But this year is different, with so many holes to fill, so the Mets, the field is wide open for the Amazin’s in Indianapolis, just like the race the city entertains every Memorial Day Weekend.

The Mets have a lot of holes to fill, after a 92-loss season. So this year, much maligned GM Omar Minaya has a handful to fill holes in left field, catcher, the rotation, and the bullpen.

So it stands to reason that the rumors were flying yesterday with a Philadelphia website reporting the Mets acquired former nemesis Pay Burrell for Luis Castillo and Detroit pitcher Edwin Jackson also coming to Queens for an unidentified player. Neither was true.

What we do know is that the Mets are trying to make a trade or two in Indy, forcing their way to improve the team even with a meager $25 million to spend on free agents.

“I don’t want to say I’m that close,” Minaya said to reporters in Indianapolis. “But closer than we were. I’m getting either an idea that we’re going to get it done or not get it done. Put it this way – I’m further along today than I was [Sunday] night.”

It looks like he is trying to trade Castillo, especially with the team looking at free agent second baseman Adam Kennedy. And this morning the NY Post is reporting Minaya is talking to Milwaukee about a John Maine for Corey Hart swap. (And no, Minaya was not seen wearing his sunglasses at night.)

Yet, that’s the insanity of the Winter Meetings, especially this season with the direct line to the event through programs like Twitter. In the past when a reporter would get a rumor, he or she would have some time to research it, but now once said it’s just a few taps on the Blackberry away from becoming public.

So expect the rumors to fly over the next three days, as the Mets desperately try to fill in their holes. With the Mets shopping Castillo, every bad contract out there will be rumored coming to New York, even if the fit isn’t there, while Minaya looks for bargains to fill his holes.

Oh, he will kick the tires on free agents as well. If the price is right for Bengie Molina, then he will be signed – look for a Castillo like 2-year, $12 million contract there – and of course, Minaya will look at John Lackey, although he may be out of the team’s price range.

Yet, Lackey’s price may come down and if a few smart trades do occur, then Minaya may have the money for a high price ticket like the Angels erstwhile ace. And if that happens, then the Mets may be able to salvage a very bumpy 2009.

One thing is for certain though – at these Winter Meetings, the race has just started.

If they can nab the 31 year-old, it would be a real step in the right direction for the Mets. Yet, there’s still a lot of work to do before Figgins hoists his No. 9 jersey at Citi Field.

First they have to figure out where he would play. A third baseman last season, that position is secured by David Wright, so the Mets would have to move Figgins to either second base or left field. Although a huge hole is open in left, the team would prefer to have the free agent play second base, where he would be continue his one-two punch with Jose Reyes out in the field.

Of course, Luis Castillo is still on the team with two years and about $12 million coming to him, so general manager Omar Minaya is shopping his incumbent to open the door for a new, more multi-dimensional player. Already there have been rumors about Chris Snyder and Lyle Overbay, so the feeling is something will happen with the Mets much maligned second baseman.

Yet, more is needed than just Figgins. The Mets also will kick the tires for Matt Holliday and inquire about ace Roy Halladay, but something tells me that the organization will come up short there.

Although COO Jeff Wilpon told fans in a letter and the press a day after the season, the Mets will have a similar payroll as last season, it also means the club will need to make some tough decisions when it comes to filling positions. Make no mistake, the club won’t have a Yankee-like payroll of $200 million, rather, it will come in between $145 – $150 million, so there will be some limitations here.

All of that means the Mets will have between $25 – $30 million to play with coming into this offseason with the expiring contracts coming off the books, and factoring in pay raises for next season. Figgins will cost between $8 – $10 million so right off the bat, you are down to $22 million for a couple of bats and a starter.

If they can dump Castillo, they will probably have to take a similar contract back, which means that will be somewhat of a wash. Yet if it fills a hole, like catcher with Snyder or first base with Overbay, it will mean more money to spend elsewhere.

