Maybe the FOX Saturday baseball team isn't as bad as I think they are.
On April 5th, the first Saturday of the season, I watched the Mets get pounded by the Braves on FOX's first Saturday telecast of the season. During that telecast, Tim McCarver (best known for analysis such as "A contact hitter needs to make good contact to be effective") and Ken Rosenthal predicted playoff brackets.
Neither the Mets nor the Yankees were on either of them.
Mind you, I don't think anyone cares too much about the opinions of Tim McCarver and Ken Rosenthal, but the idea of a postseason without either New York team seems pretty reasonable at this point.
The 2007 Mets were a historic team for all the wrong reasons. I'm sure I don't have to remind you that they missed the playoffs after having a seven-game lead in the NL East with 17 games left to play.
It was such a big implosion that it needs several new adjectives to describe it.
The Mets made what seemed like the right moves this offseason. They needed to get rid of Guillermo Mota, and they did without having to pay him anything (although they did end up trading him for essentially nothing).
Moises Alou's red-hot September rightfully earned him a new contract for 2008. They didn't have a better option for second base than Luis Castillo, so they brought him back too.
They needed a starting pitcher—enter Johan Santana (for a package that probably shouldn't have been enough to land him). Entering into this season, the Mets seemed like they could at least contend with the Braves and the Phillies in the NL East, even if they wouldn't make the playoffs.
But things haven't gone according to plan.
Alou and Castillo, who were hurt in 2007, have both spent stints on the DL this year, Alou making his second trip to it yesterday.
Carlos Delgado, who was a potent force in the middle of the Met lineup two years ago, has been far from it since then. Carlos Beltran doesn't seem to have gotten his legs back after offseason knee surgery.
Jose Reyes's struggles have been the most troubling. When he completely disappeared last September, the Mets disappeared with him.
His struggles have been tied to the Mets' inconsistencies this season, too. The Mets need him ticking for their lineup to work, and, for the most part, he hasn't been.
And who can forget Aaron Heilman? Heilman has been this year's answer to Guillermo Mota. Every time he goes out there, he's good for giving up several runs.
Heilman was once a key cog in the eighth inning for the Mets, but he's had several appearances this year in which it seems like he couldn't get anybody out.
The Mets have taken him out of his setup role, but it hasn't helped. Heilman has said, time and time again, that he wants to start for the Mets, but if he wants to come anywhere close to the rotation again, he has to learn how to pitch first.
Not all has been bad with the Mets.
David Wright, although struggling a bit lately, has had several stretches where he's looked like the best player in the National League. Ryan Church has made everybody forget about Lastings Milledge with some great offense and great defense.
Billy Wagner still hasn't given up an earned run, and although his velocity is down, Duaner Sanchez is still getting people out.
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6 months ago
I hope they do turn it around. But personally I have always respected Ken Rosenthal's opinion, but as for Tim McCarver, he's useless. The combination of him and Joe "bad luck" Buck for virtually ever Mets game that is on Fox is excruciatingly painful to listen to.
6 months ago
i hope i wasn't too harsh on rosenthal because he hasn't really done much to warrant harshness. i guess with him i was expressing indifference.
6 months ago
Gary > Joe Buck
Ron > Tim McCarver
Keith > The Rest of the world
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