In Goes Frazier!

[G-Fafif]

Frayed Knot wrote: 41Forever wrote: I don't get the obsession with the thumbs down guy in the tabs. The thing was that the Yanqui team picked up on it and so a whole dugout full of guys giving their own teammate the 'thumbs down' signal after a big hit became the thing to do over the second half of the season. So basically the Tabs are merely reflecting a trend that all started with Frazier, not creating one on their own.

The thumb guy is not only a Mets fan but a talented and prolific photographer whose baseball work is a staple on other (gasp!) Mets boards. One of us, so to speak.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I too am a Mets forum poster with a bobblehead:

[Guest d'Kong76]

G-Fafif wrote: The thumb guy is not only a Mets fan but a talented and prolific photographer whose baseball work is a staple on other (gasp!) Mets boards. One of us, so to speak.

I'm glad I didn't type what I was going to type a few hours ago!

[G-Fafif]

I too am a Mets forum poster with a bobblehead:

Have Ben Grimm and the thumb guy ever been seen together at the same game?

[Centerfield]

smg58 wrote: Well yeah. Offense wasn't really our problem last year, and it won't be this year either. Defense was a problem, but I think that has been reasonably addressed. And that brings us back to pitching.

I'm not sure I agree with that. It's true that our pitching was much worse than our offense (28th in ERA), but our offense was pretty bad too (19th in runs scored). Let's say Bruce makes up for Bruce, and Frazier makes up for Walker. Gonzalez/Smith will likely be a downgrade from the .879 OPS we got from Duda, and Rosario is a question mark. We get a bump from a hopefully healthy Cespedes and hopefully sustainable gains by d'arwecki. But there was a lot of room for improvement, and we haven't improved. Not yet.

[Edgy MD]

HEWJ gains to be had from replacing four months of Granderson with six months of Nimmo. Be-LIEVE me!

[Benjamin Grimm]

Do you really think Nimmo will get anywhere near the playing time that Granderson got?

I mean, he might, but I don't think it's the most likely scenario.

[Edgy MD]

Given a few weeks to show his quality, he certainly could. And he's not likely to get moved at the deadline.

And if he doesn't, that means he either fell on his face or things are going swimmingly at first, left, right, and in center with Conforto's return. So hey! I'm willing to eat it if that happens.

I mean, the second thing. He's effectively a part of the equation at all four positions. If all four are running well without his help, I'm over the moon. Otherwise, deploy the Nimmo.

He's our best option to hit leadoff!

[ashie62]

Thumbs down guy bears quite a resemblance to Mike Vaccaro.

[Chad ochoseis]

Centerfield wrote: smg58 wrote: It's true that our pitching was much worse than our offense (28th in ERA), but our offense was pretty bad too (19th in runs scored).

19th isn't bad considering that every significant offensive piece we had was traded or injured by August. If the pitching were better, we would have held on to the hitting. I'd be curious where the offense stood on August 1, but a quick interweb search isn't yielding a monthly breakdown.

Frazier was the best player available to fill a key need, and he's sufficiently cheap that he can be moved easily if the Mets want to make a 2019 run at Manny Machado. What's not to like?

Pitching is a high standard deviation endeavor. A healthy DeGrom and Syndergaard and decent comebacks from Matz and Harvey aren't unimaginable. Of course, another complete meltdown is also not unimaginable.

It's not a great team, but it's a team that can contend with a little bit of help from the baseball gods.

[Centerfield]

Mets fans, I ask you to be patient. I know the picture looks pretty bleak right now, and we're looking at nine miles of bad roads, but boy, wait 'til you see what we're working on. We've got some live young arms in the system. A few kids who can put it over the fence. And if it all breaks right, watch out. I know these next 5 or 6 years of rebuilding are going to be tough, but once it comes together, we fully expect to field a team that, with a little help from the baseball gods, can legitimately contend for the second wild card spot.
-Fred Wilpon, 2009

[Guest cooby]

CF you agitator you

[Centerfield]

Agitator? I'm not making fun of Chad's statement. I tend to agree that we can contend with a little bit of luck. Just commenting on the absurdity of the situation.

Six years of rebuilding, 7 homegrown starting pitchers pan out, including two legitimate aces, a top notch home grown closer. Several homegrown offensive players, and we are left to hoping that with a little luck we can contend for the wild card.

It's just shameful. Why would anyone choose to be a fan of this ridiculous club?

