Mets Mess: Collins Thinks Santana Can Start on Opening Day

First published on Blogcritics


In the alternate universe I sometimes imagine, Johan Santana has won 20 games every season for the New York Mets, Jason Bay has hit 35 homers a year, and Jose Reyes is still flashing his infectious smile at shortstop. This is the same universe where Carlos Beltran belted a homer off Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals instead of looking at a called strike three to end game seven of the NCLS in 2006. Of course, a World Series Championship followed. Ah, that universe is a grand place to be.

Stepping back through the portal to this time and place, Santana is a rehabbed former Mets ace who now doesn't scratch his nose without Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen running over with the first aid kit. However, Santana has shown great progress coming back from his shoulder surgery, and now a report in the NY Daily News  indicates that manager Terry Collins thinks that Santana will be ready to pitch against the Atlanta Braves on April 5, 2012, at Citi Field.

We Mets fans are hungry for good news. Is Ike Davis going to be okay? Will Daniel Murphy be able to come back and hit like that again and learn to really play second base? Can 21 year old Reuben Tejada master shortstop, filling in the awfully big shoes of Reyes as a hitter and fielder? Will David Wright bounce back? Will Jason Bay remember how to hit the way he used to in Boston? Will Mr. Met get a new look, replacing the eternal smile with a resolved grimace?

Collins is an honest guy - we all learned that last year - and he is not one to play games with the press and the fans. He calls it like it is and this is admirable to say the least. Sometimes when he is speaking, I can picture GM Sandy Alderson standing in the shadows getting a little nervous, but Sandy should remember not to hide from the truth. His predecessor Omar Minaya did and it led to his downfall. Remember Sandy, the truth can only set you free.

For now Mets fans are allowed to dream a little. We can see a photo of Santana throwing the ball and be hopeful. We have to be because otherwise the season is over before it even starts. Collins says he admires Santana's work ethic, and he believes in Warthen to the point of getting the ace ready on time and in one piece. That, for now, Mets fans, is something to make us smile.

So let us move forward and watch with hope as this team begins spring training. If things get bad before April 5, we always have that alternate universe to revisit; however, the problem is that its only a temporary place to stay and then we have to come back to reality, one that has been a tough place to be for Mets fans since September 2006.

Photo Credit - NY Daily News

Mets Mess: Loss of Reyes Worse Than Tom Seaver Trade

Article first published as Mets Mess: Loss of Reyes Worse Than Tom Seaver Trade on Blogcritics.

I, no doubt like most fans of the New York Mets, am still not able to process the loss of superstar short stop Jose Reyes to the Miami Marlins. Yes, I know it has occurred, but I am still hoping that something will make me snap out of it and realize this is only a dream.

Actually, it is like some terrible nightmare. In my mind this is right up there with the worst trade in Mets history - Tom Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds, but it is in fact a more insidious and devastating move that will affect this team and its fans for years to come.

The loss of Seaver in a deadline trade in 1977 sent away the player, dubbed The Franchise by New York sports writers, who embodied the heart and soul of the Mets. It didn't matter that the Mets were a losing team when Tom Terrific was pitching. People went to see him, to watch his mastery on the mound, to enjoy his personality and his true connection to fans and team.


Now flash forward to 2011. Reyes may not have been "the franchise," but he surely was the most popular, effervescent, and talented player on the Mets in recent years. Coming off his best year ever, including a .337 average that gave him the National League batting crown, Reyes was (just like Seaver) a reason to come to the ballpark. Watching him hit a triple was like sitting back and listening to Yo-Yo Ma playing the cello. It became an ethereal experience, making for a majestic and surreal moment when all seemed right in the Mets' universe.

Sadly, Reyes takes his wonderful smile, his exuberant spirit, and his many talents to Miami. Yes, there are those who say Reyes is too injury prone. His legs are going to go on him. Whatever the reason the Mets did not make a serious offer, it leaves Mets fans cold. Many of us feel that GM Sandy Alderson should have done whatever it took to get Reyes back to Citi Field. Now he will return with the visiting Marlins on April 14, 2012, and how much do you want to bet that there will not only be a capacity crowd but that they will give him a standing ovation?

Now on talk radio there are the rumbles about trading David Wright because Reyes is gone. Alderson is no doubt fueling these rumors with talk about using the cash that would have gone to Reyes for "rebuilding." Now, don't go get visions of sugarplums and C.J. Wilson dancing in your heads, because it is more than likely that Alderson is settling his brain for a long winter's nap.

Let's face the ugly facts: the Mets are going nowhere in 2012. We can call this the "Season of If" : if Ike Davis can return in top shape, if Johan Santana can return and pitch like he used to do, if Ruben Tejada can be a full-time shortstop, if Mike Pelfrey can ever shake the bats out of his belfry, if Lucas Duda really has thirty homers in that bat, if Angel Pagan can return from last year's disappearing act, if Jason Bay can be the guy he used to be in Boston. The "if" list can go on and on.

