Baseball is back in the Big Apple!

"Everybody knows the monster pro football has become, here and everywhere else."

Even in Singapore.

So when I say "everywhere," I don't mean "everywhere."

I'll trust the readers to fill in the blanks, read between the lines, come along with me on my linguistic journey, as I expand the meaning of words and thus expand the English language.


"Everybody knows that the Giants’ two Super Bowl wins over the Patriots feel as big as anything that has ever happened in New York sports, at least back to the ’69 Mets and Namath’s Jets."

Almost as big as when the women's soccer team won the World Cup with that lady from New Jersey.


"But then look at what has happened around here now that the Mets are back in play, with a chance to win it all. Look how much of the oxygen in the room baseball takes up even with two winning football teams over there at MetLife Stadium."

Totally valid comparison.

Baseball's semifinal round generates more interest than week 6 of the NFL season for a 3-2 Giants team ... and the conclusion is ... well, there is no conclusion. It's another example Lupica's weird allegiance to Selig.


"The Dodgers may make a splash soon by firing Don Mattingly, as if it was Mattingly’s fault that his hitters left enough runners on base in Game 5 to start a softball team."

Or a baseball team. Softball teams only have one more player. A fourth outfielder ... or, like, a fifth infielder when Lupcia is batting.

Maybe it is Mattingly's fault. Why don't you explore the situation and present some observations and facts?

It's very possible that Mattingly didn't prepare his team mentally or strategically for the playoffs. I know Girardi, for example, is content letting his all-or-nothings accumulate regular season stats that help them in contract negotiations (though nobody on the team even got 100 RBIs this year). It doesn't surprise me that Keuchel shut them down in the playoffs. Partially because Keuchel is flat-out good, but also partially because the Yankees have gotten fat and happy off of hanging curves and middle relievers. What's the backup plan? There ain't one.

I don't follow the Dodgers closely enough to praise or bury Mattingly ... neither does Lupica.


"As you ask another question:

If the Mets’ plan to get back to this moment was so cheap and dumb, how come they’re still playing this season and the Dodgers aren’t?"

The Mets have been kind of cheap and will probably continue to be cheap.

It is a perfectly good strategy if (a) you are willing to wait nine years to make the playoffs, and (b) you understand what happens when you win. Your young players hit free agency at the same time your draft position falls.

So ... is your point the Dodgers' GM is lousy? "Everbody knows that" (heh heh).

That doesn't necessarily let Mattingly off the hook.