Mets Walk-Offs And Minutiae

At some point today, Tom Glavine will announce that he's declining the 2008 option on his contract, thus making himself a free agent while he contemplates retirement, a return to the Mets, or the likeliest option, signing with the Braves. http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2007/10/our-special-bonds-hopefully-this-means_04.html I've already made it known that I don't want him back and I don't want to rehash my reasoning. I had this whole plan to write another essay, nicknaming him "The Stench," but it's just not worth it. I guess I softened slightly after hearing his appearance on WFAN the other day (reduced my Glavine anger to 99 on a scale of 100). I'll say this...had it just been a couple dink hits and a 2-3 run first-inning, I think I could have lived with it better. But the throwing error and the HBP basically ended any chance of us ever having a positive relationship. Let's just complete the divorce proceedings with this goodbye tribute trivia.

Hockey season starts today and the Mets have already frightened me into refusing to believe that the Rangers could contend for a Stanley Cup (I'm having visions of a season-ending cruciate tear for Henrik Lundqvist). So I thank them for that, and send them my best wishes for the off-season within this posting. There are a few people I've left out in the address that follows, so please feel free to share your own ideas for them in the comments section. Jose Reyes walk-off, and don't do too much this winter. We don't need you to break down again like a gasping racehorse at the end of the season. Moises Alou walk-off while your knees are still capable of allowing you the ability to play with your future grandkids. And thank you for your efforts. Luis Castillo, walk-off, sit down, and don't get up again until February. Your knees need the rest too. Shawn Green, walk-off into whatever business-world endeavor you wish. Your performance at the conclusion of your career was

Let me say that I'm glad that Willie Randolph will be brought back for next season. I don't think it ever should have been an issue. What happened was not Willie's fault. I've been asked by about 1962 different people where I am placing the blame. For me it's a simple order to the list: 1) Players 2) The person who picked the players. If Willie makes the list, it's somewhere down at the bottom, probably just below Chan Ho Park. Let's look at where we were when Willie was hired: pathetically hopeless. Let's look at where we are now: just plain pathetic There were 20 victories separating the line between "pathetically hopeless" and "just plain pathetic", but only 1 (or 2) victories separting "just plain pathetic" from "champion." That's the residual bitterness talking, but the reality of it is that the Mets are a lot better with Willie Randolph than without him. Willie is a hunch manager, but for the most part, h

"What did I do this weekend? On Sunday I had my heart taken out of my chest and eaten in front of me." -- Mets fan Jon Stewart in his opening monologue on "The Daily Show" After watching Monday's one-game playoff between the Rockies and Padres, I am reminded of another quote. I once covered a wrestling match featuring a team that had lost something like 80 straight against a five-person prep school squad, whose best athlete was a 112-pound girl, who spent the better portion of the event caressing her boyfriend. The 80-straight losses team won, so it was kind of neat to be there for what was locally a "historic" moment. I figured for sure that I'd be able to get the kind of great quote that I could frame an entire story around. I was half right. As the victorious team headed back to the locker room, I heard one team member say to another. "How about that? There's someone out there who sucks worse than us!" And that's why for some r

I should always trust my first instinct. When Tom Glavine signed with the Mets, my first instinct was that this was a bad move. I had some reasonable statistical evidence to back up this conclusion, as his performance at the end of his Braves career was not stellar. I also had a strong gut feeling that bringing someone from the Braves in as a mercenary, one clearly only here for the money, was a bad idea. In 2003, he went out and proved that I was right. His work during the Art Howe error (not era) was miserable. I told this to anyone and everyone who asked, and throughout his Mets tenure, I've had very little positive to say about Tom Glavine. As Glavine's performances got better, I've been questioned about my comments, but I've always held steadfast to a strong dislike. I've just never really felt that he enjoyed his Metness. I applauded out of respect when he took the mound for his first start at Shea Stadium after winning his 300th game. I don't dispute that

Whatever your rituals and superstitions are for when you're faced with important moments in your (sports-fan) life, take great care to observe them on Sunday. For those of you who didn't watch the Mets-Marlins game on TV on Saturday (I know a few who were in attendance), one of the best moments of the broadcast was when Kevin Burkhardt showed how the Mets placed a picture, in fact, the picture that adorns the top of this blog, in the walkway from the clubhouse, with instructions to tap it before entering the dugout. I'm a big believer in that kind of stuff, as silly as it sounds, making a difference. I have things that I do in certain circumstances and resorted to a few on Saturday morning. I know, in my brain, that they had no impact on what happened on the field, but in my heart, I felt like I was contributing to the effort. Believing that I matter is silly and in some ways, ridiculous, but it's important. It's part of being a fan and in fact, it's probably my