Falling Short

There are days when you write posts because you're happy, because something either in sports or in your life has left you feeling elated.

This is not one of those days.

Today my softball team, the best team by record through the regular season, came up empty against the worst team in the league, losing 8-6. The loss ended our season a game short of contending for the championship.

It was the sort of loss that really leaves a bad taste in your mouth. On a personal note, I had a really tough day. I swung the bat well but my fielding was atrocious.

I don't mean to flatter myself but I'm typically one of the best outfielders in the league. Today I had three balls clang off my glove. None of them were routine catches -- one was a would-be diving grab, one was a jump against the wall, and one was off a long sprint in. Tough plays all, but I'd be the first to tell you that I should have made all three, and usually do.

It's one thing to lose, it's another thing to feel you played an active role in the team's loss. Unfortunately, that's part of the feeling here. Now, in my defense, we lost 8-6. I happened to be sitting the inning when the opposition scored 5 of those runs. I also drove in a run and scored another, so I had a productive day at the plate.

I also have a severe back injury at the moment which had a major impact on my play. Still though. Just a really bad feeling.

The whole team played lousy is the truth of it, and it's just such a shame. We had a great season and really had a terrific team, we just didn't have it today.

I really love the softball league, and perhaps more than anything I'm just bummed that I won't have games to look forward to until March or April when the spring league starts.

Anyway, I've just been completely out of sorts about the whole thing since the game ended earlier today, and had to get it off my chest.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

- A.F.O.M.G.

The Anything Goes World Series

When Ryan Howard went down looking to send the Giants to the World Series (notice how I assign agency to Howard's failure as opposed to Brian Wilson's success... that's no accident), it set up the kind of Fall Classic that I haven't seen since 2002.

What kind is that? The kind where I just honest to goodness do not care who wins.

In 2003, obviously, I rooted against the Yankees. In 2004, I rooted for the Red Sox; '05 the White Sox, '06 the Tigers (natch), '07 the Red Sox, '08 the Rays, and '09 (shudder) the Phillies.

This year is different. Why?

For one thing, both sides share the burden of history. The Rangers have never won the World Series, and the Giants haven't done so since moving to the Bay Area. Unlike the '05 White Sox, for example, neither of them has a superior claim on our sympathies in the feel-good-for-their-fans category.

For another thing I just happen to like a lot of the players on both sides. Josh Hamilton, Darren Oliver, Frenchy, even Ron Washington -- a few checkered pasts, sure, but they all seem like good enough guys now.

As for the Giants, I'm a big Tim Lincecum fan, so I'd be happy if he got a ring. I dislike Matt Cain for beaning David Wright and then tipping his cap to the crowd when he walked off the field, but it's not a dealbreaker for me. There's even a part of me that's happy for Pat Burrell for achieving post-Phillies success.

Ultimately I'll root for the Giants, but that's solely because they're the National League representative.

More than feeling empty or boring, this general sentiment of "anything goes" is really quite liberating. I'll watch the World Series and whatever happens, happens. I can't lose.

It's basically a complete 180 from the past two World Series'. After both of those contests ended badly from my perspective, that's just fine with me.

- A.F.O.M.G.

The Impossible Dream?

So much for my powers of prognostication!

Yes, in the nine days since I last posted here (pathetic, I agree), a lot has happened in the baseball world, much of it positive.

Last night the Rangers finished off the Yankees to book a trip to the first World Series in franchise history. I know Yankee fans were really desperate to get No. 28 this year, but you've gotta feel good for Rangers fans (even if, as my Texas-native office mate says, no one down there really cares about baseball).

You've gotta feel good for baseball, too. Having the same absurdly expensive teams in the World Series each year isn't fun. I mean, at least let Rangers fans have their fun before the Steinbrenners' wallets rip their guts out when the Yankees sign Cliff Lee this offseason.

Things are also looking good in the Giants-Phillies series, albeit a bit worse since the Phillies came up with the win in Game 5 against Tim Lincecum.

