LIGHTEN UP METS FANS, THIS IS A TEAM YOU CAN ROOT FOR

By Steve Keane

What’s up with my fellow Mets fans? When the team wins, they are calling for long term contracts for everyone!!!! When they lose, it’s scorch the earth time. It’s like one side of the fandom are teabaggers the other anarchist’s, people we need to find a middle ground here.

We knew coming into the season that this team was a work in progress in fact the biggest discussion we had was who would be the next manager. After the first week of the season we were all ready to burn the house down, but then game the 9-1 home stand and we were wondering when tickets would go on sale for NLDS. We are a pretty Schizophrenic bunch.

What do we know about this team after a month of the season? Well, they try a lot harder than last year’s team. The pitching is better than last year but Johan Santana has not shown to be a dominant pitcher, but Big Pelf has blossomed into a front line guy. Jon Niese has shown the ability to big leagues and to get out of tough spots. John Maine started very shaky but has pitched well in his last three starts. Ollie Perez, has been Oliver Perez which is awful.

The bullpen has been a rock, especially Hisanori Takahashi and Fernando Nieve. As for Frankie Rodriguez, leaving out Mariano Rivera, who would you rather have closing for you? When the immortal Tuffy Rhodes Roger Bernadina has a game like he had yesterday do like Frankie does “just turn the page”

I have over 700 followers on my Twitter account. I have never blocked or unfollowed anyone until yesterday and it was a Mets fan as well. The reason I’ve taken this action is I can’t stand ignorance and when someone calls out David Wright as a failure then he is one ignorant ass. Do Wright’s high strikeout count concern me? Of course. Do I think Wright is gun shy since getting beaned? How do I know? How do any of us know? Wright has a WAR of 1.7 which is tied for 8^th overall and ahead of Albert Puljos who is at 1.6 WAR. So for a guy that some think is scared to step in the batters box or not a top echelon major leaguer, his numbers prove otherwise.   

So Wright is holding up his end but Jason Bay, Jeff Francoeur and Jose Reyes (although he’s been miscast in the 3 hole) have not produced. I have faith that Bay will breakout due to his track record but Frenchy for all his bubbly personality is just a bit player when it comes to offense. He is what his stat line says he is, a free swinger who connects for power now and then. Not great, not awful, and to tell the truth not even league average. But he is a very good outfielder with a great arm and he’s quick with a joke and to light up your smoke, so he gets by on charisma.

The X-factor is the lovely and talented Ike Davis who has been a big reason to be optimistic. Not only does Davis bring a disciplined bat but his work at first base has been teriffic as well as has been his enthusiasm. By the way that Mets farm system that the experts have made fun of is turning out some very good players in Jon Niese, Jenry Mejia and Ike Davis. The farm isn’t as barren as we thought.   

So is this a championship team? Probably not as constituted right now but what teams are better than the Mets in the NL ? The Phillies? Cardinals? Who else?

Be happy Mets fans, sure this team has flaws but one thing we’ve seen is they give max effort, they’re resilient and they don’t give up. What more do you want? Of course we all want to be celebrating a championship but first and foremost you want a team that will compete everyday and this Mets team has done that so far.