Among the things heard on talk radio today:

• Chase Utley is as good as David Wright.
• The Mets should trade one or more of Wright, Jose Reyes, or Carlos Beltran.
• Omar Minaya and the entire Mets front office needs to go.

Pure idiocy. While I often find the moronic ramblings of Mike Francesa entertaining. I can’t bring myself to endure his drivel today. This goes for the fans who call into his show who suggest the most ridiculous trades, and basically want to blow the entire team up.

Look folks, I was all for blowing the team up when they were stinking up Flushing back in June, but the core of the team is strong. I can’t really think of any realistic moves I would make that remove Reyes, Wright or Beltran from this roster.

I understand you’re upset, I get it. I know you’re frustrated, so am I. But please, lets not act like complete jackasses for the benefit of WFAN’s ratings.

As the readers know, we here at the Foot are nothing if not helpful. That’s why I have made it my mission the last few months to find a new job for Willie Randolph. Because sitting around the house all day eating cereal and drinking beer is our job, not that of a professional manager. Plus, with both New York teams out of action, the media would probably soon start criticizing him for how he does that too. He’s putting the milk in too soon, and is unable to do get any Pop out of his Rice Krispies. But, I believe I have found the perfect opportunity for Mr Randolph. 

Manager of the Oakland Raiders. Sure, he’s never been involved in any sort of professional football position. To the best of my knowledge he has never played football on any level. I don’t even have evidence that he has watched football on television. But its the Raiders, so that shouldn’t make a huge difference, no one watches them on television anyway. But its a win win for him. A team struggling far more than it should, an ownership that has been known to overpay past their prime veterans (I’m looking at you Warren Sapp), and a job in which the media speculates whether or not you’ll be fired within the hour after every single game. It’ll be just like old times. Now if we can just convince Oakland to switch out the silver for orange, it’d be an even easier transition.

Now for the Jacket, well,  still nothing there. But rumor has it Hot Foot Fashion Correspondent Gary Grund has a plan.

Jon Heyman in his latest article on SI.com writes how the Mets cannot afford to sit on the sidelines when it comes to Francisco Rodriguez.

The Mets seem reluctant to get involved in the Francisco Rodriguez Sweepstakes since they’ve already committed $11 million to the injured Wagner. However, they may have to re-evaluate that stance. K-Rod would cost them $15 million a year probably for five years, a gamble for a “maximum effort guy” who’s lost a few miles off his fastball. But the Mets really can’t afford to sit out those sweepstakes now.

Heyman also writes that the Mets are unlikely to break up the Beltran-Wright-Reyes core.

I think the Mets are more likely to pursue him than they lead on. There is simply no way they enter that new stadium without a bona-fide closer. Not the way the last two seasons ended. They may talk a big game about fiscal responsibility now, but I believe it is a smokescreen.

The Mets may not have all that much competition for K-Rod’s services anyway, with the Yankees sticking with Mariano Rivera, and Joba in the wings, the Cubs with Kerry Wood, and the Dodgers unwilling to spend money. It may wind up between the Mets and Angels, the only remaining teams who could seem to afford him.

I implore you to read Paul Moro of Ump Bump’s tale of his final three games at Shea.

I was disappointed at times by the fan turnout in the final few games. Other than the final game at Shea, the actual crowd was far less than should have been expected and in my opinion, too pensive. I understand how tense everyone was, but that mentality, I believe filters down to the players.

I feel like you need to root your heart out as much as you can in a big week like the one the Mets just went through. Instead, fans acted like they were waiting for the other shoe to drop, and felt like losing was a forgone conclusion.

I expect better from us next time around.

Now that the playoff picture is clearing up, with the Mets out of it, I’m interested to see who Mets fans are rooting for in the playoffs. 

Its hard to imagine moving on so soon after the season ended suddenly yesterday, but the ceremony of saying goodbye to Shea put things in better perspective for me.

I realized that as a Mets fan, I have so much to be grateful for. I have so many great memories and while I have been disappointed quite a bit lately I’ve been fortunate enough to have been able to watch my team win a championship, play in two world series and be a legitimate contender for the better part of my short lifetime so far.

But being a fan is more than just wins and losses. Its the memories I have of games i’ve witnessed whether or not they were part of a winning season, its the players i’ve rooted for and grown fond of because of their sincere love and appreciation of playing for this team. Its the times i’ve shared at the ballpark with my father, and lifelong friends. Its Shea Stadium, which was my home for the better part of the past 20 years, and will soon be just a memory.

Its hard to let go of this season, but watching Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza take a long walk to the centerfield gate in almost a dream-like sequence, I felt so fortunate, so proud of being a fan of this team. Losing is part of the deal, having your heart broken in such epic fashion time and again is what we signed up for. Because every so often, there are moments of indescribable joy.

Watching Mike and Tom yesterday was one of those moments, and very soon, on a late October night in the not so distant future, I promise you there will be another moment that makes you feel that same indescribable joy.

