I guess I should be gracious and congratulated the Highlanders on not only winning the World Series but finally putting an end to this miserable baseball season, and thankful they ended before the season’s first snowfall.

For all of my fellow Mets fans who wanted Pedro Martinez on the team to fill a starters spot, and second thoughts? Even though Hideki Matsui has not had much success against Petey over the years, the way the at bat was going in the second inning you just knew Matsui was going to tag him. Matsui was like a boxer sizing up his opponent, jabbing, jabbing with foul balls, then just missing with a left but the jabbing again then going for the knockout with the home run.

The best line I read all morning came from Mike Vaccaro when talking about whether Charlie Manuel should have pulled Petey in third before Matsui plated two more runs with a single:

     Everyone inside the ballpark knew that Martinez had no shot against Matsui, who’d gotten so many great swings in that first at-bat, Then he pulverized a Pedro pitch that barely fell foul down the right-field line, missing a bases-clearing double by inches.

It was here, if Pedro’s name was Pete Martin and he wasn’t a proud future Hall of Famer, Charlie Manuel might have said “Enough!” and gone with a left-hander like the warming J.A. Happ to try to finish the at-bat and keep the Phillies close. But this isn’t Pete Martin. It’s Pedro Martinez. And he tried to sneak a fastball past Matsui that wouldn’t stay snuck. A two-run single followed. And the first bursts of bedlam fell from the stands.

Remember the praise I gave McCarver after Game 1? Well I would like to retract the compliment as Mac-C transformed back into Tim McFullofshit the rest of the way.

Remember back, oh about nine years ago when Matt Franco was a Met? Wasn’t it known that his uncle was none other than actor Kurt Russell? And didn’t Russell parade around in a Mets cap during the 2000 World Series? But now that his “step-daughter” Kate Hudson is shacking up with Alex Centaur-riguez he’s cheering for the Highlanders like he grew up on the Grand Concourse. And what’s up with Rudy Giulliani and his wax figure wife (and that hair Geez Louise Judy G find a stylist will ya!) looking like a couple waiting for the early bird special. And why does Rudy squint like that all time making that rat face?

Now that the 2009 baseball season is over, let’s role up our sleeves and get to work we got a lot to do. Grab a shovel!!!!

Was last night THE GAME? Most seasons there is THE GAME, THE GAME you look back on when the season turned around, (or GULP went down the drain) THE GAME they do documentaries about, THE GAME that books are written about, Yeah THAT GAME.

For all the problems with empty seats, obstructive views and figuring out whether to eat at the Shake Shack, Mama’s or the Taqueria, last night was the first REAL Mets game of the $iti Field era. Yesterday on his bloviating radio show, Mike Francesa railed against the New Highlander Stadium that there was “no juice in the building” and the overpriced seats in the front row are unoccupado, well, Mets fans hold your heads high as the same can not be said about you at $iti Field last night.

Now I wasn’t there but on SNY it came through my TV like the crowd was totally into the game and why not, in the fine tradition of Seaver, and Gooden we now have the newest must see, can’t miss a start, starting pitcher in Johan Santana. If the Skill Sets are thinking of erecting a statue of the The Franchise outside $iti, they better save some bronze for The Franchise II, Santana.  

Why did J-Man take Santana out after 7 innings? I know his spot came up in the order with Sheffield on 1^st and 2 outs but the Putz was not available and Santana had only threw 101 pitches, in the 7^th he threw just 9 pitches (6 K’s) and the Mets took the lead and he was on extra rest, the adrenaline rush from the crowd would have put him over the top. God forbid he would be allowed to pitch a complete game and shut out our most hated rival. I don’t know about you but when I saw Feliciano come in to pitch the 8^th  I started think about the puke bucket.

I think the reason Jason Werth Mackey Sasser-ed the ball in right that arrived there due to Pedro Feliz error in the 7^th was he couldn’t tell if Delgado was running or standing still.

Enjoy your trip to purgatory Ollie.

Mike Vaccaro is my hero. It’s all about the FUNDIES. The most frustrating aspect of coaching is showing a player something and the player not able to execute it. I have kids with great arms that pitch for me but trying to explain the mechanic of pitching they just can’t grasp it. I’ve simplified it by just asking that they land on the ball of their front foot and bend they knee. When the do that they throw a low strike and look back at me in amazement. But on the next pitch, they go right back to the bad habit of landing on their heel and the ball flys right out of the strike zone. UGGH!

Nice to see Jon Niese get the start over Ken Takahashi. Niese’ record is nothing to get excited over (0-2  6.55 ERA in 5 starts) but it could be a factor of pitching for a very bad Buffalo Bisons team. One encouraging number for Niese is his 25/8 K/BB so maybe moving up with the big club will help him.

Not only does Denis POTVIN SUCK but he’s out of work as well. Hey Fishstick fans your boy is more associated with the Florida Panthers than he is if the soon to be KC Scouts LOL.