The Most Competitive Balance Ever and the Random Song of the Day

It seems all these teams are pretty well matched, right? Every time you think one team is better than the other, the other team takes it to game 5. There are a lot of things right and wrong with the 2nd Wild Card, but maybe that crazy buffoon of a commissioner saw all this coming. Records don't matter as much anymore except for home field advantage, so might as well make every team feel if they take advantage of an opportunity, they can do anything. It makes for more fun. We seem to have entered a Competitive Golden Age in baseball, helped along by the 1-game Wild Card. While this time around, the experience won out in the Division Series, with the Yankees, the Tigers, the Giants and the Cardinals moving ahead. It didn't matter that the Redbirds were 7 games behind the Braves and wouldn't have made it by even a sliver without the 2nd Wild Card. We all knew they are as good as any team out there, including the New Age Nationals, who looked defeated by their inexperience in the end.

For teams like the Mets, we know they CAN be competitive. Talent is clearly an issue, but the bottom line is they need to execute. And they need to execute in the 2nd half, and when they have the chance to put the foot on the neck of the competition.


My freshman roommate, Ted, who is a big-time Phillies fan, texted me this morning:

Ted: The ALCS starts tonight? 
       
     Wow. 
       
     That's cruel.

Me: Yep. Crazy, right? But Yanks deserve to NOT work. I hope it's not 
    Cards Yanks...

Ted: I agree. Although, I must admit, I've disliked Yankee teams in the 
     past more than this team.
       
     Translation for some reason I don't totally hate this Yankee team
       
     I don't think they are as good and for some reason that's endearing
       
     Like PH for a-rod and winning because of it, benching arod and his 
     replacement gets a key RBI...Raul...and I finally realized how good 
     Jeter really is...

     I like these things...what's wrong with me

Me: Oh, I agree with all you just said, but that doesn't change the fact 
    I think that franchise needs to feel disappointment more

Ted: Agreed

Me: I think those fans should feel what the National fans felt last 
    night, you know.

Ted: Go tigers, I'm just saying if the yanks do win...it won't upset me 
     very much.

Me: You don't live in New York. "Tings ah back to noormool."

    If they win, they will say.

    With Competitive Balance the way it is, I don't think they should 
    come out on top this year, though if they do, they will probably 
    have earned it.

Here's the Random Song of the Day.

LET'S. GO. METS.

 

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Farewell Former Foe and a Song for the Night

I'm sure I am already the umteenth person to start a post or article or what not like this, but once again Billy Beane will not win the last game of the year. It sucks, too, 'cause they were fun to rally behind. The Tigers were clearly the better team at the end, with Justin Verlander looking as if there was no way he was gonna let his team blow a 2-game lead (a pitcher picked just ahead of Philip Humber in the 2004 Draft, I might add....or...just did add...) I hope, one day, Billy Beane and his Oakland A's can get that ring, as long as it's not at the expense of the Mets, once again.

The two teams I have cared the most about in this postseason both took on the Mets in the Fall Classic. The one who beat them in 7 has left the party, being beaten by a team the Mets could have played in 2006. The one who the Mets beat in 5 has forced game 5 against a team the Mets lost to in 5 and share a city with. The Giants used to live here, and they fought their way from 2 down to win game 5 and go off to play for the National League Pennant with some former Mets on hand for the fun. They await the winner of a series between a team that the Mets beat in 5 six years before they beat the Mets in 7, and a team that beat the Mets a bunch of times this year to get to the point of playing in a game 5.

I don't know whether I'm trying to say that it all comes back to the Mets or that the playoffs are awesome. Either way, I wish we were playing a game 5.

Here's a Song for the Night.

LET'S. GO. PLAYOFFS.

LET'S. GO. METS.

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2011 Photo of the Day: Rainy Day Walkers

Thursday, June 23, 2011 vs. Oakland; 2-hour rain delay; 4-1 win