A Crushing Error, and Now a Daunting Hole

I was lucky enough to be in your wonderful city for the NLCS and watched the series in my hotel. It really seemed like the Mets were unstoppable, but that's sport for you. The Royals have been consistently better and, with a pitcher starting game 5 who just lost his father, it seems the script has been written for this year.
A great year for the Mets whatever happens over the next few days. Be proud of your team and you never know, very occasionally miracles do happen.

While the Mets have not been great in the field the Royals have not played great defense either .

Lots of blunders on both sides, more on the Mets though but the thing that bothers me most is a seemingly lack of effort by Cespedes on a few occasions that were costly , i mean C, MON your killin me .

Royals hit in important spots though and Mets rarely do , thats been a killer.

One thing. The umpiring is the most horrific I've ever seen. All the umpires are revisionists and belong behind bars.

I thought Terry Collins really mishandled the pitching in this game. "Save the pen"? This is the World Series! Who besides TC couldn't see that Matz was done in the fifth and was lucky to get the 3rd out? And then leaving him in for not one, but two hits in the 6th before finally taking him out? And why couldn't he leave in Colon for the 7th? And why not use Familia for 2 innings? What is he saving the pen for, April? AND, why were the Mets continually fouling off pitches down the middle at 88-92 mph instead of hitting line drives to the outfield??

Not a Mets fan (a Phillies Phan Phorever! rooting for KC) but how can anyone help but be a Daniel Murphy fan? It was a tough play on a slow bouncing roller and it looked like Ben Zobris crossed over the play and the ball probably making it even tougher. I'm sure he makes no excuses but still too bad.

With a cast of players who were in the minor leagues at seasons start, and a collection of late free-agency acquisitions, the Mets are amazing for having gotten so far. The Royals are a veteran team that have played together since this time last year. They are hungry for the Series win, and clearly deserve it. Perhaps the Mets ownership will honor the fan's investment and commit to keeping a talented team on the field through the fall of 2016. Let next years Mets remember the pain of losing like the Royals experienced last year, and take that experience to the Series next year. Adding better defense and hitters who can manufacture runs is a must. It is just amazing to watch the Royals extend an inning when they produce hits and runs seemingly at will, and have a parade of relief pitchers who get the clutch outs. Cut the dead wood and dead arms, and look forward to October 2016 at Citi Field without the fear of 'what's gonna go wrong next'.

Don't make too much of it dramatic New York Times sportswriter. These are all great baseball players. Errors happen, hits get made, pitching is an art, stop trying to be pundits all of you and tell us what to think. We can see it. It's baseball. Not war. Not life and death. Hats off to the New York Mets and the Kansa City Royals. Play well all of you.

Murphy's law dictates that when you are thinking about applying chap stick, that is when the ball will be hit to you.

Too many mistakes by Mets beginning with the very first batter the Royals in the first game. A fly ball out became an inside the park home run. Then Familia's 9th inning home run ball. The Mets should have won the first game. Just as the should have win last night. The Series could have been 3 games to one in favor if the Mets EXCEPT you don't win the World Series by making too many mistakes as we painfully leaned again last night..

Cepedes is lucky Murphy is around to be a target for blame. Last night's centerfield boot created a double when it should have been an out, or at the very least, he keeps the ball in front of him and holds it to a single. His boneheaded baserunning in the ninth inning is just another example of his lackadaisical attitude and myopic view of baseball. Ditto his being unprepared for the very first pitch of the World Series, turning a routine out into an inside the park homer! Close ballgames are decided on plays such as these. Any team that signs Cespedes to a long term contract will do so at their own peril.

why does this article not mention Cespedes?

Sounds good but the game showed some terrible baseball for a WS game. Royals right fielder forgets how many outs there are allowing Met to score from third while Mets' Cespedas, who often doesn't run at all, runs into double play like a little leaguer on final play of game. Had to wonder if these supposed professionals were texting while driving. MLB should be a bit embarrassed .

Even without the error, the two singles would have led to two scores and the Royals would have won. I suppose you could say that Famalia would have pitched better or the Royals would have batted worse had the error not happened and that's not improbable. But I still don't think it's fair to charge Murphy with more than one run in a two run loss, and so it's is not a play that will live in infamy. The Mets seem to be all about starting pitching and hitting, while their defense, bullpen, and base running are average at best. That leaves plenty of room to lose and they've lost.

