Letters to the NL East, part 1

Letters to the NL East, Part 1 oletf 5

Dear Florida Marlins,

I don't have much to say to you, except shame on you! I can't take you seriously or give you any respect, even for your two World Championships, while you still are so obviously profiting off your team. Between licensing money and luxury tax money, you could probably pay all your ushers the same as the players and still make money. When Babe Ruth hit more home runs than some teams, it was a great thing for baseball. When Alex Rodriguez makes more money than your entire roster, it's not a good thing. I understand you have complaints about getting a new stadium, but that doesn't excuse your AAA behavior. Your team was laughed at in attendance figures last year, including that one game where people had whole sections to themselves.

I understand Hanley Ramirez doesn't like the Mets, and there was that whole bench clearing incident on the final Saturday of the season last year, but I just can't be bothered to think about your team. You're so bad, that the media and fans will give the Mets less credit for having a good season just because they play you 19 times. So here's my advice: Sign some players, get some fans, and come back up the the majors when you're ready.

Your dismissive rival,

Optimistic Mets Fan

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock

Apparently the Magic Number Clock isn't broken, because it moved again tonight. Two big ticks of doom for the Philadelphia Phillies. The Number suddenly dips to single digits, with 11 games left for the Mets to play, and as the Cardinals celebrate on the field for perhaps the last time in 2007, the Phillies hopes have faded a little bit more. They're now three losses behind the Mets, and if the Padres can overcome a 3-2 Pirate lead in the 5th, they'll be three losses back in the Wild Card race too.

Today was looking good for the Phillies, and bad for the Mets. The Mets looked like they were going to be steamrolled by the competition, but instead it's looking like the Phillies don't have enough gas and that the Mets are just a little farther away than they realized. The momentum has suddenly swung back in the Mets favor as they head down to Florida where they haven't lost in what seems like ages pitching pitchers who will one day be immortalized in Cooperstown.

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It's a good time to be a Mets fan.