Are Mets Fans Loyal To Their Team? One Survey Says No!

The Mets were a mediocre team in 2010, finishing the season with a 79-83 record. That mark was the 20th best in baseball (or the 11th worst, if you're standing on your head while looking at the standings). That was a nine-game improvement over the dismal 2009 season, when injuries turned the Mets into Johan Santana and the Four Rainouts, but the improvement in the win column was still not good enough to put the fannies in the seats.

It's true that Mets fans did not turn out in droves for the 2010 season, but does that make us any less loyal than other teams' fans? Apparently so, according to a recently conducted survey by Brand Keys, Inc.

Does this look like a fan base that isn't loyal to their team?

The Mets ranked 23rd out of 30 Major League Baseball teams in fan loyalty. The two teams Mets fans love to hate, the Phillies and the Yankees, finished first and second in fan loyalty, respectively. Finishing third in the survey were the Boston Red Sox, while the San Francisco Giants, who won the 2010 World Series, finished fourth.

I have two issues with this poll, and they're actually not about the Mets. First, how are the Phillies No. 1 on this list? Sure, they attract fans now, but where were these fans prior to the 2007 season?

In 2006, the Phillies did well, finishing only three games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL wild card berth. Even with the team battling for a playoff spot, their attendance at Citizens Bank Park for the year was only 2,701,815. They ranked seventh in the NL in home attendance, just slightly ahead of the small market San Diego Padres. Once the Phillies started winning division titles in 2007, it became "cool" to go to a Phillies game again in Philadelphia. To me, loyalty is about sticking with your team through thick and thin. Phillies fans love their team when they're in the "thick" of things, but will find something else to do when the team is a little "thin". This brings me to my second issue with the survey.

How are the Cardinals and Cubs not in the top five? For years, we've heard players say that the fans are what make them love playing in St. Louis. The Cardinals fans who were there when they won the World Series in 2006 (home attendance of 3,407,104) were also there in 1997 (home attendance of 3,225,334), when they finished with a 73-89 record and Mark McGwire played most of the season in Oakland. St. Louis perennially draws over 3 million fans through its gates because the fans are LOYAL to their team, regardless of where they are in the standings.

Similarly, the Cubs, a team which has a history of being at the bottom of the standings, also has fans who define team loyalty. The Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908 and haven't won a National League pennant since 1945, but they still draw over 3 million fans annually. (In 2010, Chicago finished with a 75-87 record, but still drew 3,062,973 fans to Wrigley Field.) They do this despite having one of the smallest seating capacities in the National League.

Only seven teams in baseball supposedly have less loyal fans than the Mets. But for the past decade, the Mets have been among the league leaders in home attendance. So in 2010, attendance at Citi Field dropped by about half a million. Does that place Mets fans among the least loyal in baseball?

Loyalty is not all about selling out every game. It's about being supportive of your team, win or lose. Phillies fans support their team when they're better than the Mets. Where will they be when the Mets surpass them in the standings, whenever that is? Cardinals and Cubs fans have more loyalty in their big toes than Phillies fans will ever have. Let's see what the survey looks like once the Phillies start to decline. Of course, when that day comes, it'll be tough to find a Phillies fan to poll.

Jonathon Brings Hitters To Their Niese

When the season began, Jonathon Niese was supposed to be nothing more than a fifth starter on a team with established major leaguers in the rotation. Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine and Oliver Perez would lead the staff and Niese would follow.

Of course, Maine and Perez sucked and got hurt (not necessarily in that order), Pelfrey went from godsend to godforsaken and Santana slogged his way through June (four consecutive starts giving up four runs or more).

So of the original starting five, who has been the most consistent starter? None other than Jonathon Niese, the man born on the same day a fellow Mets lefty threw his glove up into the Flushing night after winning the World Series.

Entering his first full season in the major leagues, Niese was trying to help a team that had a questionable rotation. After a brutal leg injury ended his season last year, Niese was also looking to prove that he was fully recovered.

He started the season pitching like the fifth starter that he was, going 1-2 with a 4.79 through May 16. He had shown flashes of brilliance, such as his final three starts in April, when he gave up two earned runs in 18 innings, but for the most part, he was so-so over the first month and a half of the season.

Then Niese suffered a mild strain of his right hamstring and was placed on the 15-day DL. He was replaced in the rotation by R.A. Dickey while he recovered. Upon being recalled to the major leagues to start on June 5, Niese returned healthy and a changed pitcher.

Since his return, Niese (along with his injury replacement, Dickey) has been the most consistent starter in the Mets rotation. In 14 starts since his June 5 return, Niese has gone 6-3 with a 2.75 ERA. He has struck out 72 batters while walking only 24. Opposing hitters have been brought to their knees by the former fifth starter, batting at a .231 clip, while compiling a weak .290 on-base percentage.

