For the longest time, I looked at the first Sunday after the World Series as the start of the football season. Sure, we’re eight weeks in, but it’s a chance to channel surf without having to worry about missing a pitch.

The Hot Stove Season will really kick with rumors this week. Watched some of the Jets this afternoon and ready for Giants-Cowboys. Giants are defending their title well with the exception of their meltdown in Cleveland.

The win today, and Washington loses tomorrow night against the Steelers – a real possibility – then they would have gone a long way toward locking down their division.

Posted under New York Mets

Cole Hamels will be out of the game, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Rays have the advantage for the end of Game 5 tonight. They might have gained a sense of momentum after tying the game, but let’s not forget the Phillies have a rested bullpen.

As the weather becomes a storyline in this World Series, unfortunately we could be hearing a lot tonight and in the near future about the showcase event being played at a neutral site. Yeah, that was me you heard screaming.

There are some things that shouldn’t be considered, and that’s one of them.

Posted under New York Mets

We had an interesting question last night on the Message Board. Had the Dodgers and Giants stayed, could New York have been able to support three baseball teams?

Let’s mull on that for awhile. And, if there’s something you’d like to raise before they continue Game 5 of the World Series, let’s hear it.

Posted under New York Mets

What’s on your mind?

With no World Series tonight, and maybe not even tomorrow, there’s no limit about the things on your mind. Fill me in. Whether it’s the Series, the Phillies vs. Mets, or the free-agent options, if it’s on your mind put it here and we’ll talk about it.

JD

Posted under New York Mets

The World Series will resume tomorrow at the earliest. Thanks for not pushing us through another bad night of rain, wind and cold. Waiting an extra day is the right thing to do. Trying to force it tonight would have been a mess.

The announcement is play will resume at 8:37 p.m., which is truth in advertising. Actually, this would have been a perfect opportunity to try an earlier resumption time, but you can’t have everything.

MLB also gets kudos for an admission of a blown call on Evan Longoria’s tag of Jimmy Rollins. I’ve ripped MLB a number of times on a decline in the quality of umpiring, but an admission of bad calls is a step in the right direction.

Posted under New York Mets

Bud Selig said it and I believe him.

After Carlos Pena’s single drove in B.J. Upton with the tying run, and the grounds crew practically following him across the plate, Selig said he would have not allowed the Phillies be crowned champions with a rain-shortened victory.

“It’s not a way to end a World Series,” Selig said. “I would not have allowed the World Series to end that way.”

I believe he wouldn’t. He would have played his “best interest in baseball,” card and done the right thing.

Giving that, why couldn’t he have done the right thing earlier? Perhaps not start the game at all, given the forecast? Or, once it started, said, “if we have to stop this, we won’t have a rain-shortened winner?”

The late start times and scheduling are other matters he needs to correct. My thinking is the World Series is the ultimate. It’s baseball’s showcase event, and it should be treated that way. Too often MLB lets those who don’t love it make the decisions and that has to stop.

If Selig’s words are to be believed, he must follow them up with actions that mean something. So far, his legacy as commissioner has been the steroids era, interleague play, new divisional alignments and a work stoppage that killed the 1994 World Series.

Time to change that for the better. Schedule the Series start times so people can see the game, and if worse, to give you more leeway time with the weather. If you don’t like playing this late in October, then you’re going to have to do something about shortening the playoffs?

Since you won’t reduce the number of games, then you must alter the regular season schedule. I have already suggested in these pages to have at least one day-night doubleheader a month. That would give you six days to play with. There are things that can be done, and in the end they won’t hurt as bad as the embarrassment that was last night.

Posted under New York Mets

Good evening folks. What I’m hoping for tonight is for the Rays to prolong the Series and drag it out to seven. Just like the Red Sox did. Remember the beer commercial that had “man laws.”

I’m thinking there should be some baseball laws, too. The home team should win on Opening Day and the World Series should go seven. And, it would be nice if the National League won an occasional All-Star Game or two.

Anyway, I can tell by the nature of a lot posts that you guys are itching for the Hot Stove Season. It will be here enough. But, we’ve got a World Series to finish.

Posted under New York Mets

“It will be absolute bedlam. It will be one of the craziest places on Earth. It’s kind of scary to imagine.’’ – Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard on anticipating the crowd reaction if Philadelphia wraps up the World Series tonight at home.

Posted under New York Mets

42: Teams to take a 3-to-1 lead in the World Series. Of them, only six failed to go on and win the Series.

Posted under New York Mets

For the second straight game, the Mets rallied to beat Boston. This time, they overcame a three-run deficit to with, 8-5, to win Game 7 of the 1986 Series at Shea.

Third baseman Ray Knight hit a leadoff homer of Boston’s Calvin Schiraldi in the 7th inning to jumpstart a three-run rally‚ is named MVP. Schiraldi became the only pitcher to lost both Games 6 and 7, and Knight was named Series MVP.

What stands out for me about that night was that Game 7 was initially rained out and postponed until Monday, and went head-to-head against the Giants and Redskins.

Posted under This Day in World Series History