These Mets Are Not “Loveable Losers”

The Mets go into tonight’s nationally broadcast game having already lost the season series to the Yankees. With Livan Hernandez taking on Chien-Ming Wang, we should have a chance. Key word: should. With the recent luck of this team, we will probably embarrass ourselves while making Wang look like Cy Young. The Mets are coasting by, hoping that the Phillies will continue to lose and making every game a “don’t have to win but it wouldn’t hurt to win situation.” The only thing amazing about the Amazin’s right now is that they never fail to find a new way to lose.

I keep going back to the 1962 Mets, trying to figure out what the difference was between this current depleted Mets team and the scraps from the other teams that were used to establish this team. The 1962 Mets were the worst team in modern history, going 40-120 and they were 60.5 games behind the NL Champ San Francisco Giants. Sure, the 2009 Mets may be in second place right now, but they aren’t doing anything to catch up to the Phillies OR try to run away from the Braves (who are now only a half game out of second).

The 1962 Mets were bad. Their pitchers allowed 948 runs, which was the most in the majors that season. Our pitching staff, I feel, does their job by keeping this team in the game (except for the occasional blowout); the offense lets them down. The leading hitter on the 1962 Mets was Felix Mantilla, and he only hit .275! Craig Anderson wishes he had K-Rod’s 20 saves but his 4 saves led the team.

The 2009 Mets, I believe, are worse than the ’62 Mets. They are uninspiring to watch. They make Little League errors and have already stranded the population of Rhode Island on the base paths. The only thing we have going for us is David Wright and his NL-Leading .348 batting average. My only hope for this team right now is that the front office realizes that we totally stink and try to make it better, even if it means giving up Fernando Martinez or Daniel Murphy.

The 1962 Mets were at least likeable. They were an escape from the Pinstripes of Evil. Sure, they lost, but at least Mets fans back then thought it couldn’t get any worse. It just did.