It also means the high priced free agents will be too rich for the Mets if they get Figgins. Scott Boras wants $18 million a season for Holliday and if they Mets could pull off the trade for Halladay, he will command a Johan Santana kind of contract of $22 million a season.

If Holliday’s price comes down to say between $12-$15 million per season, then the Mets would be able to afford the former Rockies outfielder. It will also allow the club to start the season with Omir Santos behind the plate if Castillo can’t fetch a catcher like Snyder.  It will also allow the team to use Daniel Murphy at first with Ike Davis waiting in the wings down in Buffalo.

The bottom line is this though…the Mets will only have about $15 million to spend on a big bopper in the lineup if they add Figgins.

Then the Mets will have about $7 – $10 million to get another starter, like Jason Marquis or Randy Wolf, and fill in the bullpen.

All of this sounds nice in November and will mean nothing if Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana, and David Wright are not healthy next season. But it is a plan and a start, which is all a Met fan can hope for right now.

If you’re a Met fan, you have to.

And, Angel fans on the west coast?

If you’re wondering who in New York might support your team in its quest to accomplish the unexpected in the Bronx this weekend (winning a Game 6 as well as a Game 7 against C.C. Sabathia), look toward the suffering fans of New York’s other team, which just completed its worst season in six years, finishing 23 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies. Yes, the defending world champion Phillies, otherwise known as one of the reasons Met fans are on your side for at least one more game in this year’s American League Championship Series.

Met fans have reason to search for something to cling to this October after enduring one of the most brutal years in their team’s 48-year history. It was a season of ineptitude and bad luck, of off-the-field issues and poorly handled public relations.

The Mets had a relentless string of injuries to seemingly every other player they put on the field this year (including freak ones, like second baseman Luis Castillo injuring himself walking down the dugout steps during a game). They lost games in which Castillo dropped a routine pop-up, turning the final out of a win into an excruciatingly embarrassing loss, and in which the right fielder they traded out of New York (Ryan Church) failed to step on third base, costing the Mets a possible winning run in Los Angeles. There was the firing of their former Vice President of Player Development, Tony Bernazard, who reportedly challenged players of the Mets’ minor league affiliate in Binghamton to a fight, while shirtless, in the locker room. And, there were the stammering, incoherent, bumbling press conferences of the man who is supposed to represent the face of the Mets’ franchise, general manager, Omar Minaya.

To top it all off, the Met faithful are just one more New York Yankees’ win from ending their nightmare of a 2009 baseball season with a World Series matchup between their two most hated rivals: the Phillies and the Yankees.

It’s easy to realize Met fans’ natural loathing for the Phillies once Philadelphia replaced Atlanta as the Mets’ latest nemesis in the NL East division. Ever since the Mets were one big hit away from the World Series, losing in Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Phillies have been everything the Mets have not.

Philadelphia has been clutch, largely homegrown, and hugely successful, while the Mets have been chokers, failing with imports via ill-advised trades and misguided free agency moves. The sentiment among most Met fans is that the success which the Phillies have been enjoying over the past three seasons could have, and perhaps should have, been that of the Mets. And, perhaps they’re right.

The Mets had the biggest collapse in Major League Baseball history in 2007, finishing 5-12 while the Phillies went 13-4 to overcome the Mets’ once-thought insurmountable 7-game lead with just 17 regular season games left that year. The following season, the Mets were again passed by the Phillies, having blown a 3½-game September lead, while stumbling to the finish line with a 7-10 mark, setting the record for the biggest consecutive September collapses in major league history. After a pair of successive seasons like that, 2009, with the rash of injuries, a myriad of fundamental mistakes, and a leadership circus, seeing the Phillies back in the World Series, defending last year’s championship, is too much to take for Met fans.

Likewise, the disdain for the Yankees among Met fans is equally understood. With only two championships in their team’s history, and none since 1986, the mere thought of the Yankees’ comparative success often makes Met fans cringe.

