Be patient, Mets fans. The tide is turning. Ed Charles, Ed Kranepool and Art Shamsky are certain of it, and they’re speaking from experience.
Those three, all members of the 1969 Amazin’ Mets, which won the organization’s first World Series in just its eighth season, see a lot of themselves in the 2013 Mets. The big arms, the young players, and, yes, the losing too.
In 1968, the Mets finished 16 games under .500, actually 12 games better than their record the previous season. These Mets haven’t done much winning lately, with four consecutive losing seasons. The current group, at 40-49, has shown life lately after a wretched start, 16 wins in their last 26 contests behind stellar starting pitching.
“I can see the confidence level raising with these guys,” Charles, a third baseman on the 1969 Mets, said during the MLB All-Star 5K & Fun Run benefiting Hurricane Sandy Relief in Prospect Park Saturday. “They’re headed in the right direction.”
Pitching is the biggest similarity between the two teams. The 1969 Mets’ anchor was their rotation, led by Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Nolan Ryan. While it is way too early to compare Matt Harvey to Seaver or Zack Wheeler to Koosman, the youngsters have impressed, and have plenty of support from Dillon Gee, Jeremy Hefner and Jon Niese, the staff veteran at just 26 years of age, who is on the disabled list with a slight tear in his rotator cuff.
“They certainly have the ability to bring the ball club to another plateau,” said Kranepool, a first baseman who grew up in The Bronx and spent his entire career with the Mets.
Harvey already has been compared to several of the game’s great pitchers. Shamsky said he has heard the Seaver comparison, and though he hasn’t seen the fireballing Harvey enough to make a judgement, he has been impressed.
“He looks like he has great form. Obviously he’s got great stuff,” Shamsky, an outfielder, said. “He looks like he’s in command, in control of what he’s doing.”
Kranepool, likewise, has been impressed with the team’s pitching, but feels the Mets need to add pieces in the field to support David Wright. The Mets’ offense has lagged behind its pitching.
The Mets began the magical season of 1969 just hoping to play .500 ball, but as they put together one winning streak after another, as the young pitchers blossomed faster than expected, their confidence rose.
“I think the Mets have the potential to transition to that type of confidence level,” Charles said. “One thing about young ballplayers: They surprise you. You may not need another two, three years. That’s what happened to [us].”