Mets Lose in Excruciating Fashion...What Else is New?

I avoided writing this last night because i didn't want it to be reactionary towards the disaster in the Bronx yesterday. For those not keeping score the Mets lost the first game of the Subway Series last night 9-8, when Luis Castillo dropped a can of corn pop up of Alex Rodriguez's bat. So it wasn't the loss obviously, it was how they lost it.

Losses are always more memorable than wins. Just ask Yankee fans as I'm sure they can tell you about the Dave Mlicki CG Shutout in 97 when Interleague play started. But this loss was beyond devastating. As soon as Castillo faded back, you can see him possibly dropping the ball. Then, inexplicably, he throws the ball the 2nd base while Teixeira rounds 3rd...laughable, if not so tragic. Clearly Castillo wasn't paying attention to the situation or the field of play. I've seen a lot of heart breaking plays in sports, this is near the top of the list.

The only good that can come of this is the Mets go into a tailspin, missing the playoffs, resulting in a massive head rolling session in Queens, starting with the GM responsible for bringing Castillo to NY & ending with Jerry Manuel's firing. When Alex hit the ball to "end" the game, my thoughts were, "headline tomorrow, A-Rod fails in the clutch again" instead he's bailed out, by a player I said the Mets should release (last week on TSP Off Air). I'm sure the good fans of Yankee Stadium will give Castillo quite the ovation when introduced today (if he plays). Deservedly so

Lost in all this though was the sheer HUSTLE by Mark Teixeira, who scored all the way from 1st base. That's the type of heart, leadership, & heads up play needed in Flushing.