Bizzaro Season in Flushing

Mets Only 2 Games Out Despite Constant Ineptness

Sometimes I sit and wonder why I'm still a Met fan. Rooting for this team is a full time job. All of the things that you expect to go right, go wrong - and vice versa. This is not a normal season and this is not a normal team.


Starting Pitching

This is hard to figure out....Johan Santana has pitched his ass off. Thanks to the bullpen he's only got 9 wins. Mike Pelfrey may have turned the corner in his young career. He has 10 wins. John Maine's arm is tired. The 'finished' Pedro Martinez is starting to look like the old Pedro Martinez and Oliver Perez is an absolute enigma - Sandy Koufax one week, Sandy Duncan the next.

Bullpen

The biggest joke in baseball. Blown saves all over the place. Billy Wagner is bad and the rest are worse. Aaron Heilman should be arrested for impersonating a baseball pitcher. Duaner Sanchez used to have one of the game's liveliest arms. Now you can clock his fastball with a sun dial.

Infield

Carlos Delgado, who was almost run out of town earlier this year, is tearing it up like its the 1990's again. Apparently he and ex-manager Willie Randolph did not see eye to eye. In fact they had spoken in over a year. Under new manager, Jerry Manuel, Delgado is revitalized. He's started every game since the All-Star break batting .348 with 6 HRs and 18 RBI.

Second base - the Mets' annual open slot - was supposed to be occupied by Luis Castillo, but he can't stay healthy. So, the Mets are going with journeyman Damion Easley and rookie Argenis Reyes. Isn't this New York? What are we doing with these guys?

Shortstop and Third Base - Jose Reyes and David Wright are doing just what one would have expected. So, why are the Mets still wallowing in mediocrity?

Outfield

Carlos Beltran is underachieving - again. He looks at too many pitches in key hitting situations. What a waste. Fans are fed up with him. Moises Alou did the expected - he got hurt. His career may be over. Ryan Church has not been able to shake the cobwebs from 2 concussions he suffered this season. His career, also, is up in the air. So, the Mets are using all and every live body available. The crazy part: Fernando Tatis - long thought to be dead in baseball terms - is alive and well. He led all MLers in BA for July (.397). The club has also promoted Nick Evans and Dan Murphy - who is impressing the Mets' brass.

Catcher

Brian Schneider was supposed to solve many of the Mets catching woes. But he can't hit, and the Mets need offense. So, the Mets are using Ramon Castro more than they'd like to. He's a decent hitter, but getting him to commit to increased action has been difficult. What?

Summary

With all of the craziness, the Mets are only 2 games behind Philly. Go figure. I have tried to take my eyes off the Mets, but they have made it difficult for me.