Because Cleansing Is Necessary

Maybe all of the Mets problems can be traced back to this:


Yup, there's Mookie in a St. Louis Cardinals wool hat to support his son Preston in a World Series that the Mets were one base hit against Adam Wainwright away from being a participant in.

Do I blame Mookie for supporting a blood relative? No. Archie Manning played for the Saints for forty-five years and he still rooted for his son to beat his former team, right? Of course, Archie wasn't decked out in Colts gear but hey, it was cold in St. Louis that night. I blame Carlos Beltran more for letting that first pitch fastball get by him against Wainwright in Game 7 which ended the at-bat well before that curveball ... but I digress.

You had to be around for the rivalry against the Cardinals in the 80's to really feel the sink in your heart at the sight of Mookie wearing Cardinals colors. Think how you young'ins would feel seeing Mike Piazza wearing a tomahawk on his hat, or Pedro Martinez wearing a Phill ... oh, right.

So Mookie Wilson in a Mets uniform again, even as a minor league coach, is the best karma this organization has seen in just about three years. Whether that karma is trumped by Oliver Perez remaining in a Mets uniform remains to be seen.

Ancient History

Now if Jose Reyes would have hit his home run off of Braden Looper, the night would have been perfect.

Side note: Remember when Claude Lemieux rearranged Kris Draper's face during the playoffs, and Dino Ciccarelli said after the series was over "I can't believe I shook that guy's fricken hand"? Well this would be a more delayed reaction but...I can't believe I ever defended that fricken guy.

Surely you remember the mock "Jose Jose" song that Looper performed in the Cardinals lockerroom after the bitter end to the NLCS. I remember. We all remember. I wonder if our friend Mr. Looper remembers. The Mets will make sure he never forgets it after tonight's 10-0 demoralizer against the Champs.

It was going a little too good for Looper early as he got through five shutout innings against the Mets which was more than he ever had for the Mets, seemingly. Luckily, John Maine was every bit the equal and then some, chucking one hit ball over seven innings and getting out of his only real bit of trouble in the fifth inning when he gave up a hit and a walk with nobody out. I've said it before and it's worth repeating. Our starters really stink, don't they?

Then the Mets played a little Big Bam Boom with Carlos Beltran providing the Big and the Boom, and Jose Reyes providing the Bam with three home runs putting the game out of reach. It helped too that the Cardinals outfield, once again, was horrific! First, it was Jim Edmonds having to make a catch on his knees after he slipped on some Clydesdale manure leftover from all their damn celebrations. Then it was Preston Wilson playing tonight's role of "Skip Schumaker" losing the ball in the lights numerous times...or perhaps he lost it in the twinkle of all the extra World Series rings that replaced the lights, reflecting the moonlight on to the field as a symbol of Tony La Russa's massive genius.

In any event, the Mets are 3-0. The 2006 NLCS is ancient history. The Mets spring training record? More ancient history. The days of people saying that the Mets starting rotation is a pile of clydesdale manure? Getting there quick.