Silent September

As your favorite team wanders through the wilderness of a fruitless September, hurdling towards an October which will be filled with baseball being played by everybody you hate, you wonder what your team will do to use the remaining time productively while making that clock run just a little bit faster ...

Oh yeah, let's have a closed door meeting! That'll be just great!

"It was about not giving up and using these last games. Don’t let that creep in. These last few weeks of the season, the four months before spring training, this is the time that we can get ready. We look around here and if we’re healthy we can win next year." -Gary Sheffield

This is the same Gary Sheffield who was told that he wasn't part of the plans next season, isn't it? And isn't this the same Gary Sheffield who struck out meekly as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of a game he threatened to miss completely? This leading by example stuff is confusing.

But it must have worked. I mean, even though the Mets helped to complete the sweep by the Marlins, Angel Pagan was so inspired and so eager to get to next year he tried to run all the way there in one day. Unfortunately, he was doubled off second and had to go all the way back to February.


Yes, Pagan has to do the 2009 season over again as punishment. Sad. But the good news is that making his major league debut on Thursday as the best pitcher of the night against the Marlins (not that it's saying a whole lot) was Tobi Stoner. And at that moment, somewhere in a small town in Maryland, Tony Tarasco felt a pang of wanting ... and he wasn't sure why.

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This being a day to remember, let's not forget why we live in the greatest city in the world.