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The Phillies (89–73) defeated the Nationals (73–89) by the score 6 to 1 in Philadelphia this afternoon.
The Phillies have won the National League Eastern Division for the first time since 1993.
…congratulations to the Phillies, who played great baseball over the final month of the season…best of luck in October, you certainly earned it…now, excuse me while i go punch myself in the face…
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Matt, no comments about how Willie motivates his players?
This is why willie has to go
lets compare the 1999/2000 team vs the 2007
2000 C- PIAZZA vs LODUCA BIG EDGE:1999/2000
1B: OLERUD VS DELGADO EDGE 2007
2B ALFONZO VS CASTILO EDGE 1999/2000
SS ORDONEZ VS REYES BIG EDGE 2007
3B VENTURA VS WRIGHT EDGE 2007
LF AGBAYANI VS ALOU BIG EDGE 2007
CF- PAYTON VS BELTRAN BIG EDGE 2007
RF- BELL VS GREEN/MILLEDGE TIE
SP- HAMPTON, LEITER, JONES, REED VS GLAVINE, PEDRO, MAINE, EL DUQUE PEREZ EDGE 2007
CLOSER BENITEZ VS WAGNER BIG EDGE 2007
bobby v. got this team to the world series and to the playodds back to back years, very exciting years with much less talent and willie cant get this team to the playoffs
If you compare the 2000 team’s OPS+ and ERA+ to the 2007 Mets, the 2000 team comes out ahead on both counts.
The 2000 team scored more runs than the 2007 team. Its ERA was better. It had just as many big guns in its lineup and their two top starters were better than any two the 2007 Mets could trot out there all season. Leiter and Hampton DID NOT fade down the stretch or collapse the way Glavine and El Duque did.
I think the 2000 team was better.
yea the pitching for the 2000 mets pitching was about as solid and reliable as a mets rotation has been in a long time, the 2007 position players/bench was better but in the end pitching does win and cook/wendell were also probably better than feliciano/heilman.
That’s right….defend Willie to the end….
Well said Matt – great september baseball by the phils
New York, New York
Start spreading the news
WILLIE will be fired today
He wants to be a part of the Bronx, New York
These Omar Moves
Are longing to lose
And make the fans cry
New York, New York
I want to wake up in the city and see Willie gone
WILLIE HAS TO GO. HE COULDNT MOTIVATE THE GUYS. HE WAS AS PREDICTABLE AS TOMMOROWS DATE.HE ACTED WITH NO LIFE, NO ENERGY JUST TOTALLY FLAT WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY TRANSMITTED TO THE PLAYERS. HE NEVER KNEW HOW TO DEAL WITH REALITY OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. TO LAID BACK FOR ME.
I did not think the cheap Wilpons would pull the plug on the extension, but someone has to pay for this. Firing a few coaches will appear lame. There are players who also must answer. Glavine must go. Too old and ran out of gas. El Duque must go to the pen. Mota and his extra year must go. From what I read today about Wagner’s comments that are soon to appear in an article, either Wagner or Peterson will be saying sayonara. This lineup is overrated. A veteran but younger starter would be nice. And a new bullpen for the new manager (not a rookie manager, either, Omar) .I say Willie goes. Whether he actually deserves it or not. He was in the dugout. The captain goes down with the ship.
what did wagner say about them? im curious
forget it. i found it.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/09302007/sports/mets/wagner__willie__rick_not_a_lot.htm
But then he tried to take it back:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070930&content_id=2241091&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
matt get a real job buddy
Matt,
Thanks for the great work this season. I’m addicted to this site and it got me, and a lot of us, through the ups and downs of this season. Keep up the awesome work.
say goodbye to willie!!! am i crazy or could orlando hernadez have started
Gotta hand it to the Phils, as much as I hate to say it. They played damn good baseball and the Mets couldnt have won a game in a pickup over 30 softball league.
Gratz to the Phils, now hopefully they make a quick exit.
