The Mets Police

Last season, I coined the term Organizational Innings.

Let’s start with the premise that the goal here is to WIN THE WORLD SERIES.  Not accidentally back into the third wild card and callout a success, but actually win the World Series.

Aside from the 162 game schedule, a team could win the World Series with as few as 11 games (if it has a bye and sweeps every series), or as many as 22 games (if it starts in the Wild Card Round and every series goes the distance).  Lets cut the middle and call that 17 games.

We need to cover 189 nine inning games.  (Yes extras happen etc…)

Let’s use a 5 man rotation.  We need our 5 starters to make 37 or 38 starts.

I’d like those starts to be 6 innings.   I’d actually like them to be 7+ but modern baseball doesn’t have much of that, so 6 innings it is.

That’s going to take 222 innings from our starters.

2025 was doomed from the start because Senga only pitched 5 innings in 2024 and Clay Holmes only 63.  Their arms were never going to get you to 222, and sure enough, they didn’t.

Coming into 2026, Clay pitched 165 last year…so yeah. maybe his arm will hold up this year.

Sean Manea pitched 60 innings on 2025.  He won’t give you 222.

Segna pitched 111.  He won’t double his output.

But what about the kids?  Nolan McLean who made the Mets Fans Hall Of Fame last year pitched 48 at the major league level, and another 114 in the minors.    That’s 162 (his career high).   He’s a young guy, maybe he can get you to 222.  Ya Gotta Believe.

So what do the Mets do?

They have Homes and McLean going to the World Baseball Classic.  That way, two members of the rotation can be out of Mets camp, and ramp up too quickly to pitch useless innings in the tournament that MLB insists on having.

Now let me ask you, Mets fans, what do you think is going to happen?

That’s right.  This is going to lead to injuries.  I don’t know how it all works if the Mets can stop players from taking part, but it’s not a good idea.

The Mets do not have enough organizational innings, and sending two guys to the WBC won’t help the cause.

 

 

 

While some billionaires are building casinos on parkland, The Wilpons are making Queens a better place by providing affordable housing!  Fox 5 reports:

…, the Queens Development Group has opened the affordable housing lottery for 880 apartments at Willets Point Commons, a major milestone in what city officials call the largest 100% affordable housing development in New York City in 40 years.

Developers said the new units are part of the first two residential buildings rising in the long-planned redevelopment of Willets Point.

The 880 available units range from studios to three-bedrooms and will be offered to households earning between 30% and 120% of the area median income, according to QDG.

What’s interesting is Fox says, “

The buildings will open with a portion of the new public green space and include an array of resident amenities, such as landscaped courtyards, lounge areas, outdoor terraces and grilling stations, a community garden, fitness center, children’s playroom, co-working space and ground-floor retail.” which is amazin’ because none of that is a casino.    Imagine that.

More about the proper redevelopment of the area is here.

INT. JERRY’S APARTMENT – DAY

Steve is minding his own business in Jerry’s aparetment.  The door swings open. Jerry and Elaine enter, Elaine is practically glowing.

ELAINE:  Ohhh Steve… you sitting down?

STEVE: (suspicious)Why? What did you do now?

ELAINE: I didn’t do anything.

JERRY:  And neither did you apparently

ELAINE:  Pete did something.

Steve freezes.

STEVE: What do you mean, “Pete did something”?

ELAINE  (smiling wide)  Pete.  Did.  Something.

(she shoves Steve)

Pete Alonso. Five years. Baltimore Orioles.

STEVE:  No.

ELAINE: Yes.

STEVE: No.

ELAINE:  Very yes. Signed, sealed, crab-caked.

STEVE: Five years?!

ELAINE: Five. Years.

STEVE: (stammering) But— but— we were still talking!

JERRY: You know, that’s impressive. The Mets didn’t even get to the “awkward silence” phase.

STEVE: I don’t understand this. Pete’s a Met!

ELAINE: Was a Met, Now he’s an Oriole. Which — as an Orioles fan — I just want to say…Perfect.

STEVE:You’re enjoying this.

ELAINE: Oh, immensely. Especially after all that “face of the franchise” stuff.

STEVE: He didn’t even call.

JERRY:  You didn’t think he was Japanese, did you?  You’re supposed to call THEM.

STEVE: That was ONE TIME!

ELAINE: Oh, and guess what? No opt-outs.

STEVE: No opt-outs?

ELAINE: He’s locked in. Like a submarine hatch.

JERRY: Well, look at the bright side, Steve.

STEVE: There is no bright side.

JERRY: Sure there is.At least now we can officially retire “LFGM.”

STEVE:What’s wrong with LFGM?

JERRY:I always found it a little vulgar. Like something you yell when you stub your toe.

ELAINE: Yeah, it had a very “bathroom stall poetry” vibe.

STEVE: It was passion!

JERRY: It was profanity.

STEVE: I gave him everything.

ELAINE: Except wins.

JERRY: And optimism.

ELAINE: And a ring.

JERRY:  And starting pitching.

ELAINE: Or a closer.

JERRY:  So let me get this straight.

You lose Nimmo.

You lose Alonso.

You lose Diaz.

And you sign… nobody.

What are you, the Wilpons?

STEVE: The Wilpons would never have gotten the casino deal done.

JERRY: Right, right. You sacrificed the roster for craps.

