METS AUGUST WRAP-UP

Unfortunately for the Mets, their trend of following a terrible month with a great month did not continue as it did with May/June. After a 9-17 month of July, the Mets posted a mediocre 12-16 month that saw the team fall out of contention, leading to questions about where the future of the club lies. The Mets ended the month 2 games under .500 for the first time since May (65-67). The Mets also sit in fourth behind the Braves, Phillies, and Marlins.

Honestly, the worst thing about the 2010 Mets is that they're so boring and predictable. They were a much worse team in 2009 and a much bigger disappointment in 2007 and 2008, but in 2010 they've been completely and utterly predictable. They follow up a great homestand with a horrible road trip. They match up good pitching with bad offense and later bad pitching with offensive outbursts. They are only consistently disappointing and can never seem to keep a good vibe going longer than a week. They couldn't take advantage of series against bottom feeders like the Pirates and Astros or even against the Marlins at home.

The month started ominously with a disasterous 14-1 loss against the Diamondbacks in front of the new members of the 2010 Mets Hall of Fame Induction class. The Mets went 2-4 on the road trip that pitted the Mets against their biggest divisional rivals, further cementing their place as a non-contender.

However, it was their inability to dominate teams at Citi Field, like they have all year, that made August an alarming month. The Mets managed to split six games against the Rockies and Phillies in the first homestand and later split six games against the weaker Marlins and Astros. This sandwiched a road trip that saw the Mets go only 4-3.

The Mets ended the month with the first two games of a four game series against the first place Atlanta Braves. Mathematically, the Mets are still alive, but it was already hard enough to take them as contenders without seeing them going into Turner Field and sweep the Braves. Two losses in the first two games all but eliminates the Mets from the division hunt. The Mets enter September 12 games back of the Braves.

It's all about 2011, and sadly maybe even 2012 for the New York Mets now. With so many contracts not set to expire until after next season (Luis Castillo, Oliver Perez, Carlos Beltran). The Mets have shown they have no intention of raising the payroll. Whether it's because of the Madoff scandal or not is up for debate, but actions show that this team is cash strapped. They lowered payroll from $149 million to $132 million this year and with so many large contracts next year, it may only go down next year. Players like P Cliff Lee and OF Carl Crawford would be a major help to the club but at this point, this seems unreasonable.

September will be geared towards the young guys. While Jerry Manuel will try his hardest to win because he knows he is the lame duck manager going into the offseason, eventually guys like Luis Castillo, Jeff Francoeur and Pat Misch will no longer get much playing time. Ruben Tejada, Lucas Duda, Kirk Niewenhuis, and Jennry Mejia will get a lot of playing time as the Mets try to find pieces they can use next year in lieu of expensive pieces in the offseason. If any of these guys can sort any progress and promise, the Mets may catch a big break in 2011 and finally begin to build a team that is capable of contention. If not, it's looking like a long 2011 season.

25 Best Episodes of LOST

In honor of the release of LOST: The Complete Collection, I am posting what I think are the 25 best episodes of my all time favorite TV show.

25. Exodus (Season 1, Episode 23/24/25):
The culmination of a season that introduced us to 14 characters we would growto love, hate, and grow with was the launching of the raft, which featured abeautiful musical score. The dual stories of Walt's abduction and the hatchexplosion paved the way to a dynamic season two.

24. Beginning of the End (Season 4, Episode 1):
This episode followed the best finale in the show's history and picked up rightwhere it left off. It got us better acquainted with the flashforward structureby focusing on Hurley, whose scene with Charlie was very well done. The tensionbetween Jack and Locke also picked up full steam.

23. They Died For (Season 6, Episode 16):
As good a penultimate episode as LOST could have possibly done, this episodefeatured a fantastic scene between Jacob and the remaining candidates that wasboth well written and performed well by all. Flocke's scene with Widmore wasterrifying and revealing, while the parallel of Desmond being a "fail-safe" wasa nice touch.

22. The Variable (Season 5, Episode 14):
Daniel Faraday was the smartest character in LOST history, maybe too much for his own good. In this tragic one hour funeral to a misunderstood genius, Jeremy Davies turns in his most masterful acting work that led to the ultimate realization that his mother sent him to his demise. As far as science fiction based episodes, this only trails "The Constant".

21. Dr. Linus (Season 6, Episode 7):
Ben Linus sold out his daughter to save his own ass and maintain his power, but in this breathe taking one hour epic, he was given what so many of us crave, a second chance. Michael Emerson was at his best, as always, in making us care about the Ben Linus and his shot at redemption.

20. The Man From Talahassee (Season 3, Episode 13):
Locke's dad on the island? An amazing in-season twist wrapped around the explanation for Locke's paralysis, something LOST fans wanted to know for a longtime. Props to Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn.

19. All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues (Season 1, Episode 11):
This episode offered so many heart stopping moments, including the Jack fightwith the superior Ethan and Jack trying desperately to save Charlie. This alongwith Jack selling out his dad made this episode a season one epic.

18. The Candidate (Season 6, Episode 14):
There wasn't a dry eye at the end of this episode, as three show mainstays were taken out in excruciating fashion. LOST wasn't always successful in its action packed episodes, but this one was well done.

