40 games, the good the so so and the ugly.

[xxi-xxv]

Its 40 games through so far and its apparent the Mets have picked up right where they have been for about a year. There have been some good things, some so so things and downright putrid things. WHat have you guys seen that you like, dislike and think has been just ok. For me its:

 

The good

 

Billy Wagner, have never liked the guy, but he has pitched as good as he has at any point in his career and although I think he was wrong about Perez and how he went about saying what we all know he was dead on the other day about some other vets. COuld be a turning point and that remains to be seen.

 

Ryan Church. I do not expect him to hit .330, but his defense and run production has been tremendous. This is the type of player winning teams need. HIs high doubles in 2007 seem to be translating to homers in 2008. Best RF in NY since Paul o"Neil.

 

Brian Schneider. Again do not expect him to hit .313, but his handling of the pitchers and his veteran presence on the field has been tremendous. When you hear the pitchers rave about him anything he gives offensively is a bonus.

 

Joe Smith, seems like he has overcome his 2007 second half troubles and is becoming a nice righty out of the pen.

 

Scott Schoenweis, everyones favorite boo bird at Shea has been as good as he has ever been.

 

David Wright, I know I know he is in a slump, but to see him play everyday makes you realize at the end of the season he will be where we know he will be. STill top 5 rbis in the NL even with Reyes not getting on enough and slumps here and there.

 

John Maine

Johan Santana

So so:

Beltran, seems to be indifferent sometimes. Hopefully there are a ton of hits in his bat

 

Reyes, something has happened to him and no one including Reyes I think knows what it is, hopefully he can find himself.

 

Oliver Perez, I know he could be classified as bad, be he has had enough moments to be so so this year.

 

Pelfrey- see Perez

 

The Bad:

Delgado, nothing to say it speaks for itself.

Castillo, nothing to say it speaks for itself.

Heilman, where Schoenweis use to be, his arm may fall off by July

Sosa, putrid awful thahk god he is gone.

 

[RandolphScott]

I was just on the Mets Message Board and their is a discussion over there now

saying "Are any of you disappointed in Johan?"

 

 

A couple said, yeah a tad.

 

I must admit, he does give up ALOT of homers...way too much in fact, but it seems those

are the only runs he DOES give up, I can live with it. Besides, he is the Ace that the Mets

needed last year, one that can stop the bleeding...every time he pitches the Mets should win

no questions asked.

[gateb]

I agree with you for the most part except I would put Wright and Santana on the border of so-so and good. For Wright it's due to his splended September last year where everything he hit was a rocket. I expected him to have some of that momentum carry into April and it did for a few days but he cooled off for a while. The fact that he's hitting .200 against righties leaves me worried but he took a great approach in the 7th against a righty yesterday. Hopefully that'll get him going on the right track.

 

As for Santana my reasoning is based on endless hype we heard this off-season. 11 home runs in 60 innings is putrid but overall he's done well. Before the 4th yesterday he went 15 straight innings allowing at least one base runner and he wasn't as economic with pitches as I had hoped. However he's proved to be a gamer in his two "big" games so far this year (philly and NY). One stat I loved was that the better teams he plays the lower his ERA. 9-0 with a 2.6 ERA against teams with a .600%. That's big time.

[Allstarjim]

You guys are right about Johan. He has been very good. But we can't expect to win against a Jake Peavy or Brandon Webb when they are on top of their game with him giving up the homeruns he's giving. But I think the best is yet to come from him. Still stoked that we got him and he is locked up in our rotation for years to come.

[xxi-xxv]

Santana does give up too many homers and he has not been lights out but here is how I see it. He is 5-2 with a 3.30 ERA, not awesome, but hardly bad either. When you factor in some of the difficulties that star players getting huge contracts have had in their begining times in NY this is more than adequate. Remember the struggles of Clemens, randy Johnson, Piazza, etc early on. If this is the rough stretch we are doing better than past times in these situations.

