Mets

[Déjà Bru]

Mets have fired two batting coaches, Chili Davis and Tom Slater. The Mets have averaged 3.30 runs per game, 29th in the majors and ahead of only the Detroit Tigers.

"Their new centerpiece, shortstop Francisco Lindor, is batting .163. Only one National League player — Cincinnati’s Eugenio Suarez — had a lower average through Monday with a minimum of 100 plate appearances. And at least Suarez had five home runs. Lindor has one."

It's part of the job and every incumbent knows it: It's far easier to fire coaches and managers than firing players. It's tough, though, that somebody like Lindor, he of diamond earrings and bleached blonde hair, fails (among others, of course) and two decent guys lose their jobs.

[Déjà Bru]

Here's another quote from the article that I was reading:

The offense has been so miserable for Jacob deGrom that the Mets have wasted his prime. Since 2018, deGrom has a 1.99 earned run average, yet the Mets are 38-43 in his starts, a record that defies belief.

I am not a Mets fan (although my interest in the team has grown in the past couple of years), so I don't want to speak out of turn or overstay my welcome.

But I've been wanting to say something similar about deGrom. Basically, what a waste. I am one of those diminishing number of fans who still think great starting pitchers are (or should be) fundamental to winning baseball and that career wins are a measure of a starter's effectiveness.

DeGrom deserves to be playing for a pennant contender.

[Westheim]

Us Mets fans love deGrom ... and yet shiver when it's his turn, because we know of The Curse of the Black Medusa, she with the snake hair, or some other creepy **** like that, because there is NO rational explanation for going ONE year with a sub-2 ERA and not getting any ******* W's, let alone three or four.

The hitting fails is of course not only Lindor - he has sucked hard, but not so hard that they'd only score three runs per game. They were even under 3 R/G prior to Saturday. And much of of the increase in runs since then has been due to the Phillies playing a few games fielding with their caps in their paws and their mittens glued onto their faces.

But finally drop him in the batting order, goddamnit!!

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Westheim

But finally drop him in the batting order, goddamnit!!

Yeah, but where?

Here is the lineup from yesterday; I'll leave it to you to determine how typical this is for the Mets' lineup:



Now, surprisingly, Rojas seems to be going with a traditional-style lineup. The way that I learned it is, #1 and #2 are high OBP guys (with speed, even better). They set the table for the best hitter (#3) and the most powerful guy (#4) to "clear the table," the first time through the batting order, at least.

None of this stupidity of putting your power hitter in the #2 slot, as the Yankees do. Where in God's name do they get this stuff? Your power hitter coming to bat after only one batter has a chance to get on, and then he's hitting within three at-bats of your #8 and #9 hitters.

Well, back to the point. I just checked: McNeil is where he belongs, Conforto, Alonso, and Smith are where they should be, which leaves Pillar and Villar (are they related?) Those two guys are where they should be in terms of OBP; Lindor has a higher career number than either of them (although Villar is doing a bit better right now — not saying much, though).

The guy who should be in your #2 slot, in my opinion, is Nimmo. I was wondering why he's not playing but he's listed as DTD with something. You put him in the lineup at #2, then you can Mr. Flash down at 8 or 9.

All merely the opinion of an old fogey who believes in baseball the way it was developed and learned for the first 125 years of its existence. Before computers began overriding common sense ... and throwing the game askew, as we are seeing today.

By the way, that's two mild aspersions now that I have thrown Lindor's way about his appearance. I understand that he has a great attitude; that is, he is not vain and self-centered as he suggests with his appurtenances. But if you are going to wear the flashy earrings, sport your necklace, dye your hair neon colors, and make an average $34 million a year, you had better bat higher than .163.

Sure, somebody is likely to post "How dare baseball be interesting or have personalities that a nonhardcore fan would recognize" (this was in support of a player going out of his way to ridicule a losing opponent). I say, there are standards of behavior that ought to transcend doing whatever the hell you feel like doing, such as showing some humility and being willing to function as a team member rather than "Look, it's all about me."

Hey, Francisco, why don't you tone it down a bit until you are above the Mendoza Line, at least? 'Cause, you look a little silly showing up like this when you are not even hitting your own weight:



So fire away, fellows. I am fully aware of how out-of-step I am with these times, so you won't be telling me anything new. I am not going to change, for I feel that I am not speaking of olden days, but basic things that have been (temporarily, hopefully) overlooked in these days. Before I go, I intend to remind a few people.

[Déjà Bru]

Heh, that was one heck of a post. I am proud of me.

But I don't wear earrings!

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Heh, that was one heck of a post. I am proud of me.

But I don't wear earrings!

Nice reference to the Mendoza line..which, IIRC, is .215. He has a way to go for that.

With LEAGUE averages of .235, the Mets aren't the only team that's struggling.

[dsvitak]

DeGrom doesn't get to pitch against my Cardinals tonight...and that's a GOOD thing.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Yeah, but where?

Here is the lineup from yesterday; I'll leave it to you to determine how typical this is for the Mets' lineup:

Attachment 776691

The plan is indeed to have Nimmo leading off and McNeil somewhere in the 5/6 area with Dom Smith and J.D. Davis (who's already on his second DL stint of the year). Apart from that this is pretty close to normal. Nimmo has a tweaked paw though, and can't hit at this point, which makes it the more stupid to carry 14 pitchers, three of which you never use.

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

None of this stupidity of putting your power hitter in the #2 slot, as the Yankees do. Where in God's name do they get this stuff? Your power hitter coming to bat after only one batter has a chance to get on, and then he's hitting within three at-bats of your #8 and #9 hitters.

That's such an AL thing, though, isn't it?

Then again, Lindor is hitting like a pitcher, so in fact we're hitting our power men in the #1/#2 holes.

