Well, Manny Ramirez might be the biggest distraction in baseball right now and it wasn't enough to divert the reality from sinking in at Citi Field Tuesday night.
Sure, Manny was a show - drawing some boos, a few cheers and putting together a night's work of drama in just five innings before getting ejected to shouts of, "'roid rage" from the crowd.
But once that faded you could see the Mets flaws on display once again. As we detailed in today's Record, the Mets troubles seem to be just beginning. Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes are set back farther in their returns than the Mets hoped - dreamed of? - and will not be coming back when the team returns from the All-Star break next Thursday.
And the remaining pieces on the field displayed little prowess or hope for the Mets to turn their rapidly fading fortunes. They have now lost 9 of 11 games, been shut out for 22 consecutive innings and are hardly looking like a team with a pulse. David Wright admitted afterward, "We stink right now."
Asked to compare them to the Dodgers, owners of the best record in baseball, Jerry Manuel could not hide the reality anymore than he would if he donned a Manny dreadlock wig.
"The way we're playing and performing now there's definitely a difference," Manuel said. "The question becomes, do I think we're capable of playing on that level?"
And that answer is the one the Mets don't really want to face right now. Maybe Manny will provide a distraction again tonight. The Mets could use it.
Steve,
I think we have now gotten to the point where the Mets players are mentally defeated even before they take the field. They need something to uplift them.
Instead of emptying the farm of the few big prospects we have, I think Minaya needs to buy low on somebody and hope a change of scenery were to help.
Garrett Atkins at 1b for the next month is an example.
Posted by: Jason | 07/08/2009 at 11:01 AM