17. LaFleur (Season 5, Episode 8):
Sawyer was given his chance at the show's star and showed he could hold his own. He was cunning as ever in convincing DHARMA of his lie. An unexpected love story between Sawyer and Juliet is hindered when Jack and crew earrive, and Sawyer is taken aback by Kate.

16. The Other 48 Days (Season 2, Episode 7):
The Other plane survivors had just a tragic a first 48 days as our beloved crew, but with less compelling characters. Still, the episode provided many compelling moments (Bernard in a tree, Goodwin, the kidnappings).

15. Happily Ever After (Season 6, Episode 11):
Desmond episodes are always a doosy. This episode however, set the scene for the end of the show, and for that, along with the always touching Desmond/Penny moments, deserves all the love it's given.

14. Pilot (Season 1, Episode 1/2):
Man wakes up in the jungle. Man runs out of jungle. Man sees peaceful beach.Man hears screams. Man saves people. The show's beginning was two hours of non-stop action that introduced us to 40+ survivors of a plane crash, monsters,survival, and the ride of our lives.

13. The Man Behind the Curtain (Season 3, Episode 20):
LOST took us into the world of master manipulator Ben Linus and showed us that,like everyone, he had a dark and troubled path that ultimately led him to become evil (sort of). On the island, Locke and Ben's visit to Jacob's cabin introduced us to a whole new kind of crazy LOST mysteries.

12. Do No Harm (Season 1, Episode 20):
A simple case of the circle of life. Boone's death and Aaron's birth displayed the show's ability to play with our emotions at an early point in its history.

11. The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham (Season 5, Episode 7):
Locke is dead. Locke is alive. As always, Terry O'Quinn does his best worst inmaking Locke the show's most tragic figure. Locke goes from determined tobeaten down to manipulated, but ends up back on the island, more full ofpurpose than ever.

10. Orientation (Season 2, Episode 3):
DHARMA orientation videos were always a point of interest for fans. The first one showed us that the island was hardly ordinary but exhibited special properties that eventually became a basis for the rest of the show.

9. Ab Aeterno (Season 6, Episode 9):
LOST fans like myself waited for this episode for a long time, but the ageless wonder, Richard Alpert, finally got his day. Nestor's acting was brilliant,traumatic and depressing, and his conversation with Jacob opened our eyes to the island's history. This episode balanced all the show's best aspects.

8. Flashes Before Your Eyes (Season 3, Episode 8):
For the first time, we discover Desmond being "stuck in time" as he fights with his past decision to dump Penny, only to do it again. The episode also introduces another mysterious figure who plays a big role later on (Eloise Hawking).

7. Greatest Hits (Season 3, Episode 21):
Few, if any LOST characters ever got a proper funeral. Fan favorite Charlie Pace was fortunate, as this one hour tear jerker showed us the five best moments in the life of a has-been rockstar who is about to sacrifice his life. The bond between Desmond and Charlie, which was such a great part of season 3, was portrayed well by Henry Ian Cusick and Dominic Monaghan.

6. The Shape of Things to Come (Season 4, Episode 9):
We discover who Ben Linus really is in this episode. He's a man so obsessed with power he would sell his own daughter out to keep his hold on the island. , an Off island meeting with Charles Widmore displays the dramatic prowess of Alan Dale and Michael Emerson.

5. The Incident (Season 5, Episode 16/17):
In my opinion, this episode is as solid an episode as the show's ever done. We finally meet the mysterious Jacob, along with his nemesis, and see him visit our beloved outcasts in their normal lives. The episode stands alone and introduces us to the bigger power that is taking over.

4. Man of Science, Man of Faith (Season 2, Episode 1):
After the exhilarating season one finale, fans had one question on their minds:"What's in the hatch?" We finally find out! Plus, Jack's rise to the point of miraculously saving his wife gives him some relatability, for once. And who canargue with introducing us to Desmond, one of the show's best characters?

3. Walkabout(Season 1, Episode 4):
Locke was once paralyzed, now he's not. In a moment that expanded the show's fanbase and showed us this show could do anything it wanted, we are introduced to the mysterious hunter who was once a pathetic, depressed man looking for purpose and acceptance in the wrong places. Locke grows to become an icon of the show and its most powerful figure of fate.

2. Through the Looking Glass (Season 3, Episode 22/23):
This two hour mind bender began a huge shift in direction for the show, but still established it as a classic capable of developing major "WTF" moments.The sadness of Charlie's death and happiness of Jack calling the freighter to get everyone rescued is overshadowed by the famous lines "We have to go back Kate!" The fact that Jack's flashbacks, showing him as beaten and desperate man,turn out to be flashforwards isn't the big development, but the fact that the man that tried so hard to get his people off the island is now trying to get them back is.

1. The Constant (Season 4, Episode 5):
This episode is perfect, there's no way around it. It functions as an emotionalmasterpiece and a scientific showcase, mixing to make the show's best work.Henry Ian Cusick and Sonya Walger are magnificient, and their love story takesa hold of the show and becomes a big part of it. Not to be lost is the impressive work of Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday, as all three of them do a great job of portraying two separate versions of their characters 8 years apart. The writingis flawless, the musical score is moving, and the acting succeeds in making usfeel with the characters. The episode provides "the phone call", an iconicscene in LOST. There is little debate about this episode being the best episode.