Run It Back: Misery Loves Company

From April 1, 2003 to December 31, 2010, Whitney and I (and late in the game a few other blogsmen with good intentions and shark-jump impact) wrote about baseball on a nearly daily basis during the season. Our blog was entitled Misery Loves Company, and for a good 18+ months that moniker was as accurate as it was stolen. October 2004 changed the dynamic a bit, though it didn't really dampen our enthusiasm, at least not right away.

All told, we wrote 1,638 posts about baseball. We mocked David Wheeler (a lot), lauded Pedro Martinez, excoriated Grady Little, pondered Terry Collins, felt for Tim Wakefield (RIP), and worshipped David Wright. Among many, many others. We actually had readers, real, live readers from points all over the globe - one of our regulars was a Mets fan from Japan. The first comment on our valedictory post read, "sayonara!"

It was a blast, even as it got to wear on a fella after damn near seven years of trying to keep up. I loved doing it because it made me feel like a better fan, but also because it made me feel like a better friend - getting to share that experience with Whit was every bit as rewarding as watching the Sox win a World Series. Two, actually. Sorry, man.

So imagine the unexpected glee I felt earlier this afternoon when I got this text from my man. "Red Sox and Mets find themselves 2 games out of the last wild card spot as of right now. We could do sprint to the finish MLC coverage."

Lo there was rejoicing. 

Starting this weekend, G:TB will also be an MLC pop-up, at least once a week. Your proprietors are notoriously inconsistent and shirk most work, so a daily dose is probably out of the question. We can promise snark, overreaction, and the occasionally excellent turn of phrase. Very occasionally. 

Setting the table, the Red Sox are currently 63-56, with 43 games remaining. They trail the division-leading Yankees by 7.5 games, having scuffled to a 10-14 record since the All-Star break. The Royals are a more catchable 2 games ahead of the Sox in the Wild Card race. 

The Mets trail the Phillies by 8 games in the NL East, clocking in at 62-59. New York's other team have also been mediocre of late, their 13-13 post-break record courtesy of a five-game winning streak in late July. As of this writing, they're in the process of blowing a 5-0 lead to the A's that would leave them 2 games behind the hated Braves in the race for the final NL Wild Card. "Winnable Loss", texted Whit, a callback to one of our too-oft-used catchphrases.

Strap in, friends. You'll either get to experience the thrill of the chase vicariously, or you'll have the chance to experience the increasingly bitter mutterings of a pair of aging baseball fans. Fun for all ages, regardless.

As a sage scribe once said, lotta ball left. Stay on target.