What to do with the Mets pitching?...Be Patient!

I am in a newsroom with probably the biggest Mets fans around...sports producer, Bobby, coordinating producer, Saul, photographer, Eric and man, are they upset! They already see the Mets at the bottom of the NL East, the team missing the playoffs, and more heartache for them and other fans. I understand the pain but implore them to be patient. It's hard; I get it; I know what happened the past two years. BUT we are still in April. While the starting pitching (minus Johan) looks like Little League, you have to give the team time.

I think John Maine is trying to find his groove. He looks rough like he needed some more game time before the season. He was still "raw" when we were at Spring Training and you could tell that while he "felt" good, his arm was not yet 100 percent. (Plus I didn't like the fact that they were trying to get him to work on a curveball too). Oliver was always a gamble and will continue to be all year BUT I think if a person like Johan is standing behind him and speaking up for him, there's got to be something ready to burst out. Johan seems like a person who would not lend his support unless he believes in whatever it is. He has been forthcoming to say Oliver is a GOOD pitcher. Pelfrey needed time last season and will probably do the same this year, peaking at the right moment. Livan is what he is...a fill-in but not a bad one.

Give them until the All Star break. There is no way this team will be SOOO far behind that making the playoffs would be a miracle. At that point maybe some in the minors are ready to come up (i.e. Jonathan Niese) or other teams are ready to give up their folks (and we will have seen what those pitchers have done) or Pedro Martinez could be in fine shape and ready to accept a small deal to pitch just one more year.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT ON ANY POSSIBLE FUTURE ADDITIONS:

*Niese will need time. Niese is 0-2 in three starts in Triple-A Buffalo. He hasn't gotten past the 5th inning and has amounted a 8.76 ERA having given up 22 hits, 12 earned runs, 6 walks, and 13 Ks)

*Check this out from the blog entry from, www.halosheaven.com (Angels):
Martinez's agent Fernando Cusa about Pedro wearing Angels' red. He didn't want to go "on the record" as to the last time he had talked with anyone from the Angel front office, but he could say he had at least talked to the Angels. He mentioned the Angels were the sort of team Pedro would be interested in signing with and pointed out that Vladimir Guerrero was one of Pedro's best friends from their days together in Montreal and recently Martinez had played for Angels' first base coach Alfredo Griffin during the WBC.

Cusa stated, "Pedro's worked hard all spring and is in great shape. He brings intangibles like veteran leadership to a team. He makes it fun."

When asked how long after Pedro is signed would the pitcher be ready to start, Cusa replied, "A week."

Back to PIX:
I know for the boys here it's easier to be pessimistic because then they feel they won't be let down. Be patient friends! (Not likely but they are trying and actually Bobby recently purchased a partial season plan) They aren't ready to give up just yet!