Chapter 79.8: Playoff Predictions

Ok, I'm a little late on this, but honestly this is what I thought before the games began:

AL
Red Sox vs. Angels: Angels in five. I believe their pitching is simply better than what the Red Sox can muster at this point. And Papelbon hasn't been as sharp lately, which must concern Red Sox Nation.

White Sox vs. Rays: Rays in four. With apologies to my friends in Chicago, I don't think there'll be a Windy City World Series because the Rays, while young and inexperienced, are simply too darn talented. And rested. But those Sox have pluck. They should be able to take at least one.

NL
Phillies vs. Brewers: Phils in four. I'd like to root for the Brewers, since the Phillies are the Mets' chief rivals these days. But I just don't see how the Brewers can do it with CC and God Save Us! as their pitching staff.

Dodgers vs. Cubs: Cubs in five. Ok, here's the one that got affected by last night's game. I honestly was surprised that the Dodgers beat Dempster, so instead of my prediction of Cubs in four, I've added a game. But this could easily be proven wrong. The Dodgers are almost as hot as the Rockies were last year.

Chapter 79.4: Mets Continue to Struggle

The Mets keep on struggling, but at least they finally beat the woeful Washington Nationals.

Yet, despite the awful way they completed last season, I don't have the same sense of dread that I felt then. The 2007 team broke my heart. Of course, so did the 2006 team, when I watched Carlos Beltran follow a breaking pitch into the catcher's mitt for an embarassing third strike in the NL Championship Series. Somehow, I don't think Jerry Manuel — my new favorite manager ;-) — will allow them to quit on themselves like the 2007 squad did.

I'm sure this club could end up frustrating me just as much as the previous two teams, but for some reason I don't think it'll happen. For one thing, they have two legitimate shots at making the playoffs — though in both the division and the wild card, they have close competition. The Phillies are the defending division champs and they must be respected, while the Brewers have CC Sabathia, who may just be the best pitcher in the National League right now.

So, I'll use the Mets as a way to introduce a new gadget on my blog: a poll question. What do you think, will they make the playoffs (and, if so, how do you think they will they get there), or will they be playing ping pong with the Yankees?

Vote early and vote often.

Chapter 76.2: Time to Strike the Match, Willie

I'm sorry to say this, but I think it's time for Willie Randolph to go. I won't belabor the point, because the arguments I'll make are pretty much the same ones that have been bandied about already.

The fact is, the Mets are playing like an uninspired, mediocre team. Billy Wagner is right that the players need to be held accountable; moreover, he's correct in saying he's not the one who should be answering reporters' questions about what's wrong with the team. (He's a reliever, already! He's not the reason the bullpen has been so bad. The guy hasn't given up an earned run all year.) But there's more to it than just that. The team is listless.

Don't blame the injuries, either. No one really expected much from Pedro or El Duque. The team should be hitting better than this. Part of the problem is that Carlos Delgado is past his prime. We could tolerate a .260 batting average from him with 20-22 home runs and maybe 80-90 RBI if Carlos Beltran were hitting, but neither of them are producing as expected. For that matter, neither is David Wright at the moment. Thank God for Ryan Church! But what has happened to Jose Reyes?

What kills me is that the way the Mets are playing is not what I have come to expect of a Willie Randolph club. When he was playing, Randolph was a hard-nosed, strong-willed player, proud of his abilities and too stubborn to accept losing. Ask him if he's worried about his team's performance now, however, and he gives an answer of "No, not yet. ... It's just one game. ... You can't judge a season on a couple games..."

Willie, a quarter of the season is behind you. If you can't get this club playing like champions by now, why should you be allowed to keep at it?

Ignite that fire in your belly, Willie. We all know it was there in the past. But if you don't find the fire, you'll find yourself fired.

Chapter 69: Rocking Good Time

The Rockies win the pennant! The Rockies win the pennant. The Rockies win the ...

No, it just doesn't have the same ring to it that other teams might have created, though, to be honest, neither does "Congratulations to the National League Champion Diamondbacks," though we've heard that and more in the past.

But, as a National League fan, I do wish former Met Clint Hurdle and his team well in the World Series, whether they play the Indians or the Red Sox -- both of which will give them a run for their money. I'm surprised that Arizona wasn't able to break the Rockies winning streak, and I'd be more surprised if they can sweep their eventual World Series opponent. But stranger things have happened.

For now, the Rockies have to withstand nine days of dormancy. Let's see what kind of club they have when they finally take part in their first ever World Series.

Chapter 67.15: Why We'll Advance to the Playoffs

Ok, I have to remain positive. The Mets haven't been eliminated -- we're not the Braves, after all. I've got a few reasons to list why the Mets will take the National League East division.

* They're 10-5 against this weekend's competition, the Florida Marlins, who looked awful last weekend against a truly miserable Mets team (Whoops, I said I'd be positive.)

* The Phillies are playing the Nationals, who have been quite scrappy in the second half and have started to gel under manager Manny Acta (who was a Mets coach last year -- a little karma thing going, you see?)

* The Mets have Oliver Perez (pictured on right), John Maine, and Tom Glavine going in these final three games. Perez has become a big-game pitcher, one of those guys who seems to do better when there's a lot of pressure on him. This may explain why he was awful in Pittsburgh. Maine's been sketchy at best during the second half, but these are the Marlins. (I know, not a strong argument at all.) And Tom Glavine has been strong most of the year and in what could be his final game ever, he's not going to stink up Shea and earn the wrath of fans who have finally started to warm to him.

* I've already spent nearly $300 on playoff tickets for a game that might not take place, regardless of whether the Mets are in the post-season. (Perhaps this last point is a bit personal, and it may even point to why they won't make the playoffs.)

I'm a frustrated Mets fan, and I know enough of the team's history to realize that this will be an interesting and excruciating weekend. I've not been this nervous since Kenny Rogers was on the mound during the 1999 NLCS.

Chapter 62.2: Not So Good

Well, the Mets lost two of three. Worse things could have happened, and it was good to see the Mets score some runs again. But while the Mets retain first place, they shouldn't assume that this season is theirs for the taking. There are more than 90 games to go, and that's more than enough space for the Braves, or Phillies, or even the Marlins to supplant the Mets atop the NL Eastern Division. We've lost, but it's on to the next game. And on the way toward October.