Let me open this by saying that I am NOT a fan of the New York Mets.  I am a Phillies fan although I am married to a Mets fan.  Still, watching them this year and the past two years I just have to wonder what is going on with this team.

Last night’s gift wrapped win to the Yankees (if you didn’t see it, Luis Castillo dropped a pop up with two outs in the 9th that allowed the winning run to score) was just the latest in a collection of gaffes that would make the 1962 team proud.

The other night Carlos Beltran simply dropped a flyball by Jason Werth that was scored a single and got the Phillies game tying rally going – a game that Utley would win in 11 with a homer.  The Mets make consistent base-running mistakes (Church missed third on May 18th against the Dodgers), and fielding mistakes.

Yes, they are banged up right now but this stuff has been going on for two years.  They blamed Willie Randolph so he was let go last season in favor of Jerry Manuel and not much has changed.  The Mets are not a focused team.  Not at all.  Could it simply be a hangover from losing the 2006 ALCS against a Cardinal team that wasn’t as talented? Or is it just that for almost two years (2006 and 2007) nobody noticed because they seemed to own the NL East until the Phillies got up and knocked them down in that famous September two years ago?

Like the Buddy Ryan Eagles of the late 80’s, one could argue that this Mets team should’ve won at least one pennant and maybe even a World Series.  I believe 2006 was their year – I think had they gotten past the Cardinals they would’ve swept out the Tigers.   Now watching the Mets is like watching the Kotite Eagles – they’re still pretty good but not good enough to get over the hump.  I remember how that ended – it wasn’t pretty at all.