Gentlemen, Move In This Wall!

At Citi Field in 2011, long fly balls came, they died and opposing teams conquered in 2011. The Mets finished with their worst home record (34-47) since 1993, hitting 50 HR at Citi Field in the process. That came after a 49 HR season in the ballpark's inaugural season and a 63 HR campaign in 2010.

All year long, Sandy Alderson heard the fans crying for the fences to be moved in to allow for more home runs by David Wright, Jason Bay, et al.  In fact, If I had a dollar for every time an announcer said "that would have been a home run at any other ballpark" after every long fly ball crashed into the Great Wall of Flushing, I'd be able to afford seats at Yankee Stadium (which I would sell on StubHub, naturally).

So what did Alderson say after witnessing his first season of Mets baseball, a season in which Carlos Beltran's 15 homers led the team in that category, despite playing the last two months of the season as a San Francisco Giant?

"Gentlemen, move in this wall!"

According to Adam Rubin at ESPNNewYork, Citi Field's dimensions will indeed change in time for the 2012 season, with some changes being significant.

The aforementioned Great Wall of Flushing, the 16 foot monstrosity in left field that has seen more dings than dingers, will not be lowered because it is a structural part of the ballpark.  However, a wall half its height (8 feet) will be erected in front of it, with all balls clearing it now being home runs instead of doubles or long outs.  That will cause for a modest reduction in distance down the left field foul line and a more significant reduction in distance in the power alley.

In addition, the MoZone area in right field will be no mo', as that area will be filled in, thus eliminating the overhang of the Pepsi Porch and allowing for more balls to leave the yard in right field.

The most significant change will be in right-center, where the deepest part of the ballpark once stood.  That area, which had been 415 feet from home plate since 2009, will now be moved in to 390 feet, a 6% decrease in depth.  The change will allow for more home runs by David Wright, who prior to 2009, was an excellent opposite field home run hitter, and will give Ike Davis the opportunity to hit balls 60 feet over the wall instead of just 35 feet past it.

Of course, the changes in Citi Field's dimensions will also mean that Mets pitchers will have to pitch differently, as the luxury of throwing a pitch where the hitter could hit a deep, but playable, fly ball will no longer be an option.  (Are you listening to me, Mike Pelfrey?)  But this change will clearly make Mets hitters breathe a sigh of relief, as they will no longer be frustrated by home run trots that turn into slow walks back to the dugout after the ball is caught near the wall.  It will also allow for free agent hitters to not automatically say "thanks, but no thanks" when the option of playing 81 games a year at Citi Field as a Met comes up.

Let's face it.  David Wright has not been the same player since Shea Stadium was renamed Parking Area B.  Jason Bay has also not lived up to his $66 million potential (a.k.a. his contract), although he does hustle and play better than expected defense.  Moving in the walls and lowering the fences should make both players' power numbers approach the levels that were expected of them.  It should also (for the front office's sake) put more fannies in the seats, as attendance at Citi Field has dropped significantly in each of its three seasons.

The fans have spoken and the Mets have answered.  Citi Field will now be a "fair" ballpark (a la Shea Stadium) as opposed to being a pitcher's park.  Let's just hope the cosmetic change to the ballpark does more good for the players dressed in the home whites than the ones in the road greys. 

A Dickey vs. A Dick

In Thursday's 8-6 victory in St. Louis, the Mets rallied for six runs in the ninth inning against the wild card contending Cardinals and Bobby Parnell registered his sixth save of the season, his first in which he retired every batter to face him.

After a rainout last night, the Mets play a day-night doubleheader today at Citi Field, a place that has not been too kind to them in 2011.  After registering an 88-74 record at home over the last two seasons, the Mets are 31-44 in their home whites and could finish with their poorest record at home since 1993, when they went 28-53.  (The Mets went 34-46 at Shea Stadium in 2003.)  They have already clinched their first losing season at home since 2004, when they finished 38-43 at Shea Stadium under the "tutelage" of Art Howe.

