I know SNY has a formula and Jerry Manuel has an obligation during the post game show but for the remaining four games of the season, can they please dispense with the managerial interview?

I mean what’s the point? Last night Manuel said, “We have to put forth a better effort than we did tonight”. Is he joking? I actually started laughing. Put forth a better effort? Now, starting on September 30th?

Night after night, it has become just so tiring, hearing the same things over and over again. Jerry, don’t tell us, tell your team. We Mets fans, for better or worse, have been tuning in every night. We have shown more dedication than your team. You don’t need to tell us anymore. Besides, we’re sick of hearing it.

We knew what to expect the moment the Mets loaded the bases with no out in the first inning. Any other team against the Nationals, who have lost 103 games, would have scored four or five runs in the first inning. The Mets however, were able to get just one on a bases loaded walk issued to Carlos Beltran. You could have turned off your sets right there.

Fortunately for me, I had to go out. I remember wondering how the Mets would lose this one having squandered such an opportunity. Later when I got in the car to head home, I turned on WFAN.  I was just in time to hear Howie Rose’s call of Elijah Dukes’ wall crashing, game saving catch, off the bat of David Wright. Was I surprised the Mets had just lost the series to the Nationals? I can’t say I was.

When I got home, the masochism in me made me turn on SNY. As I did they were just starting another tedious Manuel interview. What is he supposed to say? What does anyone expect him to say? Do I blame Manuel for this mess? Not entirely but the malaise that has infested this ball club this month has to be blamed on someone.

We can blame everything in 2009 on injuries but there is more to it than that. Two time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Parcells said you are what your record says you are. At 67-91, the Mets are what they are, a terrible baseball team. And that’s with David Wright and Carlos Beltran in the lineup.

I have maintained that if the Mets were healthy with Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado in there every day, the Mets would be in a much different place. But realistically, you cannot assume they would be in a better position than the Cardinals, Rockies, or Dodgers. Perhaps they would be contending for the division only because the Phillies’ bullpen has been so bad but a lock the Mets would not be.

There are too many things this team does wrong. Every error they make, every run they squander takes its toll on a pitching staff that was thin to begin with. Even with the injuries, had the Mets played fundamentally sound, there record would be much better than 24 games under .500.

Back at the beginning of August, I knew the Mets would not be in the post season but I expected them to at least compete and have some say over who would be. The fact that they have not even lived up to those watered down expectations is an indictment on the manager and perhaps his coaches. That’s why, if the Mets were a functional organization, they would make a change in the dugout after the season. Willie Randolph was let go at a time in the season when the Mets were playing far better than they are now so how do they justify not axing Manuel?

Jerry seems like a nice guy, someone you would want to be friends with. But that accounts for little in the world of wins and losses. In business, if a manager or executive had the kind of season Manuel has had, he would be on the unemployment line, regardless of excuses. But in baseball, because of the money the Mets owe him for next season, he will still be around, likely entertaining us during the SNY post game show at least for a while in 2010.

It was a remarkable day in sports yesterday. Both the Jets and Giants won to go 3-0. The Yankees clinched their umpteenth division title and Tiger Woods won the Fed Ex Tournament grand prize even though he finished second this weekend to Phil Mickelson. Oh and let’s not forget our lowly New York Mets whose Pat Misch pitched the first complete game of the season. Not only was it a complete game, it was a shutout too.

Of course it doesn’t matter and nobody cares. You could only be a diehard Mets fan to even notice. I mean seriously, with all the other sports on TV yesterday in the New York Metro area, was there really more than 100 fans tuned into the Mets game at any one time?

This past weekend in Florida, the Mets actually embraced the role of spoiler. That is something they were unable to do against the Phillies and Braves. I give the Mets a B+ in giving the Marlins agita (would have given them an A had they swept). After all, it’s the least the Mets could have done in the wake of the last two seasons.

As you may recall in 2007 and 2008, the Marlins stuck it to the Mets good when they spoiled the Mets last ditch attempt to make the post season on the last game of both seasons. So turnabout is fair play.

With the Phillies and Mets win yesterday, Florida was eliminated from the division. Although the Mets did not actually eliminate the Marlins from the wild card, they certainly dealt them a hefty blow. The Marlins are currently five games back of Colorado with six to play. They must first hop over a red hot Atlanta, who they play three games this week, and hope Colorado collapses. With an elimination number of 2, it would take a miracle at this point.

