News flash: you’re not, in fact, required to watch the 2017 Mets’ death throes.
I don’t know if that’s fair — maybe there are some among us who in fact must do so. Those paid by the Mets, for instance. You’re off the hook. Or those granted parole under really odd conditions. That might violate the ban on cruel and unusual punishments, so consult an attorney.
The rest of us are free to go. Though good luck with that.
I tried last night. I really did. With the Mets getting their brains beat in — the details will be recorded in no great detail, as they no longer even remotely matter — I decided to flip over and see if the Indians could come back from a one-run deficit against the Royals and win their 22nd in a row.
I tuned in to see Jay Bruce stride to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth. There was some faint solace, at least — I could watch a former Met do something heroic for his new team.
Bruce popped the ball up, getting Mets all over his Indians. The next guy made an out. The Indians were in trouble.
The Mets, meanwhile, were posting some kind of pathetic semi-rally. Online the remnants of #MetsTwitter were roused to watchfulness with a heaping side of ironic distance.
I flipped back over a second before a Met hit into a double play.
Yeah.
Emily came home, there were various things that needed doing and somehow the ballgame turned really frightful (as opposed to merely awful) while I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention. The score was now 13-5 or 133-5 or something even more ghastly than that.
I quit to see if the Indians might somehow persevere despite having Mets on their roster. And they did! They tied it up in the ninth, and then Jay Bruce — that same Jay Bruce! — delivered victory with a walk-off double. Bedlam in Cleveland! And kudos to the Indians’ announcers, who were wise enough to hush and let the moment speak for itself.
Buoyed a little, I flipped back to the Mets game. It was, mercifully, almost over. Except good things were happening! Tomas Nido was at the plate, and he got a hit! His first big-league hit! And it wasn’t even an error masquerading as a hit, like the initial knock recorded a few innings earlier by Cubs rookie catcher Taylor Davis. (Last big-league game where two opposing catchers each got their first hit?)
A lot of bad things had happened in this game. The Mets were poised to be eliminated from postseason possibility, though I do hope nobody out there was still keeping their calendar open. They’d given up the most runs in a three-game series, 39 — 39! — in their history. Their starters’ ERA was threatening that of the ’62 Mets.
Despite that, I was happy for Nido and felt my scorn and disgust recede slightly. As I’d known would happen if you gave me the slightest bit of good news. Because I am incorrigible. Because despite it all, I bleed orange and blue — in fact, I hemorrhage it and really desperately need a tourniquet.
A minute later, Nido reached third on a bunt that left Alex Avila stumbling backwards. So he tried to score. This was not a good idea. Nido looked like a little kid who’d run out to play tag with the big kids but hadn’t figured out the rules. He was tagged out by an apologetic-looking Felix Pena and the ballgame was over.
The ballgame was over. The season groans along. You don’t have to watch. You’d be advised not to. You will anyway.
Long time reader, first time commenting.
Though I hate having to watch Mets games while listening to rival commentators (get both PHL and WSH games on cable) or even worse, on ESPN/MLBN broadcasts, I am glad that I am no longer residing in the local broadcast area, and would have the same compulsion to watch the game, “simply because it’s there”.
As per your recommendation, I’ll try to avoid any remaining PHL or WSH broadcasts that contain any Mets for the remainder of the season, except, I won’t.
Another game featuring multiple Mets leaving injured on non-contact plays. I’m beginning to feel a little bit like Joe Beningo with his Jets. We may, in fact, really, truly, be cursed. OH, THE PAIN. THE PAIN!!!!!!
In addition to allowing 39 runs in 24 innings in Chicago, they gave up 8 runs in the last 3 innings of their last game before Chicago. That’s a total of 47 runs in 27 innings! I wonder if that’s a MLB record.
Remarkable that the Mets began the season with the expectation they would have a top-5 MLB pitching staff with a reasonable possibility of being the top pitching staff. Elite starting pitchers, elite set-up man and closer, and depth.
Instead, the Mets have the 28th-ranked MLB pitching staff for the season, and they’ve become worse this month.
As frustrating as it is to drop from the expectations borne from a World Series run and a fun freak push to the wild card game, bad Mets baseball is still better than no Mets baseball. I’d be more inclined to give the current version of the Mets a pass mid-season, but with so few games left in 2017, I’ll watch before they’re all gone. At least the younger Mets, including Montero, and deGrom are worth tracking.
It’s discouraging that the young relievers, especially the ones acquired for the veterans, are being lit up. I guess they weren’t top-ranked prospects in their former organizations for a reason, even if they do throw 95 MPH fastballs.
The ALDS series between the Indians and I’m guessing the Yankees will be a good one.
Bruce is playing about as well for the Indians as he did for the Mets. It’s just more meaningful now.
I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see Plawecki pitch any of these games. I was hoping he could get his ERA down a few points. With the softball scores that have been coming in daily, I thought for sure he had pitched at lease one of these games. That’s how bad this pitching staff is. Plawecki-level.
Happy for all the catch and release we did this season – Bruce to Cleveland, Granderson to LA, Rivera to Chicago, Reed to Boston. These guys should send Sandy a really nice Christmas card. We’ll be able to watch our ’17 Mets team throughout the playoffs! Only guy who missed out was Cabrera – maybe next time don’t demand a trade so loudly…
What’s most Amazin’ (TM) is that back in the day the Marlins’
ownership would intentionally tear down their championship teams. The mets were supposedly constructing a dynasty, and now seem to be fielding one of their worst teams ever.
But yes we’ll be able to watch many mets, newly and not-so-newly departed throughout the post season.
After finally reaching a place where the disappointments of 07 and 08 could be let-go…I have to wonder if I’ll ever see another great mets run like we had two years ago.
Good to read that Barwis’ job is safe on the most brittle team in baseball.
Would any sane free-agent want to join this car crash?
Unfortunately I’ll likely watch many remaining games with one eye half open…
My biggest Mets fear right now is that 2018 is going to be just like this. I worry that they’ll take their “this should be good enough” approach and not make sweeping changes to things like the medical and training staff (just read that the strength and conditioning coach is coming back next year) and that they’ll make assumptions (“David Wright should be back and fine at third, Harvey is penciled in as our #3 SP”) that aren’t based on anything aside from sheer hope. Just two measly years ago the Mets schooled the Cubs in what I considered to be the single greatest Mets post-season performance ever and now here we are, with that team a distant memory and the current one in total shambles. Depressing isn’t even the word.
On Thursday morning, the Mets were 7 games in front of the Phillies, with 17 games to play. This morning, the Mets are 6 games in front of the Phillies, with 16 games to play. If you need a reason to watch.
I just hope for a more competitive team next year. This has been a very painful season and I’m sort of looking forward to it ending (but I will watch to the bitter end). And I REALLY hope the management and owners honor the good will and dedication of Mets fans everywhere by making some intelligent decisions in the off season.