Shea Not the Only One Leaving
By Josh Bender ~ September 29th, 2008. Filed under: Digest Contributors.
Well Mets fans, another season in the books marred by a “what could have been”, a “what should have been” , and simply after the 4-2 defeat by the Florida Marlins, “what was”. The Mets lost their final game at Shea Stadium, and while all fans were hoping to close the regular season curtain with some fireworks, heartache has set in once again.
You are going to read countless articles about yet another collapse, and how the Mets blew it; the simple fact is they were beaten. We can talk all about how the offense didn’t get it done in clutch time, or how the bullpen blew another one, or why Jerry Manuel didn’t stick with his starter. Enough is enough. The Mets slammed the door shut on Shea Sunday afternoon, and unfortunately it wasn’t one of the most pleasant good byes. But the stadium which housed some of the most amazing games isn’t the only one who will be leaving. And just as the Mets severed ties with Shea, the trickle down effect is about to take place.
Despite the reports, I believe the Mets should say “so long” Jerry Manuel. You might have been Manager of the Year for the Chicago White Sox a few years back. You might even get a few votes for Manager of the Year for this season. You were Willie Randolph’s second in command during last season’s monumental collapse, and you survived. You were Willie Randolph’s replacement and did wonders for the ball club this season. You by no means get all the blame for this season’s demise. There is a famous quote in the movie Top Gun that summarizes everything. Jerry Manuel, “there are no points for second place.” Sorry Jerry, the title was interim, and your time has expired.
So long Oliver Perez. You will be joining another team this off season that will be throwing heavy money at you. You pitched the final game at Shea Stadium just like every Oliver Perez type game. You are the model of inconsistency. Some team will pay an obscene amount for brilliance one out of every three starts. The other two will be a shelling, and what you did for the Mets on the last game of the 2008 season. And that will be worth about 60 million dollars, somewhere else.
These are the first two of many dominoes that will be leaving the New York Mets. I am sure fans will also want to wave good bye to just about every man in that makeshift bullpen as well. So as we say au revoir to Manuel and Perez, Mets fans can get ready to welcome our new faces.