In the end this loss of Reyes is worse than the Seaver trade. The loss of Seaver destroyed the team and it took years (seven actually) for the Mets to start to show signs of resurgence (ironically, after Seaver again was lost to the Chicago White Sox and a young pitcher named Dwight Gooden came into the picture). Losing Reyes now is a firm and clear commitment by Mets management to giving up on 2012 before it even commences. At least Seaver was traded during a lost season; this time it is clear the season is already lost!

Now, it has been eleven years and counting since the Mets were in the World Series. Let's say with great confidence that this will the twelfth year without any shot at it. Many more lost years may be on the horizon if Alderson lets Wright go and basically waits for the Phillies players to start needing canes and walkers. With Miami poised to become the new powerhouse in the NL East, there probably will be no joy in Metville for a long time to come.

Photo Credits: reyes - espn.com; Seaver - bleacherreport.com

Mets Mess: Reality Rears Its Ugly Head

Article first published as Mets Mess: Reality Rears Its Ugly Head on Blogcritics.

Okay, Mets fans, let's be honest. The party is over. Yes, there were a few exciting moments, and manager Terry Collins and his players had us thinking it was 1973 all over again, but those Mets had Yogi Berra as a skipper, and now the deja vu part is not about winning but about accepting one's fate.

The Mets lost 4-1 to the Florida Marlins in an ugly game. "Ugly" is the operating word because the Mets are getting closer to the cellar in the National League East, which means we're moving back into Basement Bertha territory again. The Marlins are a hot last place team; the Mets are as cold as ice and sinking faster each game. If you are looking to the return of Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran to end the madness, don't get too comfortable because they're probably not going to be around much longer.

There have been rumors about trading Beltran since spring training. Now as the July 31st
 trading deadline approaches, and as the Mets continue struggle and lose games, it is only a matter of time that Beltran will be put in a lifeboat and row safely to a contending team: good for him; bad for us.

Jose Reyes played a game with the Brooklyn Cyclones last night. David Wright is going to get his rehab games in too before coming back. Johan Santana may be back sometime in August. Ike Davis remains in Met limbo, and now super sub Scott Hairston came out of the game hurt. With all these injuries, the Mets should start call their clubhouse the Hurt Locker.

No matter who comes back, who gets traded, and who stays on the DL all season, the Mets and their fans just have to face reality. There's not enough season left for miracles. Collins has done a great job, but you need all the right ingredients to conjure up a recipe for a winning season and playoff run, and Collins is like a baker trying to make a cake without any eggs or flour.

So it pains me to say it Mets fans, but it is all over. Beltran will be gone soon, and Reyes may follow. The AAA boys of Tejada, Turner, Pridie, and Thole will continue to play hard, and they may be able to finish at .500 this year, but don't go holding your breath now. It's more likely we'll be spending the rest of season downstairs with Basement Bertha. We'd better get used to it.

Photo Credits: NY Daily News

NY Mets on the Road - To Live and Cry in LA

Article first published as NY Mets on the Road - To Live and Cry in LA on Blogcritics.


There is no doubt about it (or as beloved NY Mets announcer Ralph Kiner used to say "No bout a doubt it") the New York Mets are Amazin’s once again - at least on the road.

The Mets look lost at Citi Field, and I can admit I do feel that way myself sometimes. It seemed like I knew every nook and cranny of good old dilapidated Shea Stadium, and I remembered where Cleon squeezed that last ball in 1969 or Rusty hit the outfield wall in 1973 or where Mookie hit the ball between Buckner's legs in 1986. These were great Mets memories, not to mention the Beatles trying to out scream the fans on a stage out near second base. Those were the days.

But Mets fans have tried to warm up to Citi Field, and it is designed way better than Shea right down to more plentiful - and clean - bathrooms. The food courts are wonderful and plentiful space is available to drink, eat, and be merry.

Still the team struggles at Citi as it did in the last home series against the Yankees, although that last game when the Mets beat Mariano Rivera was pure gold. You could bottle that and Mets fans would buy it again and again. The Mets beat Rivera - what a moment!

Now out on the road they are warriors again, taking the first two in LA. Last night Mike Pelfrey seemed like an ace who never lost a case - no, that's Perry Mason, another LA story -  but I digress.
There is a good deal to be happy about right now as manager Terry Collins has his team believing in themselves as much as he does. They have lots of guts and determination as they strike out on this last road trip before the All-Star break without Reyes and Santana and Davis and Wright.

In another universe we would be crying out there on the West Coast, where many Mets teams went 0 for 9 and came home whipped. This team seems different and they keep finding ways to win. That will definitely keep Mets fans watching and wanting to go to the ballpark. Now, if the team could just find a way to win more games at home, but that's another story.