[Edgy MD]

Chad Ochoseis wrote: 19th isn't bad considering that every significant offensive piece we had was traded or injured by August. If the pitching were better, we would have held on to the hitting. I'd be curious where the offense stood on August 1, but a quick interweb search isn't yielding a monthly breakdown.

On August 1, the Mets were eighth of 15 National League teams in runs scored. It's not really fair to compare National League teams to American League teams, but they were 16th overall.

This year, as they finally have a leadoff batter for the first time since 2011, we won't even be talking about what place they're in, but how many standard deviations they're in front by.

[nymr83]

Edgy is Nimmo's biggest fan.

[Guest 41Forever]

Again, postseason two of the last three years including a pennant. One season devastated with across the board injuries.

Every team needs luck to contend. If this team stays relatively healthy it will contend for the division crown, not a wild card.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Centerfield wrote: ...It's just shameful. Why would anyone choose to be a fan of this ridiculous club?

We are a sad bunch. We seriously need professional help. I guess the best part of being a Mets fan is that, thankfully, I'm not a soulless bandwagon minion of the Yankees.

[Lefty Specialist]

Centerfield wrote: ...It's just shameful. Why would anyone choose to be a fan of this ridiculous club?

It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.

[Centerfield]

Nymr83 wrote: Edgy is Nimmo's biggest fan.

I’d like to challenge for that title. I’m on the Nimmo bandwagon too. I think he is already pretty good. I think he can be really good. The results are already there.

I’m inexplicably optimistic about super jack Juan Lagares too.

[Edgy MD]

Really, I'm a fan of OBPs that approach or even pass .400. And I'm frustrated that a braintrust that reportedly seeks to stress plate discipline from scouting to development to acquisitions seemingly makes an exception just this once on every guy they acquire, every guy they promote, and every guy they give a chance to. And then they predictably ended up with a team that remarkably led the league in homers and finished short of the mean in runs scored.

Can Nimmo change that tide? Probably not on his own, not without some luck, but he's a good step in the right direction.

The 1983 Mets went from DFL in the National League in scoring to sixth in 1984, despite no major acquisitions. How'd they do it? Davey Johnson saw Wally Backman languishing in AAA the year before and promoted him to the top of the Mets lineup. Brian Giles was sent packing.

Wally didn't do it on his own, but he was the shot that started the cultural change.

I like Nimmo. He seems cute. His wife is something of a vampire, but that's neither here nor there. Don't let Nimmo languish. I'd hate to think that there's only room for him or Conforto and not both if both are putting up OBPs north of .350.

[Centerfield]

And unlike Wally, when he connects he hits them to Wyoming. The power will emerge. Really like this guy.

[Guest 41Forever]

Wait, I want to hear more about the vampire!

[Edgy MD]

I don't want to disrespect Chelsea. I'm sure she's a lovely person, but she's got these two eyeteeth, and they're ... they're just not my thing. They probably drive Brandon wild. It takes all kinds.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I also like Nimmo, but I suddenly find him much more intriguing now that I know he married a vampire!

[Zvon]

How could you not root for this smile?



So his wife has a couple a fangs? Looks like his has been filed down.

[Ceetar]

Rockin' Doc wrote: Centerfield wrote: ...It's just shameful. Why would anyone choose to be a fan of this ridiculous club? We are a sad bunch. We seriously need professional help. I guess the best part of being a Mets fan is that, thankfully, I'm not a soulless bandwagon minion of the Yankees.

nah, fuck that. I love being a Mets fan and I wouldn't choose it any other way. It's fun. I enjoy it.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: I like Nimmo. He seems cute. His wife is something of a vampire, but that's neither here nor there. Don't let Nimmo languish. I'd hate to think that there's only room for him or Conforto and not both if both are putting up OBPs north of .350.

wait wait, what?

I was in the same room as her, could I be bewitched? dammit, no wonder everyone was raving about his QBC appearance!

Am I a Renfield?

[Benjamin Grimm]

[Guest cooby]

Centerfield wrote: Agitator? I'm not making fun of Chad's statement. I tend to agree that we can contend with a little bit of luck. Just commenting on the absurdity of the situation. Six years of rebuilding, 7 homegrown starting pitchers pan out, including two legitimate aces, a top notch home grown closer. Several homegrown offensive players, and we are left to hoping that with a little luck we can contend for the wild card. It's just shameful. Why would anyone choose to be a fan of this ridiculous club?

No I meant agitator because of the Wilpon quote in 2009 about 6 or so years

[Guest cooby]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I also like Nimmo, but I suddenly find him much more intriguing now that I know he married a vampire!

wait, what?