And what’s with the complete game shutouts over the last three seasons when the Mets face the Marlins for the last time. In 2007, it was John Maine who flirted with a no hitter in the penultimate game of the season. Last year, Johan Santana shut down the Fish with a complete game shutout on a bad knee that required off season surgery. Go figure.

Misch’s shutout was not as impressive as Maine’s or Santana’s but he did battle for nine innings. Give the kid credit. If he was smart he would fake a stomach ache in five days so he can go into the off season on a positive note.

The Mets finish the season with six meaningless contests. They will play three starting tonight in Washington followed by three at Citi Field over the weekend against Houston to close out this disastrous season. The Mets will have to win all six to avoid losing 90 this season. Good luck with that.

Update - My mistake...John Maine pitched 7 and 2/3 shutout ball in 2007. The bullpen completed the game preserving the team shutout.

Has anyone noticed that David Wright and Carlos Beltran have been back in the lineup for a while now but yet the team is no better?

I understand that Johan Santana is gone and that the remaining starting pitchers have been inconsistent at best. But I would have expected that the Mets should have done better in September, at least as a spoiler.

But that has not been the case as the Mets simply have rolled over the entire month. The Mets are a miserable 6-15 in September. They have played 18 games against teams with playoff possibilities. In those games the Mets have tanked at 4-14. They have won two series the entire month defeating the Cubs and Nationals two games to one. They lost all the other series and were swept in two of them.

I never expected the Mets to even play .500 this month but a .286 winning percentage is intolerable. My fear is the Mets will assume that everything that went wrong this year was because of injuries. And while injuries have derailed the Mets season, there certainly are other issues contributing to the problem.

Have the Mets thrown in the towel? If so then what does that say in regards to Jerry Manuel? If they are trying the best they can, then the Mets are going to have to do something radical over the off season. Standing pat is not an option. If that happens, Citi Field will be quite empty next season.

I had expected and assumed with the return of Wright and Beltran that the Mets could have finished the season at around 77-85 and played the spoiler. That certainly was not a lofty goal. Instead the Mets are likely going to finish with around 94 losses not even winning 70 games and having no impact on the races.

Last night, the Mets lost the fifth game in a week to the Atlanta Braves who are fighting for something. Had the Mets shown the same intensity and drive in 2007 and 2008 the Braves and Marlins are showing this year, they would have made the playoffs instead of choking.

In fact, the Mets are choking this September too. For the third season in a row, the Mets are not able to achieve their goal in September. Although the goal this season is much different than the last two years, we should have at least seen the Mets fighting for something, at the very least for pride.

I find myself in a strange position. I actually have to agree with Mike Francesa. I have often been critical of the Yankee centric talk show host but he may be correct in that the Mets do not have the right chemistry to win. They are missing that player who will show them the way, who has the killer instinct to win at all cost.

Perhaps I am being overly critical because it is so hard to watch this team play right now. The season has ten games left. Jerry Manuel has stated he would like to see these remaining games mean something. So far, all they seem to mean to the Mets is get them over with so they can go home. I’m beginning to feel the same way.

At least that’s what I have been told. And hopefully someone told that to the Wilpons. To fix the mess on the field, the Mets are going to have to spend money.

Some might say the Mets are fine. They will have their players back healthy next year. Is that going to make Mets fans feel confident? Are Mets fans going to be satisfied through the winter knowing that what Mets management is counting on is a clean bill of health? If so, we are all in trouble. If that’s the plan, the Mets are not doing their due diligence to protect from what happened this season. Not making moves and giving the fans some hope, Citi Field could be the emptiest new stadium in Major League Baseball.

And that is precisely why the Mets will have to spend money over the winter. The Wilpons must sell tickets. They cannot afford to have an empty ballpark. If the Mets do not add the necessary players to correct this team, revenue will dry up faster than a Johan Santana fastball. The Wilpons must start repaying the debt on the bonds they borrowed to build Citi Field. They want to make a profit. How will that happen if they don’t invest in the team?

