Trade David Wright? I for one would not do that. I feel David Wright has the best years ahead of him. But a couple of knuckleheads who grace afternoon drive time at the opposite ends of the dial in New York think Wright is the problem.  

There is no question that something needs to be done before opening day next season. An overhaul of sorts is required. Mostly, that overhaul should be in the bullpen. Many of the pitchers in that pen contributed to the demise of the 2008 Mets. How does anyone expect a team to win a division when the bullpen authors 30 blown saves? That is intolerable.

But the remarks made by Mike Francesa of WFAN and Michael Kay of ESPN Radio (both Yankee fans) reflect almost a football mentality. For two years in a row now the Mets failed on the last day of the season. Also in both seasons, the Mets compiled losing records during the last two weeks against also-ran teams. This is a problem and certainly it cannot be denied.

But you cannot reconstruct your team with the idea that next year when we face elimination on the last day of the season, we’ll have the players to win. That’s a bit absurd, don’t you think? The point is the Mets for two seasons in a row should have never been in the position to lose the season on the last day. That’s the bigger problem and that is what the focus should be on. The Mets goal in retooling the team should be to create a roster that can capture a playoff spot before the last day of the season.

This is not to say that the Mets did not choke the season away at the end. They did. This year the Milwaukee Brewers were in the midst of a meltdown that would make what the Mets went through pale in comparison. But, the Brewers righted the ship during the last week of the season going 6-1 where as the Mets went 3-4 on their final home stand at Shea. So is there a problem, yes of course. Is trading David Wright the answer? Not unless the return is so great that it almost guarantees a playoff spot next year and for years after.  

When you look at 2008, there were so many devastating losses, Mets fans became numb. How many leads did the bullpen give back? Would the Mets have been under the same pressure the last couple of weeks had the bullpen did their job? Likely the Mets would have been in position to clinch the division by mid-September had the pen saved most or even half of their opportunities.

My point is that regardless of the offensive woes with runners in scoring position the bullpen was the primary cause of the Mets failure to get into the post season. The Mets secondary culprit was the hitter’s inability to tack on runs late and get key hits with two outs.

Both issues must be addressed but before the Mets trade David Wright, they had better have some super plan. If you think the fan base is angry now, wait till David Wright starts hitting baseballs out of sight at Citi Field wearing another uniform.

On the heels of two seasons where the Mets lost a chance to go to the post season on the last day, I would be naïve to think that no player is untouchable. But in David Wright you have a franchise player who has now knocked in over 100 runs and has hit 25 home runs or more for four consecutive seasons. He struggled this year in clutch situations. That means he needs more support around him. Also David needs to grow up and realize that he cannot do it all. Part of his problem was he had too many big swings when short swings were required. David needs to get back to being the hitter he has been in the past where he took the ball the other way hitting line drives. He has to have faith in the other players around him. He needs to remove the weight of the world from his shoulders.

Mike Francesa and Michael Kay are more interested in creating controversy than what really ails the Mets. That said, Omar Minaya has a daunting task in front of him. But trading David Wright would likely hasten Omar’s exit from running the Mets, new contract or not.

True to form, the Mets followed their blueprint of the season. An offense incapable of generating any runs combined with a bullpen that can’t stop giving them up ended the season.

It wasn’t as gruesome as the Tom Glavine ninth inning meltdown of last season but the end was just as painful.

I refuse to give into the media interpretation and call the end a collapse but I would call the end of this season a disaster only because it came on the heels of last season.

The Mets had a 3.5 game lead with 17 to play. But they also had one of the worst bullpens in baseball. And in fairness, it did not help that closer Billy Wagner went down with a month to go in the season. There is no question that injuries played a huge part of the Mets downfall in 2008. But even with all the injuries, had the bullpen done their job this year, the Mets would have clinched a playoff spot days if not weeks ago. The bullpen was the primary reason why the Mets season ended today.

The other major problem was hitting in the clutch. Too often, this offense was incapable of getting big hits and that includes the big hitters like David Wright.

