Scott Lauber, Phillies beat reporter for The News Journal, spent some time during the 7:30 hour last night talking about the Phils and their upcoming 2008 World Series appearance. Part of that conversation involved the Shane Victorino/Jose Reyes “picture incident” from the NLDS.

Scott pointed out how the Phillies, and most of the NL East, hates the Mets. He cited conversations he had with members of the Florida Marlins about their disdain for them, and how badly they wanted to send the Mets home.

Now this morning, Bill Madden of the Daily News discusses the same topic. This time, it’s Phillies GM Pat Gillick cites “Mets hate” as one of the reasons that Philadelphia, not New York, is currently playing baseball at the “Trop”. Some quotes from Gillick:

“If you want to know the best thing we had going for us this year,” said Gillick, “it was the fact that all the other teams in our division hated the Mets’ guts. It started with Atlanta and all the hostility they had with the Mets through the years. Then Fredi Gonzalez left Bobby Cox to manage the Marlins and he didn’t forget everything that went on between the Braves and Mets. Look what Florida did for us the past two years (beating the Mets two out of the three in each of the last series of the season to prevent them from making the postseason)!

“Washington doesn’t like them very much either, and all those teams seemed to really get up for the Mets.”

If I were Jerry Manuel I would use this as part of setting the tone in spring training. No team was more hated then the 86′ Mets, but it never kept them from the playoffs. They simply were too good that season and rolled through everyone. The nineties Knicks were a hated team under Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy. They played hard, physical, and were relentless. Teams hated them, had brawls with them, but in the end it was a time of success. If not for off the field issues and Michael Jordan respectively, we could be talking about two dynasties.

Those teams were able to handle the increased intensity that the oppositions “hatred” brought to the playing field. The higher the temperature went up in a game, the more they raised their level of play. This current Mets group hasn’t learned this valuable lesson.

The Mets rolled and danced their way through the NL East in 2006. The fans at Shea sing Jose, Jose, Jose and trash talk the opposition. There is a shiny new ballpark and the resentment from teams that never will have, despite their success, the same attention. The natural human reaction will be resentment. Sometimes I also believe the Mets get some residual hatred because of the Yankees. Perhaps it’s because of the Bronx Bombers history that gives the opposition guilt of hating them. Maybe it’s fear. Whatever the case may be, the Mets are at the receiving end of that hate as well.

The Mets have the talent, I believe they have the desire, but will they finally hit back in 2009? Time to accept and channel the “hate” and make it into a rallying cry for 2009.

Tags: Bill Maddon, Jerry Manuel, New York Mets, Pat Gillick, Philadelphia Phillies, Scott Lauber, The News Journal