2007 Review - were the Mets really a first place team?

Marty Noble, in an article for mlb.com, writes the following about the 2007 New York Mets...

The downfall was epic -- until the 2007 Mets, no team with a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining was unable to finish in first. It nuked the Mets in every way, picking at the scab of Yadier Molina and making the 2006 shortfall worse. It tarnished any and all individual achievements in 2007, and it threatens to contaminate '08.

Rightly or wrongly, Glavine's 300th career victory and even his Hall of Fame image lost luster because the Mets lost the division. David Wright's 30-30 season was blemished. Wagner ascent on the list of all-time saves leaders -- he is seventh with 358 -- was obscured. The specter of Pedro Martinez's return was smudged. The achievements of John Maine and Oliver Perez were tainted. Jose Reyes' smile was defaced, the sheen on Moises Alou's 30-game hitting streak was dulled. And Randolph's managerial resume -- even his image as a big leaguer -- has been permanently stained.

And none of that addresses the damage done to the organization that had been on an upswing as it moves toward Citi Field in 2009. Losing to the Cardinals in the playoffs on 2006 was like stubbing a toe compared to the collapse last season.

Contrary to public belief, the 2007 collapse did not begin in August or September for the Mets. Instead, the collapse began in June. The Mets began the year 34-18 (15-9 in April, 19-9 in May). During June fans watched as the Mets lost 8 of 9 to the Phillies, Dodgers, and Yanks. Overall, the Mets posted an abysmal record of 12-15 in June. Things did not get much better in July as the Mets played to a record of 13-14 for the month. The Mets were 15-13 in August and 14-14 in September.

It is worth noting that the Mets had many fans worrying during spring training. During most of March the team played sloppy, listless baseball leaving many fans to wonder what was wrong with the 2006 kings of the NL. These concerns were temporary eased in April and May, but quickly returned by June. The truth is, the Mets were a first place caliber team for 2 months of the 2007 season. The rest of the year they seemed to lack the consistent emotion and drive that is necessary for a playoff bound team. That failure rests on Willie, who has the important responsibility of keeping his team focused and inspired. Lets hope that Randolph has learned from the mistakes of 2007, and will return with new determination in 2008.