15
2012
A Ray Of Light, Are The 2012 Mets Really In This?
An article by 
The series sweep of the Rays once again showed that the 2012 Mets are a resilient group of players.
Something that I don’t think has been written about enough is their knack for bouncing back after tough losses or a stretch of bad baseball that has them on the fence of falling out of contention.
So far this season they have overcome adversity and stormed back to reclaim their spot in the race for a playoff spot time and time again. Every time we get swept or have a bad stretch that drops us back to .500, the team has surged over the next few games to get back to 5 or 6 over. It has happened at least 3 or 4 times already this season and is starting to show that this team has a lot of fight.
What is it about this team? How are they doing this? When will the other shoe drop?
These are legitimate questions Mets fans ask themselves as the season goes on, probably on a weekly basis. No, check that, a daily basis. We have come to expect that things aren’t always what they seem with the Mets, and a let down is just right around the corner.
Is this something that will go on forever, or is it a culture that can be changed?
There is a new breed of Mets coming though the system and a new attitude coming from the General Managers office.
A new era of Mets baseball is on the horizon as our young phenom pitchers loom in the near future. We as Mets fans are counting the days until they arrive, and when they do the fans will come out in droves to see the potential future aces of our staff.
This season has been one that has seen no names such as Omar Quintanilla, Mike Baxter and journeyman such as Scott Hairston helping lead this team to where we are today. Dickey, Wright and Santana have been the stars, but without the role players stepping up in the absences of Pelfrey, Tejada and Bay we would not be enjoying such an exciting start to our season.
There is a new organizational philosophy that puts an emphasis on patience, maximum effort and accountability. Players are playing for their jobs every time they step on the field and they know if they don’t perform that they won’t be here very long. Sandy has made this very clear from day one when he cut Castillo and Perez, and he still continues to make it clear with mid-season cuts of Acosta and quick hooks with fill in starters who underperform.
The roster is very different from years past as we lack speed and power, but the team gets on base and hits in the clutch which are things previous teams did not excel in.
Terry Collins has made his message very clear. Play hard and be accountable. So far this season the team has shown guts, heart, determination and character. None of which have been traits of Mets teams over the past 5 seasons. The new regime has brought credibility to a franchise that was in desperate need of it. As they build this team from the inside out over the next few season, there is reason to believe that dysfunction may be a thing of the past and the future has some bright stars and on the horizon.
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About the Author: Dan Valis
I am a staff writer for Mets Merized Online. I am a Mets team analyst with a focus on the minor league system, as well as the major league club. I am a lifelong New Yorker who was born and raised to be a Mets fan. The ups and downs of being a Mets fan is what makes following this team so much fun, but at times so frustrating. You can follow me on Twitter @BgAppleMetsTalk.
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“but without the role players stepping up in the absences of Pelfrey, Tejada and Bay we would not be enjoying such an exciting start to our season.”
Very true.
I want to add that while I agree that there has been more accountability it has been in my opinion good to see that they also know sometimes you need patience as they have shown this year with Ike Davis.
YES! They are really in this!
Largely because Santana has gone WELL PAST expectations for him (lets hope that keeps up), Dickey has taken it to another Level and IMO HOF level with what he has started to do with a Knuckleball.
Those Kids everyone wanted to paint as subpar nothing more than AAAA or average playing some inspired baseball, and Terry Collins under some of the most difficult of positions with all the injuries and problems of a coin flip bullpen managing to rejigger his lineup to take advantage of all the players (role and otherwise) and giving everyone an opportunity to contribute.
Our record has truly been a team effort. That and some of the best pitching by a 1 2 combination in the rotation!
The Back end of the rotation appears to be pitching us to .500 ball but it’s all those wins from Santana and Dickey that have our record above .500!
Metsie — You’re on the money! RA Dickey is performing on a HOF level. RA’s first seven years, spent exclusively in the American League, would be a drag on his HOF prospects. In his most recent three years, he’s brought his lifetime W/L record to 51-51. His current WHIP, K/BB, and W/L are just great stuff. RA would acknowledge his perfected knuckleball is responsible for it. I think he’ll need at least 4-5 more years approaching his current performance to get in.
I think if the season ends today, Terry Collins is the Manager of the Year. He gets the most out of his players every single day it seems. A lot of these guys wouldn’t be on other playoff contending rosters.
If the bullpen can get it straightened out, it could be a very exciting summer for Mets baseball!
Clint Hurdle might have some say in that. That team being over 500 is mind boggling.
Fonzie13 — Maybe it’s an award for both to have!
Co-manager of the year. They both have their teams playing above expectations.
First let me say I am a big Hurdle fan. In fact when everybody wanted Wally, I wanted Clint.
However, don’t forget Pitt had a similar first half last year. While I agree they are better than most thought, they weren’t picked to be worse than NYM (I think?) and regardless have not had to overcome as many injury obstacles to get to their W-L record.
I HOPE Pitt gets over .500 for good. I think its a great city. I just think the job TC has done has been against all odds
Pittsburgh has an aboslute horrendous offense though. Not much better than the Buffalo shuttle.
Yes, if the season immediately ended, Terry Collins for Manager of the Year.
Only naysayers would say otherwise!!!
Well, they are 40% of the way into the season, and still in the “vritual” playoffs.
at some point, you have to stop saying they are overachieving, and say that this is what the team can do.
and remember, many people circled this stretch through June as being their Waterloo. Stay even where they are now through the death march stretch, and they could be in great shape to stay in the race.