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Commentary: Stop Crying Your Heart Out
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Wed, April 09, 2008 10:09 AM
After one game of 18 between the Phillies and Mets, Mets w
orld is already a shambles. MetsBlog turned off comments after the game and kept them off for more than a half day. Injuries are piling up and fans are already cursing the 2008 season. To us Phillies fans, it’s fantastic to see this kind of madness on our side of New Jersey, but let me make a statement for the Mets, because, really, I want them to be competitive. I want this rivalry to remain at a high level. So to the Mets:
It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
It’s something we hear all the time in baseball — the traditional code that reminds all of us that this sport is a taxing, emotional game, one that ebbs and flows, carried by multiple factors.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
And yet the Mets are already feeling the heat, acting as if this season is a sprint — a sprint to brush off the collapse of 2007. Today, Matt Cerrone at MetsBlog questioned Willie Randolph’s mantra with 2007. Randolph — along with the rest of the clubhouse over there — say they’ve moved on from the collapse, that it’s a new season.
I say bully. No Johan Santana deal, no trade, no managerial switch, no hot start will ever erase the memory of the collapse. Why? It’s still in the minds of fans and media members, for one. Even if the players claim the collapse is old hat, the hat still remains, and it’s being worn by many. Yesterday, the Phillies comeback win — one that mirrored just about most of their wins against the Mets last season — only reminded Mets world about the collapse.
Charlie Manuel said it best:
“As long as we whip them, we don’t have to make a big deal out of it. They’ll talk, we’ll hit. That’s the only way I see it.â€
And they’ve been talking — talking about putting the whole thing behind them; disregarding the collapse as if it wasn’t a big deal; claiming they’ve been “healed” by the Santana deal; making jest jabs at the Phillies. Please — there’s a sure difference between the Phillies attitude (we’ll play around, but we’re all business) and the Mets attitude (we’ll play around but dance with the past), and it comes out in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Now, that’s not to say the Mets are screwed. No, not at all. Remember the credo. The Mets could be fine. But here’s the thing — if the Phils drop the final two games of this series, sure we’ll be upset, but we know there’s still 150+ games to go. If the Mets drop the final two games? Heh.
Cerrone makes a good point — acknowledge the collapse; use it as fuel. Don’t go on preaching that Santana changed everything. Just go out and play the game. Give the Phillies a reason to be scared, becuase right now, you’re all acting like babies, and it’s easy to push around a baby.
And remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Also, Mets fans are way too dramatic. Calm the hell down, guys.
April 9th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Amen.
Well put,sir. And yes, many Mets fans are wayyyyyyyyy too dramatic. I despise it. It makes me feel like a Yankees fan sometimes.
April 9th, 2008 at 10:16 am
I actually don’t mind the Yankees, odd as that seems. I know what you mean though. And just as a disclaimer to those reading this (because I might hear it anyway), yes, I know it’s a Phillies blog, but the Mets play affects the Philles too. And plus, it’s much more fun writing about problems in Queens than it is writing about problems in Dade County, Fla.
April 9th, 2008 at 10:39 am
[…] a post to Phillies Nation, titled Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Tim Malcom gives advice to the Mets and their […]
April 9th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Mets fan here… Tim, this is a very good post, well written, and serves as a “voice of reason.” However, you’re missing what the entire point of Mets fans “panicking” or bashing Willie is about. As Cerrone pointed out at MetsBlog, this feels like game 168 of the 2007 season, a season which we desperately want to forget. Last year, the team was awful to watch, awful to root for… and I’m only partially talking about the collapse. When you hear quotes from “leaders” like Delgado and Glavine saying, “We know we’re good, sometimes we’re bored,” it’s tough to root for a team like that. This offseason, we heard quotes that say “we’ve put the collapse behind us,” “we’re coming out with something to prove,” and then we’re witness to three games against the Braves and Phillies where there is no fire, no drive, no emotion, no urgency, no NOTHING.
It’s not that the Mets fans are panicking, or that we think this season is over. We just see that last season will be repeated if something doesn’t change.
April 9th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Well I do say that in the end - going off what Cerrone said about using the collapse as fuel. I agree that the Mets look listless as hell, but remember, it’s not just Willie. The clubhouse has never struck me as one that has vocal, passionate leaders. Maybe Wright? Though he seems more in the vein of Utley (silent, uses his talent). There needs to be a strong leader out there. All I see are guys who don’t talk at all (Beltran, Reyes) or guys who are too new (Schneider, Alou, Church, etc.) or guys who talk the wrong way (Wagner). It ain’t just Willie, and that’s a whole ‘nother discussion.