ELAINE: Craps is right.

STEVE: This is bigger than baseball, Jerry.

JERRY: That’s usually what people say when the baseball is terrible.

ELAINE: So the plan wasn’t “win now.”

STEVE: No.

ELAINE: It wasn’t “win later.”

STEVE: No.

ELAINE: Was it… “win adjacent”?

STEVE: We’re building an ecosystem.

JERRY: An ecosystem?

STEVE: Yes. Baseball. Entertainment. Hospitality.

JERRY: Ah yes, the three pillars of losing seasons.

ELAINE: So the Mets are more of a destination now?

STEVE: Exactly!

JERRY: Well, except for free agents of course.

ELAINE: Of course.

JERRY: Nothing says “come watch baseball” like a team that doesn’t resemble one.

STEVE: You’re all missing the point.  The Wilpons were afraid to spend.  Uncle Steve is not afraid to spend

ELAINE: But you are afraid to call.

STEVE: I don’t call players.

JERRY: You don’t call players, you don’t sign players…

(beat)

Do you even have any players?

STEVE: The Wilpons never had vision.

JERRY:  No, but they had players.  David Wright, Jose Reyes, Matt Harvey, deGrom, Thor…

STEVE: We’re in transition.

ELAINE: Transition into what?

JERRY:  Like the way fruit decomposes.

STEVE: A new era.

JERRY: You say “new era” the way other people say “rebuilding.”

STEVE: Fine! Call it whatever you want!

JERRY: Okay fine.  New topic.   Elaine, can you help me work on a routine for my show tonight?

ELAINE:  Sure, what ya got?

JERRY: It’s like the old Abbott and Costello bit. Who’s on First?

ELAINE:  Who?

JERRY:  Nobody.  But at least we have a casino.

Good.  Let’s Go Mets with no vulgarity.  I have waited for this day for years, and now we just have to get rid of Lindor to get Good Karma back in this franchise.

Jeff Passan is reporting Pete has signed a 5 year deal with the Orioles.  He will likely it 99 home runs in that stadium, but whatever. LGM with no F and that’s all I care about.

You guys that thought Pete cared about you were always fools.  Pete only came back last year because he was coming off a down year and needed to reset his value.  What pare of opting-out three seconds after Game 162 did you not understand.

Meanwhile, despite my glee, Steve and Alex Cohen are doing a great job here in Year 6 of the 5 Year Plan.

INT. JERRY’S APARTMENT – DAY

Jerry is at the counter. Elaine is on the couch scrolling her phone. Steve is standing, distracted, half-listening.

Kramer bursts in wearing a Dodgers cap, practically vibrating.

JERRY: Whoa. What’s with the Dodgers gear?

KRAMER: (grinning ear to ear) Did you see it? DID you SEE IT?! Diaz! To the Dodgers!

Steve freezes.

STEVE: What?

ELAINE: I didn’t know Diaz was Japanese.

JERRY: He’s not.  He’s a free agent, that’s why Steve didn’t sign him.

ELAINE:  Oh, I thought the Mets just didn’t sign Japanese free agents.

JERRY:  Oh no, that’s a common mistake. The Mets don’t sign ANY free agents.

ELAINE:  Steve, I thought your whole thing was you were rich and you sign free agents.  Why does everyone go to the Dodgers?

STEVE:  Well, to be fair, David’s running baseball. I’ve been in casino meetings all morning.

JERRY: Ah yes, the old “I was distracted by roulette” defense.

ELAINE: So you had no idea your closer was heading to Los Angeles?

STEVE: I don’t micromanage!

JERRY:  Apparently you don’t macromanage either?

KRAMER:  That’s why free agents love Los Angeles, Steve. Organization! Vision! A plan!

Door swings open — Newman storms in, furious.

NEWMAN:  THIS IS A DISGRACE!

JERRY: Hello, Newman.

NEWMAN: How does a team with no pitching last year trade away its best reliever?!

STEVE: It’s not a trade — it’s a….a….

JERRY:  Failure? So let me understand this. You had no pitching. Now you have less pitching.

STEVE: We’re reallocating assets.

NEWMAN:  You reallocated them to the Dodgers!

KRAMER: That’s what winners do, Newman.

STEVE:  Look, David assured me this improves long-term flexibility.

JERRY: Flexibility? You just stiffened the Dodgers bullpen.

KRAMER:  They’re loaded now. Ohtani. Freeman. Yamamoto. Diaz. It’s beautiful, Jerry. Like a baseball symphony.

ELAINE: Meanwhile the Mets are playing the triangle.

JERRY:  Yeah, but at least there’s a casino.  Hey Steve, is there gonna be a comedy club at this thing? I could use a few extra gigs…

Steve’s phone rings. He checks it.

STEVE: It’s David.

 

(answers)
Yeah?
Uh-huh…
Wait — what?

Pancakes?

(hangs up)

JERRY:  Don’t tell me.

STEVE: Pete Alonso is having pancakes with the Red Sox.

NEWMAN:  PANCAKES?!

ELAINE:  That’s not casual. Pancakes are serious.

JERRY: Yeah, nobody defects over oatmeal.

STEVE:  I don’t understand this league anymore.

NEWMAN: You understand it just fine. Everyone’s getting better…..…except you.