Two September collapses followed by a summer of long-term injuries to key components may be the big picture but the smaller one – perhaps an even more glaring one – is that neither Willie Randolph or Jerry Manuel were able to get the best out of their players. Heck, they weren’t even able to get a full day’s pay out of the majority of the locker room on a daily basis.

To say the Mets gave up before they were mathematically eliminated this past summer is like saying reality television has become a bore. Even the young replacement players for the banged-up veterans appeared as if they were just going through the motions. Mental and physical errors made the season reminiscent of the 1962 Mets, with the main difference that they were loveable losers while these imposters were down right deplorable.

Now we have the pleasure of seeing it all over again for the fourth consecutive season. Jeff Wilpon has already announced that both Manuel and general manager Omar Minaya will be back.

The core group of players that have all been either a part of the collapses, the injured or unable to take charge when needed may all return, as well. The one question mark is first baseman Carlos Delgado, who is a Type B free agent after his contract ran out while he was on the disabled list.

The 37-year-old underwent hip surgery back on May 19 and left a huge hole not only at his position but also as the Mets’ only real power threat, the team had a popgun offense. Delgado then strained an oblique muscle while rehabbing and that put him on the shelf for good. Not exactly much of an endorsement for his conditioning.

Now Delgado has stated that he will be playing winter baseball in his native Puerto Rico to salvage what may be a career nearing its end. If he shows that he can still consistently hit the ball out, the Mets may offer him a one-year deal with incentives. But has the front office taken into consideration that a veteran such as Delgado has been a part of both the 2007 and 2008 collapses and never has taken a step up to become a team leader?

While we’re on the subject of players who have no desire to be in the driver’s seat, let us bring David Wright into the mix. The young third sacker is certainly talented and a model citizen but had the perfect opportunity in 2009 to become Mr. Met. He certainly did not do that and actually took a few steps back. He also has shown that he is a singles and doubles hitter at a power position, more alarming especially since the Mets lacked a big stick everywhere else in their line-up. His home run total (10) was reminiscent of a utility player.

Carlos Beltran did his best to play through pain but still had to succumb to missing a good amount of time due to a bum right knee. But he also is a ‘stand behind someone else’ type of person. He is not a take-charge guy by any means, even though he gets paid like one. That was one intangible that Minaya did not seem to think or care about when he threw boatloads of money at the free agent centerfielder, who did his best to take less from the cross-town Yankees before settling on the Mets.

And the last of the fearsome foursome? None other than Jose Reyes, who has made a career out of committing rookie mistakes year after year. Bad habits such as not running out ground balls or pop ups and horrendous base running mistakes has definitely rubbed off on some of the younger players on the team.

What needed to be done was not and Manuel seemed more like a substitute high school teacher than a major league manager. Basic fundamentals that are a part of spring training were botched up through Game 162. Inexcusable to say the least, but management seems to be content with him as the field boss because he is the furthest thing from controversial. The image-conscious Mets love to remain squeaky clean, even to a fault.

While the outcome of 2010 may be predictable wit the Mets, their excuse of what went wrong will not be as easy.

So when the Atlanta Braves scored eight runs in the second inning Wednesday evening, all off Mets starter Bobby Parnell, Mets fans had to look forward to memories of that championship team of 40 years ago. This Mets team is not that team of 1969. They, more and more are reliving memories of those 1962 Mets that could do nothing right.

Luis Castillo has had a positive season at the plate. Since July 1, The Mets second baseman has led the National League in on base percentage ,but he opened the door for the Braves in that second inning by failing to cover second base that would have got the Mets out of the inning. That paved the way for the Braves to continue their onslaught, a 15-2 rout.

Five more runs would score after Castillo failed to cover second on a two-out grounder to Anderson Hernandez off the bat of Garett Anderson with runners at the corners. “When Garret Anderson hit the ball Anderson kind of thought Luis would be covering,” was the explanation from Mets manager Jerry Manuel.

But it was more than the Castillo blunder and big inning for Atlanta that caused most of the 38,602 fans at Citi Field to leave the ballpark after the sixth inning. Manuel would manage the game as if it was a spring training contest. He would constantly make changes to the lineup, switched Castillo and Anderson from second to short two different times before Castillo was lifted for good in the fourth inning.

By that time the Mets were on their way to losing their 64^th game of the season, and now for sure are playing the role of spoilers against division opponents Atlanta, Florida and Philadelphia. “Luis has been playing extremely well and I wanted to give him a little break,” explained Manuel about his decision to lift him early.

Parnell, making his third Major League start would allow nine runs and nine hits in three innings. And it all went downhill for him after Castillo failed to cover second. “My game plan is to make them hit the ball,” said Parnell. He added, “Ground balls got through.”

Former Met Ryan Church reached base three times, the Braves hit three home runs including two long balls that landed on the bridge out in right field at Citi Field. The 15 runs allowed tied a season high which was also done on June 14^th against the Yankees.

Atlanta had a season high 18 hits and their highest scoring game of the season.

So perhaps Manuel, with all the changes from the fourth inning on, was starting to see what could be done for next season. “It gives us an opportunity to see guys get at bats,” he said.  “See if they can get some enthusiasm and energy in those situations,” said Manuel.

But energy and enthusiasm, at least on this night left the ballpark in that second inning moments after Castillo failed to cover second base. The only bright spot was for the Braves who managed to score the eight runs after giving up eight in an inning the night before as they kept pace with Colorado in the NL wild card standings.

“They got to communicate before the play,” commented Manuel about the Castillo-Anderson play.  Interesting to see what Manuel does in the rubber game of the three-game series Thursday evening with his infielders.  Johan Santana (13-8) gets the start for New York against (5-9) Kenshin Kawakami of the Braves.

e-mail Rich Mancuso:  Ring786@aol.com