The 2006 season may be over, but I’m commited to making sure we have an exciting winter on the podcast site. To that end, the new forum is fired up and ready to go.
I’ve even started a couple of topics to get the ball rolling. The forum is the place where YOU can start the conversation, as opposed to replying to my thoughts.
So sign up and get the talk started. After all, spring training is only a few months away.
Do you like the name (CitiField) of the new Mets ballpark?
Total Votes: 43
Loading ...I experienced the last moments of the last game of this season just after landing in Newark. My Cingular service has an internet service with ESPN coverage of all the games on one of those little screens with icons for the runners and basic info on the game. I got there just in time to see two little dots on first and second, no dots in the outs area and Cliff Floyd at the plate. Not exactly the most exciting way to catch a game 7 in the playoffs.
I agonized through every refresh of the screen. Floyd – One out. Reyes – Two outs. LoDuca – A walk. At this point I had hope for some of that old Met magic. Bases loaded, two outs, Beltran at the plate in game 7 of the NLCS. There isn’t a kid who’s played baseball, softball, wiffle ball, stickball or stoop ball that hasn’t dreamed of such a moment. A moment with the chance to be a hero and make the stadium rock. Moments like that put players into history books. Moments like the one when Bobby Thomson crushed the Dodgers with a home run that came to be known as “The Shot Heard Round The World.” Moments like Mookie dribbling one up the first base line to score a winning run.
This moment was not our moment. The moment belonged to Cardinal closer Adam Wainwright. Beltran – Struck out looking.
When a team loses a playoff series we tend to look for villains. We single them out. We dwell. Mota and Wagner were the villains in Game 2. Trachsel was the villain in Game 3. Maybe it’s Beltran or even Heilman in Game 7. Who cares? In some way all of those guys contributed big during the regular season.
The Mets had a knack for hitting with Trachsel on the mound. Guillermo Mota surprised everyone by doing a pretty good job replacing Duaner Sanchez in the second half. Billy Wagner was lights out in the second half and the first round of the playoffs. Aaron Heilman was amazing in the second half, stepping into the 8th inning role like a young pitcher determined to prove the doubters wrong. And all Carlos Beltran did was return the fans faith in the big free agent signing.
Wright had a bad series. Floyd was hurt. No El Duque or Pedro Martinez. There were challenges and some say our team was lucky to get this far under the circumstances. I don’t buy it. We had the guns to win it. They just went silent at the hands on St. Louis pitching that surprised the Mets. Beltran had a bad at bat at the wrong time against a guy who has been an effective closer. There are worse sins in the game of baseball.
We discovered a few things along the way though. John Maine and Oliver Perez stepped up. It’s going to be very interesting next year with the likes of Glavine, Maine, Perez, Bannister and Pelfrey hanging around spring training. Maybe El Duque will be around too. There are things to look forward to. Reyes, LoDuca, Beltran, Delgado and Wright are all returning. Who knows what else Omar Minaya has up his sleeve.
So no epitaph here. Just some late night thoughts (as usual). I’m going to take a couple of days, let the comments flow in, and fire up the podcast again after the weekend. I need to clear my head out and let the fans have their say. Please call the comment line, use the Mobatalk Voicemail on the site or email me MP3 Files. It would be nice to include the voices of more of the people who are on the other side of the podcast. Text comments on this post are welcome as well.
Let’s Go Mets!
Welcome to Amazin’ Moments, the un-official New York Mets Baseball Podcast. This is where fans of the New York Mets pro baseball team get their fix.
I’ve been a lifelong Mets fan. I grew up just a few miles from Shea Stadium and have experienced all the ups and downs of the last 30 years of Mets baseball.
Now you can get involved via this podcast. I’ll be recording posts that you can listen to in order to get my perspective on the New York Mets baseball team. You can talk back now by commenting on the podcasts and writing your own blog posts about the Mets on our social network at www.iheartmets.com.
Lets Go Mets!
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