They've got all kinds of banners and signs posted in Nationals Park. They might want to add this one around first after last night:

Under this glove pass the loveliest double play balls in the world.

To paraphrase from Jackie Mason's description of Ronald Reagan's presidency, Carlos Delgado is a wonderful baseball player, a terrific baseball player, […]

Less than an eighth of the season is gone, which isn't anywhere near enough time to draw conclusions about a player, team or pennant race. But we're fans — what are we supposed to do, turn off the set and take the long view? Nah, we draw conclusions every night, shifting our stances until eventually […]

13: Sunday, September 7 vs Phillies

It is not exactly a family secret, ladies and gentlemen, that the Mets who took up residence in Shea Stadium 44 years ago weren't worldbeaters. Their records in the Polo Grounds? 40 and 120, 51-111. The trend continued for the first two seasons at Shea: 53 and 109, 50 and […]

Afternoon games at Wrigley…idyllic, no?

No?

Not this one. And that was the only one we get for 2008, which is OK from here. The Cubs are good and the Mets are relentlessly so-so, making it difficult to enjoy the ivy for the trees. The charm of America's most charming ballpark dissipates when you're losing 8-1 the […]

14: Saturday, September 6 vs Phillies

Ladies and gentlemen, this afternoon for our Countdown Like It Oughta Be salute, we honor one of the most memorable seasons in Mets history. In many ways, “season” is an overstatement because this Mets team did all its important business in the span of about six weeks. No team ever […]

CHICAGO (FAFIF) — The Mets lost 7-1 at Wrigley Field Tuesday night, which came as something of a surprise to this reporter who nodded off on the couch with the Mets behind 2-1 in the eighth.

“How the fuck did it get to be 7-1?” this reporter wondered upon waking and observing the final score.

The Cubs […]

15: Friday, September 5 vs Phillies

Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we pay tribute to one of the seven Mets teams whose identity is inscribed above the right field wall where we are revealing the numbers that indicate how many games remain in the life of Shea Stadium. This one, however, is not easily summarized by the […]

I'd throw something, except I'm afraid Chase Utley would launch it toward Independence Hall.

The prospective 146-game winning streak has been snapped at five, which was inevitable, one supposes. But what a way to go.

Maybe Pelfrey was due to be less than a PELF (Pitcher Everybody'd Like to Find), especially without his de facto personal catcher […]

Five games into the second year of the long-dormant Mets-Phillies rivalry, I think we can identify what one of these babies feels like.

Torture. Total torture. Put away the waterboarding. Bring on Jayson Werth. That'll make 'em scream.

Here's a Mets-Phillies game in digest form:

The Mets get a lead. The Mets fans get confident. The Phillies lurk. […]

Now that I've had a chance to settle into the new season, I've reached the point where I can stop watching baseball so anxiously, investing every out and every pitch with more intensity than it or I can bear for very long. Which is a relief: Until October comes, you can't watch baseball that way. […]