Pointless Diatribes

Had a good time despite the disappointing result at the Mets game last night, and even as I continued scratching my head wondering why they continue to start Ruben Tejada over Luis Castillo at second base, even as Jeff Francoeur continues to get the starts in right field. Anyone else find this difficult to reconcile? Sure Castillo has limited value, but he's clearly better at this point in his career than Tejada, whose mistakes in the field are even blunting his advantages in quickness and range. Meantime, Francoeur, who unlike Castillo has no commitment from the club to keep him around for another season, gets the kid gloves despite having been a major drain on the offense since June. I just don't get it.

The Mets however did accomplish something last night. When Jose Reyes bounced to first with the bases loaded and ended the game, the Mets fell to 63-63, marking their 11th contiguous point at .500 -- that is, alternating wins and losses at a game above or below .500 -- breaking the old record of 10 such contiguous points set in 2005. The Mets in other words have been 53-53, 54-54, 55-55, and so on up to their current mark of 63-63. Amazin'.

They still have some work to do to catch the 2005 team for most overall points at .500: That team had 27 separate .500 marks. But at 19 .500s already, the 2010 Mets right now are in third place all time and have 18 more shots for historic mediocrity ahead of them.

And you thought there was noting left to play for. 

The below chart ranks Mets teams by the number of times their record was .500 . Thanks to the Post's Mike Vaccaro for inspiring the research.

Five-hundrliest seasons, in order:

 1. 2005 (27)

2. 2002 (20)

3. 2010 (19)*

4. 1970 (18)

5. 2004 (15)

6. 2008 (14)

7. 1976 (13)

8. 1994 (11)

9. 1990 (8)

10. 1971(7)

1987 (7)

2009 (7)

13. 1973 (6)

1975 (6)

1992 (6)

1993 (6)

2000 (6)

18. 1977 (5)

1980 (5)

1989 (5)

21. 1969 (4)

1982 (4)

1999 (4)

2003 (4)

25. 1968 (3)

1984 (3)

1988 (3)

2001 (3)

29. 1966 (2)

1967 (2)

1972 (2)

1974 (2)

1978 (2)

1979 (2)

1981 (2)

1986 (2)

1996 (2)

1997 (2)

1998 (2)

39. 1983 (1)

1991 (1)

1995 (1)

2006 (1)

 

43. 1962 (0)

1963 (0)

1964 (0)

1965 ( 0)

2007 (0)

 

*- Still active (barely)

So I underestimated the Mets' appetite for risk at this point and was mildly surprised to see they let Rod Barajas go to the Dodgers on a waiver deal. Andy Martino's story in the Daily News this morning suggested the team interpreted this move as white flag waving: They must also be getting their news from the traditional sources which in my opinion have really struggled with the narrative for the 2010 Mets: Take for example Adam Rubin's hodgepodge of unrelated stories disguised as a trend piece on ESPN today, complete with the same tired headline we've been reading on these stories since the Alejando Pena Era (no other reason for the photo) and the lack of perspective to note that lots of teams (the Yankees, for example) wind up with a different bullpen than the one they set out to create, and its barely hurt either club a bit.

Yawn.

If you ask me, there's been little mystery as to the Mets offensive struggles this year: Most has to do with the fact they rolled the dice on a third of the lineup off the bat (right field, catcher and first base) and knew going in that any offense second base had limited upside. That's half an everyday lineup that might not turn out so well, and it didn't: That's not too mysterious. Really, the only real outliers have been Angel Pagan on the upside and Jason Bay on the downside. Barajas, who briefly led the Mets in home runs (and the world in foul home runs) will be remembered for his crazy hot start but a pretty harsh return to career norms. His trade meant a recall for outfielder Jesus Feliciano.

Frankie Rodriguez is a jerk and makes me ashamed to be a Mets fan, and if the Mets knew what's best for them, they'd use this revolting incident as the opportunity it is to void that terrible contract he has and reassign the No. 75 jersey to a bush leaguer, not a guy who only acts like one.

With the help of an easily reached game-finished incentive next year, the Mets would be on the hook for $29 million over the next two seasons for Rodriguez. Even if he didn't beat people up every so often, that's an awful lot for what's essentially a luxury that's barely made a difference in the security of leads. I've said it before, but Brand Name Closers are about the worst investment a team can make and Omar's been burned on every one he's chased so far. That Rodriguez is so far down the list of Omar's mistakes is surely an indictment of his reign: So is the fact that the team hasn't won two games in a row since late June, and continues to be led by a manger with no authority or game strategy. What a mess!

Ryota Igarashi was recalled to the Mets Thursday while Rodriguez cools off on the restricted list, expect more roster changes Saturday when the Mets have to decide on a starter to oppose Roy Halladay. Buffalo lefty Pat Misch is a possibility and gained plenty of experience playing for a lousy second-half Mets team last season. His No. 48 jersey has yet to be reassigned.

