Even Casey Kasem knew when to take a station break. Consider the magic number countdown on hiatus until our pitchers stop giving up hits from coast to coast.

If the Mets can’t get off of their magic number, maybe they can derive some inspiration from somebody who didn’t just stand around admiring his 11. Phil Simms played with the heart of a champion on January 25, 1987. Time for the Mets to gather some pinpoint accuracy and start playing super.

No offense, Ramon, but I’m tired of watching you get or give that high five. Representing the magic number is not intended as a lifetime sinecure, but since you were assigned the task of marking one moment in time, you’ve held onto it for five days.

Enough. Meet your predecessor in 11, Lenny Randle, shown here clutching […]

Backup catchers are supposed to be forgettable — an endless parade of Charlie Greenes and Tom Wilsons and Joe DePastinos. Except the Mets have a way of finding memorable ones. Mackey Sasser could hit and could throw the ball to second but not to the pitcher, which was quirky when we were good and really […]

Magic Number 12 had a shelf life of about 12 seconds — the score from Philadelphia went to “F” on the Shea Stadium scoreboard with a pitch left in the Mets’ game, and that pitch advanced our magic-number countdown to 11. Eight years ago, with the Mets’ season facing extinction, Shawon Dunston (who wore No. […]

The Rockies did us a solid in Philadelphia, trouncing the whatchamacallits and trimming our magic number to 13 on Tuesday night. Did somebody say 13? I’m sorry, I was just off somewhere thinking about Edgardo Alfonzo.

Gil Hodges would fine us for looking ahead, but it’s a fact: the Mets’ 3-2 victory over the Braves Monday night reduced our magic number to 14. FYI: With the Mets’ 5-2 victory over the Pirates at Forbes Field (Seaver going the route for his 22nd win, Swoboda launching a grand slam off Chuck […]

With Pedro moving to 2-0, our magic number drops to 15, personified by Carlos Beltran (here receiving the hand slap of magic-number destiny from the embodiment of 16, Paul Lo Duca). Beltran’s had a rough first year, a glorious second year, and a third year that’s been a lesson in gritting it out until you […]

An evening at Miller Park awaits, but Faith and Fear first stops outside to pay homage to dear, departed County Stadium, home to the 1957 World Champion Milwaukee Braves, an outfit that accomplished what the currently located Braves could not manage when called upon: defeat an unsavory New York unit in the World Series. Perhaps it […]

You never know in baseball. Ecstasy can follow agony can follow ecstasy, round and round, fast enough to make your head spin. You’ll go mad trying to make sense of it, so don’t even try. But I do know this: The Braves are a game over .500, 7.5 behind us and 6.5 back in […]