Irrational Exuberance

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Winning is fun! I had almost forgotten how much fun it was to have the Mets contending for a pennant down the stretch.

[Lefty Specialist]

R.A. Dickey is Rationally Axuberant.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Rockin' Doc wrote: Winning is fun! I had almost forgotten how much fun it was to have the Mets contending for a pennant down the stretch.

It is nice! I'm more "all in" than I have been in years, watching bigger chunks of games and afterwards not feeling like I've wasted my time.

[batmagadanleadoff]

When I woke up this morning, one of the first things I did was to check the final score for last night's late west coast Nationals game. I can't remember the last time I did anything like that.

[Lefty Specialist]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: When I woke up this morning, one of the first things I did was to check the final score for last night's late west coast Nationals game. I can't remember the last time I did anything like that.

I hung with GameCast until it was 6-1 Giants, and Scherzer was well and truly bombed. It's the modern equivalent of the transistor radio under the pillow when you're supposed to be sleeping.

[Lefty Specialist]

Mo Vaughn is Rationally Exuberant.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I have to say, I'm more confident of the Mets ability to win the division than I am of their likelihood of going deep into the playoffs. But getting there is the first order of business. Things will probably look different (for better or worse) in early October from where we are now.

[dgwphotography]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Rockin' Doc wrote: Winning is fun! I had almost forgotten how much fun it was to have the Mets contending for a pennant down the stretch. It is nice! I'm more "all in" than I have been in years, watching bigger chunks of games and afterwards not feeling like I've wasted my time.

I am too. It's mainly due to the fact that the front office showed they were "all in" with the moves they made at the deadline.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Maybe I picked the wrong weekend to go all in.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

This was an exuberance-deadening weekend.

[Lefty Specialist]

Despite the deadening, Tom Seaver is still rationally exuberant.

[ashie62]

Didn't know Seaver's package was that big.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Only when he's exuberant.

[Edgy MD]

Seeing as how they did what they did last night without their two best 2015 hitters � Granderson and Duda � I'm starting to think that really have turned a corner and have a really good lineup and that last night, leaving aside the last-place-opponent factor, was real.

Irrational?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I don't think so. The Mets have become a good team. I'm optimistic for a division title, more wary about going much beyond that, but let's see what happens!

[Lefty Specialist]

Edgy MD wrote: Seeing as how they did what they did last night without their two best 2015 hitters � Granderson and Duda � I'm starting to think that really have turned a corner and have a really good lineup and that last night, leaving aside the last-place-opponent factor, was real. Irrational?

A month ago I would have said yes. But things seem to be clicking now.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

The Howard home run and deGrom's struggles early on had me thinking just a teeny bit "Same Old Mets." But then they came back and kept scoring and scoring and scoring. And the bullpen kept the Phillies from scoring any more. Howard even made a base-running blunder. In past years it would've been a Met blundering and the Phillies capitalizing. Games like last night feel like the start of an exorcism of the Mets-Phillies contests of 2007. Of course, we'll know the demon is gone for sure when the Mets clinch the division with a comfortable lead some time in September.

[Edgy MD]

Notable is that Cespedes is one lazy-assed baserunner � including last night � and one of these days, I suspect, that trait of his will munch on the Mets' behinds.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Edgy MD wrote: Notable is that Cespedes is one lazy-assed baserunner � including last night � and one of these days, I suspect, that trait of his will munch on the Mets' behinds.

Also Notable that Cespedes' great throws to nail baserunners often seem to come after he misplayed the ball.

[Benjamin Grimm]

He can be a lazy fielder too. Hopefully he can avoid making a costly blunder for the next two months.

[MFS62]

I can't wait to exuber.

Later

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Edgy MD wrote: Notable is that Cespedes is one lazy-assed baserunner � including last night � and one of these days, I suspect, that trait of his will munch on the Mets' behinds.

I got problems with several of our new guys -

Cespedes tries so hard to hit home runs he barely does anything right beyond that (aside from the inevitable doubles, and don't think I'm devaluing dingers cuz I'm not).

Clippard is impossible to watch -- excruciatingly slow working. If I were the Phillies I'd be on him for 'slow-pitching' them.

