Just Mets

It was a mostly gray Thursday at Citi Field, which describes both the weather and the quality of play on display in the Mets uninspired – and rather uninterested – looking play during their 6-1 loss to the Cubs.

“I can’t sit here and tell you we bludgeoned them,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said after the game. “I know they’ve been offensively challenged. So have we. It’s the ebb and flow of the season.”

In the realm of Panic City, one or two runs against the Mets quantifies as a bludgeoning, considering the Mets have scored under two runs a game in their last two weeks of baseball.

But this series sweep put an indelible stamp on the 2015 Mets, one which is pretty darn remarkable.

It was the first time the Chicago Cubs franchise have swept a season series of seven games or more from one team in 130 years, since they were called the Buffalo Bisons in 1885.

It was also the first time in Mets history the Mets were swept in a season series of seven games or more.

That pretty much sums things up about the state of the New York Mets right now. They’re so bad at the moment, they allowed the Cubs to do something it’s taken longer for them to do than win a World Series, which is beyond unfathomable in professional sports in and of itself.

In the latest chapter of Mets misery, they ran themselves out of innings twice, scattered five hits – one of which was a double by the pitcher, Jacob deGrom – committed a run-costing error, and walked off the field in the bottom of the ninth to a smattering of boos from the 27,000 and change in attendance to witness the Mets walk of shame down History Lane.

By the way, deGrom was one of two Mets to reach third base the entire afternoon.

In other words, it was the same old, same old for the fading Mets, who are now 40-40 on the season, but truly resembling the 27-37 team they are since they started the year 13-3 64 games ago.

“I told the team inside, no disrespect to [the media], we have to lighten it up around here,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “They are so tense and so tight and so worried about making a big out, instead of walking up there like they’re going to get a hit. We got to lighten it up, so I said, just for heaven’s sakes, play the game with some fun, with some energy, with some enthusiasm.”

Well, no disrespect to Terry Collins and the Mets, but it’s going to take a whole lot more than for everyone to lighten up and have some fun. That usually follows winning, and winning usually requires big league talent, something the Mets have a shortage of on their active roster at the moment.

Of course, that’s been the case for too long in 2015, and that’s not Collins’ fault at all. But that along with the mismanagement of the roster has set the team on the course they’re on, which is yet another season of pointless baseball in August and September.

Daniel Murphy – who was absent from this lack of inspiration for the better part of a month – offered a more optimistic view point to the state of the team after Thursday’s game.

“The sky isn’t falling,” Murphy said. “What are we, .500? It definitely could be worse. The season isn’t over. It’s not even the All-Star break yet.”

It sure could be, and probably will be if the roster isn’t infused with quite a bit of big league talent in a hurry.

It’s on their faces, it’s in their voices, it’s in their demeanor and play on the field. Too many players hanging their heads, a complete lack of inspired and energetic play, and competitive play for that matter.

And, now they’re not having fun. The latest desperate attempt at an antidote to the ignorance of a lack of talent on the roster.

“In our game, perception is reality,” Collins said. “It may not be true, but to the people’s eyes that watch it, it’s reality.”

And again, that perception – and reality – is the team is bad, and there isn’t enough talent on this roster to remain remotely competitive for 162 games. The perception – and reality – is the manager has been dealt potentially the most unfair hand during his tenure with the Mets mostly because this was supposed to be the season he and the perceivers were waiting for.

This is not due to a lack of effort or poor work ethic. Kevin Long spends hours with all of these hitters in the cage next to the clubhouse before every game. They’re out working on fundamentals during batting practice, throwing and fielding working before the game. Trying to find some angle and some crack to exploit to break out of this inexplicable slumber the entire franchise is in this season.

Unfortunately, this is not the level players can be taught. They’re here on merit, are brought to the big leagues under the assumption they are fundamentally sound, and have an ability to execute when the stakes are high.

Collins has tried everything. And nobody has answered his call. Not even his bosses.

“The only thing left is human sacrifice,” Collins said. “So we got to pick somebody.”

I’m sure Collins didn’t intend to foreshadow an unfortunate yet eventual reality for him, which based on some of the buzz inside Citi Field on Thursday, might come sooner rather than later.