New York Mets 2017 Season Thread

[NJDevs4978]

Ironically this is the best type of game for the Mets at this point with Rosario and Smith both hitting 2-run HR's (although Terry PH'ing Smith for Reyes in the 9th was like, what's the point?) but the team still losing

I mean part of me would still rather play spoiler on the Yankees but if they didn't win this game with deGrom they aren't winning one anyway.

And of course Lugo out, possibly for good - and Harvey looking awful in his first rehab start.

Edited August 16, 2017 by NJDevs4978

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

10 hours ago, '7' said:

Ha. Good one. He just looks so wasted at a times. And just generally he doesnt have much of a "game face"

I don't like what I see from him early. Very short so high and wide throws to 1st are not gonna get fielded, neither will tall liners to first.

And he has such a weak powerless swing. I know it's unfair to render judgement this early but...I don't see it ever happening for Dom Smith here. Unless he hits .300 with a ton of doubles and 90+ rbi's, he's not going to make it. 

And he MUST lose weight. Tony Gwynn got away with it because he literally hit between .330 and .360 some years. But he also came up as a normal sized guy who stole bases. Smith needs to drop like 25 lbs minimum to improve his range and speed on the basepaths.

He's not really short...he's 6' 0".  And most accounts have him being a very good fielding first baseman. 

I think he could be effective at the plate even if he doesn't hit a ton of dingers...but obviously he's got to get on base.  His last three minor league seasons suggest that kind of a plate presence, but as well as know, big difference between A+, AA, and AAA ball and the big leagues.  We don't know if he can do it up here yet, but the good news is he's going to get a bunch more games up here before the season's out. 

Agree, Smith does need to get into better shape...what's a little concerning is that he slimmed down considerably before the season (he actually looked pretty trim), but started putting weight back on, Sid Fernandez-style...I was surprised to see how he looked upon his callup...looks like he gained about 20 lbs from the start of the season.  Smith supposedly blamed lack of good food choices on road trips, but if that isn't a completely ridiculous excuse (Rosario sure doesn't look chubby, does he?), then I don't know what is.  He needs to hire a trainer and dietician this offseason, and come to spring training in top shape...he's coming into 2018 with a job pretty much sewn up.  He shows up looking as paunchy as he does now, then I've got to start wondering about his dedication.

Here's how he looked in spring training...clearly put on a few since then:

 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

9 hours ago, NJDevs4978 said:

Ironically this is the best type of game for the Mets at this point with Rosario and Smith both hitting 2-run HR's (although Terry PH'ing Smith for Reyes in the 9th was like, what's the point?) but the team still losing

I mean part of me would still rather play spoiler on the Yankees but if they didn't win this game with deGrom they aren't winning one anyway.

And of course Lugo out, possibly for good - and Harvey looking awful in his first rehab start.

The Rosario and Smith HRs were fun, but let's face it, those are friggin' fly ball outs in a lot of parks...Yankee Bandbox is just absurd...Coors Field East at times.

Neither player has walked yet (they've combined for 19 K)...hope to see some improvement in that area before the season's out. 

Thought TC could've taken out deGrom after seven...just felt like one of those nights where it didn't make much sense to try to squeeze more outs of him. 

I swear, I think TC breaks out in hives at the thought of Reyes not playing...stop acting like you owe him something Terry!  A lot of teams would've released him based on this year's performance...you can bench the guy for a while...it's OK.  Guys hitting .223 with .288 OB%s don't have to get ABs or treated like they're white knights.  Reyes getting a hit in that spot last night will unfortunately only make this worse. 

['7']

1 hour ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

The Rosario and Smith HRs were fun, but let's face it, those are friggin' fly ball outs in a lot of parks...Yankee Bandbox is just absurd...Coors Field East at times.

Neither player has walked yet (they've combined for 19 K)...hope to see some improvement in that area before the season's out. 

Thought TC could've taken out deGrom after seven...just felt like one of those nights where it didn't make much sense to try to squeeze more outs of him. 

I swear, I think TC breaks out in hives at the thought of Reyes not playing...stop acting like you owe him something Terry!  A lot of teams would've released him based on this year's performance...you can bench the guy for a while...it's OK.  Guys hitting .223 with .288 OB%s don't have to get ABs or treated like they're white knights.  Reyes getting a hit in that spot last night will unfortunately only make this worse. 

Yankee Stadium is right now a perfect storm for HR's. It's always had those wind currents that travel through it and boost the ball, plus the juiced ball itself and the fact that the strike zone was tightened up...pitchers are helpless there. The HR Ellsbury hit last night was a joke but we've hit our own share of joke HRs in that ballpark too

It's still early for them, and it took Reyes well into 1000 career AB's to learn how to walk (don't want Reyes to be what we measure them against). I can remember a game I went to where it was bases loaded, 0 out, Reyes at the plate...3-0. Yep you guessed it. Weak eye high popup outside of first. I think they'll both come around but I just wish Rosario would lay off that slider 2 feet off the plate. He's K'd a lot on it and it's not exactly a pitch that even spends a split second in the strikezone so he's gotta do a better job identifying. It WILL be coming as the book on Rosario is collected. Amed has great plate coverage but even he can't get to a ball that's practically in the dugout.

