Great stuff often comes from the comments. Â This morning Yvaithe said:
I remember when the Mets won the division in ‘06 and Jeff Wilpon was interviewed in the clubhouse. I remember him saying “Hopefully in ten years people will say we did it the Mets way.â€
Ah yes, the Mets way. Â I went into the Google News archives and found this from USA Today from 2006:
Having the resources to sign free agents, make trades and assume contracts give the big-market Mets a huge advantage.
Minaya says there’s more to the equation.
“We had to change the culture here,” he says. “The money is part of it, but you have to spend it wisely. What I’m most proud of are the small pieces we’ve brought in. The strength of this club has been players like Endy Chavez, Chad Bradford, Jose Valentin, John Maine. We’ve been forced to go through 13 starting pitchers.”
Seems Omar has been speaking the same way all along, we just didn’t notice because that team won the NL East.
From that same 2006 article..
Says (Fred) Wilpon: “When I went up to Montreal to finalize the deal with him I said, ‘I want you to model an organization that will not only be successful for a year, but that we can look back as people look back at the Atlanta Braves.’ And that’s what we’re doing. He’s done an outstanding job.”
What is this “Mets Way?”
I think I’ll just open up the floor to comments:
The Mets way…from borrowing colors from other teams, building stadiums in honor of others teams and forgetting their own history. Wanting to build a franchise like the Atlanta Braves….seems to me the Mets way is not having an identity of their own. Trying to emulate other franchises will only leave you behind them ALL THE TIME. Here’s hoping Fred pines for a move out WEST but leaving the Mets behind.
Actually, I agree with him. This team is good, if they add another starter.
Wright, Reyes, etc. It’s the other guys where they’ve failed. The Bradford and Darren Oliver’s of ’06 didn’t return. in ’06 one more reliver (or one less Mota..) may have made the difference. It’s these fring guys that add value where none is expected, the spot starter that pitches a gem where you had pretty much written the game off as a loss. The Brilliant defensive gem that saves a game. The guy with pop off the bench who comes in to a key moment and drives the ball.
And the thing is, most of this is a gamble. Ben Johnson and Kevin Newhan(that doesn’t seem right..newman? newhouse? no.. some impression he left..) and all the random OF guys the Mets have taken chances on thinking they can provide something that they don’t.
Look at the Mets bench last year. Reed, Tatis (who had a bad swing all season), Cora. None of these guys had power, and ta-da, neither did the team. Castro had some but didn’t play much, and Santos really isn’t a power guy either. You ahve to think Omar was aware of this taking a chance on Sheffield. At least he was a threat to hit one out, even if he walked or squib singled more often.
So bringing these guys back was the biggest mistake. I understand bench guys are never ‘awesome’, but Cora, Tatis, GMJ, Blanco/Santos (Evans? Carter? those are two I’d actually like..)
Actually..
I don’t have a problem with the number for Cora, because I don’t think it keeps them from anything else, and I think 2 million for a bench player you think can contribute in meaningful ways is fine (and you can’t give him a pay cut)
Maybe Omar’s justification for this is that he feels the bench is what can make or break a team, and he’s trying to build a good one. I’m not sure he’s making the right moves, but the bench isn’t quite set yet, and won’t be until April.
Chief, really? The Mets way? Do we really want to go there? I could spend, as could you, hours on that topic…My wife would think I am either crazy or searching for dates on line….
The Mets way is to shy from confrontation on the field and beat each other—and their fanbase—to a bloody pulp off the field.