The fan base is more disgruntled and angrier than ever. Mets fans don’t trust the Wilpons and have been critical of everything they have done, even the construction of Citi Field. The fact that the fans perceived Citi Field to be so barren in terms of Mets history has led many to believe there is a disconnect between the fans and the Mets ownership. The perception is that Fred Wilpon cares more about his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers from his childhood than he does the Mets. Honestly, I cannot know if that is true but often the perception is the reality, at least in the minds of the fans.

Fans rushed to buy season ticket plans last season assuming the Mets would contend for a championship. They will think twice this winter. All one has to do is to look on Stubhub.com to see Mets tickets being dumped at ridiculously low prices. Tickets to the Mets-Nats game this weekend are as low as three bucks. These are tickets that normally sell in the 20 to 30 dollar range. In other words, fans are taking a bath on tickets they purchased last winter. They are cutting their losses not paying transportation fees, parking, and on concessions. A friend of mine has already told me he will not renew his season tickets next year unless significant enhancements are made to the roster. Is he alone? I doubt it.

What of the concessions? Blue Smoke, Shake Shack, El Verano Taqueria, Catch of the Day, as well as others all expect huge Mets crowds to move their tasty treats. How long will they stay if the Mets cannot draw?

No one is saying the Mets must trade Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, or David Wright. But they need to go out and spend the money to get a left fielder with power and a productive first baseman. They need a catcher to platoon with Josh Thole or Omir Santos. Most importantly they need another starting pitcher, perhaps two. These upgrades are what are needed to protect the core. Pitchers capable of pitching 200 innings are needed to protect Johan Santana.

If the Mets want to compete next year, free agency is the only way to do it. They could trade prospects but the farm system is thin as it is. And trading a Beltran or Reyes is out of the question because their injuries have reduced their value. And how would the Mets replace these players' production provided they are healthy? Trading David Wright is simply out of the question. He is the face of the franchise and is just entering his prime. Hopefully next season, he finds his power. But that’s another story.

Another point needs to be made. Are the Mets willing to give up the city to the Yankees again? When will the Mets understand that they must run their business closer to the Yankee model? In the past I have defended the Mets because they do have the largest salary next to the Yankees. But maybe that’s not enough. Perhaps the Mets have to increase their payroll in order to right the ship. At one point back in the 70s, George Steinbrenner took a huge risk and invested unheard of dollars in his players. It paid off, the Yankees have won six World Series since 1977 and have been in the playoffs countless times. By contrast over the same period, the Mets in their conservative ways have produced one World Champion 23 years ago with only five playoff appearances. That is appaling when you compare to other big market teams.

Of course this is all easy to say when it’s not my money. And if the Wilpons have been less than honest on how bad they were hurt by Bernie Madoff, then there might not be much they can do. But they keep insisting publicly they are solvent and their baseball operations have not been affected. The office of MLB has backed that up. If that’s true, then this is not the time to cut payroll as some in the media have reported.

All I know is 2009 has been the most disappointing season in a very long time. It’s perhaps as disappointing as 2001, the year after the Mets won the National League Pennant then lost the World Series to the Yankees. After 2000, the Mets chickened out in negotiating with Alex Rodriguez. Say what you want about the off field shenanigans of A-Rod, his bat with Mike Piazza would have made the Mets a formidable force in ’01. Instead the Mets struggled all season barely finishing above the .500 mark.

Because of the injuries this season and farmhands not ready for the Majors, the fastest way to fix the problem is threw free agency. If Omar Minaya is to remain the GM, this is something he can do. Omar has done a very good job of picking good players from the free agent market in the past. If the Wilpons capitulate, he will get another chance.

Mets fans will be watching very closely this off season. The money in their pockets is not likely to be handed over very easily when it comes time to renew those season ticket plans. And that will surely get the Wilpons attention.

Thankfully today marks the last Thursday of the season we must endure a Mets game. After tonight’s finale with the Braves in Atlanta, the Mets complete games played on the day named for the Greek god Thor.

On Thursdays, the Mets have compiled an unimpressive 7-12 record, a microcosm of the season.  Eight of the nineteen Thursday games were played during the day. One was a makeup game and on another Thursday, the Mets played a day night doubleheader, also the result of a makeup.

The Mets lost the first Thursday of the regular season. They were attempting to sweep the Cincinnati Reds in the season’s opening series. Unfortunately that did not happen as the Reds defeated the Mets 8-6 at Great American Ballpark. That was the first game Oliver Perez started. He gave up all eight runs in 4.1 innings and things never got much better for the left handed enigma.