With the days to come we’ll take it all apart. But right now, like you, I’m just too stunned…again!

Well, here we are. One hundred-sixty-one games in and the Mets find themselves in the exact same place they were in a year ago. Well almost exactly.

Last season, on the last day, the Mets were in a flat footed tie with the Philadelphia Phillies for the lead in the National League East. Tom Glavine took the hill and was not able to get a single Marlin out. By the time the Mets came to bat, they were trailing 7-0. They never got back into the game, the Marlins were true spoilers. Meanwhile down in Philly, the Phillies won their game against Washington to win the division and the Mets went home.

This year, on this day, the Phillies are already the National League East champions. They won their game against the Nationals again and clinched the division leaving the Mets in second place.

But the Mets are not done. Similar to last year, they won the penultimate game on a brilliant pitching performance. Last year it was John Maine who almost pitched a no hitter. This year, it was Johan Santana who pitched a complete game three hit shutout on short rest to at least make tomorrow's game meaningful.

Following Santana’s brilliant performance, the Milwaukee Brewers lost their game to the Chicago Cubs. Combined with the Mets win, both clubs are now tied for the wild card. So in a surreal way, it’s as if the baseball gods are giving the Mets a second chance, a chance to redeem themselves for last year.

If the Mets can beat the Marlins this time, it will insure at least a play-in game on Monday against the Brewers at Shea Stadium. A play-in game will also be required if both teams lose on Sunday. If one team wins and the other loses, the winner goes to the playoffs, the loser goes home. The Mets must play the Marlins, and like last year Florida will take being the spoiler very seriously. The Brewers, with CC Sabathia on the mound, will play the Cubs. While Chicago has already secured a playoff spot, they will be making Milwaukee earn it. Lou Piniella hates to lose any game.

Oliver Perez will pitch for the Mets in the final game. He has not had a good month. But Perez has always shown he can be a big game pitcher. Game number 162 will be the biggest game of his career. Perez will enter free agency this winter. A win in the season finale could go a long way toward a new salary for the left hander.

So what’s it going to be? Will it be a game where the Mets score nine runs or a game where they leave runners on struggling to score two? Will it be a well pitched game by Ollie or will he get pulled in the third inning. Will it be a game that the bullpen can hold the lead for the win or one where the bullpen breaks our hearts again? These types of games have been the legacy of this 2008 team.

When it’s all over, we will feel either exhilaration or despair, nothing in between. I hope for the best because the celebration of Shea Stadium after the game should be something wonderful. But I also know I could be very disappointed.

Good luck to the Mets and good luck to the Mets fans. Hopefully we will all find the strength to make it through one more game.

Now we will find out if there is any magic left in Shea Stadium. The Mets were once known as the Miracle Mets but that was a long time ago. A new miracle will have to be fashioned for the Mets to reach the post season now.

The Mets looked lethargic last night. The Marlins took the starch right out of the crowd and the Mets when they scored two quick runs in the first inning. Mike Pelfrey pitched a fine game and he remains something to be positive about for the future. But the Mets batters, as so many times this season, were unable to get key hits, especially in the early innings.

After loading the bases in the first inning, two on in the second and third, the Mets came away empty. This is nothing new. The ability to get key hits with runners in scoring position and two outs has hurt the Mets all season. It’s one of the reasons why tomorrow’s game at Shea will likely close the building. But it's not the main reason.

The biggest reason why the Mets will likely not get to the post season is the bullpen and we were not disappointed last night either. The pen was responsible for giving up three additional runs. But frankly the Mets were never in this game anyway. The Met hating Marlins out played the Amazins and for two years in a row it looks as if Florida will spoil the party.

The papers will have a field day writing articles about the second collapse in a row. Given the fact that the Mets really did not control first place to the degree they did last year, it’s hard for me to see this ending as a collapse of the same magnitude. But coming on the heels of last year is what makes it feel just as devastating.

