Already Missing Baseball
I noticed the void more acutely today. I’ve not seen a boxscore from my beloved Mets since Monday, and I’m undergoing withdrawal pains. I’m accustomed to checking up on their progress on a daily basis.David Wright really came into his own, turning in the best season from a Mets 3rd baseman since the days of HoJo. Why Willie kept him buried down near the bottom of the batting order for so long this year remains a mystery to me.
Jose Reyes was healthy the whole year and led the league in triples and in stolen bases. I hope his leg problems are a thing of the past. That business last year about his having to relearn how to run seemed awfully strange.
Every time Pedro’s turn came in the rotation, you couldn’t help but get excited. Had a few bad breaks gone the other way, he’d have merited serious consideration for a Cy Young award.
Aaron Heilman and Jae Seo, having both washed out of the rotation early in the season, returned and found redemption. Heilman seems to have finally put it together, albeit as a reliever. We can always use a good reliever. Seo surprised me on his return. Never did I expect him to become so lights-out. I’m still not completely sold on him, but he’s certainly increased his value.
I kept hoping Carlos Beltran would finally put it all together, but it never happened. Personally, I think he just needs to relax. It wouldn’t hurt for him to lighten up and crack a smile every now and then. He strikes me as being just too earnest and trying too hard to prove his worth to us. I’d hate to see that $119 million become an albatross around his (and our) neck(s). I will, however, give him credit for foregoing facial surgery and returning so soon after that horrific collision he and Cameron had in the outfield.
Cliff Floyd surprised me by remaining healthy. He racked up some impressive numbers. Yeah, his bat cooled off some in the last half, but his 12 stolen bases were about 11 more than I expected from him, and who knew he had 15 assists hiding in his arm?
During the first half, I feared Tom Glavine was taking over Al Leiter’s role from the year before as designated washed-up veteran, but he looked sharp over the second half. I now think he has a shot at reaching 300 victories, which is more than I gave him this spring.
Mike Jacobs certainly impressed with his 11 home runs in exactly 100 at-bats. I hope he gets a legitimate shot at being our 1st baseman next year. I don’t think Jacobs is a fluke. He’s hit throughout the minors. Why throw big money at a veteran when this rookie might very easily match or exceed the veteran’s numbers? Carlos Delgado seemed to think Florida had a better chance of winning than we did. The Fish did no better than we did, even though Delgado played first for them instead of us. I say let the Fish choke on Delgado’s huge contract this year! Doug Mientkiewicz got lost in the shuffle in the meantime. I thought he was just getting his bat in gear when he went down hurt. I don’t think he’ll get another shot with the Mets.
2nd base, catcher, and closer are where we need upgrades. I really think Kazuo Matsui is better suited to being a (f)utility infielder. And it appears the Mike Piazza era has ended. Castro was serviceable, but he’s more valuable as a good backup catcher. As for Looper, I’m willing to cut him some slack since he pitched with an arm injury most of this season, but even so, I’m not convinced he’s the ideal candidate to be our closer. There were too many 9th inning meltdowns for my taste. In my mind, the question is whether Heilman or Looper makes the better set-up man.
Victor Diaz didn’t hit as well as I’d hoped, while Mike Cameron is going to be a bit of a question mark—will he return as a primo defender or will he be spooked by the collision? I’d hate to see him become another Tony Conigliaro or Dickie Thon—never quite the same afterwards.
With the absence of Mets boxscores, what am I to do? For the time being, I’m reduced to cheering for whoever is playing the Braves or the Yankees. Without their boxscores and daily capsules on each team, USA TODAY is now worthwhile only for the daily sudoku puzzle.
There’s a whole winter between now and pitchers and catchers reporting. The hot stove league will have to occupy us in the meantime. Nevertheless, hope springs eternal for another taste of the glory of ‘69 or ’86. Wait ‘til next year.
posted by dave @ Friday, October 07, 2005
2 Comments:
you and i are, i believe cut from the same cloth. i, too, root for the mets... it was a tough season, i thought they were actually gonna do it this year. i'm not sure what it with the mets and the second half of the season... they always seem to, i dunno, fall apart somewhere along the way.
now if you're a steelers fan than its official we're seperated at birth brothers.
Lora,
It's no wonder that winter is cold, dark, and depressing...there's no baseball.
It turns out I also sent some kudos to the Angels--for vanquishing the Evil Empire.
From a Mets fan's viewpoint, the hot stove league last winter was one for the ages. We got some prime talent and didn't make any boneheaded trades. Two great years in a row might be expecting too much for us.
What about your Dodgers? Who's going to be the manager come Opening Day?
Thanks for stopping by.
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