Don't Push That Button
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by JasonComack
The Mets and The Yanks are the focus of New York Sports right now. The 0-2 Jet's and Giants have to wait a couple weeks before they can be properly slammed in the papers and on local talk radio.
Right now the Mets and Yanks are teams going in two different directions. The Yanks are now only two and half games behind the Sawx (like my Boston impression?) and the Mets are just a measly game and half behind the fighting Phillies. So the question being asked on the back pages of every N.Y. Sports paper is what is more likely to happen The Yanks winning the division, or, the Mets losing the division?
At first glance the answer seems easy. In essence the Mets are one game closer to losing the division than the Yanks are to winning theres. The Mets are in these terms "a game behind" the Yankees if you want to express it that way.
Makes sense...right?
Not really. In fact Met fans, the media might not be portraying this situation as accurately as they could be.
Let's look at the standings.
The Mets are 83-67, having played 150 games. The Phillies are 82-69, having played 151 games.
When looking at standings your really looking at the loss column. The Phillies in reality are really two games back. You know who else is really two games back?
The Yankees.
Boston is 90-62, playing 152 games. The Yanks are 87-64, playing 151 games.
Now normally the difference between one or two games back isn't that great but these teams only have 10-12 games left in the season. That one game could end up deciding these races.
Now, I'm not saying the Met's shouldn't hit the panic button because they are dangerously close to getting to that point. However losing the division will still be a very difficult task, as will the Yankees winning theres. Regardless of how well or poorly either team plays.
The popular scape goat for Mets fans seems to be Willy Randolph. Bash him all you want but this isn't his fault. His calm demeanor isn't the reason this team is playing bad baseball. Remember, this is the guy that turned turned around the losing culture in the clubhouse. The same guy that took your team to the brink of the World Series last year.
If your team collapses blame your pitchers that have been failing down the stretch. Blame your bullpen that couldn't close a prostitute at this point. Blame the guy that put this team together. Don't blame the guy that's holding them together.
He might be calm and seem unemotional or "not fired up" but he learned his ways from this guy Joe Torre. I'm not sure if you've ever heard of him but he's pretty good. If your looking for him in a crowd just look for the guy with all the shinny rings on his finger.
