Fox News’ headline “Mets are confident but deluded” is too juicy to pass up. Â However, once you get into the meat of the article, it’s much more reasoned.
Wright may believe it’s now his job to serve as the Mets’ spokesman, given that Carlos Delgado has moved on. The other elder statesman, Carlos Beltran, will be on the disabled list for the first six weeks of the season. And he was hardly Winston Churchill.
But Wright loses much of his credibility when he says the 2010 Mets are “basically the same core group of guys (from) 2006” who got to within one pitch of the World Series.
Actually, this year’s edition bears no resemblance to the ’06 team. All that’s left are Wright, Beltran and Jose Reyes. There’s not much corporate muscle-memory of the better times. More recently, the Phillies have done more than just catch and pass the Mets in the East, they’ve become the league’s most fearless team.
typical Fox misinformation.
Forgot about Pedro Feliciano for one. Perez and Maine were add-ins, but still instrumental in getting as far as they did in the playoffs. Jerry Manuel. And if we’re speaking in a vacuum of feared, the Mets have added to that core a strong power LF, one of the best pitchers and relievers in baseball.
*snickers* Guess Fox is pulling for the Phillies as well.
I’m pretty sure the writer just meant that Wright, Reyes, and Beltran are all that’s left of the everyday starting lineup.
As you say, though, even the pitchers and coaches who are still around are in very different roles. Perez only appeared in 7 games in ’06, Pelfrey 8. Now each is on the mound every 5th day.