A TALE OF TWO CITIES: Mets Ascendant, Yanks Mediocre at Best

Empires rise & fall. Our New York baseball landscape has been dominated by the Yankees since the mid 1990s. The Mets have been second class citizens relegated to the small TV in bars and the middle pages of sports sections. In 2017, however, New York is going to be owned by The New York Mets. The Yankees empire is dead and buried.

THE METS:

From the flowing golden locks of Thor Syndegaard to the majestic bombs of Yo’ Cespedes the marquee talent in the Big Apple resides in Queens. Supporting actors include the prodigal speedster Jose Reyes, The Dark Knight Matt Harvey, stud starters DeGrom, & Matz and a deep talented squad that has been to the post season the last two years.

Steady leadership of GM Sandy Alderson & manager Terry Collins has the Mets loaded with depth, talent & purpose. In today’s MLB where steroids, amphetamines and HGH cannot be used having quality interchangeable talent is a serious advantage.

Players to watch:

1) Does Matt Harvey bounce back? Cardio Thorasic Outlet surgery does not have an easily predicted recovery. If Harvey is on top of his game this team is scary.

2) Wilmer Flores: The kid that wanted to be a Met so bad he cried in 2015 was becoming a very dangerous hitter when he got hurt last year. He was raking against the best pitchers in the game. Look for Flores to find a fairly regular home at 1B.

3) Travis D’Arnaud: Stats say he is a good signal caller and above average pitch-framer. Eyes said he couldn’t throw out the hot dog vendor and his injury-prone nature was a problem. His new batting stance is yielding very positive results in Spring Training.

Prediction: The Mets are a powerful & dangerous team. Besides the talent on the field they have compelling story lines, combustible personalities and a desire to finish what they started in 2015. They will be in the post season with a great shot at winning the World Series.

THE YANKEES:

No GM in baseball was hurt more by the increased testing for PEDs than Brian Cashman. The checkbook GM would simply sign 31-year-old players and thanks to performance-altering chemistry he would receive three to five years of top production. Now the chickens have come home to roost. The Yankees stink.

Pop Quiz:

Who is the Yankees team leader this year? Brian McCann & Carlos Beltran play in Houston now.

Who is the number three hitter in the lineup? Ok smarty if you say Gary Sanchez than who is the cleanup hitter?

Who are the fourth & fifth starters? Exactly.

Prediction:

The Yankess (with a $200 million payroll) will finish in the basement of the AL East. If they crack 80 wins Joe Girardi should win manager of the year. Not only are they bad but they continue to embarrass the once proud Yankee mystique.

Trading off Andrew Miller & Aroldis Chapman and then watching them in the fall classic. Signing Mets re-treads like Jon Niese and Reuben Tejada. Not signing any stud free agents. Where are real NY Yankees? The Boss would never let this happen.

Disagree with me? Send an email to my attention at editor@rocklandcountytimes.com. We will document some predictions and see who has a clue.