Niese has given up one run or less in nine of those 14 starts, including his masterpiece on June 10, when he allowed only one runner to reach base against him in a complete game victory against the San Diego Padres.

Unfortunately, his success has not translated into Mets victories. He has given up one run or less in each of his last three starts, pitching to the tune of a 1.29 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, but has not earned a victory in any of those games due to the inept Mets offense. In fact, Niese has given up one run or less 12 times this season (in only 22 starts) and has been credited with a victory in only six of them.

Despite his unfortunately inability to earn victories, Niese is still having one of the best rookie seasons for a Mets pitcher in recent years. In fact, in the 21st century, no Mets rookie pitcher has won more than nine games in his inaugural campaign. (The great Jae Seo went 9-12 as a rookie for the Mets in 2003.) With three more victories, Jonathon Niese will have the greatest season for a Mets rookie pitcher this century. That's as much a testament to Niese's fine 2010 as it is to the Mets' inability to develop a quality starter over the past 10 years.

Jonathon Niese's next start will be on Saturday in Pittsburgh, a game that will be attended by the Studious Metsimus staff. If things go according to form, Niese will pitch another great game but will be left without a victory. That would be a shame, since Niese has been one of the most consistent pitchers for the Mets this season and has definitely been the best rookie pitcher for the Mets in the early part of this century.

Jae Seo, watch out. Jonathon Niese is about to erase your name from the record books. Of course, if Niese continues to pitch as well as he has since he returned from the DL on June 5, Jae Seo might not be the only name Niese erases from the Mets record books.

Dickey-licious!

R.A. Dickey was not supposed to contribute much to the 2010 Mets. After all, how much can a team expect from a guy who only had 22 major league wins and 5.43 career ERA over his first seven major league seasons? Surely, the Mets were only expecting to have him as a backup who would occasionally get a spot start if needed.

Then Oliver Perez and John Maine went down with injuries, proving that occasionally Mets fans' prayers are answered. Up came R.A. Dickey, who was only supposed to fill in as a starter until half of the original lineup of Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts returned from their injuries.

Fourteen starts later, Dickey is not only still in the rotation, he is a key cog in the Mets' quest to have meaningful games in September.

Today, Dickey floated his knuckleball past the Cardinals for 8.1 innings, allowing only four hits and two walks. The 4-0 victory was the major league leading 14th shutout by the Mets, and was the fifth time Dickey held his opponent scoreless while he was on the mound. For his efforts, Dickey earned his first victory since June 23.

Prior to today's outing, through no fault of his own, Dickey had failed to win a start in the month of July. The Mets had lost all five of his starts despite fantastic performances in all five outings (1.89 ERA, .230 batting average against, .271 OBP).

Today looked like a day Dickey was going to have to carry the team on his own. The Mets had just suffered an 8-7, 13-inning defeat last night in a game that took over four and a half hours to complete. The offense, which had inexcusably been missing for most of the month of July now had an excuse to be absent after playing for so long last night. In addition to the tired offense, David Wright had been given the day off after appearing to break out of his mini-slump by collecting three hits last night. Had the Mets been shut out today, would anyone have been surprised?

Then Ike Davis (who had been given the night off on Wednesday so that Mike Hessman could get his first start for the Mets at first base) gave Dickey all the runs he needed by breaking the scoreless tie with a three-run homer in the third inning of today's game. Once Dickey had the lead, he carved through the Cardinals' lineup, facing one batter above the minimum until the ninth inning, when he got into a bit of trouble and had to be relieved by Frankie Rodriguez.

Today's game marked the 12th time in 14 starts that Dickey has given up three earned runs or less. By comparison, since signing his three-year, $36 million deal prior to the 2009 season, Oliver Perez has also given up three earned runs or less in exactly 12 starts. It took R.A. Dickey a little over two months to do what Oliver Perez has done in one and a half years (and has been paid handsomely to do so).

Speaking of the impeached El Perez-idente, Ollie has not pitched more than 6.1 innings in any of his 21 starts since signing the aforementioned three-year contract. What about Robert Alan Dickey? He has pitched at least six innings in 12 of his 14 starts. However, one of the two starts where he did not make it through the sixth inning was last Sunday, when Jerry Manuel pulled the non-injured Dickey from the game because of apparent injury. The removal angered Dickey, who had only thrown 70 pitches and was pitching a two-hit shutout against the Dodgers at the time.

A well-rested Dickey put aside his differences with Dead Manuel Walking to handcuff the non-rested Cardinals today. In doing so, Dickey lowered his ERA to 2.32, which would be good enough for fourth in the National League if he had enough innings pitched.

(Special note: Dickey falls just short of qualifying for the ERA title, as he has pitched 92 innings over the Mets' first 102 games. A pitcher must pitch one inning for every game his team has played to be considered among the league leaders. I hope you're taking notes, as this will be on the quiz.)