Photo Credit: NY Daily News

Mets Mess: Luis Castillo Released - Perez Still Pitching In

Article first published as Mets Mess: Luis Castillo Released - Perez Still Pitching In on Blogcritics.

I picture Luis Castillo during this spring training as a guy with a bucket on the Titanic. He kept trying to get the water off the deck, but you know how this story ends. So now Luis is gone; either he jumped overboard or got into a lifeboat. Either way, the ship is still sinking.

Castillo always seemed to be the target of the fans. Not only did his hitting leave something to be desired, but so did his fielding. When I think of him I see dropped pop-ups and remember the booing of the crowd. Not a very pleasant memory at all. By all accounts his teammates liked him, but the main reason he is gone is because the fans demanded it.

While the Mets parted ways with second baseman Castillo, troubled pitcher Oliver Perez is still hanging in there. He pitched one scoreless inning yesterday, even striking out Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves. Does this mean Ollie might get a shot at being in the bullpen? I'd say grab a bucket, Ollie. Someone has to take up where Castillo left off.

There are also alternating reports of Carlos Beltran feeling better and his knee bothering him. Take your pick, Mets fans, because this is not the player the Mets were supposed to get. He should have been their star center fielder, ostensibly their centerpiece to the puzzle, a super star around whom to build a team. We see how well that has worked out, right?

Alas, the old regime of GM Omar Minaya (and Steve Phillips before him) shelled out lots of money to players who have gone bust. Just take a look at the short list: Beltran, Perez, Castillo, and Johan Santana. Millions and millions of dollars wasted as well as time and at the expense of the team and the fans. People can talk all they want about the money the team lost investing with Bernie Madoff, but the worst investment the Mets ever made was in these players who gave them no return.

Now maybe the Mets can get back to what they used to do well: establish a strong farm system that develops great players like it once did. Clearly, guys like Ike Davis, David Wright, and Jose Reyes give us a glimmer of hope of what can come from that kind of cultivation. We have to hope that GM Sandy Alderson has the vision to do this for the long haul because free agents are just not working out for the Mets. It seems they never have (can anyone forget Bobby Bonilla?).

There isn't much to look forward to this season, but we have to remember the band kept playing on the Titanic even as it was sinking. So grab a bucket, Ollie, but don't think it's going to save the ship before the fat lady sings.

Photo Credits:
Castillo - Daily News
Wright - espn.com

Tricky Dickey Tosses 1-Hit Gem Against Phillies

Article first published as Tricky Dickey Tosses 1-Hit Gem Against Phillies on Blogcritics.

R. A. Dickey (8-5) beat the Phillies and gave the Mets their first back-to-back wins since June. In notching the one-hitter, Dickey accomplished what has been done twenty-five times previously by Mets pitchers. All who came before him -and now he - stood close to that brush with immortality, but the way things went last night, Dickey was more than happy to take the game the way it went.


Speaking on SNY after the game, Dickey was humble about the whole experience. When asked about the one hit of the game, a blooped single into right field by pitcher Cole Hamels (7-9), Dickey said, "And tonight, I am so thankful. It was a real gift. It was an outing where I didn't have a regret." He had thrown a knuckle ball to Hamels, but he hit it, and Dickey indicated that is the nature of things.

After that sixth inning single, Dickey got back to work retiring the Phillies hitters. This one-hitter is all the more satisfying because it comes against a lineup like the Phillies have, and in the minds of at least some of the players and the fans at Citi Field on Friday night, the Mets are still in the hunt in the National League East.

This second straight shutout (Johan Santana won 4-0 over the Rockies the day before) made it unnecessary to worry about the absence of Francisco Rodriguez, the Mets closer being suspended for two games for fighting with his girlfriend's father on Wednesday after the Mets dreadful 6-2 loss to the Rockies. Manager Jerry Manuel seemed happy to not have to think about who would have closed the game under different circumstances. He said of Santana and Dickey, "For those guys to take it upon themselves as starters to start and complete the game was huge for us."

It is undeniable that after the week of turmoil with Santana being accused of rape and K-Rod being arrested for assault, the Mets needed the peace that only winning can bring to the clubhouse. Those troubling things still exist in the periphery of their minds, but winning, especially over the Phillies, does heal things faster than anything else.

Now the Mets have to worry about the games yet to come, but for a brief moment on Friday night at Citi Field, there was a kind of hush over the crowd, a sensation that they were witnessing a great moment in Mets history. Even though it was not to be a no-hitter, it was an immeasurably significant win for a team that needed another win more than anything.

Will R.A. Dickey be the man to eventually get the Mets first no-hitter? Judging from last night's masterful performance, he may be just the guy to do it. Until then, the Mets and their fans finally have something to smile about.

