Mets Now Paying Price for a Poor Farm System

Whatever one thinks of the accomplishments (or lack thereof) of the Bill Clinton presidency, his initial campaign did succeed in making one indelible mark on American culture, giving us the quintessential expression for keeping your eye on the ball. Clinton’s early campaign mantra, “It’s the economy, stupid,” has proved wonderfully adaptable to almost any situation in the form of “It’s the [fill in the blank], stupid.” As the Mets demonstrated during the weekend, it’s a phrase of which they could make good use, in the form of “It’s the farm system, stupid.” In this roller-coaster Mets season of crash and recovery, firings and injuries, it’s the one thread that has remained consistent throughout the season.