Are You Unsure About The Direction Of The Team?

30 Comments + Add Comment

• srt October 19, 2012 at 10:15 am

  Is any fan ever really sure about the direction of their team?

  I can see 2 reasons for fans to answer yes in any poll on the direction of their team:

  1. They’re enjoying years of success – so of course the team is going in the right direction.

  2. They’ve been so bad that any plans to improve have to be moving in the right direction, or at least you hope they are
• Alex68 October 19, 2012 at 10:28 am

  I saw that too, the most pathetic attemp at ass kissing i have ever seen… Here’s how comical the site is, the confidence fan rating is at 29%, yet somehow 65% of the team’s fans say they’re going in the right direction? Who’s voting for this? How many times were one allowed to vote? 65% of the fans who voted think they’re going in the right direction, ok, and which direction is that? They lost 2 supertars and fan favorite, an all star caliber closer, destroyed one of the best bullpen n baseball (#4 at the time sandy reshuffled the bullpen), lost a starting CF who was good enough for our ballclub in 3 of the last 4 years, yet we have acquired nothing but a kid who just like andrew miller was in 2007 is overhyped and can flat out become yet another bust from the “Prospect” tree, also, our high draft picks have been questionable at best and head scratchers to say the least, i mean, why draft a back up IF caliber type player to play SS when we already got tejada? but hey, in depodesta we should trust right? the same guy who has accomplish NOTHING in terms of evaluating draft picks entering the majors. Yet, we’re going in the righ direction?? That is why this blog is kicking ass, in here we keep it real and say it like it is, Right Direction my ass.. The only right we’ve gotten in the 2 years this sabergooners have been in office is … Ohh, wait, that’s right, nothing..But keep thinking we’re going in the right direction people of MB, that intern job needs to be fill, sorry that the pitching, batting and position player analysis position have been taken..
  • srt October 19, 2012 at 10:30 am

    ‘…the confidence fan rating is at 29%, yet somehow 65% of the team’s fans say they’re going in the right direction?’

    Have to agree this makes no sense. I would just take all these polls with a grain of salt.
  • TRS86 October 19, 2012 at 10:36 am

    Where are you getting that the fan confidence rating is 29%? All of the polls I have seen there have favored the team.

    It’s all about audience. Remember Metsblog gets 1,000′s of readers from across the spectrum, they get many more casual fans than MMO or TRDM or AA. The casual fan doesn’t dig into what many of us do and their opinions are not the same. They don’t eat and sleep Mets they just enjoy being a fan and click a button and move on.

    I still don’t see a reason to care.
    • TRS86 October 19, 2012 at 10:40 am

      By the way, I did see that back in January of 2012 it was 29%.
    • Donal October 19, 2012 at 10:44 am

      Exactly, being a fan pretty much requires a positive outlook for your team. You’re just too emotionally (and financially) vested.

      Take the Marlins for example. Even after their crappy season and ongoing fire sale, alex still gets up for them.
      • Alex68 October 19, 2012 at 10:50 am

        Yep, you saw me mentioned them all the time here right…? Yet somehow one writer in here who is known as a moneyball lover and saberhead to the max writes articles about billy beane and the A’s, and somehow no mention from you about that? But you feel the need to take a shot at me because why? I liked the marlins team coming into the season but they bombed? Yet you’re happy about that even though the new york mets the team we all love and root for finished 4th right? Pathetic Attempts like that make me laugh donal, you’re very inconsistent in taking shots at people. you can’t accuse me of liking the marlins w/o takin an inadverted shot at your boy because he too loves those moneyball teams to do, starting with the A’s.
• Donal October 19, 2012 at 10:33 am

  “It is most likely that they didn’t sign their second round pick simply because pitcher Teddy Stankiewicz wouldn’t sign for less than slot and that it was a message to him and future draft picks. ”

  I heard that he was still willing to sign under slot, but his “adviser” (because you can’t call them agents yet) tried to squeeze some more money out at the last minute( still would have kept the deal under slot but they had an agreed upon price). Granted, that is just hearsay, but no one has anything any better. I wonder how many of the other unsigned draftees were represented by the same guy.

