Studious Metsimus Updates, Reports & Flashes (S.M.U.R.F.)

Greetings and salutations, loyal SMFs! Welcome to the first installment of our new feature that we may or may not feature again. In this feature, we will update you on what's going on with the Mets, report on those updates and give you quick news flashes on the orange and blue. Just like Yankee fans, we're not very creative so we couldn't come up with a better title for this feature other than "Studious Metsimus Updates, Reports & Flashes". If that's too long of a title, then feel free to shorten it to its initials.

Now, without further ado, it's time to get S.M.U.R.F.ed!



Updates:

This past weekend, the Studious Metsimus staff took a trip to Philadelphia to celebrate the birthday of Mets fan Ross Chapman (thanks to Sharon and Kevin Chapman for the invite and for the Amazin' Mets cake, as seen below) at Citizens Bank Park. Unfortunately, the Phillies decided to crash the party and R.A. Dickey's ERA. A five-run third inning, capped by a 1,000-foot home run by Raul Ibañez led to the earliest exit by Dickey this season.



Despite the limp Dickey performance, the Mets fought back in an effort to pick up a win, stomp of the Phillies and their Phanatics and give Ross a perfect birthday gift. But just like Willie Mays Hayes during one of his first attempts to slide into second base, they ended up just a little short.


Reports:

The Mets returned to Citi Field tonight, where they boast a 34-19 record (including tonight's 1-0 victory). However, since proclaiming to the world that they believe in home field advantage, the Mets have been rather ordinary at home, losing three of their last four series at home, including the embarrassing effort against the cellar-dwelling Arizona Diamondbacks. Now back at home against two more playoff contenders in the Rockies and Phillies, the Mets must reverse their recent misfortunes at home if they want to keep their fading postseason hopes alive. It's one thing to go 5-7 during a 12-game stretch on the road, but to do that at home, as the Mets have done since the beginning of July, coupled with the fact that the Mets still can't defeat anyone on the road (22-37 away from Citi Field), makes it look like the Mets will be playing meaningful games at the end of August against the Marlins...to see which team can stay out of fourth place.

Amazingly, the Mets have still not won a series on the road against a National League team this year. Their only two series victories away from Citi Field came in Baltimore and Cleveland during interleague play. The one time the Mets won more than one game in a road series was during their four-game split against the Washington Nationals during Independence Day weekend. Clearly, the Mets have played more like road worriers than road warriors this season.


Flashes:

The Mets lead the major leagues in shutouts with 16. It's the most shutouts they've had for a season since 1998, when they pitched 16 shutouts. It's also the most they've had at the 112-game mark of the season since 1988, when they had 16 of their 22 shutouts by their 112th game. While it's a commendable achievement to have pitched so many shutouts, it brings to light something more alarming.

The Mets have pitched 16 shutouts but are only a .500 team (56-56). Since shutting out an opponent guarantees a victory, that means the Mets are only 40-56 when they don't hold the opponent scoreless. The Mets' winning percentage of .417 when they give up at least one run is actually lower than their winning percentage for the entire 2009 season when they finished the year with a 70-92 record (.432 winning percentage). If the Mets don't show that they can win games when the pitching is less than perfect, then giving up something will continue to lead to nothing as far as October baseball is concerned.


LET'S GO METS! LET'S GO METS! LET'S GO METS! LET'S GO METS!


That's all for the first edition of S.M.U.R.F. Before we find something else to complain about, we'd like to remind you of the Citi Field Sit-Out, which is taking place on Wednesday, August 25 when the Mets host the Florida Marlins in a battle for the coveted third place spot in the National League East.

The Better Half of the Studious Metsimus/My Summer Family duo is encouraging Mets fans with tickets to that game to sit that one out to show ownership that the fans have had enough of mediocrity in a city where being so-so is a no-no. If you wish to attend the event by not attending, please follow the steps on the Facebook fan page (click HERE to be taken to the page).

We've had enough of ownership not giving Mets fans the best product on the field. So let them enjoy the game without us. Maybe Omar Minaya will finally get a chance to catch a foul ball. After all, if the Citi Field Sit-Out works, he won't have to fight other fans for it.