Sip's Lack of Emotion
I'm just going to say it.
I don't care as much about what happened this week as probably every person reading this site. After the game, Thursday afternoon, I was bombarded with im's and emails from some of my closest friends and family, all extremely pissed off after what can only be considered horrible loss.
The anger was directed towards Billy Wagner for blowing the game and Willie Randolph for leaving Billy in there to blow it, after Wagner had thrown 25 pitches in the 8th and was facing a ton of right handed bats to start the 9th. I think I heard on Sports Center that Wagner hasn't had a 6 out save since 1999. But it doesn't matter. Like many times before:
" I just went with my gut. Billy's my guy." - Willie Randolph (This quote is made up but you get the point)
My friends were all really pissed. For some reason I just wasn't. I tried to figure out what was causing my surprising easiness.
Was it that I was a little older?
Was it that I work in baseball and view the game as a little bit more of a job than a passion?
Or was it that I am 3000 miles away from the action?
I'm sure all these things are factors. But neither of them was the answer.
It was only during a conversation with the yin to my yang, my good buddy who happened to be born on the exact same day back in April, 1982- you all know him as Happy Will- that I realized what was driving Sip.
Before I get to me, let me tell you about Will. Will is a passionate fan and more importantly, just a really good guy. He may be the most innocent kid I know, and I mean that only in a good way. I wish I wasn't so damn cynical. So in the midst of Will's anger at me I realized exactly why it is that the Mets recent failures just haven't bothered me.
The reason: The Mets are supposed to win.
2007 is the first year in the last 20 where the Mets are no longer the chasers but the team being chased. Even last year, when the Mets first started dominating the NL East the thought was always there in the back of our minds that the Braves hadn't lost the division since my pre-teen days. Until the division was clinched, the NL East was still the Braves' to lose.
But this year, the playoffs were "a given." It was the Mets division to lose. Wins no longer were exciting, they were expected.
I guess for me, I lost my punch.
I feel no sense of urgency with this team. For so long I have been used to being the underdog, hoping to come from behind that I don't think I have adjusted to the role of the favorite.
So we lose 4 in a row to the Phillies. So what? It's August 31st and we have a 2 game lead in the division. We didn't need those wins. Those games didn't make or break our season. They were luxury games, games that if we won would make us already comfortable Mets fans, a little more comfortable.
Imagine if this were 1996 and you could be in the same place?
So there's my piece. I just dont feel the sense of urgency that I did when we were chasing the Braves. I don't feel like each individual game matters like it used to because as I have said many times in the past, I believe the best team always wins in the long run.
I'm going to have to adjust. I really do miss the sweat. For now though, I just might not be the right person to complain to.
Vaya,
Sip
(Pics courtesy of sportsnetwork.com)
I don't care as much about what happened this week as probably every person reading this site. After the game, Thursday afternoon, I was bombarded with im's and emails from some of my closest friends and family, all extremely pissed off after what can only be considered horrible loss.
The anger was directed towards Billy Wagner for blowing the game and Willie Randolph for leaving Billy in there to blow it, after Wagner had thrown 25 pitches in the 8th and was facing a ton of right handed bats to start the 9th. I think I heard on Sports Center that Wagner hasn't had a 6 out save since 1999. But it doesn't matter. Like many times before:
" I just went with my gut. Billy's my guy." - Willie Randolph (This quote is made up but you get the point)
My friends were all really pissed. For some reason I just wasn't. I tried to figure out what was causing my surprising easiness.
Was it that I was a little older?
Was it that I work in baseball and view the game as a little bit more of a job than a passion?
Or was it that I am 3000 miles away from the action?
I'm sure all these things are factors. But neither of them was the answer.
It was only during a conversation with the yin to my yang, my good buddy who happened to be born on the exact same day back in April, 1982- you all know him as Happy Will- that I realized what was driving Sip.
Before I get to me, let me tell you about Will. Will is a passionate fan and more importantly, just a really good guy. He may be the most innocent kid I know, and I mean that only in a good way. I wish I wasn't so damn cynical. So in the midst of Will's anger at me I realized exactly why it is that the Mets recent failures just haven't bothered me.
The reason: The Mets are supposed to win.
2007 is the first year in the last 20 where the Mets are no longer the chasers but the team being chased. Even last year, when the Mets first started dominating the NL East the thought was always there in the back of our minds that the Braves hadn't lost the division since my pre-teen days. Until the division was clinched, the NL East was still the Braves' to lose.
But this year, the playoffs were "a given." It was the Mets division to lose. Wins no longer were exciting, they were expected.
I guess for me, I lost my punch.
I feel no sense of urgency with this team. For so long I have been used to being the underdog, hoping to come from behind that I don't think I have adjusted to the role of the favorite.
So we lose 4 in a row to the Phillies. So what? It's August 31st and we have a 2 game lead in the division. We didn't need those wins. Those games didn't make or break our season. They were luxury games, games that if we won would make us already comfortable Mets fans, a little more comfortable.
Imagine if this were 1996 and you could be in the same place?
So there's my piece. I just dont feel the sense of urgency that I did when we were chasing the Braves. I don't feel like each individual game matters like it used to because as I have said many times in the past, I believe the best team always wins in the long run.
I'm going to have to adjust. I really do miss the sweat. For now though, I just might not be the right person to complain to.
Vaya,
Sip
(Pics courtesy of sportsnetwork.com)
posted by Sippy Momo at 11:21 PM
3 Comments:
I was upset, but it was an upsetting game Thursday. I agree with you though, which is why I've been comparing the Phillies as Charlie Brown to our Lucy.
The Mets have been in first place all season, the Phillies haven't even tasted an opening day sole possession of first place for years. We lost a tough series, it's never good to be swept, but you can't win them all.
We are the class of the NL, and everyone else knows that, and get up to play us. All four of those games were almost must wins for the Phillies.
There are plenty of things the Mets need to address, but they have the luxury of being able to address them, of starting Pelfrey today, of using Collazo in the 8th and trying to find out which relievers will be good in the final weeks. The Mets are going to come out of this weekend well, and we'll be able to 'root' for the Braves to pad our lead.
"I believe the best team always wins in the long run."
Whoa whoa whoa. I seem to remember a certain mediocre team doing a bit of celebrating on our home field towards the end of October last year.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter who's the better team. It only matters who wins. So if you mean that whoever wins is therefore the best team, then fine. But otherwise, you don't have to be the better team to win.
Ask Michigan.
open bar,
Long run =162 game season
I think for the most part, the best teams make the playoffs based on baseball's standard for making the playoffs.
What happened with the Cardinals was short run. Anything can happen in the playoffs because they are so short. If the Mets play the Cardinals 162 games, they would win the majority every time.
Thats where im going with this.
-Sip
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