In an era of long-ball specialists, the Mets are perfecting the old art of small-ball — although, please don’t call it that around manager Buck Showalter.
“What’s small about it?” Showalter said with emphasis. “Three hundred sixty feet is 360 feet. That’s what it takes to tour the bases.”
OK, call it something else. But whatever it is, the Mets are doing it better than anyone else.
Whatever you name it, they are pulling off a quinella that’s rarely been done before, much less tried, and certainly not in this century. They stand as 18th in the majors in home runs (they have 64), and yet they are first in scoring runs (they have 348 of those).
Give them an inch, and they will take 90 feet en route to that 360-foot tour. They did it again before a holiday crowd Monday, combining their usual array of singles, speed, sacrifice flies and a hit batsman (a specialty of theirs) to beat the Marlins 6-0 in the most typical of Mets victories.
It’s a style all their own.
Yes indeed, call it Buck Ball.
It’s taking advantage of every opportunity the other team provides. It just so happens the young Marlins suffered a few mental lapses, committed a couple of physical errors and wrapped a few extraordinary gifts.
The ultimate example was Jeff McNeil, reborn with Showalter on board, scoring on a wild pitch that bounced only about 20 feet from Marlins catcher Jacob Stallings, whose last name seemed to serve as a direction for slumping second-year pitcher Trevor Rogers. McNeil made an immediate sprint, and scored.
“McNeil is like a quarterback, always surveying the defense,” Showalter said, admiringly.
The Marlins defense wasn’t exactly the Steel Curtain. No names yes, but no execution, either. Every time the Marlins erred, the Mets capitalized. The Mets’ lone extra-base hit of their nine hits came only because Marlins center fielder Bryan De La Cruz threw to the wrong base, allowing Brandon Nimmo to glide into second.
“I was proud of the way we played baseball today — cashing in on opportunities,” Showalter said.
The game really encapsulated the season. The Mets can score in a variety of ways, it’s usually just not via the long ball.
They also continue to pitch beyond expectations, with starter David Peterson, whose wife is nearly ready to give birth, plus three relievers, holding the Marlins down this time. Peterson certainly didn’t pitch like an expectant father, more like an old pro, in his 5 ¹/₃ scoreless.
The rotation has held up well while superstars Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer are out, and the good news is that Scherzer is taking a rehab start Tuesday for Double-A Binghamton and could be back as early as Sunday at Miami, as The Post reported. There remains no timetable and nary a word spoken about deGrom, and the belief now is that if he appears before the All-Star break, it will be fortunate. (One person in the know suggested around that time is the best guess.)
Anyway, these Mets don’t dwell on misfortune, another wonderful trait. That may be Buck, too.
Most apparently, they have a style all their own, which is cool. They are far from the usual all-or-nothing bunch merely waiting for the home run. Good thing, or they might be waiting awhile.
In the seasonal home run derby, the Mets are below average, which means they are looking up at a lot of crummy teams.
They are behind the Cubs, who aren’t trying this year.
They trail the Orioles, who moved their fences back practically to the Babe Ruth Museum on Emory Street.
They are even looking up at these Marlins, who aren’t exactly known as a slugging bunch.
The Mets are very old school. Most of their starting players are batting better than .250. No one is going to strike out 175 times. It isn’t all about the three true outcomes.
The result: The outcome that counts is usually favorable.
It sure is different. Their MVP, and the possible MVP of the league, Pete Alonso, is the one slugger in a sea of high-average hitters (definitely by today’s standards), relay runners and fine complementary players.
The Citi Field crowd chanted “MVP,” for Alonso, who fairly trails only Manny Machado and Paul Goldschmidt at the moment in the MVP hunt. Alonso leads the NL in home runs and RBIs, which is both the function of outsized power and the ability of all the fellows in front of him to get on base, and get into position to score.
It’s a new style, or a resurrection of a style from bygone years. But it deserves a name.
Buck Ball fits.
But don’t say it around Buck. He surely won’t like that either.
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