Heading into the 2010 season, this is a team that many had pegged to compete with the Philadelphia Phillies for the division title.
It's safe to say that a few things went wrong.
After finishing 79-83, the Mets are now coming off their second straight disappointing season and are a team in crisis. Sure, the dismissals of General Manager Omar Minaya and Manager Jerry Manuel will appease some fans, but it certainly won't solve any of the team's woes.
With several holes on the roster, a micro-managing ownership team (Fred & Jeff Wilpon), and over $100 million committed next season to guys like Bay, Beltran, Castillo, K-Rod, and Oliver Perez, is there anyone in baseball capable of putting a positive spin on a team that has been clouded by negativity?
The Mets need an identity, and it starts at the top. The new management team needs to be firm, communicative, and clear. They need to have a plan in place that will simultaneously produce a good on-field product (short-term) and an even better long-term outlook.
With one of the game's most massive payrolls, the Mets simply need to stop wasting money if they ever hope to get out of the shadows and stop being referred to as New York's "other" team.
This team needs a personality, preferably something out of the Ozzie Guillen school. They need someone to stand up and say "we're not playing well and it's unacceptable".
In order for the Mets to reach their potential, there needs to be a fundamental shift in the clubhouse, in the office, and around Citi Field entirely. The Mets and their players have forgotten what it's like to be in a winning environment, and over a 162-game schedule that type of mentality will eat anyone alive.
Simply put, this team has been a circus act and a rather sad one at that. Whether it was the Tony Bernazard fiasco, the disconnect between Minaya and the New York media, or just a lack of on-field production, the Mets have been the punchline of every person's best baseball joke.
And that simply won't change until this team starts believing in itself and winning some games.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments