Something that generated more email than anything else I’ve written since the beginning of ECB was my writing last week that I like how the Mets stack up to any of the six (or seven, depending on how you count the AL West) might meet in the World Series. I got everything from threats of sweeps to everything else under the sun. Look, maybe it’s the fact that the Mets haven’t been challenged very often this season, or maybe it’s just that they’re abusing National League pitching; but the AL contenders really don’t scare me. The scariest team in the entire division is in dogfight for the wildcard, and they might not even end up making it. In order from least scary to most scary: Yankees, Athletics, Tigers, White Sox, Angels, Red Sox, Twins.
Allow me to explain.
New York Yankees: Yes, I understand that the position players on the Yankees alone make more than most teams in the MLB. Yes, I understand the only guy not in the neighborhood of .300 is Jason Giambi. Yes, I understand the Rotisserie League All-Stars are able to hang up a couple dozen runs on any given night. However, I also understand that the Mets bombed Randy Johnson twice this year and have done OK vs Mike Mussina. The Yankees did to Alay Soler what they do to bad pitching: abuse the hell out of it, leading to the 16-7 blowout in the Bronx. Assuming the Yankees get to the World Series, which I still sincerely doubt, your match-ups are Pedro/Mussina (toss-up), Glavine/Wang (toss-up), Randy Johnson/El Duque (Mets), and Trachsel/Wright (Mets). Games 3, 4, and 7 go to the Mets. They need to take 1 out of 4 toss-ups. I like those odds. The Rotisserie League All-Stars get beat by good pitching every single time, they hang 20 up on bad pitching. This is why they won’t even get to the World Series, much less win it.
Oakland A’s: I include the A’s out of respect for Cam and because they’re actually in the lead in the division. The A’s are another one of those teams, like the Yankees, who I just don’t see getting through the playoffs, much less through the World Series. Granted, Zito will be pitching with dollar signs in his eyes through the post season, but he’s just one guy. Rich Harden may or may not be available through the post-season and Esteban Loaiza is hovering around a 7.00 ERA. That kind of post-season pitching is likely not going to get you through the post-season.
Detroit Tigers: There was a time in 1999 that Kenny Rogers pitched for the Mets. There was a time he pitched at the bottom of the NLCS with Andruw Jones at bat with the bases loaded. Mister Rogers then proceeded to walk in the winning run. This is Kenny Rogers in a big spot, and this is your ace. Nothing about the Tigers other than their record scares me. Maybe I’m completely wrong for not being concerned with them, but I’ve seen Kenny Rogers and his 0-3/8.85 post-season ERA enough (thanks baseball-reference!) to know what to expect out of him when the lights get too bright. Not to mention, Shea Stadium is possibly going to be the least friendly place he’s ever pitched. If the Mets beat him Game 1, which they probably will, they’ll hammer him in Game 5. Take out the ace, and you can take out the other pitchers.
Los Angeles Angels: Bartolo Colon is gone for the season, but that still leaves them a decent post-season rotation. Now, it’s possible they won’t even get there without Colon.
Chicago White Sox: Chicago swept the World Series last year because they were getting miracle performances from their starters and they were up against a team that put up 2 runs on a good day. They have a closer who’s already proven he can close out the big game (he’s not Mo, but he’s got a better argument than Papelbon). The problem is: their rotation is not proving itself to be as powerful this season. Is it possible they pull off another post-season miracle? Absolutely. But a miracle is called a miracle for a reason.
Boston Red Sox: This is really simple, karma is on the Red Sox side in a 20 year rematch. There’s also a giant Ogre who hits walkoff homeruns every other day and looks surly doing it. No part of me wants a bottom of the 9th, Fenway Park, Mets up by 1, Wagner on the mound, Papi at the plate looking like he wants to eat a fastball for a late night snack. Just in case that wasn’t enough, Manny Ramirez is waiting for you on the other side. Not fun and nothing I want a part of. On the bright side, I look forward to watching Papelbon blow an important save in the playoffs and seeing how quickly the Nation turns on him.
Minnesota Twins: The Mets are notoriously bad against pitchers they’ve never seen before and the only guy left on the Mets who faced Santana in 2004 interleague play is Cliff Floyd (good: he went 1-3, bad: he didn’t score a run). The Mets would have to face Santana and Liriano twice, and that’s enough to give me the chills. I want no part of them and, if they make the playoffs, they’re the favorite to win the American League. No one is beating them in a short series, and a long series is iffy, too. (Caveat: if Liriano is hurt, these guys scare factor takes a huge hit).
