I was a negative Mets guy walking out of Citizens Bank Park on Friday night. Toots tried to calm me down with the rational “it’s only one game” business. No dice, too steamed.
It made me think of a brilliant scene from All the President’s Men.
Bob Woodward is played by Robert Redford, who is almost as handsome as yours truly. Woodward files copy on the Watergate break-in. Carl Bernstein, played by a less handsome Dustin Hoffman, edits the copy without Woodward’s consent. Woodward confronts him.
Bernstein says he was making it better. Woodward lays it plain, “I don’t mind what you did. I mind the way you did it.”
Losing isn’t exactly the cat’s ass and it really hurts when them team is struggling. But it happens and we live with it cause baseball’s just a game. But it was the way we lost that was driving me angry.
Brandon Nimmo couldn’t come up with a liner. Francisco Lindor and Tommy Pham couldn’t decide who was gonna catch a popup. The Mets had 3 hits in a game Taijuan Walker started and didn’t have his best stuff. This was a bad baseball team playing badly who got what they deserved.
Then came the 8th inning on Sunday. Thankfully I missed that bullshit in real time cause I was at an event. But if you don’t know, the Mets were up 6-3 and poised to win a series for the first time in forever.
An English person might say the inning went pear-shaped. An American would say the Mets had performed a bodily function on a mattress. It’s clear the British have a stronger education system.
The Mets lost and gave up 4 runs in devastating fashion. Several walks, an error, and 2 hit batsmen created a living nightmare for Mets fans. Our best reliever, David Robertson, was in the bullpen instead of on the mound.
The anger from fans is supersonic. How do you lose 15 of your last 20 games and straight up give 2 games to the Phillies? How can a team with the highest payroll in the history of baseball be this bad?
The reaction from fans of other teams, as well as commentators, podcasters, and reporters has been LOL Mets. Everyone loves laughing while the team with the highest payroll burns.
To which I say let them LOL. If it makes you feel better about yourself to snicker at the Mets, go and get it. Enjoy being small.
One of the hardest things a person can do is to not care what someone else thinks. It’s a superhuman quality blessed only on the impossibly attractive and the dipshits. The rest of us say “fine thanks” after someone says hi.
But I urge all Mets fans to find the strength. We’re the new hot girl at school and the mean girls would love to take us down. And anyone who saw the 2004 historical epic Mean Girls knows what happens to the petty in the end.
Look, we’re down bad. This can turn into yet another lost season very soon. There is no magic trade or call up from the minors to end this. The only ones who can turn this around are the Mets. Either they’ll play to the back of their baseball cards or they’ll wistfully watch the playoffs with the rest of us in the end.
Which brings me back to All the President’s Men. There’s an important moment near the end of the film. Ben Bradlee, the executive editor of the Washington Post, listens to the threats from a craven Republican party and the doomsayers on his own staff. The message is clear: get Woodward and Bernstein off the story or face hell.
Bradlee, played with a beautiful and angry stoicism by Jason Robards, makes it clear, “Fuck it, let’s stand by the boys.”
I hope all Mets fans can do the same.
On Steve Cohen’s Press Conference
Steve Cohen held a press conference on Wednesday, June 28, to address the Mets struggles. Below are some of his quotes followed by my thoughts.
“If you want to attract good people to this organization the worst thing you can do is be impulsive.”
So my pitch is this: come work for me. I’ll shitcan your ass at any time but don’t worry it’s cool.
No. Strong NO.
In the real, non-internet world of the flesh, stability means something. Baseball’s a game but it’s also a job. You don’t get fired unless you’re grossly incompetent or abusive. I don’t mind the Mets being an adult, non-reactionary organization. Strongly encouraged.
“We haven’t developed that many pitchers which is really shocking.”
Uncool. Not that he said it but that it’s true. The Escobar trade fits here.
And congratulations to Eduardo Escobar for becoming an American citizen on June 27th. Thank him also for making the Mets better during his time here as well.
“The goal is to pick good players and make them better. But that takes time.”
It’s not a sexy quote but it’s the truth. You can’t really buy success. You can buy complimentary players or a player to get over the top, but the body of the organization has to be strong. And that only comes with development.
“Incredibly frustrating. I watch every game. I see what’s going on.”
Thank you. Our owner is a fan first. He’ll make the business decisions he has to make but I believe his desire to win will drive them. After years of the opposite from ownership, it’s a nice feeling.
