Groundhog Day in Flushing

Every season seems to be the same in Met land. The Mets have the potential to play as a perennial playoff contender, but their owners refuse to take on  more money to take this team to the next level. The Mets started off 15-4 and are now currently 36-36. This team is now .500, and will only continue to fade into irrelevancy.

I as a fan, care more about the team than Fred and Jeff Wilpon. They refuse to make this team better and have put their trust into a horribly run front office. The Mets are a small market team, in a big market and have used Billy Beane's moneyball theory. The main part of the moneyball theory is to get inexpensive players, who can get on base. The Mets problem is, their two highest paid active players do not get on base.

Michael Cuddyer and Curtis Granderson at first seemed like very good signings, but in fact their stats were inflated by the stadiums they were playing in. Cuddyer at Coors Field and Granderson at Yankee Stadium.

The Mets will continue to use every excuse in the book, that they did not expect to be playing at the .500 level or injuries have killed them. When in fact, injuries have killed them, but they also killed the Nationals. The Mets have had every opportunity in the world to take advantage of the Nationals injuries, and absolutely refused to do so. Now that the Nationals are playing like expected, the Mets will only get farther in the rear view mirror. 

The blame goes from the owners right down to the players, the problem is, nothing will be done about it. They will continue to waste great pitching, because they refuse to upgrade the offense and defense. The Mets will continue to be a disappointment to fans and will again  fall back into being as irrelevant as everyone pictured them to be.

Mets fans can put this season in the books on this date, June 24th. The bright side about this, is that football only starts in 81 days.

Mets are sinking fast

The Mets are the Titanic, the Wilpons/Alderson are the iceberg.

A team that was once 20-11 is now 25-21. They have lost 10 of their last 15 and have gotten swept twice on the road by the Cubs and Pirates.

A team with so much promise, looks like they hit their peak too soon. So who do we blame? Sandy Alderson and Fred and Jeff Wilpon are the easiest answers, but Terry Collins may be the scapegoat in this sitaution.

Blame Alderson for his awful free agent signings. The only one that has worked out so far is Bartolo Colon, but that's not the Mets biggest issue. The two veteran hitters that Alderson has signed to "bolster" his lineup have been duds. He has yet acquire that dynamic hitter that the Mets need desperately.

Blame the Wilpons for wasting David Wright's best years, for being too selfish to sell this team, and for not willing to spend the big bucks for a player that could send the Mets to the next level.

Good pitching can only take you so far. The Mets have a AAA lineup out there on the field and the team looks like they hit and field blindfolded. It is up to Sandy Alderson to find a replacement for David Wright. Wright's career is in jeopardy, and you cannot replace your best player with the Danny Muno's and Eric Campbell's of the world. Say what you want about Wright, but this team is only going as far as he goes.

Alderson needs to get creative, go call around to Oakland and Milwaukee, two teams that look ready to have a fire sale soon. If you do not get a capable bat at 3B this team has no chance to keep up with the Nationals, a team that they once had a 6.5 game lead over.

No more of the excuses that we did not expect to be this good or the fans need to be patient. The entire feeling aound the Mets was that this team was going to the playoffs, whether you liked it or not. That does not seem like the attitude anymore. The Mets are holding on for dear life right now, and it is only a matter of time before the rest of the NL East catches up to them. If Sandy Alderson does not throw this sinking team a life perserver, they will return back to being irrelevant and the joke of the organization that they are.

Jets OC names Geno Smith the starter in May?

The New York Jets are now running things differently, instead of rigging a QB competition in camp, the Jets just flat out said who will be the starter coming into next season.

Chan Gailey will try and squeeze as much as he can out of Geno Smith. Geno Smith was arguably the worst quarterback in the NFL the past two seasons. Now the new regime, is trying to see what they can get out of him.

In his 3rd NFL Season, Smith is out of excuses. With an OC like Gailey, and weapons like Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Devin Smith, Jeremy Kerley, Chris Ivory, Stevan Ridley. Zac Stacy, Bilal Powell, Jace Amaro, and Jeff Cumberland, what more does he need?

Obviously Smith was going to be the starter this season, this comes as no suprise. What comes as a surprise is that they named him the starter on May 20th, about 4 months away from the start of the NFL season. Is Ryan Fitzpatrick injury worse than originally thought? Does the new regime want to see what they have in Smith? Who knows?

The only question that matters at this point is if the Jets really have faith in Geno Smith. I personally believe that Smith will improve from the help of Chan Gailey and company. The same Chan Gailey that made Tyler Thigpen look like a good quarterback. Do not take my word for it or bank on Geno Smith having a comeback season, this is the same Smith who Rex Ryan thought "really improved from his rookie season", what a disaster that turned out to be.

Time to Panic

The New York Mets were once sitting atop of the NL East with a comfortable lead above the Braves and Nationals. Now their lead over the Nationals is just 1.5 games. This is the same team that started off 15-5 after an 11 game winning streak. Now the Mets are sitting at 20-15, and have dropped 12 out of their last 19.

