Operation: 81! Redux

For a team that nearly lost 100 games last season, 78-78 sure seems disappointing. Really, there's not a damn bit of difference between 79 wins or 83. Yet it feels like a mile. The team has put itself into a position where it needs to split six games just to hit the break-even mark. And three of those will come against a hard-charging Phillies team that has everything to play for, much like we did just two weeks ago.

.500 isn't going to be easy.

What distressed me most about the Mets' sweep of our beloved team is what it did in the standings. We're in last place.

::gulp::

"At least we have a team!" You'll hear that. Probably think that. I know I have.

But regardless, this was a team that, on July 3, was 19 games above .500, and on pace for a magical 100-win season. Even if we could have played .500 ball, we'd have finished with 91 wins. Not only would Houston be looking up at us, so would Atlanta.

Instead, the team lost game after game, most in excruciating fashion as the offense dried up, the relievers coughed up leads, the starters broke down, and the management of this team (both on and off the field) demonstrated their incompetence in planning how to move the team forward.

It was a perfect storm of mediocrity.

But there's still a little to play for. .500 does feel different.

And perhaps more interestingly, Philadelphia will still be scuffling along next weekend. Just as they sent us home to disappointment in the very first game of this franchise's existence, we can send them home to disappointment in the very last game of this wondrous season.

Joy through other people's misery. That's what baseball's all about!