Coutinho: Are The Mets Already Thinking About 2012?
By Rich Coutinho
» More Columns
Even the Mets' most vocal critics couldn't have expected this horrific start to the 2011 season.
The numbers don't lie. The Mets hold baseball's worst record at 5-13 and a pitching staff that simply cannot get out of its own way. It's hard to believe the Mets are 8 games under .500 just 18 games into the season. They have never started out worse at home -- a horrendous 1-8 mark at Citi Field -- in any season in franchise history.
So, with all that said, what does this team do? Can they realistically rebound or do they need to "back up the truck?" Baseball historians have always said that you should never buy what you see in April or September -- and I generally concur with that notion -- but there are real danger signs that cannot be ignored.
First of all, this team still makes too many fundamental mistakes. Especially considering all the time they spent in spring training drilling home the importance of "the little things" that could decide games. Last night was a prime example. In successive innings, the team made base-running blunders that short circuited potential big innings. Angel Pagan made a mad dash for the plate on an errant third-strike pitch which ended a threat with the hot swinging Jose Reyes on the on-deck circle. And then Reyes, in the following frame, got doubled off when Josh Thole couldn't execute a simple sacrifice bunt.
Those are just 2 examples of poor on-field I.Q. that have killed the Mets and contributed to this string of brutal losses. Consider this: When the Mets beat Cole Hamels in the game's first week, they were 3-1. Since then they have lost 12 of 14. This team has too big a payroll and too many good players to lose games to the likes of the Nationals and Astros -- teams that they've gone a combined 1-4 against in April.
R.A. Dickey was pretty vocal after the game. Although I appreciate his honesty, that is a bad sign. When a key player starts doubting how good his teammates really are and does it in a public forum -- well, no good could come of that.
Truth be told, 2 major question marks for the Mets -- Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran -- have performed well so far. That makes the team's start seem much more troubling. You just can't waste 4-hit nights like Reyes gave the team on Wednesday.
To me, it seems there's a bigger issue here.
Judging from Dickey's comments, some players in the Mets' clubhouse may have begun to accept losing. That simply cannot be tolerated. There's far too much baseball to be played in 2011 to be thinking that way, and I have a serious problem with any player who is entertaining defeatist thoughts -- particularly when a player has already started making off-season plans. Like plans to scale a mountain. As it was revealed this week, Dickey wants to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro after the season is over.
If Dickey can think about that, why can't Reyes or Beltran start thinking about where they want to play in 2012?
And I can safely tell you those two players are not thinking about that. Both are committed to turning things around. Before that can happen, it seems the Mets need to be on the same page, and I'm starting to get the feeling that far too much doubt has crept into some players' minds.
It's far too early for that. And that's the last thing a floundering 5-13 team needs.
Mets fans: Are you already thinking about next season? Let Coutinho know in the comments below...