[gateb]

Santana does give up too many homers and he has not been lights out but here is how I see it. He is 5-2 with a 3.30 ERA, not awesome, but hardly bad either. When you factor in some of the difficulties that star players getting huge contracts have had in their begining times in NY this is more than adequate. Remember the struggles of Clemens, randy Johnson, Piazza, etc early on. If this is the rough stretch we are doing better than past times in these situations.

He's renowned for his second half pitching too.

[xxi-xxv]

He's renowned for his second half pitching too.

 

I have no worries about Johan, other than the usual please stay healthy.

[mws44]

Santana hasn't really been able to establish a solid pitching schedule to get into a rhythm either. That is also a good sign to me because the playoffs always screw up pitchers schedules and many can't adjust. (See Musina and Trachsel) Now we have to get there.

 

Church has been excelent. He plays fantastic defense, and his offense has left nothing to be desired so far.

 

Reyes.....man. Sometimes he flashes his old self, other times he looks like a space cadet out there. I hope his bat gets going and that straightens his head out. I really enjoy watching him play when he is having fun.

 

I don't even know what to say about Heilman any more. I always thought he had what it takes to excel in the league, but I think he may be done. He might just need a new start in a new city. Am I confused or was Heilman the one that a minor league pitching coach noticed he was dropping his arm angle lower than when he was in college? Then he came out and pitched very well for a good span of time. Maybe I'm mistaken.

[jranieli]

I am still very pessimistic about this team but there was one thing what this team showed me last night. After the blown Delgado homerun, I thought this team would lay down because of the terrible call and I was sure the Yankees would pull it out but they kept hammering them.

 

They key to this team is Reyes. If he can get on a streak where he once again becomes legitimate, the team will respond. Seems like the Mets live and die with Reyes' performace. Hopefully the weekend was just not a fart in the wind.

[xxi-xxv]

I am still very pessimistic about this team but there was one thing what this team showed me last night. After the blown Delgado homerun, I thought this team would lay down because of the terrible call and I was sure the Yankees would pull it out but they kept hammering them.

 

They key to this team is Reyes. If he can get on a streak where he once again becomes legitimate, the team will respond. Seems like the Mets live and die with Reyes' performace. Hopefully the weekend was just not a fart in the wind.

 

Seems so far that it was a fart in the wind or maybe a burp in the breeze.

[jranieli]

Seems so far that it was a fart in the wind or maybe a burp in the breeze. <_>

 

There is no fight and don't show any emotion when they are down. I don't think I saw anyone work the count, they just swing at the ball where it is located hoping for an out. What they had three more hits after the first inning today?

[gateb]

This section of swrath personifies exactly what the media says about the fans... party one day and the end of the world the next.

[xxi-xxv]

This section of swrath personifies exactly what the media says about the fans... party one day and the end of the world the next.

 

Thats why I have accepted a while ago they are what they are. .500 now for 152 games 76-76 in a year.

 

Until they prove me otherwise I will just let it be what it is.

 

As far as getting up/down, I have decided that I will let the little things this team does make me happy. Such as watching David Wright, whom may some day becme the best position player the Mets have ever developed and enjoy watching Johan and the end of a great career for Pedro. Its clear they are not gonna win that much, so enjoy the little shit. It actually makes you less pissed when they lose. Obviously I hope they win and go on a streak, but sorry I cannot see it any time soon.

[gateb]

Thats why I have accepted a while ago they are what they are. .500 now for 152 games 76-76 in a year.

 

Until they prove me otherwise I will just let it be what it is.

 

As far as getting up/down, I have decided that I will let the little things this team does make me happy. Such as watching David Wright, whom may some day becme the best position player the Mets have ever developed and enjoy watching Johan and the end of a great career for Pedro. Its clear they are not gonna win that much, so enjoy the little shit. It actually makes you less pissed when they lose. Obviously I hope they win and go on a streak, but sorry I cannot see it any time soon.

I love watching Wright but I want to enjoy watching Reyes again.

 

They'll keep it interesting up until at least August when at that point I'll have training camp reports twice a day to ease my mind.