AND SO BEGINS THE WINTER OF MY DISCONTENT

It's been a week since the New York Mets died, and now that the required period for sitting Shiva has passed, I can share my feelings on the 2006 Mets.

First, I’d like to thank those of you who sent me sincere condolences in this difficult time. I appreciated it, even if I may not have responded to your messages.

This is going to be a very difficult winter. Not because of the sting of a disappointing end to the postseason, but because of the long wait until next year.

Before the 2005 season began, as Willie Randolph started his first season as manager, I stated that I would be happy with a .500 campaign. I got that, as the Mets went 83-79, a stark improvement on their 71-91 of the year before.

As this season began, and Willie had a year under his belt, I looked at the team with the acquisitions of Carlos Delgado, Billy Wagner and Paul LoDuca, and I said I would be happy if the Mets made the playoffs -- even as the wild card.

What I got was a thrilling, dominating campaign, as the Mets won a Major-League best 97 games and won the National League Eastern Division title by a landslide. It was their first division title in 18 years, as they matched their best won-loss record since 1999.

Of course, at this point, my expectations changed, and I expected at least a pennant.

That's when the shit hit the fan.

First the news that Pedro would miss the playoffs with a calf injury, which was later joined by a torn rotator cuff. Then Orlando Hernandez went down with a calf injury of his own while jogging in the outfield before Game 1 of the LDS. And, of course, Cliff Floyd re-injured his Achilles to go along with the other nagging injuries the Mets were suffering through, including ailments to Delgado, Carlos Beltran and Loduca.

It was arse, wrapped in stench, with a side of phew.

Could a team led by a staff of 40-year-old Tom Glavine, second-year righty John Maine, the unimpressive Steve Trachsel and an inconsistent Oliver Perez really make a run?

After the Mets swept the Dodgers in the Division Series, the confidence was back.

The Mets played a great series against St. Louis in the NLCS. Game 2 was disappointing, and it gave the Cardinals all the confidence and momentum they needed. When Steve Trachsel went out in Game 3 and proved he had no balls, the series was, for all intents and purposes, over.

Still, the Mets fought back to force a Game 7, but Jeff Suppan stepped up once again, and Adam Wainwright's curveball was as knee buckling as ever, and it was over.

Despite the Mets having surpassed my expectations for the season, it still hurt.

Yeah, they should have won Game 7, especially after it looked like the Mets had all the momentum back in their dugout following "The Catch" by Endy Chavez. But the inability to get a run in with the bases loaded and one out, as Jose Valentin struck out, was the turning point there. I can't blame Floyd and Beltran for striking out looking in the ninth inning, as Wainwright's curve was that good. Nor do I blame Willie for not bunting the runners over. Down by two runs, you cannot give up an out in that spot, even if it is for the purposes of getting the tying run into scoring position.

Fact is, the difference in this series wasn't anything the Mets did wrong, it was what St. Louis did right.

When a pair of journeyman right-handers in Suppan and Jeff Weaver pitch way above their pay grades, and a bullpen stocked with players with three years or less of Major League service pitch like season vets, you have to simply tip your hats to the Cardinals and root for them to dismantle the Tigers in the World Series.

Was it a disappointing finish to a great season? Sure. Should the Mets have gone further, despite the injury woes? Probably. Was the season a success? Absolutely.

I mean, hey, It’s not like we lost in the first round in four games to a team with a fraction of our payroll that had lost a league-record 119 games just two years earlier!.

But cheer up, pitchers and catchers report in 17 weeks



THE TEAM, THE TIME, THE POSTSEASON REPORT CARD



The Starting Staff

Tom Glavine -- Still an ace at 40. Here's hoping he gets the 10 wins he needs to reach 300 for his career in a Mets uniform next season. GRADE: A+

John Maine -- Showed his performance down the stretch of the regular season was no fluke, and he definitely has the intestinal fortitude, if not the stuff, to continue to blossom into a solid Major League pitcher. GRADE: B+

Oliver Perez -- The man who was Pittsburgh's opening-day pitcher the last two years only to post an ERA near 7.00 this season, Perez proved once again that he has the stuff to be dominant on this level, as long as he keeps his mechanics sound and his wild-streak in check. GRADE: B+

Steve Trachsel -- Has no balls. After getting knocked around in his LDS start, the Mets' most-tenured player was bailed out by the offense, as he has been all year. But when he got lit up in Game 3 of the LCS, Trachsely curled up into a ball and dropped his nutsack, begging out of the game after getting hit in the thigh with a batted ball. Poor baby. I mean, after giving up a home run to Jeff fucking Suppan, the pitcher, whose only other Major League homer, ironically, also came off Trachsel, you would think he might want to stick around and redeem himself. Any other pitcher would have continued. Instead, as usual, he jumped at the chance to blame anything else for his shitty performance except for himself. Another of his delightful characteristics. This motherfucker better not be wearing orange and blue next year. GRADE: F


