Friday, September 21, 2007

A Sledgehammer To The Solar Plexus

How much more are we supposed to take?

A thirty foot roller up the third base line wasn't enough, was it...

An interference call wasn't enough, was it...

An 11-10 loss in the ninth wasn't enough, was it...
A misplayed pop-up by a back-up catcher wasn't enough, was it...

A misplayed fly ball into center field wasn't enough, was it...

Guillermo Mota wasn't enough, was it...

Ten errors in two days wasn't enough, was it...

Yadier Molina, Terry Pendleton, Kevin Elster picking up black cats, Armando Benitez, Mike Scioscia, Tom Seaver for Doug Flynn, firecrackers, bleach, Mel Rojas, Don Aase, Larry Jones, Brian Jordan, Art Howe, Adam Wainwright, Jimmy Qualls...they're not enough, are they...

What else can you do to our hearts, minds, and souls this season?

Maybe as the Mets are headed to Dolphin Stadium tomorrow, Cecil Wiggins can finish the job.

Maybe Wiggins was the one that threw that baseball at Aaron Heilman from the stands (and through all of the horror, Heilman was a major bright spot...not even I could have blamed him if he had spit the bit after being hit by a projectile from the stands...I don't trust him, but I give him a boat load of credit tonight.) Or maybe Wiggins had something to do with Country Time's back spasms, which kept him out of the game and wound up sealing our fate for Thursday night...and maybe our season.

You know what, bring up last year's Tigers all you want. Bring up last year's Cardinals all you want. I can't imagine that either of those teams experienced any loss last year like any loss the Mets have had this year. Either of those teams ever score four runs in the top of the ninth, only to have their "B" list bullpen give it all back in the bottom half of the frame, then lose it in the tenth.

And I doubt that this happened after their first baseman proclaimed their team to be the best in the league.

I doubt either of those teams had a right fielder that hits his second baseman in the nuts with an errant throw, then gets himself tossed, and probably suspended for a few games, because he felt that late in a game that may decided the division was the perfect time to work through his anger issues with Jim Joyce.

And I doubt that Jim Leyland or Tony La Russa responded to any of those losses with:

"We'll get 'em tomorrow."
We'll get 'em tomorrow?

I don't know if there's a right thing to say after a game like that. But "we'll get 'em tomorrow?" Really? That's what your uncle told you after you struck out to end a little league game. This, however, is the major leagues...and that's not what I need to hear. I trust that the speech to the players was a little bit different...at least I hope.

We'll get 'em tomorrow? You know what I'm getting tomorrow? Therapy. I need it...thanks to your team stabbing me in my heart. Again. It's all I can do to keep from jumping off a tall building into jagged concrete...twice.

(Editor's note: If you must blow the lead completely, please make it relatively painless from here on out.)

11 comments:

GaryG said...

This dying by slow death will be over one way or another by the end of the month.

"We'll get 'em tomorrow"? Is that any worse that "We battled"?

At least the Art Howe team lost in style, they were simply awful. The 2007 Mets lose by making us suffer.

Mike said...

Incomprehensible.

Outrageous.

Indescribable.

That punch to the gut was so severe, it left me unable to string a sentence together to describe it.

Anonymous said...

Baseball is a funny game, peoples. The Mets could go 1-9 and completely collapse or 9-1 over the next 10 games and ride into the postseason with incredible momentum.

Take a deep breath and realize that we still have the division lead. The destiny of this team is still solely under its own control.

And lastly, we have the God of Pitching going tonight to pull us out of our doldrums.

Anonymous said...

Could not have said it better myself. I was in serious emotional pain last night - you know, those moments when you wonder why you invest so much time following this team, only to have your heart ripped out of your chest.

They do not deserve to win.

Any team who comes back like they did last night in the ninth in thrilling fashion, and then can't get THREE outs before a last place team scores THREE runs, does not deserve to win.

Any team which has three (and approaching four) relievers in the bullpen with ERAs over 6 does not deserve to play in the post-season.

Don't know what else there is to say or do.

Anonymous said...

Correction - they have three relievers with ERAs over 5...I feel much better.

Anonymous said...

I wish that, for the poll, you put down "score some cheap booze and drugs" instead.

This team really presents a good case for the legalization of LSD

Anonymous said...

Metstradamus:
Not only are they CHOKING, but they are CHOKING their fans. I really think RANDOLPH is CHOKING. HOW COULD HE TAKE FELICIANO OUT AFTER ONE BATTER KNOWING HE DIDN'T HAVE COUNTRY BOY? BACK SPASMS? WE ALL ARE HAVING SPASMS WATCHING THESE GUYS THROW THE BALL AWAY, TAKE A 9TH INNING LEAD AND THEN GIVE IT UP A FEW MINUTES LATER! When that ball hit first base and twisted up CONINE I thought, "#%@$@, someone's got VOODO down here in Miami!"

That's the only way to understand it. VOODO.

Back to my FLEXERIL.

css said...

It's not much, but read quote #1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_American_League_Championship_Series#Quotes_of_the_Series

Demitri said...

There is nothing I can write here that hasn't been said already. I'd like to thank Metstradamus for running what for me, is an excellent support group.

Here is my contribution:

http://www.mwscomp.com/sounds/mp3/brghtsd.mp3

Remember, this too shall pass.

Emma said...

Anonymous... I feel I have to warn you that watching this team, the way it's currently playing, on acid, would be a truly, truly awful idea from which you might never fully recover. These games aren't strange and terrible enough for you? You feel the need to see a giant, winged, rainbow-colored Dan Uggla in your living room? Want to see Guillermo Mota morph into your father on live TV while Keith Hernandez laughs and laughs and laughs?

For the love of god, stick to uppers this week.

Metstradamus said...

Emma, don't be silly. Everybody knows that while watching the Mets on televison, you have to at least mix the acid with Grey Goose and prednisone while smoking some frosted mini-wheats before you even see an outline of a winged Dan Uggla in your living room.

But strangely, Keith Hernandez laughing at me is in my head while sober. I can't figure it out.