The New York point of view. It's very sentimental:
Manager Terry Collins, who was on a golden postseason roll, went with sentiment and let Harvey pitch the ninth inning. “He said, ‘I want this game in the worst way,’ ” Collins said. “So obviously I let my heart get in the way of my gut. I love my players. It was,” he added, “my fault.”The heart/gut dilemma. Reminds me of the old baseball song "You Gotta Have Heart":
There's always next year. Next year, with possibly more gut.
(Note: At Meadhouse, we were rooting for the Royals. Something about the trajectory of the playoffs made that happen. We love the National League Central Division and would have supported the Cubs, and we were rooting for the Royals in the American League all along.)
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Most of my friends with skin in this game were rooting for the Mets, so I was conflicted. But mostly I rooted for the Royals because they are a small market club. Absent other allegiances, I always root for the small market team because they can't buy a winner, they have to build it with smart management. Seeing a team like the Royals succeed renews my faith in the whole rotten system.
It's a great American attitude, "you've gotta have heart."
But it's wrong. You've also gotta have skill, intelligence, and strength. Baseball players know that.
@Bob
I don't think there were many Mets fans who, at the time, wanted to see one of the Mets' relievers go out to pitch the ninth instead of Harvey. If he had sent out his closer and he blew another save ... Oy. It always looks bad when you lose.
I think the Royals showed great heart thoughout. They never got down. They kept working, working, working until they pressed through.
Gotta be against the Mets: 1) New York 2) NL
Seems to me that the post season was about teamwork and underdogs. The Cubs and Mets series could of been called the Battle of the former Basements. KC played like they had something to prove as a team. The managers were not big name always winning coaches. These three teams seemed to be playing not only for the championship but also for the love of the game. Great to see and the Cubbies should be in a good position for next year.
Being a Kansas Citian for over twenty years, and having been a Philly boy most of my life, I can tell you there is nothing like the World Series to bring a small market ball club town together. The length of the post season and the number of post season games (as opposed to the NFL) means that for a month or more we are one, even across the state line between Kansas and Missouri (they still have Civil War grievances here). I finally gave my heart to the Royals in 2009 and they have rewarded me well. So in celebration and gratitude I offer the following:
Psalm 126
A song of ascents.
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of[a] Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.[b]
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.
4 Restore our fortunes,[c] Lord,
like streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them.
"There's always next year."
Not for Collins, methinks.
There was an element of the Coliseum, with the Mets crowd chanting in the top of the 9th for their starting pitcher and then going quiet as they suffered the wrath of the baseball gods for that call.
Wanted the ninth inning in the worst way - got the ninth inning in the worst way.
With the Mets, the jokes write themselves.
Iowahawk: "BREAKING: According to media accounts I'm reading, the gritty and inspiring NY Mets are down 3-1 to some other team."
No point in wondering whether Familia would have been better than Harvey to start the ninth. Even dedicated Mets fans know that the better team won. All those come-from-behind wins, late in the game, prove the point.
People in fly-over country may not understand the importance to so many NYers of seeing the Mets in the series rather than the Yankees. They are the Outsiders (always will be) taking on the Establishment.
Hats off to the Royals! Gutty little team, with great chemistry. Even Kansas City gets to win something once in a while;)
Not much sentiment at the park that I could see.
I was shocked by the empty stands while still in the top of the 12th. In the World Series no less, this group bailed on their team faster than an NFL blowout at the two minute warning. I almost felt sorry for the Mets batters in the bottom of that inning. Hard to get up for a comeback with almost no one but the opposing fans to cheer.
I'm a KC guy and a huge Royals fan. I think we had a better team than the Mets, but the Royals also seem to get lucky quite a bit. Baseball is a game of inches, and it punishes even small errors in a brutal way. The Mets made plenty of mistakes.
I also can't help but think how much better the NL Central would be in the Brewers still had Cain and Escobar, and the Reds still had Cueto and Volquez.
Their loss are our gains.
As a Royals fan for over 40 years, it was great to see them win another World Series. The last time they did it, I was a young man of 25. Now I'm middle-aged (well, if I'm going to live to 110, anyway)and hope that they won't make me wait until I'm 85 for the next one!
Great job, Royals!
I was lucky enough to have a business trip to Kansas City today. All I have to do is say to virtually any stranger I run into: "Congratulations!" and they gush and tell stories in a very happy way. Great to be around that energy.
The Royals have the 8th highest payroll in baseball. They drafted well and made a great trade when they got Cain and Escobar from the Brewers for Zach Greinke. Instead of overpaying a few superstars they have a lot of solid players. They came close to winning last year's Series and were the team to beat this year. And no one beat them.
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