Already hearing frequent Yankee fans’ boasting of their team’s 26 world titles (including a run of four in five years in the late 1990’s and 2000), seeing the Mets’ cross-town rivals back in another World Series this year might be cause enough for Met fans to skip viewing this year’s Fall Classic altogether.

As one caller on New York’s Mega sports radio station, WFAN, a self-described diehard Met fan put it this Thursday afternoon, “I’d root for Al Qaida before I root for the Yankees.”

Yes, when it comes to baseball in New York, the emotions run that deep, especially when a New York baseball fan’s biggest rivals are involved.

A Met fan’s second favorite team is usually whoever is playing the Phillies or the Yankees. So then, what does a Met fan do if those two teams play each other in Major League Baseball’s biggest series?

Alas, Met fans, there may yet be hope for you this October.

Remember 2004? Of course you do. You know, the moments that if they were pitched to Hollywood in a script, would have been denied for not being plausible enough? The Boston Red Sox, down three games to none after a blowout 19-8 home loss to the Yankees in Game 3, go on to win four straight games, with Curt Schilling and his iconic, bloodied red sock in Game 6?

Well, tell me you weren’t thinking the same type of thing is possible this year after the Angels’ comeback tonight in Game 5 of this year’s ALCS.

Should the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim not pull off such a series comeback (and they don’t deserve to with a ridiculous name like that), the conundrum of Met fans is that there would be no October bandwagon to hop aboard next week. Nope, no darling Cinderella team to knock out the hated Phillies or the despised Yankees. No wild-card Florida Marlins to stun the Yankees in six games as they did in 2003, after the Mets finished just 66-95. And, no scrappy, overachieving Tampa Bay Rays to root for to beat the Phillies, as Met fans did during last year’s World Series.

Tell me honestly that when the Yankees wiped out a 4-0 Angels’ lead with a 6-run seventh inning after Angels’ starter John Lackey, who had been cruising along for six innings, you didn’t say, “Damn Yankees! They did it again! NOW, who do I root for, or should I just skip the Phillies-Yankees World Series and hope that Omar somehow figures it all out in the offseason?”

And then, when the Angels stormed right back with three in the bottom of the seventh, to win 7-6, and send the series back to the Bronx, weren’t you thinking about 2004 all over again? And, were you justifying it by thinking, “Well, sure, the Yankees have followed up the majors’ best home record of 57-24 this year with a perfect 4-0 at the new Yankee Stadium, but so what?! The Red Sox were down 3-0 in 2004 and THEY did it! This is only 3-1! Let’s go Angels!”

You know, you thought it, Met fans. I know I did, as I’m one of you.

So, Met fans, do you believe?

Do you believe in Angels?

If you want to stomach watching this year’s World Series, you should.

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

“He wants to play and the decision from our medical staff and my self was to stay home,” explained Minaya. Wright was hit by a Matt Cain fastball Saturday and has the usual headaches associated with a concussion.  The Mets are being cautious about Wright, their team leader, who missed one game all season and don’t want a recurrence of the Ryan Church concussion episode of last season.

Minaya has had his share of bad news all season. The injuries to his starting lineup and pitching staff have been a reason why the Mets are not in contention, and now Wright, who could miss the entire season pending on how long the recuperation takes place. “Based on the recommendations of our doctors and the specialist,” said Minaya when asked why Wright was put on the DL

The mood in the Mets clubhouse Saturday was all about the concern for Wright. It remained that way before and after the game Sunday. Luis Castillo provided the Mets with maybe the longest home run at Citi Field in a 3-2 win. With two outs in the fifth inning he hit a Jonathan Sanchez pitch to the second deck in left field, his first home run since May of 2008.

And Mike Pelfrey, perhaps is back on the right track as he provided the Mets with his best pitching effort of the season. He gave up two runs on five hits in 7/2-3 innings and struck out eight. He has allowed only four runs in three starts against the Giants but only has one win to show for it.