Ruben Tejada didn't look ready to be an everyday player during the Mets' initial slide into irrelevancy so I found it rather odd that he was the guy they called for when things got really desperate this week. Not that I disagreed with kicking Alex Cora off the bus: For all he contributed prior to his injuries last year, he hasn't been good for more than a year and certainly hadn't earned the approaching second year vest in his overpriced contract, so a release was called for. Consider him, along with Castillo, Jeff Francoeur and Oliver Perez (and Jason Bay?), as what they'll recall when Omar Minaya is gently kicked upstairs after the year is out. But, wasn't Justin Turner available?

Meantime, Jesus Feliciano was demoted and Fernando Martinez returned. If Fartinez can take a few starts from Francouer ... or Carlos Beltran ... or Bay ... well, maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing to get another look at, since whoever's in charge nest year will have some big decisions to make in the outfield. Martinez is back in 26 and Tejada in 11, by the way.

And while another radical slump from David Wright sure isn't helping things, Jerry Manuel's managing of this team remains woefully counterproductive, and, I think, contributes to that frightened offense. He'll vamoose as well after this year ends and we now know how it will.

The Mets are about to start playing again Tuesday and Jeff Francoeur, Ollie Perez and Luis Castillo are still a part of the team, and Howard Johnson and Dan Warthen are still coaches. So much of that seemed unlikely after the Mets meekly limped off the field in Los Angeles Sunday, losers of 9 of 11 games on their post-All Star Break West Coast run (and deserving losers of 10 of them!).

 Supportive posts right here amid all the fan bloodlust took a lot out of me. When they finally won on Friday I'd convinced myself it was the start of the turnaround I'd been predicting all week. So when they threw up that awful dud on Saturday, I was just so unprepared. Unacceptable! And for the first time this year I felt myself moving to that realm of fandom where I want the Mets to get what they deserve and not what I want for them. It was a dark moment, for sure, and rewarded with another spiceless loss on Sunday.

So here we are back home again, and the Mets are apparently going out there by refusing to bow to fan bloodlust again: God bless 'em, I don't know how or why most times. And the only change appears to be Minor League Masher Mike Hessman recalled for the injured Rod Barajas. Unclear just now what number they outfit Hessman in; though he wore 66 this spring and for whatever reason it strikes me as appropriate now. Nothing wrong with a freaky right-handed masher on the bench.

 

The time to get panicky isn't now but three weeks ago, when the seeds of another dreadful Met run were laid. I remain convinced despite the evidence that the rotten offense and lapses in concentration among the pitchers is more or less just what happens to this team, and that to this point, every one of those lulls has been answered with an even hotter run, and that the team as presently constituted -- despite some versatility concerns -- is as prepared to get on a hot streak as any group we've run out there.

So I'm not panicking that Oliver Perez is back, and I don't believe the Mets will bleed chemistry now that Jeff Francoeur is on the bench (and/or the trading block). And even though I cried for the Mets to sack Jerry Manuel in May, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference if they didn't make that move until October. What they need now is a solid win or two, some support, and watch it go from there.

Wanna see an inspiring win? Check out the video highlights here (good stuff begins about 1 minute in, and doesn't stop). Dig Claudell Washington wearing No. 15 with no nameplate! He'd been with the team for a week by then and they hadn't yet gotten to it despite playing at home the whole time. Justin Turner by the way was demoted to make room for Perez.

As bad as the Mets have been going, recently and no-so-recently -- really, they've been awful since Puerto Rico -- I'm convinced another hot streak could start any time now.

The reason is simple -- they finally have the lineup they want out there most nights. Nobody cried when he limped off the field with a foot problem a few weeks back, but we've missed the modest contributions of Luis Castillo, who returned to the lineup last night in Phoenix. Ruben Tejada showed some good skills in Castillo's absence, but was overmatched offensively and is back in AAA where he belongs. Jose Reyes in the meantime returned to the lineup and despite two shaky plays contributing to Pelfrey's disaster, is obviously a huge part of the offense and will get going again.

I'm no fan of Jerry Manuel's passive game-managing style, but he's done a bold thing in benching Jeff Francoeur here. I'd have sworn the Mets had invested too much in marketing Francoeur to sit him, but it's good to see the team recognize that Angel Pagan's contributions trump good will with the writers. Next on Jerry's to-do list ought to be the same solution for Rod Barajas: this will be trickier, but the fact that Josh Thole is still on board with both Barajas and Blanco healthy enough to start again indicates it's at least under consideration. Ideally Jerry could get by with 6 relievers instead of his customary 7 and use Thole freely.

The impending return of Oliver Perez in the meantime might not be a disaster if it gets Hisanori Takahashi out of the rotation for a while and allows the team to strengthen the bullpen. I'd be surprised if the Mets don't move to acquire a reliever and a starter in the next few weeks anyway, so the pitching will remain fluid.

