Disgruntled Mets Fan

From fellow Mets blogger Shannon of Mets Police:

I invite you to take part in my unofficial survey of regular fans. I
will post one fan response per day. Maybe we can change the world.
Please keep a positive tone and use nice language.

1. When did you start following the Mets?

I was raised a Mets fan by a sports-freak dad. I would say 1999 was when I first became a fan-attending the Benny Agbayani walk-off homer game against the Giants. I didn’t really become a true diehard until 2005.

2. What is your favorite Mets memory?

Watching, from my seats in the top deck in foul territory in LF, Endy Chavez’s catch in game 7 of the NLCS.

3. What is your worst Mets memory or experience?

Joint-watching Beltran strike out looking in game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, and watching Castillo drop the pop-up at Yankee Stadium.

4. If you could change one off-field thing about the franchise what
would it be?

They would know what they were doing…it seems like having them make the right move on the first try is like pulling teeth.

5. If you owned the team starting tomorrow, what is the first thing
you would change?

That’s a separate post, because there are so many. First thing, honestly? I would add $70 million in payroll.

Your thoughts?

The recent news that Tom Glavine has been released by the Atlanta Braves has prompted Mets fans everywhere to ponder…

Is Tom Glavine a better option than Tim Redding?

In this post, I will try and present refutable evidence that Tom Glavine should not be an option for the Mets under any circumstance.

Tom Glavine was involved in one of the most successful spy missions ever in Major League history.

The Year was 2003.  The conspirator, one Bobby Cox.  At the end of 2002, Cox hatched a plan that would successfully break the hearts of Mets fans around the globe, and he got his plan rolling by allowing Glavine to become a free agent.  The Mets, eager to have a veteran pitcher of Glavine’s satus in their rotation, signed him to a four year, $42 million dollar deal.  Bobby Cox, master tactician, began Phase 1 of his evil plan immediately, encouraging Glavine to pitch as poorly as he could for the first three years of his contract.  Cox knew that the Mets would be forced to pitch Glavine no matter how much he struggled because of financial reasons, and he took full advantage of it.

With Phase 1 in the books, and the Mets reeling after spending $10 million a year for a combined 33-41 record, Cox set the wheels in motion on Phase 2.  He slyly instructed Glavine to turn things around in 2006, the final year of his contract, and put in the type of effort that would earn him another year from the Mets, who were slowly becoming one of the stronger teams in the NL East.  Glavine graciously accepted his mentor’s instructions, and rejuvenated his career with a stellar 15-7 record, leading the Mets to their first NL East title since 1988.  Glavine’s great season continued into his first 2 starts of the playoffs, with a 4-1 victory against the Dodgers in the NLDS and a 2-0 win to open the NLCS against the Cardinals.  After the game, Glavine returned to his locker to find a letter waiting for him.  Bobby Cox had decided enough was enough, as was evident by Glavine’s next start in Game 5, where he was given a 2-0 lead in the top of the 4th inning, but quickly gave it back with interest to be on the wrong half of a 4-2 loss, putting the Mets down in the series 3-2.

Special Agent Glavine was unable to get the job done in Game 6, as John Maine refused a pre game pep talk from the veteran, therefore surviving long enough to put in a solid 5 plus inning shutout effort to help the Mets even the series at 3 via a 4-2 victory.  Game 7 would be Glavine’s last chance to derail the Mets run at a World Series, and he would not be denied.

Glavine missed his first chance in the first inning, when David Wright refused his offer to give Wright’s bat a good luck drill hole before his first at bat.  Wright singled in what would be the last run of the 2006 season to give the Mets the early lead.  Oliver Perez pitched the game of his life due to another missed opportunity by Glavine, as he mistakenly put the Mr. Hyde potion in Steve Trachsel’s water bottle, leaving Dr. Jekyll on the mound.  Glavine made his final mistake of the night, when switching Endy Chavez’s glove for a much bigger one at the beginning of the 6th inning, hoping to induce an error that may turn things against the Mets.  Instead…

Pérez deals. Fastball, hit in the air to leftfield – that’s deep. Back goes Chávez, back near the wall…. leaping…. and…. HE MADE THE CATCH! He took a home run away from Rolen! Trying to get back to first, Edmonds; he’s doubled off! And the inning is over! Endy Chávez saved the day! He reached high over the leftfield wall, right in front of the Mets’ visitor’s bullpen, and pulled back a two-run homer. He went to the apex of his leap, and caught it in the webbing of his glove – with his elbow up above the fence. A miraculous play, by Endy Chávez, and then Edmonds is doubled off first, and Oliver Pérez escapes the sixth inning. The play of the year, the play – maybe – of the franchise’s history for Endy Chávez! The inning is over!

Gary Cohen – SNY

Glavine felt the pressure, knowing he would soon be out of time, trying to find another opportunity to end the Mets season.  After the 8th inning, Glavine suggested to pitching coach Rick Peterson that he put in Aaron Heilman to pitch the 9th inning.  Peterson immediately refused, knowing that Heilman would fold under the pressure of such a big situation, but was forced to reconsider at knife point in the walkway down to the club house.  Peterson reluctantly agreed, swearing to take Galvine’s secret mission to his grave, and brought in Heilman to throw the 9th.  Yadier Molina immediately made Glavine’s efforts worthwhile as he hit a 2 run home run to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead, it was a lead that Glavine would make sure held up.

Rookie closer Adam Wainwright yielded singles to Valentín and Chávez leading off the ninth. After getting a strikeout and a flyout, Wainwright walked Paul Lo Duca to bring up Carlos Beltrán with the bases loaded and two men out. All involved, including the capacity crowd at Shea, were acutely aware of Beltran’s history against the Cardinals, and the tension mounted accordingly.

