Unassisted Triple Play and Pedro Martinez Bedevil Mets

The  Mets celebrated their 1969 World Championship team Saturday, but the old team they seem to be channeling this year is the bumbling, bad-luck 1962 version – with a  much higher payroll.

The Mets found yet another creative way to lose Sunday, with Philadelphia Phillies, with second baseman Eric Bruntlett turning only the 14th unassisted triple play ever to kill a a ninth-inning rally to end the game.

And that play might not be the worst thing to happen in Metsville Sunday. The game also featured former Met Pedro Martinez beating his old team.  He  faced Oliver Perez, who channeled the Bad Ollie persona and gave up two three-run homers in 2/3 of an inning. Perez was removed in the first inning in the middle of an at-bat after going 3-0 on Pedro Martinez.  Yes, Pedro Martinez.

And if that weren’t embarrassing enough, in a postgame  interview, Martinez criticized Mets manager Jerry Manuel for pulling Perez then. He called it “weird” and wondered if Perez had been disrespected. Oh, and Ollie’s got an ERA over 6 this year, with two more years left on his $36 million contract.

But that’s not all! There’s also the great news  that Met owner Fred Wilpon – aka Frugal Freddy – told the New York Post that GM Omar Minaya would “absolutely” be back next season.

True, Angel Pagan did have two homers (including an inside-the-parker), but it didn’t make up for the misery of the day.

With all the injuries, errors and just plain misery the Mets have undergone this year, one wonders when or where it ends.  The team is kind of like the hapless Mets fan who got beer dumped on him and punches thrown at him by a Phillies fan during Saturday’s game.

Incidentally, how sad was it that a game that was supposed to be all about honoring the Mets’ past had so many Phillies fans in attendance? Heck, Phillies fans  even organized a sold-out bus trip and tailgate party at Citi Field.

Maybe there is something to that talk of the cat cursing Citi Field after all.

I guess there is a little good news amid the gloom. At least none of the Mets have come down with swine flu – yet.

Photo by tedkerwin

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