Happier Than A Pig In Feces
Call the National League Quadruple A all you want, but the Mets made two moves this past week that made me a happy camper. It was announced earlier this week that both Jose Reyes and David Wright have been locked up in long term contracts that will take the two of them through their arbitration years and into part of their free agency. Barring trade, Jose Reyes is a Metropolitan through at least 2010, while the 23-year old man about town will be at least the 29-year old man about before his services are renegotiated. Wright signed for 6/55 while Reyes signed for 4/23 with an $11.5 fifth year option. Some folks may wonder why Reyes is getting significantly less than Wright. I say to them, stop causing trouble.
For the last countless years, Derek Jeter has had the top selling baseball jersey in New York. This year that changed. The top selling jersey in New York City (and, I believe, the country) has been #5 David Wright. David Wright has eased into becoming the face of the franchise almost seamlessly. He has taken the media scrutiny off Carlos Beltran. He has a foundation. He has a blog. He managed to make my girlfriend demand tickets to a game this week, with the restriction that we must sit on the third base side. David Wright is doing for the Mets what Derek Jeter did for the Yankees for so many years. He has the ability to expand the fanbase and be someone people can identify as a Met. Wright has also gone on record as saying he wants to be a Met for life (He grew up going to Norfolk Tides, a Met minor league franchise, games). He was probably more willing to sign a longer-term deal than Reyes. Either way, I’m happy to see both guys get paid well before their free agency years to keep them as happy as possible.
What does this mean for the Met fan? It means the core of Reyes, Wright, and Carlos Beltran (and Lastings Milledge, if you listen to Omar) are locked up as Mets until 2010 (2011 if you count Reyes’s club option). It means next year the Mets are going to fielding almost exactly the same team they are fielding this season. Contracts expiring this year belong to Cliff Floyd and Steve Trachsel. The Mets seem to have found a hidden gem in John Maine who, after last night, is still in the midst of a 23 inning scoreless streak; and it only cost them Anna Benson (for those keeping track at home, this means Omar Minaya pulled off John Maine and El Duque for Kris and Anna Benson). They have Mike Pelfrey who looks like he might be ready for next season. They have Brian Bannister who seemed like he’ll also be ready for next season.
What it basically means is that it’s possible the Mets won’t even have to go shopping in the offseason for Barry Zito and, honestly, I’m ok with that. Considering how lean the market is looking to be for starting pitching this year, it makes the Met fan pretty happy that we won’t have to be hinging next season on the finer work of Barry Zito, Mark Buerhle, Bruce Chen, or Mark Mulder.
There’s not too much shopping the Mets have to do in the offseason, and that makes me happy. Pretty soon they’re going to have to add some cars onto the 7 Bandwagon. It’s going to get crowded.
Quick Hits
- Kenny Rogers has an 8.85 post season ERA. This bears repeating
- The Twins are the only AL Central team with a winning record vs the AL East. They are 12-4. The Tigers are 10-10 and the Sox are 12-13. Take this into account when you consider my rankings above.
- The Dodgers have won nine-in-a-row, apparently unhappy with attempting to fill the Mets’ role as high payroll losers
- The Yankees are going to f*cking do it again. Could the Red Sox learn to win some goddam games in August. The Yankees have won their last 12 series, the Sawks have only won 4 of their last 12, which includes dropping 5/6 to the Devil Rays. Remember when I said the Red Sox were the big losers of the trade deadline? Since August 1st: Red Sox 2-4, Yankees 5-1.
- Even still, Papi’s going to win the MVP this year… and I can’t even argue it.
- The 5-game set to decide the AL East is 2 weeks away. Until then, the Yankees face the White Sox, Angels, and Orioles. The Red Sox face Royals, Orioles, and Tigers. I may need to be in Boston that weekend
- Jeremy Shockey called Tom Coughlin an “ass” to the media. The next day he got his shit ruined and a concussion via a hard hit from a safety. Coincidence? Or Daniels’s first conspiracy theory of the football season 2006?
In Closing
I had to skip the wrestling column last week due to work travel. The stunning nightlife of upstate New York kept me preoccupied. I should be back this week, so tune in Thursday to Pulse Wrestling for more of what you love… me.
