7
2013
Are We There Yet, Mets Fans?
An article by 
People get a little crazy this time of year in my neck of the woods. Seems like a lot of us are on edge from being cooped up indoors with no end to winter in sight. It’s strange what you miss, the pavement, the color green, traction, SNY’s opening sequence. Sometimes “Medical Doctors” will tell you stuff, they’ll tell you you’ve got “Seasonal Affective Disorder” or “SAD” and they’ll prescribe light — like you’re a houseplant. So you have to sit in front of this crazy bright lamp for an hour at a time without actually staring at it … when you’re done you end up walking into a wall. Sometimes they’ll tell you to take pills, like Prozac or whatever, which can dampen you’re inertia if you know what I mean — for instance you find out your wife just accidentally dumped a gallon of paint stripper on your mustang and it’s, eh, no big thing. You find out Jose Reyes just signed with the Marlins and you’re like so what, we just got Ramon Ramirez!!
My thinking is you’d have to be crazy not to feel crappy when the weather gets like this. I think people who aren’t bummed out when it’s -12 should be diagnosed with some snappy acronym, maybe Detached Overt Resilience Condition or “DORC.” I see my neighbor all smiling and happy shoveling through 3 feet of snow cover and I wonder, what is wrong with him? See I could just say, oh it’s ok, he’s got DORC. It’s similar being a Met fan, how can you possibly feel good about what’s happened since Beltran’s called third strike without the help of some serious meds?? We need an acronym, maybe “Agitated Spectator Syndrome” … that way when your buddy has a conniption because Duda just dropped a fly ball you can say, dude, relax, you’re showing signs of A.S.S.
It’s hard because people in the upper midwest don’t complain (that’s a “New York” thing I’ve been told). You ask Bob next door what the hell was wrong with his ancestors that made them think this was a great place to live and he’ll just give you a blank DORC stare from under his eyebrow icicles. I mean there’s cold and then there’s “you’re going to die in 17 minutes if you stay out here” cold. There’s cold, and there’s “you’d better have a coffee can and a candle in your car in case you break down out in the middle of nowhere” cold. In grad school one time I thought I’d ride my bike to class when the air temp was -15, I’m tough I thought, I’m a New Yorker right? So I make it to my destination alive and start unwrapping myself like some sort of arctic astronaut. It was all good until I took my glasses off when a searing pain hit me right between my eyes. Note to self — wire rims? Not a good idea. They freeze to the bridge of your nose and you end ripping a layer of skin off.
Worst of all for me is that baseball seems like a far away memory this time of year, a childhood fiction. A dream where the grass is green and the sky is blue and the oil in your engine block isn’t a frozen viscous glob. Of course if you’re a Met fan the misery is exacerbated by this Alderson character taunting us with his tweets and his quips and his bald head and the glare coming off of it (you almost don’t need a light box if you could just sit in on a press conference).
Now we’re told by Alderson that “we’re close,” that we’ll be able to start spending again, pretty soon … not too far off now, almost there. It’s like this stupid groundhog who doesn’t see his shadow and suddenly we’re supposed to take Punxsutawney Phil’s groundhog word for it that winter’s almost over … Then you step out the door with your recycling bin wearing only a t-shirt and pajamas and get slammed in the face with several cubic feet of snow falling off your awning and you slip on the front steps and your recycling is all over your front yard. You sit there on your frozen butt wondering why you’re listening to a fat rodent, even worse, why you’re listening to Sandy Alderson. But hey, buck up buckaroo, we’re almost there, we just signed Latroy Hawkins. Reminds me of family outings as a kid when my sister and I would annoy my parents with an endless patter of “are we there yet?” Yeah, not quite.
When your dog does his business and tries to drag you back into the house, you know it’s not time to put your 1200 gram insulated Red Wing boots away. Likewise when Sandy Alderson tells you the bullpen “can’t get any worse,” I don’t think you need to worry about setting money aside for playoff tickets. Sometimes I have to drive slow because at certain penguin friendly temperatures rubber freezes, yeah, rubber (all sorts of stuff freezes you never knew could freeze) … so the flat part that was touching the pavement overnight clunks every time the tire rotates — it feels like you’re driving on cinder blocks as you make your way to work, thinking “are we there yet?” You listen to Alderson’s duplicitous meanderings and his vacant platitudes and you wonder if he really thinks we believe him, like he’s some sort of bald headed groundhog coming up after a long winter of trading Cy Young award winners away. It doesn’t look like we’re there yet – it’s supposed to snow another 4 inches today and we’ve got Marlon Byrd penciled in for right field. Alderson tells us we’ll start spending again and we can fix stuff “in a hurry” and that he hopes good results will manifest themselves “sooner rather than later,” because he’s “not getting any younger.” What is that supposed to mean? I’m not getting any younger either Sandy. Johan Santana’s shoulder sure isn’t any younger.
