"Shea haunts you to the end"
That was Mike Piazza, wearing his No. 31 in royal-blue pinstripes, talking about driving to Shea yesterday morning in the driving rain.
I was chatting with Piazza in the back of the press box, and he was recalling those rainy afternoons when GM Steve Phillips would burst into the clubhouse saying, "We have a window," and the Mets would trudge out to a puddle-strewn infield to play.
Piazza was laughing at the memory, and he was clearly touched to be back at Shea for yesterday's closing ceremonies. Unfortunately, what happened in the hours leading up to the shuttering of Shea was not so great.
There's not much to say, really, after the 4-2 loss to the Marlins knocked them out of the playoffs -- again -- in Game No. 162.
"We fought," Carlos Beltran said, "but we failed once again ... I have no more words. Thank you guys."
With that, Beltran walked away.
On a more positive note, Jerry Manuel will return as manager, with a new deal that is expected to be announced in the next day or two. Next on the agenda, after the playoffs, will be fixing the bullpen, with a possible pursuit of K-Rod. Forget about the money. This goes beyond getting a closer. Just like the trade for Johan Santana, the Mets need another goodwill gesture for their fans, and signing K-Rod would be the splashy deal of the offseason.
The Marlins really rubbed it in the fans' faces by celebrating a little too long after yesterday's win. There was no need for the long handshake line in the center of the field and the subsequent high-fiving while the stadium staff was clearly anxious to get started with Shea's closing ceremonies. Finally, the fans switched from booing to chanting, "Off-The-Field!" and the Marlins got the hint.
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Comments (21)
Will the pitchers still be in the bullpen when they demolish Shea? Would anyone notice/care?
The fact that the Marlins were allowed to run back on the field, repeatedly, and take dirt from the infield and warning track that we were prohibited from even WALKING ON - and the fact that NO ONE STOPPED THEM - was the biggest disrespect ever.
I imagine they weren't arrested. Although we did think of phoning it into the narc hotline.
Lennon-a good will gesture for the fans in signing K Rod? All the Wilpons will do is jack up the price in 2010 to pay for the salary. you make it sound like the team cares about its fans...
The exact thing I warned yo uall about GAME ONE came to fruition. A team with not an ounce of balls! A team with ZERO character. A team with NO BULLPEN, OLD MEN, NO FARM HANDS, NO CLUTCH PLAYERS, ETC. ETC.
Shame on you Wilpons...Shame on you for jumping the gun and giving this two bit con artist a 4 yr extension. Now you are considering bringing Manuel back, when he did the SAME THING WILLIE DID ??????
Are you that STUPID ???????
How many times will this team continue toi embarass their loyal fans?
***What is the difference between what Manuel did in 08 and what Willy did in 07 ????? NOTHING !! ****
Omar is the problem here...He never addresed the bullpen issues, and to say there was no one out there to get is pure BS !!!!
Wilpon says this team over achieved ??? Oh my God what a loser.....This is not the loveable Brooklyn Dodgers old man, this is the 140 million dollar Mets with the highest payroll in the NL !
As for next year and the core...I have said all along...Wright, Reyes, Beltran, and Delgado are great players....With that said, as constituted they CANNOT GET IT DONE !! Yes, this year was the bullpens fault, but great teams find a way...Phillies have no pen either (outside of their closer) and they and their MVP players found a way.
I would trade one of them in a blockbuster deal...If nothing else to change the atmosphere. If not, the same demons will haunt them next year. A trade MUST BE DONE!
Next year: Who is at 2nd? Who do we get for the bench? Our staff needs an over haul.....Our bullpen needs an over haul....Our farm needs re-stocking.....Our bench needs an overhaul.....
09 is no lock to be that good folks...Many many holes. All b/c of the moron we gave a four year deal to....SHAME ON YOU WILPONS !!!
To: Fire Omar
You are one sad miserable human being. Most logical / sane people same by the team; management of their choice. Self torture is usually not an ambition most people take on. Not in your case, you find far more attractive spew hatred for Omar and Mets for the better part of 2 seasons. I suggest you do your (worthless) self a favor and seek mental attention.
Great news! Omar' been extended for another 4 YEARS! Hopefully, that'll be enough for you to jump off a bridge. PLEASE announce the bridge of your choosing - I'd LOVE to see it!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Sean...No one knows you...NO ONE ! You are small potatoes...Move along wee one!
Must hurt that I was right...Must hurt that you rite to me and not vice versa except to tell you......Move along young man!
p.s PUT ON WFAN....Francesa and the boys saying what I have said ALREADY to the T !!!
"Phillies have looked the Mets in the eye the last two years and SPIT IN THEIR FACE !!!"
"Marlins came in here the last two Septembers and SPIT IN THEIR FACE"
Where is the PRIDE ? Do not tell me the Core can come back as constituted....Simply cannot! Look at the studs for Milwaukee. Look at the studs for Philly....THEY STEPPED UP !
Brew Crew has NO BULLPEN either....they canned their coach a couple of weeks ago......AND THEY FOUND A WAY !!!!
FIRE OMAR...SELL THE TEAM....FIRE MANUEL !!!
Manuel is likeable.....Yet he did NO DIFFERENT than Willie.
