Chapter 79.4: Mets Continue to Struggle

The Mets keep on struggling, but at least they finally beat the woeful Washington Nationals.

Yet, despite the awful way they completed last season, I don't have the same sense of dread that I felt then. The 2007 team broke my heart. Of course, so did the 2006 team, when I watched Carlos Beltran follow a breaking pitch into the catcher's mitt for an embarassing third strike in the NL Championship Series. Somehow, I don't think Jerry Manuel — my new favorite manager ;-) — will allow them to quit on themselves like the 2007 squad did.

I'm sure this club could end up frustrating me just as much as the previous two teams, but for some reason I don't think it'll happen. For one thing, they have two legitimate shots at making the playoffs — though in both the division and the wild card, they have close competition. The Phillies are the defending division champs and they must be respected, while the Brewers have CC Sabathia, who may just be the best pitcher in the National League right now.

So, I'll use the Mets as a way to introduce a new gadget on my blog: a poll question. What do you think, will they make the playoffs (and, if so, how do you think they will they get there), or will they be playing ping pong with the Yankees?

Vote early and vote often.

Chapter 77: See Ya Later, Willie

To me, the Willie Randolph situation had become so unimportant that I'd stopped watching the Mets. Yes, that may sound like a contradiction, but my point is this: The Mets are terrible, and unless I hear that things are actually turning around, I probably won't watch much.

I thought about turning the game on late last night, but before I turned the channel from Colbert, I fell asleep. The next thing I know, REM is playing on the Ferguson show. Time for bed.

I wasn't aware of Willie being fired till I heard it on the train platform. I'm not quite sure Omar Minaya flew them all out to California only to fire them. It seems like a pathetic way to avoid the heat in New York. At this point, I don't much care. The team is playing miserably, and I can't bear to watch.

It's not so much that they fired Willie. I can certainly accept that. But to do it in such a callous, cowardly way is simply despicable. The way the firing was handled suggests that the problem wasn't so much with the manager -- or even the players -- but with ownership. It's not enough to sign the checks and pave the way for a new stadium. You need some class, too. From the sound of it, they don't have any.

Jerry Manuel, I wish you luck. I'm sure I'll tune in eventually, but I need a moment.