Misery Loves Company: Two Guys Watch Baseball

Games 132 through 138 - Mets
Ugh.

Marlins 5, Mets 4
Marlins 9, Mets 6
Phillies 8, Mets 1
Phillies 7, Mets 0
Phillies 4, Mets 2
Marlins 7, Mets 3
Marlins 3, Mets 0
Record: 60-78

Well, la-di-frickin'-da. Those nifty BoSox have not only ripped off 20 of 22, invigorated a Nation, scared an entire bandwagon silly, and given my little cohort a gleeful few weeks of bliss, but they've also made a joke of the would-be drama of The Case Bet. Now there's absolutely no reason to follow the Mets in these last few weeks of their 2004 campaign (one only slightly less successful than the 1984 Mondale/Ferraro campaign). Neat.

On August 6th, the Red Sox were a mere 6.5 games better than the Mets, needing to finish 23 better to win Rob beer & bragging rights. By August 15th, they'd bumped it up to 8 games, and by the 21st the lead was 10. At that point, it really looked like there might be some excitement all the way down to the wire. It stood to reason that the Mets would limp toward the end of the season while the Sox would pick it up in the heat of the pennant race. Understatements of the month, those reasonable assessments were. Since 8/21, the Red Sox have gone 15-2 while the roadside carcass known as the New York Mets have managed to go just 1-16. For the non-math majors out there, that's a 14-game swing in 17 games, catapulting Boston two games past the push-line and into a lead they simply will not relinquish before season's end. The only thing that would be more remarkable than this streaky stretch is if, as I suggested last week, the Mets duplicate the 4-32 magic of the '02 O's. That would be something special. Don't bet against it, though.

Recaps are for teams worth recapping, and the Mets ceased qualifying weeks ago. I just got back from a long weekend in Maine, the northern contingent of Red Sox territory. On a Thursday night in a Portland pub I watched the Sox in a tight battle with the Angels. Lots on the line, an energetic crowd at the park and in the bar, and the team delivered a win. It was such a contrast to the combination of apathy and agony that the Mets' fan base goes through on a nightly basis. This is what they talked about as "meaningful games," and boy, are we not playing them.

I'll try to bring something more positive to the table next time, but this team has created every ounce of the indifference that's overtaken me at this point. This losing's like the muggy, humid weather here that just withers away my spirit.