Mass Hysteria!

Look at this picture. It makes me want to punch something.

That's silver-spooned Mets COO Jeff Wilpon shaking hands with future HOF and forever Mets killer Chipper Jones while admiring a painting that details all the exploits Jones had against Wilpon's Mets in his career.

WHAT.

THE.

FUCK.

“The body of work ... is very impressive,” Wilpon told Jones. “Unfortunately, you’ve left a lot of Met fans’ hearts broken at times.”

Right - so let's rip off all those scabs and let Chipper pour salt into the wounds. And notice Jeff didn't say "MY HEART"? Fuck him.

From a business standpoint, it doesn't make sense. This is someone who either prevented you from getting to the playoffs or prevented you from advancing in the playoffs, which equals money you didn't make. You're honoring THAT?

I'm not saying just sit there and do nothing. Chipper Jones is a first ballot HOF player so he demands respect in that aspect. I will applaud him and rightfully so, but STOP with the showering of gifts.

Players retire every year. They don't get all the bells and whistles Chipper is getting from every team (a surfboard from SD, the Braves flag from Wrigley, etc.). Let's not act like it's Hank Aaron saying goodbye. This is being done because Jones announced his retirement in March and teams were able to prepare. Cal Ripken, Jr. never got anything, Tony Gwynn never got anything, so what's the difference?

And really I'm angry because it seems like once again the Mets treat a nemesis better than they do their own fans. This is a team that had no problem giving Mariano Rivera the pitching rubber from Citi Field after he got his 500th save there. Let me know when every paying customer receives their own painting and then we can discuss honoring someone who destroyed your seasons for over a decade and a half.

Maybe instead of honoring someone who treated your team like Bobby Cox treated his wife, maybe you can work on getting oh I don't know, a competitive team out there?

No Mas Burg

Various media outlets are reporting that Nationals manager Davey Johnson has informed ace and all around fucking stud Stephen Strasburg that his season is over, even before the rumored 180 IP limit.

I'm not in favor of shutting down an uninjured player but if you're going to, then make sure it's when you're having a typical Nats year, not one that has you fighting for the NL East title.

I've mentioned this a few times on my podcast Wait 'Til Next Year but I can't fathom how you would shut down a player of Strasburg's caliber when you're knocking on October's door.

I understand the basic idea of playing it safe when it comes to someone like Strasburg. His kind of talent doesn't come around every year and yeah, you should probably baby him and think more long term but NOT during a pennant race and not when he's pitching lights out and not showing any kind of injury.

What does that message say to the fans? Hey thanks for supporting us from April to September but when the games are really important, we're basically giving up. Same thing for the other Nationals players. Hey thanks for fighting it out and grinding through a tough but fun season, but come playoff time we're bringing a knife to a gunfight.

What are you protecting him from? He could take a line drive to the face as easily as he could hurt his arm. Grow some balls, roll the dice and send out your best possible players when the games mean the most.

A starting trio of Strasburg, Gonzalez, and Zimmermann could do some damage in a best of 5. Take Strasburg out and I have no idea what to expect.

The baseball fan in me is disappointed today. Farewell, Strasboner.

See you next year.

Thank God.