4um: Let's Go (Home) Mets: NYers complete greatest collapse in baseball history

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Title: Let's Go (Home) Mets: NYers complete greatest collapse in baseball history
Source: espn
URL Source: http://www.espn.com
Published: Sep 30, 2007
Author: n/a
Post Date: 2007-09-30 16:40:30 by Mekons4
Keywords: None
Views: 113
Comments: 6

One of my favorite players of all time, Tom Glavine, got shelled in the first inning, and the Mets went on to lose to Florida, 8-1, while Philadelphia was beating Washington at home.
17 games ago, New York led Philadelphia by 7 games. Not only did they lose the division, they also lost out for the wild card. I'm sure glad I'm not a Mutt fan.
As far as I know, this is the biggest choke in baseball history. I have heard that one team in the 1930s may have blown a similar lead, but it took them a whole month.
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#1. To: All (#0)
No major league team had owned a lead of seven games or more with 17 to play and failed to finish in first place. New York, which had that margin on Sept. 12, matched the largest lead blown in September. The 1938 Pittsburgh Pirates (Sept. 1) and 1934 New York Giants (Sept. 6) also led by seven games in the final month only to tailspin.
Philadelphia swept a three-game series at Shea Stadium from Sept. 14-16 -- giving the Phillies wins in the final eight meetings between the teams this year. That started a slide the Mets never recovered from.
Doomed by inadequate starting pitching and a leaky, exhausted bullpen, New York lost 12 of its last 17 games, committing 21 errors in the process.
Luis Castillo struck out to end New York's latest lackluster defeat against a second-division club, prompting the last round of boos at Shea Stadium this year.
Moments later, the final in Philadelphia was posted on the out-of-town scoreboard and Mets fans filed for the exits, quietly muttering to themselves.
It was one of the darkest days for a franchise that prided itself on late-season comebacks in 1969, 1973 and in the 1986 World Series against Boston.
Last year, the Mets advanced to Game 7 of the NL championship series before losing 3-1 to St. Louis. Beltran struck out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, a sudden end to a thrilling season.
This time, the pain was drawn out over 2 1/2 weeks of wretched play -- and the finale was a wash from the first inning on.
After squandering their cushion, the Mets fell a game behind Philadelphia with their fifth straight loss Friday night. But they bounced back when John Maine nearly pitched the club's first no-hitter Saturday in a fight-filled rout of Florida, which pulled them back into a tie for first when the Phillies lost to the Nationals.
That put the Mets' fate back in their own hands and gave them hope that their massive slide was over.
The previous time two teams went into the final day of the regular season tied atop a division -- and neither assured of the wild card -- was 1993. Glavine started for Atlanta that day and beat Colorado 5-3, sending the Braves into the playoffs with help from a Dodgers blowout of San Francisco.

Mekons4 posted on 2007-09-30 17:49:18 ET Reply Trace Private Reply
#2. To: Mekons4 (#1)
two teams went into the final day of the regular season tied atop a division -- and neither assured of the wild card

In 1967 the Red Sox and Twins went into the final day tied and palying each other. The Red Sox won to eliminate the Twins, and the Tigers lost to finish one game behind. Dick McAuliffe made the final out in the final Tigers game by grounding into his only double play of the year. He was playing second base that year, but the year before he had hit 23 homers playing mostly shortstop, which as we discussed before was big power in those days from a shortstop.
Yesterday I was thinking that the Mets might at least finish tied with the Phillies snd salvage some self-respect, like in 1978 when the Red Sox lost a huge lead to the Yankees in September, but rallied to finish tied and force a one-game playoff (which of course they lost).
I've already said too much.
MUDDOG posted on 2007-09-30 18:11:25 ET Reply Trace Private Reply
#3. To: Mekons4 (#0)
absolutely amazing that the Phillies achieved this.
and the Mets didn't even make the wild card. The wild card will be decided by a 1-game playoff tomorrow between Colorado & San Diego.
Diamondbacks play the Cubs on Wednesday.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Red Jones posted on 2007-09-30 18:50:56 ET Reply Trace Private Reply
#4. To: MUDDOG (#2)
Dick McAuliffe made the final out in the final Tigers game by grounding into his only double play of the year.

In a similar move, Glavine made his only error of the year today, throwing over the third-baseman. If he had made the play, who knows what would have happened. I'm not sure how many runs had already scored when he blew the play.

Mekons4 posted on 2007-09-30 18:58:22 ET Reply Trace Private Reply
#5. To: Mekons4. fans (#4)
I'm glad that I no longer care for the circus, or bread, or gov cheese.
Please.
Join the Ron Paul Revolution
Lod posted on 2007-09-30 19:05:22 ET Reply Trace Private Reply
#6. To: Mekons4 (#4)
In a similar move, Glavine made his only error of the year today

Cue the Twilight Zone music.
I've already said too much.
MUDDOG posted on 2007-09-30 19:35:57 ET Reply Trace Private Reply
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