If the Mets don't want to finish with their worst home record since the days of their feared Frank Tanana, Eric Hillman and Dave Telgheder rotation (hey, don't go hatin' on Telgheder - he was 6-2 in '93), they'll need to come up big against the Phillies and Reds over their final six games.

It all begins today, when R.A. Dickey takes the mound to oppose Cole Hamels, or as we like to call this matchup at Studious Metsimus, it's a Dickey vs. a dick.

R.A. Dickey might be a man of many words, but he is not nearly the multi-tasker Cole Hamels is.  After all, Hamels has proven that he can be an ass and a dick at the same time.

R.A. Dickey has been red hot lately, but unfortunately, he doesn't have the wins to show for it.  Over his last 23 starts, Dickey has pitched to a cool 2.75 ERA.  However, although the Mets have won 12 of those 23 starts, Dickey has only gotten credit for seven of them.  Dickey also hasn't given up more than three earned runs since July 20, a span of 11 starts.

Hamels, on the other hand, has been awful recently, losing his last two starts to the lowly Astros and the contending Cardinals.  After posting a 2.58 ERA over the first five months of the season, Hamels has registered a 4.18 ERA in the month of September.  And let's not even get started with his lifetime record against the Mets.  Ah, forget that.  Let's talk about it right now!

In 16 career starts against the Mets, Hamels is 3-10 with a 4.69 ERA.  Most people learn from their mistakes.  Cole Hamels is not most people.  In 2011, Hamels is 1-2 against New York and is the proud owner of a 9.64 ERA against the Mets.

One person who remembers Hamels very well is R.A. Dickey.  On August 13, 2010, Dickey pitched the best game of his life, completing a one-hit shutout against the Phillies at Citi Field.  The lone hit was a soft sixth inning single by (you guessed it) Cole Hamels.

The recipe is there for a victory.  It's the red hot R.A. Dickey on the mound for the Mets.  It's the ass who's also a dick taking the ball for the Phillies.  Philadelphia has already clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs (including the World Series, if they make it that far).  The Mets are just trying to re-establish their home-field advantage.  I'll take my chances with a Dickey over a dick anytime.

Mets Pitchers Can Help Jose Reyes Win A Batting Title

Jose Reyes has been on the disabled list for a week and a half now, his batting average frozen at .336 since injuring his hamstring on August 7. Despite this being his second trip to the DL, he has managed to maintain his lead in the National League batting race, although he is facing fierce competition from Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, who is hitting .329 entering tonight's series opener at Citi Field.



The Mets have never had a batting champion in their first 49 seasons. John Olerud had the highest single season batting average for the Mets, hitting .354 in 1998, but he finished second to Colorado's Larry Walker (.363) in the batting race. Cleon Jones and Dave Magadan also came close, but fell just short of the crown. Jones hit .340 in 1969, finishing third behind Pete Rose (.348) and Roberto Clemente (.345). Magadan hit .328 in 1990, also finishing third in the NL batting race behind Willie McGee (.335) and Eddie Murray (.330).



So with Reyes clinging tenaciously to his slim NL batting lead, his teammates might be able to help him out this weekend. Ryan Braun, who has hit .375 (48-for-128) over his last 34 games, dating back to June 29, will be facing Mets pitching this weekend. If Mike Pelfrey, Chris Capuano and the Tweeter-rific R.A. Dickey can shut Braun down over the next three games, Reyes will increase his chances of becoming the first Met to win a batting title.



Braun is probably licking his lips with the knowledge that he's facing Mike Pelfrey tonight. Over his five year career, he is hitting .500 (3-for-6) against Pelfrey. (Then again, who isn't hitting .500 against Big Pelf?). However, he has yet to collect a hit against Capuano (0-for-3, 2 strikeouts) and Dickey (0-for-7). Against all Mets pitchers currently on the roster, Braun is hitting .245 over his career with only one home run in 56 plate appearances. The Mets will need to continue this trend against Braun if Reyes is to maintain his lead in the batting race before he comes off the DL.



