This is Our Year

[Willets Point]

This is the thread for cock-eyed optimists. List one reason why the Mets will win it all this season.

No snark please.

[Ceetar]

http://www.ceetar.com/optimisticmetsfan/2011/03/24/why-the-mets-can-compete-the-starting-rotation/

going up today, the best offense in the NL: http://www.ceetar.com/optimisticmetsfan/2011/03/29/why-the-mets-can-compete-best-offense-in-the-nl/

I feel good about this team. They're healthy, and the players people are dismissing are not washed up flash in the pans like Fernando Tatis. It's perennial sluggers or gold glovers or All-Stars like Reyes and Beltran and Bay. Chris Young and Chris Capuano aren't Brian Lawrence and Jose Lima. They aren't even John Maine and Oliver Perez. They're better than that.

I can understand some skepticism about Dickey, but he showed again and again last year that it's not trickery. He beat the same teams multiple times, and he knows what he's doing out there. Why wouldn't we expect Niese to get better? Davis? Thole?

All bullpens are in flux every year, why should I believe people telling me this one isn't good? Parnell throws hard and had some success last year, Frankie's still one of the best closers in the game. The Mets actually have TOO MANY relievers that they can't fit them all on the team. And it's not because they all suck and they dont' know who to take, it's that they all look good and they don't want to lose any of them.

Edited March 29, 2011 by Guest

[metirish]

[Benjamin Grimm]

Everything will go right and nothing will go wrong.

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Everything will go right and nothing will go wrong.

We're due for things to swing a little on that side right? I think many fans think everyone getting hurt and everything going wrong is normal and expected these days.

[TransMonk]

If this team has no long-term injuries (I'm looking at YOU, Carlos!), it will finish above .500.

I haven't been as optimistic about an opening day roster since 2007. There isn't too much that bothers me about this team. From the lineup to the rotation to the bullpen to the bench, I think the talent is good enough to compete. 2011 Terry will be better than 2010 Jerry...he can't be any worse, right?

2011 will come down to durability, durability, durability.

[Ceetar]

TransMonk wrote: If this team has no long-term injuries (I'm looking at YOU, Carlos!), it will finish above .500. I haven't been as optimistic about an opening day roster since 2007. There isn't too much that bothers me about this team. From the lineup to the rotation to the bullpen to the bench, I think the talent is good enough to compete. 2011 Terry will be better than 2010 Jerry...he can't be any worse, right? 2011 will come down to durability, durability, durability.

Not just our durability either. Chipper Jones, Chase Utley, etc.

This is easy to say before the season starts, I'm sure there will be a goat or two, but the biggest strength may be that there are no _bad_ players on the team.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

This team has All-Stars at third, short, right field, left field and in the closer, plus a starter on the DL. Pelfrey, who should have been an All-Star last year, will blossom into the ace he was for the first part of the season. Davis demonstrated he can adjust when league adjusted to him. Pagan is meeting his potential. Thole is a solid hitter.

The players we obsess about in bad ways are gone. This is a positive team, and I think it's going to be a fun season.

Edited March 29, 2011 by Guest

[ashie62]

Very strong offense and some youth.

[smg58]

Two words: Brad Emaus.

[Guest themetfairy]

Our Guardian Angel -

[MFS62]

Balance - in the rotation, in the bullpen, in the lineup.
The result will be better than the sum of its parts.

Later

[Ceetar]

Angel Pagan, in over 1000 AB with the Mets .294/.344/.441

btw, that's better than Shane Victorino.

[Guest Edgy DC]

He's The Streakin' Puerto Rican.

[Vic Sage]

Ceetar wrote: Angel Pagan, in over 1000 AB with the Mets .294/.344/.441 btw, that's better than Shane Victorino.

Yes, lets pretend he's an established full-time player, instead of being a part-time player for 4 years and a full timer for 1, with a 100+ point career differential in OPS vs LHPers and 2800+ minor league PAs with an OPS just barely over .700.

Because otherwise it would interfere with the rose tinting of your glasses.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

VIC, YOU'RE OUTTA HERE!

"Streakin' Puerto Rican." Can we make that a thing? Let's make it a thing.

No holes in the lineup. When/if Paulino gets to the majors, he and Thole will make an Oliver Stone-worthy platoon.

Diverse, potentially good-to-great bullpen, led by a guy who-- overpaid though he might be-- put up strikeout numbers like he did in his dominating early 20s, and routinely kicked more opposition ass than he did his in-laws'.

Book it: A healthy Chris Young wins Comeback Player of the Year.

[Willets Point]

Well, we made it 14 posts without snark. Not bad.

[Ceetar]

Angel Pagan's backup has a .829 (.498 SLG) OPS against lefties.

[TransMonk]

Vic can't help it. His glasses seem to be tinted with shit.

I hope the Mets prove him wrong. Deep down inside, I'd bet he does too.

[Vic Sage]

Well, we made it 14 posts without snark. Not bad.

hey, i had no intention of saying a word in this thread. Ceetar decided to challenge my point in the "worries" thread about Pagan in THIS thread, for some reason, so i responded here. If you don't want snark, don't start snarking.

