I think Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts said it perfectly on the FAN this morning… “Delgado’s got to go!” It’s true, maybe if the Mets grew some guts and cut their losses now, they would send a message to the rest of the team, insisting that there will be no more nonsense.
This team is playing .500 baseball. And while David Wright may insist that this team has more talent than their record indicates, talent, in theory, means nothing. It’s the record that counts in the end. Could it be that this team really just isn’t that good? While I hate to admit it, that may be the reality.
We kept hearing possibilities that when Moises Alou returned, the team would straighten up and fly right. First of all, if a team has to rely on one player to make a difference, that team is in more trouble than we think. And secondly, if that were true, that player would have to actually be in the lineup on a consistent basis to make the difference. Alou keeps suffering from injuries, and in my opinion, doesn’t want to play anymore.
And for those who say that Jose Reyes need to get on base in order for this team to win, um, helllooooooo? Reyes was on base four times last night. Big deal. It goes back to the Alou thing – if this team has to rely on Reyes to jump start their success, then they have bigger problems than we know. These guys are making millions to play the game they love, and shouldn’t need someone to hold their hand and push them in the right direction. This team has played embarassing baseball and should want to do the things to make it better on their own.
Many have suggested that Scott Schoeneweis intentionally threw at Chipper Jones last night. Whether he did or didn’t is not my issue. My issue is what could have happened had Bobby Cox retaliated. Gary, Keith & Ron were making a big deal that David Wright was leading off the next inning for the Mets and should be prepared just in case. Then it was discussed that maybe Cox would just let it go, for fear that it would "spark" the Mets. Evan & Joe said they would have loved to see a brawl; that maybe that’s what this team needs. Did we forget how many times Paul LoDuca tried to fire up this team with his own antics? Besides, this team has taken on the attitude and personality of their manager – laid back and not concerned. Does anyone out there really believe that David Wright or anyone else would have charged the mound, and a benches-clearing brawl would have ignited, had he actually been hit? Come on…
You know what else irritates me? The confidence that every team has in facing the Mets. It’s one thing to look forward to trying to beat the New York Mets. That would actually be flattering. But the confidence that they actually can and will beat us (and then do) is sickening.
I have no idea how the Mets expect to draw fans to the new stadium. I believe that in the first year, fans will go out to see the new Mets home and enjoy the amenities and the atmosphere that Citi Field will have to offer. But after that, if they think that fans are going to pay a lot of money to see a crappy team play, they got another think coming.