(Lincecum, incidentally, provided easily the coolest moment of the playoffs when he escaped a first and third, 1-out jam on a line drive double play to the first baseman, and, in his excitement, pointed toward third and exclaimed, "You, stay there!" He didn't look at the runner on third; he didn't show anyone up, it was just the adrenaline and excitement of the moment.)

With Roy Oswalt going for the Phillies tonight and then Cole Hamels in a potential Game 7 (with Roy Halladay available in reserve, no less), it would be decidedly premature to declare the Phillies dead.

Nevertheless, you have to like the Giants' position right now, even with the next two games being played in Philly. It's tough beating any team three straight, especially a playoff team -- that's what the Phils have in front of them.

Needless to say, I'd feel a lot better about all this if the Giants could just end it tonight.

As for the Mets... actually, on the positive side, I'm really supportive of their new messaging campaign featuring Jeff Wilpon. I imagine the messages will end once the Mets select a GM (as perhaps they should), but for not it at least makes you feel like ownership has some sense of accountability, or that they care.

That's s not the same as having October baseball to enjoy, but hey, maybe it's a start.

- A.F.O.M.G.

Storm Clouds Gathering

We're all thinking it, might as well come out and say it.

As we assess the landscape of the impending League Championship Series', there is but one overwhelmingly likely scenario: come the World Series, we'll be watching "Bad Meet Evil 2".

Through the first round of the playoffs, the Yankees and Phillies look very, very good. This is especially true of the Phillies, whose pitching is about as good as it gets (of course, they benefited from some horrible play by the Reds in Game 2 after Roy Oswalt got touched up, but still).

As for the Yanks, they've got the Twins' number in the playoffs. Three up, three down; what more can you say?

In the other series, I was pleased to see the Giants bounce the Braves. I tipped my cap to Bobby Cox like everyone else, but I definitely didn't want to see a Phillies-Braves NLCS. On top of that I just didn't think the Braves would have been competitive against the Phillies, whereas the Giants, though a flawed team, have enough starting pitching that they could pull off the upset.

As for Rangers-Rays, I could have gone either way. With the result in hand, I can say I'm happy for Jeff Francoeur, Darren Oliver, and Jeff Hamilton. With Cliff Lee showing his now-customary playoff form, I think they have a chance of beating the Yankees, so there's that.

That all said, we all kind of know where this is going right? A Yankees-Phillies repeat, with Game 1 in Philadelphia? I can hardly bear the thought of going through that again. Last year we sided with the Phillies; I don't think the calculus will have changed, but I may need to give it some thought.

I should stop thinking like that; it's not inevitable, I suppose. As the storm clouds gather, for now we cross our fingers and ask that somehow the Rangers and/or Giants can pull of a miracle. Is there any chance?

- A.F.O.M.G.

Quick Hits on the Postseason

Hey team, sorry for the lack of posts this week. I've been settling into a new job at work and, as ever, the business school applications continue apace.

In spite of it all I've managed to catch some of the playoffs. Allow me to share a few quick thoughts:

1. Aroldis Chapman

I can see why the Mets passed on this kid. Young. Lefthanded. Throws 105 mph. Who needs him!?

Man, did the Reds' defense fail him in Game 2 or what? I might not have cared as much but to have to watch all those Phillie fans rejoice just made it all particularly difficult to stomach. It's looking like another charmed postseason in Philadelphia...

2. Darren Oliver

As I write this, Game 3 of Rangers-Rays is on, and Darren Oliver (RIP) is pitching for the Rangers. I don't know when it happened exactly, but at some point I became convinced that the reason the Mets tanked after 2006 was because they let Oliver go.

Or maybe it was just emblematic of the Mets' failure to sweat the small stuff when it came to roster construction. Omar, we all know, was great at reeling in the big fish, but when it came to guys 20-25 on the roster... not so much.

3. Ian Kinsler just hit a home run

2-1 Rangers, bottom of the 7th, and the home field fans in Texas are going crazy. They're six outs from the ALCS.

