I was there for Game Seven of the 2006 NLCS. It was painful. However, I was able to finally get some sleep by thinking the Mets would be back.
One of the things I could hang my hat on was that most of the players were in their prime and returning. On top of that, Jose Reyes and David Wright were still young and improving.
I was wrong about the Mets returning to the playoffs. I would watch in horror in 2007 and 2008 as the Mets would collapse in back-to-back years. Then, the Mets were in for six years of just terrible baseball. Finally, the Mets turned it around this year, and they finally returned to the playoffs.
A lot is different now. The Mets changed ballparks. The core of the team changed from in their prime sluggers to young power arms. The only thing the two teams have in common is David Wright, but not even he is the same. In 2006, he was a 23 year old on the verge of superstardom. This year he’s a 32 year old veteran dealing with a serious back issue.
In any event, Wright and the Mets are back in the playoffs. They’re just eight years behind schedule. We don’t know if the Mets will start the NLDS in New York or Los Angeles. We don’t know the start time of the game. All we know right now is the Mets will be playing a playoff game next week.
After waiting nine years, I’m more than happy to wait a week. I just hope I won’t have to wait more than 33 days for the Mets to win a World Series.
It’s going to be a rainy weekend at Citi Field. If you’re like me, and you’re bringing the little guy, or gal, it means you have to be prepared.
First things, first, come prepared. If you have a water coat and the like, dress your child in them. Keep an extra set in a tightly sealed ziplock. Also, keep a set of dry clothes in the trunk of your car.
Second, stake your ground. Every seat now comes with some sort of club access. If you’re traveling with another adult, you can alternate holding the spot and running around with the kid. If there’s no room in a club, try to sit in a covered spot.
Third, eat your food early. If your brought it with you, eat it immediately. There’s nothing worse than a soggy sandwich. If you’re planning out eating at the park, eat immediately. There’s going to be water everywhere. You’ll enjoy it more if you eat it on a dry surface.
Overall, going to a game in the rain can be a lot of fun. I know my son had a blast when it happened to us earlier in the year. He loved running all over the ballpark with the puddles. The lines for Mr.Met, the ball field, and the dunk tank were short. The food and bathroom lines were as well.
I hope you find this information helpful. I hope you enjoy saluting the 2015 NL East Champion Mets when they come home.
Lets Go Mets!
Quick question for everyone: what is the Mets goal for the rest of the season? Wrong. It’s not getting Homefield advantage. It’s getting the team ready for the playoffs.
In order for that to happen, here’s what needs to get done:
- Steven Matz needs to get five innings on Saturday or Sunday meaning a short start for either Jacob deGrom or Matt Harvey;
- You don’t risk David Wright‘s back playing on a sloppy or wet field;
- Yoenis Cespedes needs to be in Germany or anywhere that can aggressively treat a bruise;
- Jon Niese needs to pitch in two games this weekend;
- Play Dilson Herrera at multiple positions to see if he can make the playoff roster;
- No wasted at bats to Eric Campbell, Anthony Recker, Johnny Monell, or anyone that the Mets are not considering putting on the playoff roster;
- Same goes for the relievers even if there is a blowout. They need to stay fresh;
- Get Travis d’Arnaud back on track;
- Allow Michael Conforto to hit against some lefties because he’s eventually going to have to face one in October; and
- Get out of the weekend healthy.
If the Mets accomplish the above, they will be in a strong position entering the playoffs. Homefield advantage is secondary to this. If the Mets get it, great. If they don’t, it may inure to their benefit. Overall, I’m absolutely convinced the Mets do not need homefield advantage in the NLDS to win.
The Mets have not had the best history when it comes to handling injuries:
https://twitter.com/jareddiamond/status/648960775751639040
They’ve been really bad when it comes to diagnosing and treating back injuries. The Mets recently botched the diagnosis and treatment of Lucas Duda‘s back problems. Now, they’re doing it with Steven Matz on the eve of the NLDS.
Originally, it was classified as a problem with Matz’s side. This was a problem in and of itself with his prior injury. However, everyone was rest assured that Matz would start on Thursday instead of Wednesday. Then, it was discovered it wasn’t a side injury; it was a back injury. And oh yeah, his Thursday start was going to be skipped. He’s not going to pitch on Friday either.
In fact, he’s not going to start for the rest of the regular season. Collins is going to try to find five innings on Saturday or Sunday; two games that may never get played due to rain. There’s been no explanation why today is not a possibility. I’m starting to wonder what the excuse will be on Saturday and/or Sunday when Mstz doesn’t pitch.
I can’t trust that he’ll be available for the playoffs in the rotation or the bullpen. No one should.
In an effort to pitch in the playoffs, Jon Niese volunteered to pitch in the bullpen. His first two appearances did not go well, but not all hope is lost. There are still some reasons why the Mets may want him on the NLDS roster, namely:
I think this is why Jon Niese will be on the postseason roster.
