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Fernando-Mania

Thankfully this post is now irrelevant. He didn't make the team.

Been gone awhile and I apologize for that, but other duties beckoned (and no, I wasn't interviewing to be GM of the Knicks).

I must admit that I'm cautiously pessimistic about the upcoming season, as it's a concern to me that I'm going to have to surrender my spot on the No. 7 train to Flushing to a variety of Mets members (you're aware of the signs that read "Please give this seat to the elderly or handicapped.")

My biggest issues with this team is that they're old, they're brittle, and the karma just isn't good. All these injuries make me worry that a bigger one, to the likes of a Reyes or Wright, is bound to occur. But at least we've got a backup plan should anything bad happen- good ole' Fernando Tatis.

Tatis represents the afforementioned issues (age, brittleness, and bad karma, for stealing a roster spot from Ruben Gotay) and on top of that, he's never had a walk-off anything. Tatis' career has spanned 691 major-league games and 2,373 big league at bats over eight seasons. And he's never had a walk-off sacrifice fly, single, double, triple, home run, hit by pitch. Zilch. Zero. Nadah. I find that bothersome.

Yes, Tatis may have some good qualities (pinch-hitting not among them...3-for-24 in his career), but I'm not quite sure what he brings to the table. Keeping him on the roster ahead of Gotay isn't quite keeping-Isiah-Thomas-as-head-coach odd, but it still puzzles me a bit.

True Met-tis's know...The only person to appear in 691 or more games for the Mets without a walk-off RBI is John Franco (695).

:)

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