What’s worse than watching a baseball game in September that’s meaningless? How about watching a meaningless baseball game in September being played in “Your Name Here” Stadium in South Florida in front of dozens of fans with an hour plus rain delay? Then when the game resumes your team in this meaningless contest has the lead and the pitcher who is thought to be the closer of the future comes in and blows the save for the fourth time in nine chances, but his ass is saved by a player who you couldn’t give away at least three times this season getting the game winning hit?
So is the tale of Bobby Parnell and Nick Evans. Parnell has been given the opportunity to show he should be the closer for the Mets from now until whenever but he has shown that he does not have the qualities needed to be effective at that position. Parnell has a flamethrower for a right arm but has a ton of trouble locating pitches for strikes. He also has this nasty habit of giving up a hit and then falls apart by falling behind in the count to the next batter who either walks or gets a nice juicy fastball or a flat slider to mash at. It’s not just the pitches that are ineffective; it seems Parnell loses some nerve and confidence when he’s behind the 8 ball. Small fires become forest fires for him on the mound.
It looks as though the manager who has shown a lot of faith in him is starting to doubt if Parnell can close out games:
“Well, we’re going to talk to Bobby tomorrow,” Collins said. “I mean, there’s a couple things (pitching coach) Dan (Warthen) had talked about with him, a couple of little pitch-location stuff that he’s just got to be able to make. He’s got to make some pitches.
“He’s got a great arm and he’s got really great stuff. But the bases on balls hurt him. Getting behind in the count hurts him. You saw the first hitter, he went right at him with good fastballs, got ahead of him in the count, and throws him a slider and it’s a mismatch. But you’ve got to be able to get ahead.”
It has got to be deflating to the team to have Parnell blow as many saves as he has and Collins made be sensing some frustration in the clubhouse so why not take Parnell out of this roll and let him work on getting his mind as well as his pitches back to where he can be effective. There is too much talent in that right arm to give up on Parnell, but Terry Collins wants to end this season on a winning note as well as evaluating players who have a future with the Mets and who doesn’t. Using a committee of Manny Acosta, Jason Isringhausen and the neophyte Josh Stinson looks to be the way to go for these final weeks of the season.
As for Nick Evans, how can you not root for him? He’s been tossed on the scrap heap time and again but never gets discouraged and when he gets opportunities, as he is now playing 1st base on a nightly basis, he is producing with his bat and his glove. From trolling around the team you can tell the players hold Evans in high regard as they know how hard he works to stay in the big leagues and if he can continue to produce like he has, and impress the manager like he has, he will have a spot on the 2012 Mets 25 man roster.
DIARY OF A MAD METS BLOGGER
Last night I tuned into the Mets post game show right in the middle of a Bobby Ojeda rant. It seems Bobby O feels the Mets should (if I heard this right) forget about re-signing Jose Reyes to a big contract and instead focus on obtaining pitching both starting and relievers that the team sorely lacks. With Reyes latest revelation that his hammy is still tight and the comments by Ojeda, where I was once sure the Mets and Reyes would find a way to make a deal, I’m not as optimistic now and I’m kind of leaning in Bobby O’s direction.
There is not a stronger lighting rod subject among Mets fans that the status of Reyes and David Wright. Even in the MSM and amongst the bloggers, if you take the names of Reyes and Wright in vain, expect a shit storm of negative comments to come your way. We love them same as we love R.A. Dickey and Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans and every single prospect from Bingamton down to Kingsport. There is no in between with Mets fans toward Mets players we either love you or loath you.
But we are also sick of losing, of being mocked and for being treated like this is the worst organization in baseball. With all the mismanagement and gullible owners, this organization is not the disaster it’s portrayed to be. But maybe there comes a time where a GM has to make the decision that the fan base will not only be unhappy with but claim they will secede from the fan base, maybe Sandy Alderson should tell Reyes and his reps that the two draft picks the Mets get are worth more than five years of sore hammy’s and second division finishes. Maybe Alderson has to make it known that Wright can be had in the right deal? Maybe it’s time to blow this up and stop fooling ourselves the Mets will contend ion 2012. For what , the top pick in the armature draft in 2013? Surely not a pennant.
All you hear is fans saying “if Reyes is not re-signed I’ll never set foot in Citi Field again” Same thing if Wright is dealt. But these same “fans” stay away because the team falls out of contention but the middle of August. Ok which is it?
Fans are not going to Mets games now as it is, when you have to have a night for cancer awareness, Star Wars, a salute to the Philippines and set aside a section for people to come knit, yes I said KNIT then your problems are deep and need a serious attention.
This is not at all a rant against Reyes or Wright as they are not at all to blame for the last few years of dreck in Flushing, but if your team has awful pitching and defense and a stagnant offense is it worth it to have a $20 mil a year shortstop with sore hamstrings and a $15 mil 3rd baseman you has lost his way offensively and defensively? If you say yes, then get your Darth Vader suit and knitting needles ready for 2012 and beyond.
Here it is September when pennant races should be the topic of conversation but we as Mets fans have a Star Wars night and old ladies knitting in the ¼ filled stands. Well, I’m fucking sick of it and another thing ,what the hell is Terry Collins thinking having Willie Harris bunting with Angel Pagan on 1st with no outs in the 6th inning of a 2-2 game? Are you serious? That was right out the Jerry Manuel Too Cool For Baseball School Handbook. Agggggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrr who cares. Knit one, Pearl two.