The Mets did not win on a single Thursday is April. Finally on Thursday, May 7th, that wonderful month of May when the Mets went 19-9, the Mets defeated the World Champion Phillies 7-5, sweeping a brief two game series at Citi Field. Ah, we had so much hope back then.  The following Thursday, the Mets defeated the Giants 7-4 at AT&T Park sweeping the only two Thursday games of the month.  The game in San Francisco was the first of many without one Jose Reyes. He made a brief comeback but then in Los Angeles, he left for good and hasn’t been seen since.

The Mets went 1-3 on Thursdays in June. The first Thursday, June 4th, the Mets lost the final game of a series at Pittsburgh. The dreadful Bucs swept the rain shortened series. They lost the game 11-6 but that wasn’t the worst loss on a Thursday. That honor was achieved in July when the Mets lost 11-2 to the Dodgers at Citi Field on the 9th, the anniversary of Tom Seaver’s near perfecto 40 years prior.

Perhaps one of the more exciting wins of the season occurred one week before on Thursday, July 2nd when the Mets made up the rained out game earlier in the season at Pittsburgh. The Mets led 9-7 heading into the 9th but Francisco Rodriguez blew the lead as the Pirates tied the game.  But the Mets scored a run in the top of the 10th on an RBI single by the since traded Ryan Church to take a 10-9 lead. K-Rod stayed in and got the Pirates out 1-2-3 for the win.

The cleanest win on a Thursday was a 7-0 shutout of the Colorado Rockies on Thursday, July 30th. Johan Santana pitched seven strong innings for his 12th win of the season. That evening however, the Rockies defeated the Mets 4-2 in what became the night end of a day-night doubleheader necessitated due to a rainout the day before. The Mets were shooting for a four game sweep of Colorado but fell short.

In August, the Mets went 1-2 on Thursdays. The only win saw the Mets produce their highest run total on a Thursday. They defeated the Marlins 10-3 in a rare afternoon game in Florida on July 27th. In that game, Fernando Tatis and Angel Pagan homered.  

This month, the Mets have split the two Thursday games so far winning on September 3rd, 8-3 in Colorado. A week ago the Mets were crushed 13-4 as the Marlins completed the three game sweep stifling any hopes of the Mets becoming a spoiler.

Tonight, the 2009 Mets bid a fond farewell to Thursday action with the final game in Atlanta. The Mets will send Nelson Figueroa to the hill with the Braves countering with Jair Jurrjens. The Mets will hope to close out Thursdays with a win. Don’t bet on it.

What is a Mets fan to do the final weeks of the season, in October, and even November when the World Series could end?

For me, there is no more baseball. I try to watch the game every evening but inevitably, the Mets fall behind, show no energy, make blunders on the base paths and in the field, knowing there is no way they will come back. Listening to Gary, Keith, and Ron is entertaining as they make idle chitchat but really, there are better things to do.

I try to watch the Yankees but it’s no use. Rooting for them to lose is just as futile as rooting for the Mets to win. I wonder if now in my early 50s, I could become a Yankee fan. Then soon that thought dissipates knowing full well that can never happen. I try to watch the Yanks just for the sake of enjoying good baseball but then I just get aggravated watching the Bombers do everything right while up a couple of channels the Mets are doing everything wrong.

I have the MLB.TV Internet package so often I bounce around to different games trying to get into the limited races still left. I watch the Red Sox because for one, NESN does an outstanding broadcast and two; I went to college in Boston and spent many a night at Fenway Park back in the day of Yaz, Fisk, Carbo, Tiant, and Rice. You know who I will be rooting for if the Sox get into it with the Yanks in October.

It’s hard to get excited about the off season. What moves can the Mets make? The free agent market will be thin and it appears the Mets will not want to spend much money. They can’t make any real blockbuster trades because that would require breaking up the core and two of the three were injured severely hindering their value. No way should the Mets ever trade David Wright regardless of the fact he has had an off year. He’s the face of the franchise. Trade him and the Mets might as well close the gates and go out of business.

I was hoping the Mets could at least cause the Marlins, Phillies, and Braves some fits as they all race to the finish line with hopes of a playoff berth. So far, the Mets lost three in a row to the Marlins, lost three of four from the Phillies, and the opener last night in Atlanta. The Mets are going out very quietly. It’s so frustrating.