Note: For a player to qualify for the batting title, he needs to accumulate 3.1 plate appearances for every game played by his team. Therefore, if the Mets play all 162 games this year (barring any rainouts not made up), Reyes would need 502 plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. At the time of his injury, Reyes had accumulated 462 plate appearances, leaving him 40 short of the magic number for batting title qualification, a number he should easily reach within the first week to ten days following his return from the disabled list.



Over their first half-century of existence, no Mets pitcher has ever been able to throw a no-hitter. At least if they can't pitch a no-no, they can help a fellow Met achieve something that no other Met has ever done. Holding Ryan Braun off the bases this weekend will go a long way towards making that a reality.

17 Games To Decide The Season

In 2007, the New York Mets were sitting pretty atop the National League East, owners of a seven game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies with 17 games to play. They failed to make the playoffs.

The following year, they held a 3½ game lead in the division when the season was down to its final 17 games. Once again, the Mets did not advance to the postseason.

Everything changed for the Mets in 2007 and 2008 during those two 17-game stretches. Hopes were dashed as seasons crashed. Now the Mets are heading into another critical 17-game stretch. Although this one won't decide the outcome of an individual season, it might end up determining the direction of the entire franchise for years to come.

Beginning with tonight's second-half opener against the Phillies, the Mets play 17 games between now and July 31, the date of the trade deadline. The Mets have already traded away closer Francisco Rodriguez and have numerous teams interested in rightfielder Carlos Beltran.

Sandy Alderson has publicly stated that whether or not the Mets trade Beltran by July 31 rests on the performance of the team between tonight and the trade deadline. Should the team do well and inch closer to the Braves in the race for the wild card, Beltran might remain with the Mets past July 31. Should the team falter over the next two and a half weeks...well...you get the picture.

The Mets have already failed on two occasions when all they needed to do was play decently over a do-or-die 17-game stretch. Had the Mets gone 6-11 over the last 17 games of the 2007 season, they would have won the division title. Instead, they went 4-13 and found their way into the darkest pages of the history books. If they had only gone 8-9 over their final 17 games in '08, Milwaukee would have come to Shea Stadium for a one-game playoff to determine the NL Wild Card. Instead, the Mets went 7-10 and we Shea'd Goodbye earlier than we would have liked.

Failure over the next 17 games won't end the season. The Mets will still be playing baseball over the next two months. But losing over the next 2½ weeks would be tantamount to raising the proverbial white flag. If the Mets don't do well, Carlos Beltran will be traded for a prospect who may or may not be a part of the Mets' future, Jose Reyes might entertain thoughts of packing his bags once the season ends, and fans will come to Citi Field in August and September dressed as empty seats.

The Mets haven't had a winning season since they moved to Citi Field. They haven't won when the games have mattered the most for longer than that. Isn't it time for the Mets to scratch that 17-game itch?

The Times They Are A-Changin'

The 2011 Mets have been a far cry from their 2009 and 2010 counterparts, and we're not just talking about their won-loss record. This year's team feels different than the teams that frustrated fans over the past two seasons. Gone are the malcontents who had no business being on the team and replacing them are players who play hard and have fun doing so.

With apologies to Bob Dylan, the times they are a-changin' for the Mets. Here are some examples to show just how much things have turned around for the orange and blue:

The Mets have had more reasons to smile this year than in years past.

Injuries were used as an excuse for the team’s lack of performance over the past few seasons. If the team went on a losing streak, it was always "when we get so-and-so back, the team will get better". That defeatist attitude is no longer evident this year, as injuries to key players (David Wright, Ike Davis, Johan Santana) have been used as motivation for role players to step up their game.

Chemistry last year was affected by the Luis Castillo/Oliver Perez situation, the quick return of Carlos Beltran from his injury, sending Jeff Francoeur (a normally calming influence in the clubhouse) to the bench demanding a trade, and the Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em K-Rod incident. This year’s team is a cohesive unit that enjoys playing with each other and has no off-the-field problems with its players. Would last year’s team be doing “the claw” with all their problems? Methinks not.

