Picture Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez sits in the new cage the team constructed for him that they hope will cut down on the number of K-Rod attacks.
Picture Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Davey Johnson and Frank Cashen are inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame. Not pictured, but also inducted: cocaine.
Picture Mets catcher Henry Blanco tries out a new glove he hopes will give him a better chance of grabbing Oliver Perez's wild pitches.
News New York Mets: 2010 Preview
SportsPickle is previewing each MLB team in the lead up to Opening Day 2010.
Today:New York Mets (2009: 70-92, 4th in NL East)
News Mets Off to Disappointing 65-87 Start to the Season
The Mets may be off to one of their worst starts to a season in franchise history at 65-87, but the team is looking to put that behind them as quickly as possible and get back into contention by the end of the season.
"Every team wants to get out of the gate fast," said manager Jerry Manuel. "That obviously didn't happen for us this year. But I think we showed the last few seasons that it's more important how you finish than how you start."
With that goal in mind, the Mets have looked to be putting the sluggish first five and a half months of the season behind them, winning two of their last four. Although they have dropped the last two.
"That's okay," said Manuel. "You can't get it all back at once. We dug ourselves a 150-game hole. It will take a while to climb back out. I'm just glad to see the team is out there playing hard. This is a talented bunch. The results will come in time."
If and when those results do arrive, the Mets will be peaking at the right time thanks to a bevy of players ready to come off the disabled list and help their World Series push.
"In a way, our poor start actually gives us an advantage over all the other teams," says general manager Omar Minaya. "They're coasting into the playoffs and we're already in the playoff mindset, plus many of our currently injured players will be fresh come October. I am excited about where we are. I know that might sound crazy."
Especially because the Mets were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention 10 days ago.
"That is negative thinking," says Manuel. "Champions don't think that way."