I hope the Mets prove him wrong. Deep down inside, I'd bet he does too.

of course i do, and its not deep down inside, its right there on the surface. But i understand the difference between "hoping" and "thinking". I'm pretty sure it involves entirely different lobes.

[Ceetar]

Vic Sage wrote: of course i do, and its not deep down inside, its right there on the surface. But i understand the difference between "hoping" and "thinking". I'm pretty sure it involves entirely different lobes.

And I'm not sure that this thread was meant to be more thinking than hoping. Hoping based on thinking about 1000 AB a guy has had for our team doesn't seem that far fetched. And again, tough lefty, pinch hit Hairston. It'll also be hard to bring in a lefty to face Pagan. It's probably better served to save it for the higher power bat of Ike, when you don't have Wright and Beltran staring you in the face.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Vic Sage wrote: Well, we made it 14 posts without snark. Not bad. hey, i had no intention of saying a word in this thread. Ceetar decided to challenge my point in the "worries" thread about Pagan in THIS thread, for some reason, so i responded here. If you don't want snark, don't start snarking.

Why do you presume that was directed at you? And in what way-- except maybe to a horseblinded Phils fan-- does that sound snarky?

I get whence you come. But you just walked into a kids' party with a "Don't Shit On The Kids' Feelings" sign actually bolted to the wall, and you took a dump on the celebrant's placemat.

This is "Wishes For Mets," in essence. And if the prospect of Opening Day with a potentially-- POTENTIALLY-- improved team can't make you think stupid, hopeful thoughts, then you and the Mets should probably spend some time apart for a while.

[Vic Sage]

Why do you presume that was directed at you? And in what way-- except maybe to a horseblinded Phils fan-- does that sound snarky?

he responded here immediately after i made a comment about PAgan in the "worries" thread -- of COURSE it was directed at me, or at least in direct response to my point. Do you think it was just a random arbitrary blurtation about Pagan's superiority? Really? Ask him. But that he chose to respond HERE, instead of there, is where the "snark" comes from, cuz its a backhand at me dressed up as a Pagan platitude. And i don't mind a response, but do it to my face, not in your little gingerbread house thread where no one dares to make a fuss!

[Ceetar]

Vic Sage wrote: Why do you presume that was directed at you? And in what way-- except maybe to a horseblinded Phils fan-- does that sound snarky? he responded here immediately after i made a comment about PAgan in the "worries" thread -- of COURSE it was directed at me, or at least in direct response to my point. Do you think it was just a random arbitrary blurtation about Pagan's superiority? Really? Ask him. But that he chose to respond HERE, instead of there, is where the "snark" comes from, cuz its a backhand at me dressed up as a Pagan platitude. And i don't mind a response, but do it to my face, not in your little gingerbread house thread where no one dares to make a fuss!

I meant it ascounter point not a backhand. Here because I believe in it, and it's not something I'm worried about didn't want to turn either thread into a debate

[batmagadanleadoff]

Pagan sucks doody balls against lefties.


Nuf 'ced.


I hope I didn't hurt any of the grown-up kids' feelings.

[Centerfield]

I don't know that this is our year, but ten years from now, when trying to sort out all the championships won in the past decade (there are so many they blend together), we will look back on this year as the one that began the turnaround.

Jose Reyes is going to steal 30 bases in the first week of the season and leave Sandy no choice but to sign him to an extension.

[ashie62]

Now thats major League Mets win the WS Snark!!!

[Guest attgig]

3 reasons:
1)willie harris can't rob a met of a game changing home run....
2)Jose Reyes is in his contract year.
3)Carlos Beltran is in his contract year.

[Centerfield]

Ashie62 wrote: Now thats major League Mets win the WS Snark!!!

Really? I'm trying to be sincere here. I would love to think the Mets could win it all this year, but it's hard for me to realistically believe this.

But I do honestly feel good about the Mets' prospects in the coming years. We have a front office that should be able to follow the Red Sox model closely. I think this bodes really well for the future. This is the optimism thread right? You guys are optimisticking for one championship. I'm optimisticking for a dynasty.

The only thing I'm really worried about is Reyes, who I'm afraid this management team may not value as much as we do (if more by our hearts than our heads) and that's why I'm hoping he comes back.

[ashie62]

Centerfield wrote: Ashie62 wrote: Now thats major League Mets win the WS Snark!!! Really? I'm trying to be sincere here. I would love to think the Mets could win it all this year, but it's hard for me to realistically believe this. But I do honestly feel good about the Mets' prospects in the coming years. We have a front office that should be able to follow the Red Sox model closely. I think this bodes really well for the future. This is the optimism thread? You guys are optimisticking for one championship. I'm optimisticking for a dynasty. The only thing I'm really worried about is Reyes, who I'm afraid this management team may not value as much as we do (if more by our hearts than our heads) and that's why I'm hoping he comes back.

I didn't mean you!!! Ceetar