The July 2012 promotion of the Mets’ second best pitching prospect was met with much fan fair.  Harvey promptly rose to the occasion in the eleven strike out win that was his debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks.  For an encore, he went on to post an ERA well under three in ten starts comprised of almost sixty innings pitched.  For certain it looked as though the Mets had another quality starter on their hands, but no one could have anticipated what Matt Harvey had in store for the Mets and their fans in 2013.

Entering last night, Harvey’s 2013 campaign featured a 4-0 start which saw him yield more than one earned run on only one occasion over six starts, in route to the National League Pitcher of the Month award for the month of April.  Coming off a full seven day’s rest, Harvey spent Monday night victimizing the White Sox lineup in route to nine scoreless innings of one hit ball with twelve strike outs and exactly zero walks.  This saw Matt drop his ERA to an impressively low 1.27 while assuming the league lead in strike outs with 58.

The stats are impressive enough, but they are easily trumped by the undeniable presence that Harvey brings with him to the bump every night.  Each start celebrated as “Happy Harvey Day” on various social media forums, the fans have fully accepted Matt as the absolute ace of this staff, no questions asked.

Harvey’s rise to what will soon be, if it isn’t already, super-stardom, will make it that much harder for those that come behind him, namely Wheeler.  Having been billed as possessing the best repertoire in the system, its hard to believe that Wheeler can match the ridiculous change-up and slicing slider that Harvey has used to carved through opponents thus far this season.  While the Mets will need Wheeler to be a productive member of the rotation in short order if they hope to stay in the hunt this summer, Matt Harvey has made most, if not all fans forget that someone other than he may be the savoir for the Mets pitching woes.

Recent history has seen pitchers as unproven as Mike Pelfrey toe the rubber as the team’s ace.  Those days, at least for the time being seem to be behind us.  Having been drafted by Omar Minaya in 2010, Harvey will be ineligible for free agency until the 2019 season at the earliest and now represents the youth movement envisioned by Mets general manager, Sandy Alderson.  The franchise will need others to rise through the ranks in order to realize Alderson’s vision, but regardless of whether those who will soon follow his path are able to do their part, Matt Harvey is here and the Mets have their ace.

Follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83.

How could you not take notice?

The game featured more than adequate starting pitching, solid relief work, clutch hitting and even a grand slam.  The Mets’ already ostracized outfield corps went a combined 4-for-12, with three walks, six runs batted in, and the aforementioned grand slam. As a matter of fact, with the exception of the four strikeout performance by Ike Davis, there really wasn’t much negativity to be taken away from the first game of the season.

However, please heed this warning.  It was only the first game of the season.  Met fans, every single one of us. are searching for something.  Whether it’s just a reason to head out to Citi Field, or to turn on the television and watch, or even a reason to simply stick around at this point.. each and every one of us is trying to find that one reason to believe.  For some, yesterday’s game was just that.  It was great.  Great enough that as Colin Cowgill crossed the plate after his seventh inning grand slam my wife stared at me as I muttered over and over again, “I will not buy in..I will not buy in..I will not buy in.”

You see as much as I want to believe, I’ve spent the last two months convincing myself that the reason to watch this season was the maturation of young players like Matt Harvey and Ruben Tejada, along with the eventual promotion of Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud.  I entered last season under a similar guise, but crumbled quickly under a 4-0 start that saw me quickly invested once again for the long haul.  Of course that eventually led to the annual mid-summer heartbreak that we’re all so accustomed to at this point.

So while I, like many of you I’m sure, fight the urge to once again dive head first into the shallow end of what has all the makings of a fatally flawed 2013 New York Mets season, lets all remember that our team boasts a roster of unproven players searching to find their own way.  Is it possible they shock the world as the Oakland Athletics did last summer?  Sure..but its far more likely that we’ll soon be wallowing in the puddle of self pity we frequent each season.  Only time will tell.  If you chose to take the plunge early, don’t say you haven’t been warned!

Follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83.

