Yes, this season has been frustrating so far. Yes, this team has failed to get the big hit when needed. We have carried over some of our bad habits from the last 2 heartbreaking seasons. We are still failing to come through in the clutch. We are squandering too many scoring opportunities and leaving way too many men on base. Our team has repeatedly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. We are currently 6-6 but with a couple of key hits here and there and a few less errors, we could easily be 9-2. We’ve all heard the old adage that a win in April counts just as much as a win in September. And this is true. However, it’s only April. The Marlins have catapulted out of the starting gate to an 11-1 record. This wont keep up. If it does, the Fish would end up winning 143 games and if that happens, more power to ‘em.
I do tend to be somewhat pessimistic on many of my articles. But I am not pessimistic… YET. If we are still playing like this in August, then I, and my fellow Mets fans, have reason to complain and worry. But there are still 150 games remaining and it is way too early to push the panic button.
We clearly do have issues on our team. David Wright needs to take the pressure off himself and stop always trying to be ‘The Big Guy.’ Jose Reyes needs to play with some more intelligence and actually ‘learn’ the game. We need Oliver Perez to pitch with some consistency. We need Mike Pelfrey to return to form. We need John Maine to finally step it up a notch and learn how to pitch beyond 5 innings. These are problems that have plagued our team for a couple of years now. They wont go away overnight. Did we really think that by shoring up the bullpen with JJ and Frankie these issues would go away?
We also have to deal with our new home. As of now, our boys are still learning the nooks and crannies of Citi Field. Unlike players in Boston or Chicago who know how to play the carom off The Green Monster or the Ivy, our guys are still learning. Our home is not ‘home.’ The visiting teams who come in to New York have almost as much playing time at Citi Field as the Mets do. After only 6 games in our new stadium, we have no legitimate ‘home field advantage’ other than one: Our fans. We need to scream louder, cheer more and shake the foundation with thunderous chants of Lets Go Mets. Our players have no advantage on the field. Our advantage comes from the stands.
Hopefully, things will improve. Come August, if Reyes is still playing with his head in the clouds, DW is putting too much pressure on himself, Maine is not pitching deeper into games and Perez is still inconsistent, then we can panic and start chewing Tums for our ulcers and taking Rogaine for the gray hairs sprouting from our head. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a championship. Yes, we are all tired of waiting and yes, this is a team that is supposed to win NOW. But according to my calendar, it’s only April 20 and the Marlins magic number stands at 145!
So, lets all relax. There will plenty more frustrating losses this season. All we can do is hope the thrilling victories outnumber them.
