The Stan Jefferson Lineup

I always look forward to good seasons, because at the end you get a game where you get “The Stan Jefferson Lineup”. In the best case scenario, it’s after you clinch a division title and you party the night before and everyone is too drunk to play the next day.

The 1986 Mets clinched the N.L. East on September 17th. This was their lineup the next day:

• CF Stan Jefferson
• 2B Tim Teufel
• 1B Dave Magadan
• RF Kevin Mitchell
• LF Lee Mazzilli
• 3B Howard Johnson
• SS Kevin Elster
• C John Gibbons
• SP Rick Anderson

The 2022 version of the Stan Jefferson Lineup came under more subdued circumstances, as the Braves clinched the N.L. East on Tuesday because Nick Fortes couldn’t deliver a bases loaded hit. But it was just as ridiculous if not more so, in come respects.

• RF Tyler Naquin
• C Francisco Alvarez
• SS Francisco Lindor
• DH Daniel Vogelbach
• LF Mark Canha
• 2B Luis Guillorme
• 3B Mark Vientos
• 1B James McCann
• CF Terrance Gore
• SP Mychal Givens

You have the obvious, which is McCann at first base and Gore playing a full game instead of just being a pinch runner, But how about Tyler Naquin batting leadoff? That’s how you know you have a true Stan Jefferson lineup: You have a guy that has no business being a leadoff hitter batting in the one hole. Just … phenomenal.

Then, Mychal Givens as the opener in his return from the “undisclosed IL nudge nudge wink wink”. Chef’s kiss on that one. He would pitch a scoreless inning and make way for Trevor Williams, who pitched six good innings to get the Mets home after he was stoked to a 9-0 lead after three innings on a three run dinger by Canha, a bases loaded double by Lindor, and a three run dinger by, umm … James McCann. Williams, who gave up two runs in his six innings of work, has made plenty of sacrifices by going back and forth between starter and reliever, and probably made one more big sacrifice by pitching himself off the wild card roster, as he probably isn’t going to be available for it anyway.

Jeff McNeil also clinched the batting title by doing nothing as Freddie Freeman could only go 3-for-4 to fall just short of McNeil, who becomes the first Met to lead all of baseball in batting average. Big ups to Freeman for trying to duplicate the division race on the final day. I’m sure Jeff appreciates Freeman just falling short as now he’s getting a car from Francisco Lindor. McNeil should just hope it’s not a Matchbox.

Also, big ups to Brodie Von Monorail for not including McNeil in the Edwin Diaz deal. And to Hugh Quattlebaum for being somewhere else this season.

The actual Stan Jefferson lineup only scored five runs. Tonight’s Stan Jefferson lineup was a 9-2 whalloping of the Nationals which, combined with the Braves 12-8 loss to the Marlins means that the teams wound up tied at 101-61 … only separated by a 10-9 edge by the Braves this season, fueled by the Braves’ sweep over the weekend. It would up being because of that series that the Braves won the division while the Mets have to face Yu Darvish in Game 1 of hte WC series on Friday. Analysis: AARRAGHGHGHHGHGHGH!!!!!

But the Mets will counter on Friday with Max Scherzer, which I love because I think giving Jacob deGrom extra rest will help him, while keeping Scherzer on his normal rest will keep him from getting that arm fatigue that forced him to miss Game 6 of the NLCS last season. So keep Max sharp and keep Jake rested. Love the move. Now do you go with Jake in Game 2 if the Mets win? Or do you get cute and go with Chris Bassitt? Let those arguments begin.

Obviously, the razor thin margin in the standings gave the Mets the harder road to the World Series. After the wild card round, if the Mets are fortunate enough to advance, they will have to get there by beating the Dodgers and the Braves, where winning the division meant playing one of them. And an all important Game 7 against Atlanta would be in Cobb County. But I look at it this way (alternate title: Rationalization):

• If the Mets can’t beat the Padres, then they weren’t going anywhere this season anyway. Their flaws would have caught up to them.
• If the Mets do beat the Padres, then they weren’t going to have home field advantage against the Dodgers anyway.
• If the Mets do beat the Dodgers, then they will have gotten to the place where they would have been hoping to get anyway: The NLCS. That’s where the sweep against the Braves will make the difference (if the Braves join us.) But getting to the NLCS after a 77 win season? Man, I’ll sign up for that as a great season and then hope that the baseball gods show a little bit of mercy on us for once.

You can agree with that, you can disagree with that, doesn’t matter. The main point of this exercise is that we’re talking about the playoffs.

Playoffs?

I hope we can win a game.

Today’s Hate List

Nick Fortes