Oh, The Pain
It might be April and just 18 games into the season, but the signs are everywhere that the New York Mets are about to go through another season from hell. Already the Mets have experienced, agonizing late inning losses from a bullpen that looks completely spent from over use, nagging injuries, and a feeling of hopelessness.
Ever since the ball went through Bill Buckner’s legs and Jesse Orosco threw his glove to the sky in the 1986 World Series, Mets fans have suffered a never-ending series of agony, heart break, frustration, disgusting and depression. From Mike Scioscia’s home run to Gregg Jeffries ripping apart the team’s chemistry. From Hard Ball is Back to Generation K. From Kenny Rogers walking in the winning run, to the Yankees celebrating at Shea Stadium. From 2002’s disaster to Endy Chavez catch meaning nothing. Collapses in 2007 and 2008, Bernie Madoff and the Royals running all over the bases the Mets just can’t catch a break.
Everything appeared to be in place as the season began, the Mets pitching staff that carried them to the 2015 World Series was back healthy and rested, and with the signing of Yoenis Cespedes the Mets appeared to have all the pieces in place, but that quickly has turned into an illusion. Lucas Duda and Wilmer Flores are on the disabled list, Cespedes is hobbled and the rest of the Mets lineup has been a disaster for the most part. Notable exceptions include Michael Conforto and Jay Bruce, but the rest have been beyond bad. Nobody had been worse than Jose Reyes, who has yet to put up a quality at bat and has been brutal in the field as his error cost them a game against the Philadelphia Phillies. As a team the Mets are hitting .211 and that includes a 14-run, 20-hit performance in Philadelphia on April 11th. Take that game out of the equation and Mets team batting average is below the Mendoza Line.
Saturday Afternoon on a dreary rainy day, the Mets looked water logged as they lost to the Washington Nationals 3-1, managing just two hits in the sixth inning off a tiring Gio Gonzalez who was no hitting the Mets through the first five innings. Against the Nats pen the Mets bats would once again go silent as they continued to put together poor swings and went down feebly over the final three innings.
Things don’t look much better for the Mets on Sunday as they send Zach Wheeler to the mound to face Max Scherzer on ESPN, with Yoenis Cespedes likely again unavailable as the Mets day-to-day turns in to week-to-week and 2-4 months with a training staff that has no clue how to keep the team healthy. Seriously, how does Ray Ramirez still have a job. Every year the Mets seem to have more injuries than the average team and it’s the same type of muscle pulls and misdiagnosed strains that turn into long term injuries. With that loss, the Mets will be 8-11 and five and half games behind the Nationals. With another series, next week in Washington the Mets could already have the division out of reach before the start of May. With a burnt-out bullpen, a lineup with no hope and showing no life what so ever the Mets could be a deep abyss to which there is no escape.
Frank Fleming is the Creator of the Sportsecyclopedia.com