all 1st round picks that went on to become BUST!!?!? you’re pathetic with this “ohh, but we lost a draft picks” who cares.. as an org throughout the years we’ve done all kinds of different ways to improve the ballclubs, only 2x has worked out..
Yeah Bay was yet another type A free agent that we’ll turn into salary relief or dump and get nothing for.
One of the Red Sox top prospects, starting pitcher Anthony Ranaudo was selected with one of the picks that Boston got for losing Bay and I was against that move before we signed him.
Very rarely do everyday position players get better after age 30. Very, very rarely. Occasionally they keep their production going for a few years and then decline but quite often they fall right off a cliff and it is just the height of stupidity to think that Bay would produce in our lineup and home field the way he did in Boston’s.
Wake up. The steroid era is over. Didn’t the Mets get the memo back in 2004? Always behind the curve.
If we had put 1/10th of the money we blew on expensive free agents and older players other teams foisted off on us through the years on scouting and developing, drafting and signing the best players available we wouldn’t have the need to go out and get so many guys that immediately fall off a cliff or only last anywhere from 100 games to 3 years max.
That’s t agee’s M.O. alex,
Look at the situation years later THEN say what should have been done.
there were many people, and I would bet Agee was one of them, that were against this signing before it happened too.
ALEX, YOU’VE UNCOVERED ONE OF THOSE “HIDEN” TRUTHS THAT THE “UNIMAGINATIVE” CROWD WHO TRYR TO PERDDLE,”THERE’S A HIODDEN, SECRET FORMULA FOR WS SUCCESS” WELL AS YOU LOOK AT THIS PARICULAR POASTSEASON AS WELL AS THE DIRTH OF SUCCESSFUL WS TITLE DEBENSES, REPEATS YOU FIND THAT IT ISN’T STAYING YOUNGER OR PAYIONG MEGEMILLIONS. SPEAKING OF ROSTER AGES, THERE ARE TOUTS IMPOLICATING THE AGING ROASTERS OF NYY & PHL AS THE ACHILESE HEAL OF THEIR CAMPAIGN; HOWEVER, THE SIMPLEST SOLUTION TO WS SUCCESS IS #1 GETTING THERE INTHE FIRST PLACE aka MAKING THE POSTSEASON; HOWEVER SUPRISINGLY & DIRECTLY IN THE FACE OF SUCH SUPPORTERS OF DRAFT BUILDING OVER VET SPENDING THE 2011 ROSTER AGES SHOW A REMARKABLE RESULT FOR THOSE IN THE 5 HIGHEST AGED BRACKET: SINCE EVERYONE OF THEM ACCOMPLISHED THAT #1 CRITERIA OF MAKING THE POST THE 5 OLDEST ROSTERS IN MLB THIS SEASON ARE:
TEXAS @ 30.4
MILWALKEE @ 30.1
PHILADELPHIA @ 29.8
ST LOUIS @ 29.7
NY YANKEES @ 25.6
FOR U DOUBTERS MY RESOUIRSE IS, http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/rosters/_/sort/average_age/order/true
WELL AS THE TWO HIGHEST PAYROLLS(NYY,PHL) FROM EACH LEAGUE WERE BOTH ELIMINATED IN THEIR 167th GAME APPARENTLTY SPENDING THE MOST COMBINED WITH BEING THE MOST EXPERIENCED ISN’T THE SOLUTION; HOWEVER, AS I HAVE INDICATED IN THE PAST THE SPAN OF MLB FRABCHISE PAYROLLS FOR 2010 RANGE FROM A LOW OF $36,126,000 IN KC TO A NOSEBLEED HIGH OF $202,689,028, OF COURSE, IN THE BRONX
