In 2008, the hopes and dreams of New York Mets fans for a playoff berth ended on the last day of the season. The day before, they were awed by perennial ace, Johan Santana. Pitching on three-day rest and a meniscus tear in his right knee, Santana tossed a complete game three-hitter against the Florida Marlins. The victory kept the Mets tied for first in the National League Wildcard race. The following day, they would lose 4-2 and miss out on the playoffs by one game.
The next day, Johan Santana underwent surgery on his knee and told the New York media and fans that he intended to be ready for the start of Spring Training. During the off-season, the Mets made major improvements upon their bullpen. Mets General Manager, Omar Minaya, made headlines at the Winter Meetings by signing closer Francisco Rodriguez, trading for relievers J.J. Putz and Sean Green, and trading away the bad names of the bullpen: Aaron Heilman, Joe Smith, and Scott Schoenweiss.
The Mets entered Spring Training with a respectable rotation of Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, Oliver Perez, and Livan Hernandez. The renaissance that Fernando Tatis experienced last year was hope that he could continue performing in left field. Carlos Delgado found his swing in the middle of the summer and the newcomer, Daniel Murphy, wowed fans with his determination and discipline at the plate. Lastly, the Mets had their own flame-throwing Joba Chamberlain, but in the form of Bobby Parnell.
With these new and returning players, Mets fans around the country were quite confident that this was the year. The 2009 season was more special for older Mets fans because it was the 40th anniversary of the Miracle Mets. Those ’69 Mets were not expected to play well – let alone win their first World Series. But this year, almost every Mets fan assumed they were in the post-season before the first pitch of the season was even thrown.
Then, Mets fans were introduced to baseball’s version of the Angel of Death: injuries.
By mid-June, injuries ravaged the Mets so profoundly that at one point in the season, all of their core players – Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, Johan Santana, John Maine, Carlos Beltran, J.J. Putz, and David Wright – were on the disabled list together. Even Fernando Martinez, the only jewel left in the farm system after the Santana deal, lasted two weeks from his summer call-up before succumbing to injuries.
By August 1, two whole months before the season was scheduled to end, the Mets season was long over. Ownership began “mass-giveaways” at the games ranging from huge baskets of skin products (to help tearful fans cope with paying thousands of dollars to watch a minor-league lineup at the major league level), gift cards, and signed Mets jerseys.
For those of us that didn’t end our suffering by calling Dr. Kevorkian, October 3 will bring an end to one of the most painful and disappointing seasons in recent memory. There is no quick fix to the suffering Mets fans everywhere experienced.
But when the post-season rolls around, Mets fans will still be able to look forward to the playoffs. Though fans will not be cheering for the Mets, we can now cheer for three teams in the American league. But to make it simpler, Mets fans can do the one thing that we have done since our creation in 1962: hope and pray that the Yankees don’t make it to the World Series.
Let’s go Mets in 2010!
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