So far this spring, the Mets finished with the second-worst record in baseball at 9-19. Here is a look at the standings when they were 6-16.
“I’m not happy with the win-loss record,” Sandy Alderson told WFAN yesterday. “I know Spring Training is Spring Training, but we want to win games. Certainly it’s not as important here as it will be in a week. Nevertheless, I think it’s some indicator and I’m disappointed with our record.”
Brian Erni: I understand what Sandy is saying: with a young team, you want to instill a winner’s attitude from the onset. So, if Alderson or Terry Collins sense even the slightest bit of complacency, Spring Training or not, they want to nip it in the bud. However, it’s harder for younger players to flip the switch when the bell rings than it is for veterans, so I’m sure Alderson would like to see the team start playing like it matters and conditioning themselves now for what will be a season-long uphill battle.
That said, I can’t put a ton of weight into the actual record. I understand Sandy’s message and, as a fan, I love to hear it. But have to reserve judgment until the games start to count.
Michael Baron: The record is not as important as how the team truly looks on the field. Overall, they have played poorly on defense, they haven’t hit very much, and they don’t control the tempo of the game. A lot of that can be attributed to poor performances so far from
Mike Pelfrey and
Frank Francisco – and from not fielding their starting eight at any point this month. But if they continue to struggle to perform the little things, such as the routine defensive plays and sacrifice bunts, I’m concerned it could carry over into the regular season, which is something this team cannot afford to have happen.
No comments:
Post a Comment