Perspective

Question:

Would you rather be in last place, eleven and a half games out of first place, or one and a half games in front, with the best record in the league?

It seems like an easy question on the surface.

But let's put it another way...

Would you rather be basically out of the pennant race all together, or be in the midst of pulling off one of the biggest collapses in baseball history?

Have your answer yet?

Well let's up the stakes...

Would you rather be playing out the string as the second fiddle in a two horse town where, even though you've been around about sixty less years than your cross town rivals, it's possible to steal the hearts and minds of that city's fans when you come forth with a winning product?

Or...

Would you rather be drawing mediocre crowds even as a first place team in a town where your team could win back to back pennants, and even a championship...and still play a distant second fiddle to a team that has been around with it's current nickname two less years than you, and haven't won a World Series since the best pitcher in the league was Christy Mathewson?

The question doesn't seem so crazy, now does it?

Imagine if the nineteen eighty-six New York Mets, who had a 16 and a half game lead on August first that season, all of a sudden had a one and a half game lead on September 23rd instead of having the division clinched for six days and playing guys like Stan Jefferson, John Gibbons, John Mitchell and Rick Anderson?

How much hair would you have pulled out of your head?

And keep in mind the Mets owned the city in 1986.

The White Sox were about 15 games up on August first of this season, and they still played second fiddle...a distant second fiddle to the Chicago Cubs. Now of course, their lead over the Cleveland Indians is a slim one and a half games, and they end the season with three at Jacobs field. And all signs point to the White Sox collapsing and ensuring that the 1995 California Angels can leave their houses again.

So who would you rather be?

Oh, who am I kidding. The Mets lost tonight to a team that batted their pitcher seventh.

I guess that ends that debate.

***

Speaking of Dontrelle batting seventh, it was noted tonight that Rick Rhoden batted seventh for the Yankees as their DH in a game against the Orioles on June 11th, 1988. I was at that game, and I also remember a Jay Buhner grand slam that carried the Evil Empire to victory. Which Oriole sad sack pitcher gave up that grand slam?

That would be Doug Sisk.