The fact that the Mets continue to hover on their magic number of one, only to be shut out by the Pirates while the Phillies continue not to lose, has me wondering about the possibility of watching one of those “historic crashes” one sometimes hears about. You know, like when the Yankees crashed and burned to the Red Sox.
Can you imagine if the Mets lose every single game to the end of the season while the Phillies win every single game? I know, I know…very unlikely.
Ridiculous even to think about it.
They’ll clinch the thing tomorrow. I’m almost positively 100% sure, I think.
PAD
• 
That would be proof that there is a god.
So when the Mets clinch, will that be proof there’s no God?
Anyways, PAD, football season’s here! And the Giants came from behind to upset the Eagles. Good times, good times.
Tom Keller: So when the Mets clinch, will that be proof there’s no God?
Nah, proving a negative is a lot harder…
Tom Keller: So when the Mets clinch, will that be proof there’s no God?
Nah, proving a negative is a lot harder…
PAD, if you were a Tigers fan (and who is, excatly?) then you’d have a real worry. No, I’d be more concerned over Petey’s and Glavine’s arms falling off in the playoffs. I mean, they can’t win every game 11-10. (Actually, scratch that. If any team could win ’em all that way, it’d be these guys.)
On a sartorial note, I haven’t been able to watch the Amazin’s without wincing since they added black in the color scheme. Merchandising be dámņëd, bring back the simple Brooklyn Blue and Giant Orange.
Nah, even for the WORST CHOKE EVER, the Yankees only had to lose, y’know, four games in a row, several in extra innings and after leading, and after going up 3-0 in games.
[Sorry, but given how this season’s been going, we Red Sox fans do need to remind ourselves of that…well, that and that for World Championships won in this century, it’s still Red Sox 1 – New York (combined) 0. Me, I’m now rooting for the Padres in the post-season, as they have a ridiculous 11 former BoSox on the roster. They’re the real “Red Sox West”, not the Dodgers. Although I will admit a Mets-Dodgers series would be amusing for the obvious reasons.]
My screensaver image remains as it was on that marvelous October day back in 2004: a JPG of the sports back page of the Daily News the morning after the Sox won the AL pennant.
“THE CHOKE’S ON US” it reads, in “JAPAN SURRENDERS”-size type. Under that: “Yankees complete worst post-season collapse in baseball history.”
It’s a cheap giggle, but it always generates a giggle.
I was giving a talk in New York City the night of ALCS Game 6. 200 people were expected, but naturally, only about 100-150 turned up. “You made the right call in coming here,” I said, before I started. “The game you’ll REALLY want to see is Game 7…which I assure you, will most definitely be played tomorrow night.”
And on the 5-hour train ride home to Boston, I read every New York sports columnist, unanimously speaking in the tones of a parent whose teen son has wrecked the car. “You know why I bought your older brother a car?” Lupica seemed to say. “Because the Red Sox _worked_ for that car. The Red Sox proved that they were _responsible_ enough to have a car, and that they didn’t feel as though they _deserved_ a car by birthright.
“But _you?_ I just don’t know, son. Sometimes…well, I really just don’t know.”
More giggling.
And God punished me for taking such joy in other people’s tragedy. He made sure that when the Sox won the World Series, I’d be watching it on the plasma screen TV in a San Jose hotel bar, with no sound. I didn’t get to see it “for real” until months later, when the whole series came out on DVD.
Keith Hernandez keeps saying it’s 1986 all over again. They had a chance to clinch in Philly and got swept, and had to do it at home.
Houston almost helped them out Sunday, I thought they were going to come back in the bottom of the ninth. Two on, two out. Then a long fly out to end the game.
It’s better that the Met’s clinch at home anyway. No celebrating on someone else’s field.
Well, us Cubs fans haven’t forgotten what happened to us, in ’69.
To those same Mets, no less.
Dave
Go Bears!
As for my Cubbies: just wait’ll next year!
Man, if there’s a Yankees / Mets world series, I am seriously going to cry. And then cheer for the Mets. I can’t believe I’m saying that. Ðámņ Yankees.
Yanks are gonna clinch sometime in the next 3 days when they go up against the Jays. Personally, I just want to see the Jays pass the BoSox and get 2nd in their division, just out of stuborn pride.
Aw, don’t worry about it, Peter. Lose 17 games in a row? Impossible!
Wait — I’m a Royals fan. Nevermind! ^.^;
Wildcat
You wouldn’t be a Mets fan if you didn’t think this was a possibility. We are conditioned to expect the worst.
And while I think the Mets are the best of the NL, this weekend is a reminder that getting anywhere in the playoffs will depend in gitting lefties. They had better figure that ut, and fast.
Let’s Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!