Last year, the team failed miserably in clutch situations, while this year, it seems like they do their best work after the first two men have been retired in an inning. The Mets currently lead the National League in hits, extra-base hits, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in two-out situations. New York's 167 runs scored with two outs rank second in the league to the Phillies' 168. However, the Phillies have played 88 games, while the Mets have played 87.

In 2009 and 2010, the Mets were a combined 61-101 in road games. Last year, they didn’t win a series on the road against a National League team until they took two out of three at PNC Park against the lowly Pirates in late August. This year, the Mets have the most road victories (26) in the NL and have allowed only two walk-off wins on the road, compared to 12 last season.

As a result of their poor performance in 2009, attendance dropped at Citi Field in 2010, as the luster of the new ballpark faded quicker than the team did in the standings. The team struggled to draw fans early this season, but as the team has gradually improved from month to month, the fans have been coming back. The Mets' have drawn at least 30,000 fans to Citi Field in each of their last eight home games. Prior to that, they had fewer than 30,000 fans in attendance in 23 of their first 33 home dates, including a Citi Field-low paid attendance of 21,015 against the division rival Atlanta Braves on Sunday, June 5.

The Mets might have only two All-Stars, but all 25 players give their best effort to "star" in each game.

From the Mets' performance on the field to the fans' performance at the turnstiles, the atmosphere around the Mets has changed for the better. The disgruntled fanbase from years past is now subscribing to the philosophy of Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins. In other words, the fans are starting to like this team.

Better leadership. Better effort. Better results. The times are indeed a-changin' for the Mets, and for the first time in years, that change is producing positive energy and positive results. Change is good.

Mets vs. A's: An Important Series Then, An Important Series Now

In 1973, the Mets and the A's squared off in the World Series, with the Mets winning three of the first five games before losing Games 6 and 7. (Dang you, Yogi Berra, for not starting well-rested George Stone in Game 6 and holding Tom Seaver on regular rest for Game 7.) The two teams did not meet again until interleague play made it possible in 2005. At the time, the A's were the only team the Mets had never faced in the regular season.

The Mets lost the first two games in Oakland before Mr. Anna Benson won the series finale to avoid getting swept by the Athletics. At the time of the series, the Mets were hovering around .500 while the A's were a miserable 25-37.

Two years later, the Mets and A's played their first and only regular season series at Shea Stadium, with the Mets sweeping the series in dominant fashion, outscoring Oakland in the three games by a combined 20-3 score. At the time, the Mets were struggling, having lost 13 of 16 and the A's were treading water in the AL West.

Tonight, the Mets open up the first-ever series against Oakland at Citi Field, with New York once again defining mediocrity and the A's keeping up with them in standings (The Mets are 35-37, while the A's are 33-40). However, this year, it is the team from the East Bay that is hot (winners of five straight, including a three-game sweep over the World Champion Giants), while the team from Flushing Bay is not (losing three of their last four).

The Mets must take advantage of the Athletics' poor play on the road. Oakland is 14-24 away from their newly-renamed O.co Coliseum. However, the Mets haven't exactly been believing in home-field advantage themselves, going 16-19 at Citi Field after finishing with a 47-34 home record in 2010.

With the Mets playing 13 of their next 16 games away from Citi Field following their three-game set with the A's, it is imperative that they do well in this series. Not only will it give them momentum going into their upcoming interleague series against the Rangers and Tigers, but it could finally push them above the elusive .500 mark, which has only been a rumor since they last found themselves above the break-even point during the first week of the season when they were 3-2.

The Mets may or may not keep Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran at the trade deadline. Little Jeffy Wilpon has said that their standing in the playoff hunt could determine whether or not they add payroll at the trade deadline. After losing two out of three to the struggling Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim near Disneyland in Orange County over the weekend, the Mets have looked more like pretenders than contenders.