“I don’t think it’s a leap of faith to think we can be very good,” Alderson said. “It’s not that far off. This is not one of those things where, ‘Okay, gee, they’re two, three, four years away.’ No, we’ve got the currency, which is the young talent, to be in play for some of these things and we’re not that far away.”
Yeah, well gee I hope it’s soon too Sandy, because one of these days they’re going to find me frozen to my garbage bin trying to light a candle in a coffee can after locking my house keys in my car. It’s not getting any warmer either Punxsutawney Alderson.
About the Author: Matthew Balasis
I’ve been a Met fan since August 1969 when a fire resulted in the Red Cross placing my family on the 6th floor of a building in Willets Point. I could see Shea from our balcony and I knew something big was going on. I followed them through the dark years and the resurgence of the 80’s only (sadly) to miss the fall of 86 because I was in Boot Camp. I've been serving penance ever since in Minnesota where I'm an SLP. I've written a lot about the Mets in an effort to share with my kids (and anyone else who might listen), a sporting tradition that made much of my childhood worthwhile. Follow me on twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewBalasis
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 22 | 18 | .550 | - |
| Nationals | 22 | 19 | .537 | 0.5 |
| Phillies | 19 | 22 | .463 | 3.5 |
| Mets | 15 | 23 | .395 | 6.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 30 | .268 | 11.5 |
Last updated: 05/17/2013
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Brandon Lyon is a done deal. 1 year- $$$-?
Soooo … the bullpen is “done.”
Matt, I absolutely loved this post! The sarcasm, the visuals of Alderson’s head on the groundhog, screaming, “the 3 year winter of Met fans discontent is over!” Bourn Again! We Met fans will be Bourn again! Lol! Great stuff!
Like I said Bourn again with the heart of a Lyon! How lucky we Met fans are with Sandy not seeing his shadow!
I still want an answer from Alderson as to what d’Arnaud did to change the WE ARE CLOSE that was before we got him TOO FAR AWAY to keep Dickey?
Not to speak for the man, but the we are close could refer to the fact that d’Arnaud solidifies the INF going forward, and they really like their pitching going forward (starting and inevitable bullpen arms coming). Long-term they probably only see the OF as a weakness…thus the we are close.
That said, our pitching, infield, and lack of OF doesn’t mean we are close to me because our talent doesn’t match -up with even teams in our division. But maybe we are close emans close to being a .500 team.
But Hank he doesn’t really play the IF….He catches a ball that is thrown to him and maybe fields a few bunts!
He does nothing for the IF outside of that.
We traded a bat for an arm when all is said and done, and a pretty good CY YOUNG arm at that!
If we have good pitching going forward then how good would our IF and Pitching be if we had that pitching with a Cy Young guy pitching with them?
If you believe Sandy then the thing that made us NOT CLOSE was Thole and since we upgraded Thole we are now contenders….Please…. Thole was bad but he was not the thing holding this team back!
Which is why I said if they got Gose instead of Snydergaard in the deal I might ike this Dickey deal better…
Because at least it addressed TWO holes for one position of strength.
Snydergaard may even be a better prospect than Gose but thats 3 years away, no guarantees and does nothing and even if it does AT BEST it only equals a Cy Young pitcher which again says this deal was nothing but an upgrade of Thole with a slim to none chance the loss of the Cy Young was replaced…
If being a .500 team means we are close then why the hell do we punt on two consecutive seasons in July when we are at .500 only to wind up UNDER it due to trading away talent or not getting the help we need to stay there?
When he said “we’re close” he spoke specifically about having the “currency” to make things happen and by that he meant prospects, both in terms of making deals and allowing them augment the roster. I think what he means when he says “we’re close” is that we’re close to making both numerous and high profile moves that can change the composition of the team “in a hurry.”
“If you believe Sandy then the thing that made us NOT CLOSE was Thole and since we upgraded Thole we are now contenders….Please…. ”
Well, there is a lot of data out there that shows how having an elite backstop is by far the single greatest variable in determining whether a team is playoff bound. Now I’m not saying having D’Arnaud means we’re headed for the post season, but a solid backstop has a huge impact, it’s a game changer. Consider for a moment the Giants with and without Posey (Giants 2011 vs Giants 2012). Look at how the Twins have fared when Mauer’s been injured. Would the Cards be the same team without Molina?