April 9th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Tim, great article. As a Mets fan, who heard of this on MetsBlog, I have to agree with not only your article but the statement by “Chris” as well. Most Mets fans view this as an extension of 2007. And we need someone who has that fire to set a spark. Will it come from Reyes, Beltran? No, they’re too quiet.
Wright or Delgado are the only two players I can see making that statement and I’m not sure they will - although I believe they have an obligation to, specifically Wright.
And I firmly believe that it must come from Randolph as well. His “Torre” attitude isn’t what the Mets need right now.
I certainly think it’ll be a long and competitive season. All three teams (Phils, Mets, Braves) have the potential to take the division - it’s going to come down to who wants it more….which is why we panic.
April 9th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Remember the squeaky wheel. Most Mets fans aren’t in a panic right now. Sure, we’re unhappy, but we’re realistic and experienced. Six games does not a season make. 2007 Phillies, anyone?
The NY media needs to scream panic in order to sell papers. It doesn’t represent the fan base … simply tries to incite it. Think of NY print media as a group of starving T-Rex, thrashing around and facing extinction: That’s the best parallel I can think of.
The real Mets fan is annoyed and disgruntled. We refrain from posting for the most part at this juncture because we’re not that alarmed. With Santana, Maine and Perez at the front of the rotation and a solid 1-5 in the order, we’re going to win more games than we lose … we just need to get in a rhythm. Kudos to the Phillies for drawing first blood - but us Mets fans realize more than anyone now just how meaningless first blood can be.
Old Backstop - Metsblog Veteran
April 9th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Please bring Abreu back, so the Mets can go back to beating the phillies.
April 9th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Feel free to take these shots at the Mets all you like — like you said, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. I’ll bet you guys weren’t too happy after last year’s Opening Day, when Jimmy Rollins was shooting his mouth off and made a huge error that cost you guys the game.
Don’t complain about the Mets doing all of this talking when a player on your team is the one who originally opened the floodgates.
April 9th, 2008 at 11:22 am
I don’t mind the Yankees at all.
It’s the fans I hate.
April 9th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I’m a Mets fan, and a lot of my fellow fans are completely overreacting, but I can’t say I blame them. Like someone else said, yesterday just felt exactly like a game from last August or September. I’d honestly prefer if the Phils just came out and blew out the Mets and outplayed them for 9 innings: except for maybe one or two games, that hasn’t happened. The Mets have consistently shot themselves in the foot and blown games they should have won. I’m not saying the Phillies haven’t earned those wins, because they’ve capitalized on Mets mistakes, but they haven’t dominated the Mets at all. That’s what makes this toughest from a fans perspective. Eventually, isn’t all this supposed to even out?
All that said, I would love to go back to last April, when the Mets shot out the gate and the Phillies were awful and in last place. I guarantee you that there was a lot of whining going on from Phillies Nation. I haven’t forgotten that it’s a long season, and as much as I wanted the Mets to get off to a good start, I’ve been saying all along that I’d prefer them to start slow and build momentum as the season goes along instead of doing what they did last year or even in 2006 (they were on pace for 100 wins for most of the season, but had a poor September and we all know what happened in October.)
April 9th, 2008 at 11:44 am
I love how Mets fans still think Jimmy Rollins did something arrogant or brash when he said the Phillies were the “team to beat” last year.
I hope by now we all have the 2007 Phillies DVD. Please go back and watch it again. Those WEREN’T EVEN HIS WORDS. The reporter asked him, “would you say the Phillies are the team to beat?” How stupid would he have looked if he said “no”? Do you think his teammates would have felt great about that? Rollins made a statement b/c he wanted to instill confidence in his team, not talk trash to the Mets, OR ANY OTHER TEAM in the NL East (notice how his comments weren’t directed towards anyone in particular). This is in stark contrast to Beltran this year, saying “tell Jimmy Rollins we’re the team to beat.” That just barks insecurity, and THAT is what started the whole “Mets are the true trash talkers” sentiment. “Jimmy rollins shooting his mouth off”…hardly. But that’s a Mets fan for you.
April 9th, 2008 at 11:46 am
I’m sure the Phillies’ fans would have the same anxiety if the team had continue their annual slow start by losing the first series against the Mets (and that possibility still exists).
