Wrong Chop

This is the song that never ends
it just goes on and on my friends
some people started singing it
not knowing what it was
and they continued
singing it forever
just because
it is the song that never ends
it just goes on and on my friends...

-Lamb Chop

The Braves have the Tomahawk Chop. Meanwhile, the Mets hit like Lamb Chop. And thanks to Larry Jones, the song known as the Tomahawk Chop song hummed by half full crowds at Jane Fonda Field goes on, and on, and on.

It's the song that never ends.
It just goes on and on, my friends.

I'm not going to blast Willie Randolph for leaving Steve Trachsel in to start the eighth inning. I won't even blast him for leaving him in to face Larry. But I will ask this:

Has Randolph lost faith in his bullpen?

It was a tie game, but Roberto Hernandez is the eighth inning guy, and has been around all season, unlike Trachsel. But Hernandez has been used much less frequently since his blown save against Milwaukee about a month ago. Perhaps Randolph is saving him until now, but if now is the time to burn your best, why not burn your best to start the eighth? It was a curious move.

Could it have been that Larry Jones has a .241 average off of Trachsel, while batting two for two against Hernandez in his career? We know Willie is high on those numbers.

It's the song that never ends.
It just goes on and on, my friends.

And then there's the lineup.

Cliff Floyd had opportunities to come out of the phone booth and become Superman. But today, he was Clark Kent. Victor Diaz and Jose Reyes got two hits each. Carlos Beltran drove in the first run of the game, but struck out in the ninth. And John Thomson beats the Mets again. 5-0 since 2003, and although he didn't get the win today, he still pitched much better than he ever should (in fact, if we're going to keep Colorado Rockies out of the Hall of Fame for playing in Coors Field, how about keeping all Braves pitchers out of the Hall because Leo Mazzone makes ham and egg pitchers into buzzsaws!) John Thomson, Met killer...no matter what jersey he wears (including the Mets jersey).

It's the song that never ends.
It just goes on and on, my friends.

I was prepared for this team to surprise me. Archie Bunker's Army warned me. Be prepared to be surprised. And I was, I really was...even after Andruw Jones hit a ball that could have shown movies...it was that long a flight. Even after Larry homered (making it the 48th time the Jones boys homered in the same game) I looked for some hope...any hope. I was prepared to the point where I actually cheered out loud when Marlon Anderson had a pinch hit single in the ninth.

But then I remembered...

It's the song that never ends.
It just goes on and on, my friends.

Beltran made the final out once again, and the Mets remain, for now and for the foreseeable future, lamb chops.