5.8.08

Gee Thanks For the 10 Game Memories

Close your eyes for one second, blink even and poof! There go the Mets team dreams were made of.

Just like that not only not in first place but dropped down to third.

Instead of holding the lead, three games behind, instead of 10 game-winning streak, a 4 game losing streak, losing losing losing, the Mother of Miserable Road Trips. To teams like the Astros no less. Three times in a row. Swept by the Astros. Has a hideous little ring to it.

It's difficult to gauge what will happen to these guys. The hot ones are cooling off ever so slowly. Kids are coming up from nowhere, Double AA, Triple AAA, waiver wires, retirement and one face, one day, like let's say Murph in Game 2 on Saturday against the Stros - he with the spectacular double play leaping catch, double runner off second kind of game. And you just know that'll be his big hurrah for the season - that and a hit in his first at-bat.

Besides cooling off, there are others getting hurt. Not talking about Alou or El Duque or Ryan Church. Not even Pedro. Guys like Hillbilly Wagner who may or may not have a serious, disabling problem and who may or may not leave the Mets with a Double AA closer shutting things down for them. Guys like John Maine who has been DL'd although according to the local spin, not because he's disabled but because of roster space. Yeah, good one. The League Commish would certainly condone such roster hanky panky.

Oooooold team, Mr Omar, that you've constructed. You've tried your hand a few magical tricks, a few optical illusions and for the moment anyway, some of the tricks are exploding in your face.

But hey, we've sent the Astros off on a charming bit of momentum. Somebody else wish bash them back down into place. That's how the season goes.

The inclination, I'm sure, is to get hysterical but the reality is, even though it sounds like a load of bullocks when the players say it, the season is a series of ups and downs. That they have pieced together a season at all is miraculous and that they have done so without their number two starter all season, without their corner outfielders, with their first baseman and middle of the order power hitter doing a year long disappearing act, is commendable.

Will they recover and wipe the floor with the Padres even though their closer situation is so uncertain and you feel like any minute everyone but Santana in the starting rotation is one pitch away from either an injury or a nervous breakdown?

I dunno.

One thing for certain, we can all sit around waxing poetic about what it might be like if Heath Bell were still pitching for us instead of a Padres uniform. Fortunately, their closer, Trevor Hoffman has a history of stinking up Shea up a bit so even without Wagner, we still stand a chance with those Double AA and Triple AAA bats in the lineup to make last minute rallies.

And yeah, not hard to forget the Padres swept the Mets four straight back in June. We'll be lucky to get out losing only two of three in this scenario and at least we'll get a little schadenfreude out of watching the Marlins and Phillies bash each other up. In Philly, but I'll be rooting unrealistically for the Marlins to take two of three just to keep the standings sort of evenish.

Otherwise, quicker than you can say brush fire, poof, there goes the Mets season up in smoke, leaving us with that 10 game winning streak to remember.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nothing like a gasoline can masquerading as a bullpen. I warned you. And of course our itters are chipping in, by having lousy at bats and not hitting in the clutch again. Ah well.....Here is how I feel. If this team does not sweep San Diego, then I know the season is over. If they do, who can say? We need to go about 9 of the next 11. Keep your fingers crossed.

Anonymous said...

heiilman is heinous. he should not only not be the closer, he shhould not be on the roster. he is a goddamned hand grenade.

Jaap said...

well yes, jdon, the bullpen is a gasoline can - I don't think they will sweep the Padres. Not unless the Big 4 in the Mets order get really hot and they take 10 run leads into every 9th inning. But we still aren't far behind the Phillies or the Marlins for that matter and both teams have flaws so I'm not counting us out just yet.

Anonymous said...

that is the point. this team did not lose the division last year to the Phillies. they gift wrapped it because they did not pound the teams they should pound. even with 8 straight to the phils they would still have won comfortably if they played florida and washington the way the should have the last two weeks. they have to win 9 of 11. they have to beat florida and stomp on pitt and sd. when september comes they have to have a lead. the phils always play winning baseball in september.