New York Mets 2016 Season Thread

['7']

Mets did get fortunate last night as the Reds just mauled St. Louis. Only 5 games left for us, 6 for the Cards. I contend that if we ever are able to go 2.5 up on them at any point it's over, they wont catch us. Wainwright is going tonight and he's been horrible.

Edited September 27, 2016 by '7'

[nmigliore]

Hmmmmm...

['7']

Wilson Ramos has a torn ACL and is done for the year.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

4 minutes ago, '7' said:

Wilson Ramos has a torn ACL and is done for the year.

Damn...that's the kind of thing that usually happens to...well, our team. 

He's a free agent-to-be too. 

Edited September 27, 2016 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[nmigliore]

Come on guys... did neither of you get the "joke" above?

Hint: look at their injuries and put two and two together...

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

1 minute ago, nmigliore said:

Come on guys... did neither of you get the "joke" above?

Hint: look at their injuries and put two and two together...

I just did...damn all of these meetings I had at work today have really decalibrated my humor meter.  That's friggin' hilarious. 

[NJDevs4978]

19 minutes ago, nmigliore said:

Come on guys... did neither of you get the "joke" above?

Hint: look at their injuries and put two and two together...

It would have been funnier if the thumb was below the buttocks

[thecoffeecake]

10 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Funny coffee, I don't know exactly why it got to me as much as it did (with age comes a certain "hardening"), but I had the game on the radio (in the car on the way home) and heard the pre-game tribute, the playing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", and the national anthem...that already had me welling up (and Met radio man Howie Rose was clearly teared up after that was over)...I was thinking "Man, I need to pull it together when I get inside the house."  I turned the game on, saw Dee Gordon's HR, as soon as I saw him weeping as he rounded the bases...that was it.  I was done.  And when I saw other players also crying, that just added to it.  In a way I was glad that my wife and daughter were upstairs at the time. 

As kooky as this is going to sound, it's oddly "nice" to be reminded of your humanity, and the fact that you can still FEEL, and that you're not so hardened by the daily grind of simple existence that you no longer react to what is truly a sad and tragic event...one deserving of a intense heartfelt reaction.  That was one of the most purely raw emotional moments I think I've ever seen in a baseball game.  Right up there with Mike Piazza's post 9/11 HR for me. 

Yea it was a tough thing to watch when it was being replayed all night. I was on my way home from work as well when the game started and sat in my car watching the ceremony and Dee's homer. I share a studio apartment with my girlfriend so I had to keep it together during all the tributes and post game stuff. One of the Marlins broadcasters was crying interviewing Gordon on the field after the game.

['7']

5 hours ago, nmigliore said:

Come on guys... did neither of you get the "joke" above?

Hint: look at their injuries and put two and two together...

Yea. Not only did I not get it I missed it 3 more times reading it over. Then I burst out laughing. Damn I'm getting old

But if Murphy cant get his sh!t together and no Ramos...they aint beating the Cubs. Being a realist here the Mets may be in the playoffs and just be a sacrificial lamb, but if the Nats are not at full strength they're not making it to the series.

Edited September 28, 2016 by '7'

['7']

12-1. What a perfect spot for Familia said nobody ever.

[NJDevs4978]

34 minutes ago, '7' said:

Yea. Not only did I not get it I missed it 3 more times reading it over. Then I burst out laughing. Damn I'm getting old

But if Murphy cant get his sh!t together and no Ramos...they aint beating the Cubs. Being a realist here the Mets may be in the playoffs and just be a sacrificial lamb, but if the Nats are not at full strength they're not making it to the series.

Well between the Nats' offense and the Dodgers' pitching that'll be a first-round series for the walking wounded.

At least the Mets had a good outing from Thor and busted it open late.  I don't really get why we're using Familia in a blowout though.  If it's about not letting him get rusty pitch him tomorrow before the day off.

1 minute ago, '7' said:

12-1. What a perfect spot for Familia said nobody ever.

I get we haven't used him in five days...but you know what happens when you proactively bring a guy in to prevent rust - then he winds up pitching the next four games in a row.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

8 hours ago, '7' said:

Yea. Not only did I not get it I missed it 3 more times reading it over. Then I burst out laughing. Damn I'm getting old

But if Murphy cant get his sh!t together and no Ramos...they aint beating the Cubs. Being a realist here the Mets may be in the playoffs and just be a sacrificial lamb, but if the Nats are not at full strength they're not making it to the series.

As far as the Mets go...considering everything that's gone wrong with all of the arms (wow, now Matz is done for the year along with deGrom...who saw that coming?  Everyone except the Mets' medical staff, which had yet another rotten season), and the many other injuries, if they just get to the WC game, then they really did have a good season.  Serious kudos to Gsellman and Lugo too...we don't know what their long-term futures hold, but they both did much more in the short term than we possibly could have hoped for.  

If the Mets do get to that WC game and win it, I'll re-read the above as they're squashed by the Cubs...Mets really don't have much business being in a series with them in their current form.  And TC will make TC decisions that won't help.  