Yesterday, the Mets announced their 2010 tentative schedule. They open the new season at Citi Field on April 5th. That seems like a million years from now. Before then, there will be the post season, the winter meetings, the hot stove league, etc. We’ll celebrate the holiday seasons, endure several bad winter storms, basketball, hockey, and football including the SuperBowl. These events will all happen before the first baseball player steps on a field in Florida and Arizona come the middle of February. Then we must suffer through countless days of spring training before finally the home opener arrives. It’s all so far away.

I know I’m not alone in my Mets depression. I know I am not alone in wishing for a season where the Mets could collapse on the last day. Yes, even that would be better. The Mets know it too. You see, they are worried about us. They know that like me, all Mets fans are sad, angry, and fed up.  That’s why the Mets have already announced that ticket prices next year will be reduced.

We Mets fans have already gone through some of the stages of grief. You only have to turn on sports talk radio and read fans comments on the Internet to know the anger has been going on for a while. For many Mets fans, the depression has started. Acceptance will happen but probably not for a while.  When it does, I’ll feel better. We’ll all feel better.

Well my fellow Mets fans, our team has been eliminated from the playoffs for 2009. I know they were eliminated a long time ago but now it is official by the only true language known throughout the physical universe—mathematics.

The Mets have lost 81 games. It is impossible for the Philadelphia Phillies, the NL East leaders, or for the wild card leading Colorado Rockies to lose 81 or more. So, by virtue of the Mets having lost 81 games, more than both the Phillies and Rockies can lose—ipso-facto, done!

But this is not a lesson about math. It is one about expectation, being careful for what you wish for, and the underlying problem.

For the last two seasons, we have heard nothing but griping and complaining from Mets fans about how disappointed and disgusted they were because the Mets were eliminated on the last day of the season. We asked—could it get any worse? They answer is yes—2009!

The point is when you think it can’t get worse, it does. If the baseball gods came to you in spring training and said you may enjoy a competitive baseball season with the Mets being eliminated on the last day of the schedule or have them done by mid August, which would you choose? Personally, I would take 2007 and 2008 over 2009. Regardless of how both those seasons turned out, at least on this date, September 14th, the Mets would still be in the race with hopes of making the playoffs. And really, hope is all you can really ever have.

We had no hope this year. Really there was no hope since Jose Reyes took himself out of the lineup in Los Angeles back in May. The final nail was driven when Carlos Beltran went on the DL for two and a half months. This season was a total loss because of injures to so many All Star players. And when those players went down, we witnessed something that was there all along—a fundamentally dysfunctional baseball team.

Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, David Wright, and Johan Santana are so good, that when they play, their abilities compensate and overshadow for the lack of fundamental skills that permeate throughout the Mets organization. No question, the season was destroyed by injury but sound and smart play could have kept the Mets competitive. The Mets did not quit, but they did not play intelligently in the field and on the base paths. Those things could have made a difference in the standings.

So maybe there is a silver lining after all to this most forgettable season in years. Hopefully somebody in the Mets organization is paying attention and will come to realize, no matter what super star the Mets sign or trade for, every player needs to get on the same page in terms of how this game is supposed to be played. A case in point was in last night's game when Daniel Murphy attempted a steal of third and was thrown out to end the inning. In a one run game, already in scoring position, and Pedro Martinez beginning to labor, Murphy needed to stay put as the potential tying run.

Matt Cerrone of Metsblog.com talks about a need for an organizational plan. Perhaps the plan should have always been to recruit players who are not only talented in the field but who are smart and know how to play the game. And the Mets organization must teach its young players in their system so they will know too what to do in any given baseball situation. If not, any time a player such as a Beltran or a Wright goes down with an injury, another 2009 could be waiting in the wings.

The other day I said I thought the Mets were in good position to be a spoiler. Is it too late to change my mind?

Can someone please tell me what has gone right this year? From where I sit, I would have to say nothing. Nothing! Please tell me something, anything positive about this season. I have never seen anything like this. It’s unbelievable.

The injuries, the shoddy base running, inconsistent pitching and bad defense have all conspired to make this year, 2009, the worst in almost twenty years. You have to go back to 1993 when the Mets lost 103 games to find a worse season.

