You have to admit, you knew this was coming.
All those weeks of tormenting the Yankee Fan sitting in the cubicle next to you. All those summer months you sat on top of your perch, looking upon the downtrodden, the Yankee faithful. Peasants looking for a whiff of freedom, just a ray of light, any sign of hope.
Yesterday, as you have for the past week, you lose a little bit more of your throne.
The peasants are rising.
The Mets are failing.
What is happening to your Mets? As you sit silently in your cube/office/car, you catch shrapnel from every angle. The newspaper, the radio, internet, blogs, webcasts, podcasts, and the ever jerky smiling office temp with the neatly pressed Yankee tie.
This is your silent hell.

Willie Randolph is peering out from the left field fence, looking towards the Bronx. What would Joe do, he thinks. How would his mentor fix this flailing franchise. Believe it or not, what Willie learned while wearing Pinstripes will make or break the Mets during their playoff run.

Trust in Veterans: Mike Pelphry and fellow young guns on the Mets roster have offered their arms to aid a sinking bullpen. Torre preaches a trust in veterans, and Randolph will likely do the same. Rejecting the youth's plea to move to the bullpen, Willie doesn't think that "throwing these guys to the wolves" or forcing them in on a situation they are neither comfortable or familiar with, is a good move for the franchise.

Light a Fire: Randolph doesn't seem to be overly critical of his players. Not suggestion to call out underachievers, but Torre has a way of getting his point across to his players through the media (see Mussina, Farnesworth, Matsui).

Don't point fingers: Making a huge deal out of numbers and declines can often rub players the wrong way. So what if Reyes' batting average has slipped to a tune of 40 points since the All-Star game. John Maine, worthy of first half Cy Young Award Contention, has more than doubled his era in the second half. These players are young, and don't need to be beaten over the head with numbers.

For Mets Fans: Keep the hope alive. Invest in a Rally Monkey. Bring Mr. Met to his AA meetings, because there's no way he's a sober ball over the past few weeks. Don't shave until the magic number is down to 1, and keep those champagne bottles on ice.


That jerk in the next cubicle is probably going to ask to borrow them.