We still like Ike! Dont give up Mets fans, the season is still very young

Wendy Adair
Contributor

Ike Davis is off to another sluggish and non productive start and many fans are getting impatient.  While his hitting struggles are no doubt frustrating, the season is just over two weeks old and they have only played eleven games.

He is currently hitting .128 with 1 HR and 2 RBIs, combine that with 12 Ks and Mets fans are dreading his every at bat. April statistics are very misleading, so as long as they improve during May and June, I think most fans would be happy if he was hitting even .250 with 10 HR and 30 RBI's by mid-June.

What bothers me more than his production numbers is his arguing with the umpires when disputing the strike zone.

Yes, he is entitled to his emotions and opinions, but he is not doing himself or his teammates any favors by arguing so fiercely when he does not have the numbers to support his stance on the strike zone.  

Some players are notorious slow starters, but end up carrying the team during the dog days of July and August, so I would not give up hope on Ike this early in the season.

Ike, we still love you and believe  in you, please give us a reason to cheer for your second half again like last year.

Interleague play In April? In the Snow? Yes and the Mets bats heated up last night

Wendy Adair
Contributor

Well Mets fans., the season is not even two weeks old and we have already played a west coast team for the opening series and now the team is in Minnesota playing the Twins.

It is no secret that I am so against interleague play, and especially the DH, but I have to admit that I loved seeing the Mets romp the Twins  16-5 last night in cold and snowy Minneapolis.  I would rather have the season be shortened by 15-20 games each year and do away with interleague play, I am a firm believer in NL play and seeing the DH in effect for our team, especially in April, holds no appeal for me.

When interleague play normally takes place, in June, yes, sometimes the position players would benefit from only hitting and being able to rest and get off their feet for most of the game, but I do believe in pitchers helping their own causes with the bat.

I am very happy that the Mets and Yankees will meet four games this season compared to the usual six, it tends to get ridiculous with obnoxious Yankee fans who tend to be fair weathered and think that they do inferior teams a favor by letting them play in their stadium.

 In general they can be tough to take over the long season, but to be fair , there are some who are decent and respectful.  New York fans as a rule are very tough on their players, that is understood, but there is no reason to bash these athletes out of pure malice and jealousy in some cases.

Ok my rant is over, whew!!, thanks for listening, now on to the individual segment of this article.

John Buck has been more incredible than words can possibly describe with his production thus far, while no one can expect it to last forever, the Mets are riding him while he is red hot.

David Wright had a rare tough series in Philadelphia the middle of the week, ending the series 0 for 8, but  he rebounded last night with 3 hits and 4 RBIs, taking sole possession of the Mets Franchise Interleague Play RBI Leader with 93 in his career.

Jonathan Niese had a tough time with the cold weather but still gutted out 5 innings, so he is to be commended for that, the Mets will need solid contributions from him all season with the absence of Johan Santana.

Ike Davis continues to struggle, but it is clear that the Mets believe that he is a valuable member of the present and future team so for now they are riding things out waiting for him to start producing and driving in tons of runs.

My take on Fandom and Twitter

Wendy Adair
Contributor

And now for something completely different...

Instead of making this about the Mets players performance, I am devoting this post to fans interacting with celebrities and professional athletes, something I am very much in favor of and truly enjoy the experience.

My list of people that I follow on Twitter is downright ridiculous but you know what, I have a blast interracting with people that I have never spoken to face to face.  Pauley Perrette and Michael Weatherly of NCIS, Peter Gallagher and Christopher Gorham of Covert Affairs are all very engaging,  I have had several tweet conversations with all of them.

Justin Turner and Matt Harvey of the Mets are two of my favorite people to interract with, and now they even have Dillon Gee on Twitter with the fans.

They love posting pictures and encouraging fans for Q & A sessions during their down times, waiting for a plane, or even a long bus ride.

Even things such as asking advice for stadium music or twitter pictures is something that these guys ask from their fans and followers, they truly enjoy putting pictures on instagram and sharing it with their followers.