Tough loss, but no need blame Murphy. I have been enjoying October baseball, so I hope the Mets can give the fans a few more games.......

If there is to be a goat -- and I don't see why there should be -- Yoenis Cespedes has done far more to qualify for that distinction than Daniel Murphy who almost single-handedly carried the Mets to victory in he Playoffs. Few teams have ever wielded a baseball bat with such skillful determination as the Royals and they require no goats to succeed. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; this Mets team is a team of Destiny -- iand there's much more magic to be seen between the foul lines. Let's go Mets!!

World series baseball is all about surgically precise pitching, getting as close to perfection as possible on defense, and squeezing out every single run possible on offense. I'm a Nats fans and am rooting for the Mets in this one, but the Royals have been putting on a strong exhibition of all three in these playoffs. But, it ain't over 'till it's over...

Sorry, but the error that will stand out in my mind is Cespedes getting doubled off at first. The Mets were poised to tie the game up or win it, and he ran them out of the rally, and probably out of the Series. Between that, and his overall performance in the post-season (sloppy and lackadaisical fielding very much included), I'll be happy never to see him in a Mets uniform again after this year, and I'm guessing a lot of other Met fans feel the same way.

Murphy's error was of course critical, but Familia did proceed to give up two clean hits to give KC the lead. Not to mention that through the first eight innings, the Mets had managed only two singles besides Conforto's two home runs, and this off a #4 starter and a mostly ragtag bunch of relievers. Take away Rios's mental error on the sac fly and they wouldn't have even had the lead. They got by on this kind of unbalanced offense in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but against the Royals, it just doesn't cut it.

This might not have technically been an elimination game, but it was for all practical purposes. We fans can keep dreaming if we want, but the odds that the Mets are going to win the next three are just about zero. Going into the Series, my feeling was that the Royals were at least as good as the Mets, if not better, and I was prepared to see them win. All I cared about, ultimately, was that the Mets acquitted themselves well. After last night, that, unfortunately, cannot be said. What a disappointment.

Oh, stop it. Murphy, would have gotten one out, the next guys singled anyway and KC takes the lead regardless.

As for Bartman, that romantic nonsense was blown out of the water by ESPN's 30 For 30 showing that the Gonzalez error was infinitely more devastating.

As for the "5 out" storyline, puh-leeze. Apparently, from the examples listed, it's the perfect time to bring in a reliever, and also the perfect time not to.

Any hint of arrogance will doom a player. Murphy was too lauded in the NLCS, at a critical moment it went to his head and he played a bit too casually. His statement "that (ball) probably deserved to be two-handed" indicates the Murphy, like so many other greats in sport (Serena?) can fall to the illusion that they have the mojo.

Mojo comes from hard work. The groove, the zone, the hitting streak, all come from a subtle place of grinding tenacity. As any club tennis player knows, never let the air out of the balloon of "fighting spirit." Murphy played like he was a magician, and revealed his inner Sorcerer's Apprentice. It's a hard lesson learned on a big stage. Let's see how Murphy handles a decent from grace. That will show his mettle.

When Halloween and Murphy's Law collide, you get a good hitter turning into a mediocre fielding pumpkin committing a horrid error.

I always thought that Murphy should be an American League DH. He could thrive without the anxiety of fielding a position.

No mention of Cespedes base running blunder that ended the game? That hurt. His lack of hitting and shoddy defense in the series has not helped. Not over yet. Lets Go Mets!

The problem with a funereal, lopsided article like this one is that Kepner only focuses on what one team did wrong, and mainly focuses on a mistake by one person on that team. And then Kepner proceeds to blame the manager for a particular decision he made in one inning. That may make Kepner feel better, thinking he knows why the Mets lost the game, but it's a false way to see a game. Two teams were on the field. The game lasted 9 innings. Many decisions were made, many plays were made, any and all determined how the game turned out. Baseball is complicated that way, which is why it's a fine metaphor for life itself. I'm surprised Kepner doesn't understand that. In the least, he could balance the story and mention what the other team did right. That, too, may have played a significant role in the outcome, don't you think? Okay then. Play ball!

As bad as Murphy's fielding error was--and it was really bad--Cespedes' running blunder actually sealed the Mets' loss. What he was thinking (or not thinking) is hard to fathom, but with the winning run still to come to the plate after the Duda pop out, Cespedes' reckless break for second on contact violated pretty basic baseball fundamentals.

