Defeat

As I type this, the Mets are losing: 6-2. I think Niese just ran into trouble; a pretty rough game for such a young pitcher--my hunch is he walked the bases full, then gave up a grand slam home run. Such is life. Rather, that is the game of baseball, at least for a Mets' fan. They crumble under pressure, like a pie crust made with too much butter and not enough flour.



Oh well, I hear Penny yelping, which is the only sound coming from the first floor where they are supposedly watching the ball game. Guess I shall take her for a leashwalk, and hope the Mets decide they are tired of being the statue and want to crap on the Cubs.

Which leads me to the question: what the hell is wrong with this team? For two months--from the end of June until the end of August, they looked like a dynamic ballclub. If the pitching was spotty, the hitting and fielding saved the day, and vice versa. Now, it's just a total mess--perhaps the injuries to Tatis, and the fact that Ryan Church is not playing at 100 percent have hurt. Of course, having a bullpen that can't save a ballgame does not help. And I have my doubts about Jerry Manuel's handling of the bullpen situation, changing pitchers the way runway models change outfits. The alternative is to leave a pitcher in until he finds himself or gives up several runs. If John McGraw came back from the dead, I don't think he could get the Mets to the post season.

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

http://www.coolmoviesounds.com/wavs/allwrong.wav

Yep, that's my feeling about the Mets' bullpen. Yosemitie Sam would have been a great sportswriter, although I don't think he would have had the patience to sit through a Mets' game. He'd probably pick up his rifle and chase the erring pitcher around the basepaths.

I know there are far more important problems in my life, and the nation. The economy has collapsed, and it looks as though John McCain may win the Presidential election. That means Sarah Palin is one septugenarian heartbeat away from the Presidency. If any politician has the raw ambition to start a military coup, it's her. God, I hate 40 year old women who are 'cute' or 'perky'.

Besides, how long would the Mets last in the postseason with only three solid starting pitchers and a wobbly bullpen? Not long.

As The Days Dwindle Down

so do the Mets. It is hard to win a division title without an effective bullpen ( the stats in today's NY Times were pretty dismal) and becomes even harder when the hitters stop hitting. It is like being on the deck of the Titanic and seeing the iceberg get closer and closer.

http://www.moviewavs.com/php/sounds/?id=bst&media=WAVS&type=Movies&movie=Titanic&quote=iceberg.txt&file=iceberg.wav

No hitting and no pitching means no division title. What a shame--the Wilpons probably blame Jerry Manuel and will deny him a full time managing jog. He's kept this team going far longer than expected, but can't get them to win the title.

My Sister was right: it's the curse of Citifield, or in the alternative, Citifield was really The Mother Ship, and the Benevolent Beings who took pity on the Mets in June have changed their minds. They brought back the old bullpen, and took the alien pitchers back to their home planet.