The Mets are playing like the season is over. Listlessness, unpreparedness, and non-competitiveness are all marks of a losing mentality.
The Mets limp to the season’s close is disappointing, inexcusable, and a bad omen for 2022.
Over their last ten games, the Mets are 1-9 and losers of five straight. In contrast, teams with worse records (Baltimore, Texas, Minnesota, Washington, Miami, and Pittsburgh) are managing to keep the fight alive over their final games.
Yes, unlike those other teams, there’s no doubt a deeper sense of failure present in the Mets clubhouse as a team that held first place in the NL East East for 90 days, but it never occurred to me that I would ever see the Mets mailing it in, as they are so regularly doing of late.
Mets: Minds Drifting To Other Places
Having been eliminated from an appearance in this year’s playoffs, I suppose it’s only natural for some of the Mets players to turn attention to their future.
J.D. Davis, who is ending his season on the Injured List, has to be wondering if he is destined to have a job with any team, let alone the Mets.
Michael Conforto nervously sees the real thing happening in only a few weeks when he will be “free” but with no ties to a team or organization for next season.
Noah Syndergaard, also a pending free agent, will finish the season (in all probability) without throwing one pitch, save for a couple of rehab stints in minor league ballparks.
Luis Rojas has finished his honeymoon year with the Mets, and he too has to be thinking about where he might fit in with another organization, knowing with an almost certainty the Mets will move in the direction of hiring a seasoned pro.
And the list goes on with several others who can assume when they clean out their lockers, it will be the last time they do so as a New York Met.
Where’s That Thing Called Pride?
Nevertheless, this thing called pride is supposed to drive every professional athlete – no matter what.
Last season, Mets fans will recall the meaningless sweep of the Atlanta Braves in the final three games at Citi Field, with Dominic Smith smacking one into the seats, a walk-off home run that fueled optimism for the entire offseason as the Mets prepared for 2021.
Is there a moment like that on the horizon before next Sunday’s finale? It doesn’t look that way, not the way the Mets have been playing.
If nothing else, though, the Mets’ demeanor of late should energize Steve Cohen into high gear as he realizes there’s more wrong with his team than right, and his assessment of individual players needs to concentrate more on character than production.
Consider this – once you get past Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jacob deGrom, Aaron Loup, and possibly Marcus Stroman – where is that winning mentality on this Mets team – and the character that builds a winning team?
You might have one or two to add, but it won’t be many.
The Mets Lost As Much As The Braves Won
The fact is the Mets played down to the level of their competition in the first half of the season. The Nationals fell out early, the Braves and Phillies struggled aimlessly to even get to the .500 mark, all while the Mets lost the chance to go on a tear to build what could have been an insurmountable lead in the division.
It didn’t happen, though, and in retrospect, the reason why is also tied to the character and culture surrounding the Mets, one that lacks the need to go for the jugular when the getting’s good.
While the Mets can be forgiven for losing to the Braves and Phillies, who proved to be marginally better teams, they cannot be forgiven for the way they are finishing out the schedule.
The Mets should be ashamed of themselves, and their fans should be calling them out for it…
Here’s What Readers Are Saying…
Bobby Guthenberg Literally going through the motions
Jeff Montgomery Pathetic group
M Stewart Roseblum They played like that all season
Steven Somiri Nothing has changed. New ownership and same dying dogs come September. Guess Lindor isn’t the galvanizing leader he was made out to be because they just flat-out quit this weekend.
Corrine Polico-Lombardi Pictures speak a thousand words
Steve Walker I wish you were wrong.
Thomas Bentley Sleepwalking to the finish.. not a good sign for their manager’s job security…
WIzdom A Cappella The team’s collective character starts at the top with Sandy Alderson. The team reflects the executive. At the trading deadline, Alderson called it in with lame excuses instead of choosing to go with his usual strategy of just hoping to get fortunate in the final months.
Wayne Siddons This started weeks ago. My guess is the team doesn’t want to play for Rojas anymore.
Closing Published Comments And Final Thoughts
This closes published comments for this article. This one is unanimous as the Mets poor play of late and lack of zeal leaves them with virtually no one defending them.
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