IF U CHOOSE TO SEGMENT THE ENTIRE 376M TO 200M RANGE INTO SECTORS USING 100M+ AS YUR TOP DELINIATOR & SAY $70M AS YOUR BOTTOM ONE & CONSIDER ALL THOSE ABOVE 100M(12 TEAMS) AS YOUR UPPER CLASS & THOSE BELOW 80M(12 TEAMS) AS YOUR LOWER CLASS YOU AE LEFTWITH A MIDDLE CLASS WITH PAYROLLS BETWEEN 80M & 99.999M(6 TEAMS) AS YOUR SHRINKING MIDDLE CLASS. SHRINKING MEANING THAT ATR THIS SAME TIME LAST YEAR(2010) THERE WERE 8 UPPERS, 10 MIDDERS & 12 LOWERS. AS REGARDS THIS POSTSEASON EXAMINATION AS THE YOP SPENDERS DIDN’T HAVE THE ‘LEGS’ OR STAMINA TO REMAIN TO MAKE THE ULTIMATE GOAL(WS) OF THE 8 TEAMS MAKING THE FIRST CUT*A BERTH) 4 WERE FROM THE UPPER TIER, 2 FROM THE MIDDLE & 2 FROM THE BOTTOM. MAKING BEING A SUPER SPENDER A MEANS OF SHORTENING THE ODDS IN HALF MUCH EASIER THAN CHOOSING TO CONCENMTRATE ON YOUTH OVER EXPERIENCE. WHILE SOME OF US MAY PALE AT THE CONCLUDSION AS OTHERS FLUSH WITH EXUBERANCE IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT FOR THE MAJORITY OF TEAMS NOT NAMED NYY OR STL THE WS TITLE REMAINS AN ELUSIVE ACQUISTION RELIANT UPON THE ALIGNMENT OF STARS, FORTUNE & LUCK ALL POF WHICH HAVE BEEN IN VERY SHORT SUPPLY IN FLUSHING FOR 5 INJURY PLAGUED SEASONS CONTENDED AS A 3 LEGGED ENTRANT DUE TO HAMSTRINGS,KNEES,OBLIQUES, SHOULDERS, TOES, ANKLES, BACKS,et al
IT WOULD DEFINITELY APPEAR THT ONCE IN “THE GATE”(POSTSEASON BERTH) THE OLD BROMIDE OF ANY TEAM CAN WIN A SHORT SERIES OF 5 IOR 7 GAMES NOT NECESSARILY “TYHE BEST TEAM”, FOR EVEN ION OUR ‘MOST CHERISHED’ YEAR OF 1986, DIDN’T WE TWICE COME WITHIN A “LUCKY” BREAK OF BRING HOUSTON OR BOSTON WHEN THE FINAL CURTAIN DESCENDED?
WITH APOLOGIES TO THOSE MATHEMATICIANS WHO AVOW THAT ANY ENDEAVOR SO MATHEMATICALLY DEPENDENT “MUST” HAVE A SUCCESS FORMULA THAT CAN BE RELIED UPON FOR “CERTAIN” SUCCESS, IT WOULD APPEAR THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH AS WELL AS THE HOLY GRAIL MAY BOTH PROVE LESS ELUSIVE TO DISCOVER. AS MOST FORGET, THE CERTAINTY OF ANY MATHEMASTICAL SOLUTION DETERIORATES BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF & RELIANCE OF THE “UNKNOWN VARIABLES” IN THE CASE OF BASEBALL EACH TEAM ENTERS WITH 25 KNOWN VARIABLES & AN UNKOWN QUANNTITY OF “UNKNOWN” VARIABLES(INJURY REPLACEMENTS, WEATHER,HOT-STREAKS,SLUMPS) FOR EVERY ONE OF THE MYRIAD OF STATISTYICALLY DEFINED “CERTAINTIES” IN BASEBALL THERE ARE INNUMERABLE VARIANTS; HOWEVER, IMO, THE SECRET TO ULTIMATE SUCCESS IN MLB IS MUCH LIKE THE SECRET TO PATRENTING, AS PATIENCE+CONSISTANCY WOULD APPEAR TO HAVE AN EQUAL CHANCE WITH MEGASPENDING & YOUTH RELIANCE. A GLANCE BACK OVER THOSE 6 POSTSEASONS SINCE OUR LAR APPEARANCE(’06) REVEALS THERE IS NO PERFECT CONSISTANCY AMOUNG OUR 8 STARTING CONTESTANTS THIS SEASON. AS BOTH PHL & NYY WERE 5 OF 6 IN POSTSEASON BERTH ACHIEVEMENT STL & TB @ 50% MAKING 3 OF 6 DESPITE HISTORIES OF MODEST PAYROLL SPENDING AS BOTH AZ & DETROIT ACCOMPLISHED 2 OF 6 POTENTIAL BERTHS. AS I’VE DONE MUCH OF THE LEG WORK DISPROVING THE 2 MOT PREVELENT FORMULAS/BELIEFS, I IMPLORE ANYONE WITH A MORE CERTAIN, DIFFERENT FORMULA TO REPLY WITH THEIR REBUTTAL WHICH I LOOK FORWARD TO READING &CONSIDERING AS I HAVE ALREADY SUPPLIED MY SOURCE SITE FOR ROSTER AGE CONSIDERATION I’LL SUPPLY THE RESOURCES I’VE FOUND OVER TIME AS HELPFUL FOR PAYROLL ALLOOCATIONS BY SEASON I’VE RELIED UPON USA-TODAY;
http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/baseball/mlb/salaries/team
FOR STANDINGS, PLAYOFF PASRTICIPATION HISTORIES,
http://www.shrpsports.com/mlb/stand.htm
HOPEFULLY THEIR USE WILL BE HELPFUL IN VETTING OTHER THEORIS, I AWAIT YOUR MANY RESPONSES.
That piece by Hohler in the Globe is disgraceful. There was no reason to bring up Franco’s marriage situation or his pain medication.