Now here’s why the mets fans are so criticized everywhere. here’s a team in their division, representing the division, and the Mets fan wants them to lose. i remember last year, Chase Utley took a long streak into Shea and got shut out, breaking the streak. Did the Mets fans applaud a great player on the effort. Understand, if i were a mets fan, I’d be pulling for the Mets to end the streak, but that being done, a fan of the game of baseball would give him applause for the accomplishment. However, all too aften, Mets fans are only that, and not fans of baseball. The comment above shows it. Certainly, this isn’t universal to all mets fans, but it seems to be prevalent, of the crowd is any reaction. maybe there is justice in the world after all. Chase goes into the post-season. Mets fans can watch it on TV, and baseball fans will appreciate good baseball wherever it’s played.
yawn….
If Willie doesn’t get fired tomorrow, I’ll lose a lot of respect for this organization.
everyone watch Eric Byrnes in the playoffs and tell me that is what this team is missing we need his character and his heart caues lets face it the Mutts dont have any
…and maybe we need a GM who judges players on talent rather than what country they came from
Yeah, I said it.
Its not a question of where they come from…the problem is that he picks up players in the cross roads of their careers. The potential to do what they once did but currently are shells of themselves. And you just cant toy around and roll the dice an hope they straighten themselves out. This team is too good to be riding on the hopes of resurrected careers.
I don’t think there is any question that Omar, while trying to build the best team he can, has a strong preference for getting Latin players. Or rather, turn the organization into a Latin American club (not exactly dumb in a place like NY).
I was almost sure the new stadium was gonna be called “Banco Popular Ballpark” (or however you say ballpark in spanish). I’m sure the only reason it isn’t is cause Banco Popular, being a relatively small regional spanish language bank, couldn’t afford it. But somehow they were the official bank of the NYMets last year.
Letting Bradford go while deciding to re-sign Mota is just one example of a bad move that smells of cultural preference. Mota’s contract is not as big but makes much less sense than what Bradford got from Baltimore. Especially considering how back-loaded Mota’s contract is.
couldnt say it better myself there buddy
if they sign Pudge im seriously never a Mets fan again
What an awful day. The one saving grace is that it will accelerate the changes that need to be made in this team.
Does anyone think that Willie keeps his job? I think it’s a no-brainer that he should be fired, but sometimes there are decisions made that befuddle me.
Anyone think that we should start some kind of campaign to let ownership know how strongly people feel that Willie killed this season? What’s the most effective way to do that? I’d say don’t buy season tickets until Randolph is fired, but I want him out ASAP. There’s no way the team can move on until there is that purge. I vote for a letter-writing campaign. I’m writing them saying that the Mets don’t get a dollar from me anymore until they make some changes, and the first change has to be that Randolph gets fired. Can’t find an e-mail, but here’s an address:
Fred Wilpon
Sterling Doubleday Enterprises, LP.
Shea Stadium
126th Street & Roosevelt Ave.
Flushing, NY 11368
Don’t make me produce a “Leave Willie Alone” video.
you sound like a bunch of morons. Willie cant go out there and play for his team. The Mets….as a team. blew it. period.
It didn’t help that Randolph did his best Joe Torre impression and overused the hell out of the bullpen when he could have used his callups at the beginning of the month instead.
It didn’t help when he stuck to under-performing veterans instead of giving a younger more talented player a shot.
It didn’t help when instead of firing the team up, he had a consistent “someone just shot my new puppy” look on his face.
Girardi ‘08
Willie has made many questionable moves but he has taken this team far from where we were 3 years ago. This collapse may or may not be his fault but this is a decision that takes time to make. What better alternatives are out there anyways?
Joe Girardi, for one.
The last 3 years, no World Series rings. Anyone would be better, seems like.
You’re right, cause the manager doesn’t decide which people on this “team” play today and when they pitch. And, he’s not in charge of making sure everyone is properly doing their jobs, motivated, and knowing their roles. He doesn’t plan strategy or make sure everyone knows what to do on every play.
The manager is obviously unimportant.
I think Willie’s “Yankee arrogance” affected this team in a negative way. Since February, they’ve been reading how they were the class of the NL and that first place would be handed to them. Obviously it got into their heads – especially when they got into first place by mid May. Everytime they were playing poorly, the constant refrain was “well, we’re still in first place”
The warning signs were there all along. The only reason this collapse didn’t happen sooner is that neither the Braves or the Phillies were able to step up at the right moment to take advantage of the Mets lackadaisical, aloof style of play. Finally, the Phillies were able to do so at a very critical time. They were indeed the team to beat.