Speaking as someone who was content with the idea that it took more than a season to screw this franchise up and that it will take more than a season to fix the mistakes of those that came before him, I tolerated the notion that 2014 might be the year the Mets find themselves back on the map.  So, I waited.  Waited for what, I’m not exactly sure, but I’m pretty sure I expected the framework for such a rebuild in place a mere season away from the self-imposed rebuilding deadline.  For sure, the team would need at least a season to mesh, right?  And still, I wait.

I think I’ve gotten to the point that I’m actually bored with what going on here.  Quite frankly, I don’t care what the team’s financial situation.  Furthermore, the methodical approach of Sandy Alderson seems to do nothing but make the agony of knowing there is little immediate hope on the horizon even worse.  You see there is nothing wrong with signing low risk, high reward players like Tim Byrdak to minor league contracts.  In fact, its good baseball sense.  However, these are not the signings necessary to put the chips in place for a rebuild.

To be perfectly honest, resigning David Wright and RA Dickey only maintains the organization’s current position of limbo.  These are the players that the front office should build around, but even their future is in doubt.  If we’re lucky enough to ink them to long-term deals, I fear that the players filled in around them will simply maintain the status quo.  Two months ago it was unfathomable that fifth outfielder, Andres Torres, might occupy a roster spot next season.  Now it appears borderline likely.  Simply put, scratching the bottom of the bargain bin has become tiresome.

As another spring training draws near, the blueprint for success is no clearer today than it was two years ago.  Addition by subtraction has replaced the big market mindset brought to you by Omar Minaya and Bernie Madoff.  Whether you blame poor investing, poor free agent signings, or even poor player development, the Mets schtick just seems stale at this point.  Resigning Wright and Dickey may pacify some fans, but it will be the players brought in around them that will inspire the imaginations of the masses.  They don’t have to be nine-figure players, but the Ronnie Cedenos of the world just aren’t going to get it done.

I’m bored Sandy Alderson.  Give me a reason to get excited, a reason to look forward to the future, hell.. give me a reason to come to the ballpark.  Show fans that this organization is still interested in winning.  Enough with the stopgaps.  Lets build something worth the our time..and our money.

Follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83

Though to most baseball fans the season has just begun, to many Mets fans it was over before it started.

The Mets were welcomed at the beginning of the season by five fans covering their faces in shame with brown paper bags and chanting “sell the Mets.”

After being sued for $1 Billion by Bernie Madoff victims, the Mets franchise is now left with a brand new, state of the art stadium that is home to falling ticket sales and a financially broke team.

In order to cope with these economic woes, this article is calling upon Mets fans, players and staff to help the team conserve what little cash they have left.

Mets fans are asked that if a foul ball is hit into the stands, please throw it back onto the field so the ball can be reused. When one is purchasing a beverage please ask for a little ice. Limit the amounts of squirts out of the ketchup and mustard dispensers to one squirt each and return unused utensils back to their original place.

Mets players are asked to share batting helmets, gloves and bats. Also, the Mets should issue reversible jerseys for home and away; this will cut expenses in cotton, a commodity that has recently risen drastically in price.

The Mets staff can pitch in as well. Player’s jerseys should be washed every other game, cutting back on the team’s laundry bill.

The Mets staff has the opportunity to not only cut costs but increase revenue as well. All the used bottles should be collected after the game and deposited for a 5-cent refund.

If the Mets community works together to cut costs maybe the community can save the Mets and make sure they come back next year with a winning team.

Lets Go METS!!!

This Fan Post was contributed by and written by Kevin Milgraum.

I know that at times my comments and points of view were not exactly agreeable, and sometimes were downright pessimistic, but I know that much of that stems from how passionate I am about the Mets.  I’ve been a fan since the early ’70′s and have lived through many of the ups and downs, which we all know includes lots of downs.

