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There is No Team Like The Worst Team

Dear Pen pal...
You'll never guess what happened today
At the baseball game.
It's hard to believe, what happened today
At the baseball game.
I was the manager, Schroeder was catcher
And all of the team was the same as always
But somehow or other disaster struck
At the baseball game.

* Mets walk-off loss # 384 was their 4th of the season and their first since May 18 when they lost to the Dodgers on Jeremy Reed's throwing error in another one of those stupid regrettable games that will haunt them when they finish with 85 wins.

* It is their 4th walk-off loss against the Yankees, the first since Jason Giambi beat them with a two-run single against Braden Looper on June 26, 2005. That Mets team was managed by a second baseman who used two hands to catch pop ups.

I pitched my curve, but somehow they hit it.
A good strong clout
"Lucy" I hollered, "It's coming right to you"
She caught it as easy as pie
Then dropped it.
I don't think it's good for a team's morale
To see their manager cry.

* Luis Castillo insulted the intelligence of Mets fans by using one hand to try to catch the misplay that resulted in his game-ending error. Luis is the first Mets second baseman to make a game-ending error since Jeff Kent, another player who had far better days elsewhere, made one against the Astros on September 7, 1993.

* It's the 23rd time the Mets have lost a game in which the game-ending play was an error, and unfortunately, I can't immediately tell you how many of those involved players dropping pop ups because they didn't use two hands.

* It's the 8th time that the Mets lost a game via walk-off in which the final score was 9-8, the first since a 9-8 loss to the Cubs on September 7, 1988. The players on that team used two hands to catch pop ups. The 1986 team, which actually won a game on a walk-off dropped pop up, had two walk-off losses that season with final scores of 9-8.

* The closest example I could find to this fucking debacle took place on July 24, 1977. The Mets had a 3-2 lead on the Dodgers in Los Angeles with two outs in the ninth inning. The Dodgers put two runners on base for Davey Lopes, who hit a foul fly down the right field line. Met rightfielder and fan favorite Bruce Boisclair went in Boisclair's glove, than popped out, extending the at-bat. Three pitches later, Lopes hit a walk-off three-run homer over Boisclair's head.

"The Big Dodger in the sky had to have this one planned," Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda told the media (thank you, LA Times archives). "I said 'God, I never asked you for a whole lot for myself. Please just let Davey get a base hit."

Said Boisclair afterwards (NY Times): "I got to it. I should have caught it. I just didn't have control of it. Then, when he hit it out, what could I do?"

Dear pen pal,
I'm told where you live
Is really quite far
Would you please send directions
On how I can get where you are?
Your friend, Charlie Brown.


Comments

Anonymous said…
They're going to have to rename Citi Field at this rate ... Heimlich Arena ... because the Mets have become pro sports' greatest chokers over the last four years. From the 06 meltdown vs. the Cards to the last two years to the Phils, you really thought it couldn't get any worse, right? Wrong.
They make me ashamed to be a
Mets fan. Not just disappointed. And as a sports fan that's the worst you can feel.
-- BF from Trenton

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