Francisco Rodriquez (3-4) pitched a perfect ninth inning out of the pen and got the win.  Murphy, with his first career walk-off winning hit, was the hero for now. But the Mets clubhouse had all their thoughts with Wright.

“Every time you get a W it’s a good feeling,” said Murphy, “but we all have our thoughts with David.” Jeff Francoeur opened the ninth with single deep in the hole off losing pitcher Sergio Romo (3-2) and scored on the Murphy hit after Fernando Tatis sacrificed him to second.

It was that rare type of win for the Mets who took their second game in the four-game series that concludes Monday evening.

e-mail Rich Mancuso:  Ring786@aol.com

Apparently none of the turmoil, surrounding the dismissal of Tony Bernazzard, the Director of Player Personnel and Minaya accusing a beat reporter, Adam Rubin of lobbying for Berazzard’s job, has affected the team.  Wilpon addressed the issue before the game with media on the field and then the Mets did their job.

They won another ballgame, and for now, winning for the Mets has become the remedy to put some rest to all of the controversy and soap opera drama that has been a major part of this Mets baseball season.

“We’re just playing better baseball,” said starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey about the Mets current winning streak, their longest since May 25-29.  Pelfrey (8-6) won his third straight start against the Rockies, going 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing seven hits and three walks, striking out five. He also got out of two bases loaded jams twice retiring Clint Barms in the fourth and sixth innings.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel commented that the players don’t pay attention to what has been going off the field   His focus has been to hopefully see things turn around, with the team that he has. The injured players, in particular Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado continue their rehab programs with hopes they will be back in the lineup soon. At the same time, Manuel hoped for some better baseball and the Mets have responded.

“As his season goes along he eventually gets stronger,” said Manuel about Pelfrey. The meets pitching staff during this streak has a 2.25 ERA.  And before winning games resumed an important part of the lineup, Luis Castillo, continued to stay hot. He went 1-3 and drove in one of the Mets runs, and over the last 18 games has a .543 on base percentage which is the best in baseball.

“The thing about Louie is we have found a way to work around his game,” said Manuel about his second baseman.”He has a lot of energy and confidence.” And that comment stems from how Manuel saw Castillo prepare during spring training, and how Castillo has managed to adjust whether he is placed second or eighth in the batting order.

The Rockies have now lost 20 of their last 22 games against the Mets that go back to Shea Stadium and now Citi Field. And suddenly the Mets with their second straight win over Colorado, are creeping slowly back into the NL wild card race. They picked up two games on the Rockies and trail them by 5/1-2 games in the standings.

And for a change things have been going the Mets way. The hitting has been timely, the pitching respectable, and on the field plays are going their way. An eighth inning play that went to the Mets advantage would not have gone in their favor the past month. Castillo was clearly out at the plate trying to score from second on a hit by Daniel Murphy.

In the four game streak the Mets have not committed an error, another indication as to how, at least for the moment, the tide has turned. Every run scored Tuesday came when the leadoff man got on base.  Daniel Murphy doubled and came around in the second inning. Alex Cora singled in the second and scored, Murphy would walk and score again in the fourth and Castillo walked and scored the Mets final run in the eighth.

Pedro Feliciano got five straight outs in relief, and Sean Green finished it up.  David Wright extended his hitting streak to seven games and Daniel Murphy now has hit in five straight. And the Mets infield handled three double plays, something they could not do right against the lowly Washington Nationals last week.

So everything is going right for the Mets right now, despite the fact one of their big scoreboards in right field out of commission the entire night.  “It feels good to win and that starts with our starting pitching,” said Wright who had two hits.

“Omar made a mistake and he admitted it,” said Wilpon speaking about his embattled GM. “We have to get the guys back on track,” he said about his team.”  It is apparent the Mets are on the right track, at least for the moment. In this season that has provided a little bit of everything but winning, maybe we have seen the last of the unexpected.

