jumbo_peanuts
Active member
This series showed what I have been saying for quite some time (and I am not trying to ruffle feathers or anything, just stating some observations).....
Outside of having great starting pitching, the Mets are an average team at best. They just had the good fortune of playing in the worst division in baseball this year. Yes, they did beat the Cubs and Dodgers, but that was largely due to Murphy having the best 1-2 weeks of his entire career. Once he returned to normal from his superman like performance, you could definitely see the difference with the team. In this series, they just got beat by the better team.
Now don't get me wrong, they beat who they had to beat, and did what they needed to do, so they deserve some credit. But that doesn't change the fact that this team still has alot of flaws. Their lineup is still has some holes in it, their defense is very shaky, and their bullpen is questionable.
As far as the game last night, I don't think Collins could have done anything differently. When your pitcher is throwing a shut out and comes up and demands the ball for the 9th, you give him the ball. There isn't even a question about it. Even after the walk, I agree with the decision to keep him in. Bring in your closer who already has 2 blown saves in the series, or stick with the guy who has been your horse all night?
In my opinion, what was more important to the game was not the decision on whether to keep Harvey in the game or not, but rather in the bottom of the 6th when the Mets had the bases loaded and no one out. To only get 1 run out of that situation was simply devastating. The Cespedes injury was just one of those things that happens, and I really don't know what the proper call is. It was obvious that he was in pain, but do you take him out and bring someone in off the bench in the middle of the at-bat?
Nothing to be ashamed of if you are the Mets. You just got beat by a better baseball team.
The good news is, the future does look bright. My only fear is that they put too much confidence/expectations into their starting pitching. This comment will take a lot of heat, but it will be the position players, and not the starting pitching, that will determine the long term success of this team. Starting pitching comes and goes, but you need good every day players for continued success. Look at a player like Tim Lincecum, he had a great 2yr stretch when he was young, but has done pretty much nothing since. There is no telling what this rotation will do the next couple years.....so for me, I want good fielding/hitting over good pitching any day of the week.
Outside of having great starting pitching, the Mets are an average team at best. They just had the good fortune of playing in the worst division in baseball this year. Yes, they did beat the Cubs and Dodgers, but that was largely due to Murphy having the best 1-2 weeks of his entire career. Once he returned to normal from his superman like performance, you could definitely see the difference with the team. In this series, they just got beat by the better team.
Now don't get me wrong, they beat who they had to beat, and did what they needed to do, so they deserve some credit. But that doesn't change the fact that this team still has alot of flaws. Their lineup is still has some holes in it, their defense is very shaky, and their bullpen is questionable.
As far as the game last night, I don't think Collins could have done anything differently. When your pitcher is throwing a shut out and comes up and demands the ball for the 9th, you give him the ball. There isn't even a question about it. Even after the walk, I agree with the decision to keep him in. Bring in your closer who already has 2 blown saves in the series, or stick with the guy who has been your horse all night?
In my opinion, what was more important to the game was not the decision on whether to keep Harvey in the game or not, but rather in the bottom of the 6th when the Mets had the bases loaded and no one out. To only get 1 run out of that situation was simply devastating. The Cespedes injury was just one of those things that happens, and I really don't know what the proper call is. It was obvious that he was in pain, but do you take him out and bring someone in off the bench in the middle of the at-bat?
Nothing to be ashamed of if you are the Mets. You just got beat by a better baseball team.
The good news is, the future does look bright. My only fear is that they put too much confidence/expectations into their starting pitching. This comment will take a lot of heat, but it will be the position players, and not the starting pitching, that will determine the long term success of this team. Starting pitching comes and goes, but you need good every day players for continued success. Look at a player like Tim Lincecum, he had a great 2yr stretch when he was young, but has done pretty much nothing since. There is no telling what this rotation will do the next couple years.....so for me, I want good fielding/hitting over good pitching any day of the week.
