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The New York Mets and the New York Yankees both fell short of the playoffs this year and it also seems like the New York media and press fell short of their analysis of what happened, what went wrong and who was to blame. Being from New York, it was interesting that the reiteration of the word collapse was used time and time again in relation to this years Mets, as repeating last years fall from a 7 game lead. This year the lead was 3 and a half games, a lead that can evaporate in one series. My first premise is that, when 4 teams make the playoffs, how can there be a true collapse as opposed to when there were ten teams in the league and only one team won the pennant. Deemed even, for example, the playoff teams have a one in four chance of making the World Series, which is only 25 percent. A collapse is also presumed to come from more or less a great team, not a pretty good team as the Mets are. If Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were on the team, then if they lost at the end it would be a collapse, these fellas hit 61 and 56 home runs, many in a spacious ballpark, in the non steroid era of baseball. Does ancient memories still linger of these great teams and players and their association with New York and the resultant expectations echoing deep into the future of baseball? In thinking about this, there aren’t players in either league that are as good as the all time greats this year. There are some great names out there, Pujols, and so on, but none are Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, or Willie Mays or Joe DiMaggio. Ted Williams hit 4 hundred, hitting into a complete shift. Some players do have great stats, but the ball is juiced, the parks are smaller, and the pitching in watered down so their stats are inflated to a degree. So neither the Mets, the Yankees nor any team can have the expectations of the past, given that nobody has that super duper star. Even the 1969 Mets, had 3 fantastic pitchers, Seaver, Koosman and Ryan, each of which at their best would be the best pitcher in the National league this year. And where is there a Sandy, a Bob Gibson, guys that could win 25 games a season from sheer dominance. I read in the New York press that the Mets lost to the Florida Marlins and “inferior team” in the final game of the season. Well, these inferior team has a second basemen that had 30 plus more home runs than the Met’s second basemen and a shortstop the is close to the second coming of Ernie Banks. Even their first basemen, former Met Mike Jacobs popped into the 30’s in home runs. Not that injuries are an excuse, but there needed to be realism around key injuries to key pitchers on the Mets. John Maine, was out for the stretch drive, Billy Wagner had a career threatening injury to his elbow and was the only relief picture that had a chance to be above mediocre on the roster this year. By contrast the Yankees Mariano Rivera converted 39 out of 40 possible save attempts this season and the still didn’t win enough to make the playoffs. David Wright was blasted in the media and on sports radio by Mike Francesca as lacking clutch play. He seemed to be maybe trying to hard, but at the same time no mention was made that last September he hit over 4 hundred for the month and given the history of the Mets, and how they have never had a mainstay 3rd basemen with Wright’s numbers and had something like 40 plus first basemen from their inception until 1969, maybe they should be grateful for a big bat at the position and somebody who has a relatively or seemingly stable personality. Then a New York Daily has the headlines of the unthinkable happening and the Met's choking. I listened to the last game, potential game winning or tying home runs by Church and Delgado were caught at the warning tracks in the last 2 innings, the types of hits that a sudden little gust of wind would put over the fence, so I wouldn’t call this game outright choking. It is a game of inches and hard hits can be right at someone. They were in the position to win even in the last two innings. The Yankees were deemed underachievers but also had key injuries and some good play as well. A great and exciting season from Mike Mussina. Phil Hughes is now relegated in the press to a has been, but he has at points been rated by scouts as one of the top couple of pitching prospects in baseball and of course they could be wrong, but this years performance is not enough evidence to the contrary yet, as he had the rib injury while pitching earlier in the season. A mistake the Yankees might have made in terms of winning was switching Mr. Chamberlain out of the bullpen, and otherwise they would have had the 8th and 9th covered for about the whole season. I was at the Cubs game the previous Monday and the opposing pitcher hit a grand slam but it was seeing Luis Castillo not even swinging his bat on any pitches to strike out at the end of the game with two men on and a possible rally that was emblematic. A big mistake the manager made was playing Castillo in these key games down the stretch, and despite his hefty contract, he should have been on the bench. It hurts a team and puts pressure on the lineup when a position player is becoming almost a sure out. The issue with the Yankees is overall athleticism and some players getting a bit older. Johnny Damon had a nice year at the bat. Nagy could be a nice long term addition to the outfield corps. The excitement came in different ways including a pitcher from the just signed from the Mexican league who holds great promise as a game performer type pitcher. But hurting the Yankees was losing their lead starter for the year early on and the difficulty in finding someone else. They should not throw the bank at C.C. because he is said to have an aversion to New York so the heck with him. There is always someone else. The Mets should let Oliver Perez find greener pastures, literally and figuratively. He is not going to be worth what Scott Boras is going to price him at. Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans showed great potential as a tandem for the future as classic swingers of the bat. The New York press needs to get real, No matter what the salaries are out there, the players just aren't as good as the all time greats and that is just the way it is and realism needs to be in place as to just how even all these major league players are to a degree, where indeed a David Wright is about as good as it is going to get. A billion dollars can't buy you even another Tom Seaver.
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