The [brutal] life [death] of a Mets' fan

Let me set the stage for you:

It starts in 1999. After 10 years, you finally have a contending team again. You win the Wild Card and make it to the National League Championship Series where you get blown out by your division rival, the Atlanta Braves. They win the series on an extra-inning, walk-off walk. Thank you, Kenny Rogers.

The next year, you've parted ways with an integral part of the team, John Olerud. You're not mad, though. He's a good guy and wants to be closer to home. It's fine. His replacement, Todd Zeile, helps you to the World Series (you avoided the Braves in the playoffs, thank God), but you get blown out by an even bigger rival, the New York Yankees. Names like Armando Benitez and Jose Vizcaino haunt you forever.

The next several years, your players get older, you drain your farm system, and top it off by trading the #1 left-handed prospect in the entire minors, Scott Kazmir, for Victor Zambrano. That's right, Victor. Your front office claims it's a "win now" situation, but you aren't even in first place.

After some mediocre seasons, some Zambrano injuries, and watching Kazmir grow into a #1 starter all the way down the east coast (a trade the Rays will be BRAGGING about for years to come), you finally build your club back up into a contender. You are the favorite in the 2006 season, with up and coming names like David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, etc...

You make it to game seven of the NLCS, Endy Chavez makes "the catch," then flies out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning. Carlos Beltran watches strike three to end the Mets' chances of making the World Series. The Cardinals destroy the Tigers in five games.

Down but not out, the Mets return in '07, a more competitive division, but still have a commanding lead in September. We all know what happened. I don't wanna talk about it.

So to battle "the collapse," the Mets drain their farm system to acquire the best pitcher in the majors, Johan Santana. We're the favorites again!

Santana isn't a bust at all, but his starts tend to be. The bullpen seems to blow every single lead he hands over, and to date, they have blown five saves for him.

Here I am, this is essentially a live blog now. I just watched an inning as difficult to watch as the 1999 NLCS loss, the 2000 WS loss, the 2006 NLCS loss, or the 2007 collapse.

Santana has given up two hits through seven innings. The Mets lead, 3-1. He comes out for the eighth and gives up two straight hits. Jerry Manuel comes out and takes him out of the game. Nobody is thrilled. Why did he do that?

Duaner Sanchez comes in and drills the first batter. Bases loaded, no outs. Slow and painful death is imminent.

Pedro Feliciano comes in and gets a ground ball force out at home. Then Adrian Gonzalez singles through the hole, but luckily the runner on second slides into third and can't tie the game. 3-2 Mets.

Joe Smith comes in, bases loaded, and somehow induces an inning-ending, circus double-play. You'd have to see it to believe it. The Mets maintain the lead.

Due to all of the changes for the Padres, there is some miscommunication that leads to problems with the umpires. The manager and a bench coach get thrown out of the game, it all seems to be unraveling.

In the ninth inning, Scott Schoeneweis comes in to get the save and put down the Padres for good. A line drive to the gap from the first batter is run down by Carlos Beltran. One out. Jody Gerut steps up, who has been hurting the Mets all series. Floater across the plate. SEE YA.

Into the Mets' bullpen to tie the game. Hopefully it hits them all in the head so they can't blow anymore saves for Santana. That's six times this season. He should be 15-7 but instead he's 9-7 with a 2.85 earned run average. This is pathetic. I'm not even going to watch the rest of the game. This makes me sick.