A couple weeks ago the Mets were the best team in baseball, a couple weeks ago they also had Travis d'Arnaud, David Wright, and Jerry Blevins, who had all gotten off to hot starts.

The offense and defense have been killers. While the Mets pitching staff has been absolutely breezing through the season, the offense is failing to score runs and the defense is failing to get outs. When Matt Harvey is picthing a gem, and all you can get him is a lousy RBI-ground out, you know there is a problem.

Veterans like Michael Cuddyer and Curtis Granderson have got to step up, otherwise they will make Sandy Alderson look like a fool again. Also, when Wilmer Flores is leading your team in home runs, you know there is an issue.

What the Mets need to do is make a splash. Go acquire Tulo or Starlin Castro. It automatically makes your offense and defense a whole lot better. The surplus of starting pitching can only do you so much if you cannot put runs on the scoreboard for them.

After getting swept by the Cubs in a 4 game series, the Mets need a bounce back series at home vs the floundering Brewers. 20-15 is not acceptable after the start they had, and if they keep this up, the Nationals are more than ready to take the reigns of the NL East.

Hopefully dropping a 4 game series vs the Cubs is a wake up call and not an indication of more struggling to come.

Mets look like they have a gem in Familia

Jeurys Familia is 13-13 in save opportunities this season. Bobby Parnell being hurt and Jenrry Mejia being suspended for steroids, might be a blessing in disguise.

The Mets have not had a great closer since John Franco, and now they have one in Familia.

Familia has been virtually unhittable this season, and beat reporters are going after Terry Collins for "overusing" him. Collins has no choice, Familia has to be inserted into almost every save opportunity just because of how good he's been.

It's going to be hard for Mejia and Parnell to take the job back from Familia. Neither will do it unless he shows signs of regression.

The Mets have a new found "gem" in Familia, and he will be a key player down the stretch for the Mets.

Crazy's Final Mock Draft

#1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
#2 Cleveland Browns (From Tennessee Titans); Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
#3 Jacksonville Jaguars: Dante Fowler, OLB/DE, Florida
#4 Oakland Raiders: Leonard Williams, DT, USC
#5 Washington Redskins: Vic Beasley, OLB/DE, Clemson
#6 New York Jets: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
#7 Chicago Bears: Kevin White, WR, West Virgina
#8 Atlanta Falcons: Bud Dupree, OLB/DE, Kentucky
#9 New York Giants: Brandon Scherff, OT/G, Iowa
#10 St Louis Rams: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
#11 Minnesota Vikings: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
#12 Tennessee Titans (From Cleveland Browns): DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
#13 New Orleans Saints: Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
#14 Miami Dolphins: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
#15 San Francisco 49ers: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
#16 Houston Texans: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
#17 San Diego Chargers: Danny Shelton, NT, Washington
#18 Kansas City Chiefs: La'el Collins, OT, LSU
#19 Tennessee Titans (From Cleveland Browns via Buffalo Bills): Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
#20 Philadelphia Eagles: Nelson Agholor, WR, USC
#21 Cincinnati Bengals: Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas
#22 Pittsburgh Steelers: Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forrest
#23 Detroit Lions: Jordan Phillips, NT, Oaklahoma
#24 Arizona Cardinals: Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
#25 Carolina Panthers: DJ Humphries, OT, Florida
#26 Baltimore Ravens: Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
#27 Dallas Cowboys: Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
#28 Denver Broncos: TJ Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
#29 Indianapolis Colts: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
#30 Green Bay Packers: Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson
#31 New Orleans Saints (From Seattle Seahawks): Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut
#32 New England Patriots: Steven Nelson, CB, Oregon State

* Cleveland Trades Picks #12, #19, and next year's 1st round pick to Tennessee in exchange for the #2 Pick

The Injury bug bites the Mets twice

On April 21st, the New York Mets sit atop the NL East with a comfortable 1.5 game lead over the Atlanta Braves, who they open up a series against tonight. After winning 8 straight games in a row, the Mets look like one of the best teams in the MLB. Granted their 8 straight wins came against the Braves, Phillies, and Marlins, but good teams have to beat teams that they are supposed to beat.

On Sunday, the injury bug struck twice in Flushing. The Mets lost left-handed relief picther, Jerry Blevins and Catcher, Travis d'Arnaud all within a matter of minutes. d'Arnaud has to wear a splint for 3 weeks, and Blevins has to wear a splint for 6 weeks. The good news is, that neither injury requires surgery. So, the Mets will be without d'Aranud probably until Memorial Day and Blevins until Fathers Day.

The Mets have already lost David Wright to injury, so this d'Arnaud injury obviously does not help their offense. Curtis Granderson and Daniel Muprhy have got to step up, they have both respectively gotten off to horrible starts at the plate, so it is time for them to pick up the slack

Top Catching Prospect, Kevin Plawecki, has been called up to try and replace Travis d'Arnaud production behind the plate and at the plate, 

The Mets are in win now mode, and they are doing what they can to win. 10-3 is a really good start, but if the offensive production drops off, so will the wins.