Mets Collapse Again--Who Says History Never Repeats?

      Well, I do actually. Yes, once again, the Mets' playoff hopes were dashed by the Florida Marlins on the last day of the season, thanks to a miserable final two weeks. But though the heartbreaking result was the same as in 2007, history didn't exactly repeat itself in 2008.
      Last year, the highly-paid Mets stars pressed and underperformed at crunch time, failing to produce when it mattered most. This year the stars all played pretty well (that fateful Cubs game notwithstanding), but were repeatedly let down by what turned out to be the worst bullpen in the National League--perhaps the worst Mets bullpen Shea has seen since Casey Stengel sat scratching his head in the dugout. While front-office management can't produce on the field, and the loss of Billy Wagner could not have been predicted, a group of players at or near the top in most offensive, defensive, and starting pitching statistics might be forgiven if they look to Minaya and the personnel powers that be and wonder why there was no fourth wheel on the playoff bus.
      So go ahead and tear the dump down and move next door. Shake the dust from your cleats. After the last two years--if it weren't for a handful of magic World Series moments at Shea--I'd say go ahead and salt the earth while you're at it. Let's go Mets!