Worries Here

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

This is the thread for people too circumspect to honestly participate in the boundless optimism of that other thread.

I have enormous doubts around Beltran and fear another year of waiting around for him to be healthy will suck the energy right out of the team again.

I can't trust my hopes for a season upon the idea that a guy will come back from shoulder surgery to save us in June... or July ... another energy-sucker.

I just don't know about Capuano.

Not a fan of our closer.

[metirish]

Worried here that Bay will start in a similar vein to last season and just be done with , worried about Santana coming back too soon, or being pushed to come back too soon. Worried about the manager, worried that we are depending on a lot of dodgy arms in the pitching department.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Geez, I'm so used to Bay being a source of worry I forgot to include him.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I am wondering what will become of Beltran's season, and I wonder if we can realistically expect much. I wonder if waiting on the health of guys actually sucks energy from the team like it sucks it from us, however.

Bay, yup. Rodriguez, I'm not worried about, so much as I'm worried about the dynamic around hm. I worry about hard times isolating Terry Collins from his players. I worry that the public narrative that the press creates about Collins will make him defensive and paranoid. I worry about stupid drumbeats for Wally Backman the first time the Mets lose three.

Isringhausen's elbow? I worry.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Bay. If he plays like he did in 2010 (never mind the injury) that's a big problem.

Beltran's health, naturally.

Two of the five starters are coming back from serious injury, and so is Santana, or may not contribute much at all this year.

We don't really know what to expect from Niese.

[metirish]

in the other thread people are saying this team has a great offense , Ceetar says the best in the NL......I have thought a lot of things about this team but that has never entered my mind.


Worried about the O

[MFS62]

I'm worried that they will try to ease Beltran into the lineup by putting Duda in right field a lot. This will expose his arm and they will trade him to another team, where he will become a .285 - 35- 110 player. He is a left fielder or first baseman. Only
I'm worried that all of the top minor league outfield prospects are lefty batters (Duda, Martinez, Capt. Kirk, Ratliff).
I'm worried that Paulino's "blood Problem" will be more serious than we think, and the team lacks a competent righty hitting catcher to ease Thole's work load.

Later

[HahnSolo]

I'm worried that Bay will have a repeat of last year, and that Dickey will NOT have a repeat of last year.

[TransMonk]

I worry about overall health.

I worry that Pelfrey, Niese and especially Dickey will not be as good as last season.

I worry that Reyes will be dealt at the deadline for overall financial reasons even though we will have an opportunity to compete for a playoff spot.

[seawolf17]

Worries: the contract situations of Reyes and Fodriguez, Niese and Dickey repeating last year, Bay remembering how to hit home runs.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

metirish wrote: in the other thread people are saying this team has a great offense , Ceetar says the best in the NL......I have thought a lot of things about this team but that has never entered my mind. Worried about the O

Yup. This thread was needed to respond to stuff in that thread (also: "we're healthy") without befouling it.

[Vic Sage]

i have no worries, because i fully expect this team to compete for last place in the division but, if everything goes right, reach 81 wins.
they can't break my heart this year... it's pre-broken.

why?

hitting:
- Beltran moves like Kirk Gibson in `88;
- Bay's bat speed must be tracked with a calender;
- we have no 2bman; and
- we're assuming Pagan is a late bloomer and not just a 1-year wonder;

pitching:
- Our ace has a serious arm injury with no clear track record of full (much less quick) recovery;
- 2 of our other starters have around 30 starts combined over the last 3 years;
- about Dickey, see "Pagan" comments
- After F-Rod, the pen is loaded with unexceptional, unproven arms;
- F-Rod's contract may vest if he's used incorrectly

management:
- our manager has been run out of 2 towns already, and fans/media are poised to pounce and clamor for Wally "the Bunter" Backman
- our moneyball GM just admitted to making moves (at least in part) to appease fans' blood lust;
- our owners are embroiled in financial scandal that likely inhibits their ability to make any improvements in roster; in fact, it is likely to cause a major salary dump in mid-july, when we're out of it, and Sandy wants to start gathering chips for the departing Reyes, and whatever he can get for F-Rod, Beltran, Santana, and maybe even Wright.

i think "optimism" in this context goes beyond merely misguided and approaches dangerously delusional.

[TransMonk]

Talk about energy suckers...sounds to me like it's already been sucked.

Irish - what worries you about the O?

[Gwreck]

Vic Sage wrote: i think "optimism" in this context goes beyond merely misguided and approaches dangerously delusional.

While I agree that any optimism for the season has to be carefully measured, it's also fair to point out that not everything on your list was accurate.

[Willets Point]

I don't know if we really need this thread as every thread is a "worries thread" except the one I started.