Game three of the four games series continues Wednesday evening, 7:10pm at Citi Field  Right hander Jason Hammel (5-5) gets the start for Colorado and Johan Santana (11-8) will get the ball for New York.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

But there they were in Queens – the best team in baseball – crushing the Mets on Tuesday, and then walking on Oliver Perez’s wild side last night.

The Mets 5-4 win notwithstanding, it’s clear that the Dodgers are a superior team and many of the Mets problems turned into LA fortune.  A few passes by Omar Minaya made the Dodgers into the team they are today.

And you can start with Perez. Although he won the game with two runs over five innings, the enigmatic starter walked seven Dodgers and was in trouble all night. And this was his first start since May 2nd, because Perez couldn’t find the strike zone back in April either. His 2-2 record comes with an 8.78 ERA, something hard to get excited about.

Instead of Perez, the Mets could have had Randy Wolf – tonight’s starter for the Dodgers. Although he not an ace, wouldn’t you rather have his 3-3 record with 3.59 ERA? And he has started a league high 18 games so far, which would have solidified a very shaky Mets staff killed by injury.

Besides Wolf would have come with a much lower price tag and the Mets would have been able to invest the difference – about $7 million – on say a left fielder.

But they could have had a great leftfielder if Minaya shipped Luis Castillo to LA for Juan Pierre and then signed Orlando Hudson. Sure Castillo is having a decent year, but Pierre would have been the Mets everyday left fielder – and then moved to center when Carlos Beltran went on the DL – while Hudson would have provided the Mets with an upgrade at second.

Just look at the numbers. Pierre is hitting .328, while Hudson has a .285 average with 5 homers and 43 RBI. Don’t you think the Mets could have used that?

And they could have used the Dodger manager as well. If the Wilpons had some forward thinking after the collapse of 2007, they would have fired Willie Randolph and hired Joe Torre, who would have provided the team with a very credible field boss. Not only would the Mets have a winner, they would have stolen back some thunder from the Yankees as well.

Remember Randolph oversaw the greatest collapse in history. So if he lost his job no one would have said boo.

Plus you would think the team wouldn’t have tanked a month of the season in 2008 trying to get Randolph fired, which would have probably meant the Mets in the playoffs last year – and maybe no Phillies World Championship. Sure the Mets would not have Gary Sheffield right now, but does that really matter?

Yet, the Mets are stuck with bad decisions and that means an under .500 record, while the Dodgers are the best team in baseball, even without Manny Ramirez for 50 games. Torre seems very content on the West Coast, while Hudson and Wolf probably aren’t having any second thoughts signing in LA.

But, hey, the Mets do have Ebbets Field, and that has to count for something.

According to eyewitnesses on the field, the Mets closer and Yankees reliever had to be separated by teammates after the two became heated in an exchange in left field of Yankee Stadium during batting practice before today’s game. All of this stems from comments made by Bruney while on a rehab assignment in Trenton.

Bruney was asked by the Hunterdon County Democrat about Friday’s game when Luis Castillo dropped the game ending popup which resulted in the Yankees 9-8 win, to which he responded: “Unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like that. I have, but in high school,” he said and then went after K-Rod. “It couldn’t happen to a better guy on the mound, either. He’s got a tired act.

“Two years ago, when (K-Rod) lost the game – I don’t know if anybody saw it, I did – he was in Oakland. He was pitching for Anaheim. He didn’t get a call. So he was like complaining. The catcher threw it back, and (K-Rod) just kind of did one of these. (Bruney held out his glove at his side with indifference.) It hit off his glove and bounced behind. The guy from third scored to win the game. So he gets what he deserves.”

Of course, with the Subway Series going on, the New York media picked up on the story and went to Rodriguez to get his reaction. Although he dismissed the question before the game, K-Rod did delve into it afterwards.

