The Mets may have failed, but baseball hasn't

By Stefi Kaplan
Posted Monday, October 22, 2007

Will 2007 go into the history books as one of the most unusual, unpredictable and fascinating years in baseball history? It remains to be seen how it will all end, but 2007 sure has been one roller coaster of a season. We all saw the Mets become dominant in April, vulnerable in May, abysmal in June, resilient in July and August, appalling in September and invisible in October.

But it was not just the Mets this year. Here’s a short list of the absurdity that was the 2007 season:

- The Yankees had a shockingly bad start to the season and ended up making the postseason.
- The Phillies had an even worse start to the season than the Yankees and won the East.
- The Brewers were the best story in baseball in May and didn’t make the playoffs.
- Neither of the teams that played in the 2006 Fall Classic was even close to making the postseason this year. In fact, only 1 team from the 2006 postseason made the 2007 postseason: the New York Yankees. The reward? The manager will not be brought back in 2008.
- While the Mets were in first all year and didn’t make the playoffs, the Rockies were in last most of the year and are in the Fall Classic.
- The Padres (like the Mets) had one of the “best bullpens in baseball” but (like the Mets) suffered a massive bullpen implosion that kept them from postseason play.
- The Phillies’ horrid bullpen pitched scoreless innings every night in September to get them into the playoffs.
- The Braves improved at the trade deadline only to perform worse in the second half.
- The Diamondbacks won 90 games with a vastly unfavorable runs scored-runs allowed ratio.

Yes, it has been one strange season. But the biggest surprise is certainly the Colorado Rockies. Is it even possible that the Rockies can sustain this historic run and emerge with a ring? No, it's really not possible, the history books would tell you. But that's the point, isn't it? Nothing the Rockies have done this year was possible at all. They are like some cliche movie where the last place team is left for dead and wins 21 of its last 22 games to make it to the World Series for the first time in its franchise’s history. Led by Kaz Matsui, a guy was looking to be one of the biggest disappointments to come out of Japan in recent history. You can watch and enjoy this movie, but you know it could never happen in real life. Because in real life, last place teams play golf in October.

Or do they?

This year has turned everything I used to know about baseball upside down.

I don't know what to say about 2007, other than the fact that it was probably all around the most bizarre year of baseball I've ever seen and I can't wait to see how it ends. If the Rockies can complete this fairy tale ending, it seems it could forever change the way teams deal at the trade deadline. Before a team commits to becoming a seller on July 31, the GM will take a long look at his team and try to determine whether a “Rockies finish” is possible. No team is ever completely out during a 162-game season until it is mathematically eliminated – we all know that – but it is extremely rare for a team to actually realize that possibility.

Does baseball change from this? Do teams try to emulate the Rockies? This miraculous performance could change the way GMs do business. Teams could take great strides to get younger and aim to lock up cheap talent in the farm systems. Blockbuster deals could get harder to complete.

One thing we have seen over the past few years is that there is just no set formula for achieving a World Series appearance. The best team does not always get there – the hottest team usually does. The team with the most all-stars may fall to the team with a lot of no-name players who happen to get a little lucky in a crucial game. Players overachieve, players underachieve and the highest payroll in baseball does not ensure an ALCS appearance, let alone a World Series ring.

As a Mets fan, this year was a bit grueling. But as a baseball fan, this season has been and still is as good as it gets. Tight pennant races and surprise endings – what could be more thrilling? Sure, it was fun watching the Mets demolish the competition throughout 2006, but 2007 – that was baseball at its finest. 2007 was, above all else, a classic reminder of how much I freakin’ love this sport.

When the Mets let you down, well, there's always baseball.

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