A bright start to this season led me to some very qualified optimism. The Mets managed to stay at or above .500 for most of April, but it’s been pretty much downhill since then. Last week I got to wondering how this year’s team compares to the notorious 1962 first edition, which set a Major League 20th century record by losing 120 games. This year’s Mets have played 48 games and have a record of 19-29, for a winning percentage of about .388. The ’62 Mets didn’t get to game 48 until June 6 because the season started later. At that point, their record was 12-36, putting them at .250. So the 2013 Mets are, at this moment in the season, decidedly ahead of the ’62 gang. With 162 games in the current season, if today’s Mets keep to roughly the same performance level, they should lose about 100 games. Should they get worse, they could challenge the 120 loss record.
The video above tells me a lot about why I love the Mets. One commenter complains that it’s unfair to “Marvelous Marv” Throneberry who, apart from his mishaps in fielding and base running, managed to smack 16 homers for the Amazins in ’62. I think Throneberry has his revenge in the banner shown at 3:10: “Cranberry, Strawberry, we still love Throneberry.”
I started to write this post last week. Since then, the Mets avoided a sweep by the Braves, then won the opening game of their four game series with the Yankees. From this I know two things: the Mets this season can occasionally beat their traditional nemeisis in the NL East, and their season record with the Bronx Bullies won’t be 0-4. I’m keeping my enthusiasm in check.
Update: Mets score a second 2-1 victory over the hated Yanks, thereby sweeping the home end of their four game series. The remaining two games are in enemy territory, but at least we’re assured of an even split of the season’s series. I’m trying very hard not to get too enthusiastic.
Source: Self-Absorbed Boomer
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tzVM/~3/z2ciNhlyAU0/could-this-years-mets-rival-those-of.html