“If it was coming out from somebody big, like Mariano (Rivera) – somebody who’s been around and is good at what he does – I will respect that comment. I might pay attention to it,” Rodriguez said. “But somebody like that, it doesn’t bother me,” said Rodriguez, who is 1-1 with a 0.57 ERA and 16 saves in 17 chances. “He better keep his mouth shut and do his job, not worry about somebody else. I don’t even know who the guy is. I’m not going to waste my time with that guy. Instead of sending messages through the paper, next time when you see me at Citi Field, come up to me and say it to my face. He’s always been on the DL, that’s all I know.”

So, Bruney, who stood by his comments after he made his way to Yankee Stadium during the game, apparently took Rodriguez up on his offer and the two had words.

According to witnesses, Mike Pelfrey was the first one to break up the altercation and Jose Veras was also in on the breakup.

Bruney, though, is still on the disabled list and will be coming off on Tuesday. So unless Rodriguez wants to take retribution against one of Bruney’s teammates, nothing else will probably happen today. Yet, the Yankees do visit Citi Field a week from Friday, so this may not be over.

Imagine you’re a first round draft pick.  You sign Top 10.  Where do you think your ego is?  How’s your confidence?  These days, you’re paid a few million (many millions, depending upon your agent and how close to #1 you conceivably could have gone) without even putting on a Major League uniform.  What would your aspirations be?  Probably pretty high.  You’re probably thinking you’ll be on the big club in 3-4 years if you were a high school pick; 2 years max if you were in college.  Even more money awaits.  The perks await:  Hotel suites.  First Class air travel.  People asking for your autograph.  Women you don’t know but who look pretty good asking you for more than just an autograph.  You’re thinking that you’re at the top of the world.  You’re unstoppable.  You’re incapable of failure.  You’re 18 or 21 and it’s all just starting.

At least that’s the plan.  You assume these things will fall into your lap.  Damn, you’re one of the hottest pitchers/hitters in the world.  The World.  People love you.  Agents, sorry, advisors have been fawning over you.  Scouts have been drooling over you.  A few teams have visited and been polite to your family and spoken of riches and plans and built you up, in your mind, into somebody superhuman.  Because you can throw a baseball better than 99% of The World.  Because you can hit a baseball better than 99% of The World.  It’s all going to happen for you.  All of it for you.

The thing is, Life is what’s going to happen to you.  That remaining 1% happens to you.  You don’t realize how homesick you can get until a few guys on the opposing teams razz you harder than any pimply-faced high school kid ever did.  You don’t realize how lousy White Castle can be at 12:30 in the morning when you’re bored and tired.  You’ve heard of but never really understood until now how bumpy minor league transportation is; how your roommate means well but is an idiot and won’t make it out of A-ball.  You didn’t think that it could happen, that your high school/college fastball isn’t as good as you thought when you face professionals; that the home runs you hit in Michigan or Florida State are just long outs in Binghamton and Savannah.  You didn’t realize failure could happen to you because it’s something you’ve never experienced.  Now that it’s hit you, you don’t know how to cope.  Do you have it in you to overcome or be overcome?  Are you still The Future or are you going to become The Bust?  Life never taught you real pressure until now.

None of this, of course, includes the injuries.  We haven’t even touched upon the broken knees, the torn tendons, the staph infections, the muscle pulls, the labrum tears, the elbow blow outs.  You never planned to spend your days rehabbing.  Rehabbing.  Rehabbing.  You never planned that every day of rehab was the same as the day before.  You never realized the loss of one year to injury could become the loss of three to your big league career if it takes you that much longer to become The Prospect again.  You never knew you’d one day wake up sick of extended spring training, playing glorified games against glorified sandlot teams.  You never realized the prom king could become a guy barely hanging on.  You never realized you could get this low until another day comes and you find yourself even lower.  That To Do list never included hurting yourself.