It probably would have been better had the Mets had not reached first place this season. That gave us false hope. Think about it, the Mets bullpen has been a complete disaster all season long blowing countless leads. Once Billy Wagner went down, there was no way the Mets would be able to hold on to any lead late in the game. The responsibility of getting to the post season fell squarely on the Mets hitters. Sorry but baseball history shows teams seldom pound their way to the post season. Good pitching will always stop good hitting and that was the case last night.

The real story is how amazing it is that this Mets team is still mathematically alive with two games left in the season. I know that’s not the way most Mets fans will look at this. I just heard Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts on WFAN screaming and crying about how the Mets continue to punch us in the stomach. The fact is the Mets lost the division and the wild card all season long in that bullpen. Had that bullpen saved just half of the leads they blew, the Mets would have already clinched a post season berth. You want blame Mets fans, then here is who you blame: Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano, Scott Schoeneweis, Duaner Sanchez, Luis Ayala, Brian Stokes, Nelson Figueroa, Joe Smith, and Billy Wagner. Oh and let’s not forget Omar Minaya who built this pen and has received a four year extension. You can blame him too.

Perhaps this post mortem is a bit premature. Johan Santana is going today and if he can somehow fashion a win on short rest and the Cubs can defeat the Brewers, the Mets will be back in business for one more day.

That certainly was a text book slide by Ryan Church. Kids, don’t try that at home.

Last night’s game got me thinking. Win or lose, I can’t wait till this season is over. I’m trying to recover from a very bad cold. These games are not helping me feel better.

However, unlike the night before, the Mets came through. After Rincon gave up the three run bomb on his first pitch, I felt that this weekend would be a very sad for the Mets. Overcoming a 6-3 deficit late in the game is not the Mets specialty. But they chipped away and managed to tie the score on a flurry of base hits in the eighth inning. And let’s not forget that the rally began after Carlos Delgado hit a rocket ground ball into a double play.

When Cancel hit the ball through on the right side, Church looked to be dead to rights at the plate. But Ryan managed to run around the catcher, dive, and get his hand down on the plate before he was tagged. I wonder how close the umpire was to calling Church out of the baseline. But to my surprise that was never argued.

Many may criticize Lou Piniella for not having any starters in the game except for Jim Edmonds. But Lou likely did not want to risk an injury to key players in such poor conditions. And if anyone noticed, a fellow by the name of Micah Hoffpauir went 5 for 5, and hit two home runs, and knocked in 5 runs. He almost single handedly put the Mets where they did not want to be when the night was finished. The Mets did manage to score three runs off of Rich Harden, one of the Cubs aces.

This was a great win in that it put some destiny back into the Mets hands. On a very rainy Friday morning, The Mets are tied with Milwaukee (who also won again) for the wild card. The Mets remain one full game behind the Phillies. If the Mets can win their remaining three games, the worst they will face is a one game playoff with the Brewers. If they could run the table it’s also possible their fate would be even better. Winning the last three will be the key.

The Mets will open the final series in Shea Stadium tonight weather permitting. History will show that the first series was played with the Pirates in April of 1964. The last one is against Florida and is certainly much more important.

While the Mets play the Marlins, the Phillies will host the Nationals in Citizen’s Bank Park. The Brewers will play their final home stand against the Cubs. Gee, I hope Lou put’s in his A lineup.

The weather is going to play havoc all weekend with the Mets and Phillies. Rain, heavy at times, with wind is predicted to fall all day and all night long. It does not look much better for tomorrow either. It could be possible the Mets and Phillies may either have to play a double header tomorrow or extend the season into Monday.  This should make for quite a mess.

There will be some sort of closing Shea ceremony before the game on Sunday. SNY plans to be on the air at 11:30AM.

Baseball Prospectus has published an excellent article using statistical analysis to determine what has gone wrong with Mets. After reading, it I came away with the feeling that we should be damn happy the Mets are where they are. They simply have no business vying for a playoff spot which does say something about the team's character. Click here to read.

The Mets went 5-12 through the last 17 games of last September. This year the Mets are 5-8 so far through the last 17. I'm just saying...