As an early test fot the “backend” part of the rotation, Moyer did his part. Now comes Kendrick and Eaton.
Rollins is listed as day-to-day with his sprained ankle. If he is not anywhere near 100%, I doubt he will play tonight. I am wondering about Ryan Madson. He hasn’t pitched since last Friday against the Cincy Reds. Is he hurting? Remember, he was on the DL with a strained shoulder the final two months of last season.
April 9th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Bruce: In fact, Madson was icing his triceps and wasn’t available to pitch yesterday. No word on any actual injury; if there is anything, I’ll post it, but for now, just “routine” aches and pains.
Read: This will become more of a problem, I’m sure.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Hey guys no matter what happens, I do know this…
Eli Manning - 1 ring/beat the “greatest team of all time” and 3 nfc division winners to get it. 3 seasons as starter fyi.
Donovan Mcnabb- 0 rings in a million seasons. (I actually like Donovan though, he is a real class act athlete)
The 2007 NY Giants now ranks amongst as one of the greatest seasons in any sport. Watch the Giants Superbowl DVD, nothing more priceless then the drunk fat eagles fan nfl films focuses on the whole time screaming at Eli. And then flipping out as Eli kicks the crap out of the birds.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Last time I checked this was a baseball blog.
No one cares about the worst Super Bowl Champion ever, or the worst QB in the NFC East.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Mike W,
Even though you dislike me, I am a big fan of yours. Your comments are well said. As a favor to you, I will now be posting as Mike T.
Go Phils.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Mike T, I do not dislike you, it’s just that you had some pretty strong (and rare) opinions, so I did not want our opinions to be mixed up.
Believe me, there was a time where I would have said “it’s over” after the 5th inning against the Mets at the Shea home opener. But last year erased all of that….at least temporarily.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Yeah the point is that we know Donovan McNabb couldnt get it done. Were here because we care more about baseball than we do about the NFL. To be honest, the NFL is a disgrace and it threatens to become as phony as pro wrestling before too long. MLB has its own problems, but its still the most captivating sport in America.
With that said, I am interested to see Kyle Kendricks performance tonight. Kendrick has to be solid this year (14 wins or so?) to stabilize the back of the phillies rotation. With Moyer and Eaton you dont know what youll get, and it would be nice to come to expect certain things from Kendrick over time. Going up against Pelfrey, who will be replaced by a Panic acquisition in the Mets rotation if he doenst perform well, Kendrick should be able to outperform him.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
I love this Phillies/Mets rivalry. It makes the game more exciting. Whether the Phillies look over their shoulder all season or are forced to play catch up, I think the next 154 games will be a lot of fun.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Haven’t heard to much about Shane Victorino… even though he’s slumped the beginning of the season he made some incredible catches that saved runs yesterday as well as getting a few hits.
Cheers to Shane Victorino!
April 9th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Marathon, not a sprint.
Marathon, not a sprint.
Marathon, not a sprint.
Thank you for that.
Vamos Mets.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
well heres my take on, i am a huge mets fan, a die hard, and i hate the phillies, but hey, im a realist here: we couldnt close last year, phills took advantage, thats that, but this year, as mets fans see it, we need to see A CHANGE, because it’s like this: willie can be complacent as he wants, make the same bullpen moves, and even hit the same lineup, but ya know what that means? that nothing was learned from last year, and THAT, that is why mets fans are already mad, because it seems as if nothing was learned from the collapse
April 9th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Great post, Tim.
One advantage of being a Phils fan in Connecticut is to be able to listen to WFAN after Mets losses. The anguish and overreaction of the fans is priceless. The Mets outplayed the Phils for 6 innings yesterday and we won the battle of the bullpens. Given the strength of our bullpen, it can go completely different today and tomorrow. The Mets can still win the series and look to be lining up Santana for next Friday at Citizens Bank Park. One game does not a season, or even season series make. But it does make for some high comedy from some Mets fans.
April 9th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Howard Eskin acts like every time the Phillies win it was an accident. I’m not sure which media I’d rather take.
April 9th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Mike W. I know it’s a baseball blog, I’m messing around. But it’s true, as a die hard mets fan I’ve learned to not get to invested in them anymore after last season. And I’ll always know no matter what that the Giants gave me something that was not expected at all, so even if the mets choke 800 more times that ride/experience was very rewarding. The mets best team/chance in my mind was 06 anyways.
