This Date in History

October 12, 1492 - Columbus discovers "America". Actually the West Indies, but big deal, he got here didn't he?

10/12/69 - Mets win Game 2 of the 1969 World Series. Oh, and a boy who would later grow up to be this blogger is born.

10/12/73 - No Met game.

10/12/86 - Met's lose Game 4 of the NLCS 3-1 to Mike (Scuffy) Scott. Your very own Ed in Westchester was there. Sadly.

10/12/99 - Mets lose Game 1 of NLCS to the Braves 4-2.

10/12/00 - Mets win Game 2 of NLCS over the Cards 6-5.

10/12/06 - Mets face Cardinals in Game 1 of NLCS. Result - ????

After last night's rainout, Game 1 of the NLCS will be played tonight. Weather looks to be OK, so that should not get in the way. Glavine vs. Weaver is still the matchup. Larussa is not changing his rotation, so Carpenter will not start until Game 3, Saturday in St. Louis. Home crowd in his corner is seen as a plus. We shall see how that plays out.

I still have my concerns over this series. If the bats are awake for the Mets, they should be able to take it, but in a 7 game series, you never know what can happen. The Cards could get excellent starts from their rotation. Their pen could step up. Their lineup could explode.

It is not easy being a Met fan. Rarely has the team entered the playoffs with a both good offense and pitching, 1986 may be the only exception. In 2000, the starters were good while the lineup had issues. This time around, the roles are reversed. As I wrote yesterday, the pen is the key. If they can dominate as they did during the year, and the starters can give quality starts, the Mets should take this series in 6. I stand by that prediction. I still see Uncle Cliffy having a positive impact. He hit well in the last series. Wright was hitting. PLD and Delgado hit. If we can get Beltran, 'Stache and Green and Reyes going, this will be a fun series for us fans. AM I worried about 5 games without a day off, a little, but it impacts the Cards the same. They have rotation issues after Carpenter as the Mets have after Glavine. Whoever has the other starters step up will win. We have seen Maine pitch well, as well as Trax. Perez has the potential as well. They can do this. I will enjoy the ride.

I'm hoping for a win for my birthday. How about it guys?