Things Can Still Get Worse For Mets
As bad as things look, the Mets still have further down to go
By JOSH ALPER
Updated 10:35 AM EST, Mon, Jun 22, 2009
After the Mets lost for the 12th time in their last 18 games, they got to hear Carlos Beltran deliver a message that made you wonder if there's any hope for an end to their suffering.
"I'm a little bit worried, to be honest," Beltran said, "because of the way I felt today - it was painful."
Beltran's talking about his right knee, and he's going to have an MRI on Monday to see if there's any structural damage beyond a suspected bone bruise. It's the same injury that caused him to get a cortisone shot in late May, which may mean that he can keep playing with the shots or something could have gotten worse in the last month.
The Mets have to be hoping for the former. Losing Beltran for a game or two here or there is preferable to losing their center fielder for a chunk of the season. It's also a reminder that the Mets can't just throw up their hands and say that bad luck is to blame for the way their season has unfolded because things could always be worse.
Bad luck also doesn't work as an excuse to explain why the Mets are two games out of first place even with their miserable results this month. The Phillies have lost six straight games and seem just as lost as the Mets right now, which is why it is imperative that the Mets stop this treading water and hoping for rescue down the road mindset. Things aren't out of their hands, in fact everything is very much in the Mets' control.
There's an arguement that the Mets shouldn't make a trade because it is akin to pushing the panic button, but it seems much closer to choosing not to exert yourself bailing out water before your boat sinks. You can sit back and wait for things to get better, or you can try to find a solution that may or may not result in a different outcome. If you pick the former, though, it isn't just bad luck that causes your demise, however.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Jun 22, 2009 7:52 AM EST
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