R.A. Dickey has been better than expected since being promoted to the major leagues. The 35-year-old journeyman pitcher has gone from fill-in to dependable starter over the course of the past two months.

With John Maine's Met career almost certain to be over and Oliver Perez banned from taking the mound within two hours of the Star Spangled Banner, it appears as if R.A. Dickey and his tantalizing knuckleball might be a part of the Mets' rotation beyond this season. How Dickey-licious is that?

...And Now A Word From Our Joey

Greetings, Mets fans! It's your roving Studious Metsimus correspondent, Joey Beartran getting a moment on the laptop. I have a few things to say, so BEAR with me as I get a few things off my hoodie.

Before tonight's victory against the Braves, the Mets had dropped five consecutive games. The rest of the NL East was putting New York in its rearview mirror, just like I was doing in the photo above.

No starter had won a game in May and Little Jeffy Wilpon thought it necessary to have tea and crumpets with Goofus and Gallant. (Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel. I'll let you figure out which one is which.)

Then April's best pitcher took the hill in Atlanta and played stopper for the night. The Mets' Big Kahuna used his Big Cojones to pitch the Mets to a 3-2 victory over the Braves. The losing streak was finally over and the Mets were out of last place. Sounds like everything's peachy in Georgia, right? Not so fast!

The Mets still haven't had much contributions from their bottom three guys in the rotation. After Big Pelf and 'Han the Man, every other start this season has been made by Mr. Niese, Mr. Maine and El Perez-idente. Those three starters have combined for a grand total of TWO WINS this year!

Now Jonathon Niese is going to miss his next start due to his ailing hammy, John Maine is at the library searching for a copy of Throwing Strikes For Dummies and El Perez-idente has been impeached from the rotation.

R.A. Dickey and Hisanori Takahashi will be taking the spots of Niese and Perez, respectively and John Maine is going to have to speed read his way back to respectability. If the month of May ends with Pelfrey, Maine and the vultures in the bullpen continuing to pick up all of the victories, then the Mets and Braves might be renewing their rivalry, but this time it'll be to see who can stay out of last place instead of fighting for a division title.

Tonight's victory was great, but the Mets must do far more to get back in the good spirits of fans, similar to the way they felt during the eight-game winning streak in late April. Big Pelf put the Mets on his 6' 7" frame and carried them out of the cellar. Johan Santana will try to do the same tomorrow night. What will happen after that? It better be a victory or three from one of the other starters. If not, Little Jeffy Wilpon might be setting up the firing squad for Goofus and Gallant.

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But wait, there's more! If you can make it to the Two Boots location in the lower dining concourse of Grand Central Terminal at 7 PM on Tuesday, May 18 (that's tomorrow night!), you will be part of a Mets-tacular celebration! Some of the best Mets writers and bloggers will be on hand sharing their Mets-cellent views, stories and opinions on our beloved Metsies!

On hand will be Greg Prince (Faith and Fear In Flushing), Jon Springer (Mets By The Numbers), Josh Wilker (Cardboard Gods) and my Aunt Coop (My Summer Family)!!

If you bring a Mets baseball card, you can get a free beer. That's right! You'll be able to tell all your friends that Mets legends Tim Bogar and Mark Carreon paid for your beer. You can even bring in that Mel Rojas card that you threw darts at after he gave up that home run to Paul O'Neill.

Of course, yours truly and my Studious Metsimus colleague will be there. Hope you can be a part of Amazin' Tuesday at the Grand Central Terminal location of Two Boots!

The Mets Pitching Staff Is Good For Nothing

Yes, you did read the title correctly. Over the past week, Mets pitchers have indeed been good for nothing, meaning they've been good enough to hold the opposition to practically nothing on the scoreboard.

Pitching was not supposed to be the strong point of the 2010 Mets. After all, the Mets' starting rotation was supposed to be made up of Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts.

Mike Pelfrey had come off a baffling season. Although he stayed healthy (unlike his fellow starters), his ERA was over 5.00 and he never showed the consistency of his breakout 2008 season.

Oliver Perez and John Maine were injured for much of the year, but when they were on the mound, some fans were wishing that they were still on the disabled list. Maine could never keep his pitch count low and Perez lost his GPS device, preventing him from finding the plate.

As for Johan Santana, he was also injured and did not pitch in September after a subpar (for him) second half. From his first June start until his final start on August 20, Santana went 6-7 with an uncharacteristic 4.02 ERA.

The Mets tried (at least we think they did) to sign free agent starters to improve the rotation, but came home empty-handed. The same top four from 2009 would reprise their roles in the rotation in 2010 and Mets fans were not very pleased about it. A 4-8 start to the 2010 season did nothing to change their feelings about the state of the franchise.

Then something clicked in Colorado. First, Mike Pelfrey threw seven shutout innings in a victory against the Rockies. This was followed by outstanding starts by Oliver Perez, Johan Santana, Jonathon Niese and Pelfrey again. These starts were sandwiched around John Maine's Sunday night outing against the Cardinals in which he gave up three runs in five innings, but this still represented his best start of the young season.

