Did Mets Leave Their Hearts In San Francisco?

By Jaap Stijl
Posted Monday, May 18, 2009

"It's unrealistic for a man with a fine mind to go on working year after year at a job he can't stand. Coming home to a place he can't stand, to a wife who's equally unable to stand the same things. And you know what the worst part of it is? Our whole existence here is based on this great premise that we're special. They we're superior to the whole thing. But we're not. We're just like everyone else! We bought into the same, ridiculous delusion."

-April Wheeler to Frank Wheeler in Revolutionary Road

In San Francisco, for three games anyway, the Mets reminded me of that scene in Revolutionary Road where a limp, dying marriage is suddenly invigorated when Kate Winslet tells Leonardo DiCaprio they should pick up and move to Paris.

Like that spontaneous suggestion from April Wheeler, the Mets sudden outburst of offence in San Francisco was delusional.

Sure, it was fun to think about it, fun to contemplate the Mets being an offensive juggernaut, fun to consider the Mets terrorising
opposing pitching for the rest of the season and running away with the NL East.

But the reality is, whether by injury, incompetence or inferiority, that scenario simply isn't plausible for the Mets. Instead of Paris, they'll struggle on in a boring Connecticut suburb of mediocrity and continue to disappoint those who believe in them.

One glaring issue is defence. Only four teams have committed more errors than the Mets in the National League this season. They've ruined brilliant pitching performances, dropped countless simple fly balls, have thrown to the wrong cut off men, bobbled simple ground balls, thrown wildly to first, you name it. Fourth worst in the National League in fielding percentage is not going to elevate the Mets to the National League East title.

Yes, the Mets pummelled the Giants pitching but a little nagging voice in the background was pointing out that the Mets weren't always going to score dozens of runs and the repulsive defensive miscues were not always going to be ignorable.

Naturally you will want to point out that Murphy for example, is only now learning to play left field or that Tatis although he can play the position, is not a regular first baseman and you'd be right - guys who play three or four positions are admirable but rarely are they extremely good in any of those positions. But this doesn't excuse Wright's inability at times to throw cleanly to first base. Nor does it excuse the miscues of Reyes or Castillo at second and short and thank christ for Carlos Beltran because without him, every fly ball to the outfield would be an adventure.

With the long term absence of Carlos Delgado to hip surgery, another issue is not only finding a first baseman to replace him (not a tall order given Delgado's lack of range) but more importantly, to find a bat to replace his in the order. Yes, no one even noticed Carlos was gone in San Francisco but Tatis is not always going to be hot and worse still, he doesn't adequately replace the intimidating bat that Delgado holds. Only Sheffield can strike real fear in the hearts of pitchers. Yes, Beltran and Wright are good if not great line drive hitters like most of the Mets lineup, but there is a certain intimidation element they miss.

More importantly, these Mets are psychologically and fundamentally flawed.

There is Oliver Perez, whose mental meltdown was complete almost before the season started, then you had Murphy looking like a deer in the headlights in left field night after night. In between, more inexplicable fielding blunders, thoughtlessly aggressive baserunning leading to unnecessary outs and rally killers. More recently, we've had Mike Pelfrey's psychologically disturbing balkathon on national television Sunday Night and just tonight, Ryan Church's idiotic failure to touch third base when moving to score what appeared to be the go-ahead run in the 11th inning against the Dodgers.

So dream as they will, the reality is that these Mets simply don't have the mental fortitude to make themselves happen. It isn't just a lack of edge, it is a lack of competence, a lack of mental stability and in essence, a lost team that for a few days, managed to find itself and spark our imagination.

Before you know it, the fundamental flaws will gradually overcome the brief inspirational moments and the season long angst, the bone-gnawing frustration will return in fool bloom.