  “That’s the problem with having prearranged agreements in place. If a top player falls into your lap during the draft, you let him fall to the next team like Courtney Hawkins did to the White Sox.”

  On the other hand, if you do it correctly and everyone sticks to the deal, you have an ulcer free signing period and you can plan better for the rest of your draft.

  All of this ignores the fact that you technically aren’t allowed to negotiate deals until you draft a player, but teams do it anyway.

  There’s just some much shadiness and political jockeying during the draft and IFA signings, it is almost pointless to speculate why something happened.
  • Wexler October 19, 2012 at 10:47 am

    I always thought that the practice was pretty shady myself. I didn’t know until reading your comment that it was actually against the rules. Thanks for clarifying that. But it begs the question, why weren’t the Mets penalized for violating the rules? It was common knowledge everywhere and even Cecchini himself said he discussed numbers with the Mets? Isn’t that negotiating? Let me know your thoughts on that because it’s kind of bizarre?
    • Donal October 19, 2012 at 10:58 am

      “But it begs the question, why weren’t the Mets penalized for violating the rules?”

      Because everyone does it. Literally, every team contacts the guys most likely to be available to them and sees what it would take to sign them.

      Also, it works for Selig’s interest. He wants the draft to be orderly. He doesn’t want big surprises, teams being held hostage, or a free for all.
      • TRS86 October 19, 2012 at 11:02 am

        Right, you can discuss “parameters” without negotiating a contract. It’s all semantics. Just like with Reyes, do we really think the first time the Marlins contacted him was at 12:01 am?
        • Donal October 19, 2012 at 1:21 pm

          That is a slightly darker shade of grey. While I’m sure Greenberg and Loria used back channels, since Reyes was still technically on the Mets, it would have been tampering if they got caught doing anything overt.
• Wexler October 19, 2012 at 10:49 am

  72, Given the choice I would have voted unsure myself. I didn’t vote and almost always do.
• TX October 19, 2012 at 10:58 am

  I’d say yes, I’m happy with the direction. I’m not thrilled with the current state of the major league ballclub, but I see marked improvement at the lower minor league levels, which in time will percolate up to the upper levels. This team should be able to add a Garza or Josh Johnson type in 2014 to accentuate the team in place, not have to build a team through FAs.

  It wasn’t going to happen quickly and I don’t see how it could happen any other way, considering the financial situation of the team. Now, had they had buckets of money, re-signing Reyes or being able to invest again in Beltran would have been options, they wouldn’t have lost draft picks by re-signing their own players and they would have fielded a more competitive team right now. But we need to live in a world of facts, and the fact of the matter is the team for the long run seems to be on a steady path to have a better farm system, which leads to a better major league club.

  Waiting is the hardest part. Tom Petty, you are so smart.
  • TRS86 October 19, 2012 at 11:01 am

    I can agree with this. There are many moves I question but I still believe they are moving towards a goal of 2014 the same as I believed when Omar was fired and before Sandy was even hired. It had nothing to do with who they hired but my assessment of what had to be done and how long it would take. I haven’t seen anything to change my mind on that.
    • Just_Da_Damaja October 19, 2012 at 11:45 am

      So holding on to Scott Hairston, Tim Byrdack, and taking away playing time to give it to Jason Bay = building for 2014?

      Throwing your best 1B under the bus before you can even lock him up in a team-friendly deal = building for 2014?

