ISSUE #1 Wagner having Tommy John surgery. See ya in '10?
It looks like the Sandman is breaking through Billy Wagner's front door and taking no prisoners. Not only is Wagner out for this playoff run, but looks like he's going to miss all of '09 as well. So in 2010, when Wagner is again healthy, he'll be going on 39 years and more importantly, a free agent.
As a Yankee fan who is indifferent, if not slightly pro-Mets, I gotta sympathize with this team and their fans. New York sports is roughly a tale of two fanbases, Giants/Yanks and Jets/Mets. As a member of the former fanbase, my baseball team owned the 90's, have made the playoffs all but one year this decade, and oh by the way, our football team had arguably the greatest if not most improbable championship run a few months ago. (Oh, and being a Devils fan? Yeah, that's had some advantages too.) And the latter fanbase? Not exactly the L.A. Clippers, but many more embarassing moments than us, including but not limited to: the '92 Mets, Yadier Molina, Generation K, Browning Nagle, Chad Pennington's shoulder, Vinny Testaverde's ACL, Blair Thomas, Johnny Mitchell, Ken O'Brien, and Rich Kotite. Most importantly, no championships in the last 20 years and only 3 since the Jets and Mets have come into existence.
All of this is to say that the Mets got screwed by the timing of the Wagner injury. They were having a season where they were not only making the playoffs, but becoming more and more likely to go deep into the playoffs. I'm not saying they were a lock to make the world series, but let's look at this logically. Couldn't you see them beating the Brewers? Sabathia has been a turrible postseason pitcher and every Sheets start is a DL visit waiting to happen. If the Mets beat the Brewers, they could've overcome the D-Backs, Dodgers, or Cubs because of lack of hitting, lack of talent, and lack of luck, respectively. Would they lose to the Angels/Sox/D-Rays? Probably. But they could have been fairly competitive. And in one 7 game series, who knows what can happen, just ask the '06 Cardinals. But without a closer, do they now even have a chance of surviving the NL? Maybe, but probably not.
Sorry Mets, but ya need a closer, and unless you're going to get 3-4 complete games each round, you're as likely to represent New York in the World Series as the Yankees.
ISSUE #2 The Stupidest People in the World Are...
the people who think that New England will be any worse than 8-8 without Tom Brady. They have one of the easiest schedules in the league and oh by the way, Randy Moss, Laurence Maroney, Adalius Thomas, and one of the better O-Lines in the league all have their ACL's. Will they win the Super Bowl? No. But they'll be no worse than 8-8.
ISSUE #3 Knicks say they're in no rush to trade Zach Randolph.
Somewhere, White Boy and buffet owners in Memphis shed a tear.
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1 comment:
As far as Wagner is concerned, it is not the end of the world by any means. The team has been doing well without him. True, it is a big loss because of his reputation as a dominant closer, but his year has not been amazing. Throughout these weeks, Jerry Manuel has been able to try out a lot of different scenarios for closers, including taking advantage of September call-ups. Luis Ayala, who they got from the Nats, has been great. Brian Stokes is a call-up and has been doing well himself. The bullpen, in the games against the Brewers (that team that they might have to play in round 1) and the Phillies, has been fantastic. With all of this being said, one the playoffs arrive, if the Mets are there, Jerry will have to make some decisions. Also, will these guys be able to handle the pressure of October baseball? I'm not devastated about this news, I think losing John Maine for the season would be a lot worse (he could potentially come back and pitch in the bullpen if needed)....
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