Game 6: The Game That Was

All day, my good pal KFC talked to me about the Magic. How he wanted it, how we needed it, how we would get it.

When I got a text from KFC after the 6th inning that read "Maine's start= Magic," I was sure that the game was jinxed and we were done. As always, I was wrong.

Here we go.

First and foremost, while obvious as can be, we gotta tip our cap to Johnny Maine. He came out in the biggest game of his life and threw a gem. All this just days after he appeared in SI's "Questions for Athletes" section coming off cooler than the Sac man himself, Sac Lodge.

Maine's start showed us a lot about baseball. Baseball, my friends is truly a game of inches.

The entire game John Maine reached back and fired his 91-95 mph fastball. The entire game Cardinal hitters swung right under it, fouling it straight back.

They made great swings on the ball, but Maine's pitches were precisely where they needed to be. An inch or two lower and Maine doesn't make it out of the first inning.

We learned a lot more about baseball. That is, whatever the manager does, he is a genius if it works and a dope if it doesn't.

Willie's decision to throw Mota against Chris Duncan had every one scratching their heads. If it didn't you are a smarter man than I.

For my money, I thought there were two options: Feliciano or Heilman. But as he has done all season, Willie went with his instinct (or perhaps what Joe Torre texted him to do) and went with the former SS turned heart attack inducer.

Luis Gonzalez talked about his changeup against lefties. How if he could get ahead, that he might be able to role a double play. And for the first time in the Fox broadcast, a wise point was made.

Did Willie make the right move here? You know me. I hate second guessers. And this seemed to work. But still, it leaves me scratching my head.

In the same way, I hated Willie bringing out Maine for the 6th.

Maine was set to lead off the bottom of the 5th up 2-0 with Edmonds and then a sea of righties due up. We all knew that those righties would belong to Bradford. Apparently Willie did too, pulling Maine two batters in.

If Maine's leash is that short, if he can only allow one hitter before being pulled than why not pull him there for a pinch hitter? Who knows, maybe we could get a rally going and put this thing away.

Then, throw Feliciano against Edmonds and bring in Bradford.

I hated the move by Willie, but just like everything else tonight, it ended up working.

That's the amazing part about baseball. I spent an entire dinner with my father talking about my trip to St. Louis and the Mets. My dad is a wise man but like most people smarter than me, he reads too much.

He read everything that the Post and Daily News had to say and listened to every word from Mike and the Mad Dog.

Everyone said the same thing. They questioned every move that went wrong and had a better theory as to what Willie should have done.

Well I have a new theory.

Managing in the postseason is the most overrated aspect of the playoffs. Call me crazy, say what you will.

The only difference between postsesaon play and the regular season is that every decision is under a much greater microscope. There is 10 times more press and the fans care 10 times more and everyone's opinions are 10 times stronger.

Players win in the post season. Pitchers make pitches and players make plays.

Every single managerial move is about knowing your team. In my opinion, a manager learns everything about his team over the 162-game season. Over that time he develops bonds and learns his players' tendancies.

This isn't football or basketball. Jim Johnson's decision to send 9 against Eli is what allowed single coverage for Plaxico and the game winning touchdown pass against the Eagles a few weeks back. The coach called the play and the play didn't work.


In baseball, outside of calling a steal or a pitch out, there are no plays. You just pick the guys you want to put on the field.

Paul LoDuca blocked Maine's pitch in the dirt to Rolen. There was no coaching there, it was just a player making a run saving play.

This does not change between October and June.

There is one main difference. We don't question a manager's move in the regular season like we do in October because the games are not as important. If Mota gives up a knock to Duncan in June, it's just another loss. If he did it today, our season could be done. It doesn't make the move any different.

With every move Willie makes he becomes a greater goat or a bigger hero.

All we can do now is trust him.

As for trust, a trust issue is certainly developing with our closer, Billy Wagner. My pops thinks that he should probably spend less time worrying about his column in the Post and more about his time on the mound.

Because right now, Billy has us all shaking in our timbo's.

It has gotten to the point where Joel called me after the game tonight wondering if we can even throw him in a Game 7.

The answer? It has to be yes.

So much can happen tomorrow. It looks for now like Oliver Perez is going to get the start. Johnny Maine did us a major service today by giving us 5+ strong.

We have Oliver almost fresh for tomorrow. Glavine can give us 2. Heilman can give us 2. Mota and Hernandez can each throw. And then we have our mirror of specialists, Bradford and Feliciano, good to pitch a strong inning and change as well.

Unless he starts, Trachsel probably won't see the game. He takes too long to get ready, he claims he needs 20 minutes to get comfortable. I don't hate Trachsel, I just think he is doing himself a real disservice after a very solid season.

I do like seeing Jeff Suppan on the mound tomorrow. Pitching a Game 7 at Shea is a lot different than pitching a Game 3 at Busch.

We can only tip our cap to the guy if he throws a good game, but I will truly believe that when I see it.

This game tonight is the reason why we watch baseball. The reason why we invest so much time into this team, and the reason why I love writing about them.

Happy Will has his superstitions. So do Y2K legends the Frenchman and Worndownboyboy and the Met Fan Since '75.

Everyone needs to get themselves in the place where if something goes wrong, they know it wasn't because of something that they did.

Game 7. All I can say...

Holy Shit.

Vaya con dios,

Sip