It wasn't just the starting pitchers that were "good for nothing". The bullpen were matching the zeroes posted by the starters. The best example of this was during Saturday's 20-inning marathon in St. Louis, where the bullpen held the Cardinals scoreless from the eighth inning through the 18th inning, stranding baserunners left and right.

Coming into tonight's game, the Mets starters and relievers had held the opposition scoreless in 58 of the last 63 innings. The team's record in the six games played over those 63 innings is 4-2. That's not a coincidence.

Good pitching can always carry a team when the offense is down. For example, the 2009 Mets were near the bottom of the National League in runs scored with 671. However, the 1969 World Champion Mets had an offense that was even more anemic. The '69 team only scored 632 runs. The difference between the two teams was in the pitching.

The 2009 Mets' ERA was 4.45. The 1969 Miracle Mets finished the season with an Amazin' 2.99 ERA. The '69 Mets were never going to outslug their opponents, but they always gave you the impression that all they needed was one run and the pitchers would take it from there.

The 2010 Mets have also not been outslugging their opponents, but this current stretch of sizzling starts has them playing their best baseball of the still-young season. Eventually, the offense should heat up and when it does, it will take some of the pressure off the pitchers to throw shutouts every time they go out to the mound.

While we wait for that to happen, it's good to know that the staff is clicking on all cylinders. So you see, sometimes being good for nothing isn't really as bad as it seems.

The "K" In K-Rod Stands For Kick-Ass

After today's 5-2 loss to the Washington Nationals, I was going to write a blog about Johan Santana temporarily giving up his lead role in Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts to become an honorary Rainout.

Then my thoughts turned to writing about Josh Willingham one-upping Willy Taveras by driving in all five Washington runs one day after Taveras drove in all four runs scored by the Nationals in yesterday's 4-3 loss.

Instead, this is going to be a positive blog. I know it's hard to say anything positive about the Mets after completing a 2-4 homestand against the Marlins and Nationals, especially when they needed as many victories as possible heading into a tough road trip in Colorado and St. Louis against two of last season's National League playoff teams.

But something interesting happened in the ninth inning when Francisco Rodriguez faced Willie Harris. Harris came into the game in the eighth inning as part of a double switch for starting leftfielder Josh Willingham. With one out and no one on base in the ninth inning, Harris came up to bat. After a called first strike, the next pitch hit Willie Harris. Both benches emptied when K-Rod and Harris exchanged words near first base.

To this, I say... IT'S ABOUT ROOTIN' TOOTIN' TIME!

Willie Harris has been a defensive thorn in the Mets side. On Saturday, for the third time in four seasons, a spectacular defensive play by Harris cost the Mets a potential victory when he robbed Rod Barajas of a potential game-winning hit with the bases loaded and two outs.

Although K-Rod will never admit it for fear of a suspension, today's incident was more than likely a message sent to Harris that the Mets were not too pleased with his continued game-changing catches.

I'm glad Frankie didn't watch the Shawn Estes Instructional Video on how to hit batters (available on Betamax only). By giving Willie Harris a figurative kick in the @$$, perhaps the Nationals' outfielder will be a tad slower the next a Met hits a ball that he has to race for to catch. At the very least, Rodriguez showed that the Mets were fed up with the bad karma surrounding them and took it upon himself to take action.

Maybe this will fire up the Mets on their upcoming road trip. Maybe it'll make Willie Harris remember that his last name isn't Mays when he takes the field against the Mets. Whatever the case, it's about time that someone took the initiative to send a message to the Nationals that they were done with being beat up by a team that's supposedly inferior to them.

K-Rod, I tip my blue Mets cap to you. You have just become one of my favorite Mets. Let's hope other players take your lead and get fired up so that the team can kick the @$$e$ of the rest of the National League.

Call Him Nelson Phigueroa

Do you see the mug shot to the left? That's a photo of Brooklyn native and now former Met Nelson Phigueroa that was taken during his first tour of duty with the Phillies back in 2001. There will be a new version of this photo soon, as the Phillies claimed Phigueroa off waivers from the Mets earlier today.

He becomes the latest Met castoff to hook up with the Phillies, after Pedro Martinez did the same last year and won his first five decisions for the Phillies, including an eight-inning, 130-pitch effort against the Mets in a 1-0 victory last September. That game mathematically eliminated the Mets from postseason contention.

Phigueroa had one of the best seasons of his career for the Phillies in 2001, winning a career-high four games and finishing with a 3.94 ERA in 13 starts.

The Phillies plan to have Phigueroa on their 25-man roster as they have been decimated with injuries to their pitchers. Starter Joe Blanton and relievers J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge are all currently on the DL, creating the need for them to acquire a pitcher with major league experience.

