The embarrassment of riches.

This year, the off-season has bought all kinds of stunning news in the land of baseball. The Mets are in the process of making “statements” once again and those statements take the form of the team closing the door on one era by saying goodbye to Mike Piazza and opening the door on another as they keep logging one successful pursuit after the next whether it be through trade (Carlos Delgado) or free agent signing (Billy Wagner).

I won’t belabor the subject as I know there are those out there whose eyes gloss over at the mere mention of baseball, inducing a catatonic state in some. As a Met fan though, I have to admit being treated to a sort of gleeful anticipation of the coming year with all the recent news.

I was listening to WFAN the other day and there were quite the few indignant Yankee fans calling in to express their displeasure and lack of regard for the Mets in general and their fans in particular. I can’t find it in me to cry crocodile tears for Yankee fans, being lorded over for that five year span after ’95 dispelled any sympathy I might have felt for Yankee fans as they’ve bemoaned the lack of a world championship since they faced my beloved Mets in 2000.

Yes, I admit it. I enjoyed watching them (Yankee fans) suffer through the heartbreak of losing to Arizona one year, Florida another and then suffering the mother of all collapses against Boston just a short year ago. There was the sadistic thrill which comes from watching any bully get their comeuppance and Yankee fans had decidedly taken on the role of bullies after the string of back to back championships they enjoyed.

So, for the first time in a long time a baseball season looms with both teams in New York on a level of parity and it looks like it will be an interesting season indeed. Nothing on paper in November and December can truly predict what will happen between the lines between March and October of the following year but things certainly look a lot more interesting than they did in years past.

Got me thinking about season plans again and the last time I did - my Mets wound up in the series in just a few short years.