The trek across the boardwalk above the tracks of the 7 train has a different feel to it, the blank space to the left of Citi Field signifying the fallen Shea Stadium. As I made my way towards the Mets' new home, I snapped a photo of the emptiness, essentially taking a picture of a memory. The awkward void left by the old building blended with the excitement of my first trip to Citi Field, as the lot clearly wasn't big enough for the both of them. Out with the old, in with the new.I knew I was excited, I was antsy all day and any sign of traffic on the drive there irritated me more than usual. Even walking across the boardwalk, the excitement built. But once I crossed those tracks and emerged at the bottom of the stairs in front of Citi Field, in all its glory, I was like a kid in a candy store. Before I even got into the building I'm pretty sure I said, "it even smells new." Maybe that doesn't make sense, but I digress.
There were many feelings that went through my mind, but the reality that Shea Stadium is gone was quickly overshadowed by the grandeur of its replacement. The grieving process was short-lived, and I quickly became fascinated by just how different Citi Field is from Shea.
Citi Field is gorgeous, there is no question. The ballpark is so much the opposite of Shea that I couldn't make the walk around the entire building quick enough to see what I wanted to see. The Jackie Robinson Rotunda, though I did not linger here, is a first-class homage to the man who single-handedly changed baseball forever 62 years ago this past Wednesday. The Rotunda almost feels like a separate building in itself, being that you cannot see any part of the field until you reach the top of an escalator; it is literally on its own level.
At the top of the escalator, you first see Ebbets Club, which I assume is the most exclusive area of the ballpark, given that it is behind home plate, and there are people at the doors checking tickets. Oddly enough, you can catch a glimpse of a hot dog venue before you can get a view the field itself. Believe me, though, you get past that pretty quickly when you walk to either side of Ebbets Club, where the interior of the building is finally unveiled.
Whereas in Shea Stadium the area beyond the outfield wall was open, save the massive board in right center, Citi Field is entirely closed off by seats and crisp, unbelievable hi-def scoreboards, and although Shea's upper deck ranged higher upwards, the backdrop beyond the outfield towers over the outfield grass and infield dirt. Between said backdrop, the Pepsi porch that looms above the warning track in right field, and the significantly higher outfield walls, everything is majestic, right on top of the action.
As soon as I began walking around the entire interior of Citi Field, I didn't have another glimmer of a thought of the old park, and just as well
. Aesthetics aside, there's something to be said about superstition. Normally I don't consider myself to be a superstitious person, but having seen the rubble that was once Shea Stadium, I couldn't help but feel like the agony of the past two seasons just might have been buried underneath the remaining blocks of cement, and this new building, in all its glory, would bring about better endings to Septembers to come for the New York Mets.That being said...
I know that it's early in the season. I understand that 4-5, while not a great start, could be a lot worse- ask the Washington Nationals. I'm not about to jump ship, not ready to offer a human sacrifice to the baseball Gods, or anything outlandish like that. What I will say is this: I can't help but get the feeling like something is missing. And no, I don't mean Aaron Heilman or Scott Schoeneweis. Good riddance (though I do believe Heilman will thrive in Chicago).
I cannot ignore the positives; the Mets signed K-Rod and traded for J.J. Putz, moves that sorely needed to be completed not a second later than they were. Jeremy Reed and Sean Green appear to be solid add-ons from the Putz deal with Seattle. In a crap shoot of signings of starting pitchers, Livan Hernandez put together a solid spring to fill in the final spot in the rotation over an injured Tim Redding and an apparently extremely washed-up Freddy Garcia. Hernandez' veteran presence and ability to eat up innings should be enough to fulfill the modest expectations that are generally bestowed upon a fifth starter.
Nonetheless, there's something sickening about the feeling of futility I'm getting before the 2009 season is 1/16th of the way through. The last two seasons have reeked of missed opportunities and shortcomings, and personally, I for one have not taken it well, especially not after watching the Phillies become World Champs last October.
In signing K-Rod and Putz, Omar Minaya addressed the Mets' most glaring need on paper, seeing as the Met bullpen blew 29 saves in 2008. However, what the Mets really needed to do, and failed to do, was add a presence, a personality with the maturity and experience to tie together and legitimize the rest of the ballclub.
Now, I will never dispute the talent of David Wright, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran. They're perennial All-Stars and are well deserving of any conversation that mentions them as elite players at their respective positions. Even more so, I love that Wright and Reyes are home-grown talents, something I would like to see the Wilpons continue to further invest in. What I cannot get past is that despite their stellar numberes, none of them seem to be true leaders.
