Did the Mets step back or forward in 2011?

The 2011 season has mercifully come to an end for the Mets, giving way to a barrage of major questions that Mets fans are asking. Will they re-sign Reyes? Will they bring the outfield walls in closer? Will they find a way to make the Shake Shack line go faster?

While these questions all deal with the future, I have one about the past: Was the 2011 season a step in the right direction for the Mets?

The standings and several on-field performances say no. The Mets lost two more games this year than last year, duplicating their fourth place finish. Generally awful pitching was the main culprit, as one time top prospect Mike Pelfrey looked much more like a 5th starter than an aspiring ace, youngster John Niese showed little improvement, and the bullpen was downright putrid. Johan Santana, acquired to be the savior, didn't even throw a single major-league pitch.

Mets' pitchers weren't the only ones stuck in the mud this past season. Key hitters David Wright and Angel Pagan each followed up a very good 2010 season with a mediocre-at-best 2011. Supposed catcher of the future Josh Thole regressed on defense and didn't do much on offense either. And sixty-six million dollar man Jason Bay, despite teasing us at the end, showed little to make us think that the remaining two years of his contract will be any better than the first two.

I havn't even mentioned that the Mets traded away their closer (Rodriguez) and All-Star outfielder (Beltran), and may have seen the last of their best player (Reyes). In many ways you could say the Mets took a step back in 2011.

Yet despite the poor record and subpar statistical performances of several players, the season actually felt like a step forward for the Mets franchise in some ways. Dillon Gee and R.A. Dickey provided hope that they can be reliable mainstays of the rotation and Daniel Murphy emerged as an excellent hitter before being injured. Even guys with less star potential like Justin Turner, Lucas Duda and Ruben Tejada proved they can be valuable contributors to a major league team.

But more important than the improvements of some players was the shift in philosophy of the entire organization, from the front office down to the 25th man. GM Sandy Alderson showed a commitment to getting the Mets back on track by dumping albatrosses Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo before the season, and then getting a top pitching prospect for two months of Carlos Beltran. Manager Terry Collins displayed a grittiness that seemed to trickle down to his players, who despite often being overmatched talent-wise rarely gave up in games.

In the end, the 2011 Mets' season were decidedly less than mediocre. A quick glance at the standings and statistics will likely make you think the season was a wash, especially considering the possible impending defection of Jose Reyes. Even so, 2011 was a step forward if only because it felt like a different organization than the one we have followed the past 5 years. The results may not come next year or even the year after, but at least the foundation has started to take shape.

Mets September Baseball: Don't Touch that Dial

It's not easy watching the Mets these days. On the list of things to do on a weeknight, turning on SNY has fallen behind doing the dishes, constantly hitting refresh on your fantasy football waiver wire, and even watching yet another presidential debate.

But for those of us who just can't suffer enough, there are still plenty of reasons to watch the final two weeks of the Mets 2011 season. Here are just a few:

The Jose Reyes Watch - Most Mets fans are hoping Reyes wins the NL batting title, but I'm not one of them. In fact, I'm hoping he goes hitless the rest of the year. Why, you ask? Well, a 28 year old reigning batting champion shortstop sounds way to expensive for the cash-strapped Wilpons. A 28 year old shortstop with injury concerns who goes 0 for his last 60, on the other hand, sounds right up their alley.

Bay vs. Pelfrey - The battle for the biggest bust of 2011 comes down to the wire. Bay may be the heavy favorite because of his enormous contract and paltry stats (.245, 12 hrs, 56 rbi), but he hurt his chances by somehow capturing Player of the Week honors last week. Pelfrey has put up a strong underdog fight by going from staff "ace" to complete dud (7-11, 4.66 ERA), but he too has shot himself in the foot with a few decent outings down the stretch. Who wants it more?

Keith Hernandez - We now basically know what to expect from each Mets players on a daily basis, but Keith is a constant wild card in the booth. The man once questioned a woman's presence in the dugout and fell asleep during a live broadcast, so who knows what he will say or do down the stretch run of another lost season. Here's hoping it's something entertaining enough to keep us watching but sane enough to keep him from getting fired.

The Battle for 3rd Place - Don't discount the value of the Mets finishing 3rd in the NL East, ahead of the Nationals and Marlins. Pulling off this seemingly meaningless feat will go a long way in helping us argue against our friends who may belittle the Mets. After all, the Red Sox finished 3rd last year and the Rays will likely finish 3rd this year, so 3rd place can't be all that bad, right?

The First No-Hitter - If you get really desperate for reasons to keep watching. Hey, even a Mets fan can dream.