Santana Blanks Rockies; K-Rod Does the Pokey Hokey

Article first published as Santana Blanks Rockies; K-Rod Does the Pokey Hokey on Blogcritics.

Oh, the slings and arrows of outrageous Mets fortune. Johan Santana is being accused by a woman of sexual assault, and Francisco Rodriguez (K-Rod) was hauled off to jail for attacking his girlfriend's father. These two guys obviously have a lot on their minds and on their plates, but Thursday's game turned out to be a good one for the Mets (57-57) as they defeated the Colorado Rockies (59-55) 4-0.

Santana was pitching like a man with a mission out there. He said after the victory that he told manager Jerry Manuel that he felt like going out and pitching ten innings. With K-Rod cooling his heels in court, suffice it to say that the Mets bullpen definitely needed a rest. Santana (10-6) scattered four hits en route to his second complete game of the season.

When reporters asked Santana about the situation with the woman who is accusing him in a civil law suit, Santana answered in his trademark calm and collected style. He said it is a matter for the courts and that was that. Whether or not he's guilty, Santana is certainly conducting himself like a gentlemen in public. Privately, if he had consensual sex with the woman (he is married) as he claims, or if he did indeed force himself on her, he is something less than gentlemanly.

Of course, everything is different with the combustible closer Rodriguez. After the Mets crushing defeat on Tuesday night, Rodriguez was apparently on a rampage. The Mets were up by a score of 2-1 in the eighth inning, but with two out and bases loaded, Manuel elected to not bring in Rodriguez and instead inserted Manny Acosta, who gave up a grand slam to ex-Met Melvin Mora. While K-Rod was right to feel slighted by this (and it proves Manuel's managing skills are severely in doubt), he tore into the clubhouse and cursed at reporters before going into the player's family lounge where he attacked his girlfriend's father.

K-Rod was released without bail on Thursday after appearing in Queens court, while a few miles away Santana was blanking the Rockies. The closer has been suspended by the team for two games, and perhaps more sanctions and punishment await him (including, perhaps, an anger management course?). A restraining order has been filed and he may not go near the house he shares with his girlfriend and her parents. All in all, it was a good day for one Mets pitcher and a very bad day for another.

Still, a fog hangs over the Mets clubhouse now. The allegations against Santana were bad enough to cause ill will with fans, but this thing with K-Rod puts things over the top. No matter how much you love the Mets - and many of us still do after everything that has happened during this disappointing year - this is straining the even most loyal fans and pushing them to the limit.

Santana and K-Rod. Is this what the Mets wanted when they signed these two guys? I know fans thought they would help bring a pennant our way, but once again that's not happening this year. It looks like legal matters are going to hound them both until the end of the season, and things are going to get a lot worse before they get any better as far as these two guys are concerned. That's the lot of Mets fans these days, and across town A-Rod must be smiling from ear-to-ear because no one seems worried about his cheating on his wife or taking steroids for three years anymore.

As they say, folks, only in New York.

The Mets Kids Are Alright

This article first appeared as The Mets Kids Are Alright on Blogcritics.

If the painful truth about another lost season started to set in around August 1 for the Mets and their fans, it took the team until August 7 to do something about it. Things were not working with the team as it was, and since no trade was made by the July 31 deadline, something had to give. It did yesterday.

The Mets released infielder Alex Cora, an all-around nice guy, good presence in the clubhouse, but batting only .207. They optioned outfielder Jesus Feliciano to Buffalo, and recalled infielder Ruben Tejada and outfielder Fernando Martinez. It seems that Martinez will get to play left field in the absence of Jason Bay (on DL with a concussion), and this could give the talented but yet to be proven player a chance to get a permanent spot on the team.

Even more good news awaited Mets fans: Luis Castillo and his two bad feet were benched, and that meant Tejada got to start at second base. Though Tejada batted only .212 when previously playing for the Mets this season, he has a great attitude and is a major improvement on defense over Castillo. With Tejada at second and Martinez in left field, the "new" look of the team is younger and certainly brighter than it was yesterday.

Meanwhile, pitcher Johan Santana (9-6) pitched a brilliant game on Saturday, taking a no-hitter into the bottom of the sixth. After Raul Ibanez struck out but reached first base on a wild pitch, Placido Polanco stroked a single up the middle to end the continuing Mets dream of getting their first no-hitter in team history.


Santana pitched very well into the eighth inning, leaving with two on base and one out. Francisco Rodriguez was then called upon for a five-out save (gulp). Luckily for the Mets and their fans, K-Rod escaped the jam in the eighth and pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 24th save.

Over all, it was a good day for the Mets in more ways than one. They won a tough game against their division rivals the Phillies, got some new blood on the field, and let it be known that they have heard the fans and are trying to do something to better the team. For this day at least, Mets fans had something to smile about for a change.