O'Flaherty sucks.

[Centerfield]

Agreed on all points. O'Flaherty not only sucks, but he his entire being is irritating. He has that loser quality about him that I have not seen since Trachsel. (completely subjective, I know, but he bothers me).

We are seeing the best of Cespedes recently, but if you look at this track record, he is not an elite HR hitter, and he does not hit for average or walk at all. Let's hope he rides this current hot streak for the remainder of his time here.

I am concerned that the starting pitching may be getting tired, as someone mentioned in the IGT. Am especially concerned about Syndegaard, who seemingly after making the adjustment to big league pitching, has reverted to his Wheeler-like debut.

But not to get too down, I am encouraged that:

1. Familia looked NASTY again.
2. Duda is getting rest, and the real doctor in LA confirms it's minor. I wonder if he had the back issue during his slump but felt he couldn't take the time off because the rest of the lineup sucked.
3. We are getting Matz back soon.
4. Gee had a great start in LV. I wonder if we can make him a short reliever in September. He throws strikes, changes speeds. I think he can do it.

[Frayed Knot]

Had Francesa on for five minutes (must have been on Monday) and heard some caller trying to give Cespedes $130 mil over 4 years. And even Francesa, who was on the Cespedes bandwagon before he ever got here, had to talk the caller off the ledge by saying that he was too high by at least half, particularly for a team with 3 OFs already under contract for 2016 plus Conforto & Nimmo knocking on the door (Mike didn't say that last part, I did).
So, yeah, let's just enjoy the ride while it lasts because he certainly doesn't seem like a Sandy guy even before Medgel jumps in a cites his non-signing as another reason to work Madoff's name into an article.

[Edgy MD]

Now that Gilmartin is no longer the guy you don't want to use in a game situation, O'Flaherty has inherited that mantle. Unfortunately, even with those guys, circumstances still force you to use them in win-lose situations once every week or two, and last night was that night for O'Flaherty. Hopefully that's the last time such a circumstance comes up in August, and he can use the first half of September to try and find himself in lower leverage spots.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Only six more games until the rosters expand, which will give Terry more flexibility, as I'm pretty sure they'll add a few relievers.

I think the most rested guy in the bullpen at the moment is probably Carlos Torres? If Bartolo doesn't go seven innings (and I suspect he won't) I think we may need to squeeze two innings out of Carlos.

[nymr83]

Frayed Knot wrote: So, yeah, let's just enjoy the ride while it lasts because he certainly doesn't seem like a Sandy guy even before Medgel jumps in a cites his non-signing as another reason to work Madoff's name into an article.

At this point there is a pretty serious inverse correlation among anyone who the Mets between the quality of their writing and the frequency with which they mention Madoff.

[nymr83]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Only six more games until the rosters expand, which will give Terry more flexibility, as I'm pretty sure they'll add a few relievers. I think the most rested guy in the bullpen at the moment is probably Carlos Torres? If Bartolo doesn't go seven innings (and I suspect he won't) I think we may need to squeeze two innings out of Carlos.

I'm getting a little tired of the Bartolo act as well, he's eaten some innings and probably eaten a lot post-game, pre-game, and between innings as well, but he just kinda SUCKS at this point.

a 4.90 ERA in the National League in 2015 is just not acceptable.

44 starting pitchers have enough innings to qualify for the ERA title in the National League. Colon ranks 42nd among them in ERA. Only Matt Garza and Kyle Lohse pitching for Milwaukee are worse. Only 2 other pitchers on contending teams are even within a full run of him!

he needs to get sat down or even outright cut when Matz comes back.

If he starts a postseason game Alderson and Terry should both be fired.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I can't imagine him starting a postseason game, unless there's a spate of injuries.

If there's to be a six-man rotation in September, I'd prefer to see it as deGrom, Harvey, Niese, Syndergaard, Matz, and Verrett. Bartolo gives an occasional good start, but too many bad ones. I think he's pitched himself out of the rotation.

[Edgy MD]

I can certainly imagine him starting. And I can certainly imagine a spate of injuries. Five and half weeks or so are left in the season. Think about where the Mets were five and half weeks ago, and ... things can change fast.