Saturday, October 14, 2006

Earning that Champagne Celebration

The New York Mets spent every day of the 2006 regular season in first place. They finished with a record of 97-65, tied for best in the league. They swept the Dodgers in the Division Series, and took Game 1 of the NLCS from St. Louis. However, the Cardinals have stormed back to take the last two games, including a 5-0 shutout yesterday evening. Facing a potentially devastating three games to one hole, and with their season essentially on the line, guess who the Mets are sending to the mound on Sunday night? Yup, it's everyone's favorite WFTIPS flame-out Oliver Perez.

"It wasn't a long decision. We needed a fourth starter, and he pitched well for us this year," manager Willie Randolph told the Associated Press. "We like his stuff. It was down to either him or Dave Williams, and we felt like he was the guy that would give us a quality start.
"

I don't know what stuns me more, the fact that Perez is starting tonight, or the fact that the other option was Dave freaking Williams. For those of you who are unaware, Williams is also a former Pirates product, whom management deemed expendable last off-season. The feeling was that the team had a "bevy" of more "talented" pitchers and therefore could afford to cut him loose. Despite the Buccos 67-95 record this year, it was still the right call.

No matter what happens this evening, my life as a Pirates fan may never be the same.

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