I Do Not Prefer Rooting for Underdogs

Underdogs? This is really what you want?

underdog_cartoon

There was some talk around Mets fandom after Beltran went down that now the team is more likable, because they’re fighting underdogs. Sure the St. Louis series was fun, but since then we’ve gotten swept by the Yankees, and lost the first game to the Brewers. Is this really your idea of a good team to root for?

No, it’s not. I’ve long been discouraged by the idea that most Mets fans identify with the “lovable losers” idea. Ask Keith Hernandez what he thinks about lovable losers. No one can seriously tell me you like rooting for this team this way, given what we could have. This is not a “Let’s be competitive” year, this is a win it all year. Injuries are no excuse.

The same way some fans get on Wright or start talking about “Trading the core”, some tout the lovable losers line. The reasoning is usually the same: It’s a way to steel themselves for the disappointment they think is coming, again, at the end of the year. It’s one thing rooting for underrated players like those on the ’69 Mets that show up and suddenly lead the team to a championship, and it’s another to root for talented stars, like in ’86, that take no prisoners and play exciting baseball. Right now, this team is neither.

The Mets do need to find a way to win games the way they are currently setup. Whether that’s firing the underachieving manager for someone who will field the best people on the roster in the best order, (This means your high OBP guys, like Castillo, don’t bat 8th. Especially when in Castillo’s case he’s not a huge RBI guy. This means not having Argenis Reyes playing at all, especially at the top of a lineup where he’ll get the most AB of anyone. This means giving up on Tatis who occasionally hits the ball hard, but mostly grounds into out(s). This means playing Murphy regularly, playing Fernando Martinez regularly, playing Evans regularly. Maybe these guys are all busts, but the upside is so much better than Argenis or Tatis and has the added benefit of maybe giving Omar some focus on what position to look for a bat. If Murphy starts/continues hitting well when he’s playing, Omar can ignore first base and focus on the outfield. Or vice versa if Evans appears to be solid, or Fernando crosses the prospect->talent line.), making a big trade for a bat from outside the organization, or getting the current batch of unsuccessful players to work harder, take extra batting practice, watch more video, read more scouting reports and practice more fundamentals to get what we can from them.

And one last thing: Lovable Losers is more a Cubs thing than Sweet Caroline is a Red Sox thing. So is throwing home run balls back, which seems to have taken wind across baseball. As Keith says, “Don’t do it.”

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...