Hopefully, the Mets will take this humiliation as a lesson against hubris and play guts ball (like the Phillies did) next year.
Is Tony LaRussa available?
That’s OK. It’ll be that much sweeter when we’re sippin the bubbly…
Oh… wait, we’re not going to the playoffs.
LOL! Oh, silly me! I got all wrapped up in “Willie-Speak”!
D
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T
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Good night folks! See you all next season when we can once again root for an underachieving, uninspiring bunch of dogs who will most likely play good enough to tease us once more, only to fall flat in September for the 4TH straight season!
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So glad I stayed indoors on this beautiful Sunday afternoon to watch this horror show.
Hey Wilpons, you f-ers owe me a sunny, 75 degree day, you SOBs!
NO we shouldn’t give the phillies credit. They won, good for them. This team CHOKED. Even after getting swept by the phillies for the 2nd time in as many months, we STILL had the division lead. It took us getting swept and losing 2/3 to the TWO worst teams in the division. Unreal. Any mets fan that sees any ability to win with this current team and management is a blind follower. This is the worst collapse in major league HISTORY. Forget this team. After a performance like this, i say we boycott them next year. Let the ticket sales go down to show how inexcusable this performance was. How can anyone actually WANT to root for a team that bellyflopped the way that they did. Pathetic. Pathetic.
Matt and company, thanks for your dedication to this site all season long. Of course we all wish for a better outcome but your dedication to this site made it an always interesting place to find out all things having to do with the Mets. Even reading the postings of the festering hordes of negativity were a pleasant way to pass the time. You have put together a great little community here, and should be proud. Thanks!
18 weeks till pitchers and catchers report. Let’s go Mets.
BRING BACK BOBBY V.
Hey there Mets fans. How’s that bubbly Willie promised? Is it as sweet as he said?
Remember taunting us with “The games at the beginning count just as much?” Well… The games at the end do too.
So the Philadelphia Phillies, the team to beat in the National League East, are the DIVISION CHAMPIONS. The Mets? Biggest fold _ever_.
Enjoy your first round exit, and the Eagles missing the playoffs.
That’s big talk from a City that hasn’t won Championship in a really long .
Our revenge is not having to live in Philadelphia..
I told you all in June that we already needed everything we needed to know about this team. I told you they had no grit, no determination, and that when challenged they would let an inferior team forcibly take their season away from them – just as they did in October last year. That was no fluke.
I also told you all in June that I would be the last person to be surprised when the Phillies (and/or the Braves)took the Mets down for good.
I really hate being right all the time. Because this really, really hurts.
By the way, here’s a little something else I’ve been right about for oh, say, 3 years now:
GET WILLIE RANDOLPH THE HELL AWAY FROM MY BASEBALL TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry – I meant to say that in June, we already knew everything we needed to know about this team. In my anger and frustration, I can’t even type right.
FIRE WILLIE RANDOLPH!!!! NOW!!!!!!!!
Willie and Omar both need to go. If i’m wrong please explain how.
What, you mean an Ex-Yankee basecoach who nobody wanted to hire for several years and the Ex-GM of the Montreal Expos can’t get the job done? Surely you jest, sir.
Who would have guessed? Both of these guys are chumps.
2007 NL East Champions… J-Roll MVP!!!
Willie doesn’t know how to motivate a team.
look at the following example, from
Mlb.com
Inspiration squared: A second photo appeared in the tunnel between the Mets’ clubhouse and dugout Sunday, this one depicting Saturday afternoon’s fracas. Below that was a expletive-laced quote from Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez, and an inscription: “It’s never a good idea to wake a sleeping mutt. Somebody pays today.”
Randolph again said he had no idea where the picture came from. A similar photo had appeared in the tunnel prior to Saturday’s game.
“I don’t want to play the bulletin-board game,” Randolph said. “That’s not how you win ballgames.”
well, the fish looked pretty motivated..
Randolph has no pulse. Please keep his ass at the dump u call Shea stadium…
NL East Champions
Have fun taunting philly fans, if I were you I would keep my mouth shut……your city needs all the good karma it can get, and you guys, over anyone, should know what it feels like to kick someone when they’re down. Way to represent your city!