Clippard, not Murphy. No walks, no error. Maybe I've missed the games where he pitched like a World Series level reliever. Or maybe he's as bad as he's looked since the Mets traded for him. I'm sure he's a nice man. And even nicer if pitching for someone else next year.

Sad for the Mets. But, it's fascinating how an error by an infielder at one point in an inning can be devastating, and not offset by a late-inning brilliant and thinking move to execute an inning-ending double play by the same infielder.

Where are the Mets that won the NLCS? They still in Chicago?

Game 5 of the 1979 Series prompted a memorable exchange between Howard Cosell and Earl Weaver:

Howard: Bert Blyleven trying to put to rest the rap that he can't win the big ones.

Earl: There weren't too many big ones in Minnesota and Texas.

Is it possible that the 35 degree temperature had some role in the generally sloppy play by both teams? Baseball is NOT meant to be played at the end of October!

The 'no show' goat in the Series is Cespedes. He was signed to be the MAN in the playoffs. He isn't. Instead he has struck out in big situations, acted very loose in the outfield and made the mental mistake that ended the game.
He is not the first big name to chock- A-Rod, Bonds and so on, but he is not in their cloud area. Instead he played as if it didn't matter- his bench body language too. There is your disappointing 'goat'.

There's something truly enviable about game players who make $10,000,000+ a year making huge, harmful mistakes. Those of us in every other avenue of life can only wish we had the same privilege. How about a layer at $500K a year who blows a case, forgets to argue a major point; or a surgeon at $700K who leaves someone harmed for life; or a project manager at $250K who blows the launch of his new product.

Only athletes at $10 million+ a year can say "hey, things happen" and collect their next paycheck.

These guys are grotesquely overpaid for their irregular performances.

How can anyone think a team whose 2, 3, 4 hitters are batting 140, and fielding like a little league team ever be expected to win a World Series. Please don't compare them to the 1969, or 1986 teams. The only similarity is in their pitching. That is what should not be forgotten.

Collins has no imagination and is stuck in a managerial rut. Reed has pitched well in the 7th on less than 12 pitches most times. Why not have him pitch the 8th as well? Clippard has been erratic the entire post-season. Cespedes has been terrible ever since he got hit by a pitch. Yet Collinns continued to bat him 4th.

Making this about the Murphy is cheap and totally unfocused. As the captain of the team said, the Mets lost this game. Everyone who played failed, in some instance, to get a run, or an out, or hold a runner to a single base. The game didn't turn on a single play, unless one looks at things through stupid glasses.

As a long-time baseball coach, you tell your baserunners to watch the ball go through the infield. Cespedes made it easy for the Royals in the bottom of the 9th by running half-way to second base on a soft liner to the Royals' third baseman and being easily doubled up to end the game. Go Royals!

It was not the error that did the Mets in, it was the preceding two walks. You can't give a MLB team all these extra outs and expect to beat them.

If If's and but's were candy and nuts, it would be Christmas every day!

If you want to be in the big leagues with all the fame, money, and glory, then you must play like you are in the big leagues.

One error -- on a difficult slow chopper with a runner in motion -- would not have mattered much had there not been two bases on balls just before, and two singles just after. Kepner should know better. Rather than "History is often told in thumbnails," it is more accurate to say that history is told in thumbnails by lazy writers. A good writer should tell the full story, keeping one error in perspective, and not heap such blame on one man.

Could Murphy have turned the double play to end the inning? The grounder was hit so slowly that I'm not sure he could have been expected to. If the Mets couldn't turn the double play, then the subsequent two singles to right field would have meant that Mets would have lost 4-3 instead of 5-3, so I don't see Murphy's error costing the Mets the game.

There is some rough baseball justice here. The Mets won a World Series on a muffed grounder 29 years ago, and now they lose a Series on a muffed grounder.

But Yankees fans should not gloat. Remember Mariano Rivera's blown save in game 4 of the AL Championship? When their best player choked, the Yankee reign was ended.

Daniel Murphy will be remembered: His one handed nonchalance, his unwillingness to train himself to field well. His glib lack of discipline.

