Mets

[Westheim]

Here it is. Plawecki batting cleanup. Aka rock-bottom.

And we've got nine homers in 510 AB against left-handed pitching. Aka rock-bottom.

Mets got a 37-year-old castaway involved in a successful double steal. And still can't score. Aka rock-bottom.

And they can't even get no-hit properly. Aka rock-bottom.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Aka rock-bottom.

I can see how it could feel like that.

Game over, 2 hits, a shutout, a four-game sweep loss to Cubbies.

I have started rooting for this underdog. To a limited extent, of course.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

I can see how it could feel like that.

Game over, 2 hits, a shutout, a four-game sweep loss to Cubbies.

I have started rooting for this underdog. To a limited extent, of course.

Do you see, Mets, what you did? Do you see it??

Now even the followers of the Evil Empire are pity-rooting for you!

Kinda like everybody's rooting for that three-legged puppy to pull through after his paw-mputation.

The good news? The Mets are off today! Hooray!

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Now even the followers of the Evil Empire are pity-rooting for you!

LOL. You're welcome!

[Déjà Bru]

You know, the one run scored in 24 innings doesn't help, of course, and neither do the bullpen breakdowns but what I keep reading about are bad plays and judgment.

The newspaper is talking today about Bruce not taking charge of a fly ball so that he could be facing the runner at 3B and preventing the tag-up and score. Instead, he lets the 2B guy do the job with his back to the plate, run scores. They're also beating up Matz for lobbing a pickoff throw to 1B while another runner at third steals home.

This kind of thing must fall on the shoulders of the manager, rightly or wrongly. It's just the way things are because you cannot just label players as incorrigibly dumb and boys will be boys.

Callaway looked like a natural genius when the Mets started at 10-1. Now, not so much. If this kind of thing keeps happening, I see Callaway on thin ice, soon.

'Course, it would be good if players got off their hospital gurneys and start hitting the ball. That tends to cover a lot of dumb plays. But the Mets are not playing well regardless and that is on Callaway.

So yeah, over in the Evil Empire, the other day Gleyber Torres lost a shoe while trying to stretch a double into a triple, making the first out at third base, a no-no. I posted the story in the Yankees thread. Ha, ha! Funny! No harm done. Over here, it would be another nail in the coffin.

[Westheim]

If I imagine a Met losing a shoe running, I assume the absolute worst to begin with. Probably a twisted knee, or a torn achilles tendon. Or both. And compound fractures of tibia and femur. In both legs.

Jay "Homestand" Bruce is a horrendous slag. I hate him. Does nothing at the plate, which is endemic with this team, but his defense is so not-gonna-give-an-F that it is really outrageous. That wasn't the first fly to shallow right where he looked like he couldn't be arsed - not nearly.

Btw, it was the second baseman going back. The rookie second baseman. You know, one of the Mets' kind of position player rookies. They come up, sit on the bench for four days while nobody looks at them, then frequently play all the infield positions in the course of three days. Then they bat .210 for two weeks. Sometimes they bat .210 for two years. Sometimes, they bat less than that.

I also find it chilling, how the Mets manage to play all their outfielders out of position, and nobody seems to care. I remember Bautista as being quite good on D with Toronto, so why doesn't he play rightfield? Heck, he might get to a ball quicker than Jay "Quicksand" Bruce over there!! Also, Nimmo seems to have hustle, or whatever they call it. He sure gets to first base quickly on getting walked or knocked. (And then remains there for the rest of the inning) He should play center. That gives left to Conforto.

And for "Windpipe" Bruce I have this one-way, second-class bus ticket, non-refundable, to Tucumcari, New Mexico. I am sure he can do some decorative standing in the way of Tucumcarians down there, too.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Btw, it was the second baseman going back.

Yes, I caught that on the second reading. For some reason, I thought he had failed to call off the CF who would have been going from left to right on the play instead of the RF coming straight in. That's bad enough but to not call off the 2B on that play?!?

You know, I used to be proud of Jay Bruce as a fellow "Bruce" but no more. Now he joins Bruce Jenner, removed from the not-very-long list of famous and admirable "Bruces."

[Westheim]

Bruce Springsteen. (whom I like a lot)

...is there another one?

