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September 18, 2006
Do You Believe in Fate?
The champagne waits. Over the last three days the Mets have had six opportunities to clinch the National League East, and all six of those opportunities have evaporated. Three times the Mets could have wrapped things up on their own terms — a single victory over the lackluster Pittsburgh Pirates would have gotten it done — but all they found were three straight defeats. With a magic number of one, the Mets could also have backed into the playoffs with a Philadelphia loss. The Phillies were in Houston and, despite coming close on Friday night, failed to lose even a single game against the Astros. Should we be worried? The short answer is “No”. Here’s the long answer: On September 12, 1986, the Mets traveled to Philadelphia for a three-game series. The Mets had been atop the East since April 23, and carried a magic number of two into Veterans Stadium. A single victory against the second-place Phillies would have locked up the Mets’ first division title in thirteen years. It never happened. 130,000 fans — many of them making the trip down I-95 — saw the Mets get swept by the Phillies in miserable fashion. The Mets were outscored 18-8 in those three games, kicking the ball around to the tune of seven errors. No Met starter lasted more than five innings. Michael Martinez had the following to say in the September 14, 1986 edition of the New York Times:
Indeed, the Mets were running away with the National League East, their division title a foregone conclusion. And yet, they went on the road for three games, each contest representing an opportunity to pop the cork that never came. Third-baseman Ray Knight, clearly frustrated, said at the time:
Right fielder Darryl Strawberry was at a similar loss for words:
That was 1986. Snap back to present day, and there are a lot of parallels in the Mets’ reaction to their most recent letdown. Manager Willie Randolph:
David Wright echoed those sentiments:
After leaving Philadelphia on September 14, 1986, the Mets headed west to St. Louis for a two-game series against the Cardinals while the Phillies stayed at home for a two-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Phillies swept that series, too, while the Mets split their two games to cut their magic number in half. Just one win (or a Phillies loss) away from the crown, the Mets returned home to Shea with a renewed enthusiasm, the chance to clinch in front of their home fans restoring the confidence they had before their recent road trip. The next night, September 17th, 1986, the Mets went out and beat the Cubs at Shea, sealing the third division title in the franchise’s history. These Mets lost on the 17th, but tomorrow night, September 18th, 2006, the Mets will look to do the same, twenty years and one day after the ’86 bunch. 265 Responses to “Do You Believe in Fate?” |
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Wait, you mean you’re supposed to go to classes in college?
That explains alot.
Have fun.
oh crap…maybe nymets.com tix are not available because its close to tix windows opening
Sorry about that. Should I register a new name? I am Gipper913 on Metsblog.
You should have new name contest.
By the way is this the old or new Mike I’m speaking to?
Might be a good idea to pick another name. Your metsblog one would work. Mike is kind of popular. Just makes it easier to track people is all.
Okay…Gipper913 it is. New Mike – first posted here maybe 10-14 days ago or so.
Jessica – FYI – I added your site to my links on mine.
Alright guys, now win one for the Gipper! :)
Sorry, I had to do it.
Why not just go for New Mike? Kind of like New Mets. New Mets!
New Mike works just as good as Gipper913.
Thats a good change…I always got confused :)
Ed, I added your blog to my links section as well.
Oh Chris lol…I would love to read the stuff left on the cutting room floor!!!
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit authority
I did say that someone should be banned during yest. game thread.
Blame Canada!
Daily News Live on SNY is unwatchable. Chris Russo knows more about NY sports than Gary Apple which is kinda scary.
I actually worked with someone neamed Marta. She’s from Spain
Thanks – glad someone else did it!
MARTA – ah, the Georgia version of a mass transit system…I recall oxcarts with the MARTA symbol on the side.
See you all later.
I saw that…I didnt quite understand the original poster’s intent…is Shawn Green autistic or something
Everybody get up, open your window and shout, “LET’S GO METS, LET’S GO METS!!!!”
When should I start drinking? I think tonight just may be the night. It would be wrong for the Mets to clinch whilst sober methinks.
Three days of getting excited followed by three embarrassing losses…yet I stil cannot help being pumped for tonight!
Danny – I’m gonna in the 1st inning if I can make it home in time!
A beer an inning with some later innings skipped sounds lovely.
Gipper – Tonight’s the night! I’m pumped too!!!! The ’86 team lost 5 in a row in the same situtation…we’re fine!
Off topic question – now that the season is going to end (hopefully in two months), does MetsGeek ever do a “troll of the year” award? I have been to other fan blog sites and have seen them do a similar thing. Just curious that’s all.
lol dan…I don’t know if they do such an award…they should do some kind of end-year prizes…it’d be funny.
I keep telling myself that…but I cannot help but think this team isn’t quite the quality of the 86 team. Regardless, it will be a night to savor.
but if it can happen to a higher quality team and for a longer stretch, then we’ll be ok!!!
