Last offseason and the offseason before that I wrote about the Mets being a hole they had to dig their way out of. I know at least once I said the next season or two wouldn't be the most fun to watch. I said it is important to keep in mind that struggling for a few years is the first steps to success for years to come.
Yet, while the games are being played that concept is forgotten. It is also forgotten when the next offseason comes around and the Mets aren't ready to spend on big free agents and completely overhaul the roster. Last year it was understood that the Mets weren't going to make big moves. People claimed to realize a level of patience was need with the organization. But now that some of the patience has been spent, nobody seems willing to use any more.
Zack Wheeler was never going to be ready for the big leagues to start 2013. Matt Harvey was a year ago, and still is now, a prospect. Nobody knew if Ruben Tejada would turn into the answer at shortstop. This year was just Ike Davis's first full Major League season. The Lucas Duda outfield experiment was exactly that, an experiment which does not in any way assure success. David Wright was essentially the only guarantee entering 2012.
In some ways the success of this year's team was a curse. The hot start made it look like this team was a piece or two away from the playoffs. R.A. Dickey's spectacular season and the early offensive outbursts were a surprise. It was fun to watch but the success came well earlier than expected. Jon Niese grew into a reliable starter, Bobby Parnell showed flashes of vast improvement, and veterans like Tim Byrdak and Jon Rauch had nice stretches.
But the fact is most of the team is really young. Jason Bay, Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey, Frank Francisco, Manny Acosta, and Andres Torres are the only players age 30 or older on the current roster. For years all we wanted was for the team to get younger. Now that it is we want immediate success. Well, for one second think about that concept. Does it really make sense for all these young players to click immediately? A young team means growing pains, and it means all of those struggles will be happening at once.
The bright side is that once all these players struggle and learn, they will find success. The even brighter side is they will still be young enough to keep growing. The brightest side is that they have years of success ahead of them, and those years will be spent with the Mets.
The good thing about this season's early excitement is that is showed the potential of this team. They just need a little bit more of your patience. They will grow and play that way consistently. It will just take time.
Let's Go Mets!
Yet, while the games are being played that concept is forgotten. It is also forgotten when the next offseason comes around and the Mets aren't ready to spend on big free agents and completely overhaul the roster. Last year it was understood that the Mets weren't going to make big moves. People claimed to realize a level of patience was need with the organization. But now that some of the patience has been spent, nobody seems willing to use any more.
Zack Wheeler was never going to be ready for the big leagues to start 2013. Matt Harvey was a year ago, and still is now, a prospect. Nobody knew if Ruben Tejada would turn into the answer at shortstop. This year was just Ike Davis's first full Major League season. The Lucas Duda outfield experiment was exactly that, an experiment which does not in any way assure success. David Wright was essentially the only guarantee entering 2012.
In some ways the success of this year's team was a curse. The hot start made it look like this team was a piece or two away from the playoffs. R.A. Dickey's spectacular season and the early offensive outbursts were a surprise. It was fun to watch but the success came well earlier than expected. Jon Niese grew into a reliable starter, Bobby Parnell showed flashes of vast improvement, and veterans like Tim Byrdak and Jon Rauch had nice stretches.
But the fact is most of the team is really young. Jason Bay, Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey, Frank Francisco, Manny Acosta, and Andres Torres are the only players age 30 or older on the current roster. For years all we wanted was for the team to get younger. Now that it is we want immediate success. Well, for one second think about that concept. Does it really make sense for all these young players to click immediately? A young team means growing pains, and it means all of those struggles will be happening at once.
The bright side is that once all these players struggle and learn, they will find success. The even brighter side is they will still be young enough to keep growing. The brightest side is that they have years of success ahead of them, and those years will be spent with the Mets.
The good thing about this season's early excitement is that is showed the potential of this team. They just need a little bit more of your patience. They will grow and play that way consistently. It will just take time.
Let's Go Mets!
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