But I’m proud to be a Mets fan and I know we have some of the best, if not the best, fans in baseball.  This has always been a lovable franchise, win or lose, and we’ve had the opportunity to watch many world class players wearing blue and orange, and of course two championships.  We’ve also witnessed some of the greatest moments in sports history following our Mets–in particular in that magical ballpark known as Shea Stadium.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t say how pissed off I was Monday night when I heard about Matt Garza’s no-hitter.  First no-no in Rays’ history, blah blah blah.  Really now?  No hitters have also become as common as complete games, but of course, our Mets still do not have one.  We’re fifty years in and still not a single no-no.  Somethings gotta give on that front soon.

With that, I thank you all for reading my work these past 15 months, and I wish Joe and all of you the best of luck.  And oh yeah, Let’s Go Mets!

While the Mets were still winning in 2007 and 2008, Jose’s second half numbers slipped measurably.  And Jose hit only .204 and .243 during the  September collapses in each of those years.  Jose was sulking and slumping, and sometimes not hustling.  He was down on himself.  He even had to endure for the first time in his career some boos by disgusted Mets fans.

It’s my opinion that as Jose Reyes goes, so go the Mets.  And at the end of 2007 and 2008, Jose’s poor play brought the rest of the team down with him.  Of course the collapses were more complicated than just putting the blame on Reyes.  But his play and attitude had so much affect on his teammates.  I think it is as simple as when Reyes plays well and is wreaking havoc on the bases, the Mets are an exciting and winning team.  When the opposite is true, they lose.

It’s very simple.  Jose is the most important of Mets team leaders.  He leads by example and his teammates follow his lead.  Unfortunately this is true on the downside as well.  He brings them up or down to whichever level he is playing.  There might be better team spokesmen like David Wright, Jeff Francoeur and Johan Santana.  But no one has as large an affect on team play as does Jose Reyes.

Needless to say, the 2010 season will in a few weeks be half over.  It has certainly been a topsy turvy season.  But through it all the Mets find themselves, shockingly to most fans, nine games over .500 following Sunday’s loss to the Yankees.  There are glaring weaknesses on this team, primarily the bullpen.  But it seems to me that the Mets can overcome most adverse situations if Jose Reyes is having fun playing baseball.

Jose Reyes missed the last four months of the season in 2009.  There were real question marks as to Jose’s future with the Mets.  He got off to a slow start this year.  But now he is leading this team again on the field.  He is hitting for average and power, and running the bases with abandon.  He is also playing flawless defense.  His teammates are beginning to ride on his coattails.

Jose Reyes is the true leader of this year’s pack of Mets.  If he keeps smiling, expect to see lots more hot times in the Citi this summer.

It is the curse of Citi Field.

I don’t believe in superstition. There is no God of Baseball to wear a headdress for and dance around a campfire while chanting stupid lyrics. But something is definitely up with this new ballpark. While the “Opening Day Cat” may not have been black, maybe it should have been. After all, it was a black cat that did the trick for us in 1969.

I have been watching baseball, specifically the Mets, for 19 years now, and I can’t ever remember a roster with so many names on the DL side. Coincidence? I think not.

We blame the dimensions of Citi Field for the lack of home run production by our beloved Metsies. However, other teams manage to hit their share of balls over the wall.

There have been so many “What the … ???” plays this year, I don’t even know where to begin. Missing the bag while rounding third base in an attempt to score, a dropped pop-up behind second base (for the last out of what would have been a win agains the Yankees), and an unassisted, game-ending triple play, just to name a few. 

The injuries speak for themselves. Reyes, Delgado, Beltran, Wright, Maine, Santana, Sheffield, Cora, Pagan, Schneider, Pelfrey, Perez, Putz, etc, etc, etc. have all been or still are on the DL . And while Luis Castillo never did make this famous list, the injury that kept him out for several games was certainly caused by one of the freakiest incidents I’ve ever witnessed – slipping down the dugout stairs – at, you guessed it, Citi Field.

While the team may be experiencing the physical pain, it’s the poor fans going through the emotional anguish. How many of us wish we could just put on a uniform and go out there and help? Our loyalty to the team is beyond words.

We are the ones watching. We are the ones waiting. We are the ones hoping.