If it were anyone other than the Phightin’ Phils chasing the Mets your concern would be justified Peter, but c’mon…you know they’ll win just enough to break our hearts. That said, I’m as straight as they come, but I’ve got HUGE man-love for Ryan Howard. That kid is the real deal!
Stop worrying!
Ask yourself if you can remember the last team to win the National League East besides the Braves – I’ll bet you have a tough time.
It would’ve been nice to have clinched it already but, it will be that much sweeter for the Mets to celebrate on their home field. Losing to the Pirates and being swept by them is nothing to boast about but…
– It’s only the second time this season a team has swept a series with the Mets.
– The guy who went Friday night hadn’t pitched in a month so it’s understandable if he was a bit rusty. As far as him being upset about his performance? I’d rather have a guy who cares than one who doesn’t – that he wanted to be on the mound when they clinched and was upset he didn’t come through says something.
– None of the games were blowouts
– I’d rather them go through a cold spell now, one game from clinching and get hot again in a few weeks – in the post season when it makes a big diffference.
It’s a good team this year, better still when you remember they’ve managed to be the best in the league without their number one starter for most of the season. I’m trying to figure out who it is they‘ll be facing in the post season – the wild card race is that close!
Got my Division Series tix yesterday!
Besides, like the man above said – among the bragging rights to championships that other New York baseball team has, they also lay claim to the greatest choke in baseball history and we wouldn’t dream of taking that away from them.
“Anyways, PAD, football season’s here!”
Yeah. Sure. Try telling that to a Skins fan.
Like me.
🙁
Aw, quitcher whinin’ Jerry C! You think you got problems? I’m a BILLS fan. They’ve been in “rebuilding” mode since 1994!
Nah, if you want something that’ll really get ya nervous, you gotta take sides on what’s going on in the AL central. With the Twins, Tigers, and White Sox all vying with each other for the clinch and the Wild Card, and with the White Sox playing the Tigers this week and the Twins playing the White Sox and the end of the season. and then all thinking of all the permutations of post-season match-ups…well, that’s something that can drive you crazy… 😉
>Lose 17 games in a row? Impossible!
The Ottawa Senators (or ‘Senasnores’ as some call them) NHL hockey team’s fans wish it were so. That team has been known to set records for futility since their return about fifteen years ago.
You want a team which chokes spectacularly? Try them a few years ago when they’d managed to make it into the playoffs after a regular season at or near the top of the standings. They’d had a relatively easy first elimination round, had has almost a week off in which to rest up and get ready for the next round in near perfect shape. The next team they faced was bottom-end Toronto. At least one-third of their roster was on the injured list and the leafs had just come off a brutal 7-game match against the islanders. By all logical measures Ottawa should have walked all over them. Nope. Toronto swept them away, four games to nil.
Or last time when Ottawa faced another inferior (on paper) team, only to lose in overtime, while enjoying (wasting was more like it) a man advantage.
I doubt even a collective, emergency tracheotomy can help a team that’s this good at choking.
Ah, but no sports team can pull defeat from the jaws of victory better than a St. Louis team. For real choking, watch how our Cardinals perform in this year’s World Series. 🙂
Ah, but no sports team can pull defeat from the jaws of victory better than a St. Louis team.
Cubs, 1969, pìššìņg away the NL in the last three weeks of the season
Cubs, 1984, NLCS vs Padres
Cubs, 2003, NLCS vs Marlins
Cubs, 2004, pìššìņg away the Wild Card in the last week of the season
Don’t even try and compare such futility to the Cubs. You’ll lose. 🙂
Aw, quitcher whinin’ Jerry C! You think you got problems? I’m a BILLS fan. They’ve been in “rebuilding” mode since 1994!
—————————-
Yeah, well I’m a Dolphins fan, and you guys kicked our butts yesterday. So what are you complaining about 🙂
David
This is fascinating. Most people, when they start banging heads about teams, tout their own team’s superiority. I’ve never seen a “Oh yeah? Our team is worse!” competition before.
Just remember, kids: There’s no I in team, but there is a U in suck.
PAD
Posted by: David Serchay at September 18, 2006 03:59 PM
Yeah, well I’m a Dolphins fan, and you guys kicked our butts yesterday. So what are you complaining about 🙂
After letting Miami come back from a 21-0 deficit last year, we needed the win! 🙂
“This is fascinating. Most people, when they start banging heads about teams, tout their own team’s superiority. I’ve never seen a “Oh yeah? Our team is worse!” competition before.”
Then you obviously don’t know enough Skins fans at this stage of your life.
Bill,
You guys are 1-1.
We’re 0-2.
Your guys looked like they belonged on the field this weekend. My guys looked liked they belonged under the field this weekend.
Try again.
David Serchay, Jerry C — fine, you win!
Dolphins SUCK! Redskins SUCK!
BUFFALO RULES!
Better?