Mets fans will remember Phigueroa for his numerous fill-in appearances whenever an extra starter was needed and his local boy charm. Studious Metsimus will remember him for his season-ending complete game shutout against the Astros last October 4 (the only complete game and shutout in his major league career) and this failed attempt by his teammates to shave off his eyebrows. (see photo, right)

With the Mets currently employing Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts, the departure of Phigueroa might loom large should Maine, Perez, Pelfrey and Niese pitch ineffectively. That being said, Phigueroa might not be a Phillie for long, especially after their injured pitchers return.

First it was Pedro Martinez. Now it's This Little Phiggy's turn to go red. The Mets didn't need him in the rotation now. Let's hope they don't regret it if Phigueroa comes back and gives the Phillies a Pedro-like performance in 2010.

Where's Sidd Finch When You Need Him?

It was twenty-five years ago today that the April 1, 1985 issue of Sports Illustrated hit newsstands across the country (see cover, left). Amongst all the extensive coverage of the NCAA Final Four and the upcoming Opening Day of the baseball season was one particular article that caught the eyes of many Mets fans.

The late, great George Plimpton had written an article for that particular issue called "The Curious Case of Sidd Finch". In the article, Plimpton went on to discuss how Finch was a rookie who was invited to Mets' spring training because he possessed a 168 MPH fastball. The backstory on Finch was as incredible as the blazing fastball. Alas, the story was just an elaborate April Fool's Day joke.

Astute readers who paid close attention to the subheading of the article ("He's a pitcher, part yogi and part recluse. Impressively liberated from our opulent life-style, Sidd's deciding about yoga.") would have noticed that the first letter of each word in the subheading spelled out "Happy April Fools Day".

With references to former Mets pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre and former Mets centerfielder Lenny Dykstra, many readers believed the article to be a true story, when in fact, Plimpton and the Mets organization collaborated on the hoax.

Now it's time to jump into the DeLorean and come back from 1985 to the present day. The 2010 Mets are struggling with their starting rotation. After Johan Santana, the rotation is full of question marks. John Maine is pencilled in as the #2 starter behind Santana, but he's coming off an injury-plagued season and after "hurling" his final pitch, had to leave today's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals with a particularly bad stomach virus.

Jonathon Niese is unproven in the major leagues, but has shown enough to Jerry Manuel for him to proclaim Niese as his #3 starter. Is this a testament to Niese's ability or is this Manuel's way of saying he doesn't trust Mike Pelfrey (#4 in the rotation) and Oliver Perez (numero cinco) enough to insert them behind Santana and Maine? Both Pelfrey and Perez are coming off awful seasons and neither pitcher has performed well in Spring Training.

It's too bad Sidd Finch was only an imaginary character. With all the question marks surrounding the Mets rotation in 2010, I'd take my chances on an imaginary pitcher before sending anyone not named Santana out to the mound.

Side note: Although the Sidd Finch article was a hoax, something quite real also happened 25 years ago today. That event is now very important to the Mets...

On April 1, 1985, Mets first baseman Daniel Murphy was born. Unfortunately, due to his MCL injury, Daniel wasn't able to celebrate the momentous occasion with his teammates on the field, but at least he didn't aggravate his injury when he blew out his candles.

Studious Metsimus would like to wish a happy 25th birthday to Daniel Murphy! We hope you get back on the field soon. (Joey would also like some of your cake if there is any left over.) Good luck with your recovery!

Johan Santana And The Four Rainouts Need Backup Singers

Attention, Mets fans! Now you can be a backup singer for Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts! It's easy to qualify. Just come down to the Tradition Field Studios, trot out to the mound, throw your best stuff down the middle of the plate and let out your best scream as you watch your pitches belted all over the field. (No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Some assembly required. Must be 48" or taller to ride. Yada, yada, yada.)

Why am I making all this fuss about pitching performances in early March? Because it's alarming how the starting rotation has performed in their Grapefruit League debuts.

Early Spring Training starts are about developing arm strength, but since when did they have to resemble batting practice? To show you what I mean, here are the numbers for the starts by the four members of the starting rotation already guaranteed spots.

• Mike Pelfrey (Mar. 6): 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 0 K
• Oliver Perez (Mar. 7): 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 K
• John Maine (Mar. 8): 1.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 4K
• Johan Santana (Mar. 9): 1.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 1 K

That's a total of 9.1 IP for the four starters. In those innings, they've combined to give up 13 earned runs and 22 hits. They have been throwing strikes, as shown by the total of three walks between the four pitchers, but they're strikes of the Rick Aguilera variety (Mr. Wild-In-The-Strike-Zone himself).

While singing the praises of Jenrry Mejia, Ike Davis and Fernando Martinez, has Jerry Manuel noticed that his starters have been getting hit hard? He can sugarcoat it by saying that they're throwing strikes, but wouldn't it be better if they were able to locate those strikes anywhere but the sweet spot of the opposing hitter's bat?