The Bullpen
Billy Wagner -- As overpowering as Wagner can be at times, he has also shown lapses in concentration in non-save situations, and always makes things interesting even in spots where he can pick up the save. Still, I have not lost confidence in him. He may not be that light-out, slam-the-door, breakout the post-game spread kind of closer – though he is at times – but he is still Mets best option in the ninth inning since the Jesse Orosco/Roger McDowell days. I cannot fault him for the Tagucci homer. Wagner threw a 99-MPH fastball to a slap hitter who had two home runs all season, and Tagucci closed his eyes and swung. Shit happens. GRADE: B-

Aaron Heilman – The Game 7 home run to Yadier Molina not withstanding – it came in his second inning of work on a good pitch the Molina just turned on -- Heilman continued to be an important eighth-inning bridge to Wagner. Outside of Molina’s homer, Heilman allowed just one other meaningless run in 7 1/3 innings in the playoffs, in Game 3 vs. the Dodgers. GRADE: B+

Guillermo Mota – This cat is hard to figure out. He can be dominant at times, as he finished the playoffs with seven strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings, but he also seems to lose focus on the mound – see Game 2 of the LCS. Still, Mota proved valuable out of the pen, though I will always hate his guts for his battles with Mike Piazza. GRADE: B-

Chad Bradford –A master at inducing double plays in big spots, Bradford did not allow a run in 5 2/3 postseason-innings. He entered Game 6 vs. the Cardinals in relief of Maine with a runner on and one out, and got Scott Rolen to ground into an inning-ending twin-killing. See, here’s a man with balls. GRADE: A

Pedro Feliciano – Proving to be more than just a lefty specialist, Feliciano tossed 4 2/3 innings in six postseason appearances, allowing just one run. GRADE: A-

Darren Oliver – His gutsy six innings of three-hit scoreless relief of Trachsel in Game 3 is precisely the kind of performance for which Oliver was bought to New York. Even though the Mets lost the game, it was clutch in saving the bullpen for the rest of the series. His giving up three runs in relief of Trachsel in Game 3 against the Dodgers is forgiven. GRADE: A-

Roberto Hernandez – Appeared in just three games during the postseason, allowing no runs on no hit and two walks in 2 1/3 innings, though Willie did not use Hernandez in any big spots. GRADE: B

Royce Ring – On the roster for the LDS, but did not pitch. GRADE: Inc.


The Bats
Jose Reyes – While he hit just .250 during the postseason and scored just seven runs in 10 games, when Reyes did hit, as usual, the offense flowed. GRADE: B

Paul LoDuca – You’ve gotta give LoDuca a ton of credit for the way he handled the pitching staff during the playoffs, especially Maine. Mr. My Space his .275 during the postseason and delivered a huge hit in Game 6. This guy may be a prick, but he’s our prick. GRADE A-

Carlos Beltran – As usual, Beltran was mortal at Shea Stadium, but tore shit upon the road. He hit three homers, but he drove in just five runs, and failed to deliver in several key spots. GRADE: B-

Carlos Delgado – The Mets first baseman made the most of his first career postseason berth, hitting a team-high .351 with four homers and 11 RBIs. GRADE: A+

David Wright – The great white hope was nearly invisible this postseason. And while he did hit one homer and drive in a few runs, none were in big spots as he left 18 runners on base during the playoffs, including 12 in the LCS, as he hit .216. Still, it’s his first postseason, and I’m not worried about his future. I’m mean, he’s no A-Rod! GRADE: C-

Shawn Green – First of all, Green automatically receives extra credit for being the first Jewish player the Mets have had since Jeff Musselman. Still, after a nice Game 3 vs. the Dodgers, Green was fairly invisible for the rest of the playoffs, save for turning Scott Spezio’s LCS Game 2 drive from a homer into a triple, though some have said he probably should have caught the ball anyway. While he hit .313 in the postseason, he drove in just four runs. GRADE: B-

Jose Valentin – This is the only Met that can take any blame for the Game 7 loss. You gotta put the ball in play in that spot, cat. Make contact. Foul tip the fucking ball. Call the pitcher’s mother a whore! Something! Jeez! Anyway, after being as useful as yours truly anchoring a relay with his 0-for-9 against Los Angeles, Valentin decided to take the LCS off, too, save for a bases-clearing double he had in Game 4 vs. St. Louis with the Mets already leading. He finished the playoffs hitting .182. GRADE: D

Endy Chavez – Chavez may have hit just .229 during the postseason with no RBI and just two runs scored, but I have never seen a better defensive play in a bigger spot than the catch he made in Game 7. For “The Catch” alone, Chavez’s grade skyrockets. GRADE: B+

The Bench
Cliff Floyd – Hampered by injury, Floyd homered as a starter in Game 1 vs. the Dodgers and then wasn’t heard from against until striking out two on and no outs in the ninth inning of Game 7 vs. the Cardinals (yes, I know he pinch hit in Game 5). I cannot blame Cliffy for the strikeout. Like I said before, Wainwright’s curveball was that good. Shit, even MY knees buckled, and I was sitting on a couch in Union! GRADE: B