Some players are too private and would not go on Twitter, and that is fine, that is their feeling on the topic.  Other celebs may not interract because lets face it, people can be cruel and abusive if they are so inclined, and that ruins the dynamic of this person putting themself out there for the public.

Josh Thole, now in the Toronto Blue Jays system, was on Twitter but many fans were beyond cruel to him, criticizing and personal bashing, which is uncalled for, it is a shame that people can be such keyboard cowards.

I say that because they use Twitter and other social media outlets to say nasty things to people that they would  never have the nerve to say to their face, so they hide behind the keyboard and try to stir up trouble.  This is very counterproductive, although all users can block and restrict people who are abusive, it really ruins the dynamic of cyber relationships.

Well have a great day everyone, Lets Go Mets and fry some fish!!

What would define a successful 2013 season?

Wendy Adair
Editor

How long will Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins be part of the Mets picture after 2013 will be a burning question until this team, as currently configured, becomes successful for more than a half of a season, especially similar to 2012.

The infield appears to be the teams greatest strength, anchored by David Wright and Ike Davis at the corners, and Daniel Murphy and Ruben Tejada as the middle infielders.

Needless to say, the outfield is the greatest concern at this time, but Spring Training is a time for young outfielders to audition for spots and last minute deals could possibly be made in time for Opening Day.

Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas are no longer with the team, but Travis D'Arnaud and John Buck will be closely watched in the next few weeks to decide how the every day catching responsibilities will be handled by Collins.

There is no doubt that the last few years have been an incredible disappointment, both on the field and in the front office for the Mets.  The beginning of 2012 showed such promise, David Wright was playing like an MVP, Johan Santan and RA Dickey were virtually unhittable and the word underdog seemed to be on everyone's minds.

While Wright and Dickey were both participants in the All Star game, neither really played a role in the outcome, but regardless the National League still won and once again has home field advantage for the World Series.

The All Star Break proved to be the turning point of the season, injuries to key players and the lack of action by the front office to make mid season acquisitions only hastened the downward spiral of the team.  Wright went into a slump and the rest of the team could not pick him up, it was only a matter of time before the law of averages hit and he was neutralized.

 He did have a good September and ended up surpassing Ed Kranepool in franchise hits and will be looked at to carry this 2013 team, but the Mets need Ike Davis, Lucas Duda and the rest of the lineup help the team and take some of the burden off of Wright.

Fans are having a hard time believing the reassuring words from both the Wilpon family and Sandy Alderson regarding the state of the team, both in the present and future.  Terry Collins can only work with the roster  he has been given, and he is not considered to be the long-term solution to this team, only a stop gap until a forward thinking manager is put in place by senior management.

Johan Santana is another high priority for this year, does he have what it takes to complete a season? Since 2008, his first year as a  Met, he has yet to be on the roster in September and October.  RA Dickey is now a Toronto Blue Jay but Shawn Marcum has been added to the roster and Matt Harvey will continue to be touted as the future ace of the team.

In order for 2013 to be considered a success, veterans such as Wright, Buck, and Santana will lead their teammates and prove excellence over the course of the long season.  Ike Davis and Lucas Duda will need to show that they are every day players and the outfield will need stability.  The pitching staff will be fine as long as Johan Santana, Dillon Gee, Jon Niese, Matt Harvey and Shawn Marcum pitch anyone near as expected as the starting rotation.

The bullpen has been a major weakness for many years, but in order to be successful, Bobby Parnell will ned to be a formidable closer.  He has been given many chances, and has done well in short spurts but the "closer by committee" method has not worked effectively.  Pedro Feliciano has been given another chance in Queens and he could prove to be an extremely valuable addition to the bullpen.

Most importantly, the front office will need to show the fans that they are not afraid to make changes, subtle or drastic, in order to impove the team.   That is the only way to gain and keep the fan's trust, Mets fans are very knowledgeable and passionate, a competitive team on the field is what matters most to all fans.