Forget the countless injuries to Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes.
Or the fact that Bobby Bonilla, who last played with the team in 2000, is reportedly on the payroll.
Those are just minor problems compared to what the New York Mets truly face.
On the field, things appear grim.
Despite Major League Baseball’s fifth-highest payroll, the Mets look to be missing out on the playoffs for the fourth straight season.
For two consecutive years (2007-2008), the Florida Marlins eliminated New York from fall ball down the stretch.
Florida, with one of the lowest payrolls on a yearly basis, finished second in the NL East last year despite $110 million less to spend.
In 2007, the Mets suffered one of the worst all-time collapses, leading the National League East by seven games with 17 days left, only to lose out to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Over-the-mill veterans like Carlos Delgado and Pedro Martinez signed with the team, but got it no closer to October.
Beltran, a franchise-caliber player to many teams, surprised the organization by getting knee surgery in mid-January.
That sure spells trust.
Off the field, the Mets haven’t been model citizens.
General Manager Omar Minaya was questioned around the league in 2008 for his handling of the firing of manager Willie Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson, and first-base coach Tom Nieto.
Minaya waited for the trio to arrive back at a Los Angeles hotel following a 9-6 victory over the Angels.
Vice President of Player Development Tony Bernazard stuck around for too long despite news that he challenged Double-A players to fight him.
He also supposedly got into quarrels with closer Francisco Rodriguez and others. Ruffling feathers, not developing missing farm talent, became his forte.
And now the players find themselves in trouble.
Just this week, ace Johan Santana had a civil lawsuit filed against him in Lee County, Fla. involving a charge of rape. The woman also says that she became pregnant as a result of the attack, but had a miscarriage.
Meanwhile, closer Francisco Rodriguez was arraigned in a courthouse in Queens County, N.Y. because of third-degree assault against his father-in-law.
On Wednesday night, Rodriguez reportedly struck inside the family lounge at Citi Field.
At this rate, it’s an easy call for fans to root even harder for New York’s other team, which is in first place and gets called the Evil Empire.
Heck, maybe all this time Lady Gaga knew something everyone else didn’t:
The New York Mets need immediate help as they continue down the wrong path.
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