It’s a moment stuck in time that will wake up David Wright in cold sweats all winter long. Hopefully Carlos Beltran can comfort David and provide advice for dealing with such an at bat. You see Beltran had one of his own that ended the 2006 season.

Realistically though, Wright was up against the Master. There was nothing he could do. When Daniel Murphy slid into third, clapping his hands knowing the Mets had the best opportunity all night long to put the game away, the Master in the opposing dugout thought in the back of his mind that he had the Mets right where he wanted them.

Gary Cohen, who was rather emotional last night, stated that the Master would likely walk the basis loaded. But the Master had another idea. Instead he pitched to Wright. He knew that Wright would be over anxious. The Master had Wright pitched hard and inside. The count was worked to 3-2. All Wright needed to do was to zone in on a pitch he could drive and the game would be over. There was no way the Master would allow that. If the Master’s pitcher gave Wright something fat to swing at, he likely would have been beheaded after the game. The pitch was a bit high and outside. Wright had no chance as he swung late. The Master had won the first battle.

The next thing the Master did was to have Delgado and Beltran walked intentionally. The master knew that his chances were slim but like any good field general, he could increase his odds for success by exposing the enemy’s weakness.

Ryan Church, who has been awful lately, was next up. With the infield in, Church hit a hard grounder right at the second baseman. A fielder’s choice at the plate kept the game going. The master was one out away.

When catcher Ramon Castro struck out on a pitch not even remotely a strike, the Master felt content. The Mets were in incredible position to win the ball game. With a runner on third with no out and the big three hitters coming up, all with over 100 RBI, the Mets failed to score. And you wonder why the Cubs have the best shot of winning a World Series in a century.

The Master of course is Lou Piniella. You can now understand why the Mets so desperately wanted Piniella to manage back in 2002. Unfortunately the compensation the Seattle Mariners wanted, Jose Reyes, was too much. They settled for Art Howe and then the Mets became irrelevant.

As bad a loss as last night’s game was for the Mets you had to admire the fantastic job Lou Piniella did in the ninth inning. There was no way he would have walked Wright and Delgado intentionally to pitch to Beltran. Of the three hitters, Piniella correctly surmised that David Wright would be the most vulnerable to striking out being over anxious. That’s a good decision made by good scouting. And while we all admonish the Mets hitters for not being able to convert runs all night long, you must give credit to the Cubs who have a real bullpen.

For one night it was not the Mets bullpen that can be blamed. Oh sure, we could complain that Duaner Sanchez should not have allowed inherited runners to score and Ayala did have two outs in the 10th inning before he gave up three runs. Last night’s loss happened because hitters were not able to get runners in from scoring position. The Mets had first and third in the seventh and could not score. They had the bases loaded in the eighth and only managed a one run on a walk to tie the game.

Oliver Perez deserves blame too. He has had a miserable month. Perez was given a 5-1 lead thanks to Delgado's grand slam homerun but could not hold it. He began walking the ballpark like the Ollie of old. I think the Mets have to think very carefully about bringing this guy back next year. With what Scott Boras will want, it may be worth investigating other opportunities on the free agent market.

The optimist would say it could have been worse, the Phillies could have won. True, I guess. But the fact that the Phillies lost made last night’s Mets loss all the more devastating. Had the Mets won, they would be tied in losses back with the Phillies for the division lead with four games to play. The Mets would still be leading the wild card by 1.5 games.

Instead, the Mets remain 1.5 (1 game in the loss column) behind the Phillies and are now tied with the Brewers, who won last night, for the wild card.

Realistically the Mets will not win the division. It’s not impossible but it is highly improbable. For the Mets to get into the playoffs they must somehow figure out a way to win tonight against Rich Harden (10-2). That’s not going to be easy with Pedro Martinez facing the Cubs lineup. However if they can do that, the Mets are guaranteed to enter the weekend tied for the wild card lead. The Mets would have three games left with the Marlins while the Brewers will be playing the Cubs for three. Hopefully the Cubs can destroy the Brewers dreams like they have done to the Mets.

