The Philadelphia Phillies are poised to do something the Mets have not done in exactly twenty-two years ago tonight. That would be to win the Worlds Series and become champions of all baseball.

Now I am not one to pay much attention to all the nonsense in regards to who says what in a locker room about another team. But if in fact the Phillies do walk off with the prized trophy tonight, I would say to every Mets player the first day of spring training to keep their mouths shut. The team to beat now is clearly the Philadelphia Phillies.

It’s time for the Mets to prove that they are worthy to be on the same field as the Phillies. Oh sure, we will hear about how the Mets took the season’s series from them but the fact is the Phillies have made the playoffs two years in a row, perhaps culminating in a world championship tonight with Cole Hamels on the mound.

Omar Minaya has his work cut out for him. He somehow must figure out how to rebuild his bullpen including finding a legitimate closer, not an easy task. If that’s all he does, I would consider the coming winter productive.

Many have suggested that the Phillies grit and guile is so much more than the Mets. The truth is, if the Mets could have held on to leads and secured saves the way the Phillies did, they would have appeared to have guts and guile too. Phillies – Mets = bullpen. That was the difference between the two clubs and will be again unless Omar can make changes.

It is unlikely the Mets will sign Francisco Rodriguez. He’ll want a five year deal for an exorbitant amount of money. It’s simply too risky. A trade for a closer is more likely but it will cost the Mets. No, it won’t cost Reyes, Wright, or Beltran but it could cost a Daniel Murphy, a Jon Neise, or perhaps even a Fernando Martinez. The Mets are going to have to give up something to get quality in return.

If the World Series does end tonight, in fifteen days, free agents will begin filing then the hot stove will officially begin. It should be an interesting winter and with the Phillies at least being the National League champions, the pressure will be on the Mets to improve and get to the next level. For them, that means making the playoffs.

Notes: In 1986, game 7 is often considered anti-climatic after game 6 but the Mets did need to win the World Series final game in order to secure a championship.

Game 7 was played twenty-two years ago tonight. The game at Shea Stadium was delayed a day because of rain which made everyone nervous that the momentum gained by the Mets victory after game 6 would have dissipated two days later. When the Red Sox scored three in the second off of Ron Darling and the Mets could not do anything offensively for five innings, it appeared game 6 may have gone for naught.

However, in the bottom of the sixth, with the bases loaded, Keith Hernandez singled in two runs. A fielder’s choice from catcher Gary Carter plated the third run tying the game. In the seventh, Ray Knight hit a homerun to give the Mets a 4-3 lead but they were not done. They mounted a rally and scored another two runs. After seven, the Mets held a 6-3 lead.

In the top of the eighth inning, Daryl Evans doubled in two runs cutting the Mets lead to one. In the bottom half of the inning, Daryl Strawberry homered as he is just now rounding third. Straw sure took his time circling the bags that night. The Mets got another run setting up the ninth inning for Jesse Orosco.

With an 8-5 lead, Orosco got the first two outs. The game was delayed a few minutes after a smoke bomb was thrown on the field. Finally Jesse got Marty Barrett to swing and miss at a slider striking him out to end the game giving the Mets their second and last world championship.

The Mets made it to the World Series one more time. That was in 2000 when they lost to the Yankees in five games.