Someone Else's Agony Now

Something cosmic has been going on, and all my National League picks fell apart at the end. There was a time this season when all my first place predictions were actually in first place, or at least tied, and then the Brewers, Padres, and Mets sunk like anchors into the ocean. Congratulations to the Phillies, Cubs, Diamond Backs, and Rockies for playing like they wanted to win something. And now, it's someone else's heartache as each playoff series ends, and one more team is eliminated.

At least my American League picks did a lot better. Before the season, I picked Boston, Los Angeles de Anaheim, and Detroit to win their divisions, and the Yankees to win the Wild Card. 3 out of 4 isn't bad. I'm not surprised Cleveland played well, but I really expected Detroit to play better. It just proves how hard it is to get to World Series; everything has to go well for most of the season, which isn't as easy as it seems.

For the post-season, I am rooting and not predicting. It's less stressful and more fun. So, I am rooting for the Red Sox, Indians, Cubs, and Rockies to advance.

The Mets' collapse really hurt, although it wasn't totally surprising, as I was seeing small signs of their lack of killer instinct over the past couple of years. The biggest disappointment has to be Jose Reyes. His performance in the second half of the season was a huge step backwards in both performance and attitude, and he could become a real problem for Willie Randolph if Willie doesn't step up and make clear demands of how he expects Reyes to go about his business.

It's obvious to me that if Jimmy Rollins and Jose Reyes switched teams before this season, the Mets would have won the division. Rollins showed that he is the MVP this year, and Reyes showed how immature he still is.

The Mets' leaders have managed to put themselves in the same position as the Yankees, as far as needing to win the World Series to keep their jobs next year. At least the Yankees won some World Championships under Torre before they got to that point.

This offseason is going to be very interesting for the Metsies. Next I'll address some changes I would make if I were GM.


© Judy Kamilhor 2007