New York Mets Display Art of Futility in 16-Inning Loss
The New York Mets won four games in a row beating up on the Miami Marlins and the Minnesota Twins. Had the Mets won the extra-inning contest the club played Thursday night in San Francisco, they might have felt as if they had turned a corner.
They haven’t.
The gruesome manner in which they lost, after Pete Alonso belted his 32nd home run of the season, belied their ideas of competing for a postseason slot.
The pitcher sent out in the bottom of the 16th to close the game was a Triple-A reliever, a suspect, not an accomplished craftsman. Chris Mazza was a Rule-5 pickup by the Mets after bumbling around the minor leagues of several MLB teams. He pitched the 15th and came out for the 16th inning.
Big mistake. Even if he was their last relief pitcher. A position player might have done better.
Three batters into the 16th inning the game was over. A dreadful 3-2 loss after the Mets had already penciled the game into the W column.
Yet another example of the Mets’ uninspired talent evaluation. No other teams wanted this pitcher for a reason.
But when there’s nothing in the cupboard, anything seems like something. See, look who we have!
After Alonzo’s home run in the 16th inning last night, I fell asleep believing the Mets had won the game. When I woke up three hours later and checked the score, I saw they lost 3-2.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. I rubbed them to make sure what I had seen. Simply incredible.
Yet another reason the New York Mets are essentially a glorified Triple-A team with abominable relief pitching. The only redeeming quality that I enjoy when watching a Met game is listening to Ron Darling or, as was the case last night, Keith Hernandez discuss the game.
Hernandez is irreverent, knows the game well and serves as a perfect foil for the play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen. Whether it’s Hernandez or Darling (who is effective in a different tone than Hernandez), or both, there is a spirited camaraderie in the booth, and the descriptions of the game are literate. Intelligent. The broadcasting combination is inspired. Quite often, I laugh along with them.
Otherwise, there’s no reason to watch a Met game. They’re not competitive. Too many old players. Too many players playing out of position. And not enough young talent on the team. When are they going to wise up? Keep their top prospects? Play to win?
The Liability called Todd Frazier
In that vein, Todd Frazier continues to play third base for the New York Mets, and I don’t understand why. He is a player on the wrong side of 30 and adds little to the success of the team. He’s no longer the feared home run hitter he once was. And while his defense is acceptable, that’s not enough to justify his inclusion in the lineup. I would go so far as to say he’s not even justifying his spot on the 25-man roster. He should be sent packing. It’s called Designated for Assignment.
Then the Mets could play a younger player at third base. Perhaps Jeff McNeil or J.D. Davis.
That would allow them to play Dom Smith in the outfield. Why not get both McNeil and Smith in the lineup at the same time, everyday?
It’s time to see what Dom Smith can do as a full-time player before the Mets trade him for a bag of balls and he becomes a useful piece on another organization’s 25-man roster.
This would give the Mets a chance to evaluate his performance and perhaps see him fulfill his potential. The Mets must have believed in the player at some point. Otherwise, why select him in the first round? (Okay, then-GM Sandy Alderson’s regime selected Smith first in 2013.) At the very least, if he begins to prove himself, he builds up his trade value and might justify a reasonable return. Dom Smith for Todd Frazier? Done. No need to think about it.
The Golden Sombrero
Buster Posey put on his first golden sombrero last night. He struck out four times in the 16 inning victory against the New York Mets. Another sign that the days are coming to an end for Posey? And no, he would not look good in a New York Mets uniform.