The future of the team is at stake over the next six weeks. Doing well against last-place Oakland at Citi Field is the first step towards determining what will happen to the team after the trade deadline. The Mets believed in 1973 and took that belief all the way to the World Series, where they lost to Oakland. The Mets can't lose to the A's this time. It's not the Fall Classic, but it might be just as important for the franchise to come out on top in this series.

The Road More Traveled

Since crossing the parking lot from Shea Stadium to Citi Field in 2009, the Mets have been a respectable team at home, going 88-74 over their first two full seasons at Ebbets Field Jr. (41-40 in 2009, 47-34 in 2010). However, their play on the road has left a little to be desired.

Okay, let's be honest. It's left A LOT to be desired. In 2009, the Mets were a miserable 29-52 away from home and "improved" to 32-49 on the road in 2010; a combined 61-101 over the two seasons.

Last year, the Mets did not win a series on the road until mid-June, when they swept the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. They didn't take a road series against a National League team until August, when they took two out of three from the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. In all, the Mets won a total of four series on the road last year, making them one of the worst road teams in baseball.

But with the advent of Terryball in 2011, the road pendulum has begun to shift in the Mets' favor. After taking the first two games against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field, the Mets are now 19-17 away from home in 2011. Last year, the Mets didn't record their 19th road victory until they defeated the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on July 18, in the fourth game after the All-Star Break. In 2009, they waited until the fifth game after the All-Star Break to win their 19th game on the road.

Over the past two seasons, the Mets were constantly answering questions as to when they were going to put it all together on the road. Although no one would admit it, their road woes had to put a tremendous weight on their shoulders, causing the players to try to do too much when they were wearing their road grays.

The road is no longer full of emptiness and moral victories for the Mets. Now it's all about the "W".

This year, no one is being asked such questions. The Mets are playing well on the road and it's showing in the standings, as the team currently stands in third place in the NL East with a 34-34 record. They also remain within striking distance of the Wild Card lead and can move closer with a victory in tonight's series finale against the Braves.

Why are the Mets doing so much better on the road this year than in the two previous seasons? Is it because they're trotting out so many young players who have no experience with late-season collapses and road difficulties? Is it because the new manager won't allow them to dwell on a tough loss? One thing's for certain. The 2011 Mets may not the best team in baseball, but they've proven that they're not afraid to compete against the best. They've played well against the better teams in the league and have not been intimidated by the challenge they impose. When they play in front of hostile crowds on the road, they focus on the game in front of them, not the voices in the crowd.

Over the past two seasons, the Mets' adversity has been their performance on the road. But winning teams can overcome any adversity. With a victory tonight on the road against the Braves, the Mets will become a winning team, moving above .500 for the first time since the opening week of the season. It may have taken them three seasons, but the Mets are finally unafraid to play on the road. Who says you can't go (away from) home again?

We (Finally) Believe In Comebacks

Comebacks. A nine-letter word that sometimes resembled a four-letter word to the Mets. After all, the Mets had not won a game in which they trailed by more than four runs all season. In fact, the last time the Mets rallied from a five-run deficit or greater was last September 15, when they defeated Pittsburgh at Citi Field. In that game, the Pirates held an early 5-0 lead, only to watch the Mets score seven runs in the fourth inning en route to the one-run victory. That game was started by Paul Maholm.

Fast forward to this afternoon. The Mets fell behind early to the Pirates by giving up an early touchdown. By the third inning, it was already 7-0 Pittsburgh (the Pirates, not the Steelers). Paul Maholm (that name sounds awfully familiar) was in control and it appeared as if the Mets were about to lose their third straight game to the Pirates.

Then after consecutive two-out singles by Jose Reyes and Justin Turner, Carlos Beltran smoked a three-run homer off the facade of the left field landing. The score was 7-3 and the rally was just beginning. The Mets then added four runs in the sixth inning to tie the game and took the lead with a two-run eighth. The second run in the eighth, which scored on a bases loaded walk by Carlos Beltran (his fourth RBI of the game) proved to be the game-winner, as Frankie Rodriguez gave up a run in the ninth before putting the 9-8 victory in the books.