Phillies fans have every right to be happy and gloat. Their team was the better team this year.
you call saying NL east Champions gloat??
Why. We are. How many Met fans go to the beerleaguer and post?
I actually gave u another reason to hate Randolph. If he thinks that putting papers on the board with the words of rival players does not pump you that i don’t know what motivational techniques he uses.
Hanley Ramirez said he hated the Mets and he used pretty hard words on the Mets. And after the brawl, the Marlins looked a lot more pumped.. You what was the problem.
If you’re down by 4 or by 5 in a game like today. Your coach must get his ass out of the bullpen, and scream at the umpires.
Willie is dead. Manuel got thrown out in the 1st inning against the Mets at CBP.
Another example, the Cubs we’re playing awful baseball, Piniella went crazy and bang, the players changed the approach and caught the Brewers..
More. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE KNICKS AFTER THE BRAWL AGAINST THE NUGGETS??
Willie is just awful..
And, of course for Mets fans Shea has sentimental value, but c’mon everybody in the league knows Shea is a dump. Way past his time.
NL East Champions 2007
Hey Cerrone, Have fun rooting for the Yankees.
Not Willie’s fault: El Duque going down, the starting pitching failing miserably in September, the exhausted bullpen blowing game after game.
Willie’s fault: LoDuca and others consistently losing their cool (so much for Yankee professionalism), him failing to defend them, Reyes completely falling off his game, mental mistakes on the basepaths and in the field.
Ironically, I predicted before the year that Willie would make a Grady Little-esque decision in the playoffs to kill the team. He never put the team in a position where a critically bad decision would kill them.
So, to summarize: this was more Omar’s fault than Willie’s, but Willie deserves his share of the blame.
One more thing — when the Mets had their seven game lead, someone made the insightful point that all the Mets had to do was go .500 for the rest of the way, and Philly would have to play historically good baseball to beat them out. Philly went 13-4 from that point forward… so even if the Mets went 7-10, they still would’ve won the division by one game! Yes, we can give the Phillies credit for stepping up, but make no mistake — it took a historically bad month for them to be in that position.
whyd you take my name that ive been using for three years?
Ha! Sorry about that… never saw you on here. Plus Teufel’s name only has one F.
true dat…but apology accepted…only room for one shuffle
Willies fault: consistent misuse of his pitching staff–consistently pulling starters pitching after 100 pitches, as if they’d explode if they threw 120 once or twice down the stretch (all the while, showing confidence in his veteran relievers all out of proportion to their consistently miserable performance on the field). Or, as in the case of Pelfrey, taking him out while he’s ahead to boost his confidence.
Willie’s fault: Giving Brian Lawrence, what, five…six starts? especially that last one, when he’d proven over-and-over he has nothing.
Willies fault: not having anybody up today at the first sign of trouble. Also, letting Glavine pitch to Willis with the bases loaded when it was obvious he didn’t have it.
Willie’s fault: he’s a terrible in-game manager. Simply awful. Worse than Howe, worse than Torborg, worse than Harrelson. The WORST in the 40 years I’ve been a Mets fan.
Willie’s fault: an inability to grasp such a simple matter as pulling a double switch.
If Randolph is running this team opening day 2008, I’ve had it with this franchise. After 40-plus years, that would be the last straw.
Girardi in ‘08.
Do you really think Girardi is the answer? If so, why?
Not saying Willie is the answer, but why are so many Mets fans in love with Girardi? He was more lucky than good last season.
Look, I am as big a Mets fan as anybody, but the Phils were the better team. We were 6-12 against them this season, and we just weren’t that good. Phils weren’t great either, but they were better than us.
CURSES! FOILED AGAIN!!!
HAHAHAHAHA!
-ross in atl
Last time I checked ATL was below us in the standings. You have nothing to be proud of either there buddy.
I’m still a Mets fan, I just want to see them be successful and play with heart again as quickly as possible. I am feeling negative, but deservedly so. This collapse is a stain on the organization forever. It’s also a psychological factor for the players for an undetermined amount of time depending on how much the team’s make-up changes.
