I didn't think you could get called out on strikes with your team down to its final strike of the season, but Carlos Beltran just gave us a pretty good example.
Ahhhh.... It was a good year for the Mets, but in the end, the stars just didn't align.
A healthy Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez wouldn't have gotten the Mets the big hits they needed to win Game 7. But one thing is for sure -- a healthy Pedro Martinez wouldn't have blown 3-0 and 4-2 leads in Game 2. And a healthy Orlando Hernandez wouldn't have melted down in Game 3 the way Steve Trachsel did.
Trachsel has pitched his last inning for the Mets, I'm happy to say. It's also probably the last game for Cliff Floyd in blue & orange. Along with Tom Glavine, they are three of the last representatives of the last failed era in Mets baseball.
Now is the time to look forward. The offseason began when Adam Wainright's curveball bent over the plate and under Beltran's elbows. Much of the core from this season will be back next year. David Wright, Jose Reyes, Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Pedro Martinez, Billy Wagner, Duaner Sanchez, Aaron Heilman, Paul Lo Duca and -- dare I say it? -- John Maine and Oliver Perez.
That's not a bad jumping-off point. Add one more starting pitcher -- Barry Zito? -- and one second baseman -- Alfonso Soriano? -- and you've got a team that could and should be great again next year.
Don't fret, Mets fans. This is just the beginning of something special.