The game was not without errors. Bartolo Colon's throw to second, wide to the right field side of Daniel Murphy. A smart, risky play, the execution by the pitcher was a joke, the position of the second baseman was wrong. Both had to happen for the ball to end up in center field.

Daniel Murphy is an incomplete player. He gives the good interview, has verbal gifts that appeal. But fielding is where it's at. The man exhausts patience with the simple stuff, gets them there with legendary homers in the playoffs, then takes them out with his fatal lack of discipline and skill, unable to bend over and field a grounder with two hands.

Daniel Murphy in toto is an example of us. How many Americans simply lack the fundamentals? How many young kids prefer TV to reading a book? How many parents just fail their kids? See Emile, Jean Jacques Rousseau.

We Americans do not want discipline.

Daniel Murphy will join Buckner. But they are us.

To Buckner, the infinitive, will be replaced by a new version of Murphy's Law.

Entertainer, now goat, Murphy blew what the rest of his team and his manager were well on the way to blowing.

Tyler Kepner leaves no doubt.

See Buckner. Grounder between the legs, redux.

Cassius:
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings."

Daniel Murphy is America today.

Generational change apparently has taken Mickey Owen off the hook, at last.

Good pitching beats good hitting. Royals win series 4-1. Called this last week.

Walking two guys in the 8th inning with one out when your only up by 1 run is not a good thing in any game. This is a world series. Amazing how the string on the baseball comes unraveled with so much pressure. After the Mets defeated the Red Sox in Game 7, 1986, Vin Scully laments, 'What goes around comes around.' Referring to the Sox being one strike away from winning. (Angels/Red Sox playoffs when the Angels were one strike away.) Such similarities. Maybe now the pressure is off, as everyone now expects them to lose anyway, (Unless you're a Met's fan.) and they can play without making Little League mistakes. We always enjoy a game that is won on merit, and not lost on blunders, and this is the world series. No, it's not over, but the fat lady is blowing into her pitchpipe. C'mon, Mets, play ball!

Win or lose, it has been a great run.

How is Cespedes's kicking a single into a "double" not called a hit and an error?

This is the proper sentiment- Michael Cuddyer said of Murphy. “If you have a selective memory on Daniel Murphy, shame on you.”

As a Nats fan, I appreciate the years Clippard gave us and he's a good guy and teammate. But the focus on Murphy's error, rather than the 2 walks Clip gave up to make that error matter, are as much, if not more, to blame. Wright is correct: teams win or lose games.

Tough play, he was charging, the runner was crossing right in front of him, and the ball stayed low. An error, but not a terrible mistake. I sure hope this doesn't come to define Murphy after what he's done to bring the WS to NYC.

This IS Murphy's fault - are you kidding me? He was always billed as a terrible fielder. Are surprised he booted a ball like this? I think it was in part inevitable. Plus the boot cost him a good $10 million in contracts for next year. What an idiot - wouldn't you think he might try to overcompensate for his mediocre fielding skills and try to come at this ball more deliberately?????

Wow - nonchalance costs him at least $10 million in contract talks.

He is gone now.

Too bad.

After Murphy's error, there were still 2 base hits for runs 4 and 5. In 5th and in the 6th Matz had Perez and Cain 0-2. He gave up a double and a single, respectively, and both would score. In the 8th Clippard had Cain 0-2 and walked him. And, once again, the Mets did not hit! C'mon 2 HR's from the rookie and a manufactured run with the help of the left fielder who forgot how many outs there were? So, there's a lot of blame to go around.

I don't think KC is as great as the FAUX Sports guys say they are (an All- Star Team could not be as great as KC has been described) but they're making less mistakes and their hitting has been timely. So...

Obscenely unfair to Murphy, and outright wrong. The Mets' pitching was clearly exhausted at that point, probably softened and spoiled from being under-challenged by the Cubs: KC is playing a completely different order of baseball, particularly flawless pitching and just about unstoppable hitting that seems to almost automatically connect with everything in the strike zone.

The Mets lost because they collectively failed to hit past the formidable pitching, relying on two home runs to win the game. You need to score runs to win. Any player can have a mild slip-up at any time fielding a hard hit grounder that can skip unpredictably: it's the team's job to absorb those inevitable problems which are not the player's fault: seriously, just bounce back Murphy, it's all part of the game. You can do it, seriously. KC is tough but the Mets are better if they stay focused.

Let's GO METS!!!