BRONX, NY – October is here, and so are the MLB playoffs. With the Mets not qualifying and the Mariners not playing until this Saturday, I can relax a bit. Who knows, maybe I’ll even watch Yankees/Red Sox Game 1 and cover it later in this piece? I guess we’ll see. But for now, I’ve got some other stuff to get to, including the aforementioned Mets. Let’s start quietly, with golf. At least it used to be quiet.
Ryder Cup Rudeness. I’m being kind here using the word “rudeness,” when it comes to describing the so-called “fans” who showed up on Long Island last weekend to supposedly cheer on Team USA as it took on the team from Europe in a match-play golf tournament that’s played every two years. Before you get started making excuses for these drunken d!psh!t dolts, I don’t want to hear it. I won’t get into all the specifics of the awful behavior on display, because that’s what they love. It’s an absolute embarrassment and offered the world yet another cringey glimpse of what this country continues to become. Needless to say, I found myself rooting for Europe and, for once, my team won.
Mendoza Returning to Manage Mets in 2026. Really??? I gotta say, I was a little surprised with the news that the Mets would be retaining manager Carlos Mendoza’s services for the 2026 season. To be clear, I don’t pin the Mets’ terrible finish this season entirely on him, but he didn’t help. Last season Mendoza took over a team that practiced and knew the fundamentals (the “fundies,” as Keith Hernandez calls them) as a result of playing under Buck Showalter. A year later (this year) they looked more like an Aaron Boone-coached team, with some unforgivable mental errors by players and baffling pitching moves by the manager. GM David Stearns probably deserves an even bigger percentage of blame for this season’s failure, but that’s not going to happen. As for Mendoza, I know today’s skippers have to know how to handle “today’s players,” but you you’ve got to have some structure, standards, and rules that apply to everyone. He might want to start with telling Juan Soto he can take the field when everyone else does next year, and not a minute late like some diva. That’s not curing the bigger problems, but it’s a start.
Yankees/Red Sox Game 1. Bottom of the 9th, Yanks down 3-1, and the Bombers load the bases on three consecutive singles off Aroldis Chapman by Goldschmidt, Judge, and Bellinger. Bases loaded, no one out, and Giancarlo Stanton up. Chapman strikes him out with a splitter. One out. Jazz Chisholm up. Bases still loaded. Two quick strikes on Chisholm. Fly out to right. Goldschmidt doesn’t tag. The throw was off, but can’t blame him. Two out. Bases still juiced. Grisham up. 1-1. Takes ball 2, it was actually a strike, 2-1. Next pitch, Chapman evens it up at 2-2. Strike 3! Wow. Insane 9th inning. Much bigger deal for the Sox. They would not have recovered if they lost this game. Series would have been over in 2, now it probably goes to 3. Should be fun!
OK, game’s done and so am I. Ohtani just hit a lead off homer for the Dodgers. I hear that guy’s pretty good. So is Buddy Diaz, he’s up tomorrow.
