Congratulations Tommy!

Tom Glavine pitched brilliantly yesterday. He looked as good, if not better, than he ever has pitching in a Mets uniform. He was on top of his game and very well might be the last player in baseball history to win 300 games. Congratulations Tom, well done.

What makes this feat even more amazing was, once again, Willie Randolph and the Mets bullpen tried to give this one away. Listening to the announcer talk as Glavine came off the mound in the sixth how this was probably his last inning, I thought to myself, "They do not know Willie’s M.O." When they wondered about Glavine batting in the top of the seventh and thought maybe it was just because he was such a good bunter, again I thought, "They do not know Willie’s M.O.".

Glavine came back out to the mound for the bottom of the seventh and I know, as has been his form all year, Glavine was in there until he gave up a hit. Once any Cub reached base against him, I knew Randolph would take him out. Sure enough, that is exactly what happened. I hate what baseball has become. He is pitching the game of his life, gives up a double with one out in the seventh, and a four run lead, and it is time to pull him.

On top of that, to use four pitchers in the inning was absurd. Glavine starts, than Mota comes in for a batter, Feliciano is in for two and Heilman for one. This seemed like overkill. Put a pitcher in and let him do his job! Let Glavine finish, give Mota, or Feliciano a chance. Stop changing pitchers as often as a parent changes an infant’s diaper. Enough Already. With all the pitching changes, the bullpen did try to give back the lead, but Heilman put an end to it.

Fortunately, the Met hitters came through. I have complained about Met pitchers who allow the opposition to score a run or more just a half inning after being given a lead. Yesterday the Met hitters did that to the Cub pitchers. When Chicago scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh, the Mets came right back to score two in the next half inning, and another one in the ninth to put the game out of reach.

Thank you Mets offense for coming alive, thank you for coming right back to take back the runs the bullpen gave up. Thank you Billy Wagner for saving this one. Thank you Cub fans for showing class and applauding this accomplishment. And, most of all, thank you Tom Glavine for all the memories and for being a class pitching and a class act.

I have been quick to criticize Glavine this year (on the blog and to friends), but the past two games, Glavine has looked like the dominant pitcher he was in Atlanta. I hope you keep it up this year. I hope for your sake, as well as the sake of the fans and the rest of the players, the Mets go on to win the World Series and give a "class guy" a "class send-off"