That being said, my worries go deeper to the state of the ball club amidst the Wilpon/Madoff controversy and whether or not debts and lawsuits will gut the team. There may be worse things revealed as this season goes along. With all the corporate corruption I'm finding it harder and harder to be a fan of sports teams in general.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Willets Point wrote: I don't know if we really need this thread as every thread is a "worries thread" except the one I started.

1. That's not true.
2. Your thread caused Jason Bay's injury.

[TransMonk]

Are we sure it wasn't the second post in this thread that caused Bay's injury?

[Guest themetfairy]

metirish wrote: Worried here that Bay will start in a similar vein to last season and just be done with , worried about Santana coming back too soon, or being pushed to come back too soon. Worried about the manager, worried that we are depending on a lot of dodgy arms in the pitching department.

This

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Willets Point wrote: I don't know if we really need this thread as every thread is a "worries thread" except the one I started. 1. That's not true. 2. Your thread caused Jason Bay's injury.

I better go start a thread about how the Phillies pitchers will finish 1-2-3 in the Cy Young voting I guess.



My worries would be that Bay, even if this ends up just being discomfort, doesn't ever get real comfortable this season.

[Willets Point]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Willets Point wrote: I don't know if we really need this thread as every thread is a "worries thread" except the one I started. 1. That's not true.

All right, "every thread" is hyperbole for nearly every thread, especially when certain prophets of doom & gloom get involved.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Willets Point wrote: I don't know if we really need this thread as every thread is a "worries thread" except the one I started. That being said, my worries go deeper to the state of the ball club amidst the Wilpon/Madoff controversy and whether or not debts and lawsuits will gut the team. There may be worse things revealed as this season goes along. With all the corporate corruption I'm finding it harder and harder to be a fan of sports teams in general.

This.

I worry we'll end up having a modified fire sale without ever having the championship.

I worry about the new field boss being the same as the old field boss.

I worry that Thole is in over his head.

I worry that JoseJoseJoseJose prices himself out of our budget by two months into the season. I worry that Bay's Met tenure will outlive Jose's.

I don't worry, I KNOW that Beltran's going to make me want to cry at some point this season; it's just a matter of "how."

[Centerfield]

Like Vic, I'm pretty sure they'll suck. My worry is that they'll lose Jose.

[Vic Sage]

While I agree that any optimism for the season has to be carefully measured, it's also fair to point out that not everything on your list was accurate.

maybe hyperbolic, but inaccurate, as a factual matter? which ones? I'll double check.

- You are right, i was inaccurate about the combined Young/Capuano numbers.
Young = 18 gs /14 gs /4 gs and Capuano = 0/0/9, that = 45 Gs for the 2 of them over the past 3 years, or 27 over the past 2 years. I sit corrected. Does this affect my point at all? No, not really.

- and yes, you're right again, that we do not have "no 2bman". Technically, the Mets will have a person standing in the space between the 1bman and the 2b bag. With 2 days to go til the season starts, we finally have a pretty good idea who'll that'll be too. Have great expectations for Mick Emaus do you? I will be shocked if we get anything close to league average production from the position.

- as for the rest, i stand by it. Your mileage may vary, but i deny they are factually inaccurate.

[Vic Sage]

I better go start a thread about how the Phillies pitchers will finish 1-2-3 in the Cy Young voting I guess.

you can start a thread about anything you want, but that topic is more likely to be an accurate projection of the 2011 season than anything else you've written about it lately.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I'm not worried about anything. The Mets will go undefeated.

[batmagadanleadoff]

No, that's not true. I worry that the Wilpons will survive their financial woes and retain ownership of the franchise.

[Vic Sage]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I'm not worried about anything. The Mets will go undefeated.

your in the wrong thread.
the gingerbread thread is next door.
but make sure you wipe your feet, first... they're a fussy bunch.

[MFS62]

Mets Worrisome Things 2011

Will Cris Young�s arm be constantly smitten?
And not playing the kids makes us so mad that we�re spittin�.
Will we get the bad Reyes or the one from this Spring?
Those are a few of my worrisome things.

Will David Wright drive in runs by the oodles?
Will Santana�s fixed arm be as limp as a noodle?
Will they get any power from the two outfield wings?
Those are a few of my worrisome things.

Will young Ike Davis improve as a hitter?
And will unforseen injuries dump the year in the shitter?
Will Jason Bay�s bad ribs still hurt when he swings?
Those are a few of my worrisome things.

But if they can resolve just a few of those things
Then they won�t do so bad


Later

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

My single biggest concern is that I believe the pitching is highly suspect both in the starting rotation and the bullpen.
I worry about Beltran's deteriorating knees being able to hold up well enough for him to be a significant contibutor to the offense.
I worry that Bay's power is better suited to hitting at Fenway Park than at Citi Field.

That is my primary concerns, but I think Vic's original post pretty clearly reflects my concerns and expectations for this season.