['7']

2 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

As far as the Mets go...considering everything that's gone wrong with all of the arms (wow, now Matz is done for the year along with deGrom...who saw that coming?  Everyone except the Mets' medical staff, which had yet another rotten season), and the many other injuries, if they just get to the WC game, then they really did have a good season.  Serious kudos to Gsellman and Lugo too...we don't know what their long-term futures hold, but they both did much more in the short term than we possibly could have hoped for.  

If the Mets do get to that WC game and win it, I'll re-read the above as they're squashed by the Cubs...Mets really don't have much business being in a series with them in their current form.  And TC will make TC decisions that won't help.  

It's gotten to the point with the Mets doctors and trainers and team hospital where it doesn't matter what they do, what they screw up, how many issues they bungle, how many guys they rush back, try to push them through injury, then have them on the surgical table two weeks later...nothing will change. I've sadly accepted there will be no reforms coming. There are too many Jay Horwitz type Wilpon lifer clowns among that group and they are just not going anywhere until the Wilpons disappear. The team will be a medical laughingstock indefinitely. It's almost like Milbury with the Isles...at first it was "Well maybe he's not so bad...maybe ownership is pressuring him to make these moves...ugh that was terrible...haha he's laughably bad...he's hilariously terrible...ok it's not funny anymore. We're stuck here forever"

[nmigliore]

I didn't think it was a big deal to use Familia when he hadn't pitched in so many days. The Mets have an off day tomorrow, so I'm not terribly concerned about him being overworked. TC probably figured it was better to bring him in with a massive lead to get some work in as opposed to holding off until they truly need him, where rust may affect his ability to hold a 1- or 2-run lead. Familia has some ugly splits when pitching on 6 or more days of rest, for whatever that's worth.

Remaining schedules for the WC-relevant teams:

Mets (4 games, +0.5 ahead of all): @ Marlins x1, @ Phillies x3

Giants (5 games, -0.5 behind Mets): vs Rockies x2, vs Dodgers x3

Cardinals (5 games, -1.5 behind Mets): vs Red x2, vs Pirates x3

Mets have the advantage of having the softest remaining schedule (I think?) while the Giants and Cards have the advantage of being at home in all remaining games. Based on the probable pitchers, it looks like the Giants may have to face Hill and Kershaw in their final series. The Cards face DeSclafani tonight, whose no pushover, but no clue who they will face against the Pirates, besides maybe Chad Kuhl.

Edited September 28, 2016 by nmigliore

['7']

Duda out. Last minute scratch...some soreness. Of course. Though Loney has stepped in an hit a HR. Kinda surprised we got 8hr's out of Loney to be honest.

['7']

Lugo...hanging by a thread here.

['7']

 Welcome back to the MLB Jay Bruce.

 

And now all of a sudden Terry has the quick hook. Didnt think Lugo was done there.

[NJDevs4978]

Just now, '7' said:

 Welcome back to the MLB Jay Bruce.

 

And now all of a sudden Terry has the quick hook. Didnt think Lugo was done there.

All it took was Bruce getting away from Citi amazingly enough.

Yeah I think Terry should have at least left him in for Mathis, but at least Robles came back to get him.

[NJDevs4978]

Really though with Lugo I'm having a hard time remembering a story like this, a guy who was a non-prospect having an undistinguished year in AAA (albeit in a bandbox) after an undistinguished minor league career all of a sudden forced into a key role in the majors and doing fairly well.  Even a guy like John Maine was a sixth rounder with stuff.  Terry Leach was actually in the majors with modest success before 1987.

[NJDevs4978]

Gotta give Sandy credit that two years in a row he managed to fortify the pen in August with under the radar acquisitions (Reed then, Salas now).

[NJDevs4978]

Well Mets get out of Florida with two out of three and handle a very different type of series as well as they possibly could have on and off the field.

Reds leading the Cards 2-1 in the 7th, if the Cards lose the Mets' magic number is down to two for clinching a WC spot.

Incidentally Colon starting tomorrow on short rest (makes sense cause he only threw like 45 pitches) to line him up for the WC game if Thor doesn't pitch it, Gsellman Saturday and TBD Sunday.

Edited September 29, 2016 by NJDevs4978

[NJDevs4978]

And the Reds win 2-1 in spite of working out of a lot of jams the last four innings, Mets' magic number for a spot in the WC game is two now.  Just win Friday and Saturday and they're in the WC game by Sunday.

Edited September 29, 2016 by NJDevs4978

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

11 hours ago, NJDevs4978 said:

Really though with Lugo I'm having a hard time remembering a story like this, a guy who was a non-prospect having an undistinguished year in AAA (albeit in a bandbox) after an undistinguished minor league career all of a sudden forced into a key role in the majors and doing fairly well.  Even a guy like John Maine was a sixth rounder with stuff.  Terry Leach was actually in the majors with modest success before 1987.