Even the new ballpark has come under criticism. We have heard complaints of it not having enough Mets memorabilia, not enough blue and orange, and lately it has developed some leaks. I mean there is nothing positive.

You can’t even enjoy individual accomplishments. Look at David Wright. He has eight home runs. Eight! What the heck happened to his power? Lots of visiting players have hit home runs at Citi Field so that’s not an excuse. Plus five of Wright’s eight homeruns were hit at home! I don’t get it. And this idea of changing him to a gap hitter is silly. A good gap hitter would have more than 60 RBI.

Then of course there was all the front offices nonsense with Tony Bernazard. Omar Minaya lost his mind and blamed New York Daily News columnist Adam Ruben. Are we in the Twilight Zone? Was that man in the suit with the thin tie smoking an unfiltered cigarette by Blue Smoke Rod Serling?

And did the Wilpons lose 700 million or 300 million in the Bernie Madoff scam? Are they closing their instructional league operation in Florida to save 300,000 dollars or is it because there are not enough teams in the area? They say the Mets are financially sound but yet they spent less than any other team in the amateur draft. What? They spent less than the Kansas City Royals?

The farm clubs played awful too. Except for Brooklyn and the Dominican rookie team, not one Mets farm team had a record above .500. And their two top level teams were horrible.

Obviously the season went downhill with the injuries which make me wonder what kind of trainers and doctors do the Mets employ. I hope none of them have a first name of Moe, Larry, or Curley.

And to top it all off the Mets must endure this freak show while watching the New York Yankees put together one of the greatest seasons in their history. It seems every day, while the Mets lose, the Yankees win.  I have been as fair as I can possible be to the Mets players, their fans (I’m one of them), and their administration. But patience is wearing thin.

The Mets hierarchy are going to have one tough off season this winter. They must do more than hope everyone comes back healthy and David Wright figures out what his problem is. But what can they do considering there appears to be very little money available to spend in the free agent market this year (which btw appears to be very thin).  What player of decent caliber would even want to come to the Mets with questions of their training staff, a front office perhaps out of money and a cavernous ballpark where home runs go to die?

Usually I feel Mets fans are overly critical. But it is hard not to defend them. Mets fans are angry. They feel betrayed and who can blame them. Injuries are a part of the game and I maintain this season got completely derailed because of the absurd amount of them.  I am not backing off of that. But when you see what was exposed because of the injuries you just shake your head.

Injuries to the star players do not cause the remaining players to forget how many outs there are or to run through the third base coach’s stop sign. They don’t make a player miss the cut off man or throw to the wrong base nor do they stop a runner from sliding into home instead of jogging into a tag. The excuse of injury does not force a runner to miss touching a base or cause an infielder to drop a simple pop up with one hand or not sacrifice the runner. The injuries to others should not allow the GM to enable an abusive employee from running rough shot over underlings and bullying minor league players. It should not allow a GM who is feeling the heat to embarrass the entire organization making it a laughing stock.

Frankly, the Mets are in bad shape. Watching the Mets lethargic play during this three game series sweep to the Marlins just about ended my season of sitting on the couch at least hoping for some competitive baseball. For me, baseball is over for 2009. It will only get interesting next April 5th when the Mets open against the Marlins at Citi Field. For now, it’s time to take up a hobby.

I almost drove off the road yesterday afternoon. I have been as critical as any blogger when it comes to Mike Francesa. His pompous attitude does nothing to minimize what Yankee fans in general mean to Mets fans. But yesterday afternoon, much to my surprise, he came to the defense of the Mets. So in fairness, since I have been critical when I felt he deserved it, I must now praise Francesa because in my opinion, he deserves it.

Most sports writers, radio and TV talking heads, have been bashing the Mets for months. They have criticized everything from the minor league system to the water they boil hot dogs in at Citi Field. Not that many criticisms can be challenged but as I have stated in this blog all summer, no team could have ever replaced the cumulative talent the Mets lost to the DL during this season. And much to my shock, that’s exactly what Francesa said yesterday afternoon.

Did the injuries expose a less than adequate farm system? Yes. Did the injuries remove the cover from some of the dysfunctional antics within the Mets hierarchy, namely Tony Bernazard? Yes. But let’s be fair Mets fans. Had the Mets remained healthy, they would be in contention right now. I’m not saying they would be leading the division. But talent wise, they would be in the division/wild card mix.

