What do the following have in common: Lucas Duda, Josh Thole, Jason Pridie, Ruben Tejada, Willie Harris?
a. You've never heard of them.
b. They were in the Mets' starting lineup today.
c. They are borderline minor leaguers.
d. All of the above.
With three-fifths of an already shaky lineup's best players (David Wright, Jason Bay, Ike Davis) nursing injuries, this bevy of backups (combined Value Over Replacement Player equal to one quarter of Jose Reyes') has already accumulated 624 plate appearances.
Predictably, this motley crew, anchored by Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Angel Pagan, smoked Alexi Ogando and the Texas Rangers 14-5 today. (That would be the formerly invincible Alexi Ogando.) In many ways, it has been a microcosm of the season in Queens.
During a year in which all five of their best hitters have spent time on the DL, and their best starter since Tom Seaver has been out all year, Terry Collins' roster has managed to flirt with .500 through half the schedule. The Miracle Mets? That's 2011.
The rotation features such lights as Dillon Gee, Jonathan Niese and regression king R.A. Dickey. And the bench, well, you don't have a bench once Jason Pridie is starting. But the emergency back-up bench -- e.g. Brad Emaus, Mike Nickeas and Chin Lung Hu (I'm not making up these names) -- could win a game of hide and seek against Major League pitchers without hiding.
There's no single bullet; this collection of mutts has gotten it done -- about half the time, anyway -- with equal parts hitting and pitching, though their defense lags. That they're middle of the pack at the plate and slightly below that on the mound is a tribute to ...something. Other than MVP candidate Reyes (.334/.380/.506 26 steals), a resurgent Beltran (.273/.368/.474) and young Davis (.302/.383/.543), who may be done for the year, there isn't a "wow" in the bunch. None of the non-stars has more than four home runs, or six steals or a .350 on base average, except Ronny Paulino, whose .319 batting average in 95 at bats is offset by just four extra base hits.
On the hill, it's all B-plusses, and no As. Everyone in the rotation but ace Mike Pelfrey has pitched to an ERA under 4.00, but no one has been lights out. The same with the relief corps: with the exception of the conflagration that is DJ Carrasco, everyone with 17+ innings has an ERA under 3.80. AT the same time, there isn't a sandman in the bunch.
Add to that the supposed distraction of Fred Wilpon's financial and intellectual bankruptcy, and it would be understandable if New Yorkers gave the team a pass this year. Instead, through all the disappointments and dyspepsia, the orange and blue are hanging on.
The Mets won't contend this year, nor in the foreseeable future if they let Reyes go. Still, they've represented the outer boroughs with a lot of scraps and a loosening grip on Mr. Madoff's ill-gotten wealth. In Flushing these days, that passes for a victory.
b
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