Imagine the Mets come back next year, essentially unchanged. Willie and Omar are both not fired. Does anyone imagine that this team will not play with the memory of this collapse and the memory of how little heart and guts they showed in September. Some might even argue that this collapse was an echo of the result of 2006.
The Mets are in an enviable position – they have one year left before they will move to a new stadium. They have a chance to put this collapse behind them very quickly with a radically different team and manager (younger, and more competent at fundamental changes, respectively) because of that. Now imagine a younger team built around Wright, Reyes, Milledge, Maine, Perez, with a new manager, playing at a new field after a season spent developing new talent and losing a ton of games. I don’t know, that gets me a lot more excited than seeing this bunch of bums come back and play out another heartless year. Feel free to disagree, but don’t tell me I’m not a fan.
An echo of the result of 2006? My friend, you’re understating it. You’re being too kind.
you can take your Milledge and shove him up willies ass on his way out. that guy is nothing but a bum. omar should have traded him when he was worth something, like oswalt, when he had the chance.
Matt
Thanks, for the season. To bad it ends like this, it’s gonna be a busy off season for you hope you are ready.
Mets in ‘08
Oh and to the stupid comments about spanish players. SHUT THE HELL UP you make all of us look stupid. Omar gets players that he feels will help the team not based on race. So just shut up
Yeah, we sucked but we didn’t give a reacharound!
-ross in atl
Woopee, we’re arguing with an Atlanta troll over who finished lower in the standings
A new low
DOES ANYONE HAVE GIRARDI’S CELL PHONE NUMBER?
but i tought you guys don’t want no more ex-yankees.
some of you are guys are just dumb.
if it has to be an ex yankee, it might as well be girardi. god forbid they do something stupid and hire mazzili. was bad enough listening to that jackass pre and post game.
what a bunch of sore winners in philly and loers in atl. and people wonder why people hate other teams so much, because dumb ass fans.
You do realize there were a TON of you guys being jerks over at Beerleaguer all season long, right?
Yessir. There were even a bunch yesterday when the Mets momentarily returned to a first place tie.
Now they’re reduced to rooting for the other teams to do what they couldn’t-beat the 2007 Phillies.
Willie needs to make one move that works, and resign immediately
That is a good point. If I were Willie, I would think to myself, “The only chance I have of ever getting another managerial job is to throw myself on this grenade.” I doubt it would ever happen, but Willie’s only chance of saving himself is to resign and apologize.
Sad day for METS nation. We have to be strong. Keep our heads up, cuz we believe.
THATS A BUNCH OF CRAP.
PLAY WITH SOME F-ING PASION…. THE MARLINS DID, THE NATIONALS DID, HECK EVEN THE BRAVES DID.
I really thought they were gonna win tonight. When needed the most the pitching let us down. Changes for next year. Find a way to trade for Santana. Only a couple of untouchables and I dont know if Reyes is in that group. Im going to stop here. I just can’t believe what just happened.
I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THE WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR CRAP. WILLIE BE A MAN AND STEP DOWN. YOU R OVER YOUR HEAD. U R A TORRE WAN A BE. YOU AINT GOT WHAT IT TAKES. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH . I AM SICK TO MY STOMACH RIGHT NOW.
Let’s remember a glaring culprit in all this (besides upper managemant and field management) is the table-setter that choked this last month, Mr. Fly Ball, Mr. No Steal Reyes. There comes a time when there are no untouchables on a team, and let the barrage begin, but if the Mets could get 2 starters and a reliever for Reyes, they should do it. I don’t care what it takes and who it takes to get it done, just get it done. I’d rather have 25 rookies with heart than 25 veterans who feel entitled, and blow it big time when it matters!
Heilman, Perez, Pelfry and Gomez for Santana (with a window to negotiate a long-term contract).
One final comment, and then I’m done:
Congratulations to the Phillies. They wanted it, they made up their minds to get it no matter who or what got in their way, and they deserve every last drop of the champagne they are sipping today. They earned it. I wish my so-called “team” had one ounce of your team’s fire, passion, determination, grit, guts, etc. Just one ounce.
