Meet the Mess - Tuesday, May 27, 2008
418 Views :: 0 Comments :: :: Michael Bradley

   In terms of Schadenfreude, that wonderful German word that means "deriving pleasure from the misfortune of others," last year's Mets collapse will always be in the top two or three. Watching the Let'sGoes fall apart in such a spectacular manner, particularly after their mid-season arrogance and the general odious nature of their fans, was a sheer delight Philadelphians won't forget for a long time. It would have been great to see another team fall apart like that, but the Mets? Perfect.

   There's another bit of baseball wonderful taking place in Queens these days, and Phillies fans would do well to revel in it also. The Mets are now three games below .500, six-and-a-half back of the first-place Marlins(!) and suffering through daily turmoil brought on by the shaky job status of manager Willie Randolph. Since the New Yorkers' misfortune is not directly impacting the Phillies, as last year's choke job did, there is a tendency to pay less attention to the Mets' travails and focus instead on the race for first with Florida and the Braves.

   That, my friends, is a huge mistake. There is plenty of enjoyment in the daily misery of the Mets, and it should be embraced fully. The team's bullpen remains horrendous. Its big hitters are struggling mightily. Even Johan Santana, the big off-season free-agent catch,  is a solid, but unspectacular, 5-3. That's Jamie Moyer's record.

   The best part of it, however, is the Randolph saga. The manager, who has never been too kind to the Phillies with his comments, is under siege. His team stinks. It blew a big lead last year under his stewardship. And last week, he attributed some of the bad treatment he was receiving in the press and among the fans to race. Since there is always a component of race in everything, his statements had some truth, but the dissatisfaction with his job has more to do with his inability to win games than his skin color. Just ask some of the Phillies' incompetent managers about that.

   So, the Mets are in trouble, are they? Beautiful. Enjoy it while you can. Whenever there is disappointment in Queens, there should be smiles in Philadelphia.