And I do believe that the Boss would make a better rightfielder than Flay Flooze or whatever was his name...

[Déjà Bru]

Wow, the speculation seems to be that when Cespedes returns, they are going to sit this guy in favor of Nimmo while Bruce makes $11MM/$14MM per year as a pinch hitter. He's played some 1B but you guys have Gonzalez there. (Click for a larger view.)

[Westheim]

General consensus amongst Metsfolk is that when (if...) Cespedes returns, Nimmo gets parked on the bench again.

Because veteran vibe. Or veteran juice. Or sawdust. Heck what do I know. Big Sandy really likes his veterans, no matter what any youngster might be doing.

[Westheim]

ACK!!

But at least Nimmo still smiles when he's doubled off as the pitcher catches a bunt in the air.

SUCH A SUNSHINE.

[Westheim]

Well, at least they lost in 2:25 or so.

[Déjà Bru]

Look guys, it's not that I am not interested in your ballclub. I am.

But each time I want to come here to post the latest negative factoid, I fear appearing like I'm gloating from the other side of the East River. That is not the case.

That's why I am refraining from mentioning . . . no. No.

I will say this, however: What the heck is going on? If I did mention that stat, you would understand but, of course, you are probably asking yourselves the same question.

[swoboda]

It's only June but it is time to quote Micheal Ray Richardson:

" the ship be sinkin' "

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

But each time I want to come here to post the latest negative factoid, I fear appearing like I'm gloating from the other side of the East River. That is not the case.

That's why I am refraining from mentioning . . . no. No.

2 runs in 34 or so innings? I haven't looked it up but they reached 30 at some point on Wednesday (it was mentioned).

I fear the absolute worst for the weekend set.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Westheim

2 runs in 34 or so innings? I haven't looked it up but they reached 30 at some point on Wednesday (it was mentioned).

OK, since you insist. I was reading this just before I came here to post. It was talking about Wednesday's 1-0 loss to the Orioles and I was amazed by this bit of information, that it had reached this point, much worse than what you said:



How is it possible for a major league baseball club to be that futile?

Originally Posted by Westheim

I fear the absolute worst for the weekend set.

Well, I have to admit, I do wish that the Mets remain in their funk for just three more games.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Well, I have to admit, I do wish that the Mets remain in their funk for just three more games.

Mets won that last one with the usual formula: Great starting pitching and improved bullpen performance but virtually needing a shutout to win because only 5 hits is usually not enough.

Also according to formula: Cabrera coming out of the game with a hammy; hopefully he's not headed to the DL because he's one of the few guys (three total?) who are actually hitting somewhat.

One of which is not Cespedes, who is going backwards in his injury recovery. He's like your version of our Jacoby Ellsbury only in your case, his absence from the lineup is devastating.

Good move to cut Gonzalez to see if Dominic Smith can do anything. Now is his chance. Paper says that he says that he's down from 250lbs to 215lbs! That helps, I hope.

[swoboda]

Zach Borenstein (OF), leading the PCL in home runs and RBIs ? time for a call-up

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Good move to cut Gonzalez to see if Dominic Smith can do anything. Now is his chance. Paper says that he says that he's down from 250lbs to 215lbs! That helps, I hope.

I do not disapprove of releasing Gonzalez. I was not thrilled to have him here to begin with. At least in 2018. Five years earlier... yummy-yummy. In 2018, another dead fish that has been reeking for a while.

Dominic Smith was gruesome last year.

You lot over there wanna trade for Greg Bird?

Well, we have Jose Reyes on offer; splendid shortstop, has two hands, can hold a bat, and fits right into any team.

Seriously, Reyes' continued presence on the roster is bewildering. .149/.213/.203 in 74 AB. His OPS+ is half his age.

I wonder whether, just like my GM persona in my Raccoons thread, he has photos of the owners. There is not ONE baseball reason to drag him along on the 25-man roster.

[Westheim]

Not only are the Mets hitting like the 1919 Senators, they are also losing their games at a comparable pace. A brisk 2:12 for almost getting no-hit by a rookie fresh off the DL today.

I say that because while Soroka only lasted 6 1/3, if the Braves don't shift on Conforto, that infield single is an out...