Well its over. The Mets have lost. The Brewers have won. Most of Shea will be sold in auction, presumable so that the Wilpons can drop Castillo into a bottemless pit during the offseason and still be able to afford a second basemen.  But at least its not last season. Last season was worse. The first place Mets, who seemed content to coast, who suddenly fell apart in the end and didn’t make the playoffs on the last game. This season was different. This was a Mets team that early on looked to be going no where. Who would believe back in late spring that these Mets would still have a shot on the last day? That Delgado would finish above the Mendoza line, with triple digit RBIs? Reyes hit .240 in April, and finished the season with the most hits in the NL.

Last seasons collapse was like your hot girlfriend dumping you for that one legged crazy guy with the stutter who’s always hanging around the bus stop. This season, its more like that girl you got together with because you were both drunk, and no one thought it’d last this long. Sure its not fun for it to be over, but hey, everyone else thought it’d end a month ago. Firing Willie ended up being a month long process that got completed in the middle of the night. The surprise offense of Church got knocked senseless by concussions, and the team signed a replacement that went down in about a week never to be seen again. This was a team that had so many injuries that players were getting called up from AA. Still having a shot on the last day of the season speaks volumes on the teams ability to come back, as well as the rest of the leagues lack of desire to move to the post season.

Now we just need to look towards next season. Hope that some of our new young faces like Murphy and Other Reyes can pick up some more skills in the various fall and winter leagues. Maybe a decent arm can be signed for the rotation, and another for the bullpen. And if not, well they can always fire Jerry at 3am next June.

Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Mets will be bringing Jerry Manuel back next season and will meet with the Mets soon to discuss his contract.

An incredibly emotional closing of our beloved Shea Stadium today. I am still reeling from todays loss but getting to watch all the great moments was a reminder that I have so much to be thankful for.

Here are some clips that you can get a full sized version of by clicking on.

The Franchine and The Doctor

Darryl joins Keith, Ron and Gary in the booth.

Mike and Tom begin the walk to close the stadium.

Tom and Mike take one last look from the warning track.

Emotions running high right about now.

Goodbye.

It’s easy to have watched that game and curse out the bullpen for giving up those two HRs.

But to be completely honest - if I were told that with Oliver Perez pitching on three days rest the Mets would give up four runs, I would be content with that. 

The offense, is at the heart of this weekend’s struggles.  If Johan Santana, our lord and savior, hadn’t thrown such a gem this weekend the Mets probably didn’t deserve to win any games on account of their offense. 

They scored five runs in a three game series.  On Friday, they left 19 runners on base.  Today it was only eight, but they had so few base runners they couldn’t have left much more on. 

Seasons like this make it so difficult to be a Mets fan.  But for us die-hards, seasons like this build our character.  Hopefully.

Keith Hernandez said it best. It feels like a punch to the gut. Carlos Beltran hit a 2 run homer to tie the game and Endy Chavez made another amazing catch to keep the Marlins from scoring but the Mets bullpen once again let them down with Scott Schoeneweis and Luis Ayala each gave up solo home runs late to give the Marlins another victory on the final game of the season to end the Mets playoff dreams.

Its a tough pill to swallow and us fans will again have to endure a long offseason wondering what if. What if the bullpen didn’t blow so many games? What if the offense didn’t fall asleep again over the last week. The season now ends, and we will all need to find a way to move forward.

What I do have to look forward to is a beautiful new stadium, Johan Santana pitching every 5 days (or less if necessary) for the foreseeable future, and an emerging fine young player in Dan Murphy.

I know it has to be tough right now, and I feel awful, but I will try and think back to all the great memories we have had a Shea and hope we can make some new ones next year at Citi Field.

Even when it seemed that all was lost, thanks for believing.

The Mets have taken us to the edge once again. It is fitting, that the day the Mets celebrate Shea Stadium and all the amazing games they have played here that they have the opportunity to keep their season alive on the very last day of the regular season.

This is Mets baseball folks, and this is part of why we love this team.

Win or lose, this will be a special day at Shea, with some of the greatest players to ever step on our old home in Flushing. The 92nd St Y special prior to the Mets pregame was incredible. Getting to hear some great stories from Ronnie, Darryl and Straw, and reliving those great Mets moments at Shea.

Enjoy this once in a lifetime event, and I hope the Mets can make it even more special by willing themselves to win today.
This has been some roller coaster of a season, as they often are with our Metsies. Through it all we keep coming back, the fans and the team. A resiliency that few other teams and fans can understand. Here we are once again, with another chance to make an amazing memory for Shea. Sure, it would have been nice to do moonwalk into the playoffs, but you know better than that. You, as a Mets fan realize this is what you signed up for.

They never make it easy, they have always tested how much you believe. Well today is no different. Today we ask you to once more, on this momentous day in Mets history, to believe.

For all those not lucky enough to be at Shea Stadium today, we invite EVERYONE to join us in the Hot Foot Bleachers today to discuss your favorite Shea moments and today’s very important game. Come talk with some of the Hot Foot writers and other dedicated fans as we Shea Goodbye.

I just want to echo what Matt Cerrone has said over the past few days. I am way more emotional about this than I thought I would be. Everyone knows that Shea is falling apart, but I think we all have so many memories there and I hope that everyone can find time today to stop into the Bleachers and share them with us.