How Quickly We Forget-It's A LONG Season

I remember writing at the start of the baseball season that each game is a daily soap opera for Mets and Yankees fans. We (yes, myself included) forget that the season is a LONG marathon in which teams play 162 games in about 180 days. If the last few seasons have told us anything, it's that it's not always how you start the race, but how you finish it.

Just ask a Mets fan. If someone had told you in September of 2007 that the Amazin's weren't getting to the postseason, you'd have scoffed. But it happened. By June of last year, Willie Randolph was gone and many fans were hoping Lou Piniella would somehow be available to take over in Flushing.

During the 2007 season, there were long stretches in Joe Torre's final year in the Bronx where it looked like the only thing the Yanks would do in October was watch football. But the team made the p[ostseason, and the Steinbrenner family/braintrust foolishly pushed Torre out the door.

Last season neither team made the playoffs-the Mets SHOULD have. The Yanks had two teams in their divison that were just better than they were.

Here we are on May 11, 2009-suddenly fortunes are on an upswing compared to even a week ago. The Metsies have won 7 straight, and Alex Rodriguez has returned to the Yankees. A week agao pundits were ready to show Jerry Manuel and Joe Girardi the door? Today? Can you say Subway World Series? Seriously, we need to chill.

REMEMBER boys and girls: Each time has its flaws. Both teams need consistent pitching behind a lefty ace. Both don't have much depth if a star gets hurt. The Yankees have age in key spots. Both teams (particularly the Yankees) may come to over rely on a terrific closer. The Mets still have questioins of consistency at catcher, second base and the corner outfield positions.

The point: Relax. This means me too. Unless the clubs really go into free fall (and they won't) let's see how it all shakes out. Everybody, and every team, has its ups and downs. So do we all. It's a long baseball season.