MAN, I HATE BEING WRIGHT

Well,. the Mets are officially done and if you're a regular reader of FNC, you would've know the weekend after the All-Star break, when this little paragraph appeared on a July 16th post:

One final thing, and you heard it here first on July 16 - THE METS WILL NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I am.

You see, I knew back then this team had no guts, no starting pitching, a shitty bullpen and a "we're already in the playoffs" attitude. Had I seen Jose Reyes totally playing the second half of the season like a whiny little baby, I probably would've bet some heavy cash on the Met demise.


You see, the main reason for making that prediction was the Mets' habit of taking games off during the season, not showing up. I went over the schedule last night and I picked out 10-11 games where they completely mailed it in - and this was before the awful skid in September.

Here are the games:

Saturday, April 14: I remember this one, because I listened to most of it in a hotel parking lot with localschill waiting to make a "connection." Mets are in the early going, with a 7-3 record, but they take the day off against the Nationals, falling 6-2. Not a huge loss, but starts the trend of having no killer instict.


Wednesday, April 25: Rockies at Mets: After taking first two games against Colorado, Mets fail to show up for afternoon afair, falling behind 10-0 and eventually losing 11-5. Mike Pelfrey gets shelled again, but Mets, once again, display this "we can give away a game attitude," without any repurcussions. Just think. If we win that game, we're playing today instead of the Rockies.


Sunday, May 20: Yankees at Mets. After winning first two games from reeling Yanks, Mets send John Maine to the hill against Tyler Clippard. Instead of relishing chance to bury cross-town rivals, Mets manage just seven hits and two runs. It's the first of many mail ins.


Sunday, June 3: A day after localschill's wedding, the Mets appear to have been partying all night, getting baffled by Arizona's Doug Davis in a 4-1 defeat. It also starts a string where they will lose 8 of their next 9, including three straight at home to the your NL East champion Phillies.


Sunday, July 1: After taking first three games in Philly, the Mets are primed for a four-game sweep that would put the Phillies away for good. Instead, they can't touch Kyle Kendrick, and fall 5-3. It's the first of 8-straight losses to the Phillies.


Monday, July 16: After taking 3 of 4 from Reds to start second half, Mets are baffled by David Wells in San Diego. This game, where they play as if they don't give two shits, is one that prompted me to predict they wouldn't make the playoffs.


Friday, August. 10: Marlins at Mets: Mets score only three runs against the Fish, and Billy Wagner can't hold a lead in the 9th, as Hanley (fuck the Mets up) Ramirez, delivers two-run double. Who would've thought at this point in the season, that within 6 weeks, not only would Jimmy Rollins be a better NL East shortstop than Joe Reyes, Ramirez would be, too. Anyway, Mets lose the next day, too, with Aaron Heilman giving it up. Two days, two bullpen meltdowns. It's the beginning of the end.


Sunday, Aug. 26: This one really pissed me off. Dodgers at Mets. After taking first two from L.A., Mets are primed for another sweep, but David Wells, who was cut by the Padres two weeks ago and hadn't pitched since, completely baffles the Mets on national TV. 3B coach Sandy Alomar kills any shot at big inning by getting Lastings Milledge gunned down at home in first inning when mets have fatman on the ropes. And David Wright, after doubling in two runs in third, gets picked off second with one out and Beltran at plate.


By the way, Reyes is getting killed for Mets collapse, and rightfully so, but to me, David Wright should take plenty of the blame himself. Sure, he hit for average, but he didn't homer in his last 15 games, his throwing error in Florida with Mike Jacobs running cost us a key game, and his not knowing there was a force play Friday night also killed us.


Weds. Sept. 7: Mets at Reds. After getting swept in Philly, Mets take three in Atlanta and roll over dead Reds for first two games. However, in series finale, Mets do not show up, getting three hits off some guy named Tom Shearn. Think they would like to have this one back.


Of course, after this, Mets come home and sweep the Astros, take two of three from the Braves, before the Phils come in for the weekend series that turned the whole season around.


A few more points, before I put the Mets to bed for until April.


1. If they re-sign Tom Glavine, I will never, never, never, never, never spend another penny on anyting to do with the franchise. I will still root for them, but I figure, if they can't waste their money on that piece of garbage, they don't need mine.


2. My days of watching every pitch, checking the score every five minutes - no matter where I am - are over. The last straw was Sunday. While I stayed home to watch Glavine give us Mets fans one last F-U, my daughter Georgia was not only playign field hockey, but scoring her first goal of the season. Never again will the Mets come first. EVER


3. As I stated above, Jose Reyes takes plenty of the blame for this, but to me, he's the poster boy for their cavalier attitude all season. Let's face it, Carlos Delgado was awful. Paul Lo Duca was awful. Tom Glavine, once he got win No. 300, could've cared less about this season. David Wright had a good year, but any time, at any time of him being an MVP candidate was a joke. He can't throw from first to third. He didn't homer for the first month and last 15 days of the season. He's a great player, but ask yourself this, and be honest. Would you rather have him and Reyes or Utley and Rollins? Think about it.


4. I heard a guy call the FAN last night, and he had a great point. He wondered why is losing unacceptable in the Bronx, but not in Queens? Seriously, when Yanks get off the slow start, it's as if the sky is falling. When we do, it's "oh, it's just the Mets." Well, that's crap. To me, it all started after the 2000 World Series. Instead of cleaning house after watching the Yanks celebrate on their field, the Wilpons went out and passed on A-Rod, signed Kevin Appier to a big deal and allowed Timo Perez and Armando Benitez to continue playing for the franchise.

Do you think George Steinbrenner would've allowed any of this too happen? The mets need to put more pressure on these guys to win. Make it known, losing is unacceptable. If that means, canning Willie, or Minaya. So be it.

That's all for now. And I just have three words to say: LET'S GO RANGERS