Post-Memorial Day News Flash: The Mets Just Aren't Very Good

Sports talk radio. Blogs. Online communities. The meteoric rise and prominence of the fan voice. These are all both blessings and curses. Each has undoubtedly helped stoke the sports passion inside me, as well as motivate me to find my own little place on this big bad World Wide Web to similarly share an opinion.

On the other hand, those same forces have quite frequently made me feel unquestionably dumber. Many of us "took to the Web" to find, share, read and comment from a viewpoint that was perhaps less biased or jaded than our perception of the mainstream sports columnist.

We also went to those channels to hear other educated sports fans make rational arguments and have somewhat intellectually-stimulating debates on topics that are ultimately hugely unimportant and inconsequential. Is Rick Peterson as effective a pitching coach as he once was? Should Billy Wagner being speaking his mind or does his honesty cross the line?

Instead, most of what fills the airwaves, Interwebs and TV roundtables is venom-spewing, loudmouth grandstanding folk who go so far beyond simply stating facts and commenting on things that can be seen or easily inferred by the avid fan. They spend hours upon hours just screaming that this person must go and so-and-so needs to be coddled...or not coddled...or coddled only on weekends when he's had a rough outing the night before...Does anyone just speak plain English about the facts and not try to make these things interminably more complex?

Reality is that I am probably know little more or little less than these talking (and typing) heads. So, why listen to me? I'd like to think there are certain things a dedicated fan can pick up from watching a team and its players day in and day out that requires no clubhouse passes or managerial interviews. Other passionate fans are watching the same things. Maybe they just want to focus on those things. Maybe they don't care about whether Willie "connects" with Jose Reyes emotionally, or if Carlos Delgado is a good clubhouse-guy, or if Carlos Beltran can "lead." C'mon, already.

Here's what we got. Not with me? Agree to disagree.

Willie Randolph is not the greatest nor the worst manager. He seems a man of admirable character who respects and defends his players (perhaps, at times, to a fault). He was hard-nosed and competitive as a player. He was part of winning teams and winning organizations.

If there were awards granted for "tacticianer of year," Willie would likely never be a finalist. Willie is not the primary, secondary or tertiary reason the New York Mets are 23-26. So, management can fire Willie if they want...and maybe the Mets will win a few more games...but that certainly isn't the answer.

The bottom line is that the Mets are a mediocre baseball team. Everyone keeps talking about their "talent" and using words like "disappointing" "underachieving" and all the like. Reality is that they're just not that good. And I'm starting to wonder what team all these so-called experts are looking at.

The team has two dependable starting pitchers (Santana and Maine). Two. Many teams have more. Some, pity their souls, boast only one. Two is average, maybe below average. The Mets starting pitching is average, maybe below average.

The Mets are hitting .253 as a team, good for 13th in the National League. There are 16 teams in the NL. The Mets hitting is below average.

The Mets bullpen is average. Pedro Feliciano = way above average. Billy Wagner = way above average. Schoenweis = having an above average year. Matt Wise = light years away from average. Aaron Heilman = Binghamton. Rest = crap shoot, ranging from average to aspiring to one day be average.

Spending more time on the lineup, the Metros have a gentleman patrolling the bag at first who has trouble moving laterally. Luckily, his bat also passed away in late April (although many would claim it was basically lifeless as early as midseason in 2007).

Our shortstop is a 24 year-old man, with the mentality of a 16 year old boy. Enthusiasm and excitement, enjoying the game...good. Pouting, running the bases like you're playing "Whoopee" and forgetting what's going on at certain points of the game...bad. Actually, worse. Now, in one's fifth year as a professional baseball player, unacceptable.

Third baseman who feels the weight of the world on his shoulders. Outfielder who is a professional hitter whose urine-stained hands can help team win games but can't take a shower without landing on the DL. Catcher and second baseman both average at best. A supposed superstar in center who is immensely talented but not producing a whole lot. And, our best player in 2008, now concussed, in right.

There it is...there's your 2008 New York Mets. A mediocre Major League Baseball team. Nothing embarrassing, but no great shakes neither. But, it's a doggy-dog world these days. This is NY! We paid big money to get these guys! So much talent! They're just not motivated! FIRE WILLIE! Bring in Backman or Mazzilli or Manuel or Fregosi or some other insert-absurd-name-here.

It's all really quite ridiculous -- and quite tiresome. Even posting this has drained me, which is why I've avoided doing it until now.

Tonight marks another game for this painfully average club. Perhaps tonight they'll win with Santana on the hill. Then they will likely lose...then win...then lose...and so it will go. New manager or otherwise. And I, the fan, will continue to watch. It is the path I have chosen. A path of mediocrity, at least for this year.