Terry's Tonic: These Mets Won't Quit

"We're not going to stop the focus, we're not going to throw our hands up."

When Terry Collins uttered that quote on Sunday after the Mets fell 9 games back of the Wild Card and lost both Daniel Murphy and Jose Reyes to injury, most Mets fans probably just rolled their eyes.

We had seen and heard it all before the last couple of years - the Mets get our hopes up, dash them quickly with a bad series and a never ending string of injuries, and then the manager proclaims that they won't give up. But as the season comes to an end, the team seems like it is simply playing out the string on its way to a horrible record.

Well, if the past two games are any indication, the 2011 Mets are looking to change the ending to that script.

These Mets had every reason to be lifeless following that devastating loss to Atlanta, not to mention everything else that has gone wrong this year. Yet they rallied to victory on Monday after trailing by 2 in the 9th, something I can't remember happening the past couple of years. Then they did it again on Tuesday, coming back in the 8th to steal another victory.

The fact that two of the Mets most impressive wins of the season came after their worst game speaks volumes about this team and its manager. Their current roster may be lacking in star power and experience, but these Mets continue to show that they have no quit in them. Part of it is the ragtag nature of this team, as all the rejects, youngsters and no-names are playing for future jobs and don't know any better than to play their hardest. But a ton of credit has to be given to the manager; while past skippers have promised to keep the Mets fighting through adversity, Terry Collins is actually making sure it happens.

It may be too late for the 2011 Mets to put together a miracle playoff run, but that doesn't mean they are going to give up. These Mets are Amazin' in their own right.

The Curious Case of Carlos Beltran

Carlos Beltran stands frozen at home plate, his knees buckled by a nasty curveball that ends Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS.

Ask most Mets fans what they remember most about that terrible night, and chances are that image will come to mind first. Even though Oliver Perez escaped that same fate by the skin of Endy Chavez's glove, and Aaron Heilman gave up the game winning home run, Beltran was the guy who choked in the biggest of spots.

It's really a shame, because Carlos Beltran should be remembered as one of the greatest players to put on a Mets uniform. After a rough first season Carlos rebounded with a three year stretch that was among the best in baseball, averaging 33 homers and 113 RBI while playing a superb center field. Following two more injury plagued seasons, he shocked everyone this season by regaining his All Star status AND emerging as a team leader. Perhaps only Darrell Strawberry can prevent Beltran from laying claim to the title of best Mets all around outfielder of all time.

Yet despite his stellar performance, Beltran is still thought of by many Mets fans as a disappointment. We know Game 7 stands out, but there must be other contributing factors. Maybe it's the fact that Beltran wanted to play for the Yankees, or the huge contract the huge contract the Mets gave him to convince him otherwise. Maybe it's the injuries, or the seemingly apathetic way he played the game. Perhaps it's the fact that he never led the Mets to the World Series.

Whatever it is, Beltran deserves a better Mets legacy. He helped bring the Mets back to relevance in 2005, a status that was destroyed from above by bad management. Now that he is gone, fans will likely finally realize just how great a Met he was.

Here's to hoping that Carlos helps San Francisco beat the Phillies in October and goes on to win his first ring. He certainly deserves it.

An Alternate Mets Universe

With Carlos Beltran in his final days as a New York Met, there's been a lot of talk about the last five years and the end of an era. In 2006, one year after Beltran signed, the Mets seemed destined for greatness. Beltran, Reyes, Wright, and eventually Santana in or entering their prime and poised to lead the Mets to contention for years to come. Accomplished veterans like Pedro Martinez, Glavine and Delgado would round out this potential dynasty and end their careers on top of the world. These were "the New Mets".

What we didn't realize is that the only thing "new" about these Mets would be the ways that they tormented us fans. Instead of penants and rings, we got a heartbreaking Game 7 loss, two unbelievable collapses and a couple of seasons destroyed by injuries and marked by mediocrity.

But let's go back to that fateful October night in 2006, right before Beltran stood frozen at the plate on a called strike 3 and the Cardinals rushed the field, to see what could have been...

2006: In Game 7 of the NLCS, with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, the bases loaded and the Mets trailing 3-1, Beltran hits a nasty two-strike curveball from Cardinals closer Adam Wainwright for a series winning homer. Beltran is mobbed by his teammates before can reach 2nd base. The Mets go on to sweep the Tigers in the World Series. Robin Ventura cries knowing that his own "grand slam single" will be immediately forgotten and he will only be known for getting pummeled by Nolan Ryan.

2007: The Mets, about to fall victim to the biggest collapse in baseball history, are saved when Tom Glavine shuts down the Marlins in game 162. Oliver Perez then beats the Phillies in the one game playoff, further establishing himself as a fan favorite of Mets fans. Pedro Martinez says the Yankees may be his daddy but the Red Sox are his little brother who he helps raise and then beats up.