      Ok….maybe they are building a cabin in the woods for Jeff …they sure as HELL aint building a winner in Queens
• Joey D. October 19, 2012 at 11:40 am

  The question assumed the Mets are trying to take a direction beyond that of the Wilpons.
• Mike Lloyd October 19, 2012 at 12:15 pm

  You’d have to be as blind as Stevie Wonder to not see this team is going in the wrong direction. Every year they win less games, the talent on the horizon is too far away, prospect, suspect or otherwise, and the minor leagues are just that, the minor leagues. Projecting minor league talent does not mean that talent will translate at the MLB level, Sometimes you hit on a young guy, sometimes you miss. More often than not you miss…you’re scouting needs to be superior as does your developmental personnel. Lately, the only thing “superior” about this organization is their money pairing skills…
  • Alex68 October 19, 2012 at 1:12 pm

    Mike, First of all thanks for commenting, Stevie Wonder can actually point out to sandy alderson all the problems the team has and the holes he himself created. So when you made that comment “You’d have to be as blind as Stevie Wonder to not see this team is going in the wrong direction” Stevie wonder took offense to that….
    • Metsie October 19, 2012 at 1:18 pm

      I still think we could make a big improvement if we got some sunglasses and a keyboard for Sandy and sent him on his way!
    • Alex68 October 19, 2012 at 1:35 pm

      Metsie, thanks for commenting, we can always text our suggestions to him..
  • MetsWatchman October 19, 2012 at 6:09 pm

    Every year they win less games,

    Mike L…..When a team starts breaking down and is committed to rebuilding, more times than none a drop in winning perdentage the first couple of years is not uncommon. Nor should it be an indicator or indictment that they are failing in this proccess. I agree with you about the “hit and miss” with minor league prospects, certainly most are misses. While alot of us here at MMO vehemently are opposed to the moves this current FO is taking, I think to label them failures at this juncture would be grossly prejudging them.
• Metsie October 19, 2012 at 1:08 pm

  Then third option in the poll should have been:

  WHAT Direction?

  This team is spinning in place and if any direction is apprent it’s backwards as reflected in the Win column.
• PGrizzly24 October 19, 2012 at 2:22 pm

  Overall i think they’re going in the right direction, but its mainly because of our young pitching and the fact Bay and Santana’s contracts come off the books after next year.
  However, we still have the Wilpons as owners and thats a big negative for the team. I dont believe anything they say. They completely contradict themselves when they talk about building through the draft and then sign only half the players they drafted. They left $2M on the table because they were too cheap to give each of those players a little more than what they wanted. No excuse for that. Especially when we are still very thin on position player prospects.
• Markcomic1 October 20, 2012 at 4:31 am

  Sandy is just a politician. He says one thing means another. Sometimes he is really saying nothing but says it in such a way to make people think he is planning on doing something, which turns into nothing. The Mets front office is all smoke and mirrors. Cloak & Dagger. It will be up to the players we have, to actually make magic happen on the field for themselves. They need to come together in spite of the front office. Kind of like the first Major League movie. lol
• Nathan October 20, 2012 at 10:00 am

  I agree that the offending blog recieves many more cursory fans and from their point of view the team is looking up. Remember, it wasn’t long ago that Pelfrey was our opening day starter. As to my point of view, I have none. I am not in the office, I do not know what direction they are moving or their REAL goals. The line they have pitched was not adheared to in this years draft so I am scepticle of their party line. Now, more interestingly I do think the ML team is in a better position than they were two years ago. This assesment may be no thanks to the FO. Bay being closer to off the team or Dickey being a stud or Tejada being a solid SS, have little to do with SA. I don’t know if anything on the ML roster has anything to do with SA except the bullpen additions which were passable individually but collectively hot garbage. In the end I am an in depth fan but I really do enjoy just watching ball games. So my opinion means little to someone who is looking to blast a FO made up of professionals or to someone looking to validate their own insights into the inner workings of a ballclub.
• alan October 20, 2012 at 11:12 am

  Building a team through the draft is usually the idea of most teams in the Major Leagues.

  Depending on the individual markets and the current state of a team will determine how far into the Free Agent market will a team go. Look at the Angels last year. They felt that the money they spent on Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson would put them over the top. Guess what? Total disaster for better than half a season. They went even further and acquired Zach Greinke. They could open their wallets because the money was there….

