Chapter 78.4: Is Glavine Done?

Though the 2007 baseball season is long since finished, Mets fans have not forgetten the terrible way it ended. After weeks of bullpen failures and a lack of clutch hitting, John Maine took a no-hitter deep into the game, and while he wasn't able to toss the first no-no in Mets history that day, he was able to win the game and get the Mets back into a tie for first place.

The next day, Tom Glavine couldn't get out of the first inning.

So, while it may not be fashionable among Mets fans, I was saddened to read that his career may be over. Glavine's injured elbow has caused him to shut it down for 2008, and he hopes the Braves will take him back in 2009; he doesn't want to play anywhere else, he said.

Though I've never met him, I have a lot of respect for Tom Glavine. He always worked hard, he answered reporters' questions, and he genuinely seemed to understand a fan's perspective. Plus, he is and will always be a family man. Some of these players talk about how a decision has to make sense for their family, but then they take a few million dollars more to go elsewhere. He did it too, but for some reason, I believe his family meant more to him than the money.

I was proud to see him win his 300th game as a Met. I'm happy he played for my favorite team and that I saw him pitch a few times.

So if this is the end, I'm sad for him and for baseball. But I don't think he's too worried. He's got a family that loves him and he's got nothing to be ashamed of overall — not even that last 1/3 of an inning in 2007 (though I didn't think that at the time).

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 65.300: Way to Go Tommy G.

Congratulations to Tom Glavine for his 300th career regular season victory. While he's the fourth pitcher who wore a Mets uniform to accomplish the feat (Spahn, Seaver, Ryan, Glavine), he's the first to do it in a Mets uniform. As a lifelong Mets fan, I'm pretty pleased and happy for him. I wish him all the best. He'll go into the Hall of Fame as a Brave, but he's been a good Met.

Chapter 63: Milestones

Some significant milestones are in sight for many future Hall of Fame baseball players. Today, Frank Thomas became the twenty-first player to hit 500 home runs (before being ejected from the game). And it's likely that sometime this weekend Craig Biggio of the Astros will become the twenty-seventh to reach 3,000 hits for his career. [Correction: Biggio knocked five base hits last night to surpass 3,000. Congratulations Craig!] Both are almost certain Hall of Famers. Thomas won two Most Valuable Player Awards in the 1990s, and while Biggio has started to slow down, he's been one of the more consistent hitters in the National League since 1988.

But they're not the only people who have significant milestones ahead of them. Of course, Barry Bonds is the most obvious, with just a handful of home runs to go before he ties Hank Aaron's record of career home runs. I'm no fan of Bonds, whose reputation has been dragged through the mud due to his suspected steroid or human growth hormone use. It's sad, too, because he was a certain Hall of Famer before he seems to have started using the substances. Add on his career-long surliness and attitude problems, and you probably have as many people hoping his hamstring snaps as he's circling the bases on 754, if not sooner, than rooting for him to break Aaron's record.

The guy I'm rooting for to reach his personal milestone is Tom Glavine, who is now three wins away from 300 for his career. After a stellar career with the Atlanta Braves, where he won two Cy Young Awards, he came to the Mets and has been solid. There was a point last year when I thought he might be able to win another Cy Young award; had he not been left with so many no decisions and reached 20 wins, he probably would have. I know a lot of Mets fans are sick of his soft-tossing and picky nibbling at the corners, but I'm a fan of smart pitching, and I enjoy seeing him work and listening to him talk about his craft.

Another craftsman is Roger Clemens, though I think we're finally seeing the final season of his remarkable career. He needs one more win to reach 350, and even though the Yankees suck, he should be able to get it despite his slowing fastball.

With such achievements in the near future, I wouldn't be surprised if Major League Baseball did something during the All-Star Game to recognize the achievements -- particularly for Thomas and Biggio. (To Bud Selig's happiness, Bonds will likely not have reached the Aaron mark by the All-Star Game.) Though Biggio doesn't deserve a spot in the game itself, I think it's a worthwhile gesture for these guys.