The Baseball Hall of Fame has released the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot. Derek Jeter headlines a group of first time candidates as he looks to join his teammate Mariano Rivera has the only unanimously inducted Hall of Famers.

The other first time candidates include Bobby Abreu, Josh Beckett, Heath Bell, Eric Chavez, Adam Dunn, Chone Figgins, Rafael Furcal, Jason Giambi, Raul Ibanez, Paul Konerko, Cliff Lee, Carlos Pena, Brad Penny, J.J. Putz, Brian Roberts, Alfonso Soriano, and Jose Valverde. For these and all players on the ballot, they need to receive at least five percent of the vote to remain on the 2021 ballot.

While it will be Jeter’s first year on the ballot, Larry Walker stands as the only candidate to be facing his 10th and final year on the ballot. In last year’s voting, Walker received 54.6% of the vote. Of the players returning to the ballot, only Curt Schilling (60.9%), Roger Clemens (59.5%), and Barry Bonds (59.1%) received a higher percent of the vote last year.

While there are no candidates who will join Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza as the only Mets players inducted into the Hall of Fame. There are a number of former Mets players on the ballot. The list includes Bobby Abreu, Heath Bell, Jeff Kent (7th), J.J. Putz, Gary Sheffield, Jose Valverde, and Billy Wagner (5th).

As a reminder, a player needs to receive at least 75% of the vote to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Last year, Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, and Rivera were elected. That marked the sixth straight year there were at least two players inducted. With Jeter expected to be inducted, it will be interesting to see if there will be another player who joins him making it a seventh straight year.

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New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia pitched a scoreless inning on Wednesday night in the Gigantes del Cibao’s 4-2 loss in the Dominican Winter League playoffs. Familia allowed a two out triple for the only base runner and struck out one.

Familia has now pitched four scoreless outings in a row after a rough debut (two runs in 0.2 IP). Over those four appearances he has issued one walk, allowed only one hit and struck out four in four innings.

Gigantes are 4-7 during the round robin portion of the playoffs, but only half a game out of second place with seven games left.

Familia has been pitching as the eighth inning guy with former Met Jose Valverde in front of him and also former Met Ramon Ramirez working as the closer.

Xorge Carrillo, who was invited to Major League Spring Training yesterday, went 2 for 4 in the Mexican Winter League playoffs last night. He plays for the Aguilas de Mexicali, who have a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven semifinals series. The Mets long time minor league catcher is hitting .259 during the playoffs.

The post Winter Ball Update: Familia Throws Another Scoreless Inning appeared first on Metsmerized.

It may not have been the prettiest save you ever saw, but closer Jeurys Familia extended his incredible streak by recording his 50th consecutive regular-season save on Friday night in the Mets’ 5-3 win over the Miami Marlins.

The Mets All Star closer got into trouble and allowed a run in the ninth, but in his usual style he amped up the adrenaline, closed the game out, and preserved the victory

Familia’s regular season saves streak is the fourth longest in major league history, trailing only Eric Gagne (84), Tom Gordon (54) and Jose Valverde (51).

The last time Familia had a blown save was nearly a year ago on July 30, 2015, when the Padres scored three runs in the ninth capped by a Justin Upton go-ahead home run.

Familia, the MLB saves leader, now has 34 saves in 34 chances this season, with a 2.58 ERA, 1.261 WHIP and 45 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings pitched.

The post Familia Notches 50th Consecutive Regular Season Save appeared first on Metsmerized.

Adam83 asks…

Every time I read about how great our bullpen is, it’s amazing how often Carlos Torres and the job he did last year is ignored and never mentioned.  Isn’t he just as important to us as Familia and Mejia?  How many long relievers are better?