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Well, back to the point. I just checked: McNeil is where he belongs, Conforto, Alonso, and Smith are where they should be, which leaves Pillar and Villar (are they related?)

Yes, to Kevin Millar.

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

By the way, that's two mild aspersions now that I have thrown Lindor's way about his appearance. I understand that he has a great attitude; that is, he is not vain and self-centered as he suggests with his appurtenances. But if you are going to wear the flashy earrings, sport your necklace, dye your hair neon colors, and make an average $34 million a year, you had better bat higher than .163.

You can look as much as a rodeo clown as you want in my opinion. I don't give a lick about the shoes, the hair, the six pounds of bling that HAS to be a competitive disadvantage at some point (and were I the manager, they would not be allowed to wear it).

Please match your performance with the flamboyance of your outward appearance, though. We don't need no Tony Plush here...

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Hey, Francisco, why don't you tone it down a bit until you are above the Mendoza Line, at least? 'Cause, you look a little silly showing up like this when you are not even hitting your own weight:

I would like him to hit more than his weight

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

So fire away, fellows. I am fully aware of how out-of-step I am with these times, so you won't be telling me anything new. I am not going to change, for I feel that I am not speaking of olden days, but basic things that have been (temporarily, hopefully) overlooked in these days. Before I go, I intend to remind a few people.

I'm not as well-seasoned (cough ) as you, but I think we like a similar style of baseball. The Raccoons' league is tuned to c.1980s baseball, and teams don't routinely hit four solo homers and whiff 17 times per 9-inning game. Also, the highest salaries are around $5m a year, which is about where it needs to be for me, lest I start to cry every time I sign a free agent.

So MLB did doctor with the ball this year (AGAIN). Looks like they got it wrong (AGAIN). There are still tons of homers, more strikeouts, and now nobody can hit even .247 anymore. Can we PLEASE get the ball prior to the 2017(?) All Star Game back? Might have been 2018, I can't remember.

[Westheim]

Next time just send the runner around third base. All you do with three on and one out is bring up some mook that hits .156 or swings at an 0-1 in the dirt that almost takes his ******* foot off. If you send EVERYBODY around third base, you might at least score a run sometimes on a throwing error.......

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Westheim

...
So MLB did doctor with the ball this year (AGAIN). Looks like they got it wrong (AGAIN). There are still tons of homers, more strikeouts, and now nobody can hit even .247 anymore. Can we PLEASE get the ball prior to the 2017(?) All Star Game back? Might have been 2018, I can't remember.

Baseballs were super balls, the game adjusted. Free swingers upper cutting. Home runs ballooned, with a vast increase in strikeouts.

So..you un-juice the baseball, but you still have a HUGELY reduced average batting average and lowered on base percentage.

Fewer on base, AND fewer home runs, and you have pitchers all over the league with microscopic ERA..and entire TEAMS averaging 3 runs per game on offense.

What's the answer? Players like Tommy Edman for the Cardinals, with a sweet, level swing is leading the league in hits. Players like Lindor, in love with his uppercut, isn't catching up to the 98 mph fastballs rising through the strike zone.

I say don't make any changes at all. Let the players figure it out. Players that get on base will play, players hitting .170 and striking out 200+ times a year will not.

That dip**** Baez is on pace for 280 strikeouts this year, and refuses to do anything other than making huge uppercut swings. At some point he will lose his job.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

That dip**** Baez is on pace for 280 strikeouts this year, and refuses to do anything other than making huge uppercut swings. At some point he will lose his job.

I saw Baez make three errors (but was only charged for two?) in that Dodgers-Cubs double-header this week. I'd NEVER have that type of player on my team. I love defense.

[Westheim]

And Lindor's $341m worth hitless coma stretches to 0-for-25 as he fans miserably against John Gant - fun fact: former Mets prospect dealt to Atlanta for Juan Uribe and the first coming of Kelly Johnson as the Mets decided to actually play baseball in mid-2015! - stranding the tying and go-ahead runs on the corners.

Baseball is so much fun!

[Westheim]

LINDOR HITS A SINGLE.

[Westheim]

I'd prefer actual rats, raccoons, and heck, crocodiles roaming the innards of Citi to our starting middle infielders not being on speaking terms, but for the time being I'll take a 5-4 walkoff in the 10th and Patrick Mazeika's cheesy upper body along with a winning record after our starter couldn't get anybody out...

[Westheim]

Jake very clearly doesn't have *it* today.

(reaches for plush toy raccoon for comfort and starts rocking back and forth)

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Jake very clearly doesn't have *it* today.

(reaches for plush toy raccoon for comfort and starts rocking back and forth)

How old is that toy raccoon? If it isn't relatively new, I cannot imagine that it would be "plush" anymore. Rubbed bald, more likely. If so, please get yourself a new one!

[Westheim]

Every single ******* thing about this game is absolute raw torture.

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

How old is that toy raccoon? If it isn't relatively new, I cannot imagine that it would be "plush" anymore. Rubbed bald, more likely. If so, please get yourself a new one!

About five years. His name is Honeypaws, same as the plush toy raccoon that the Raccoons GM talks to.

[Westheim]

Boom-Boom Diaz points skywards for what would be the final out.

Boom-Boom Diaz waits for it to drop in for a 2-out single.

Boom-Boom Diaz will definitely serve up a game-tying boom-boom to Varsho now.

Boom-Boom Diaz can GET IT.

[rudel.dietrich]

Reading this thread, you would never realize the Mets are in first place 😂

[BMW]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

Reading this thread, you would never realize the Mets are in first place ��

I'm glad the Mets are in first, but when being in first just means "we're above .500" it's not that exhilarating.

Especially at this point in the season, where every team in the NL East has a chance to get into first place by sweeping a single 3-game series.