Julio Franco – Went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the postseason. Personally, while I am well aware of how good Franco is in the clubhouse, I don’t see why he was bought in here. Mets should bring him back as a coach, not a player. GRADE: F

Michael Tucker – Was 2-for-6 as a pinch-hitter without an RBI. Did score two runs. Failed to deliver in big spots. GRADE: C+

Chris Woodward – Doubled and scored in his only postseason at bat. Should have been given more pinch-hitting chances, especially with Anderson Hernandez on the LCS roster as a backup infielder. One of my few complaints with Willie. GRADE: A

Ramon Castro – Did not play in the postseason at all. Thanks for being there. GRADE: Inc.

Anderson Hernandez – Pinch ran for LoDuca in the fateful ninth inning of Game 7. At least his uniform was clean. GRADE: Inc.


The Manager

Willie Randolph
Did as well or better than could be expected. I was impressed with his ability to read his players and make the tough choices, whether it was to leave someone in or take them out. Managed the bullpen well. Would have liked to see Woodward and Castro get a swing or two, despite the matchups. Willie could be second-guessed for a few of the moves he made in the NLCS; i.e. leaving Heilman in to start the ninth inning of Game 7, and pitching Wagner in a tie game in Game 2. But those moves could have been second-guessed had he decided to go the other way, too. In fact, I agreed with both of those decisions at the time. All in all, a fine job for the second-year skipper. GRADE: A-

WHEW!!!

In the last week, my attitude toward the Mets went from supreme confidence that they would dominate the National League on their way to the World Series, to cautious hopefulness that we would get just enough starting pitching from those left standing and dominant performances by the offense and bullpen to reach the same goal.

The supreme confidence is back.

John Maine did a fine job in Game 1 of the LDS. Though it wasn't dominant by any means, and it wasn't even among some of the best performances he turned in during the regular season, Willie Randolph played that hand perfectly, taking the 4 1/3 good innings by Maine and making the most out of arguably the best bullpen of any other playoff squad.

Pedro Feliciano and Chad Bradford did exactly what they're paid to do, retiring a lefty and a righty, respectively, to get out of the fifth inning. Guillermo Mota, who to me will always be a pussy, pitched a dominant sixth inning, before allowing three runs, one earned, in the seventh (some of you who might have forgotten Mota vs. Piazza in spring training a few years back. Mota hits Piazza intentionally, then, when Mikey charges the mound, Mota turns tail and runs away, into the dugout).

The Mets offense looked like it did early in the season. Responding to every rally and coming up with huge hits from the middle of the lineup.

Carlos Delgado and David Wright were the catalysts in Game 1, with Cliff Floyd chiming in with a homer. These are the players that carried us early on, before Reyes and Beltran got hot, and it was great to see them get out of the gate in the postseason with their bats ablaze.

Aaron Heilman pitched a flawless eighth inning, and Billy Wagner got the job done in the ninth, despite giving up a run.

A HUGE win. Precisely the kind of victory the Mets needed to exorcize the negative vibe of the injuries to Pedro and El Duque.

Game 2 was about Tom Glavine, who showed the kind of veteran poise and experience that led the Mets to acquire him in the first place.

Glavine turned in six shutout innings in Game 2, and probably could have gone seven or eight, but, once again, Willie played to the team's strength, and went to the bullpen in the seventh inning, as the Mets won 4-1 -- a solo homer by Wilson Betemit off Heilman in the eighth the only blemish.

This one could have easily been 6-1 or 7-1, as a couple of balls by Wright and Floyd that would have been homers on most days, died on the warning track with the wind blowing in.

The biggest hit of the game, however, though it drove in what proved to be a meaningless run, was by Jose Reyes with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Let's face it, despite what others in the lineup may do, Reyes makes this offense go. He is the spark. The hit he delivered in the sixth is exactly the kind of hit that can get him going. He had been noticeably pressing during the first career postseason games -- swinging at bad pitches, looking to jack everything -- precisely the kinds of bad habits at the plate he displayed during his early days as a Met. Now that he has his first playoff hit under his belt, he can relax, bear down, get his ass on base, and turn the opponent's pitching staffs into nervous wrecks.

One other note; Carlos Beltran, despite having drawn four walks through the first two games, is not quite there yet. We need him. Look for him to break out on the road. One homer should get him going.

Game 3 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night in Los Angeles. Steve Trachsel vs. Greg Maddux.

Should be another good one. I don't fear Maddux. In fact, if I recall correctly, the Mets rattled him around pretty good earlier this season. And I have confidence in Trachsel to go out and give us a strong performance.

The confidence is back, baby. I'll be watching the game Saturday night with a broom well within reach!

Um

I'd love to blog right about now, but unfortunately it's impossible for me to concentrate with El Duque's foot shoved up my ass.. right to the calf.

We're SO fucked!