Jun 23, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts against the Philadelphia Phillies after the final out in the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies
(New York, NY) – Right now, New York Mets fans feel bamboozled.
I attended my cousin’s graduation party over the weekend, which happened to be attended by many orange and blue faithful. Most of the side bars, while chatting over chicken francese and sipping cold beer, centered around the Mets’ beleaguered first half of the season.
Fans are hurting, perplexed, and generally fed up. Can the same be said for their players and the front office?
That’s much less clear.
It’s nothing short of stunning that the Mets are 16 games back in the NL East. They’re 8 games under .500 with the calendar about to turn to July. And yet there hasn’t been much rumbling from the Citi Field locker room. There’s no anonymous quotes from players about how the “analytics department” is too overbearing. No one has piped up to suggest the World Baseball Classic during Spring Training and the loss of Edwin Diaz has had a bigger impact than expected. There’s been no scathing rebuke from owner Steve Cohen in an expose with a local paper. Buck Showalter hasn’t turned over any tables or screamed at any post game press conferences. In fact, he’s shown little more than mild frustration at times.
Is it fair to wonder how much these guys really care that the season has been a complete dumpster fire? You have to ask the question, given what’s transpired on the field, and the corresponding lack of any real emotion from the bowels of Citi Field.
Some quotes from players following the Mets’ latest let down, a 2-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at home on Monday night, represented the players making a good-faith effort at expressing disappointment.
Starting pitcher Justin Verlander – who was able to work in and out of trouble, allowing just one earned run – said, “I don’t think anybody saw this coming, man. Disappointing. It’s disappointing for everyone in this room, I know. It’s disappointing for the fans. Just got to — just keep trying, you know? If there’s one thing that I know the guys in this room are doing is trying our ass off. Every day we come to the park, myself, it’s trying to get better and figure out what’s off.”
Trying to figure out what’s off. That’s a good way to put it. Because something is off – and it’s not just tentative at bats, routine baserunning mistakes, untimely errors, and hitting multiple batters with the bases loaded. It’s more striking how generally acceptable these mounting losses seem to be.
Drew Smith, who returned from a suspension and was immediately turned to as the first man out of the bullpen in an attempt to protect 1-0 lead, served up a 2-run homer that ultimately decided the game. “It’s a long season and, obviously, the results haven’t been there for most of the guys on the team,” Smith said. “And we know that, and we’re trying to be better. I think we will be, as the season goes on.”
Well, that’s certainly nice. He thinks they will be. Just like Daniel Vogelbach, he of the .212 batting average, has predicted a “winning streak.” Meaning what, winning 2 games in a row sometime over the coming months?
The Mets have a dozen games left before the All-Star break. A 5-7 record over that slate falls in line with the team’s winning percentage to date. That would put them at 40-50 with a little under half of the season left to play.
I’d imagine the Mets players would prefer they were winning, given the alternative. But the lack of outrage, visible or otherwise, suggests it’s just not that big of a deal. Sure, fans live and die with the team’s performance, but it would appear the Mets players are more or less inconvenienced by poor results. After all, owner Steve Cohen’s checks clear either way. It’s often said building a winning team through free agency is a fool’s errand.
Why is that? Well, older, well paid players tend to get hurt. (check) They tend to not perform up to their previously-established standard, dating back to their prime. (check) The expectation and anticipation of the fan base, reading the press clippings about big time signings, goes up. (check) And – perhaps most importantly – it’s probably hard to stay motivated, sharp, and hungry when you’re already sleeping on silk sheets. When the zeros in your bank account pile up, all while pitchers are unable to throw any on the scoreboard, there’s likely a numbing effect.
Yes, when a team is so well paid – indeed the highest paid team in history – there’s no worries or problems inside the locker room. The combined salaries, slick cars, nice suits, and massive homes belie the Mets current situation – a rotten foundation of players, coaches, and executives who can’t really be bothered.
So back off with your concern about winning percentage, runs allowed, and batting average. Don’t you know it’s all about the Benjamins?