2008: The Mets win the Wild Card and beat the 1st place Phillies in the NLCS. During the offseason, Aaron Heilman calls the Phillies "choke artists" because they've blown it the last two seasons, and they prove him right by falling into a downward cycle for the next several years thanks to horrible starting pitching. The Mets are so impressed with Oliver Perez that they sign him to a 3 year, $36 million contract.

2009: Citi Field opens with 8 foot high blue walls, enabling David Wright to hit a career high 42 home runs. The Mets capture the Subway Series when Luis Castillo drops a pop up but then throws out Derek Jeter, who wasn't hustling on the play. The loss is a major psychological blow to the Yankees, who miss the playoffs and deal the lackadaisical Jeter to the Royals in the offseason. Meanwhile, the Mets medical staff is lauded for keeping their players so healthy all year.

2010: With the core of the Mets healthy and playing great the past few years, the Mets pass on Jason Bay and instead pick up a few cheaper alternatives. The starting lineup is so good that insurance pickups Gary Matthews, Mike Jacobs and Alex Cora languish in AAA and don't see the majors all season.

Oh, what could have been.

Mets Get Smart with K-Rod Trade

Francisco Rodriguez and a boatload of cash for two players to be named later may go down as the best trade of 2011. And I don't mean for the Brewers.

Believe it or not, the Mets made a great move by dumping their star closer for basically nothing in return. With that $17 million option looming, it was a move they had to make.

Look, I liked having K-Rod on the Mets. He was a pretty stable force in the Mets bullpen, especially when he wasn't punching out his elders. But there was absolutely no reason to keep him around. If he K-Rod remained the closer, he would have easily finished the 21 more games needed to kick in that daunting option. If he became the set-up man, he would not be nearly as effective (see his performances in non-save situation) and probably would have become an angry distraction (again, the punching thing).

Unless the two players to be named later turn out to be Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo, I don't see how this trade can go wrong for the Mets. The extra $17 million can go towards paying Jose Reyes and other free agents. Heck, they could use some of the money to build another Shake Shack and I'd be happy.

And while many view this move as the Mets throwing in the towel, I disagree. Most closers are fairly interchangeable these days, and now we get to see what the younger and cheaper Bobby Parnell is made of. Unless (or until) they trade Beltran, the Mets can remain on the fringes of Wild Card contention, which is exactly where they were with Rodriguez on the team.

So the AARP members in the Mets clubhouse shoulnd't be the only people thrilled with this trade. All Mets fans should rejoice knowing that we finally have a GM willing to make the smart and necessary moves, even if they may not be totally popular.

And an extra $17 mil doesn't hurt either.

The $140 Million Mets: A Feel Good Story

They may not be the '69 Mets, but this current crop of Amazins have pulled off their own minor miracle. Somehow, the team linked to the evil Bernie Madoff and with a recent history of countless blunders and even more overpaid underachievers on its payroll has actually become a likable and compelling underdog.

Yes, the Mets only have a .500 record, but for a team in complete disarray .500 looks pretty good. After all, they have had seemingly everything possible go wrong this year. They had a horrific start to the season (5-13), saw two of their best hitters (Wright, Davis) join their best pitcher (Santana) on the DL, and have received disappointing seasons from several key players (Bay, Pagan, Pelfrey). And that doesn't even include the off-the-field issues. Yet somehow the Mets are still treading water and keeping us fans interested, something that seemed highly unlikely just a couple months ago.

If it's possible for a mediocre New York team with a $140 payroll to be a feel good story, the 2011 Mets are it so far. The troubling complacent attitude of the last few years is long gone, thanks in large part to a group of likable no-names who have everything to prove. Career minor leaguer Justin Turner has been a huge contributor. Light hitting Daniel Murphy has held his own while batting in the cleanup spot. Unheralded rookie Dillon Gee has been the most consistent starting pitcher. A lineup full of guys who would be backups on most other teams, a rotation stocked with 4th and 5th starters, and a bullpen full of have somehow helped keep the Mets relevant.

Throw in an affable superstar like Reyes, a smooth and steady All-Star like Beltran, and resilient veterans like Dickey and Capuano, and the Mets are suddenly a compelling, appealing team. They have amazingly silenced the critics and changed their association from "Ponzi-schemers" to to "potential Wild Card contenders", even if just a little bit.

They won't be throwing any ticker tape parades for .500 teams, especially in June. But with all that's gone on this and past seasons, mediocrity is not a horrible place to be.