Chase Utley: 3 for 32 against him
Adrian Gonzalez: 0 for 9 against him
— Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) October 1, 2015
With those numbers against the Dodgers best hitter, there’s a spot for you on the team. He would most likely get the call when/if Gonzalez is up in a big spot.
Here’s his head-to-head data against some of the other Dodger players:
Jimmy Rollins 12-54, 3 doubles, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Carl Crawford 0-3
Andre Ethier 4-10, 2 strikeouts
A.J.Ellis 2-11, 1 double, two walks, 1 strikeout
Chris Heisey 3-10, 1 homerun, 1 strikeout
Howie Kendrick 1-7, 1 strikeout
Basically, he pitched pretty well against them. If not for 2015 arguably being his worst year and the presence of better options, you could make the argument he could start.
Besides his success against the Dodgers, Steven Matz has been dealing with a balky back. This means the Mets will need to have Bartolo Colon start Game Four or be ready to pitch in Game Four if Marz goes down. This means Niese may need to be ready as the long man in Colon’s stead
The other reason why he may be out there is the Mets don’t have a true LOOGY. They’re going to need someone to get those lefties out in the NLDS, and I’m not sure they’re going to trust Hansel Robles, even if he has the best numbers against lefties. If you’re going to insist on a lefty against a lefty, you might as well use one who’s had success against the Dodgers.
With three games left, there’s not much time to get him fully up to speed in the bullpen. At best, he probably can pitch in two more games. No matter what happens in those games, it will be a gamble to put Niese in the bullpen.
I’ll take that gamble over the gamble of having someone else pitching to Gonzalez in a big spot.
Mets fans let out a collective sigh of relief when we discovered Yoenis Cespedes didn’t suffer a fracture after being hit by a pitch. However, that doesn’t mean he’s alright:
BBTN Minute: Doug Glanville and Keith Law discuss the injury to Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes and its impact.http://t.co/VGzdHVPXiT
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 1, 2015
As Keith Law stated the problem is even if Cespedes can play, he may lose his power. That’s problematic because his power is what makes him a special player. Without the power, he’s a guy who has a .319 career OBP that doesn’t have the range to play CF. I hate to say it, but without the power it suddenly becomes a debate as to whether the Mets should start Juan Lagares.
I’d still start Cespedes. I’m hopeful that a week will be enough for his fingers to heal. I’m hopeful because Cespedes said he’s ready to play now. I’m hopeful because Terry Collins is doing the right thing and giving Cespedes time to heal. It’s important to keep him healthy because he’s been a terrific playoff performer.
The Mets will need him. They will need him at full strength. If he’s not, the Mets are in trouble. Until we know Cespedes is Cespedes, Mets fans should be nervous.
The Mets are officially one week away from Game One of the NLDS. I figured with the core of this team being so young, I was wondering if you could name the Mets players who have prior postseason experience. Good luck!
In 2013, Michael Wacha burst on the scene in the playoffs, and it was declared “Wachtober.” If the Mets go far in the postseason, here are some suggestions for the new Wachtober:
Matt Harvey – Mattober or Dark Knightober
Jacob deGrom -Jaketober
Noah Syndergaard – Thortober
Steven Matz – Matztober
Bartolo Colon – Bartober
Curtis Granderson – Curtober
Daniel Murphy – Murphtober
David Wright – Wrightober
Michael Conforto – Confortober
Yoenis Cespedes – Yotober
Of course, this is dependent on the Mets making a deep run and one, or more of these guys being a major contributor. I hope I get to use these.
If you have a suggestion (even to an existing one), please pass it along. If I like it, I will update the list and credit your Twitter handle.
As we saw last night, the most important thing the Mets needed to do was stay healthy today. Mission accomplished. Everything after that was gravy.
With that said, Sean Gilmartin did well in his first career start. He stretched himself out for five innings allowing three hits, two earned, one walk, and three strikeouts. He pitched well, and he saved the bullpen. Unfortunately, since the Mets didn’t score, he was tagged with the loss.
In other important developments from the game, Kirk Nieuwenhuis had a strong game in his attempt to make the postseason roster. He was 3-4 with a double, and he played RF. Unfortunately, he’s left handed going into a series with a heavy lefty Dodgers starting rotation.
Eric Young, Jr. failed to get a hit in two at bats. That puts him at nine runs scored and no hits with the Mets this season. Eric Campbell also had a tough game. He went 0-4 with two strikeouts. He grounded into a double play to end the game, and he showed limited range at third base. Dario Alvarez allowed a homerun to a switch hitter (batting right). He did get the one left out he faced. On the whole, these three hurt their chances to make the playoff roster today.
As for the game, the best thing I can say say for it was it went by quickly. It allowed the Mets to get out of town before the rains come. They lost 3-0 in a game that didn’t mean all that much. It’s now time to come home and get ready for the playoffs.