A fan called into “Miked Up”, the WFAN afternoon radio sports talk show yesterday and started berating the Mets organization for just about everything except global warming. But Mike defended the Mets, stating much of what I have said. Mike also went on to make a point I have been trying to make all season long. Just what team's farm system is out there to replace the likes of Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, John Maine, Oliver Perez, and more recently David Wright and Johan Santana?

I heard Ed Randall on his Sunday morning show state that Tampa Bay and Texas have suffered from major injuries but unlike the Mets, managed to stay in contention. With all due respect to Randall who I admire very much, you cannot compare the injuries those teams had with what the Mets have suffered. The Mets lost five major all star talents for a huge part of the season.

Francesa also went on to say, and I agree, that the Mets have not given up when they easily could have. Now obviously the Mets can’t believe they have a shot at the post season. But they take the field every day trying to win. The decimated Mets simply do not have the talent to win many games.

Jason Stark, the ESPN columnist, wrote an article the other day that would make most Mets fans want to slit their wrists in terms of next season. But that was countered by another ESPN writer, Peter Gammons, who wrote the Mets are not that far away from being a very strong team again. So along with Mike Francesa, Peter Gammons lends a sympathetic and rational point of view to the Mets and their fans.

Gammons also went on to say that the Mets farm system is not as depleted as many have colored it. The fact is the Mets farm teams have collectively had a miserable season except for Brooklyn. But that does not mean they are barren. There are a number of young players the Mets have that will contribute for the Mets in the future either as players or fodder for trades.

So while many Mets fans and many of the media have painted the glass half empty, Peter Gammons and Mike Francesa, of all people, have described it as half full.

Nothing will change the outcome of this year. The Mets will finish under .500 in fourth place in the NL East. But there is hope for next season. Hopefully the players, the GM, and the owners have learned something from this season. Hopefully next year at this time, things will be looking much brighter.

There is some good news on the Mets front. First, there are only 25 games remaining in one of the most forgettable seasons in Mets history. There are just 12 games left at Citi Field for its inaugural season. The Mets have a magic number for elimination at 11 for the division and 10 for the wild card. So in about a week, they should be done.  And this is the good news?

Well, sometimes it just feels better when it’s over. But there is some good news on the field too. In defeating the Cubs, two games to one over the weekend, the Mets won their first series in the last eleven. It was the first series win since the end of July when the Mets defeated the Rockies at Citi Field three games to one.

Also, Carlos Beltran will likely return this evening. John Maine may actually start a game this weekend in Philadelphia. And since the Mets are playing only eastern division teams till the last weekend of the season, they do have a chance to pay back teams that have put the screws to the Mets in the past.  

Currently, the Braves and Marlins are fighting for the wild card. Although their chances are becoming slimmer each day, both clubs still have a shot. Wouldn’t it be nice to see the Mets give Florida and Atlanta some agita this month?

The Phillies should make the playoffs without too much difficulty but they have lost four in a row. The Mets could at least make them nervous this weekend when they play four games at Citizen’s Bank Park to complete the season’s series.

For the Mets to play the role of spoiler, they will have to play better in the month of September than they did in the month of June, July, and August. I think they can considering they will have Beltran and Wright back together in the lineup. Plus, the pitching has been better as well. I am probably setting myself up for more disappointment, but I think the Mets may have a decent month to close out the season.

Then There Was One…

All minor league Mets teams are now finished for the year except for the Brooklyn Cyclones who made the New York-Penn League post season as the wild card. The Cyclones led the McNamara division for most of the summer until recently. While Brooklyn struggled, the Staten Island Yankees soared to take the division title by winning 13 games in a row. Even at the low A short season level, we have to eat Yankee dust. It’s so frustrating, no?

Citi Pity

Apparently Citi Field is falling apart. At least that’s what the New York Post claimed yesterday. A pipe burst, a couple of luxury suites leaked causing mold, a sign fell down, and some concrete has cracked. It’s hard to know how bad the damage is given the fact it was reported in the Post, a paper that has never been too friendly to the Mets. However, any new building as complex as Citi Field will go through some growing pains. The problems will be fixed and is likely not a big deal.  I would bet Yankee Stadium has a few issues too.