MMO replies…

Carlos Torres is certainly appreciated within the organization, but I agree he’s not making national headlines and his numbers would suggest he should be.  Torres has quietly provided that insurance arm out of the bullpen who can go long, serve as a specialist or close out games when the regular guy needs a night off.  In the two years he has pitched as a reliever for the Mets, Torres has appeared in 96 games and pitched a total of 128.2 innings.  His 2.73 ERA and 8.04 K’s per nine innings are impressive during that stretch and certainly proved the difference in a number of victories.

During the transition period for the Mets bullpen this season, the team let go of veterans like Kyle Farnsworth and Jose Valverde in lieu of the future which included Vic Black, Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia.  Critics argued that Torres was used too much during that time, but Terry Collins often had very few reliable options, which forced his hand in an effort to keep the team in games.  Thankfully, the youngsters emerged and Torres was able to pitch through to the end of the year, healthy.

You can’t blame Collins for his dependence on Torres, considering how often he could induce that much needed double play ball (13 DP in 2014) and bear down with runners on base (25.5 K/9 with runners on base).

The best part compared to his performance is his cost.  Torres made slightly above the league minimum this season and should remain relatively cost effective heading into 2015 which will help the team stay flexible in case other needs arise.

Many of his peers are hard throwers and those players will always garner more attention because they’re more exciting to watch, but Torres has quietly filled the many roles the team has asked him to and done so with a lot of success.  Now, if only the Mets could find a lefty reliever as talented and as cheap as Carlos Torres, than we’d be in business.

The post MMO Mailbag: Where’s The Love For Carlos Torres? appeared first on Metsmerized.

Recently ousted Mets hitting coach Dave Hudgens was a guest of Michael Kay on ESPN Radio where he said:

“If they want a winner in that town, I would let the purse strings loose and let Sandy do whatever he wants.”

This basically goes to what most of us have been saying all day here; spend some money and bring in better players.

May 26 – Mets Fire Dave Hudgens

Following a gut-wrenching 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday at Citi Field, Sandy Alderson announced that he had fired hitting coach Dave Hudgens and replaced him with longtime Mets minor league hitting coordinator Lamar Johnson.

“We’ve had issues home and road over the last several years, not just this season,” Alderson said. “Our situational hitting is not where we want it to be.”

Hudgens spoke to MLB.com after he learned of his dismissal and blamed the fans booing for the Mets’ hitting woes at home not the dimensions.

“I really just think guys tried to hard at home. I think the fans are really tough on the guys at home. How can you boo Curtis Granderson? They have no idea how hard this guy works and how he goes about doing his business, doing his job. He gets off to a slow start and they’re booing him? Come on. It’s tougher at home to play than it is on the road, there’s no doubt about it.”

Hudgens wasn’t that surprised by the firing or broken up by what happened, however he did take one other parting shot on his way out. He told Marc Carig of Newsday:

“I’m glad I don’t have to listen to those guys anymore. I just shake my head at the old-school guys that have it all figured out. Go up there and swing the bat. Well what do you want to swing at? It just confounds me. It’s just hilarious, really.”

Former batting champion and MVP Keith Hernandez has been the most critical of the Mets’ hitting philosophy.
Hudgens had to go. He can mock his critics all he wants, but this is a results oriented business and in four years the Mets’ offense continues to be among the worst in the game.

The Mets are hitting just .237 with a .352 slugging percentage on the year and things look to be getting worse instead of better.

But lets save some blame here for Sandy Alderson who engineered this roster and keeps below average players in key positions while singing their praises, like Lucas Duda whose OPS ranks 28th among all first basemen and Ruben Tejada who until 5 days ago was the worst performing everyday player in the majors.

The other issue is something Alderson said when he announced the firing, “Our approach will not change.” So keep that in mind when Lamar Johnson takes over and remember that like Hudgens, they have the same exact playbook.

As I’ve expressed repeatedly over the months, the real problem is the fact we have too many poor players and not enough good ones.

Blame the Wilpons for that, but also the one who’s responsible for buying the groceries. Alderson made the decision to add not one, but two notorious 180+ strikeout guys to a lineup that that whiffed at a historic and record rate in 2013, and then tried passing it off as a vastly improved offense.