The 2009 season is not over yet. As long as there are enough games left to play to make up ground on the Phillies, the Mets have a shot. But even if they did make a miraculous comeback, how far could they go with the team that they have? Is it better to just accept defeat and look ahead to a clean, healthy start next year, or to continue to hope and dream, only to be disappointed again, this year?

It doesn’t end there. While the Mets may insist it’s just leg cramps with Gary Sheffield, we all know what’s coming. A 15-day stint (if not longer) on the DL, with no one, absolutely no one in the minor leagues, to replace him on the roster.

What I am about to say is going to cause a stir but it needs to be said. Keep in mind, it doesn’t make me any less of a Mets fans. It’s just time to accept reality. The Mets are done and the Phillies are going to run away with this division, yet again. Even if and when we get a healthy Reyes, Delgado, Maine and Beltran back, the Mets will be too far behind to come back. We may as well begin to look towards the football season and the 2010 baseball campaign.

Message to Ownership:  Time for a change boys. Get rid of Omar. Since there is no sense of urgency on his part, then how about on yours? Do we have to get as bad as the Nationals before we wake up?

Message to Omar:  Since you are still fortunate enough to have your job, how about showing us that you have earned that right by growing some nuggets and getting on your manager for the way he is handling this team. Remember how fans ripped apart Willie Randolph for not flipping over spread tables and not getting angry enough at this team for losing night after night. What makes Jerry any different?

Message to Manuel:  I know you aren’t the one out there on the field and can only make the best of what you have. But stop making excuses for this team. Get mad, admit they suck and don’t accept anything less than perfection. I don’t want to hear how Ollie pitched so well on Thursday and how they played hard but just came up short. These “moral victories” don’t mean squat in the standings. And quite frankly, they don’t mean much to the fans when a team has been failing miserably all year.

Message to fans:  Hang in there. True fans don’t turn their backs on their team. But it is okay to get angry and frustrated, and even give up hope and move on to next year, when you know the end has come.

The Subway Series.

Whether you are a Yankee fan or a Mets fan, you’re a proud New Yorker. But why is it that in this sport, unlike any of the other major sports, you just can’t root for the other New York team?

It’s not about the players. In fairness to the Yankees, they are only trying to achieve the same results that the Mets are – to win a Championship and be crowned leaders of the baseball world. If you really stop and think about it, are the Yankees really that bad? So A-Rod did steroids. Every team has dealt with that issue at one time or another, including the Mets. So Roger Clemens threw at Mike Piazza’s head. Not the first time we’ve seen that, won’t be the last.

It is the fans who turn the two organizations against each other, not the players. New Yorkers want nothing but the best, and that’s what we have. So then to beat the “best of the best” is the ultimate accomplishment. Bragging rights in this town are far more significant than in smaller towns. And to wipe the floor with your cross-town rivals is a huge accomplishment.

The swagger and conceit of one New York baseball team’s fans is enough on it’s own. Double that arrogance, and you’re looking at a major battle.

I do believe Yankee fans are meaner than Mets fans. For example, I received a comment on my Facebook page from a friend who is a Yankee fan. The comment stated, “Mets fans are gay.” Yankee fans like to not only attack the Mets, but their fans as well. Is that all you got? That’s something you rarely see from a Mets fan – an attack on Yankee fans. We’ll say what we have to about the Yanks themselves, but not their fans.

I once had a discussion with a co-worker, a Yankee fan, who said that Mets fans ‘settle’ for mediocrity, and that’s why Yankee fans come off as being more arrogant. Now wait just a minute. It’s perfectly normal and acceptable expect, even demand the best and to get frustrated when your team is struggling to put up wins. And in that respect, I think Mets fans and Yankee fans are alike. But that ‘holier than thou’ attitude that Yankee fans have is simply not justified by frustration and high expectations.

Now I’ll give you my opinion. It’s not that Mets fans accept mediocrity. It’s that Yankee fans are spoiled, sore-losers. We haven’t seen as many Championships in Flushing as they have in the Bronx, so we know how to handle losing better. And therefore, we’ve learned to appreciate winning better as well.