And what about the fifth starter? Whoever becomes the final member of Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts has to be ready to move up the food chain should one of the Drab Four get laryngitis (which Mets trainers would say is tendinosis and require a missed start or two). Can Jonathon Niese, Fernando Nieve and Nelson Figueroa be counted on to be the fifth starter and/or step up into a higher slot if needed?

The Mets cannot afford to have their pitching staff do poorly and hope to improve upon their fourth place finish of 2009. Only William Hung can take a shoddy performance and carry that all the way to the bank. (Okay, maybe Oliver Perez can do that too.) But whereas Mr. Hung did well with his fifteen minutes of fame, the Mets will have to do well with 162 minutes of game.

As a Mets fan, I expect Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts to be able to locate their pitches more effectively as Late Winter Training continues. They can throw all the strikes they want, but without location, the shower attendants will end up becoming good friends with them.

With their debut performances, Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts are soaring up the Hit Parade. Let's just hope they ease up on the hits as April approaches.

Photo of Johan Santana by Bruce Kluckhohn.

Photo of William Hung by some photographer who wishes to be in Bruce Kluckhohn's shoes.

The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Maine

Since becoming a Met in 2006, John Maine has shown signs of greatness, such as his near no-hitter on Sept 29, 2007. However, he has never been able to maintain the consistent level of pitching that a pitcher of his talent needs to be a top of the rotation starter.

Never was this more apparent than during his 2009 season. In fact, you might say Maine's home-road splits last season suggest a case of the Jekyll and Hyde syndrome.

After losing his first start at Citi Field in 2009 to the San Diego Padres on April 16, John Maine took the mound at his home park six more times. These are the lines for those six starts:

• Apr. 27 vs. FLA: 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 4 K
• May 9 vs. PIT: 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K
• May 25 vs. WAS: 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K
• May 31 vs. FLA: 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K
• Sept. 20 vs. WAS: 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K
• Oct. 2 vs. HOU: 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 7 K

Maine's totals over those six starts were outstanding. In 36 innings pitched, he gave up only three earned runs for a microscopic 0.75 ERA. He also allowed 18 hits and walked 11 batters, giving him a 0.81 WHIP.

Even if you include his performance in his April 16 loss to the Padres, Maine's overall numbers at Citi Field remained eye-popping. For the season, Maine was 6-1 with a 1.98 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP at home.

Although Mets pitchers allowed 81 HR to opposing batters in 81 home games, Maine barely contributed to that number. In his seven starts at Citi Field, Maine gave up one measly home run.

Clearly, John Maine performed at his Dr. Jekyll-like best when toeing the rubber at Citi Field. However, all it took was a change in venue for Maine to make his Mr. Hyde-like transformation.

In eight starts away from Citi Field, John Maine went 1-6, with a bloated 6.92 ERA and an embarrassing 1.64 WHIP. He gave up seven home runs on the road even though he pitched fewer innings in his road grays than he did in his home whites (41.0 IP at Citi Field, 40.1 IP on the road).

Even his sole road victory in 2009 wasn't particularly impressive. On May 4 at Turner Field in Atlanta, Maine defeated the Braves. However, in his six innings of work, he gave up three runs, while allowing three hits and walking a whopping six batters. Fortunately, the Mets' offense showed up in the 6-4 victory.

Three runs in six innings is acceptable, but those three runs matched the TOTAL number of runs given up by Maine in his last six starts at Citi Field.

So which Maine will show up for the Mets in 2010? John claims to be fully recovered from his injury-shortened 2009 season. Will he regain his 15-victory form that he exhibited during the 2007 season, the year that featured his near no-hitter against the Marlins? Or will he continue to take one step forward and two steps back, all coinciding with his starts at home and on the road?

If he wants to escape from the Four Rainouts part of Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts, he'll need to be Dr. Jekyll for 30-plus starts. Then the only transformation Maine will make is the one where he becomes an All-Star.

Wilpon Monarchy To Continue; So Will Wilpon Malarkey

Mets fans think the only way the Mets can compete with the Phillies in the NL East is for Fred Wilpon to sell the team. However, according to a report by Adam Rubin in the Daily News, the man forever known to Studious Metsimus as "Stupid Is" not only has no plans to sell the team, he wants the Wilpon Monarchy to continue for generations to come.

While taking a break from counting the money he claims he doesn't have, Wilpon offered this tidbit about the family's involvement with the Mets:

"I've always said, if it's up to me, my family will be involved for the next generations. That's all I can tell you. I can't say that about any other asset we own."

That's good to know, Papa Smurf. But what about your feelings regarding the on-field results produced by your "asset" last season? Let's see if you notice a common theme in his various responses.

