2011 New York Mets not Playoff Caliber Team

The 2011 New York Mets not Playoff Caliber Team
I am taken aback my persons claiming to be fans of the New York Mets baseball team. Many of the fans calling the sports talk radio programs in New York City articulate views amounting to the possibility that the 2011 Mets has a great opportunity to make the playoffs this year as the wild card team. I cannot help but wonder what New York Mets fans is the seeing on the field in 2011. Why don’t the fans realize at their best, the 2011 Mets is a mediocre team? Recent history has shown that the most unlikely teams to win Major League Baseball championships possessed outstanding pitching. The 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers, the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals and the 2010 San Francisco Giants teams were rather surprising champions. Their pitching performances were outstanding. The 2011 New York Mets does not have comparable pitching staff. The 2011 Mets does not have a prayer.
More over why the fans seem satisfied with aiming for a wild card spot as the ticket to the post season is beyond my understanding. The Mets would not be expected to win a series much less threaten to win it all. I would rather the Mets retool and improve their chances of winning it all in 2013. That should be the ultimate goal.

PITCHING
The 2011 Mets does not have a pitching staff comparable to the 1984 - 1989, 1973, and 1969 Mets Clubs. If the 2011 Mets pitching staff had, two or three top of the rotation starters; I would argue the 2011 Mets does not have a chance of upsetting more talented teams. I am referring to teams possessing better winning percentage than the Mets.
The 2011 Mets team has a below average pitching staff. Their defense up the middle is poor. It’s almost atrocious. The 2011 Mets does not have an ace starting pitcher. There is no the top of the rotation on the major league club. The 2011 Mets is the weakest Mets club to possess a winning record at the last week of July in the fifty-year history of the franchise.
Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Dillon Gee, and Jon Niese, and another pitcher of similar quality will not lead a pitching staff to the Major League Baseball championship. Certainly, the starting pitchers are not comparable to Gooden, Darling, Fernandez, Aguilera, and Bob Ojeda is miles above the pitchers available to the Mets club. Even if Johan Santana returns with the qualities of an outstanding ace in 2012; he would be followed by mediocre pitchers in the rotation. Mike Pelfrey, Dillon Gee, and Jon Niese, are at best pitchers who could be expected to be competing for the fifth stop in a five-man pitching rotation. Young arms, especially flame-throwing pitchers at 95 miles per hour plus is an absolute necessity to anchor a championship caliber pitching staff. Bobby Parnell, and Pedro Beato, is perhaps decent enough as middle relievers on a major league pitching staff.

Defense
The 2011 Mets team lists Ronny Paulino and Josh Thole as their catchers. Justin Turner is the second baseman. Angel Pagan is the Center fielder. Reyes is really outstanding at Short Stop. The 2011 Mets possesses the weakest up the middle defense in thirty -one years. The 2011 Mets infield defense is also in a very sorry state. Daniel Murphy at first base, Justin Turner, Jose Reyes and David Wright at third base, are not reminiscent of John Olerud (first base), Edgardo Alfonzo (Second base), Rey Ordonez (Short Stop), and Robin Ventura (third base) of the 1999 Mets club.The outfield defense is also suspect. Angel Pagan (center field), Jason Bay (left fielder), and Lucas Duda (right fielder), is not in the same class as Dykstra, Wilson and Strawberry of the 1986 Mets Club. Pagan, Bay and Duda are backed up with Willie Harris, Nick Evans, Scott Hairston, and Jason Pridie. The 2011 Mets off the bench does not merit holding the attention of opposing teams.

OFFENCE
The 2011 Mets hitters do not strike fear in the hearts of pitchers. The 2011 Mets team does not possess explosive hitters. The majority of the 2011 Mets is just a trifle better than automatic outs. Reyes and Wright are the best hitters on the team.
The line-up chosen from the following Reyes and Wright and Daniel Murphy, Angel Pagan, Jason Bay, Justin Turner, Lucas Duda, Willie Harris, Nick Evans, Scott Hairston, Jason Pridie, Ronny Paulino and Josh Thole has more pot holes than those found in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queen’s in New York City. Opposing pitchers do not have to worry about seven stops in the Mets line-up. All of the Mets championship teams comprised a number of outstanding hitters, dynamic pitchers, and much better defenders on the field than the composition of the 2011 New York Mets.
Daniel Murphy may develop into a quality hitter. However, Murphy is a below average defender. The best position for Murphy may very well be Third base. Daniel Murphy is best suited as designated Hitter. He should be on a team in the American League.
The Mets last made the playoffs in 2006. That was the last occasion the Mets was really relevant. The 2011 New York Mets club would not present much of a challenge to the 2006 Mets club. I suggest the Mets General Manager exhaust all avenues and efforts to rid the Mets of the following for 2012 season; Willie Harris, Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy, Nick Evans, Justin Turner, Jason Bay, Ryota Igarashi, Manny Acosta, Mike Pelfrey, Jason Isringhausen, Tim Byrdak, Chris Capuano, D.J. Carrasco, and R.A. Dickey, and few others. A number of them could well be used to obtain young players for their minor league teams and/or perhaps, younger players for the 2012 Mets club. The need is restocking the farm system of New York Mets and getting younger with better arms and talent for the 2012 season.
1986 New York Mets Roster
Pitchers - Rick Aguilera, Bruce Berenyi, Terry Leach, John Mitchell, Randy Myers, Bob Ojeda, Doug Sisk
Catchers - Gary Carter, John Gibbons, Wally Backman, Kevin Elster, Ray Knight, Dave Magadan, Rafael Santana, Tim Teufel
Outfielders - Lenny Dykstra, George Foster, Danny Heep, Stan Jefferson, Lee Mazzilli, Kevin Mitchell, Darryl Strawberry
The Mets have not managed to duplicate the talented team they assembled for the 1986 club . . . that conclusion is beyond doubt. Any questions?