The Mets’ 2010 season, and quite likely the tenures of Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya, wrapped up in strangely appropriate fashion: Ollie Perez on the mound for the first time in a month in the top of the 14th, walking in the winning run, a quick bottom of the frame, then Manuel taking a couple subtle and perhaps misguided stabs at players while charming the press with his comedy act in his final press conference.
Perhaps strangest of all, Manuel, when asked his legacy as Mets manager, cited the ascent of Jose Reyes and David Wright to higher levels of excellence.
Now maybe that’s filler, something Manuel threw out to kill time while he thought of something more meaningful to say. But if he really thinks that, man. Wow. Maybe Manuel was even more oblivious than previously speculated. Because that’s just not what happened.
In 2009 and 2010, as Wright has approached and hit what should be his offensive peak, he has posted the two worst full offensive seasons of his big-league career. In both seasons, he set new career highs for strikeouts while his walk rates dropped.
Reyes’ 2009 was ruined by injury, an injury almost undoubtedly mismanaged at most levels by the Mets. Reyes’ 2010 was also hampered by injury, but even so he posted his lowest walk rate — critically important for a leadoff man — since he was a 22-year-old in 2005.
It is impossible to put the relative struggles of Wright or Reyes over the past two seasons on Manuel’s shoulders. But it’s downright crazy to say that under Manuel they’ve taken their games to a higher level. They haven’t.
That’s not to say that neither is a good player. Wright is an excellent player, even in down years like the ones he suffered in 2009 and 2010. But in 2007 and 2008 he was probably one of the top five players in the Majors, and it’s impossible to make that case for his 2009 and 2010.
In 2010, Reyes played as one of the better shortstops in the Majors. In 2007 and 2008, he was among the elite.
The good news for Mets fans is that both have plenty of prime years left ahead of them, and both appear very likely to be back in Flushing in 2011.
Though these last two seasons may have stripped them of some of their luster, they the same men who tore up the league just a couple years ago, and there’s no good reason to believe they’re not still capable of doing so. Perhaps they need new motivation or new instruction, or perhaps they just require full health, some minor adjustments and the prolonged type of good fortune that hasn’t been found anywhere near Citi Field anytime lately.
As fans, we tend to categorize our teams by eras. We think of the late 80s Mets of Mex and Gary, the miserable mid-90s Mets, the Bobby Valentine teams from the turn of the Millenium and now, the 2006 squad we see unraveling before us.
But if you look toward the margins of those eras, you find the divisions are never so neat and orderly. Someday, in our minds, we may point to today as the end of the Jerry Manuel Era, or maybe the end of the Randolph/Manuel Era or the end of the whole Minaya/Delgado/Beltran Era or something like that, but I have a feeling when the 2011 Mets take the field they’ll look an awful lot like the Mets that played out the stretch in 2010.
Perhaps a couple additions and a couple subtractions, some improvement from some young players and some regression from some dudes playing over their heads. But I think the biggest change will be in perception, which doesn’t do a hell of a lot to win baseball games.
Still, I’m not sure the forecast is as dreary as many Mets fans make it out to be. But it’s a long offseason, and we’ll get to that.
Tedquarters 
I don’t think 2011 is going to be very fun.
But who knows, I mean the Padres were there until the last day of the season which I did not see coming.
2010 Mets were essentially a .500 team but with no Johan who knows how the team looks…
I pray that they just fire jerry imediatley, if for no other reason than so the media will stop over analyzing every word the guy says.
I agree with everything you wrote here Ted, anyone who follows the Mets knows all this, but it Jerry saying it, we know enough by now to just ignore anything he says, because its meaningless, and just go on our way.
I was a bigger fan of him taking one more cheap shot at a player in yesterday’s post-game presser, mentioning Josh Thole specifically as a reason the team needs another big run producer.
You think he meant like a Rod Barajas?
Yeah that’s what I meant by “subtle and perhaps misguided stabs.” It’s funny because not only is it a bit of a cheap shot, but it also seems to imply his belief that starting a guy like Barajas, who hits home runs but absolutely does not get on base, might lead to more runs scoring than starting Thole.
I didnt really take it as a cheap shot since Jerry has always had nothing but good things to say about Josh Thole in terms of his current play and what he can bring in the future.
Dont see why he’d no take a shot on the way out the door. I think he was just being honest amd hes right, Thole is a nice player, but not a run producer. If you are going to play a weak hitting singles hitter catcher, you probably do at somewhere need to make up that pop in the lineup.
But why mention him at all? Why not just say the team needs another big-time run producer? (Which, incidentally is questionable. Obviously every team could use another “big-time run producer” but I’m much more concerned with the team’s pitching.)
How many catchers fit that bill? Three?
If it was anyone other than Jerry, I’d probably ignore it. But it fits his MO to a tee.
Like I said, I think he was just giving an honest assesment. I think Jerry has taken those type shots at players in the past, but it was usually players who at least in some way deserved it based on thier performance, like Ollie, or Maine or Ryan Church.
but based on how hes all season spoke 100% positively in terms of Thole all year, I just dont think that he meant that as any type of shot at Thole.
well that was fun. good news is next year there can be no collapse because no one can possibly expect them mets to contend for the division. so we’re playing with house money. i say we get real weird with things. carl everett for player/manager anyone?
I could get down with that.
No one expected them to contend for the division this year either. Hell I expected them to go below .500, which is what they did, and I’m still furious and demand a pound of flesh. If they didnt play the orioles and indians, they’d have an even worse record and likely be 20+ games out of first. That is so pathetic.
Silly. Silly-ly. Sillily. Yup, not easy to adverb that one.