The Mets are now 10-10 in September. It’s not as bad as last year but this is not how the plans were drawn up. It really is going to take a miracle for the Mets to make the playoffs. And if they make it, do you honestly think they will beat the Cubs in the first round?

Santana came to the rescue and the Mets got some timely hitting. At least for one more day the Mets remain in sole possession of the wild card lead. And around the league, other teams were helping out too.

With the Mets win, Florida and St. Louis have been officially eliminated from the wild card race leaving only the Mets, Brewers and Astros. Houston has a magic number of two for elimination. What this means for the Mets is that this weekend’s series will mean little to the Marlins. There motivation will simply be their hatred for the Mets.

But before the Marlin’s series, the Mets must play two more games against the Chicago Cubs, not an easy task. The Phillies lead the Mets for the division by one game in the loss column. Realistically however, I cannot see the Mets overtaking the Phillies for the division. Philadelphia has been just too hot lately.

Some other highlights last evening were Wright and Reyes who came through with huge hits with runners in scoring position. Reyes has put to rest his September problems from a year ago and Wright has been awesome lately. But as you could predict, when asked to close out the game, Pedro Feliciano could not get more than one out. He gave up two singles in a row which prompted Manuel to sprint to the mound and bring in Ayala who got the save. Exhale.

In other news, the New York Yankees were officially eliminated from post season play with Boston’s win against Cleveland. You’ll pardon me if I don’t get all teary eyed. The shame of it is I would be enjoying the Bombers down fall much more if the Mets were closer to locking up a post season berth themselves. I mean how comfortable do you feel sticking it to Yankee fans when the Mets are hanging by a thread as it is.

But seriously I don’t want to hear about what the Yankees need to do to correct this travesty. Give me a break. Isn’t it high time that Yankee fans got a taste of what it’s like for their team to not reach the playoffs?

Since 1995 through 2007 the Yankees were in the post season. Take a look at the following table –

The table shows the number of times a team has reached the playoffs (not consecutively).

As you can see, the only team that comes close to the Yankees is the Braves. During the same years, Atlanta had a streak of eleven games. Realize if you expand the range to 1991, the Braves have a longer streak of 14.

The point is I don’t want to hear Yankee fans whining about their team not being in the post season. You know who should be whining? The Blue Jay, Brewers, Nationals (Expos), Pirates, and Royals fans, there teams did not make the post season one time during this period. That was also true of the Rays but that has changed this season.

Yankee fans, if you like, you can borrow a phrase uttered many times in Brooklyn and then Queens—Just wait until next year…

John Heyman is reporting that the Mets organization will give Omar Minaya a four year contract extension. Wow, build bad bullpens two years in a row, sign a hobbling fading second baseman to a four year deal, insist a 41 year old left fielder would be productive and help the Mets to the playoffs then get a contract extension. I should have such job security.

Heyman is seldom wrong when he makes these predictions. The only thing I have to say is if they are going to give a new contract to Omar, Jerry Manuel should get a new contract as well.

I know WFAN’s Mike Francesa would disagree with me. He feels Manuel should not be retained if the Mets do not make the post season. His motive is Yankee centric. He said so today when he made a remark relating to Willie Randolph getting fired but Jerry Manuel not. I think Mike likes to make up his own version of history.

If you recall last season after the Mets failed to make the post season, the Mets did not fire Willie Randolph. They fired him in Anaheim during a trip there this past June. The reason the Mets fired Willie was because the team was showing the same malaise they showed last September.

Looking back, it appeared there was quite a bit of tension between players and Willie. When he was fired, there wasn’t a whole lot of support for the released manager. By contrast, Mets players really seem to like Jerry. He is more laid back. He relaxed rules, he’s not afraid of dealing with the media, and he has a great sense of humor. Jose Reyes has busted it like we have never seen before while under Jerry Manuel’s tutalidge. Manuel seems much more comfortable as manager of the Mets than Willie ever did, even during the current crises. I don’t know how this season is going to end but if the Mets do not make the post season, how can anyone blame Manuel with the bullpen and injuries the Mets have suffered this season? 