Edited August 16, 2017 by '7'

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

43 minutes ago, '7' said:

Yankee Stadium is right now a perfect storm for HR's. It's always had those wind currents that travel through it and boost the ball, plus the juiced ball itself and the fact that the strike zone was tightened up...pitchers are helpless there. The HR Ellsbury hit last night was a joke but we've hit our own share of joke HRs in that ballpark too

It's still early for them, and it took Reyes well into 1000 career AB's to learn how to walk (don't want Reyes to be what we measure them against). I can remember a game I went to where it was bases loaded, 0 out, Reyes at the plate...3-0. Yep you guessed it. Weak eye high popup outside of first. I think they'll both come around but I just wish Rosario would lay off that slider 2 feet off the plate. He's K'd a lot on it and it's not exactly a pitch that even spends a split second in the strikezone so he's gotta do a better job identifying. It WILL be coming as the book on Rosario is collected. Amed has great plate coverage but even he can't get to a ball that's practically in the dugout.

Yeah, re:  the bolded, both Smith's and Rosario's HRs were iffy at best...not that I'm not happy for them, but you don't get cheapies like that in Citi.

And yeah, I can't go too too crazy over what Rosario and Smith have done to date (I wasn't expecting either one to come up here and start shredding), but it's weird that neither one has so much as drawn a single walk.  We'd heard about Rosario not being selective...guess we're really seeing it.  Good news is that he's having to adjust at the highest level, without PCL-bloating...I'm sure it was a little easy for guys like Rosario and Smith to start thinking that they're more beastly at the plate than they really are. 

 

['7']

Watch and learn Wilpons (they won't) this is how it's done

Source: Saints fire team orthopedists after misdiagnosis

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20358534/new-orleans-saints-fire-team-orthopedists-misdiagnosis

METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints have fired team orthopedists Deryk Jones and Misty Suri, a source told ESPN, after it was discovered that cornerback Delvin Breaux had a fracture in his fibula that was originally diagnosed as a bruise.

Breaux will require surgery and is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks. And although it was accurately reported by the New Orleans Advocate earlier this week that the Saints were frustrated with Breaux's history of nagging injuries that they felt he could have played through, they no longer appear as eager to trade or part ways with him.

 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Hey Freddy, Jeffy, and Sandy!  You know what this is called?

ACCOUNTABILITY!

I know, novel concept. 

[NJDevs4978]

Speaking of accountability of course the Mets can't go a week without some form of contreversy, this time because of Gsellman who responded to a question about Sandy saying he needed to pitch better popping off 'I don't care'.  Apparently Sandy's none too pleased

 

['7']

1 minute ago, NJDevs4978 said:

Speaking of accountability of course the Mets can't go a week without some form of contreversy, this time because of Gsellman who responded to a question about Sandy saying he needed to pitch better popping off 'I don't care'.  Apparently Sandy's none too pleased

 

I like the old Bobby V approach of not criticizing your players to the press (or doing so very rarely only when you need to light a fire), but overall I can't fault Sandy too much over it...Gsellman's answer was flippant at best and stupid at worst (this guy is your boss) Just go out an pitch like a bulldog and this will be all forgotten.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

11 minutes ago, '7' said:

I like the old Bobby V approach of not criticizing your players to the press (or doing so very rarely only when you need to light a fire), but overall I can't fault Sandy too much over it...Gsellman's answer was flippant at best and stupid at worst (this guy is your boss) Just go out an pitch like a bulldog and this will be all forgotten.

Gsellman has had a brutal year overall...really makes him look bad at the moment.  But this is how players can get when they're NEVER taken down a peg...who could forget when Sandy was criticizing Tejada in the papers at the end of 2013...of course Tejada would play in over 110 games in each of the following two seasons.  Inmates have been running the asylum here for years.   

Bobby V supposedly was a guy who had a way of leaking things to the press and criticizing players through back channels, that would have a way of getting in the papers without being directly attributed to him.  It really used to aggravate Mike Piazza at times, among other players (though Piazza did say in his bio that he did like Bobby V). 

Edited August 16, 2017 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[NJDevs4978]

I do remember the whole scuttlebutt that BV was talking about Todd Hundley burning the midnight oil too much and Hundley got all bothered by it, but there was apparently a bit of truth to it.

['7']

8 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Gsellman has had a brutal year overall...really makes him look bad at the moment.  But this is how players can get when they're NEVER taken down a peg...who could forget when Sandy was criticizing Tejada in the papers at the end of 2013...of course Tejada would play in over 110 games in each of the following two seasons.  Inmates have been running the asylum here for years.   

