Feats of Famine

Wait, I thought these were the teams the Mets were supposed to get healthy against?

Oh I must have heard you wrong.  Obviously you told me that the Mets were the team everyone else gets healthy against.

So the Mets designated Brad Emaus for assignment to make room for Justin Turner.  What happens?  Turner has no less than four bad throws at second base on Tuesday.  But hey, at least he got a hit off Wandy Rodriguez, which is more than you can say for most of the Mets lineup.  That’s Wandy Rodriguez, who was 0-2 with a 7.31 ERA entering the game.  Not Carl Hubbell, not Randy Johnson, and not Christy Mathewson.  Wandy Rodriguez, who gave up all of three hits in seven innings as the Astros won 6-1.  The comedy of the night came when Bobby Parnell, who has had enough problems pitching, committed a balk with the bases loaded because he couldn’t even come to the set position without bobbling the ball.  After the game came the drama, as Parnell’s problems on Tuesday were explained by numbness in his finger which will probably put him on the disabled list.  Hopefully it also explains his overall horrificness in 2011.

The good injury news is that Jason Bay went 4-for-4 in a rehab game which will probably put him back on the major league roster on Wednesday to take Parnell’s slot.  The better news: Bay’s return means less Scott Hairston, who completely butchered a fly ball which led to an Astros run.  I don’t know if he isn’t used to the Citi outfield, the Citi lights, the Citi food.  I do know that I never want to see him again.

I ask this every year, and I’ll ask again: Tell me what you see from this atrocious roster that makes you feel that this team will compete.  In previous seasons, “compete” would mean a playoff spot.  This season I want to know what you see from the team … not the date on the calendar … but the team, that tells you that this team can win 70 games.  Because I see a roster where winning 70 games would be an accomplishment.  They can’t hit Wandy Rodriguez, their bullpen is pure evil, their lefty specialist can’t be trusted to get Carlos Gonzalez out because he can’t even get Michael Bourn out, and their supposed ace is their fifth best starter.  So tell me why I’m wrong.