For all of the "What the hell is TC thinking?" moves we're forced to endure, I do like that he's erring on the side of caution with Lugo, for the reasons above.  I think there's a bit of a "When it all evens out, it could get really ugly quickly" feeling with Lugo...along with his putting up numbers that don't really seem sustainable (more on that below), such as terrific batting-average-againsts in just about every situation, he's also given up 7 HR in 64 IP (actually all 7 came in his last 6 starts, covering 35.1 IP)...and it seems like he's gotten a lot of bounces, like hard-hit balls right at guys, etc.  If it all does crash and burn for Lugo, at least it won't be due to shattered confidence, because TC went with him too long, and let what could've been a pretty good outing turn into a bad one.  TC has been guilty of that many times in the past, with many other starters.

There's some subtle signs that Lugo is coming back to Earth a little bit, further supporting TC's "short leash" approach with him...his last three starts (Mets did win them all):

15.1 IP, 13 H, 6 ER, 4 HR, 9 BB, 8 K 

The HR and BB (as well as the K-to-BB ratio) are a little unnerving.  Wouldn't surprise me if the Cubs (if the Mets get that far) would have their way with him.  But Lugo's full body of work as a starter is so far above and beyond what the Mets ever could've asked of him, that regardless of what happens to him in the playoffs, he was a huge reason the Mets even were even able to nab a WC berth.

His full body of work as a starter:  8 starts, 47 IP, 39 H, 14 ER, 7 HR, 15 BB, 29 K, 2.68 ERA     He went 5-1 while his team went 7-1 in those starts. 

And as one would suspect, sabermetics aren't kind to him at all.  His FIP is 4.33 and his xFIP is 4.71...when there's that much of a discrepancy between a player's ERA and FIP/xFIP, that doesn't usually bode well for his success continuing. 

---------------------------------------

In what was guaranteed to be an uncomfortable and difficult series to play for the Mets, for them to come out of Miami having won two out of three is impossible to find issue with.  I think most of the emotion and fight the Marlins had left probably came in those early innings against a had-nothing Colon...notice that they only scored three runs the rest of the series, while giving up 20.  They are clearly a team and franchise in mourning and very much down...they probably just want this season to end as quickly as possible.

San Fran had some opportunities in their game, but grounded into a couple DPs over the later innings, and then couldn't get any runs home with runners on first and third and two out (winning run at the plate).  Colorado was clearly relishing the chance to play spoiler...Rockies' starter Tyler Chatwood (8 IP, 3 H, 9 K) was very much dialed in and couldn't have been more into the game.  Giants were visibly frustrated (Samardzija was furious after being taken out after allowing his second run)...all the losing has to be weighing heavily on them.  They've won three in a row just once since the ASB.  ONCE.  26-42 in the second half overall.  From leading their division to hanging on for dear life to a WC berth.

As we know, it was on August 19 that the Mets fell to 60-62, and were looking hopeless and ready to fall completely out of the WC chase within a matter of days.  Everyone's records since August 20:

Mets  25-12

Giants  15-21

Cards  17-21

Bucs  16-23 

Marlins  16-21 

It's really amazing how out of everyone above (especially with Mets players dropping like flies), the Mets were the ONLY team to put up ANY kind of a fight down the stretch...not one of the other teams could even manage a .500 record over this time frame.  And the Cards and Giants just keep on stumblin'.   

To go full Sterio with a girl analogy...it's like there was one hot chick and one almost-as-hot chick up for grabs (both completely approachable and ready to hang out with some fun guys).  Standing within earshot of these ladies for HOURS were four decent-looking-to-fairly good-looking dudes nearby, but not one of those guys had the balls to go up to either girl to strike up a conversation, so they all just shuffled their feet and stared at the floor with their hands in their pockets, mumbling to themselves...then a fifth guy who's not really any better looking or wittier than the first four comes out of nowhere, and is on crutches to boot, has both girls laughing their asses off and into him big-time; it's quickly very apparent that both women have been completely won over by Dude #5, and though it's not quite clear which girl he's going home with, it's pretty obvious that unless he does something really stupid at this point, he's definitely not going home alone...leaving the other four to wonder why the hell they didn't try a hell of a lot sooner.

Mets might only need more win, but we'll know better after tonight's games.  If the Cards lose three out of four to the Reds and the Giants lose another to the Rockies...man, neither team really deserves much of anything.  At least the Mets found a way to go out and take it.   

Edited September 29, 2016 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[NJDevs4978]

It's astonishing but at this point all the Mets need to do is win Friday and Saturday and it won't matter even if the Cards and Giants run the table from here, the Mets would clinch home field for the WC, and before Sunday cause we have the tiebreaker on the Giants and the Catds would be too far back.

Edited September 29, 2016 by NJDevs4978

[nmigliore]

Man, what a perfect outcome last night with Mets winning and Cards and Giants losing. Mets now get a nice day off while the pressure amplifies in San Francisco and St. Louis, who both play tonight.