Visit to Citi Field: Vision of a Dark Future

I nearly went to Thursday's game, but ended up at Wednesday's instead. Big mistake. Instead of seeing a spectacular comeback that will no doubt end up in the slim catalog of SNY Mets Classics, I got to see what a Met infield would look like without Jose Reyes or David Wright.

I did not find out until well after the fact that Terry Collins was even more annoyed than I was about the shoddy infield play that resulted in a steady stream of infield hits and helped the Pirates turn a 2-0 deficit into a 9-3 win. But what Collins really needed to be annoyed with was that Willie Harris is still on his roster and that Sandy Alderson has been no better so far at building a bench on the cheap than Omar Minaya was.

Things got a lot brighter Thursday when Reyes returned to the lineup and Harris returned to the bench. And then there was that comeback for the ages. So I deleted the gloom and doom post I started Wednesday night. After all, I did have a good time going to my first game of the year.

But ownership should know that even if fans can still have fun at the ballpark watching a lousy lineup playing a lousy game, my tickets in the fifth row of the promenade behind home plate were only $6.50 each, plus StubHub fees. And unless I missed it, they didn't bother to put the attendance on the scoreboard. It wasn't too long ago when the Mets would ask you to guess the attendance and put up four different figures, all much higher than whatever they are drawing now.

*

If the Mets want to reduce the gloom and doom surround the club, how about putting an end to rumors that they might aim to keep Reyes, but then they would have to move Wright. What's next - Shake Shack will only have hamburgers or shakes, but not both? I actually read somewhere that this could be the best time to trade Wright, before his value goes down more. Yeah, when he's on the DL with a stress fracture in his back - that's the time to move him!

Wright, like Reyes, is a very good player who has done well in New York, unlike, say, Jason Bay. Nobody should be untouchable, but moves just to cut costs can help you end up with an infield like Wednesday night's - Daniel Murphy, Justin Turner, Ruben Tejada and Willie Harris.

Mets Schedule August Promotion Featuring Jose Reyes

Will Jose Reyes get traded by the July 31 deadline? Not if you go by the 2011 promotions schedule. Friday, August 5 against the Braves is "Jose Reyes Banner and Fiesta Latina."

However, the press release announcing single-game sales includes the August 5 promotion but leaves out any mention of Reyes:

The Mets also announced more than 60 promotional days for the 2011 schedule. Highlights include Mr. Met bobblehead day on April 8, Ike Davis bobblehead day on July 19 and Fiesta Latina night on August 5.

Was Reyes left out of the press release intentionally? Who knows, but I'll be curious to see if his name remains in the promotions list.

The first spring telecast did suggest that Reyes remains an important part of the team's marketing, since he was the first player shown in the opening graphics.

As for the other promotions, at least Mr. Met and Ike Davis are unlikely to be traded.