To the Phillies fans: Most of you people, on the other hand, don’t deserve any of this. You only care for baseball when the Phillies are “in it” – I’ve lived in the Philly area for 10 years now and I have been shocked time and time again at the level of apathy with regards to baseball and the near-complete lack of baseball knowledge shown by the “fans” here. I am plenty used to seeing people who don’t deserve success have it (i.e., Yankee fans) but you guys really don’t deserve it. You’re frontrunners and phonies, and you can choke on your champagne.
come on now – 3 million attendance is a pretty good number indicating at least some support for the team, even when they were 7 back.
why is everyone getting on willie’s case? So he didn’t get in the players faces.. torre dosn’t do that either, and its worked great. WIllie is a good manager.. we won 97 games last year with him. He know what he’s doing. Everyone’s always trying to point fingers. Maybe Delgado shoulda hit more than .255 this year.. maybe Alou shouldn’t have gotton injured. Maybe Joe Smith coulda kept up his pitching dominence.. maybe El Duque coulda not gotton hurt the last month of the season leaving duty up to rookies. Maybe we coulda not lost Delgado earlier in the seaosn to be replaced by a just as pathetic w/o the power guy in Conine. Maybe Glavine shouldnt have blown the game today, but then again, maybe it shouldnt have come down to one game in teh first place. The point is, that stuff happens.. you could play the finger pointing game all day.. its not all Willie’s fault. He does a good job for us. Between him and Gerry Manuel, we have a game mangaging.. and if you think otherwise, than your ignorant and just looking for ways to vent your frustration.
TORRE ALSO HAD A TON OF INJURIES AND HE GETS THE PLAYERS THAT HE HAS MOTIVATED. RANDOLPH IS TO LAID BACK. HE LOOKS LIKE HE HAS NO BLOOD IN HIS VIENS. WILLIE GIVE IT UP PLEASE.
If Willie Randolph were managing the Diamondbacks they would be like 71-90 today. The 2006 team was willie-proof: it was so friggin’ stacked that even that moron couldn’t f**k it up. I’m going to have to take the position that anyone who believes willie randolph is a good manager, and then uses joe torre as his example of good managing, is really ignorant? Joe Torre is not a good manager, ok. He works for an organization that has enough money to not only build winning teams, but get so much talent as to be totally dominant in that department and cover up any mistakes with new acquisitions at any time.
please, Mets, just fire Willie Randolph
Bases Loaded, chance to get back in the game, get the crowd fired up, have a chance at the playoffs…
Now, pinch hitting for the New York Mets, Number 16, Paul LoDuca
…f**k!
Agreed. Willie’s not perfect and I do question some of his decisions but the idea that anyone could manage this team is wrong. Overall, Willie has a pretty good record. In the end this team was done in by a weak bullpen and having two starting pitchers – Glavine and El Duque – who were 5-6 inning pitchers which added stress to a weak pen. A team can only carry one 5-6 inning pitcher and that is clearly going to be Pedro next year so Glavine needs to go and El Duque probably needs to go to the pen to be a spot starter. The major changes need to be younger and better starters and an improved bullpen.
People have short memories – despite this collapse does anyone want a return to the Art Howe days of 70 wins? Frank Cashen thought anyone could manage the late 1980s-early 1990s Mets and tried to show it by making Bud Harrelson manager.
For the record, the two managers of similar collapses – Chuck Dressen of the 1951 Dodgers and Gene Mauch of the 1964 Phillies both kept their jobs.
gerry manuel? gerry fn manuel? what are you stupid? i’m surprised you didnt mention that nitwit alomar.
This is why I love the Mets and HATE most of the fans. Typical bigots from low class, xenophobic backgrounds (apparently your families all came over on the Mayflower). The greatest players in the game are LATIN, so grow the hell up.
And I thought philly fans were classless.
Again, I was just trying to be funny and apparently failed miserably. Lets move on guys.
Gang, I really hate to say this, because I’m still bleeding from having my heart cut out today, but if the Wilpons don’t wake up and fire Willie out of a cannon, we’re in for at least three more losing seasons–before we can dream about the Wild Card. The Braves will be there next year, and so will the Nationals. The Marlins will blow any hope we, or the Phillthies, have of winning the division.
