Aug
16
2012

Time For Someone To Step Up

An article by Mitch Petanick

The Mets collapse in the second half of this season has been disappointing on many levels. One of the more disappointing things has been the failure of players to step up and cement their place with this team for the future.

Is it safe to say that the only players that have stepped up at all this year have been Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada, and R.A. Dickey? David Wright doesn’t count because we expected him to be great. Ike has shown promising power, but I think everyone will agree he took a step back offensively. We haven’t seen enough from Matt Harvey, but he hasn’t really shown us that he can be a reliable starting pitcher just yet.

At this point, every outfield position is open, and not a single player has locked anything down. Nobody has stepped up in the bullpen to prove himself to be a reliable go-to guy. What the Mets are severely lacking are guys that will step up when a star player is not playing up to capability, or there is an injury. That is one of the major differences between having a good team, and a mediocre team.

On good teams, players step up. They rise to the occasion. By that definition, right now, the Mets are mediocre. This team needs a player to step up and show that he has what it takes to make a difference going forward. These players are being given golden opportunities, and none are rising to the occasion. It’s pretty much open tryouts right now for a lot of positions with this team, and the Mets are going to make a lot of decisions based on what they see the next two months. At least, I hope they will be.

This team is in a state of disarray right now. Nobody knows what this team will look like in 2013 and going forward. They have an opportunity to take a leap forward, or they can take two steps backwards. Will David Wright be back? Will Ike Davis take the next step? Who will be in the outfield? Is Terry Collins going to be the manager? What will the bullpen look like? With all these questions, I feel like I’m back in school taking a test.

Here’s one more question – am I the only person getting the feeling it’s going to be two steps back?

About the Author: Mitch Petanick

Mitch is currently an Editor and Minor League Analyst for Mets Merized Online. His baseball experience includes being a former All-Conference collegiate baseball player who had numerous professional tryouts, and he is currently a hitting instructor. He has been involved with the game of baseball for over 30 years now as a player, coach, and consultant. Mitch is also a former Featured Columnist on Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @FirstPitchMitch.

13 Comments + Add Comment

Metfan Lou August 16, 2012 at 1:17 pm

The title of your article “Time for Someone to Step Up.” This may be a false premise. Maybe the correct title should be “There is not a Met Player Capable of Stepping Up.” I think they won two games on the last home stand and started this away series 0-2. They had many many chances to step up and failed which proves you can’t put a Yugo engine in a NASCAR racer.
- Mitch Petanick August 16, 2012 at 1:28 pm
  
  Touche
Metstheory22 August 16, 2012 at 1:23 pm

I think Management needs to step up if not at this time then during offseason.
Russell Zanca August 16, 2012 at 1:34 pm

Funny, you put Davis’ pic there. He’s the poster boy for player failure at this point in my mind.

Getting so I practically hate the guy. If this season is his sophmore swoon, then so be it. I just don’t know what to make of him. He plays with what looks like a crap attitude. His fielding is decent, but he’s close to an automatic out in the lineup.

Not sending Davis to AAA during season was one of biggest managerial mistakes this year. No accountability.

What happened to rewarding success and punishing failure?
- gorgeguy August 16, 2012 at 2:07 pm
  
  I so wanted Ike to go down in May and see Duda put at his real position. I know many aren’t sold on Duda either, but I see less holes with him than with Ike and he played a reasonable 1B at the time he was used there.
Mets2012 August 16, 2012 at 1:55 pm

What happened to Wright?
- gorgeguy August 16, 2012 at 2:05 pm
  
  Yeah … didn’t they send him down with Ike????
  
  He used to be awesome before he became an AS. Seemed every year that boy played, the AS ruined him.
  
  Are they thinking about bringing him back up from Buffalo???
  - stick August 16, 2012 at 2:17 pm
    
    other than the fact that in almost every year he went to the AS game, he hit better in the 2nd half than in the 1st, you are spot on!
- Mike August 16, 2012 at 5:31 pm
  
  I don’t think Wright is worth 16M. If he is great for 3 months a year(april may june) he should get paid for 3 months work 8M.
  - Trs86 August 16, 2012 at 5:36 pm
    
    Of course that ignores what his 2nd half stats are for his career but what good are those number thingies anyway?
Dan August 16, 2012 at 3:04 pm

Any chances Wally gets the job as manager and keep Collins as the bench coach ?
Metsie August 16, 2012 at 7:31 pm

“This team is in a state of disarray right now. Nobody knows what this team will look like in 2013 and going forward”

And this includes this smart thinking plan having GM!

You know who needs to step up his game?

ALDERSON!
stick August 16, 2012 at 2:20 pm

guess you can’t question Ike. Most innocuous comment in the world, not PG words, gets put into moderation?

NL East Standings

Team	W	L	Pct.	GB
Braves	23	18	.561	-
Nationals	23	19	.548	0.5
Phillies	20	22	.476	3.5
Mets	16	23	.410	6.0
Marlins	11	31	.262	12.5

Last updated: 05/18/2013

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