In 2006, the Mets dominated the NL East right out of the gates. There was a certain swagger that came with having the big names in Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Pedro Martinez and Billy Wagner, and it showed in the way they played on a day-to-day basis, like bullies with a knock-'em-down and keep-hitting-'em-till-they're-dead attitude. There was a mutual confidence in the team- the confidence the team had in itself, and the confidence the fans had in them. That confidence, attitude, swagger, or whatever you want to call it, carried the Mets to within one game of the World Series, and seems to have died on the bat of Yadier Molina.
Why? What was it about the 2006 New York Mets that made them different from the 2007 and 2008 clubs? What gave the 2006 Mets that swagger, and where did it go in 2007 and 2008?
Here's what I think.
Personally, I believe that some of the swagger went to the Cubs in 2007. The rest of the attitude went to Washington in 2008. I'm talking about Cliff Floyd and Paul LoDuca.
The contributions the Mets lost from these two players will not show itself on paper, although Lo Duca did hit .318 in '06. Floyd followed his 34-homer 2005 with just 11 dingers in 97 games in 2006. What can't be measured by numbers is the impact they had in the clubhouse. Floyd had a cool way about him seemed to have a calming effect on the younger players, particularly David Wright. LoDuca on the other hand, with his fiery temper and raw displays of emotion, was like a pit bull, the guard dog of the team if you will.
The roles that Floyd and Lo Duca filled both on and off the field, their play and their personalities, helped create a balance that worked for the '06 Mets. Wright and Reyes were able to shine on the field while at the same time blending in behind the veterans, who alleviated the pressure of the New York media on the budding stars. Now, with Floyd and Lo Duca gone, Wright and Reyes as the faces of the franchise, their personalities do not fit well with the roles that have been thrown upon them off the field.The same goes for the starting pitchers not named Johan Santana. The loss of Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez have thrust Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, and Oliver Perez out of their supporting roles and into a position that requires them to be 15-game winners. While Maine and Perez, who both went 15-10 with ERA's under 4.00 in 2007 as the 3rd and 4th starters, respectively, they struggled in 2008, winning only 10 games apiece with ERA's over 4.00. Pelfrey, who picked up the slack last year winning 13 games as the fifth starter, has now been catapulted to the number 2 starter, an immense amount of pressure for a 25-year old having pitched less than 300 major league innings in his career.
I'll give Omar Minaya a pass on Orlando Hudson, and even Bobby Abreu, who at a grand total of about $8 or $9 million would not have broken the Mets' bank. I do, however, find a major issue with the re-signing of Oliver Perez, over the pursuit of Derek Lowe.
Essentially, the Mets committed $36 million to Perez, the owner of a sub-.500 career record, only 2 postseason starts, and a career ERA near 4.50, who at best was going to be their number 3 starter... rather than signing Lowe, a veteran with a career 3.74 ERA, 83+ postseason innings pitched with a 3.33 ERA, not to mention a World Series ring, to be their number 2.
I get that Perez is younger and has extremely high upside, in theory. Unfortunately, Perez is his own worst enemy, and can't get out of his own head to save himself. Yes, he has that potential, but he's been in the league long enough now that if he hasn't worked them out already, he will never be a true cover up for the Scott Kazmir debacle, the dominant lefty the Mets are hoping he will be. The extreme lows you get with Perez nearly cancel out the extreme highs. Lowe, on the other hand, is extremely consistent, has posted an ERA under 4 in each season since 2005. Not going after him because he wanted an option for a fourth year, it just doesn't make sense.
So, after watching John Maine lose to the San Diego Padres on Thursday as the Mets dropped the first ever series played at Citi Field, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to bounce back from the deja-vu nightmare of last season and regain that confidence from 2006. K-Rod was brought here to strike people out which he has done, but most importantly he's here to rack up saves, which he can't do unless he's given save opportunities.
Seeing as the ship has sailed on Lowe, Hudson, Abreu and oh yeah, Manny Ramirez (who by the way would undoubtedly have brought an instant legitimacy and presence to the New York Mets- suck it up and me the off-the-field shenanigans)... let's not wait till the trading deadline to make a move.
As a die-hard Mets fan who is tired of feeling like my team will never dig themselves out of this rut- please, Omar, let's shake it up now. Go out there and get yourself a persona that demands respect and conjures up confidence in the clubhouse. Because the way I see it, if this is the starting rotation and cast of characters in the locker room the Mets are looking to win with, you may not need to sweat out September this time around, because you may already be buried behind the likes of Philly, Florida, and Atlanta.
There are too many questions, too many concerns, too many inconsistencies in that rotation for me to feel comfortable declaring that the Mets will definitely even sniff the playoffs- they might, they might not. I know what I said about home-grown, but please, go get yourself a Roy- Halladay or Oswalt will suffice. Just don't leave the fate of the season on the arms between Johan and Livan. Let them be the role players, let someone more proven take some pressure off of Santana.http://cache.deadspin.com/assets/resources/2007/06/LoDucaIsAnAngryLittleDoofus.jpg
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