Perfect summation of the Great Return of Pete Alonso, the event of the season! Soto gets it.
To be sure, it's not just losing Pete that has many fans upset - it's the losing. It's the inexplicable inconsistentcy of the offense, the lack of an Ace starter (a Mets hallmark btw), and the parade of pitchers thrown out like gladiators in the Roman Colosseum, thumbs up or down. It's try-out time at Citi and the masses are getting restless.
Andrew put a good coda in the proceedings and whether intentional or not, reminded us in the league recap that one Zack Wheeler, an ace, is still cooking for the South Jersey team while one PCA, he of the ill-fated Javier Baez experience, is on his way to the MVP award.
Meanwhile, some of the fans who vented their frustration at all of this are foolishly painted as "not real Met fans" on the socials.
Can we stop talking about Pete now? It's starting to feel masochistic. I hope the Mets win some games and finish the season strong. As fans, yes, we suffered a loss, but we have a lot to look forward to.
Hi Stuart, yes, this post was very much intended to put a bow on everything. It was my only chance to talk about the whole Alonso homecoming, so I wanted to do it before we move on to the Phillies series.
Thanks Andrew Steele. Although this was a perfect storm of emotions, I do believe this is the last. If we had a youngun' waiting in the wings, it would be different. Or if we acquired a Mark Grace or a (gasp!) Keith Hernandez type of player, then it would be easier to move on. See: Atlanta (yuck!) Braves moving on from Freddie Freeman, but getting Matt Olson to replace him.
If Cohen TRULY wants to emul;ate a franchise, he'd be wise to look at the Atlanta Braves. The Tampa Bay Rays is not a bad franchise to emulate either.
I don’t understand the cheering at all. Pete Alonso chose to leave the Mets. He returned to Citi Field wearing an Orioles uniform, hit home runs against the Mets, and received a curtain call while the home team was being embarrassed. Calling that a “protest” doesn’t make it any less grotesque. Protest Stearns before the game, after the game, or with signs—but once play begins, you support the Mets. Alonso should have been booed from the moment he stepped to the plate. Fans cheering an opposing player as he beats their own team aren’t loyalists staging a protest. They’re baseball traitors.
As the Dead sang, He's Gone, ain't nothing goanna bring him back. He left a contact on the table and if he really wanted to stay here he could have told his agent I'm signing it.
This is exactly right. I am forever going to be bummed that this franchise let Pete walk. Not going to relitigate it, I am ready to find a way to turn the page. But just a shout out to Andrew C who talked about it with Rich on the pod. Just do better, win, that is how fans will get passed this.
I watched fans boo Gary Carter and Keith Hernandez as their careers went on the decline, and that was after they were instrumental in securing this franchise a championship. So I am not particularly inclined to hear about Sean Manaea's sob stories about how this was essentially "bad job fans".
Mets fans have to stop policing each other too (wishful thinking), but the only road to that is winning. David Stearns has 2027 to illustrate that he can repair this, I am not rooting against that, I may be extremely skeptical at this point, but I want him to get it right and course correct.
This franchise has been a mess for a long long time now, with brief windows of small moments of success.
I don't want to hear "you just have to get into the tournament" which Stearns quipped last year. That might be accurate, but it is a bad tone. Everyone hates the Dodgers because they have dominated the tournament essentially (though truth be told, luck has been the residue of design there too). The 1986 Mets were hated universally by everyone but Mets fans, because they told everyone we are going to destroy you, and did (though again, luck was the residue of design and attitude).
The team is playing out the string and not playing a rival. So, yes, I understand if the crowd focused on Alonso. The curtain call was a bit much, but I understand.
I didn't listen to SM's comments, but it is unfair to say "the team has absolutely stunk."
No, it has not. The word "absolutely" is unfair. They could have just phoned it in after the trading deadline. Instead, they have a decent record. SM himself gutted it through an injury and gave you some good games. And individual players have shined.
The "team," for instance, didn't absolutely stink in this series. The starting pitching has been good, minus Curry, which is a bit of an asterisk. And, even there, the other two call-ups were good.
The hitting has been suspect lately. I hope they do better versus the Phillies.
For me, yesterday's mistake by Bichette, Soto, and Lindor, who were unable to catch a relatively easy aerial ball, perfectly sums up the disaster of this season.
Perfect summation of the Great Return of Pete Alonso, the event of the season! Soto gets it.