Alderson is in the final year of a four year contract, but the Mets have not picked up his fifth option year which many thought would happen last Winter.

This saga is far from over.

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The Mets squared off against the Pittsburgh Pirates today at Citi Field, with rookie Jacob deGrom making his third major league start against Brandon Cumpton.

What you should know:

deGrom was solid, pitching 6 and 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and striking out four. He also walked five Pirates hitters, but limited the damage and didn’t allow a run. In his first three major league starts, deGrom has pitched wonderfully, but has yet to win a game. He’s taken two tough luck losses, and now a no-decision.

Brandon Cumpton also had a good outing for Pittsburgh, allowing seven hits and only one earned run over a span of six innings.

The Mets first two runs came in the bottom of the 5th, as Daniel Murphy lined a ball into right field to score Jacob deGrom. Juan Lagares then was called out at the plate after trying to advance after a throwing error, The call was later over-turned, as Russel Martin was blocking the plate on the play.

The Mets held the lead going into the bottom of the 8th, 2-0. Scott Rice allowed a solo shot to Gaby Sanchez. Jose Valverde, who was subsequently released after the game, came on next and was miserable, allowing four hits and four earned runs, taking the loss.

Lucas Duda would hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth, but nothing would come into fruition, as the Mets would not score again and end up losing the game.

Vic Black is en route to New York and will take Valverde’s spot on the roster.

After the game, the Mets also fired hitting coach Dave Hudgens. Lamar Johnson will take over the position for the remainder of the season.

Thoughts:

Well, even if Dave Hudgens wasn’t all to blame for the Mets’ offensive woes, a change had to be made, and I have a hunch it isn’t just going to stop here. From what I can gather, Terry is also on thin ice at this point, and unless things turn around, Terry and the rest of the coaching staff might be next. The Mets are now 7-17 in the month of May.

As for Valverde, I thought his time was up a long time ago, and I’m honestly surprised he stuck around as long as he did. In his hay day, Valverde was an elite closer in baseball. He is now an aging, replaceable bullpen arm. I wouldn’t be surprised if he catches on somewhere else, but his days in New York needed to be through. Now Vic Black gets a chance to see what he’s got.

After a solid April, the Mets have come back to earth and are slowly slipping into irrelevance. Again. Yes, it’s still early, but unless a big change is made, and soon, the Mets will miss the postseason for the eighth straight season, and the notion that Sandy Alderson thinks that the team he constructed could win 90 games is laughable at this point.

Additional notes:

Ike Davis made his return to Queens and got mixed reactions, as about half of the fans boo’ed and the other half cheered. He would end up going 0-2 with a walk at the plate in the Pirates’ win.

Matt den Dekker made his first appearance of the season and struck out in his only at-bat.

Final score: Pirates 5, Mets 3
Winning pitcher: Tony Watson (5-0)
Losing pitcher: Jose Valverde (1-1)
Save: Mark Melancon (9)

On deck:

The Mets look to even the series Tuesday night against the Bucs, with Jonathon Niese facing off against Edinson Volquez.

The post MMO Game Recap: Pirates 5, Mets 3 appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets have announced that Rafael Montero will be promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas and make his Major League debut on Wednesday against the New York Yankees.

“We understand it’s a debut on a big stage,” Sandy Alderson said. “but we believe he is ready now.”

Additionally, Jacob deGrom will be pulled from his Triple-A start tonight. and be placed on standby to potentially be promoted to work out of the Mets bullpen. A final decision on deGrom is coming soon.

Sandy Alderson also said that while Jenrry Mejia is going to the bullpen, he will not be used as a closer – at least for the time being.

Montero, 23, will oppose Yankees rookie Masahiro Tanaka during his debut at Citi Field, and he will be capped at 180 innings for the year.

