Ouchie Wouchie

Big news today. Senator Ted Kennedy died. So I'm going to say a few words about the Mets.

When the Mets began the 2009 season, this was their opening day lineup:

Jose Reyes, SS
Daniel Murphy, LF
David Wright, 3B
Carlos Delgado, 1B
Carlos Beltran, CF
Ryan Church, RF
Brian Schneider, C
Luis Castillo, 2B
Johan Santana, P

In last night's game, the starting lineup looked like this:

Angel Pagan, CF
Luis Castillo, 2B
Gary Sheffield, LF
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Fernando Tatis, 3B
Daniel Murphy, 1B
Omir Santos, C
Anderson Hernandez, SS
Nelson Figueroa, P

Two players from that original lineup continue to play: Daniel Murphy (who's been switched to first base) and Luis Castillo (the only player still in his original position). If I'd have predicted someone who would be out for the season at this point, I would've picked Luis Castillo. Go figure.

Church was traded. Schneider platoons with Santos. Reyes, Wright, Delgado, Beltran, and Santana are all on the disabled list. That's one disabled list for five all-star players.

Johan Santana is just the latest to join the injured crew. Since the season is a bust anyway, he's having bone spurs removed from his elbow now, so that he's got plenty of time to recover for next season.

See? Everyone related to the Mets - management, players, and fans - have moved onto next year.

Even the players who play every day now are mostly auditioning or practicing for next year. Murphy is honing his skills at first. Sheffield is hoping to prove himself indispensable enough to warrant a new contract. Francoeur, if he gets a new contract, will be an everyday player. Pagan is hoping to be an everyday man next year as well. Tatis is... well, he's probably hoping to be a bench man again next year. Santos has been a bright spot this year and could well take over as starting catcher for Schneider. Anderson Hernandez should be the starting second baseman instead of Luis Castillo, if he could just learn to hit. I've called him Batman on B&E in the past because of his amazing fielding. He made the single greatest catch I've ever seen in person.

What's my point? I'm sad about Ted, about health care reform, about our criminal justice system, about the feckless Democratic Party, about the destructive Republican Party, about my friend who passed away, and about so much more...

And I can't even fucking turn to baseball. Fuck me, B&E readers. Fuck. Me.