So for the second straight year, Paul Maholm was given a seemingly comfortable lead at Citi Field and then watched it all crumble away as the Mets posted two unlikely comebacks.

Today's game marked the first time since June 30, 2000 that the Mets erased a seven-run deficit to come out on top. Only once have they come back from a larger hole to post a victory, wiping out an 8-0 deficit versus the Astros on September 2, 1972, to win 11-8.

The Mets' marketing slogan last year was "We Believe In Comebacks", something they did very little of in 2010. They might be a year late, but today the Mets finally believed enough to come back and post a victory in a game where they were left for dead. It's up to them to continue believing if they want to "come back" in the NL East standings.

New Homestand, New Hope

After defeating the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday night in an emotional extra-inning affair, the Mets return to Citi Field to begin a week-long homestand against the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although the Mets are still in last place with a 12-16 record, they're not as far out of contention as their record and division standing would suggest. In fact, parity in baseball has made fans in every major league city hold on to hopes of meaningful baseball games in the summer.

Because baseball doesn't have a salary cap, it's difficult to achieve parity. Usually the teams with the highest payrolls have the best chance to extend their seasons past 162 games. More often than not, these teams usually finish well above .500 and have a relatively simple time making their way to the postseason. However, in the early going this season, an overwhelming number of teams are right around the .500 mark.

As of today, only five teams in baseball are more than three games above .500. Those teams are the Indians (19-8), Marlins (18-9), Phillies (18-9), Rockies (17-9) and Yankees (17-9). With identical 16-13 records, the Angels, Rangers and Cardinals can all lay claim to having the sixth-best record in baseball.

Want more proof that there's parity in baseball? Of the 30 teams in the major leagues, a whopping 20 franchises (or two-thirds of all clubs) are between three games over .500 and four games under .500. At 12-16, the Mets are one of those 20 teams that are separated by a mere 3½ games.

Let's now focus strictly on the National League. As of now, only four NL teams have winning records (Marlins, Phillies, Rockies, Cardinals). The Mets have played three of these four teams (they don't play St. Louis until after the All-Star Break) and are a combined 4-9 against them. Against all other opponents, the Mets have a winning record (8-7). After 28 games, the Mets have played nearly half of their schedule against teams that have winning percentages above .650. What about those three .650+ teams? How have the Marlins, Phillies and Rockies racked up so many wins early on? A quick look at their early season schedules reveal quite a tale.

The Marlins have played 27 games, but only six of them have come against teams with winning records. The Phillies have also played 27 games, with only two of those games being played against above-.500 teams (they split those two games against the Marlins). Meanwhile, the Rockies have played three of their 26 games against a winning team, losing two of three to the Marlins.

That means the Mets have played more games against the "elite" teams in the National League (13) than the Marlins, Phillies and Rockies have played combined (11). Of course the Marlins, Phillies and Rockies have good records. They've feasted on the dregs of the National League!

In addition, neither one of those three teams has played more games on the road than at home. The Mets, on the other hand, have played 15 of their 28 games away from Citi Field.

Now the Mets come back home, where they won their last four ballgames before going 3-3 on their recent Washington/Philadelphia trip. They will be facing the Giants and the Dodgers, teams with a combined 28-30 record. Meanwhile, the Marlins will playing six of their next nine games against teams with winning records (Cardinals, Phillies), while the Phillies will be facing their first real test of the season, with series against the Marlins and three of the other five division leaders (Cardinals, Rangers, Rockies) over the next three weeks.

The Mets are in last place now, but they have the opportunity to make a statement this week at home against the Giants and Dodgers. Parity is the name of the game in the major leagues this season, and the teams that have risen above it have done so by taking advantage of their weak early season schedules. But all that is about to change in the next few weeks. Will the Mets be able to rise if the other teams fall? If they do, this week's homestand could give new hope for the team and its fans.