The Dominican native is 4-1 with a 3.67 ERA and 1.152 WHIP, an amazing showing for the Pacific Coast League. He has struck out 41 while walking 18 in 41.2 innings pitched this season. He tossed 5.1 no-hit innings in his last start for Las Vegas.

Despite Super Two implications, Alderson said he felt these moves are in the best interest of the team.

May 11

Terry Collins told reporters that there is no guarantee Jenrry Mejia will make his scheduled start against the New York Yankees on Wednesday, according to Anthony McCarron of the Daily News.

Collins said that if they do replace Mejia in the rotation, they will promote someone from Triple-A Las Vegas, and the buzz is that it will be Rafael Montero.

Mejia will not be demoted and will most certainly go to the bullpen. He told reporters that Collins informed him of the situation and that they will make their final decision after his side session on Sunday. 

As I wrote yesterday, my feeling all along was that Friday would be Mejia’s last chance to make his case to remain in the rotation.

I’m excited for Montero to make his debut, and also to see Mejia go to the pen where I believe we’ll see the best of him.

May 10

There is a considerable amount of buzz circulating that when Jenrry Mejia takes the mound this evening against the Philadelphia Phillies, he could be making his last pitch to remain in the starting rotation.

While Mejia prefers to remain in the rotation, there is evidence to suggest that a switch to the bullpen would be an excellent move both for him as well as the team. Many scouts and evaluators believe that Mejia has shown the potential to excel in a relief role with a ceiling that could have him become one of the elite closers in the game.

While Mejia has been reluctant to relieving in the past, he is now open to the idea particularly if the Mets allow him to be the team’s setup man or closer.

Given Mejia’s electric and dominating arsenal, his maximum effort pitching style, and his bulldog demeanor on the mound, few doubt that he could become one of the most dominating shutdown relievers the team has ever produced. He has everything you look for in a great closer.

The move would also create an immediate opening in the rotation for either Rafael Montero or Jacob deGrom, both of whom are as close to major league ready as one can get.

While there are one or two arguments against a shift to the bullpen for Mejia, there seems to be a ton of solid ones for the Mets to go through with this plan.

Nothing has been decided yet. But take my word for it when I say that tonight’s start could be the impetus for what the team will do going forward this season.

This is a huge game for Mejia and if he wants to remain in the rotation, he could fight for that by giving the Mets a solid seven inning effort tonight to prove he’s more than just a five inning pitcher.

It should be a great game to open the homestand tonight with a lot of dramatic storylines, undertones and implications as well.

Lets Go Mets…

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Tuesday night was brutal. Depressing. Infuriating. You name the negative emotion, I likely felt it. You likely did too. The first month of the season was a feel good story. But we were not naive enough to forget our team’s shortcomings. No production from SS, strikeouts from our big free agent signing and for some of you, our manager. Through all of this, we still sit here today with a .500 record at 15-15 through the first week of May thanks to stellar starting pitching that ranks 4th in the NL in quality starts. But it will take much more than quality starts to win games when you have an offense that ranks close to the bottom in most relevant categories. You need quality finishes as well. And our bullpen, as constructed, is not capable of providing that.

The current bullpen has 3 or 4 players which can be counted as ‘reclamation’ projects. Can Jose Valverde close again? Can Kyle Farnsworth close at all? Can Daisuke Matsuzaka even pitch out of the bullpen? Was career minor leaguer Scott Rice‘s 2013 an anomaly? The Mets are operating on a budget, I get that. You need to take a flyer or two on the roster and hope for the best. But 50% of the bullpen? And when one or two struggle, the remaining guys wind up getting overused when the manager loses faith in someone.

No, this can’t continue. Want to kill the psyche of our young arms? Have them pitch 7 innings of shutout baseball and come away with nothing. So what are our options? I see three options that we could implement today, all of which involve replacing Dice-K as he was not signed to be a bullpen guy in the first place and seems uncomfortable in the role (ie- 2 innings to warm up).

