Mike Francesa: Man Overboard

Despite what WFAN’s Mike Francesa might rattle off in his Yankees-induced insanity, there is no need for Mets fans to panic.

I repeat… DO. NOT. PANIC.

We are not going to trade David Wright, Jose Reyes, or Carlos Beltran needlessly, so wipe that panicked notion from your minds. The former pair are the future of the New York Mets, a tandem of young infielders who we are not going to trade for building blocks. Instead, we are going to build AROUND them.

There is no reason to get rid of the latter, Beltran, when we already have a deficiency in the outfield.

He can say that Wright and Beltran haven’t hit in the clutch in the final games of the season and that David fails time after time in September… but that doesn’t mean he’s right.

Last week of season:

Beltran - .346 / 4 RBI / 3 runs / .913 OPS.

Wright – .417/ 6 RBI/ 4 runs / 1.307 OPS.

September:

Wright in ’07 - .394 / 6 HR / 20 RBI

Wright in ’08 - .352 / 6 HR / 21 RBI

 

So Beltran wasn't on fire and batting over .400. Since when is that the earmark for a successful month?

I understand that Wright didn’t have the average he had last September, but if feels like it was SUBSTANTIALLY lower because everyone else around him, at least in the beginning, was hitting. I mean, compared to Carlos Delgado in the second half, who doesn’t look like a weakling?

And really, I can’t think of a single player I’d rather look to center field… and part of right… and a lot of left…, and find out there than Carlos Beltran.

I have high hopes for next year, I really do. I can’t wait for the 2009 Gangsta Mets… and I am rather certain that they will include, Wright, Reyes, Santana, and Beltran and I hope, Jerry Manuel. In fact, I’m in the process of setting my second semester class schedule up so that I can go to Spring Training in Port St. Lucie AND opening day at Citi Field to see those four players.

I don’t care if Francesa says to get rid of the whole team and start over… or talks about how Santana was not the answer to our problems for that much money.

Last time I checked, your team had around 400 million dollars invested in the left corner of your infield that underachieved…

And mine still has Johan Santana.