Thursday, October 11, 2007By Joyce Mandelkern
I have spent the last week or so getting my equilibrium back. Baseball is so woven into the fabric of my life that it leaves a large void to fill when it suddenly disappears. I find myself with no game to go to or watch in the evening, and I feel somewhat disoriented for a time and need to readjust. When it ends badly, which it usually does, it makes it that much harder. But if you think about it, it can really only end well for the fans of one team. The rest of us are left to the "what ifs" and the "wait until next years" and discussing the moves that need to be made.
I think it is particularly difficult to recover from disappointment in New York. We are a city divided. We are not all on the same page. If the Red Sox go down in flames, the entire city must mourn. When the Mets go down in flames, half, if not more of the city, is laughing at us. I must say, everyone who knows me, even some that were rooting for the Yankees, offered me their "condolences." It was very hard to deal with the media-enhanced fury over "the great collapse of 2007." It became a tragedy of epic proportion. I couldn't wait for everyone to just move on to the next debacle and gratefully, the Yankees provided a much needed distraction for the media and salve for the wounds of the Mets fan. The Phillies being swept went a long way too in the healing. Okay - I admit it. I'm a sore loser. I'm probably a sore winner, too, but how would I know?
There is much talk already about who will go where. No, I don't want A-Rod to be on the Mets. Yes, I know he is the best player in baseball. I think every team he has been on has been better after he has left and I think the money he would cost would be much better spent on other things - say, pitching. I do not want to trade Jose Reyes. He had a bad half-season. Let's give the kid a break and not give up on him so quickly. I'm glad Pudge is off the market, because I think it would've been a mistake to bring him in and I don't want to see Posada here either. I love hearing and reading all these things because I love to debate them all. Isn't this what makes the off-season so great? We all have opinions and there is so much to discuss. Its almost as if the baseball goes on all year long. Gotta love hot-stove!
I can now watch the playoffs without being emotionally invested in them and enjoy baseball for the game it is. I have already begun to play general manager and think about what I want Omar to do and not to do. I suppose I have begun to move on, but I really miss Mets baseball, even bad Mets baseball. Yet, I keep saying I want a mulligan. If we could just have that last month over, I think we can get it right this time. Give us another chance! But our chance won't come until 2008. Unil then, we have some work to do. I'm ready to get started.
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Comments (6)
With the talk of trades starting to flow, they keep talking about Miledge will be in any tradefor a pitcher. How good can miledge be.would make the trade seem to be a no brainer or passon it. could he be a .280 25hr/90rbiguy? the outfield will get better when he learns how to read the ball better . so when I look at him that way, who am I getting in return makes or breaks the deal the pitcher we would get, is he worth that kind of player?with his best years ahead of him. then the pitcher should have his best years ahead of him to.If we trade away youth we should get back youth.
Posted by REV AL | October 11, 2007 5:06 PM
rev al - its great to hear from you!! how are you doing? we've been hearing talk throughout the year that oakland likes milledge and would be willing to deal some pitching with him involved...i'm hesitant to include him, although we desperately need good, young pitching...but you are right - what does our outfield look like next year without him? are we bringing back green and alou? do we go after rowand and ask him to play right? what are we doing with gomez and chavez, neither of whom have been proven to be everyday players...and we certainly can't count on alou to be healthy for 162 games or green to be productive all season...we need a plan...personally, i'd like to get (stay) younger all around - which of course brings us back to pitching...they say its easier to find good outfielders than good pitchers so...
Posted by joyce mandelkern | October 11, 2007 6:20 PM
what do you think of the japanese right fielder Koduke Fukudome,they cAll him "dome'.294WITH20H/R AND 50DOUBLES MVPIN 2007,400+0BP. I KNOW ITS JAPANESE BALL BUT HE IS A F,A,youngand it's ONLY MONEY?+ he is a gold glove player too. there is a Alexei Ramirez CUBAN F>A> s/S 2 ND BASEcatching scouts eyes. thats omars type of player, NEED MORE INFO ON THIS GUY. a STAT ON CasTILLO says his ave 133games 18s/bsover the last 3YEARS. IF THats true we should resign himand pltoon him at 2nd if he is not a bad influence on Reyes, he fits that two hole pretty good also.since my stroke my typing and spelling has gotten worse and it was pretty bad before the stroke but now I kind of have an excuse.
Posted by REV AL | October 12, 2007 5:31 PM
rev al - we haven't had much luck with japanese players so far and i'm skeptical. i don't think their numbers translate here. (i'm actually happy for kaz matsui though, and i don't think he ever could have done in ny what he is doing in colorado, and we certainly gave him every opportunity.) i don't know anything about the other guy you mentioned - i like castillo alot, just concerned about his knee...is 2nd base a cursed position for us? don't worry about your typing or spelling - i'm just glad to be talking baseball with you once again!
Posted by joyce mandelkern | October 12, 2007 8:07 PM
Hi JOYCE Ditto on talking baseball again Iam very thankfull I can do that. God is good. Iam recovering with leaps and bounds.almost back to normal and that may be scary to a lot of people.I asked this a few days ago,Ithink? do you think if we had a sweet Lou type of manager we would be in the playoffs?
Posted by REV AL | October 13, 2007 9:46 AM
thats a tough one to answer...given the way the players were playing (pitching and position players) down the stretch, i'd have to say not in this case...the whole thing just fell apart, so its impossible to pin it on just one thing, like the manager...it was more like the perfect storm...
Posted by joyce mandelkern | October 13, 2007 11:39 PM