The confidence the Mets have expressed since the off-season has been refreshing, to say the least.
That talk has been a common denominator since that time, from under the palm trees in Port St. Lucie to the now closer (yet equally as windy) confines of Citi Field in Flushing.
But what does it all mean? It’s not like the more the Mets express their confidence and talk about big ideas of October, the win column increments.
Well, many people around the team think it means this: It’s important to develop a swagger, as it can translate to confident play and success on the field.
“We have huge expectations, and we’re not afraid of it,” Terry Collins said before yesterday’s 2-0 win over the Phillies. “We’re not afraid to talk about it, talk about winning, because I think the more you talk about it, the more you feel good about the execution side.”
Too many times over the last few years, the Mets have termed themselves as hoping to, “compete.” Yes, I knew of their deficiencies and incomplete rosters in those years, but hoping to compete tells me they hoped they can be a Major League team while they waited for their expiring contracts to extinguish and their talent in the minor leagues to get here.
Despite knowing what the plan was and deep down being hopeful to compete was a realistic outlook for those teams, it still bothered me this was the mentality for the Mets. It transcended into those springs and into the clubhouse. Often times, people just seemed indifferent about what was going on. It just didn’t seem right, despite the project Sandy Alderson and his group set out to complete over these seasons.
But now, that vibe has clearly changed with these players. It started last summer when several players told me they felt the clubhouse was starting to evolve. I agreed when I first had these discussions. There was a new seriousness starting to grow and spread in the clubhouse, and a new belief they can be successful sooner rather than later.
Michael Cuddyer thinks that belief is crucial to a team’s success, talented or otherwise.
“You’ve got to believe you’re a good team,” Cuddyer said, according to Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. “And if that means outwardly showing it, I don’t know. I think you have to go out there with the intent that you’re going to win the game and the belief that you’re going to win the game. You have to walk that way and play that way.”
Yes, it’s easier said than done. And, as I always say, talent will always prevail, regardless of how confident the players are. But, while the Mets aren’t perfect (what team actually is in this day and age?), they do have talent, and that talent is growing with more just a few months behind.
“We’ve all done it, and I’ve been guilty of it also,” David Wright explained to Kepner. “Talking about how good we should be or how good we think we are. But when push comes to shove, the only way to become truly confident is to become good at winning — and that takes wins, especially the first month.”
In other words, talk is cheap. It’s now time to walk the walk.
But as Cuddyer (and Tug McGraw) said, “You’ve got to believe.”
Just Mets 