Enjoying a Metsless Postseason

Now that the post-season has taken my focus off the Mets I find life as a baseball fan so much more peaceful. Truth be told, I actually quite enjoy the playoffs when my team isn't in them.

Perhaps this is a matter of being conditioned that more often than not, the Mets are not playoff bound, but part of it also involves relishing the supreme lack of stress when your team is not in it. Instead of fretting over every pitch, you are a merely a bystander enjoying the game itself. Sure, you pick a surrogate team to root for but it’s all very casual. If they win, that’s nice. If they don’t, they’re not the Mets so it really doesn’t matter. Another perk is that you are not chained to the television for bizarre start times. You also can flip the channel if a game is boring without any guilt.

Yes, there is definitely something to be said for the detachment factor of a Metsless postseason. After a miserable effort in 2009, I can now watch the Yankees and see what kind of team can be built with a large payroll if the people spending the money do so judiciously. I can also proudly claim that Carlos Gomez, the Twins player who had the most impact on Yankees sweeping the A.L.D.S., is a product of the Mets’ farm system; a system where clearly base-running fundamentals are not on the current curriculum.

Or how about taking secret pleasure in the fact that there are other teams out there that can’t find a way to score with the bases loaded and no outs? Similarly, what about teams that head into the 9th inning with a lead only to blow games in the same ridiculous ways that I watched the Mets blow them this whole season?

Yes, fellow Mets fans, thus far the 2009 postseason has been a delight, even if only to make us feel better that at least our team wasn’t committing their heinous baseball crimes on the playoff stage. And with that I salute those players responsible for putting a small wry smile on my face this October. Matt Holliday, Jonathan Papelbon, Huston Street, Carlos Gomez, Joe Nathan and all the rest, a round of applause is in order! Keep up the good work and maybe, just maybe, at some point you’ll come to the Mets where bad fundamentals at exorbitant salaries are part of the culture. Read more!

Billy Wagner - who wins, who loses?

Over the past few seasons, Billy Wagner has caused some controversy. Leaving the Philadelphia Phillies, with some harsh words, for the New York Mets. Continuing to spew his opinions once with the Mets and then coming back from being out almost a year recovering from Tommy John surgery to, after some wavering, waving his no trade clause and ending up on the Boston Red Sox as a relief pitcher. It was an interesting move by the Mets considering that in two appearances Wagner struck out four with a fast ball that topped 96 miles per hour and all they received for Wagner was two players to be named later.

Wagner was replaced as the Mets closer with the acquisition of Fransisco Rodriguez, arguably one of the best closers in the majors. Wagner has made it known that he wants to be a closer and is looking to break John Franco's record of the most saves thrown by a left handed pitcher. Yet, just before the deadline, he waves his no trade clause to be a set up man for Jonathan Papelbon. It seems as though Wagner has, for the time being, traded his pursuit of breaking Franco's record for a shot at a championship.

I can't say I blame the guy for wanting to win but he's 38 years old and is still recovering from a fairly major surgery. He has a shot at a ring with the Sox but not much of a chance at the record. And what happens next year? Will the Sox keep him? Surer he may get a couple of chances at a save if Papelbon pitches too many days in a row, but certainly not enough to satisfy him. Does he hope a competitive team picks him up so he can work towards the record? He's got a great arm but he comes with baggage, not that many players at this point don't, but realistically, does he have a shot at Franco's record?

I'm saying no. I don't think he can hold on long enough to break it and part of me doesn't want him to. As a life-long Met fan, I don't want a wishy-washy guy like Wagner breaking the record of a guy I cursed regularly as a kid. What do you think? Can he do it? Do you want him to? And can someone explain to me the purpose of receiving players to be names later? Does it even matter at this point? Read more!