The Phillthies deserved to win the division. The Mets didn’t, and we can blame the manager for “inspiring” our team to get there. Remember what he said when he had the team watch the World Series ring presentation at Busch Stadium? How it would motivate them? Oh, it motivated them, all right. It motivated them right into complacency, as if it were preordained that they win the division. Someone here already said that there was a reason he was passed over for 11 or 12 managerial jobs. I agree.
Omar deserves at least some of the blame (can you say, “Let’s sign a known steroid abuser?”), but he didn’t make the in-game decisions, nor did he run the bullpen into the ground.
The problem is . . . I don’t think that the Wilpons will fire Willie. Go back to the first paragraph and see why.
Whoops–I didn’t explain why I think the Wilpons won’t fire Willie. What I meant to say is this: I already game my totally off-the-cuff opinion on what will happen to this franchise if they don’t, in the first paragraph. Why won’t the Wilpons fire Willie? Don’t rightly know. Just a feeling.
I think you are right.. They don’t want to pay Art Howe and Willie Randolph to NOT manage the team.
I bet management will publicly say something like this:
While we are extremely disappointed by the way this season has turned out, we are quite happy with the nulceus of the team. We will evaluate all personnel and come up with a winning combination for the 2008 campaing.
Meaning, they will tinker. Omar has already stated that his philosophy is try to buy low and hope that the players acquired turn it around in a Mets uniform. Don’t look for any big names coming to the Mets and do not look for any major changes.
Willie just signed a three year extension so he is not going anywhere. 99.9% sure of that. What you see out there is what you will get in 2008 with some tinkering in the bullpen.
Unfortunately, you are probably correct.
Mets Fans: Been reading your site most of the year. I’m a Phils Fan….. And as a long-suffering fan of that team, I read the last few weeks on this board with a sense of “there but for the grace of God go we”.
Thanks to Matt for managing and posting this blog — and we look forward to phightin’ you all next season.
Let’s go Padres? or Rockies? I think they’re going to be playing a wildcard game tomorrow at 730pm.
Who cares about the Phillies? Let them have their moment in the sun, and watch them collapse. I could care less what they do. We’ll be back, we’ll figure it don’t worry.
*out
hey girl. Let’s hope we don’t collapse like the Mets against the Cardinals
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Another Phils Fan here. My sympathies to the die hard Mets fans that have stuck with the team during this major collapse. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. And kudos to those posters that gave credit to Phis and their fans for sticking it out when they were 7 games out.
But for those posters that are trashing the Phils and their fans, I hope you enjoy your extended off season. See ya next year.
Well said and ditto, PhilsFan!
To: Salz
First off, don’t even attempt to turn this into a pol. debate (you’re clearly not bright enough considering your cliche labeling of me, and the fact this isn’t about left or right; it’s about blatant racism).
Secondly, had the Mets dominated this year, do you think the same dopes who mention Minaya’s “preference” would’ve said “I’m so glad he has a pension for Latin players!” ? No. The ethnicity of the players would not have been mentioned had they dominated. When people say that about Minaya, it’s used solely as a PEJORATIVE. I’m not even some pc b/s type, but I know bigotry when I see it. And considering where the majority of the Mets fan base comes from (and the mentality it breeds), I’m not surprised. My post will probably be pulled and I don’t care. I said my peace and you know I’m right. Their nationalities aren’t an issue when they’re winning, and you know it.
I said my PIECE*
I really am pissed about this loss. I can’t even spell right now, and I know there are always those grammar police: “penchant.”
I’m done. Goodnight. Good luck, Phillies, you’ve earned it.
Go Cubs.
How can you rollover and congratulate the Phucking Phillies for winning the division after Brett Myers came out and said that he hates the Mets. He doesn’t hate the Mets, he hates the players on the Mets and I guarantee you ::hypothetically:: if Wright or Reyes were on his team, he;d be saying different. As well, if The Mets offered him 25/2 for the closer or setup role, I can GUARANTEE you he would put on the blue and orange in a heartbeat.
PHUCK THE PHILLIES, and PHUCK JIMMY ROLLINS
David Wright on Jimmy Rollins:
“We don’t need any motivation. We go out there and we’re going to take careof business. We have the type of veteran leadership that isn’t going to alk about it. We’re going to go out there and back it up.
