What a mess

By now, you've read/heard/seen about the Mets debacle last night. Just ugly. What I really enjoyed, in a schadenfreude sorta way, is Neyer's take on where the Mets are right now:

You know what's worse, though? When Tim Redding is your fifth starter. Because you know what that means, don't you? It means that Livan Hernandez is your fourth starter. I happened to be at the ballpark in San Francisco last Friday night, and I just sat there in the first inning, dumbfounded, as Hernandez gave up hit after hit after hit. I can't say that I exactly felt sorry for Hernandez -- after all, nobody forced him to take the Mets' money this spring -- but I couldn't quite help myself.

More, though, I felt sorry for Mets fans who have to put up with a pitcher like Livan Hernandez every five days (particularly if he really is the club's fourth starter, and really will pitch every five days). Frankly, there's simply no excuse for a team with a new ballpark and a $150 million payroll to trot Hernandez out there regularly, and wind up with Jeremy Reed at first base in a close game, and Angel Pagan in left field at the same moment, and ... Well, you get the idea. I can't feel sorry for the Mets, and I can't feel too sorry for their fans. Not with that payroll. As a guy who just likes to watch good baseball, though, I find this odd collection of
talent just a little bit offensive.

Just to remind you, don't forget who was the suckiest pitcher of the 00's. At least a panic hasn't totally enveloped the Mets. Said me, then:

And Livan? Did ANYONE think that would, you know, actually work out well? Even the most bullish of Mets fans (and by 'bullish' I mean 'not fatalistic') were down on Livan. At least he eat innings, right? Yesterday: 7 runs in 4.1 IP. Eat that.