But beyond that, Dickey didn’t just net D’Arnaud, he got us Syndegaard (the currency Sandy speaks of — for instance what if Syndegaard helps us land Stanton or some other established player?) … the Dickey trade by all accounts was a coup for the Mets … I guess even this kid (the outfielder) in the trade is supposed to be decent.
But Matt will Snydergaard get you more than Dickey would have?
Obviously not since it took more than Snydergaard to get Dickey….
If Snydergaard can get you Stanton then why aren’t we going aftter him instead of wasting our time on Bourn?
Stanton helps right NOW…Bourn merely helps them keep thier head above .500 water…
Then again if Snydergaard was so good then why didn’t the Marlins get him in the first place when they sent half thier team to toronto?
I can’t answer that, but everything I’ve read about Syndegaard implies he’s a terrific prospect, maybe the reason the Marlins didn’t get him is because, A. they were already getting a lot, and B. Syndegaard is still very young (far away).
The reason Stanton is a “no go” is because the Marlins are looking for two “top 10″ prospects in return and another 2 or 3 decent prospects, but they also want one of the two top ten to be a top hitting prospect like Myers from the Rays. It’s rumored that the Rays may actually be considering flipping Myers — which again shows you the value of the “currency” Alderson speaks of. I’m sure if the Mets threw D’Arnaud into the equation the Marlins might be interested.
Metsie,
Sorry, Neekerbreeker = Matt B.
I like to go by neekerbreeker in the comments.
Yeah, I heard on MLBN that if you wanted Stanton be prepared to give up 5 of your top ten prospects including your 1-2 and hope that the Marlins like you best.
Anyway, there is no situation where the Mets are getting Stanton in a trade from the Marlins so we are wasting our time.
Well I remind you they can ask for whatever they want but that doesn’t mean they are going to get what they ask for…See Arizona and Upton…
It will take a heavy price but whatever it is stated at now is just wishful thinking on the part of the Marlins.
He will be unhappy (already has made noise) and at some point they will be forced to move him for whatever price they can get if they are tired with dealing with the attitude he will exhibit.
Hey Matt (no prob know the Name boxes have been acting up the last two days)
No one is doubting or claiming Snydergaard isn’t a good kid to have….
but as you said…FAR AWAY….
We gave up a pretty damn good pitcher who was Cy Young and half the price of any other Cy Young winner in the game today….
And all we got was one MLB ready kid and a Salary burden for this year and next out of it.
As I have said many times, If we get Gose in that deal then I like it because Gose removes the need to go after (and pay) a Bourn, Helps right away AND years down the road.
We have the 11th pick in this draft…we could easily get a Snydergaard with that pick that will be ready maybe a year or two more in the far away dept without the trade.
So I believe if they had gotten Gose instead then the trade would have been worth doing…They didn’t…They got more pitching, far away and maybe not even needed….
As for getting Stanton I don’t see how Snydergaard helps in that endeavor at all…They still are going to want to get a lot more than that.
Hmm, I would argue that pitching, and nothing less than an overwhelming abundance of it, is what has worked for us historically. I think Alderson and his minions actually got that right on that front (for once) … too bad the stadium designers didn’t.
Its not just us that it works for….
Point is you gave UP pitching to get the MAYBE….
So it’s tough to say you gained in the pitching department as that is a very tall glass Snydergaard has to fill before you can no longer say we weakened the pitching…..
I would dare say having a guy like Dickey who could start three games in a WS does more than just a dearth of pitching in general….
To be honest I’ve considered that myself, which makes me wonder, did they simply see us as being too far away from contention to benefit from Dickey’s presence over the next few seasons (which contradicts the “were close” statements admittedly), or, did they know something about Dickey that we don’t?
The only thing they knew about Dickey was he is outspoken and they don’t like anyone questioning them….Just look at the answers you get from Sandy when someone from the press does and you see what REALLY is his aquillies heel….He doesn’t like being questioned on moves at all! How DARE YOU!
Unfortunatly for him he can’t trade the press or the fans which is why the WE ARE CLOSE act came out….They have done the baseball they planned on doing now it’s onto the marketing to get someone to go see what little they got (which is true for Bourn as well)
If Dickey was not going to help in the next 3 years then neither is d’Arnaud and we already know it will take roughly three years for anyone else in that deal to get here so they sure haven’t changed a thing about the next three years either….
The problem is FANS thought (or wanted to believe) the next three years were going to be good ones but every move Sandy has made save the signing of Wright says differently…
If something was close to happening in the next three years you would have signed Reyes, Kept Dickey to be there for it.The arguments around here over what Sandy is doing never seem to be about the CONCEPT of building from within…It’s all about the TIMELINE it’s expected to take to get it done…
Some are under the misguided belief that it only take 5-6 years to do but thats only if you start off as the worst team with the top picks to start it off then trade away whatever talent you have to augment it.