To be sure, it's not just losing Pete that has many fans upset - it's the losing. It's the inexplicable inconsistentcy of the offense, the lack of an Ace starter (a Mets hallmark btw), and the parade of pitchers thrown out like gladiators in the Roman Colosseum, thumbs up or down. It's try-out time at Citi and the masses are getting restless.
Andrew put a good coda in the proceedings and whether intentional or not, reminded us in the league recap that one Zack Wheeler, an ace, is still cooking for the South Jersey team while one PCA, he of the ill-fated Javier Baez experience, is on his way to the MVP award.
Meanwhile, some of the fans who vented their frustration at all of this are foolishly painted as "not real Met fans" on the socials.
What a trainwreck of a season.
There's aces and there's aces (Wheeler, Skubal). I'd call McLean an ace. There's plenty of weaknesses apart form the ace issue.
And also, Sean Manaea complaining? To Sean: bitch, please!
Can we stop talking about Pete now? It's starting to feel masochistic. I hope the Mets win some games and finish the season strong. As fans, yes, we suffered a loss, but we have a lot to look forward to.
Hi Stuart, yes, this post was very much intended to put a bow on everything. It was my only chance to talk about the whole Alonso homecoming, so I wanted to do it before we move on to the Phillies series.
Thanks Andrew Steele. Although this was a perfect storm of emotions, I do believe this is the last. If we had a youngun' waiting in the wings, it would be different. Or if we acquired a Mark Grace or a (gasp!) Keith Hernandez type of player, then it would be easier to move on. See: Atlanta (yuck!) Braves moving on from Freddie Freeman, but getting Matt Olson to replace him.
If Cohen TRULY wants to emul;ate a franchise, he'd be wise to look at the Atlanta Braves. The Tampa Bay Rays is not a bad franchise to emulate either.
Quite right. Fire Stearns.
I don’t understand the cheering at all. Pete Alonso chose to leave the Mets. He returned to Citi Field wearing an Orioles uniform, hit home runs against the Mets, and received a curtain call while the home team was being embarrassed. Calling that a “protest” doesn’t make it any less grotesque. Protest Stearns before the game, after the game, or with signs—but once play begins, you support the Mets. Alonso should have been booed from the moment he stepped to the plate. Fans cheering an opposing player as he beats their own team aren’t loyalists staging a protest. They’re baseball traitors.
As the Dead sang, He's Gone, ain't nothing goanna bring him back. He left a contact on the table and if he really wanted to stay here he could have told his agent I'm signing it.
This is exactly right. I am forever going to be bummed that this franchise let Pete walk. Not going to relitigate it, I am ready to find a way to turn the page. But just a shout out to Andrew C who talked about it with Rich on the pod. Just do better, win, that is how fans will get passed this.
I watched fans boo Gary Carter and Keith Hernandez as their careers went on the decline, and that was after they were instrumental in securing this franchise a championship. So I am not particularly inclined to hear about Sean Manaea's sob stories about how this was essentially "bad job fans".
Mets fans have to stop policing each other too (wishful thinking), but the only road to that is winning. David Stearns has 2027 to illustrate that he can repair this, I am not rooting against that, I may be extremely skeptical at this point, but I want him to get it right and course correct.
This franchise has been a mess for a long long time now, with brief windows of small moments of success.
I don't want to hear "you just have to get into the tournament" which Stearns quipped last year. That might be accurate, but it is a bad tone. Everyone hates the Dodgers because they have dominated the tournament essentially (though truth be told, luck has been the residue of design there too). The 1986 Mets were hated universally by everyone but Mets fans, because they told everyone we are going to destroy you, and did (though again, luck was the residue of design and attitude).
The team is playing out the string and not playing a rival. So, yes, I understand if the crowd focused on Alonso. The curtain call was a bit much, but I understand.
I didn't listen to SM's comments, but it is unfair to say "the team has absolutely stunk."
No, it has not. The word "absolutely" is unfair. They could have just phoned it in after the trading deadline. Instead, they have a decent record. SM himself gutted it through an injury and gave you some good games. And individual players have shined.
The "team," for instance, didn't absolutely stink in this series. The starting pitching has been good, minus Curry, which is a bit of an asterisk. And, even there, the other two call-ups were good.
The hitting has been suspect lately. I hope they do better versus the Phillies.
For me, yesterday's mistake by Bichette, Soto, and Lindor, who were unable to catch a relatively easy aerial ball, perfectly sums up the disaster of this season.
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out Sean ya bum!