1) Recall Vic Black from AAA. We were counting on him in the Spring to be the 8th inning guy and he seems to be in a rhythm lately in Vegas. Given that Black is already accustomed to the bullpen role and it is the least disruptive to the existing system, this is my preferred alternative.

2) Move Jenrry Mejia to the pen, and call up Rafael Montero or Jacob deGrom. I am sick of hearing what Mejia ‘wants’. If the organization believes that he is not well suited for a starting role (and this is a big if), then send him to the pen. We’re not dealing with a HOF player here, so I don’t get the sense of entitlement. Management signs your paycheck, do what they ask you to do. Now, throw this option out the window if they still feel he is a top of the rotation kind of guy. My gut tells me, though, that this is not the case.

3) Make a deal. No more flyers. We have depth in the minor leagues. Let’s use it. This is my least favorite of the options, primarily due the time it could take to exercise it effectively. Our bullpen will still be an issue next year, so it is not like the dollars are wasted on this year alone. I love the guys in the minors, but if a proven, young 8th inning guy can be had for someone not named Noah, I would be inclined to listen hard.

Let’s not let the dream of winning baseball in 2014 quickly evaporate. The bullpen is our weakest link, Sandy. Make a move. And do it quickly.

The post The Bullpen Fix Can Not Wait appeared first on Metsmerized.

There are quite a few posts out there this morning gravitating around LaTroy Hawkins and the Mets decision not to re-sign him. Andy Martino of the Daily News however, takes the most pointed approach.

Hawkins, who signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Rockies, is second in the league with nine saves and has a 2.38 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 12 appearances with no blown saves.

In stark contrast, Mets closers have blown five saves in 11 opportunities with seven different relievers having had a chance to save a game after just one month into the season. 

Regarding the Mets offer to Hawkins, the veteran reliever told reporters, “the Mets did not even come close.” Although his first choice was to stay with the Mets because he enjoyed his time there.

Martino writes that surprised by the size of the Rockies’ offer, the Mets did not believe that a 41-year-old pitcher was worth that investment. And while that makes sense in a world without context, it proved short-sighted, and failed to account for Hawkins’ continued arm strength and health, and for his results.

If Sandy Alderson was serious about his 90-win goal, he asks, shouldn’t they have splurged on a modest one-year deal for a player who fit so perfectly?

Look: This team cannot have it two ways. You’re either spending on the details that give you a better chance to win this year, or waiting yet another season to be taken seriously. The shame will be if the Mets do continue to surprise the league, but are undermined from earning that second wild card because of decisions like allowing Hawkins to depart.

Collins spoke about Hawkins last night, saying “What he did in that clubhouse with some of our young pitchers, you can’t replace it.”

“We were lucky to find a couple of veteran guys in (Kyle) Farnsworth and (Jose) Valverde, but we miss LaTroy Hawkins in that clubhouse.”

Martino lists a few red flags that went unnoticed or were outright ignored by Mets brass. One of them was the doubt surrounding Parnell last fall as he recovered from neck surgery and was still walking around the clubhouse in a neck brace during the final month of the season. “Might the wisdom of insurance have occurred to someone then?”

After Hawkins signed with Colorado, the Mets made a more expensive run at Grant Balfour, who instead chose a two-year, $12 million deal with Tampa Bay…They are paying Bartolo Colon, who turns 41 in three weeks and is in, um, different physical condition than Hawkins, $20 million over the next two years.

Remind us again why $2.5 million was a crazy, unreasonable, can’t-possibly-do-it number for a player of the same age?

What are your thoughts on Hawkins, the decision-making process that led to him leaving for Colorado, the size and value of his contract, and the comments made by Terry Collins?

The post Mets Manager Says He Misses LaTroy Hawkins In That Clubhouse appeared first on Metsmerized.

I visited Citi Field for the first time this season last night. The Mets and the Braves put on a baseball show that was definitely entertaining, and although ultimately disappointing, almost bordered on being fun. Yet, it was not the baseball game itself, but the mood of the Met faithful I found most fascinating. It’s mid April and hope does not spring eternal at Citi Field.