"Jeff (Wilpon) really dug into this area of what could we do to improve, to prevent injuries. Injuries are going to occur...in any sport they're going to occur. But what could we do to prevent injuries? I challenge you to tell me one team of any sport that could lose 10 or 12 of their key people and succeed. You can't. And I'm not using that as an excuse. I'm just saying you can't."

"Look, you've heard the theme that we have to stay healthy. I'm very optimistic that they will...I think that if they stay healthy, (that) translate(s) into a great team, and that's what my optimism is about, and what my hope is about."

So basically, Daddy No-Bucks is saying that if the Mets can avoid injuries this year, they'll be a competitive team. At least that's what I see when I read his excuse...oh, wait a minute. He said he's not using last year's injuries as an excuse. My bad.

Did it ever occur to him that even when the players were healthy, they weren't producing as well as they could have? David K. Wright hit his usual .300 and stole his customary 20+ bases, but he still only managed 10 HR and 72 RBI. Did injuries also cause him to whiff at an alarming rate?

What about Angel Pagan? Did injuries cause him to make all those baserunning mistakes that ended possible Met rallies?

On the pitching side, which injury was it that caused the Mets to be at or near the league lead in most walks allowed for the majority of the season?

There are many more "injuries" I could discuss, but the main injury I see here is the one causing Flushing Freddy to open his mouth and speak freely when he clearly doesn't know how an owner should run the show.

Instead of spending his popcorn money on a middle reliever here, a 30-something year-old there and a career minor leaguer or two, maybe he could have allocated some funds towards getting what the club desperately needed, a starting pitcher. There were numerous to choose from, but all we're left with is Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts.

The Jason Bay acquisition was a great pickup. He will surely help the offense. But when the team's most glaring hole (starting pitching) is left unaddressed, it makes me wonder if Wilpon really thinks that a healthy team is all that's needed for the team to compete for the division title or the wild card.

Johan Santana is coming off an injury that sidelined him for the last six weeks of the season. Had the Mets signed a dependable starting pitcher, they'd be in better hands if 'Han the Man gets injured again (please recall that Santana was pitching with a hidden injury at the end of the 2008 season as well).

Oliver Perez and John Maine are also coming off injury-plagued seasons. Even when they're supposedly healthy, they have difficulty keeping their pitch counts to a minimum, taxing their bullpen. Signing an innings-eater could have helped them should one or both pitchers continue to rack up five inning starts.

What about Mike Pelfrey? He was actually the healthy one of the staff, yet he couldn't keep his ERA under 5.00. Does Wilpon really think the Mets can compete if the #2 pitcher in the rotation has a similar season?
The Mets have many question marks entering the 2010 season. Fred (Stupid Is) Wilpon and his boy wonder, Jeff (Stupid Does) Wilpon think the Mets have what it takes to compete in the National League East. But as the picture above suggests, the captain of the ship has no clue that his ship will sink as it currently stands.

Just think, Mets fans. Fred Wilpon wants the Mets to remain under his family's ownership for generations to come. In 2010, the Mets' slogan might be "We Believe In Comebacks", but I think after hearing the words coming out of our fearless leader's mouth, the slogan should be "Stupid Is, Stupid Does and Stupid Will Always Be."

Have a nice day!

Pitchers And Catchers And Bears, Oh My!

Welcome to the latest Joey blog for Studious Metsimus. This blog will pertain to those three words everyone can't wait to hear. No, those words aren't "FREE CHICKEN NACHOS", although those wouldn't be bad right now. The words bring warmth on a cold winter's day. They evoke childhood memories of playing catch with your dad.


Those three beautiful words that all baseball fans love to hear are...


PITCHERS AND CATCHERS!!!

That's right, SMFs! Today the Mets' pitchers and catchers reported to Port St. Lucie to begin their six-week stay in the hopes of getting their groove back. After a dismal 2009 season in which the Mets decided to hibernate months before October, there is hope that the team can bounce back to respectability and perhaps even more than that.

Other than Carlos Beltran, the team has canceled their membership to the Injury of The Week Club. 2010 should be the year the Mets show us if the poor record of 2009 was based on the players losing so many games due to injuries or if it was because the team just isn't as good as they were from 2006-2008, when they averaged 91 victories per season.

The Mets added Sgt. Bay of The Yukon to patrol the vast expanses of the Northwest Territories at Citi Field. But other than that, all they seemed to do was add a boatload of backstops. They did not change any members of Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts. They did not upgrade at first base. They did not get rid of Stupid Is (Fred Wilpon, the Brooklyn Dodger fan formerly known as Mutt) and Stupid Does (Jeff Wilpon, the Daddy's boy formerly known as Jeff), not that they would have fired themselves.

With the Phillies, Marlins, Braves and Nationals all filling in numerous holes on their respective teams, can the Mets seriously expect to be contenders by adding Jason Bay, no starting pitchers and every catcher except Crash Davis and Jake Taylor?