FRANCESA: " This team has no heart, no toughness, no clutch, how can yo ubring this core back ?" That was word for word at 1:19pm......I should have his job! Said it since GAME ONE !!
"Fire Omar"
You are absolutely right! And you've been right all along.
Kudos to you.
To Fire Omar :If you read below I agree with a lot of your points. But there is one huge problem. Its not happening. Omar has just been re upped for 4 years. So Omar has every reason to carry on as he has The core is going to stay period. K-Rod gets signed but will come in half the time down by many runs just so he can get work. Best case scenario K-Rod is K-Rod here. They still listen to Manual. With Maine back and possibly some Pedro the starting pitching remains good. You get a whole good year out of Delgado. In a weak league they get over the hump and make the playoffs but are bounced quickly because they are still not anywhere near being a World Series champion. Worst case K-Rod does the New York choke thus the bullpen is just as bad as in ’07 and ‘08. Delgado gives you a good but not as good a year. Pelfrey continues to tire at end. Maine is through. After a bad start the team tires of Manual and tunes him out just like Willie. Wright just wears down from it all hits 240 with 20 HR' 70 RBI. Reyes follows suit or worse yet the hamstring problems from early in his career return(Negative emotions do cause physical problems). Team finishes in cellar. I believe what will happen will be closer to the worst case scenario.
Our biggest problem is that we are in a weak league. This causes Omar and many Met pundits and fans to believe that this is a talented team with a major fault or two that if it can be fixed will lead the Mets to the promised land.
F.O do not listen to the haters. You deserve some praise. You fought everybody and were dead right. Mets crushed our hearts again.
When do the Mets play the Marlins for the first time in '09? After dancing on the Mets' grave for a second straight season, somebody needs to nail Hanley Ramirez with the first pitch of the game to make a point. Anything less than that will show that the Mets lack guts.
Florida wasn't scared one bit the Mets were very scared
i think the Mets need to get tough and that doesn't look like it is going to happen with this core of players
Fred....Mets do not have the balls or the clutch players to shut up Fla.
These teams HATE the Mets b/c they constantly dance around when they win, they constantly tell you how good they are...YET NEVER PERFORM IN THE CLUTCH
Some of the Wilpon comments from yesterday's game raised my eyebrows.
I'm slowly coming to the realization that the Mets are owned by a fools...not unlike when Leon Hess owned the Jets.
A 4-year deal to guy with a mixed record at best is ponderous.
Funny Gerry. You used to rip F.O, and now yo usound like him. Welcome to the real world.
Have to disagree on Jerry Manuel. He was much better than Randolph and did the best he could with what he had. F.O. is right on about Minaya though.
FO Supporter (wink-win) -
Yup, I'm coming around...I just choose to do it in a more judicious manner.
I had Jet tickets from 1984-1991 then realized that Leon didn't really seem to give a shirt.
The Wilpons seem headed in the same direction...
Read this at your own risk...This is the man the Wilpons just gave a FOUR YEAR DEAL.....
****Omar Minaya considers second baseman Luis Castillo's career as a Met still salvageable. Especially late in the year, a gimpy Castillo was the frequent target of fan fury for an injury-filled season in which he hit .245 with just 28 RBIs in 87 games. The veteran infielder still has three years and $18 million left on the controversial deal he signed last winter. If Castillo works on his conditioning in the offseason, Minaya doesn't see why he can't revitalize his career in New York at age 33. "In this town, fans give players second chances," Minaya said yesterday. "The fans will give you a second chance if you perform. When they boo, they just want you to do good because they are so passionate about baseball." ******
FO/Mangini,
Where have you been on Jets blog? 3rd quarter had to frustrate you. If Wilpon made you GM, what would you do? Other than the obvious, blow up the bullpen, and leave Castillo at Shea with the implosion(well maybe that is not so obvious, reading your blog)
Upstate...I will be on the Jets blog today. Have been to sad over these Mets to concentrate on the Jets. One headache at a time.
I would make a drastic move...First off I would re-neg on the Omar deal. Secondly, I would fire Bernazard.
The coach, although he did well, cannot come back. He was bench coach in 07 and was part of another collapse in 08....I would bring in a fire and brimstone type guy that will nto take the wooo is me attitude.
The Core: One has to go. He is one of my favorite players, but that means Wright must go.....Get a great palyer or players in return and change the face of the franchise. This core has proved they cannot get it done!
Leadership: The GM, must find players who know how to win....Palyers who will put aside their own stats and comee LEAD this team. Show them how to be winners......example: Pete Rose going to the Phillies (stole that from wfan)
Bench....Implode it...Endy and company cannot come back. 06 has come and gone. Get fresh faces eager to prove themselves on the big stage of NY.
Bullpen: Need I continue? Blow it up. Offer KRod the world.
Staff: Let Perez go unless he will not ask for the world. Take a run at CC.
Put Castillo in a package or simply eat his contract. See if Murphy can play fall ball at 2nd or 1st.
Those are some of the things I would do....
I like this song. :)
Meet the Mess
Meet the Mess
Step right up and beat the Mets!
Walk all over their fans,
Walk all over the team;
Guaranteed to have the time of your life
everybody's coming down
to kick the M-E-T-S Mets out of New York town!