Reduced ticket prices taking some fans back to price levels found at Shea Stadium one-half century ago assured a good sized crowd. The Mets had just returned from a very successful 9 game road trip. Yet, a burned and maligned Met fan base was fidgety and impatient, in no mood for watching ‘the same old, same old’ on the greens of Citi Field.

Fan cynicism was everywhere at Citi Field last night. It wrapped itself around you shortly after the first pitch and squeezed tighter and tighter as the game unfolded. Met fans are clearly not as excited about their team as management might want us to believe. The Met faithful appeared suspicious and wary, no longer willing to be sold a bag of goods or willing to allow for more time. By the comments and reactions of the Met crowd it’s obvious few Met fans have adopted a ‘wait-and-see’ attitude to the season with few jumping on the 90-win bandwagon.

The loud and skeptical mood of Met fans last night, the prevalent ‘buyers beware’ attitude that almost emanated everywhere around the stadium, got me wondering if that disposition might have something to do with the Mets poor play at Citi Field.

Ego is definitely a huge part of a professional athletes profile. Athletes who attain professional status represent a tiny fraction of those who at one time aspired to reach such lofty plateaus. Even so, no matter how hardened and tough the outer veneer of a professional athlete, internally, like everyone else, athletes care about their image.

In the world of psychology, self-handicapping refers to human behaviors intended to keep performance failure from damaging one’s image or self-esteem. Studies have shown that athletes, especially male athlete,s are often prone to self-handicapping to protect the sense of competence they have worked so hard over time to maintain.

When people self-handicap, they employ strategies or create obstacles and excuses to explain performance failures diverting attention to external factors outside their area of control rather than seeking answers by looking internally at things they can control. The effects of self-handicapping can be large and small and are found in almost all environments where people are expected to perform. In baseball terms, excuses like the size of the park, wind currents, or, perhaps, the eating and digestive habits of a team can be pointed to as causes of poor performance, rather than the skill levels of the players assembled on the field or the basic execution of those players when playing baseball.

The athletic playing field is an ideal setting to cultivate self-handicapping behaviors. Embarrassment, the fear of failure, demonstrating incompetence in public or facing unrealistic expectations are all associated with the self-handicapping.

Those factors are a fact of life playing professional sports in New York City. TRADE ‘EM ALL was the New York Daily headline greeting the Mets after the locals were one-hit in the opener of the current Citi Field series against Atlanta. That after completing a three game sweep in Arizona. Talk about pressure.

Twenty-four hour sports talk radio slices and dices individual player and team performance on a daily basis. It’s a fact, that staying positive is associated with improved work performance, and it takes work to stay positive when things aren’t going well for a professional sports team in New York.

That fact is magnified for the Mets and their fans playing in a city with a baseball market shared by the Yankees. Comparing yourself with others is proven to have a negative affect on performance helping create a huge reservoir of pressure when expectations rise and losing becomes even more of a disappointment.

And, it’s possible the whole affair can become a vicious cycle, the Met baseball team performing well below expectations, the local fan base becoming more and more frustrated and cynical amping up the pressure to perform, thus increasing the public ridicule and negativity associated with team performance. Anxiety and fear of failure builds increasing the self-handicapping effects thus almost setting up conditions conducive to future failures.

The affect on an athlete are subtle but powerful just the same. They may manifest in the presence of aches or pains that might not appear on a highly successful team, of waning motivation or effort, of trying to hard which sometimes results in unanticipated mental error or fatigue. Could that be a part of a runner on third with no outs who runs on an infield groundout as Lucas Duda did in last nights game?

Could that be the cause to Ruben Tejada, who represented the tying run at the time, failing to advance from first base to scoring position at second, when the ball skipped past the catcher allowing Chris Young to advance from second base to third? I’m not sure, but Met fans who regularly follow the team know the team they watch on the road plays crisper baseball, is fundamentally more sound, and seems more energized and motivated than the team they watch at Citi Field.