Look at your favorite team’s 25-man roster on April 1.  Look at it again on September 30.  The best laid plans of an off season, of a long spring training, of hours and hours of preparation can be for naught in one week of injuries; one week of a losing streak starring a manager ill prepared for the challenge of getting players to believe in themselves when they lose all of their self-confidence.  You can plan all you want for your team to be successful.  For your career to be Hall of Fame caliber.  For the heavy weights of diamonds on your World Series rings.  But Life will always intervene.  There will always be errors in the bottom of the 9th.  There will always be slumps.  There will always be pain and surgeries and the unexpected.  There will always be broken hearts.

But that’s baseball.  And all of that aside, it’s still one hell of a game.  All that aside, it’s worth every catch with your dad after he comes home from work, every swing of the bat in the cages after school, every dollar you spend on your favorite team’s cap and official uniform and ticket and parking fee, every night you can’t sleep because you’re so excited about what lays ahead for you.  That’s baseball.  That’s hope.  That’s you being above anything that can go wrong.  Because just because it can, and probably will, maybe it won’t.  That is baseball.

Play ball.

Jimmy Scott is probably the greatest pitcher you’ve never heard of.  Visit Jimmy Scott’s High & Tight to read more from Jimmy and guests Desi Relaford, Eric Valent & Cassidy Dover.  You’ll also hear a new interview every Monday morning with former MLB players, agents, wives and others; giving new outlooks on this great game we call Baseball.  Go there now to hear Jimmy’s latest interviews with Nelson & Alisa Figueroa, Desi Relaford, Wayne Gomes and MLB Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt.  You can follow Jimmy on Twitter or Facebook.

After last night’s improbable 9-8 Yankee win, the Bombers swear Mystic and Aura made their way up from Scores, but the Mets seem a little more subdued after Luis Castillo dropped the final out, allowing the tying and winning runs score.

“We aren’t going to ostracize Luis,” Manuel said. “We’ll support him. I still believe it’s early enough where we can overcome this , but it’ll be a tremendous test for us.”

Perhaps, but this much is for certain, Castillo will be never forgiven for this by the Flushing faithful, he is now goes into the failed Met category reserved for Bobby Bonilla, Mel Rojas, and Aaron Heilman and now should expect the type of treatment that goes with that moniker.

Even the Mets knew that when the clubhouse opened to the press. You could hear a pin drop as the players showered with only the goat of the game sitting silently hunched over by his locker.

To his credit, Castillo took all the blame (hard to pass it on to someone else) and said, “I fell bad… “It’s a routine fly ball. I grabbed at it and . . I tried.”

No one is criticizing Castillo’s effort this season, after all he came into camp in shape and has hit .277 with 14 RBI, but it’s not going to be enough to win back the fans. The second baseman needs to do more and frankly, he may not have it in him.

It’s not Castillo’s fault that he is a glorified singles hitter, but one that hits below .300 isn’t worth having on the team. If he was someone who hits .330 and walks a lot that different. But not .277 at $6 million a season and certainly not for two and a half more seasons.

No, the Mets need an upgrade at second base. Although a golden one was out there with Orlando Hudson just waiting to be scooped up this past offseason. But the Mets passed figuring Castillo could have a rebound.

Now this.

If any other Met dropped that ball, he would probably be forgiven, but not Castillo, who is becomes Citi Field’s first official pariah. It’s now up to Omar Minaya to fix the mess he made. He must figure out how to move Castillo before the deadline, even if it means taking a bad contract back.

Jose Reyes will come back and that means Alex Cora could just slide over to second, and the Mets can sign Hudson this offseason, as he is on one-year deal with the Dodgers.

But the other option – keeping Castillo – now seems to be in the category of unthinkable. This error will now loom over this club all year. Sure the Mets say they support him, but do you really think anyone wants him out there when the game is on the line?

We saw that last night when Castillo took himself out of Stengel’s old discussion on who can really play this game.