It seems every year as of late the Mets find themselves embroiled in some kind of controversy, either of their own design or through some vast cosmic anti-Met conspiracy that has prodded this little multi-million dollar team that could. I’m going to try to avoid blaming the Mets troubles on anything ethereal since to do so would only make my head hurt even more than watching a typical Mike Pelfrey start.
Recently we were exposed to “Hatgate”. MLB issued a grand and mighty edict from the hands of the apparently unaware Executive VP of Baseball Operations, Joe Torre. It stated that under no circumstances may the Mets wear a hat on the field during a game, that is unauthorized for sale at MLB.com, oops I mean a hat that is unauthorized – which includes hats displaying FDNY or NYPD or anything of the like on September 11th.
To do so would cause MLB to strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger, in the sum of mega fines and harsh legalistic language. Apparently. So of course the boys in orange and blue led by the sage veteran presence and player’s union rep, Josh Thole, who rumors say just celebrated his 18th birthday, decided not to test the mettle of the mighty Selig and went along with their business of losing.
Ok, so I’m jaded and tired of many things involving the Mets that part of me is actually glad, glad that the season is winding down. “Hatgate” really set me off and proved if anything that in the end, money rules and even a National tragedy, although ten years removed, has little to no effect on the bean counters as Keith Olbermann properly pointed out the other day. I don’t know what’s crazier, me paraphrasing Olbermann or MLB being partially tone deaf on the issue of 9-11.
For me it’s just one of a few issues with this team that has gnawed at me this year. I’m sorry if this offends people but I’m disappointed in the team for not bucking MLB and wearing the first repsonder hats as the team did in 2001. The team which also was threatened then by the powers that be in MLB not to wear the hats.
Yes in the grand scheme of things, wearing a hat to honor the heroes of 9-11, while proper, doesn’t really quell the sadness of what happened that day. But, I’m sure it would have given those men and women of the FDNY, NYPD and Port Authority, a bit more solace knowing that these players, bucked what was a public relations mess at best and a slap in the face of doing what was right, at worse.
A little gumption boys that’s all it took. If Bud Selig and MLB really had wanted their fine money that bad, make them pry it out of your hands. I’m sure all in the media would have loved to have seen that take place. But no, didn’t happen. So yeah, I blame everyone involved.
I’m tired of hearing how ownership is piss poor and readying the fans for the dreaded dark days ahead. Ready to sign the 68-year-old Felix Millan at the league minimum to replace the sure to bolt Reyes. I’m tired of hearing how ownership isn’t broke and doesn’t need an investor and now is willing to sell “shares” of the team to family members.
All of it just makes me want to spit like Lenny Dykstra with a bad wad of chaw in my mouth. Will this team owe Irving Picard a billion or 300 million? Does it matter? Money is money and 300 million last I checked isn’t something to sneeze at.
I’m tired of Mike Pelfrey. Tired of waiting for him to “get it”, to “figure it out”, to “take the next step”, whatever. He’s like the walking embodiment of mediocre. Giving him a guaranteed contract for 6 million next year should bring one to question Sandy Alderson’s judgment.
I’m happier giving a kid who wants to bust his ass a chance to play – risking that he’ll get shelled regularly – then dish out millions to Pelfrey. Let him win 20 somewhere else, as I’m sure will happen once he’s no longer in a Met uniform. I’m over him.
I’m done with turning Bobby Parnell into our next closer. Now the deal is Dan Warthan wants to bring in John Franco to mentor Parnell. I hope Franco knows how to turn water into wine. You can’t teach guts and if there is anything that ties every successful closer to each other – it’s guts. Franco, who barely could break a pane of glass in his prime, pitched with the guile of a man twice his size.
If anything I hope he can show Parnell that he doesn’t need to throw the ball through a piece of iron to be successful. Unfortunately I doubt Franco’s mentoring will help the 27 year old. At this point, like Pelfrey, he is what he is.
I’m done with hoping that Jose Reyes will be back next year. In spite of his consistent leg injuries, I have a feeling a team (The Nats?) will offer offer Reyes the sun the moon and the Lincoln Memorial. Keeping Reyes is important but at what cost? Is it acceptable to pay him 20 million a year for 5+ years and never get a completely healthy season out of him? Does having a 75% healthy Reyes, playing around a 120 games per year really help this team?
I want him to be here. I enjoy watching him immensely. He is the catalyst on this team. But he’s as fragile a player as I have ever seen and that has to be considered, unfortunately.
I’m done with having a stadium that people say is akin to death valley but the statistics prove wrong, or at least, not as dramatic. Bring in the fences; don’t bring in the fences, I’m sick of it. Just do it already and lets see just what effect it has. I have a feeling at the very least, bringing in the fences slightly will have nothing more than a psychological effect on a few players.
If that’s what it takes to shut this issue down, then please do it already. Shaving a few feet off the size of the outfield will do little to turn Ruben Tejada into Miguel Tejada. That kind of enhancement we don’t want.
I know part of me shouldn’t feel this way about the team. I’m not someone who expects or demands perfection the way fans of other teams have demanded – ever so smugly. Success and Championships are a privilege, not a given. I know that anything worthwhile is never easy but this team really has taken me to the mats lately. The sad (if you call it that) part is, come March; we’ll all be doing it all over again. Insanity? Yeah maybe.
