FanNation - The Republic of Sport

4/9/08

Yesterday was supposed to be a special day at Shea Stadium.

Never again will the New York Mets open a season inside the big blue bowl in Flushing, and with a chance to erase a slow start and even more so the bad memories of last season's disasterous collpase, the Mets only reminded their fans how bad things were last September.

I was there folks, and let me tell you, it was like being wide awake though one of the worst sports related nightmares imaginable.

Before even getting into the game itself, the lack of parking and subsequent traffic nightmare resulted in a typical 12 minute drive from my house to Shea taking 2 hours, forcing me to miss the top of the first, along with the ceremonies that make Opening Day so much fun.

The sun was shining, but my seats, while pretty good in section 5 in the Mezz, were under the overhang and the lack of sun accompanied with consistent wind made 55 degrees feel like 30.

And then of course, they also played baseball, and what I witnessed wasn't much different than the scene at Shea last fall, when the team ended the season blowing the division lead to the visiting Phillies, losing the last 8 games they played against them along the way.

But this year was going to be different.

Johan Santana was brought on board to eliviate the pain and misery which Mets fans like myself were forced to deal with all winter.

That was hardly the case yesterday, when a 5-2 loss to those same Phillies only proved that this team is still suffering from many of the same issues which plagued it down the stretch last season.

The team showed absolutely no heart and no sense of urgency, really letting down a very excited crowd of 56,350 who were ready to celebrate the start of the end of Shea's final ride.

There was some early hope, with Carlos Delgado hitting a bomb off the bottom of the right-center field scoreboard, and Oliver Perez pitching 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

However entering the top of the 7th inning, those bad vibes from last year returned, as the bullpen imploded, with some help by a costly throwing error on the part of Delgado.

Scott Schoeneweis and Aaron Heilman combined to allow 5 runs, while it was Delgado who failed to turn a potential double play when his throw to second hit Chase Utley between the 2 and the 6 on the back of his jersey, allowing two runs to score.

The Mets offense never got going, as they were only able to scatter 2 runs on 4 hits of soft tossing veteran south paw Jamie Moyer. 

A script all too familiar to Mets fan from the end of last year, the lack of offense and unreliable relief pitching contributed to a very disappointing finale home opener in the history of Shea Staidum.

At 2-4, following two losses in Atlanta over the weekend and the loss yesterday at home, there is already widespread anxiety amongst the fan base still trying to shake off the effects of last seasons devasating denouement.

The team looks like they are going through the motions, as they are leaving runners in scoring positon and walking lead off men, and so on and so forth.

They seem to lack that killer instict they showed through most of 2006 and even the first half of last year, and the proverbial finger is already being pointed a manager Willie Randolph.

Willie continues to stand by his stoic demeanor, refusing to acknolwdge that the way he acts or handles his players is a problem, along with the denial that there is any carry-over from last season.

While I'm not as worked up about his demeanor, until the Mets can prove the Phillies don't own them, the memories of last season will most definitely carry.

9 straight losses to a team that pound for pound is no more talented than the Metropolitans, but seems to come through when they have to.

Reigning NL MVP collected two big basehits yesterday, while Chase Utley threw on the exclamation point with a run scoring double of Heilman in the 8th.

Jose Reyes and David Wright, the two faces of the Mets franchise, continued their early struggles, going a combined 2-9.

If things don't change quickly, that seat Randolph sits on might be warming up faster than the temperatures outside, and could be bidding Shea Stadium an earlier farewell than expected.

That being said, it's only been 6 games, and like I read somewhere, you can't collapse in April (plus things could be worse, cough cough Detroit), but this team still has a lot to prove to their fans, as well as to themselves.

Mets fans can step away from the panic button for now, however things need to change and they need to change quickly if the club has any plans on extending their stay at Shea this year.

Time will tell, but the clock is ticking on their ballbark, as well as their manager.