Bobby V supposedly was a guy who had a way of leaking things to the press and criticizing players through back channels, that would have a way of getting in the papers without being directly attributed to him.  It really used to aggravate Mike Piazza at times, among other players (though Piazza did say in his bio that he did like Bobby V). 

He also did that to Todd Hundley as well, heavily insinuated that he needed to curtail his drinking/smoking. Only that wasn't a back channel it was out in the open. But other than that I don't remember many Valentine/Player clashes. Even when Mark Corey and Tony Tarasco were busted I just remember Valentine almost being amused by it and mocking a stoner.

He also used to send his pitching coach out to make pitching changes which is something I hadn't seen before or since. It was strange...some saw it as arrogant

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Piazza said Valentine was very unpredictable...as much as Piazza thought BV could be a real nose at times, he said he could also be quite funny...much as I don't like Francesa, I remember one time after he interviewed BV, Francesa stammered "Whenever you ask him a question, his answers lead you to ask three more."  I think that actually summed up BV kind of well.  BV was definitely not an easy guy to take at times...especially since he always acted like the smartest guy in the room by far (though he would often get out-managed in the bigger games...he always seemed to have an Inferiority complex that would show itself at the worst possible times).  There was just something about him that really could rub people the wrong way, though he clearly had some success.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Maybe you should care now Robbie.  We'll let you know when Judge's ball lands.

[NJDevs4978]

Sadly Terry's best managing move(s) all year might have been the constant shifting of TDA and Cabrera from 2nd to 3rd to where TDA only had to make one putout, on a weak popup in the 9th.

['7']

13 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Maybe you should care now Robbie.  We'll let you know when Judge's ball lands.

Comments like that just...disappoint me. I'd so much rather a "I'll show that $%*&" attitude than his "I don't care"

It doesn't seem like much of these team cares right now. The Yankees want and need it more, and we just have very little pride left. And out offense has been picked apart by trades.

['7']

It's pathetic with Matz now. He's non competitive and doesn't belong on a baseball diamond. Immediately after the game he needs to be DL'd with something and just work towards getting his head together for 2018.

The season was over but you would've liked to see some fire and pride vs the Yankees. They've shown none.

[NJDevs4978]

I kind of hope that was Grandy's last AB as a Met (for 2017 at least) cause that would be a nice way to go out

['7']

29 minutes ago, NJDevs4978 said:

I kind of hope that was Grandy's last AB as a Met (for 2017 at least) cause that would be a nice way to go out

I think they'll trade him but, but I want him back for 2018. I realize when the bottom finally falls out for Granderson it's going to be hideous, but I just don't think it's going to be next season.

He is a leader, loved in the locker room. Can play any outfield position, never gets hurt. He will hit his 20 HR's at least, get on base at a .330-.360 clip. What's not to like?

But I can see him going to a contender for somebody's fringe 53rd round reliever

Rosario and Smith with brutal games, oh well. Rosario I'm not the least bit worried about.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Not going to get any prettier.  The next several weeks are going to be pure hell to watch.  

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

8 hours ago, '7' said:

I think they'll trade him but, but I want him back for 2018. I realize when the bottom finally falls out for Granderson it's going to be hideous, but I just don't think it's going to be next season.

He is a leader, loved in the locker room. Can play any outfield position, never gets hurt. He will hit his 20 HR's at least, get on base at a .330-.360 clip. What's not to like?

But I can see him going to a contender for somebody's fringe 53rd round reliever

Rosario and Smith with brutal games, oh well. Rosario I'm not the least bit worried about.

Grandy doesn't get enough hits and strikes out a lot...but, he is a great guy for sure, and finds ways to offset his usually low BAs...I would take his 2015 season every year.  His slow starts are really killers too...and when he slumps, he SLUMPS.  And I don't see any of that getting better throughout his late 30s.  I can't say that I would hate it if he came back, but it wouldn't thrill me either.  Just feels like it's time to move on.

['7']

I think the Mets really wish they could trust in Nimmo and have a seamless Grandy to Nimmo transition. At one time it was thought Nimmo would round into a very good 4th outfielder. Fringe starter.

I'm not so sure he will be, at 24 it's really time to start hitting your stride. He'll draw his walks but will he do much else? Never developed any power.

['7']

Granderson has been traded for the Dodgers. No word yet on the return but I'm sure it will be disappointing.

Such a bad year to be a seller

[NJDevs4978]

lol a PTBNL OR more cash back

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

This team isn't even going to win 70 games.

Sad how quickly this "run" of relevancy is already toast.  If Passive Uncreative is still the GM next season, does anyone with a brain see a productive offseason coming?  Though the returns weren't much (and in some cases just about nonexistent) I understood dealing off the vets who weren't going to be here beyond 2017 anyway...but I get the feeling this team is starting completely over.  It won't surprise me much if deGrom is dealt this offseason for a batch of prospects. Just a brutal time to be a fan of this franchise.  Same sh!t different decade.