No Stars To Align

Call me crazy, but at some point a long disappointing season can wear even a die hard fan down. As

many of you know, I'm an out of market fan. As such, whenever the Mets visit the district my wife and I make sure to attend at least one game each series. This series will be no different, but I chose instead not to take advantage of a pretty rare opportunity.

As I looked over my ticket options for tonight's game, I came across a disillusioned Nationals season ticket holder. Two rows off the Mets dugout within an arm's reach of the on deck circle. But for $100 per seat?

I did the math in my head.. It is Wheeler Day, and I'm yet to see either he or d'Arnaud play in-person. Not only that, but I'd be close enough for Terry Collins to hear my arm chair coaching criticisms.  I'd also be close enough to snag (and then promptly hand over) a ball destined for a young fan. But still, for $100 per seat?

This would certainly be a no brainer in Queens, but in DC you can snag very good seats from the Nationals directly for as little as $20. It becomes tough to justify dropping another $160, plus food and beverage, plus parking and transportation, when there just isn't anyone I have to see up close.  Maybe that makes me a terrible fan in the eyes of some, but without Harvey or Wright there simply isn't much must see talent for the Metropolitans right now.

This is something the Mets should, and I expect will, address this winter. It's also only fair to note that there is plenty of star potential in many of the youngsters on the roster now, who are only starting to mold their raw talent into major league form. But for now, with nothing to play for but pride and the best players the Mets have to offer on the disabled list, this is one Mets die hard who will save his pennies for a better day, because right now.. the Effing Mets just aren't worth it.

**Like what you've read? You can follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83 and also catch this post and many others over at MMO.**

Stay The Course

Well, this is perfect timing for my first post on a new blog. If I had been asked to contribute in the first few days following Matt Harvey's injury it would have probably sounded like the rantings of a madman. Now, it will only sort of seem that way. Look, we are all devastated. We all want to feel entitled to rant only the way us battered Mets fans can. However, I just can't get on board with the the hoards of trolls I've witnessed on twitter and other social media that are tearing apart management for "mishandling" the situation. I also have to laugh at the unrealistic requests to speed up the development of Noah Syndergaard or Rafael Montero in order to replace Harvey's production. For instance:

@Metsfan71665: Bring up Syndergaard! We can make the playoffs

@Harvey4Prez5467: Montero and Syndergaard now!

                                           Photo by Michael Baron

Ok, I made those up, but you see my point.

Look, I'm as disappointed as you are in Harvey's injury. While I can sit here and stew and think that the future of the organization is now in ruins, I just can't. The calls to rush the future are unwarranted and will probably wind up screwing everything up more than we'd ever expect. There is a process in place here; and whether or not you want to place your trust in Sandy and management, we at least have to be rational enough to place some faith in this process.

Pitchers get hurt, it's inevitable. Throwing a baseball is a violent motion not meant for the human body. Sure, your grandfather or even your father will probably tell you a stories about their favorite pitcher who threw 300 innings for 16 years straight.  Yet, I wonder what the quality of life of those guys was past age 50. Sounds like a recipe for crippling arthritis and alcoholism to me.

We may not see Matt Harvey until 2015. Mentally prepare yourselves for this. Until then, it doesn't mean that management should alter the way they are handling the rest of the young talent, especially the pitchers. And it certainly doesn't mean the franchise is doomed. Or maybe it does, in which case, we're looking for contributors.

Welcome to Effing Mets.

What Can We Expect From Niese?

So Jonathon, what would you say you... do here?

At the beginning of the year, management told me you were an ace, and looking at around at your competition on the staff, it was tough to argue. (Remember Shaun Marcum?) You were coming off of a 13 win season with an ERA of 3.40, and looked poised to progress further this year. 

You looked okay to start the year. You were solid, reliable, dependable. Like everyone else in Queens, you were overshadowed by Harvey of course, and there's no shame in that. Your ERA was a bit over 4, but slow starts happen. You were an effective lefty, and they aren't growing on trees. You were, basically, one of the few starters in the organization who was not one massive question mark. 

Naturally, you got hurt.

Photo by Michael Baron

It's not your fault. You're a Met, after all, and putting on the uniform is an occupational hazard. Most insurance companies would make you check 'Current Met' as a pre-existing condition. Since your return you've looked good, very good even. You're regarded as part of the Mets' future, but in what fashion?

With Harvey likely to miss most or all of next year, we're again without a natural ace. I don't think you're a #1 pitcher in a competitive rotation though, and I'm not sure anybody really does. You're a very nice pitcher, but you're not a stopper, a streak breaker. If we want, let's look further down the road, when Matt Harvey is back as the ace. Could we use you in the two slot to break up Wheeler and Harvey in the rotation? That would make sense. I think you'd flourish more in the two spot than as an ace. But you probably aren't going to shake out as the second best pitcher on the staff, so then what? There are a lot of kids coming up through the system, where do you fit?

If we're lucky, fourth in the rotation. That should be the plan. Keep all the pitching, it tends to get hurt. If you have a team good enough to slot in the fourth spot, well, that's probably a team that's going to win quite a few games.

Matt Harvey Word Cloud

News about Matt Harvey in picture form, as reported by Adam Rubin.

New Blog, Looking For Writers

Do you love the Mets? Did you used to love the Mets, but they have sucked most of the life out of your soul and now you just need a forum to vent about their dream crushing ineptitude? This could be the blog for you!

If you're interested in writing in a new Mets blog, email me at kmflemming@hotmail.com.