Forfeits Would Be Fun

Something struck me about the latest beatdown that the Mets received on Labor Day:

It was when Mike Pelfrey was shown in the replay backing up on the base hit by Nyjer Morgan (or at least attempt to).  He was drifting back with a blank look on his face, while in the background two young kids, presumably Nationals fans are squealing in delight at the misfortune of the Mets.

Meanwhile, later in the game after Danny Espinosa hit the grand slam off Ryota Igarashi, Espinosa was greeted at home plate by the teammates he drove in giving him the cold shoulder.

Now this is a team, while well behind the Mets in the standings, are having fun along with their fans.  The Nationals, at 60-78, seem to enjoy playing baseball.  The fans in attendance seem to enjoy watching this 60-78 team (at least the ones in the front row).  The Mets, meanwhile, don’t seem to enjoy anything.  How is that?  Is New York that depressing a place to play when you lose?  I understand there’s less leeway here in New York.  If the Mets were spotted having fun during a win at 60-78 (or even at 67-71), about 12 different talk radio shows would be blasting them for their show of happiness.  That, along with the Phillies and Marlins making snarky comments about how that’s “not the right way to play baseball”.

But when Gerardo Parra of the Diamondbacks reacts like he saved Game 7 of the NLCS with a diving catch when his team is 56-82, and the Mets look like they would rather be laying tar on a roof near the equator, that has to be indicative of something.  This team looks mentally worn down from five years of disappointment.  The problem with that is that more than half the starting lineup only got here this season.  So what does that tell you?  You can come up with your own conclusions.  Besides, I don’t want to make any rash assumptions, even though it tells me that whatever leadership that exists here has simply run out of energy, ideas, and fight.  That comes from five years of losing.  It also comes from a front office unable to help with ways to improve the club mid-season, for whatever reason.  Whatever it is, to me it’s just more evidence that there needs to be serious changes happening.  And it’s depressing.  It’s not healthy to watch a baseball game and then think afterwards: “Gee, my favorite team should just forfeit the rest of the season, or fold.”

That’s when Dillon Gee replies “Don’t worry, I’m pitching tomorrow.  You’ll think differently then.”  I doubt it.

I doubt it.