The Concession

After weeks of the Mets announcers reminding us what Atlanta and Philadelphia had done, taunting us with the hopefulness of a pennant race that didn’t really exist, the theme of Sunday was talking about 2011, and what the Mets could do to make it not resemble of seven month long Bataan Death March.  It was probably the biggest concession yet that this season is pretty much over.

It was sad in its own way.  If there’s one thing Met fans can take pride in (and it might be just one thing), its that the announcers play it down the middle in their analysis and tell it like it is.  And during Sunday’s win, there was a lot of telling … like it is.

Still, even though fans have basically passed the Mets season off as dead after the west coast trip, and even though the announce team has finally somewhat joined the movement on Sunday, it almost feels like a mathematical elimination.  And mathematical elimination is a down day whether your team is 1 game out or a million.  The acknowledgement by the home broadcasters before that day are like hearing that there’s no transplant that can help the patient.  (Not that Omar Minaya looked, but whatever.)  The only thing left is to take the season off life support, and that comes with mathematical elimination.  So even though we were treated to the realism that we all appreciate, it still was accompanied by sadness.

We’ll get over it.

As for the specifics what the announcers actually said about 2011, it was all a blur.  Well, except for the part about Oliver Perez which was basically “Hey, he thinks he’s been treated unfairly?  Well how about pitching worth a damn???” or something like that.  I was too distracted by the majesty that is R.A. Dickey and his big bat … wait, that didn’t come out right.  How about: R.A. Dickey is the best hitter on the team?  Better, sure.  Or how about: How putrid would this season have been without R.A. Dickey?

But it was said, and that’s the main thing.  The season, although not officially over, is now officially going gentle into that good night of October.

Of course, until the end of the game when Keith couldn’t resist a “the Mets need to sweep the Braves … ”  Seasons, like old habits, die hard.