A Moment of Silence

I have been putting off writing my weekly post all morning because truthfully, I don't even know what to say anymore about these Mets. They get harder and harder to watch with every passing game so I have really been adhering to my self-imposed media blackout for the past week. If they win, well, it's a nice surprise. If they lose, well, at least I didn't waste my time and energy only to be disappointed. This is a terrible way to exist but I'm not sure what else to do at this point in the season.

This past weekend's sweep by the Phillies was a complete and utter disaster of anemic hitting, atrocious fielding and general malaise. The team might as well have just not shown up at all and forfeited. I know, the injuries, blah, blah, blah. I'm so tired of hearing about the injuries. No one expects the Mets to be playing like a championship caliber team right now but they aren't even treading water. This series with the Dodgers is pretty much over before it even begins. Sorry, call me a pessimist, but at this point, not only is the glass half empty, it's cracked and my lips are bleeding profusely.

The All-Star break could not come quickly enough - just so that Mets fans get a reprieve from the daily torture of this team. At this point, it is hard to believe that they can overcome the physical and psychological damage this season has wrought. As of now, the only player that looks to be coming back from the disabled list remotely soon is Angel Pagan, and given his injury history, I'll believe that when I see it. There's no hard dates set for Reyes, Beltran, Maine or Putz. And as for Delgado, I have my doubts whether he will ever wear a Mets uniform again. If and when these players do return, it is not going to be an immediate return to all-star form for anyone. After being out for so long, it's going to take some time to shake off the rust and get going.

As for adding player(s) before the deadline, no addition great or small is going to make enough of an impact to outweigh the loss of so many key regulars. The Mets farm system is in shambles as it is. Why give up future talent to try to patch an irreparable situation with a soon-to-be free-agent rental? No Mets fan wants another Zambrano for Kazmir debacle.

As frustrating as losing is, Mets fans have to sit tight and try to ride this one out. This 2009 season does not look promising but all we can really do is wait and see how it unfolds. With the exception for the Dodgers, the NL is mired in mediocrity right now. If it stays that way, the teams that get hot towards the end will be the ones playing in October. Hopefully, after a miserable first half and the collapses of '07 and '08, maybe the Mets will get some good karma sent their way for September and October. For now, though, at 4.5 games in back of Philly and 3 under .500, I'll hang my head in a moment of silence.