We have not made those top picks yet….Start the 5-6 year clock the day we get one and hope we get at least two or you won’t get enough….
Sandy KNOWS this but he is selling this crap to try to avoid the plummet in attendance thats going to happen while he goes about doing what he is doing…He knows Phillips is right about rebuilding in NY!
So yes Dickey wouldn’t have helped in the next three years under the plan here….But we are NO CLOSER to winning in the next 3 years than we were with him. We are still on that 6 year clock starting next year MAYBE this year….
The issue is not that Sandy thinks these kids are going to get him more than Dickey…It’s that most of that deal is 3 years away where he HOPES by then he has collected a couple of top 10 picks to go with them….
d’Arnaud is a selling point for the NOW crowd and will get seasoning over the next 3-4 years so he is hopefully at his peak when the rebuild is finally done….
This move was all about the ledger and the future and is proof positive that Sandy doesn’t buy what many here do that something good is coming in the next 3 years….
If it does it will come from the draft and they MAY buy a piece here or there when money opens up but everything he has done so far pointys to WAY WAY in the future not the next three years.
If what you’re saying is true then there is no chance we’re signing Bourne. I don’t know, I think that while some things don’t make sense (signing Bourne for instance when you could have had Reyes) … some of it is clearly about money timing and durability. Alderson has some cash to spend, why not fill a need? Perhaps they felt a top tier catcher was more valuable to them than Dickey. I think they also believed they were selling high on Dickey. Maybe they thought he couldn’t maintain it or duplicate it even, who knows … Dickey is 38 years old — the numbers don’t lie — trading a 38 year old pitcher for a bunch of quality prospects is a bad deal whether he’s a knuckleballer, Cy Young winner or no. We’ll know in a few years how the deal pans out, but right now, in terms of sheer value, the Mets clearly got the better end of the bargain. By “value” I mean you could turn around tomorrow and flip the D’Arnaud / Syndegaard package for more than Dickey was worth at the time of the trade. Yes, Dickey won the Cy Young, but lets not forget, the single greatest hit on his value was his age, yeah yeah he may pitch until he’s 50, but that doesn’t change his perceived value around the league. The reason this “win” (in terms of netting more value than you’re giving up) is important, is because if you win more trades than you lose you should theoretically end up with a very good team.
But Matt….If this was the case why didn’t they sign Bourn before and keep Dickey?
Then they are in contention for something….
And forget this durability angle alltogether…Kids get hurt just as often as older guys do…
In fact we traded a guy who was relatively healthy and could pitch throug whatever injuries he may have had for a kid who plays catcher and has Knee and Back Injury history….
You think those issues are going to get better or worse when he crouches behind the plate?
And lets get something straight here about d’Arnaud…He may be the best catching prospect to some (he isn’t as far as BA’s list is concerened as he is #3 or 4 and just ready sooner than those ahead of him…
But not even his most OPTIMISTIC ceiling puts him anywhere near the top tier where a guy like Posey is….
He is no Piazza or Bench…He’s just one of the few Catchers that doesn’t completely suck with the bat.
And hence he gets highly rated compared to all the others who are there becauase it’s one of the few remaining positions where of you can show defense the bat gets overlooked.
All the good athletes avoid becoming a catcher these days due to the rigors of the position.
So an ELITE Catcher these days is about what an average or below average catcher was back in the day when Piazza and Bench played.
Dickey on several occasions since 2010 has put the front office on blast…that didnt just start in October/November.
For example, why would the mets report that Dickey’s contract can be voided if he gets hurt climbing that mountain.
Dickey is well aware of that.
In terms of public perception, Dickey looks like Ghandi…while the mets look like a-holes….
just not saying anything sometimes is better than saying something.
Well, you wonder if any of that stuff about him being selfish and attention grabbing is true, seemed like he was slated for trade from the get to … it’s strange. I liked Dickey as much as the next guy, maybe more so in fact (I’m a huge JRR Tolkien fan) … but you never know with these things. Dickey was smart, that’s for sure, and I think maybe Alderson doesn’t like people who are as smart as he is … maybe that’s why he keeps Collins as his manager!
I don’t wonder at all…Anyone who has heard this guy speak should know that was a pile of bull…..
About as true as Davis Dancing the night away and being uncoachable!
Well, without knowing any of these people personally I don’t think any if us really know for sure.
I think he means he and the fans are close, as in “BFF’s.”
I trust Alderson about as much as I trust a fox in the hen house ………….
Thanks Matt! Another wonderful piece. Very funny and very perceptive and right on point about our snake oil salesman GM.