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After writing this site for a few years now and reading a lot of mainstream media and blogs about the Mets, I find that it’s easy to focus on the negative aspects of the team. It’s especially easy coming off a disastrous 2009 season opening Citi Field with a “thud”. As a matter of fact, the whole organization was dismal. So much so, that Jeff Wilpon had to tour the minor league cities apologizing for the ugly teams they fielded.
With that being said, I’d like to focus on some positive stories going into 2010. It’s not all bad when you have the highest payroll in the league. You always have a chance even if the people running the organization are subpar, as is the case with the Mets. Money can overcome a lot of obstacles. I feel really bad for the Pirates and Royals fans that know they have no shot before the season even starts. Although things don’t look great for the Mets yet, we do have a shot.
Here are my five positive story lines for the season.
- We still have Johan Santana. Need I say more? This guy is the real deal and hasn’t disappointed on his $137 million contract. And that’s saying something. The last few years of the deal might not be so rosy but Santana is a bright spot on this team and I certainly expect him to stay that way for 2010. He was 13-9 with a 3.13 ERA for last year’s snakebit team. That’s a major accomplishment.
- Jose Reyes is back. He only played in 36 games last year after playing in at least 153 games since 2005. He may not have the same home run totals that he had at Shea Stadium but he should be the league leader in doubles and triples at Citi Field. I love to watch him play, maybe more than any other player on the team. I can’t wait to see him out there again.
- Brian Schneider is gone. Talk about addition by subtraction. He can take his .218 average and go! No matter who is catching this year, I’ll take them over Schneider. I couldn’t stand him even though there’s something to be said for playing solid defense behind the plate. You can’t run an automatic out in the lineup everyday.
- Francisco Rodriguez will have something to pitch for. He wasn’t great last year, but wasn’t terrible either. 35 for 42 in saves isn’t too bad. Honestly, what did he have to pitch for last year anyway? He looks like a guy that pitches on emotion. There was nothing to get excited about for the Mets in 2009 for him or anyone else. I expect him to be back at the top of his game.
- David Wright will bounce back from a bad season. He had a concussion and went on the disabled list. He couldn’t hit for power. Everything went wrong last year. He even had to wear that crazy batting helmet. It doesn’t get much worse than that. It was just a bad year. He’s not incapable of hitting home runs at Citi Field.
Those are my top five positive story lines for the year. It feels good to write something positive about this team. I hope to be doing a lot more of it over the next ten months. Oh, by the way, Jason Bay will be in left field everyday instead of Gary Sheffield. What are your top positive story lines for the year?
The Mets Report 
Trying to put a prediction spin on this and not to steal any of Dave's Thunder.Optimistic Predictions for the 2010 Season:1) A player on the the Met's will win comeback player of the year.2) The everyday players come back healthy with a chip on their shoulder. As a result, the Mets lead the league in runs, doubles, and triples. Pagan/Matthews Jr. platoon works out great in Beltran's absence.2) Oliver Perez has a long pre-season talk with Zen Master Phil Jackson and suddenly learns how to control his pitches. He's a free agent again in 2010 right?3) John Maine fully recovers from his injuries and pitches like a #2 starter. He wins the Comeback Player of the Year Award.4) Mike Pelfrey gains command of his pitches and is selected to the All Star team.5) With the starters going deeper into games, the bullpen stays fresh and healthy. The Met's bullpen leads the league with the lowest Inherited Runners Scored statistic. Nothing more needs to be said about K-Rod closing games. He won't have many saves since the Met's will put a lot of runs on the board and the bullpen will hold leads.6) With Met's leading the league in runs scored and their starting going deep into games, the Met's win the NL East by an easy margin.7) The Wilpon's sell the team.
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I like the positive thoughts! But Ollie won't be a free agent until after 2011. Ugh!
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I like the positive thoughts! But Ollie won't be a free agent until after 2011. Ugh!
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