No one knows for sure how the Mets will do in 2010. That's the beauty of spring training. Everyone comes in with equal expectations and everyone comes in tied for first, except the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are already a dozen games out of first place in the NL Central.

If the catchers can settle The Four Rainouts down and get them to pitch effectively, the team might be able to contend for more than just the first two months of the season.

However, there are still too many question marks on this team to consider. Will Jose Reyes be the speed demon he used to be? Will David K. Wright regain his power stroke? Will the Mets stop ending games by dropping infield pop-ups and hitting into unassisted triple plays? Those questions will be answered as the season progresses.

For now, I'm packing up my ball and glove and heading out to Port St. Lucie. That's right, SMFs. Joey's going to spring training! I'll be there with Coop from My Summer Family next weekend, hoping to get exclusive photos of Mets players while they're still uninjured.

When I return, I hope to post another blog about my adventures in the PSL. Maybe I'll interview a player or two. Maybe I'll get Coop to buy me an adult beverage.

Those are too many maybes, but there is one thing I'm DEFINITELY sure about. I LOVE PITCHERS AND CATCHERS! Be sure to come back to Studious Metsimus next week to read my recap on the Port St. Lucie trip...assuming I decide to come back from sunny Florida, of course!

Nah, who am I kidding? After all, I have to be the first in line at Citi Field on Opening Day when the chicken nacho stand opens for business!

Omir, Oh My! How Will Omir Santos Do In 2010?

As the countdown towards Late Winter Training continues, it is becoming more and more likely that the Mets are going with Omir Santos as their #1 catcher, with Henry Blanco and Chris Coste vying for the backup spot.

The Mets spent their winter break signing tenth-string catchers Coste and Blanco and let a more competent catcher like Funky Cold Molina re-sign with the Giants. As a result, Santos will now be expected to handle the pitching staff of Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts as well as performing a few Omir-acles of his own at the plate.

Can he be counted on to repeat his unexpected 2009 performance this year now that more is expected from him? Let's take a look inside the Studious Metsimus Stat Box and pick out some juicy numbers.

In 2008, Omir Santos was called up to the major leagues by the Baltimore Orioles for some coffee and donuts. Since they used peppermint in his coffee (trust me when I say it's a bad combination), he bid adieu to Baltimore and said hello to the Mets. It was in New York that he got his huge break when Brian Schneider got injured, forcing the Mets to call him up to be a part of the Not Ready For Prime Time (Baseball) Players.

However, something happened on the way to the 7 train. On a team full of fragile players and David K. Wright (the K stands for "why the fudge did you strike out so much in 2009?"), Omir blossomed into a pretty decent (and clutch) hitter.

On May 23, Santos hit the most dramatic home run of the 2009 season (some might say the only dramatic home run of the 2009 season, but my name isn't "some") when he hit a two-out, two-run HR in the ninth inning off Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. The umpires originally called the shot a double off the Green Monster, but video replay showed that the ball went over the wall and bounced back onto the field of play. To be honest with you, I thought the ball was called a double at first because the umpires couldn't believe it was Omir Santos who hit the home run and not a genuine power threat like...

Well...

Uhh...

Okay, let's be honest with ourselves. The umpires couldn't believe a Met hit a home run off ANYONE. Jonathan Papelbon was so upset that he gave up a home run to a Met that he immediately punched himself in the crotch. (see photo below)

Santos continued his success after Papelbon's "Crotch Heard 'Round The World" by finishing the 2009 season with a .260 batting average, seven HR and 40 RBI in 291 at-bats. Will that translate into a better season in 2010 if he gets the 400 at-bats usually reserved for a #1 catcher?

Unfortunately, looking at his minor league stats, the answer might be no. In 2,229 career at-bats for various minor league teams, Santos could only manage a .258 average, with 32 HR and 260 RBI. He hit .260 for the Mets after not being able to do that against MINOR LEAGUE PITCHING in his eight-plus years toiling in Buttsburg, Wyoming and Fartsville, Wisconsin (although the cheese being cut in Fartsville by the Wisconsin cheeseheads is quite aromatic).

Can the Mets expect more Omir-acles from Santos in 2010? Probably not. They don't play the Red Sox this season and due to the lack of catching depth on the team, there's very little chance he'll get sent back to Wisconsin to play for Count Flatula. If Santos repeats his seven HR, 40 RBI performance in 400 at-bats, that should be considered a success for him. But I'm not counting on it.

The Mets would be better off signing a more experienced catcher who can do well with a pitching staff that can be quite erratic at times. (see Maine, J. and Perez, O.) Given 400 at-bats, any catcher can hit seven HR and drive in 40 runs. But with the problems the Mets could have with their starting pitchers, it may be more important to go with a catcher who can help the Mets more with his handling of pitchers than with his handling of the bat. If the Mets give that much playing time to Omir Santos, they'd better hope he can handle the Four Rainouts portion of Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts. If he can't, the band might not get another gig at Citi Field.