Wikipedia

Tom Glavine was aslo well aware of how well Beltran had hit the Cardinals in his career.  He walked over to Carlos before his at bat, and gave him the following tip,

“If the kid gets ahead 0-2, there’s NO WAY he’ll throw a curve ball.”

Unfortunately for Carlos and the Mets, he did throw a curve ball, one of the best curve balls I’ve ever seen thrown, and the season was done.  Glavine had successfully accomplished all of Cox’s missions, breaking the hearts of Mets fans everywhere, but not yet breaking their spirits.  That would be saved for Phase 3.

Forward to the final game of the 2007 season.  Glavine had done a decent job with his one year contract, posting a very respectable 13-7 record prior to the final day of the season. The Mets were one win away from saving their season, and ending the worst regular season collapse of all time, where they gave up a seven game lead with 17 games to go.  A win would guarantee at least a one game playoff, and possibly a division title.  Things could not have worked out any better for Glavine and Cox, as the spirit of Mets fans was in the palm of their sweaty hands.  In a pre-game phone call, Cox instructed Glavine to put it out of reach early, ending the phone call saying “take their soul Tommy, take their soul”.  Glavine obliged, giving up 7 runs in the first inning en route to an 8-1 loss that kept the down hill slide moving and put the franchise in the funk that it’s in today.

Mission Accomplished

Glavine did such a good job, he was rewarded with a one year, $8 million deal to return to the Braves and revel in the success of his past 5 years.

Please don’t be nostalgic about Tom Glavine.  Please don’t think the Mets should sign him.  The only person the Mets need to sign, is a new doctor.  Please let some other poor team make a move to add Glavine, and have his second spy mission tear them apart.  Please Omar!  Don’t bring Tom Glavine back.

The Mets are down 8-1 in the top of the 8th inning against the Braves.  All signs point to another loss to Atlanta that season, since they’d owned the Mets recently winning 19 of the last 25 match ups.  I have a long drive ahead of me and decide to leave the game early and beat some of the traffic.  I get out of the parking lot as the Mets come up for the bottom half of the inning.  I turn on WFAN to listen to the end of the game.  This is the last time I have left a baseball game early in my life.

The inning goes as follows…

Derek Bell singles to right center.

Edgardo Alfonzo flies to center.

Mike Piazza reaches on infield hit, goes to second on bad throw. Bell to third.

Robin Ventura grounds out, Bell scores, Piazza to third. Braves 8, Mets 2

Todd Zeile singles to left, Piazza scores. Braves 8, Mets 3

Jay Payton singles to right, Zeile to second.

Benny Agbayani walks on 3-2 pitch to load bases.

Pinch-hitter Mark Johnson draws another full-count walk, forcing home Zeile. Braves 8, Mets 4

Melvin Mora draws third straight full-count walk, Payton scores. Braves 8, Mets 5

Joe McEwing pinch-runs for Johnson.

Bell draws 3-1 walk, Agbayani scores. Braves 8, Mets 6

Alfonzo singles to left, McEwing and Mora score. Braves 8, Mets 8

Piazza lines three-run home run to left. Mets 11, Braves 8

Ventura grounds out to end inning.

Imagine the feelings going through my mind as I listen to this.  The second greatest comeback in Mets History!  I was there, and I left.  Words can not describe what was going through my mind as I heard the call when Piazza hit the home run to take the lead.  One of the most exciting things that has ever happened at Shea Stadium.  I was there, and I missed it.

The worst part of this story is that the three friends that I went with, did not leave.  I decided to leave on my own.  They decided to stay.  I still go to Mets games with one of these friends, and have been reminded many times about this incident.  As I said before, I have not left a game early since.

I have not always been disgruntled.  There was a time when the Mets were awful, and I didn’t care.  I was happy cheering for a team with an old Eddie Murray at first base.  I used to get excited when Todd Hundley’s performance enhanced at bats led to long home runs.  I was genuinely heart broken when the Mets replaced Lenny Dykstra with Daryl Boston.  I even played third base in little league to be like Howard Johnson.  I have not always been disgruntled…I would say it all started in 1999.  I was a freshman in college.  Life was very different than it had been in High School.  I was living on my own, away from home.  I was experiencing things I had never experienced before.  I was becoming a lot more cynical than I had ever been in my childhood.  The Mets had overachieved that season, beating the Diamondbacks in the Division series and moving on to the Braves in the NLCS.  As any Mets fan knows, the Braves were the franchise’s mortal enemy in the 90s.

Fast forward to the deciding Game 6 of this series.  The Mets are fighting to stay alive in this game, scoring four runs in the 7th to tie it, and 1 run in the 8th to take the lead, only for John Franco to give up the lead in the bottom half of the inning.  Scoreless 9th inning sends us into extras and my stress level through the roof.  I am not a loud, obnoxious screamer when watching these baseball games, but I do get very stressed out internally, and I was feeling it big time.

The 10th inning of this game was one of the more exciting innings of baseball I can remember.  Benny Agbayani, one of my favorite players of all time, leads off the inning with a walk against one of the most hated pitchers Mets fans have ever known, John Rocker.  Rey Ordonez pops up his bunt attempt to record the first out.  Agbayani gets picked off but reaches 2nd safely on an E3.  He’s moved to third on a Melvin Mora single, and then finally scores on a Todd Pratt sacrifice fly.

The bottom of the 10th does not go well as Armando Benitez, one of the many beleaguered closers the Mets have had (See Turk Wendell), gave the lead back on an Ozzie Guillen single scoring Andruw Jones.

The Mets 3-4-5 hitters go down 1-2-3 in the top of the 11th, and My Man Kenny Rogers gives up a double, a sacrifice bunt, 2 intentional walks, and one very un-intentional walk to end the game and the season for the Mets.

This is when I became disgruntled.