The Mets Are Driving Me Crazy

The Mets took three out of four from a quality Cardinals team last week, and then followed that up by losing five out of six to the Yankees and Milwaukee. They gut out wins, and then at the drop of a hat absolutely fell apart and look like a T-ball team doing it.

Their up-and-down play is driving me so crazy that I’m having arguments with myself. I almost beat myself up on the way to work this morning with this conversation I had while walking up 8th Avenue.

Me: With all that’s happened to the Mets this year, they’re still only two games out of first place. Ya gotta believe.

Me: The only reason they’re close is because the Phillies are struggling, but Raul Ibanezu know those guys will get themselves together. And even the Marlins have passed the Mets now. The Mets have been playing like buffoons all season. They’ve lost so many games that had nothing to do with injuries.

The only surprising thing about Fernando Martinez falling on his face the other night was that he didn’t break his leg or that his head didn’t just snap off and roll to the wall.

Me: But it’s still early. There’s more than half the season left. There’s plenty of time to make up a few games in the standings. Just wait until they get on a roll.

Me: You’re an idiot. Have you been watching them play? Even their good players are stinking it up. Johan Santana’s not pitching well. He’s even walking pitchers and throwing balls into the outfield. K-Rod walked Mariano Rivera with the bases loaded. Are you kidding me?

Me: Santana’s a second half pitcher. You don’t have to worry about him; he probably won’t lose another game the rest of the year. And K-Rod’s blunder didn’t even end up mattering.

Me: Even if the Mets put together a winning streak, it will come to a crashing halt with a backbreaking, mind-numbing loss that will happen in a nightmarish fashion and will send them reeling again. That’s the 2009 Mets.

Me: But reinforcements are on the way. Jose Reyes will be back. Carlos Beltran will be back. John Maine will be back. Carlos Delgado will be back. And if we’re lucky, Oliver Perez won’t be back.

Me: There’s no guarantee when any of them will be back. They could all linger on the DL for a few more months, and the Mets could be long out of it by then. Plus who knows how effective any of those players will be?

Me: Jerry Manuel put the whole gang on the team-building bus yesterday and had a team meeting. They then went out and won. Maybe this is the turnaround they’ve been waiting for.

Me: Wasn’t the team supposed to rally around Luis Castillo after the dropped pop-up and spark the team to a winning streak? How many turning points can the team have without actually turning things around?

Me: But no matter who’s been injured or how poorly they’ve played, they’re still hanging around. They’re not even close to being out of contention yet.

Me: It’s all over. Even “Met experts” Steve Phillips, Rick Peterson, and John Franco are criticizing the team.

Me: I rest my case then. I must be right. I still have hope.

Me: You’re a moron.

Me: I never did like you.

Me: The feeling’s mutual.