🙂
I’m not sure about the “BUFFALO RULES!” part but the rest is fine.
As a Pittsburgher and long time suffering Pirate fan, I can tell you that if your team is swept by the Pirates, that’s just sad. I know the Pirates have come alive the 2nd half of the season, but before that, they just stunk so the Mets should be ashamed of themselves for not taking at least one game from my hapless Buccos.
“PAD, if you were a Tigers fan (and who is, excatly?) then you’d have a real worry.”
That would be me, and quite frankly I’ve had enough of their late season skid. They’ve given me no choice but to put them On Notice. Tigers take note Detroit’s already had to suffer through the Red Wings and the Pistons choking in the postseason this year. We don’t need you to choke before you even make it there. You need to be like a real Detroit team and secure the best record in the league and then choke in the postseason. That’s what they did. As for the Lions, if they don’t turn things around soon they’ll be Dead to Me. Moving On…
Posted by: Peter David at September 18, 2006 04:20 PM
Just remember, kids: There’s no I in team, but there is a U in suck.
How the hëll did the person who came up with the phrase “there’s no ‘I’ in team” fail to recognize that there IS a “ME” in “team”???????????
There’s also “tea” in team. And that’s not good. Too much tea in the team and they get the jitters, have problems keeping their focus on the game and have trouble running fast without feeling … pains.
Most likely what’s been happening to our teams.
:p
In ’04, ESPN did a special called “Who’s Curse is Worse”, where they had a judge/jury set up to determine if the Cubs or BoSox had the worse curse.
The BoSox, somehow, “won”, and of course they go on to win the World Series that year.
I’d bìŧçhšláp Karma for that one if I could. 😛
And then, of course, after the BoSox eliminate their World Series win drought, the third longest in baseball, the ChiSox, having the second longest drought, win it.
So…
I’ve never seen a “Oh yeah? Our team is worse!” competition before.
98 years of futility will do that to a fan base. 🙂
I’m a Ti-Cats fan (3-11 record, baby!), a long suffering Maple Leaf fan, a Buffalo Bills fan, A Jays and Toronto Raptors fan. You don’t know the depths of despair until you’ve lived in Toronto and cheered for their squads.
There you go, Aaron007. There’s no God.
And, Bill Myers, I’m very, very sorry to hear that you’re a Bills fan. Now THAT is serious heartbreak.
Ask yourself if you can remember the last team to win the National League East besides the Braves – I’ll bet you have a tough time.
Did, had to look it up. I see 3 possible answers:
1) 1994: No team won the NL East, as the season ended in August due to a strike.
2) 1993: Philadelphia won the NL East. However, Atlanta won the NL West.
3) 1990: The two NL teams were Cincinatti and Pittsburgh. The last year (Besides 1994 — All baseball fans would like to forget 1994) where Atlanta wasn’t in the post-season at all.
As much as “Mets are Pond Scum” is ingrained in my mind due to the 1980s rivalry with my hometown Cardinals, I wish to thank the Mets for finally ending Atlanta’s reign.
Perhaps we’ll face each other in the NLCS.
As long as the Yankees lose, everything else in baseball is just details.
Please God, crush the Yankees early and often in the playoffs.
To Mr. Ries:
I sure thought the Cubs were the team of destiny until that guy reached out of the stands. Then it seemed as if all the unseen forces of the world were standing in their way and the team quickly went to pieces. I had high hopes of watching the Cubbies vs The Sox. It would’ve been a great story and fun to watch.
To John:
Yeah, I knew about ’94 but it seems all the talking heads forget about the strike year when they talk about the Braves ‘amazing run.’ Also the realignment is something taken into account but, ever since realignment we haven’t had another division winner other than the Braves.
I remember those 80’s Cardinals teams quite fondly. They were great teams. McGee, Ozzie Smith, Pendelton, Jack Clark, John Tudor. What a bunch! All guided by Whitey Herzog
Losing Isringhausen though has got to be a blow. Reminds me of Tudor and the fan or Pendelton and the tarp – having a key guy go down when you need him most.
and finally to Dan:
Amen, brother. Amen.
It was Vince Coleman who got ‘attacked’ by the ‘killer tarp’ and I think he ultimately ended up with the Mets.
The headlines after the Tudor-incident were classic: Tudor Hits Fan. You had to read the story to see it was a fan in the dugout with blades.
Jack Clark is now the coach for a local Independent team, the River City Rascals.
The only excitement we’ve really had since the 80s was McGwire.
Isringhausen has been one of those relief pitchers who when he is called in, the fans cringe and wish there was someone else. He left for the season with a won-4 lost-8 saved 33 record. A closing pitcher having a decision in 25% of his outings? I don’t really know how that compares to other team’s closers, but my gut instinct says it’s high. Still, he’s what we had.