No shame in losing to Giants ace Tim Lincecum, but the way the Mets did it Thursday night should make you nuts. Their best shot to score, in the 5th inning, evaporated when Jerry Manuel asked pitcher R.A. Dickey to bunt with one out and runners on first and third -- without sending the runner from third base. Dickey's sacrifice was successful only in advancing the runner from first to second, but in the meantime costing the Mets half of their remaining shots to drive in a run, and all of them by way of an out. When Angel Pagan followed with a fly ball, a rally that started with two men on and nobody out amounted to nothing.

Dickey -- whom I suspect was asked to bunt at least partly in punishment for failing to get one down earlier -- worked seven strong innings before Manuel managed to use his three best non-closing relievers in the 8th to double a 1-0 deficit. Way to go.

I'm officially declaring No. 17 up for grabs again: Fernando Tatis was moved to the 60-day disabled list after shoulder surgery.

Forty-four years ago today (June 10, 1966), Dick Rusteck made his major league debut as a starting pitcher at Shea Stadium, throwing a complete game, four-hit shutout over the Cincinnati Reds. Though not quite Strasburgian, the performance is probably the best by a pitcher making his major league debut in Mets history*. Less than 25 miles away on the very same day, I was making my own debut.

The future looked pretty bright for both of us that day. Rusteck, a 24-year-old lefty out of Chicago and Notre Dame, was signed as a free agent in 1963. He’d impressed Met brass in Instructional League and Spring Training play and after a 6-1 start at AAA Jacksonville in 1966, earned a call to the big leagues. Manager Wes Westrum, who caught the likes of Sal Maglie and John Antonelli, and coached Juan Marichal, observed “he could throw the ball just as good as anybody I’d ever seen.”

Against Cincinnati in his debut, Rusteck scattered four singles, walked one and struck out four. No Reds runners reached as far as second base safely. “The magnificent thing about it is that he threw strikes,” Westrum gushed afterward. “He was the master all the way. He was calm, cool and collected out there.” Two home runs by shortstop Ed Bressoud – hitting 8th that day, it was his best day as a Met too – accounted for four runs and the Mets had an easy 5-0 victory in a game that lasted just over two hours.

But for Rusteck, the good times evaporated just as suddenly. Four days later in St. Louis, he’d be yanked before recording an out in the second inning, surrendering five runs on five hits and a walk. Complaining of a sore arm, perhaps as a delayed result of taking a line drive off his arm in Jacksonville, Rusteck didn’t appear again until a 1-inning relief appearance two weeks later, then made a third start July 3 vs. the Pirates, in which he was hit hard in the fifth inning, took another loss, and got a ticket back to Jacksonville for his trouble.

Rusteck returned to make a few relief appearances that September but his arm troubles would continue. His uniform number 43 was reassigned to teammate Darrell Sutherland, and he’d wear No. 40 then. A writer identifying herself as Rusteck’s wife Tracy, writing on the Ultimate Mets Database, said her husband had elbow surgery in 1967 and continued pitching in the minor leagues through 1971 though “never fully recovering the dynamic speed of his famed left-arm pitch.” He'd retire with a 1-2 major league record and an ERA of 3.

After a post-baseball career in state government in Wasilla, Alaska (youbetcha!), Rusteck is “happy and healthy” in Arizona, Tracy wrote in a message posted two years ago.

Me, I’m about to surrender No. 43 too. Hello, Bob Myrick!

* A quick and not exhaustive review of memory and some data at the Ultimate Mets Database leads me to believe Rusteck’s game was the best by a Mets pitcher making a major-league debut, although he has company when the discussion comes to “best first career starts” as Mets from Grover Powell (also a 4-hit shutout, 1963). Other impressive debuts were authored by Gary Gentry (April 10, 1969) and Jason Isringhausen (July 17, 1995).

Rubber games haven't been the Mets' strength this year, but if they're going to have any chance of relevancy they better start learning to win them soon. No better time than tonight against the MFYs who don't look all that tough after winning Friday on an error and pretty much beaten in all facets last night by Mike Pelfrey and the Mets.

As you know by now, it wasn't  reliever Ryota Igarashi returning Friday but Elmer Dessens, summoned when John Maine was involuntarily disabled. The Glue Gun, still the only Met ever to wear No. 64, was rushed into action without great results, but it will be nice to have Igarashi back today; Manny Acosta was demoted to Buffalo to make room. As said below, I'm on a temporary break from my campaign to make Jerry Manuel pay for the Mets' struggles and instead concentrating on being a supporter now when the team needs me. It feels good! And what can I say, it was encouraging to see Jerry make an aggressive bullpen move that made sense last night and resist the urge to stifle the offense. Let's Go Mets!