Paul Articulates - Let's be in it to win it

I watched the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night.   It was certainly entertaining.  Some might also think that the NFL Pro Bowl was entertaining – if you like ballet.  But if I want to tune in for sports entertainment, I watch the WWE.   

I enjoy a competitive battle between the best athletes in a sport, so I become very disappointed when I watch an all-star game where there is very little actual competition to win.

I am thankful that baseball offers the most competitive all-star game in major US sports.  The MLB All-Star Game has plenty of entertainment value with offerings like the celebrity softball game.  

From what I see on the field in the actual game, and particularly in the years that a home field advantage in the World Series was on the line, the MLB All-Stars compete to win.  

Granted, it is not always the intensity of Pete Rose bowling over Ray Fosse in 1970 to score the winning run in the bottom of the 12^th inning.  But the pitching, the hitting, and the fielding do more than just showcase the skills of the players.  They collaborate to achieve the objective of winning a game against the finest players in the sport.

I’m sure there will be some interesting debate from fans of the NBA, NFL, and NHL that like their all-star games. For a Mets fan that is hungry for an elusive world championship not seen since 1986, it’s time to move past the entertainment phase and fight for baseball’s most coveted title – World Champs!

So let’s look at the Mets’ roster for those competitive guys that you want on the battlefield with everything on the line.  Here are my observations:

Five boxing gloves: 

Jacob deGrom – Jake is a master competitor who has refined his ability to adjust his performance in mid-game to dominate his opponent.  This is the guy that apologizes for giving up two unearned runs in a 2-1 loss instead of whining about the offense.

Francisco Lindor – Francisco is the best communicator on the field, trying to keep his team on the same page.  He’s in on every mound conversation.  If you noticed, he runs out every ground ball hard, even when he was in the midst of a poor hitting year with fans getting on his case.  Oh, and if you’re paying attention, he’ll get you in a choke hold in the tunnel.

Brandon Nimmo – Reese’s piece Monday on “the pin cushion hitting quintet” highlighted the Mets’ propensity to reach first base via the plunk.  Nimmo is the best at “taking one for the team”.

Pete Alonso – Pete’s chest-thumping proclamation that “I’m the best power hitter on the planet” after defending his home run derby crown shows how juiced he gets for any competition.  We see that on the field in every Mets game.

Four boxing gloves: 

Luis Guillorme – Luis can play several positions and will do whatever the coaches ask.  He is a battler at the plate, having seen more pitches per plate appearance than any other met on the roster in 2021.  Remember his 22-pitch battle against the Cardinals last year?

Max Scherzer – Max could be a five, but we haven’t seen him dealing with adversity in a Mets uniform yet.  Certainly with the other jerseys on he never gave an inch to his opponents.

Three boxing gloves:

Starling Marte – I have seen highlight films of Starling leaping over the fence to rob hitters of a home run, generating clutch hits, and stealing bases – all of which we will need to win in ’22.

Dominic Smith – Dom has been asked to play predominantly in the outfield since he came up and lost the competition for starting first baseman.  He has done this without whining, and has been an outspoken supporter of all his teammates.  He is always ready when called on to deliver for the Mets.

Jeff McNeil – Jeff has always been a grinder since his days with the Long Beach State Dirtbags.  He’ll play in the infield or the outfield, will give you quality at-bats, and challenges the defense with his base-running savvy.

The rest of the roster needs to get the competitive juices flowing.  There is no better time than spring training, and Buck Showalter knows what it takes to mold a competitive team.  

As the front office plans its final roster moves for the post-lockout days, I hope they are looking at the competitive mentality of players just as much as the statistics.