I remember when the Mets were in the playoffs. That was fun.

Maybe next year. Probably not.

- A.F.O.M.G.

Which of These Things Is Not Like the Other?

In Philadelphia they're talking about Roy Halladay throwing the second no-hitter in postseason history, and about how they're up 1-0 in the series.

On the other side of our town they're glued to their television sets, watching C.C. Sabathia labor against the Twins, and white knuckle-wondering whether they can come back against Francisco Liriano.

And here I am and the best thing Mets fans have going for them right now... I don't know, that Ron Darling sees the Mets' problems the same way Matt Cerrone does?

There's a certain undeniable excitement surrounding the Mets as they search for their new General Manager. He or she will be the person who defines the next era of Mets baseball, so it's a very significant moment.

But no matter who they hire, the Mets are still in a really bad position, most likely going nowhere soon. As for the Phillies and the Yankees, their fans are pretty damn excited right now, and chances are they'll have reason to be this time next October as well.

As for the Mets... well, there's always 2013, right?

- A.F.O.M.G.

(162) Days of Summer

As I write this from a freezing cold Amtrak train bound for Boston it's 5:09, and the sun isn't as high as it should be for this time of day. Earlier today, in New York, the weather was crisp and there was an unmistakable hint of fall the air.

If we needed one more reminder that summer is officially over, today is the last day of baseball's regular season. They're in the 14th now at Citi Field, but soon the seats will empty for the last time in 2010.

This is the cruelest time of year for fans of the 22 teams shut out of baseball's postseason. As always, it's going to be really hard for me to see the baseball season go.

* * * * *

Strange as it is to say about such an uneventful season, for me personally, 2010 was perhaps the funnest year I've ever had in terms of going to the ballpark.

Me and Little Miss Citi developed a routine of inviting large groups of people out to Friday night or Saturday afternoon games. Some of these people were Mets fans, but most were not; some of them didn't even particularly care for baseball.

It didn't matter. There's just something great about going to a game at Citi Field (if I'm honest, in a way that's fundamentally superior to Shea). When you're there on a sun-soaked day or warm summer evening and everyone's watching the game, having drinks over some Shake Shack, and just enjoying each other's company, it's pretty hard not to just love life.

The Mets are something that make me incredibly happy, and I loved having the opportunity, on so many occasions this season, to share that with other people.

Like the lead male character in the movie that the title of this post references, it's possible I'm idealizing my memories of 2010, sorting through them and selectively ignoring anything having to do with Oliver Perez or Luis Castillo or that awful stretch after the All-Star Break when our hopes were dashed.

To me though that's not what the Mets are about. To me it's about the good times at the ballpark or watching at a bar or on my couch as butterflies dance in my stomach, hoping D-Wright will get that clutch hit or that Johan will take the ball in the 9th.

It's about being unable to wait for the next day's newspaper to read all about a great win.

And it's about talking or trading emails with friends, family, or just the random person wearing a Mets hat on the street.

And then, in a season like this, after 162 games it's all gone. No more group outings to Citi Field and staying late at McFadden's. No more game recaps to watch late at night on SNY. No more high fives to throw to complete strangers as you watch the game together.

No more summer, no more Mets. As I always seem to say this time of year, it's just hard.

* * * * *

In the movie, a girl named Autumn comes along to pull our hero out of the dumps after he loses his Summer. I guess that's what football is for, and maybe, with Amar'e in the fold, the Knicks will be worth watching again too.

For me though there's no getting over Summer. I just can't care about the Giants or Jets or Knicks the way I care about the Mets.

On the plus side, this figures to be an active offseason full of turnover for the Mets, at least in terms of management, if not the players on the field.

But still, as much as we all love dissecting the machinations of the baseball operations people, speculating about trades, or suggesting player moves, we don't love baseball because of the hot stove season, we love it because of the games.

Autumn has none of that this year. I'm waiting for Spring.

- A.F.O.M.G.