I think it’s absurd to call the Giants the worst super bowl champions ever though, look who we beat. And we won 11 straight on the road give me a break. Say what you want about Eli, I was his biggest critic, but he played his best football when we needed him to. And without him we never would have won those games.
April 9th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Howard Eskin is by far the most paid-off, phony, flat-out worst guy on philly sports talk radio, maybe ever. Hes a paid lackey shill mouthpiece for the eagles and he personally has a vendetta against the phillies.
April 9th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Gnomicide, haha, you’re exactly right about Eskin. I like him most of the time, but I can’t stand the way he treats the Phillies.
April 9th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Great Game you guys wooped or butts.
BUT PLEASE BEWARE, ALL OF THE PHILLIES FANS I SAW GOT BEAT UP AND ABUSED. I AM NOT LYING.
JUST LOOK AT SOME OF THE PICTURES. I WAS SHOCKED AT HOW DUMB MY FELLOW METS FANS WERE FOR FIST FIGHTING AND JUMPING PHILLIES FANS INSIDE THE STADIUM. I AM JUST SAYING BEWARE.
SEE PICTURES BELOW.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=metufz7.3dexsl7n&Uy=-4pqhgk&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&UV=207256155694_400224060307&localeid=en_US
April 9th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
NYC PimP DaDDy,
7/16″ - approximately how far you need to stretch your finger from the home row keys to turn off Caps Lock and not look like an idiot.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Serious question for you mets fans (besides Pimp Daddy, who cannot be taken seriously):
I am wearing my JRoll jersey to the game tomorrow night…should I really be worried?
April 9th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Jelly Roll Morton? Nah, he’s cool.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Mike W.
Only if you act like a jerk should you be worried by drunk angry met fans. You guys can think all you want that you anger met fans the most, but I will never forget watching a met fan go up to a guy in a Arod jersey for no reason but to kick his face multiple times. No joke it was disturbing, his face was all blood.
I love friendly fan altercations. There is no reason to fight over a baseball game I’m sorry. I saw a phillies fan throwing beers at a guy just cause he had a piazza jersey on. The guy had 2 little kids with him that almost got hit, it’s ridiculous.
You’ll get heckled for wearing your team but no need to get nervous as long as you egg up a frustrated/angry drunk fan.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
*don’t egg on *
April 9th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
I think I’m more nervous about an altercation happening on the subway ride home than in the stadium itself. I certainly won’t be looking to egg anyone on.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
The only reason to wear that jersey is to draw attention to yourself
as a Phillies fan. 99.9% of the people in the world are nice, good
folks, it’s the .1% of the psycho’s you have to watch out for. Cities
like NY and Phil. have more of those losers just because the population
is higher than small towns. Is it normal to be worried because you want
to root for the visiting team at a ballpark? It shouldn’t be, but some
fan’s that post on blogs and even sportswriters build up this rivalry so
much that it brings these nuts out of the woodwork.
I’ll be seeing the Mets play Philly on April 19th, in Philly. I would like to
wear my jersey but I won’t.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
The only reason is to draw attention to yourself???
How about supporting your team and bonding with other phils fans. If you don’t wear a jersey out of fear, you are giving the other team’s fans way too much “credit” (credit is not the right word, but you know what i mean.)
April 9th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I had no problem wearing my jersies to shea last year.
2 years ago however, I went with a date (who wasn’t wearing gear, and honestly didn’t care about the game) and we were both getting pelted with food/debris. It was a disgusting showing by Met fans. I can almost understand it, if I was with other male philly fans, but this was a chick. It was unreal.
And yes, I realize there are PLENTY of similar type stories where the Phils fans (more likely Eagles fans) were the a-holes.
The problem is when one person starts doing something ridiculous, he is usually egged on. The people that egg the person on would never do something like that on their own, but being in a group like that leads to ridiculous behavior. And obviously no one is gonna stop them.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Mr. Met,
“99.9% of the people in the world are nice, good folks…” Not sure where this stat came from, but it’s incredibly inaccurate.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
The only reason is to draw attention to yourself???
How about supporting your team and bonding with other phils fans.
OK, replace my first sentance with “The reason to wear your jersey
to the game is to support your team”
then continue reading.
Not sure where this stat came from, but it’s incredibly inaccurate.
OK, 90% of the people in the world are good….
April 10th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Your gonna get your butt kicked.
Your gonna get your but kicked.