  Truthfully, I wish the Wilpon’s were forced to sell because of things that they did besides the poor results of the team even when they were spending money. Let’s face it…over the years they spent tons of money albeit poorly at times. The results were one thing but the Madoff scandal destroyed the financial backbone of their plans. Fred knew that the only way he could truly compete with the Yankees was to develop the SNY network. It would give the team funds so that they could spend the kind of money that the Yankees do. They came perilously close to having to sell the entire team but Selig stepped in and pushed Sandy A into the picture. He was the contingency part of the Wilpon’s not having to sell.

  It would be his job to run the show…keep the team afloat before it sunk until financial situations improved. Looking at the players we had, their current salaries, their injury history and age if out to become free agents and the minor leagues determined the direction of the team that Sandy would take. For the most part, I think that he has done exactly what he planned from day one.within the confines of monies available.

  In so far as what he has said publicly…..would you expect him to say that “we suck” and that we are gonna suck for another few years? Was he gonna say that we were close to losing the team? Could he say that there will be casualties now for the sake of keeping payroll low until things get better?

  WAKE UP FANS !

  IT WAS HIS JOB TO PAINT A SUNNIER PICTURE FOR THE SITUATION. AT HAND.

  HE DOES NOT WORK FOR YOU AND ME! HE WORKS FOR THE WILPON’S

  BOTTOM LINE…..The ship has not sunk but it has begun to float better….the team still has contracts that it is saddled with but that ends after this coming year. Unless Wright and Dickey are asking for the moon then Sandy will want to sign both players. The plan is all about having a formidable starting pitching staff. Zack Wheeler, wit a good spring training may well come north and join Matt Harvey to form the eventual 1-2 punch they have been destined for. Add in Niese, hopefully Dickey and the return of Dillon Gee makes for a pretty good bunch.

  As it looks….there will not be money available this off season to make any blockbuster free agent acquisitions but hopefully enough to fortify one of the big holes we have.

  We should be much better if all I have said happens but we will not yet be as good as the Nationals and the Braves. It is gonna take a bit longer, . .
  • Metsie October 20, 2012 at 11:24 am

    “Look at the Angels last year. They felt that the money they spent on Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson would put them over the top. Guess what? Total disaster for better than half a season.”

    Well you had better wait to judge that spending until those contracts run out because next year they could just be the team that runs away with it all….

    It’s a mistake to think that spending is only as good as the first year under the contract.

    Beltran struggled his first year and you can hardly say he was a waste or a mistake.
    They got a lot of time left on that contract to get what they paid for from Pujols and Wilson.
    If they go on a 5 year playoff run those contract will look great then won’t they?
  • Joey D. October 20, 2012 at 1:09 pm

    Hi Alan,

    It wasn’t a case that the team was sinking to begin with but that the Wilpons were. It’s not a case either that the team is beginning to float better either than it is the Wilpons are instead.

    We both agree Sandy’s true call was and still is to keep the Wilpons financially afloat. But being able to keep afloat the ownership financially is different than keeping the team afloat competitively. We’ve seen that in Pittsburgh, Kansas City and San Diego (which just changed ownership).

    So yes, part of Sandy’s job was to paint a sunnier picture of the situation at hand instead of being honest with the fans which he obviously could not do.

    But, if he had to give us legal double talk when he was trying to keep the Wilpons from sinking, why should we not believe he is still not giving it to us now while they are on a life raft?

    The vision Sandy talks of is the same vision fans of Kansas City, Pittsburgh and San Diego have been hearing year after year after year. For two straight seasons, the city of Pittsburgh had been lifted by the play of their young kids into August only to see them falter because no major moves were made to help them – just like the Mets. And as we’ve seen with our own team, a core of good youngsters can only go so far without obtaining help from the outside.

    That’s why keeping the Wilpons afloat financially should not be confused with keeping the team afloat competitively.
    • Stick October 20, 2012 at 1:17 pm

      the Mets and the Wilpons are not financially the same thing.

      Fred and the Boys could be OK, but if the team is losing money, the finances have to be fixed.