The Mets Police

As most of you have picked up, I’m about the fun side of the franchise and not looking to drag the team through the mud.  Unfortuantely there’s the occassional thing that’s hard to ignore….here’s two from this week.

Charlie Samuels fired: I figured it was a done deal once I heard the word “gambling.”   There’s really nothing positive coming out of this one.  I personally frown on the selling of memorabilia but maybe this is something has gone on in every clubhiuse since 1901….but then again does it make it right?    Just sad.

I continue to worry about this story and I keep making up doomsday scenarios in my head.

K-Rod’s father in law or whatever he is sues.   I like that Carlos Pena has given us The People’s Slogan of “Man Up and Play Better” for 2011* but I am surprised that he is suing over “injuries to his “head, brain, face, neck and back.” (quoting the Daily News there)

I’ve been around a few scuffles.  Isn’t it usually that the two guys charge each other, then like 3 punches total are exchanged and then everyone piles on and breaks up the fight?   You don’t see scenes like Rocky V where to guys pummel each other.

If K-Rod can do that much damage in a clubhouse fight I am going to be sure to only say nice things about the all time single season saves leader so he doesn’t beat me up one day outside the Seaver gate…not that he would ever do such a thing.

(This is one of the posts that got bumped from last week)

Some notes from Bill….who would apparently be really good at Mets post-game notes.

At the end of each Mets season, I like to look at the final stats and put them it into historical perspective.  Here are some of my observations:

R.A. Dickey

Knuckleball pitcher R.A. Dickey really came out of nowhere to post a record of 11-9 with a 2.84 ERA.  No one can really deny Dickey’s success in 2010, but do you realize how good his season really was in Mets history?  Take a closer look:

Of Mets pitchers’ with Earned Run Averages with a least 20 starts in a season:

Dickey posted the31^st lowest ERA in Mets history;

Posted the 21^st lowest ERA in Mets history not including players named Seaver/Gooden ;

7^th lowest ERA since 1990 [Leiter – 2.47 (1998); Santana – 2.53 (2008); Viola – 2.67(1990); Fernandez – 2.73 (1992); Saberhagen – 2.74 (1994); Martinez – 2.82 (2005)];

3^rd lowest ERA since 2000!!!!

Mike Pelfrey

Mike Pelfrey won his 15^th game of the season in the Mets 147^th team game.  He made 3 more starts after that, and looked like he might have a chance to win 17 or 18 games.  Pelfrey pitched well in his last 3 starts:  (7IP, 1ER; 7.1IP, 3ER; 7IP, 1ER).  Unfortunately, he didn’t get a win in any of those games and was stuck at 15 wins for the season.  So who were the last Mets pitchers to win 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 games in a season?  It longer than you think:

16 Wins – Johan Santana (2008) / Steve Trachsel (2003)

17 Wins – Al Leiter (1998)

18 – Dwight Gooden (1988)

19 – Dwight Gooden (1990)

20 – Frank Viola (1990)

David Wright

David Wright became the all-time single season leader in strikeouts with 161, passing Tommie Agee and Dave Kingman with 156.

Mets Defense

The 2010 Mets were only 5^th team in Mets history to make less than 100 errors in a season joining the 1999 Mets (Greatest Infield Ever) and 2008, 1994 (strike-shortened season), 2009 teams.  The 2010 Mets also posted the 2^nd highest fielding percentage in Mets history (1999 Mets are 1^st).