You can twist the logic anyway we need it!!!
check out this link for actual pictures of our champage chillin’ on ice.
http://www.metsblog.com
For all the talk about how good the ’86 team was, and they were incredible.. Let’s not forget that they could/should have easily lost the World Series.
I am not taking anything away from them, it’s the best team in this org’s history, but they weren’t perfect. This year’s team is damn good. If they win the World Series, they would measure up to the ’86 team in my opinion.
If they don’t win, then they were not as good. Simple as that.
Hey boys, you ready to finally get this thing done
I’ll drink to that!
mdog, I am ready my man. Tonight is the night!
Hell yea mdog, we are ready!!! check this out from hotfoot:
I see Trachsel getting a 1 2 3 first. We score 6 in the bottom of the first and hold on to a 10-7 win
I like Flores a lot. He also hit a ton of doubles. Kid has some pop.
I like Flores too but I wonder if he’s trade bait since I think they are really high on the kid Pena.
mdog, we are all high on Pena, but he hasn’t had a professional at-bat yet. But you’re right, if Pena takes the fast track to the bigs, then Flores will likely become expendable (unless they move one of them)…
I think Pena is 3-4 years away at least. I think Flores is ready in 2008.
Pena is only 16…they’re not going to rush him
His body wont even be filled out for a long time.
How old is Pena, 16? He’s a LONG way from the majors. He certainly won’t be ready when the Mets need to replace LoDuca. Maybe Flores will be.
Whats not to like. I heard him described as defensivly as good as his father with a Piazza bat. I know he’s only 16 but thats some high praise
Miguel Olivo said he worked out with Pena and the kid already has an arm eqaual to his.
Flores was only in High-A this year. If he keeps this track, he MIGHT see the big league team in 2008, but more likely 2009. So he is pretty far away too. Unless he absolutely mashes and his receiving improves. There is a lot that goes into catching at the big league level.
Good pt Danny…for some reason I thought AA, but yea he was high A.
Is LoDuca off the books in 2008?
We have Loduca for 2 more years after this don’t we. If your going to get full value for Flores you can’t wait until he’s 24. We might need a stop gap guy for a year but I bet Pena’s in the bigs by the time he’s 19
NO ONE in major league history has had a Piazza bat that has caught but Piazza, not even Bench. But if he actually can hit a little, he will be a star. Like Dep mentioned, Olivo basically said he was already good enough defensively to catch in the bigs.
Flores is at least 2 years away, probably more. Pena is at least 6 years away.
6 years???? no way Joe
Pudge made it to the bigs at 19, and became the everyday catcher at 20. If Pena is the real deal, he could follow a similar path. I bet he catches in the big leagues by the age of 21, barring injury.
I say 4 years, 5 tops.
He might get a September call-up before that, but at least 6 years from competing for a starting job.
No. he is signed thru 2007
So if Flores isnt ready in 2008, then we need a stopgap
Thanks Chris
Joe A., you might not be wrong. A good indication of his potential path will be dictate by where he starts next year. If he starts in low-A at 17, he could be in the bigs by 19/20. If he starts in rookie ball, then Joe A. is probably right.
thread is open c u there
We will know a lot more next year but I think as difficult as the position is, if he has the defensive tools he can make the jump faster. The bat can always come later as long as he can handle a pro pitchinh staff
fa catchers after 07
Ausmus
Barrett
Ramon Castro
Sal Fasano
Wiki Gonzalez
Toby Hall
Jason Kendell
Jason LaRue
Paul LoDuca
Mike Matheny
Chad Moeller
Jose Molina
Josh Paul
Ivan Rodriguez
Yorvit Torrealba
Javier Valentin
Pudge and Bench both started at 20. Mauer was 21 last year. I can’t think of any other catchers who started that young. So maybe one comes along every 20 years? I guess the next one could be Pena. Of course, I’m not sure its a good idea to compare him to possibly the best catchers of all time.
Pudge is not one of the best catchers of all-time to me. I think he is as obvious a steroid guy as there is. Bench definitely is. I think Mauer might end up being it.
It’s fun to project on Pena because he is damn good at 16. If he hits anything close to like Fernando did, I will get vey excited.
Good point. I forgot about the steroids for a minute there.
Well, I think it’s fate the Trachsel pitches the game that the Mets clinch the division in. (Or call it irony, your choice.) No way after a win tonight does Willie not have Trachs on the post-season roster. I mean, he’s the guy who stopped the losing streak and finally nailed down the division! And he’s got more wins than any other pitcher on the team! So what if he’s not all that good and is completely non-versatile? Willie will think that the team owes it to him.
And maybe he’s right. Maybe Willie and the Mets need to show Trachs (and the rest of the players) that level of loyalty. Many in the blogosphere think it’s an awful idea and that it’s essentially a waste of a roster spot but maybe if he doesn’t make the squad Willie and Omar lose massive credibility with the rest of the players….