For the first season since 2007, the New York Mets finally made some off-season changes to get the once successful franchise back on track.
In typical Mets fashion, fans started to get hope for the future only to be hit with another blow, that their team’s owner can’t pay because he might be Madoff insider. Yikes.
The large and dedicated Mets fanbase just can’t seem to catch a break. All the fans are thankful for is that the team plays in the same city as the Yankees, so it won’t just disappear.
The Mets have embraced the role of not being the Yankees and getting mad about it instead of doing something about it. Let’s look at the Amazins heading into 2011 season:
The Positives:
It took long enough for the Mets owners to realize that leadership changes had to be made; as GM Omar Minaya and Skipper Jerry Manuel had well worn out their welcome.
Finally, Fred Wilpon did something about it by hiring Sandy Alderson to replace Minaya and Terry Collins to take over as skipper.
Getting a fresh perspective on expectations and acceptable clubhouse behavior will set a new tone.
Collins is a fierce competitor and the players seem to have responded to him, some players even showed up to Spring Training days ahead of schedule. Collins is known for his own dramatic tendencies, and in his last two managerial stints he lost his players respect and was fired from both jobs. That was 11 years ago and Collins acknowledges openly that he didn’t enjoy himself, but now he does.
Look anything is an improvement from Manuel and hopefully Collins will clean up the rebellious, do-whatever attitudes of many Mets players. Mets fans should look at Joe Torre’s managerial history pre-Yankees to see that men can change for the better.
GM Sandy Alderson should thrive and is the guy who can turn this mess around. Alderson has a resume filled with years of success with the Oakland A’s and San Diego Padres. Also, he was a Marine and this should bring some structure. So far Alderson has said all the right things.
The hiring of Collins and Alderson sends the players a clear message, things are about to change and you don’t rule the team anymore.
The Mets definitely don’t lack talent, already have 3B David Wright and P Mike Pelfry to build around, have some terrific young talent in 1B Ike Davis and have a lights out closer in K-rod.
Wright is the franchise’s prize, posting a .283 batting average with 29 homers, 103 RBIs and stole 19 bases in 2010. Wright is in his prime at 27-years of age and look for another solid season from the Mets franchise player.
If the Mets can get production from Jason Bay and Jose Reyes, the Mets have a seriously competitive line-up, who can also run on the basepads. Can’t ask for much more, but need to execute all that wasted talent in 2011.
The Negatives:
The Mets have so many questions and with their lengthy history of giving the wrong answers, makes it hard for fans to trust that better days are ahead.
The traps are all set for the team to fail in 2011, whether they will battle or fold again is up to the players. See any MLB team has the potential to implode, but most don’t fold when it happens like the Mets. Continue reading ‘2011 MLB Team Preview: New York Mets’ »
Subway Squawkers
