Errors Come in Different Flavors

I think I might have figured it out.

Daniel Murphy, when he’s at the plate, is one of the smartest cats out there. You’ve gotta be to hit the way he does. But something in his skull must be loose. Because as he runs to first base, the motion must make all the IQ points and brain matter must fall out of his head through the eye socket. Then he gathers it all back after he’s tagged out making a dopey baserunning play. Sunday was the microcosm of this: Bases loaded, one out, third inning. David Wright flies out to right. Jon Niese breaks but holds at third, Jose Reyes holds at second. What the &$^# does Murphy do, take off for second without regard for human life, of course. And, of course, he’s tagged out going back to first because he stranded himself.

Maybe it wasn’t the difference in a 3-2 loss, but I say that more because Angel Pagan probably wouldn’t have done anything behind him the way he’s going. But for the love, Murphy has gotta stop trying so hard to think, especially when the brain matter has escaped after rounding first base. It wasn’t Angel Pagan rounding second, then going backwards before getting forced out back in 2009, but Sunday’s monstrosity was ridiculous enough on it’s own. Perhaps Murphy will be the first major leaguer to have microfracture surgery on his dumb ideas.

I give Murphy this: Every time the ball goes near him, whether it’s pitched to him, grounded to him, or thrown near him on the basepaths, Murphy will do something that you’ll remember for the rest of the week. I include his play in the ninth inning where he nailed the runner at third on an attempted sac bunt. Murphy made a heck of a play there, but that’s Murphy. He’ll always make you jump out of your chair, either to yell in euphoria or throw your television out the window, but whatever Murphy does it’s memorable. It may raise his Q rating with the ladies, but it’s not winning baseball. And on a team that on most days needs to be crisp to win baseball games, mistakes like that will usually murder you. Murphy murdered the Mets on Sunday.

He wasn’t the only one, as Bobby Parnell’s disaster of a ninth inning ensured that Scott Hairston’s two home run heroics (a pinch hit job, and a game tying dinger with two outs in the ninth off Drew Storen) would go down the drain in a 3-2 loss. It was an otherwise successful road trip, but the two losses at the end of it set up a critical, do or die homestand against the Marlins, Braves, and Padres. Everyone will focus on the Braves, but if the Mets don’t take at least two of three from the Marlins who are playing better and who usually make the Mets their personal chew toys, a sweep against Atlanta isn’t going to mean a hill of beans. Sweeping the Reds was nice, but can the Mets do some damage in the division for once? They’re 18-23 against the East this season, and while 4-8 against Philly is a big part of that, 3-5 against Florida doesn’t help, and frankly they worry me more than the Braves do. If the Mets season goes down the drain this week, just let it be the better team that ends it, and not the Marlins. Not Javy Vazquez, some guy named Brad Hand, and the immortal Clay Hensley. And not Logan Morrison. (Remember, if you do choose to throw food at Morrison to eat, please make it something that’ll slow him down and not improve his eyesight.)

And please, Daniel, let’s keep the brain matter secure after you hit first base.