Personally, as I have said many times lately on this blog, I would have had no qualms if the Mets had let Minaya go. Now they seem intent on rewarding Omar Minaya for four more years. It’s their money. The Mets can do what ever they want. But for my money, if they are going to give Minaya an extension, they should give Jerry Manuel a new contract too. He has proven his worth, regardless of what the Sports Doctor thinks.

Just because I said this race would go down to the wire doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have preferred it to be over by now.

Another Mets loss, another Phillies win, and the division title appears to be light years away. Even the Mets wild card lead has now been reduced to a mere one game. But you can read all those stats anywhere. What I want to focus on is this idea of another collapse.

A collapse, by definition, is a catastrophic occurrence that defies the odds and generally is met with disbelief. A bridge falling down is a good example. When used euphemistically like in baseball, the word requires similar traits. For example, last season when the Mets held first place for the majority of the season, then at one point led by seven games with 17 to play, most felt the division title would be attained for a second straight year. Based on history, the odds were totally against the Mets not winning. What followed was so shocking and rare that the only word to describe what had happened to the Mets lead in the division was a collapse.

Can the traits I have outlined for a collapse really apply to the 2008 Mets? The Mets were not in control of first place for most of the season. The Mets really have had two very good months that have salvaged what looked to be a miserable season back in mid June. And give the Mets credit. They did take control of first place for a couple of brief periods. The most they led by was 3.5 games and ironically that was with 17 to play. But would anyone really be shocked if the Mets don’t make the playoffs?

The Mets have blown leads 29 times this season. They have had 16 blown saves since July 1st. The common trait when compared to last season is the bullpen which is actually worse this year. Last season, some Mets starters were also responsible for the collapse. Last night withstanding, the starters have done a fine job.

Some in the media, like the insufferable Mike Francesa, continue to also blame Wright, Reyes, and Beltran for the Mets woes. Mike, where would the Mets be without these three players? There is no better centerfielder in baseball right now then Carlos Beltran. David Wright may be criticized for leaving men on base with two outs but he is having his best offensive season of his career and will likely win the gold glove again. Francesa said a couple of years ago that Wright would ultimately have to move to first because of his poor defense—this from a guy who proclaims to know more about baseball than any other sport.

Jose Reyes has also had a wonderful year. I know at times he struggles and his understanding of the strike zone could use some work. But he has made tremendous strides this year and who is better defensively.

The problem is not the offense, it never was. A winning team has got to be able to win close games. Good offenses are often shut down by good pitching. The Cubs are having a tremendous season because, like the 2006 Mets, they are knocking in runs with two outs all the time. That does not always happen and it is not the only reason why a team will succeed. The Cubs have scored more runs than anyone in the National League. The Mets are second. The Mets have scored enough runs to win a playoff spot. Once again, it is not the offenses fault.

The starting pitching has also been excellent. Santana has been the ace that everyone expected. Perez has had a fine year, so did Maine prior to his injury. Mike Pelfrey has been a joy to watch as he has developed into one of the fine pitchers in baseball.

It’s the bullpen. It’s always been the bullpen. In this era of baseball, if a team does not have a good bullpen, they simply are not going to win. It has been the bullpen for two years now and it’s why I think Omar Minaya’s job could be in jeopardy.

If the Mets do not make the playoffs, the Wilpons will be furious and rightfully so. Jeff and Fred will take a hard look at the structure of this club and ask some very serious questions. How is it GM Pat Gillick went to the Phillies after Omar took over the Mets and was able to construct a dependable bullpen? Because really folks, that’s the only difference between the Mets and Phillies, the bullpen.

I have hopefully made a good case that this year is not a collapse but it will be another failure of a season. With Shea closing, Citi Field opening, the Mets being the only baseball show in town for now, choking it away this season cannot be good for Minaya’s long term plans as Mets GM.