The Chavez catch was at least 50% luck. That's not saying there was no skill involved, but still. If the Mets had gone on to win the game, it would have been an epic, historic catch. As it stands, I doubt even most Mets fans will remember it a few years from now.
LGT, most of the guys here are pretty rational when not baited, but coming in and hitting on the nerves you hit on is a recipe for some angry remarks. Former players who leave, improve, and then badmouth the Nats (the only thing left for Ayala to do at this point) are a sore topic around here.
Personally I'm in spider's camp. Once a player stops wearing the DC uniform, I really don't care what he does.
OK, let me take this in pieces: firstly, I doubt a lot of my fellow Mets fans remember the Chavez catch NOW, never mind a few years from now. It's sadly already been relegated to the back pages of their minds for exactly the reason you state: we didn't win the game, and so how important was it? Well, it wasn't terribly important, but it was still one of the best catches I've ever seen. Only once or twice in my lifetime have I seen a catch that made me stand up and say, "We're going to win!" That was one of them. (even if I happened to be wrong.) It may have been luck. But if it WAS luck, then that 50% skill is better than a lot of players in the bigs. Put simply, Moises Alou could not have made that same catch, even with 100% luck and a specially designed baseball magnet secreted in his glove.
Second, my point kind of is, why worry about the players who have left? They're gone! Screw 'em! I can't even believe the topic of what they're doing and how they're performing matters! Believe me when I say I haven't spent more than 30 seconds wondering about how Kaz Matsui is doing since he left, and that was only because I was watching the playoffs last year, and I said, "Oh, Matsui ended up on the Rockies?" 20 seconds later, I was on to another subject. I don't understand it. (Oh, and in all seriousness...what baiting?? As you can probably tell, it was unintentional. I get sarcastic and cynical from time to time, and so I can pretty easily imagine myself baiting without meaning to. I have no problems with people hating me for what I say, but it's frustrating to be hated for something I didn't actually mean. Ah, well, either way, I'll find some way to move on with my life.)
Third, (more like 2.1), Ayala DID get traded, you know...it's not like you guys offered him a contract and he went to New York for more money. It really isn't like he had a choice, so if he's doing better now, what's so terrible about that? Sometimes it's just a change of scenery that's needed. There's been plenty of players over the years who got rejuvenated when they changed teams. There's also plenty of history of players who switched teams and disintegrated. (cough, cough, Adrian Beltre, cough, cough...)
Fourth, well, I kinda already covered this...once they don't play for you, why is it a concern anymore? Focus on the future, it's not like the good old days were all that good. Instead of kibitzing about Ayala, why not talk about Hernandez? I mean, when the kid has his head on straight, he's a HECK of a ballplayer, and we were going to waste him at 2B. Now he can come in and play short for you guys, get a MUCH better opportunity to play, and play where he's best suited. I wish him AND the Nats nothing but the best of luck! But that's just me. Worry about what you have, and believe it or not, (and judging from a lot of the posts, many of you need convincing), you have some nice pieces here. I'm a believer in the Nationals, even if almost all of my fellow Met fans, and at least one or two of you are not.
LGT
