NL East (playoff, lose, games, jerseys)

[CTownNative]

I think the Mets will win it this year. They have a good offense, good starting pitching, and now they will probably have a good bullpen with the additions to it. I see them winning between 92-95 games.

[Lucario]

After Santana, Mets have no rotation whatsoever. Their pen, before K-Rod, is also mediocre. I am not sold on Putz.

They will not be able to get past the Phillies!

[Orangeish]

besides SI already jinxed them

[Fred314X]

Originally Posted by Orangeish

besides SI already jinxed them

I stopped reading SI years ago, when they fired all their veteran sportswriters in favor of a bunch of television-fed fools who know a lot about sports marketing, but not so much about sports. What SI says anymore doesn't mean a lot.

And despite what fans of other teams--particularly other teams in the NL East--have to say on the matter, the facts are as loud and clear as can be: in both 2007 and 2008, nobody beat the Mets but themselves. Subtract a September collapse, and your '09 NL East champions call New York City home.

[Orangeish]

yeah, I was def kidding, and even though I'm from Chicago, I don't put much stock in curses.

Thats a really valid point, the Mets did just give the division away the last two years.

[SilkCity0416]

Originally Posted by Sunil's Dad

After Santana, Mets have no rotation whatsoever. Their pen, before K-Rod, is also mediocre. I am not sold on Putz.

They will not be able to get past the Phillies!

Santana is the best pitcher in the game. After him, there are some question marks, but not as bad as you may think. It was the bullpen that killed the Mets last year. With the addition of Putz ( who was injured for the most part last year, but had a big season in '07) and the addition of K-Rod, the Mets should have a great season. I'm expecting a big season from Beltran, Wright, Reyes, Delgado. Murphy is a young star in the making, And the Mets just picked up Shelffield, the Mets aren't anything to look over. I think they will win the East. 93-69.

[SilkCity0416]

Originally Posted by Fred314X

I stopped reading SI years ago, when they fired all their veteran sportswriters in favor of a bunch of television-fed fools who know a lot about sports marketing, but not so much about sports. What SI says anymore doesn't mean a lot.

And despite what fans of other teams--particularly other teams in the NL East--have to say on the matter, the facts are as loud and clear as can be: in both 2007 and 2008, nobody beat the Mets but themselves. Subtract a September collapse, and your '09 NL East champions call New York City home.

Fred. YOU SAID IT THE BEST! THE PHILS DIDN'T WIN THE EAST, THE METS LOST IT!

[Fred314X]

Originally Posted by SilkCity0416

Fred. YOU SAID IT THE BEST! THE PHILS DIDN'T WIN THE EAST, THE METS LOST IT!

For a change, I feel better about this season. And at least in my view, the single biggest problem the Mets are going to have is our recent $36 million signing (I refer to Oliver Perez). When the man is on his game, he's almost as unhittable as Sid Fernandez was. The fly in the ointment is that Perez is virtually incapable of pitching beyond the fifth inning. Over the course of a season, he can run a bullpen into the ground all by himself.

Either the man learns how to get into the seventh inning at least, or Jerry Manuel is going to have to start petitioning the front office to make some kind of hard decision.

I'm even optimistic enough that I'm willing to stop calling Luis Castillo a bum. For the time being. He showed up in camp 17 pounds lighter, and the relief that presents to his knees make it thinkable that he could actually be the everyday second baseman.

And as regards my observation about the last two seasons, I'm waiting for gophillies to start logging in here. I'm sure he's got a boatload of things to say about it. (Not that he could change my mind--I'm just anticipating a season of arguments!)

[Lucario]

Originally Posted by Fred314X

I stopped reading SI years ago, when they fired all their veteran sportswriters in favor of a bunch of television-fed fools who know a lot about sports marketing, but not so much about sports. What SI says anymore doesn't mean a lot.

And despite what fans of other teams--particularly other teams in the NL East--have to say on the matter, the facts are as loud and clear as can be: in both 2007 and 2008, nobody beat the Mets but themselves. Subtract a September collapse, and your '09 NL East champions call New York City home.

Yeah, and if I had a 10-gallon hat I'd be a cowboy...........Fact is, the Mets DID choke twice, and the Phillies did win the division twice, and they ARE the defending world champions. As Jimmy Rollins said, they again are the team to beat.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by Fred314X

I stopped reading SI years ago, when they fired all their veteran sportswriters in favor of a bunch of television-fed fools who know a lot about sports marketing, but not so much about sports. What SI says anymore doesn't mean a lot.

And despite what fans of other teams--particularly other teams in the NL East--have to say on the matter, the facts are as loud and clear as can be: in both 2007 and 2008, nobody beat the Mets but themselves. Subtract a September collapse, and your '09 NL East champions call New York City home.

The Mets may have collapsed, but if the Phils didn't play as well as they did, they would not have won it. I don't know how you can say it was just dumb luck that the Phils won the division, but then somehow they wound up cruising through the playoffs. If they were just handed the division by the Mets, wouldn't the Phils have just hit a brick wall in the postseason?

Face it, the Mets just are not as good as they have been hyped up to be the past few years. Championship teams just do not have an outfield of a rookie (Murphy) and a Nationals castoff (Church)...and then they throw in the washed-up cancer Sheffield. The Mets lineup is mediocre at best once you get beyond Wright, Beltran, and Reyes. And no Mets pitcher other than Santana will put fear in any team. They need to win more often than every 5 days. And lets not forget the Mets character/chemistry issues, which may be more to blame than anything the past couple of years.

I know the Phils have been playing like crap, but 2 games over 162 doesn't really matter, and as Mets fans should know, pennants aren't won in April.