When you read that, it irks you a bit and makes you wanna go out there and eat them that much more.”
As a long-time Phillie fan, I felt compelled to respond to the poster who stated that the Philadelphia fans did not deserve the Phillies and their Division championship.
We are not apathetic or frontrunners. Most of us have followed the team whether in last place or first, through terrible seasons and winning ones. The attendance record proves it. We are knowledgable.
Most of us are not gloating over the Mets situation — we are too familiar with heartbreaking games — and seasons.
The poster claimed to have lived in the Philadelphia area for ten years. Obviously hasn’t mingle much.
wtf are you doing here on a mets blog right now? You should be out getting drunk and calling in sick tomorrow. This only comes around, once what, every 14 years for you?
Oh and I’ve lived in Philly burbs since April 05. Everyone at work says oh the Phillies suck, they should fire Manuel (as late as July they say this) andsilly me for saying no no it’s not over yet the Phillies can still turn it around. All I do is wear my mets jacket in the sprin and autumn when it isn’t too hot, I’m not stupid enough to go putting it in everyones face when my team did well. We had an office pool (no money involved) before the season started on how many wins for the ‘07 phillies and some said 65, so I thought I was being kind saying 83
And then late in the season making me feel like sh8 ganging up everyone to listen to the end of the 4 game sweep on the radio in the cube next to mine and everyone putting crap in my face.
Long story short there are many fans that have suffered even more than the mets fans the last 13 years and good for them.
Many many others…are less deserving.
“E-A-G-L-E-S !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Enjoy wearing the target for the next 162 regular season games, it won’t be easy to repeat.
I hope the rockies winthen we’d have 4 new NL playoff teams this year. The Rockies are even more of a feel-good baseball story IMHO, they’ve done it with much less payroll.
If getting frustrated with your manager and saying your own team sucks means you don’t deserve to win, then the over the top hatred of Randolph by Mets ‘fans’ and general bitterness towards the chokingest team money could buy must have been the reason they’re done.
wow, you’re an angry little troll aren’t you?
Enjoy your NL East title, the Phillies earned it. Never was one to go on other boards and gloat when we won because my focus was more on the Mets winning than other teams losing. For you to be over here when your team just won its first title since 93…that’s pretty sad.
Feel free to go over and search beerleaguer for RPIazza31’s comments there, you won’t find any gloating or goading by me.
The phils dealt with a lot of injury, but we had Brian Lawrence et al instead of Pedro Martinez for 5 months, Phils lost Hamels only for one month.
You only started Lawrence when El Duque got hurt, really. And then you lost the division when Pedro was back.
You’re telling me the Phils had less injuries? Lose David Wright for a month like we lost Utley.
We had one starter make it through the entire year uninjured-Jamie Moyer. You had Glavine, Maine, Perez make it through, yes?
Here’s an example from a Phillies blog, opening day 2007:
Rollins: “Phillies are the team to beat”
1st game lost in the bullpen…check.
Pat Burrell…2Ks…check.
The vaunted Phillies line-up…11Ks….check.
1st fielding error of the year…check.
“Phillies the team to beat.”
ERROR. DOES NOT COMPUTE!!!!!
Keep babbling, Rollins. It’s easier to talk than to walk.
Mets fans troll on our blogs in April, gotta expect payback in October, yes?
Your side’s trolls were still working up until yesterday’s games started.
No, I’m not angry, Why should I be?
Sorry Mets2018, I didn’t see this other guy’s comment. I thought you were talking about what I wrote.
I’ll let him stick up for himself if he chooses to
It was a dumb joke, we are all a little frustrated at the moment, myself included. I thought I’d try a little humor. It looks like I failed. No harm intended guys.
Let’s look forward to ‘08.
Great, go root for the Sox or the Yankees, I’m sure you will find many similarly-minded fans there. Ignorant.
willie needed a better way to motivate this team. it might be that a player can individually have the type of mindset he exhibited during his successful years, but in a situation like this, this team needed a more proactive, and dramatic gesture to get it out of this idea expressed by a player that they were bored in normal games. i still like willie but it might have been the wrong manager for the wrong time. i really dont care what the media says, and congrats to the phillies.
Do you still think the Mets will win the 2007 World Series, Ghobot?