The New York Mets Have it Rough

    Not only is it bad luck to not get in the playoffs on the last day of the year for two years in a row, its hard.  

     The 2007 and 2008 Mets have done just that. Both teams had the playoffs in their laps while coming into September, and both years they lost on the last day to miss out on a playoff berth. Let's look back at both years.

2007 Mets

     It was September 1st. The Mets were three games up on the Phillies and had a healthy winning-losing record. When people picked a National League winner, the Mets were on the top of that list.

    The date was September 25, 2007. The Mets were still two games up on the Phillies. Philadelphia was winning more games and were 7-3 in their last ten games, but with only five games left in the season the chances of a switch were very small.

    The date was September 29, 2007. The Mets and the Phillies were tied for the last playoff spot with only one game left. So what happened on the last game? The Mets blew it against the Marlins, losing 8-1 and having it all fall apart after only one. The Mets had lost their playoff spot on the last day after having a lead through most of the season. They were crushed.

2008 Mets

     September 1, 2008. The Mets had a solid two game lead on the Phillies. They were playing good baseball and with Delgado playing MVP baseball the playoffs looked like an automatic.

     This season had a different end. Instead of fighting for the division win, they got crushed mid-September. The Brewers were the competition now, fighting for a wild card spot. They had the lead coming into late September, but on the last day it was all tied up. Deja vu much? They played the Marlins once again. The game was started by two Marlin runs, followed by a Mets' Beltran two-run homer. In the top of the 8th, it was 2-2. Then, there were two solo home runs for the Brewers. The Mets got an 8th inning chance, but they still ended up losing 4-2. Meanwhile, they learned the Brewers had won 3-1 thanks to a complete game by Sabathia. They had lost their chance for the second year in the row.

    So how does this happen? They have veterans. They are a good team.They just can't go the whole season. Both Septembers they fell apart and melted away into the offseason. Is it a curse? If it is, it should be the "One day Marlins. That way we all know it is the Marlins' winning on the last day. I have always liked the Mets, but I couldn't be more thankful to be away from that kind of a season. It must be an awful, awful feeling.

See you soon

      -Tom