Customary Class from a Mouthpiece of the Mets

Take a gander at this piece from Bob "the Mets and the Yankees constitute the extent of the baseball universe" Klapisch and note a few things:

1. He writes about the Braves' struggles this year solely in the context of how they relate to the Mets. Just about every paragraph that isn't a direct quote from someone associated with the Braves references the Mets. In fact, the phrase "thinly disguised glee" came to mind on more than a couple occasions while reading the article.

2. Klapisch correctly notes that the Braves' starting pitching was craptastic this year after Smoltz and Hudson, although he might want to mention that Smoltz and Hudson both had excellent seasons. He also references the Braves' terrible record in one-run games, but he doesn't draw the rational conclusion that the Braves were unlucky this season. The Braves have the run differential of a 79-66 team, which would put them 1.5 games behind the Mets and a half-game ahead of the Rockies for the wild card. Something tells me that a New York writer who believes that October is all that matters and that playoff success does not have any random elements is not going to be rational about the role that luck plays in a baseball season.

3. I love this section:

Barring a miracle finish, the Braves' road to October looks bumpier, or maybe just closed off, period. But as the Braves retool, they also have to worry about the possibility of the Mets' growing dynasty.

After all, they already have a highly profitable regional sports network, and in 2009 they'll have a new ballpark -- both ensuring a healthy revenue stream for the near and long-term future.

Bob, the Mets already had a healthy revenue stream, which is why they spend significantly more than the Braves and more than anyone else in the NL. The Mets have that revenue stream because they play in the largest market in baseball. You're trying to develop a narrative where the Mets' purportedly shrewd decisions regarding a network (that is only possible because of the size of the immense market) and a stadium (that will be profitable because of the immense size of the market) are the reasons for their success. In reality, the Mets were born on third base and think they hit a triple.