The Phillies and the Mets are now ready to square off in their first series of the season. Fans have to brace themselves for what is sure to be the most heated rivalry in MLB besides the Yanks and BoSox. Last season's Phillies absolutely destroyed the Mets down the stretch, in every game that counted.
The Mets miraculously folded like a cheap tent. With 17 games to play, with a 7 game lead, the Mets coughed up the division title to the Fightin's on the last day of the season. To put this meltdown into perspective, the last time a team lost the division with a 7 game lead in September was in 1938. The Pirates did us the honor that time.
You have to understand what something like this does to not only the players but the entire organization. Willie Randolph, the Mets Skipper, had to field questions all off-season about how it happened. How articulate could the brother get in explaining over-and-over again his teams' enormous choke? How could GM Omar Minaya consciously tell his boss that Randolph was still his guy and the team would bounce back next year? How could the players still show their faces at their favorites spots in the city after they played as if they were shook?
The Mets organization needed something that would let them forget about the nightmare of what just happened and focus on the future possibilities. The acquisition of Johan Santana, the Venezuelan flame thrower, allowed them to do so. Santana is arguably the most dominant pitcher in MLB, winning about 70 games in the past 4 seasons baffling hitters with the game's best change-up.
The only problem is he is now playing in New York and not Minnesota. So in essence. he is now billed as the savior of the Mets, not a piece to the puzzle. Randolph and Minaya are now all smiles because they know now the pressure is somewhat off of their shoulders and squarely on to Santanas. Gotta love New York!
The problem that Johan faces is that he has that bulls-eye on him. But not just any bulls-eye. You know that evil, demonic looking eye on the one-dollar bill? Yes! - That's the eye that's following him this season. Oh, the beauty of playing in NYC people, you know, the same city that will boo ARod even in a 10-run Yankee win because he didn't get a hit, or he didn't hit a home run. The same city that was on Eli Manning's ass like Tampa Bay female-teachers on students. The Yankees have re-signed ARod and Eli Manning has since then won a Super Bowl.
Johan Santana now has that burden to himself. If the Mets don't win the division no one will care about the fact that Moises Alou is old and a singles hitter now, or how old Delgado looks these days. Or the fact that Pedro Martinez is done and can't stay healthy. It all falls on Johan, right or wrong. He's off to a good start so far which is a half the battle. With the uncertainty of what they'll get out of Martinez, the reality is that Johan will have to dominate all season for the Mets to win the division. Because if he doesn't, chances are he'll have less fans in NY than rapper Juelz Santana... and that my friends wouldn't be a good look. Batter up!
I think the Mets should be favored to win the series but they really need Pedro to be healthy
I rather watch the Mets than the yankees