Why? Could it be that once removed from playing baseball under the magnifying media lens of NYC, the Met players relax and thrive and perform more to their baseball abilities?

It was Buddha who said, “We are what we think. All that we are arises from our thoughts.” It would have been difficult for the Met players to have missed the negative vibes that bubbled in Citi Field last night. It was almost as if everyone in the ballpark was on edge, anticipating the exact moment the hammer would fall on their Mets. Amd, that includes the author of this post.

Some will accuse me of blaming Met fans for the team’s dismal performance at Citi Field. That’s not the case at all. After baseball expectations soared in Flushing from 2006 through 2008, the Mets went into free fall. For several years after, fans have given their trust in believing things were slowly and carefully turning around.

The aura of cynicism I felt last night at Citi Field just means the open season of blind faith is over, and Met fans are not willing to simply jump back into the trust-mode again. Met fans have the right to be skeptical. Trust in the Mets baseball operation must be earned.

How? Obviously, its imperative the Mets become competitive providing resources to field a playoff contending baseball operation. Our current levels of spending ranks near the bottom third of major league baseball, less player payroll this year than last, less last year then the year before. The size of a team’s payroll does not guarantee World Series success but it dramatically improves the chances the team you cheer for will compete for post season play. That’s part of building trust, especially in a market that asks fans to pay to watch that baseball at level’s that compete for tops in the game.

When Jose Valverde delivered the three-run home run pitch to Justin Upton last night it was stunning to see the mass exodus at Citi Field. Fans flooded the aisles hustling to escape the action on the field with almost more energy than the players demonstrated to play the game on the diamond. In no time flat, at least eighty percent of the fans in the stadium had vanished. There was simply no belief a Met rally was possible, even though the home team would battle back and almost tie the game.

As the fans were fleeing, my buddy leaned over and said to me, “You know, you could accept a home run shot like that if one of the kids had thrown the ball. It’s tough to take when it comes from Valverde.” That’s all part of the trust void. Over and over, we have read and relished and been assured that the arms were coming, that change was on the way. Yet, when roster decisions are made it seems “experienced,” “done it before” become organizational code words. Met fans know better. That’s not part of maintaining trust.

And, finally there is basic baseball execution. There was the snafu with the runner vacating third with no outs on an infield ground ball, the runner at first failing to advance on a passed ball when a lead runner on second moved to third, the ball tapped in front of the plate where the pitcher, ignoring umpire signals, thought the ball had hit the batter’s foot and was foul thus didn’t move to field the ball, then, when he did, rushed and threw the ball away allowing two runs, the bunt that went through Valverde’s legs in the fateful ninth, a wild pitch or passed ball that plated a run from third.

Baseball execution was horrid last night leveling trust we’re getting the best out of the players we do have available on our roster, no matter what their ability levels. And then the offense or lack thereof and the manager’s disclaimers that talk of a prevailing offensive philosophy is overblown. A catcher on our baseball team attended the game. Late in the game he leaned over and said to me, “I can play for the Mets. I’ve got pretty good defense but no offense, but that doesn’t seem to matter much.”

Later when the ball went between Valverde’s legs he quipped, “Major league baseball.” Major league execution it was not. Attention to detail and flawless mental execution of the game, too, would build trust.

1969, 1973, 1986, 2000, and even 2006 remind me Met fans are positive by nature, baseball fans yearning to throw their full support behind the team they love. The current fan perception of the Met team has come through several seasons of pain, several seasons of putting the heart ahead of the head of willingness to extend hope with little return. Met fans are tired, eager but not totally willing to get back in the game. Regaining trust is a difficult task, but it has been done before and can be done again. I have a hunch that when management provides reason for fans to trust, the wins will start piling up again at Citi Field.

The post Restoring Trust and My Night at Citi Field appeared first on Metsmerized.