John Goodman? Yeah, that's right. Goodman's had some supporting roles in some pretty decent movies (Barton Fink, Big Lebowski, Speed Racer), had a few lead roles (King Ralph, The Babe), and lent his vocal cords to a ton of animated films (Cars, Monsters Inc, Bee Movie). He's never without work, and year after year he always pops up in something from Hollywood. Why are Mets comparable? Because Goodman's starring turns are rarities that seem to pop up almost by accident. King Ralph? My god, that was awful. But for Goodman, at least he got a chance to lead a movie. The '69 Miracle Mets were, on paper, a terribly flawed World Champion that won based seemingly on the failures of others. Both scenarios take on a "others didn't want, so we got it" situation, almost an accidental success. The Amazin's won two 2-1 games in the '69 Series and the 5-3 clincher was wrought with questionable calls and morals. Mets manager Gil Hodges laid down the ultimate sacrifice bunt for his soul-selling W.S. activities with his heart attack before the 1972 season. Peter O'Toole sold his reknown for a paycheck to appear with Goodman.
Both Goodman and the Mets sparked to success quickly, then settled back into normalcy. Goodman's career arc blew up in 1987 & 1988 with Raising Arizona and Roseanne, peaked with his leading man roles, then settled back into Roseanne, supporting roles in Coen brothers' movies, and forcing Chinese restaurants to reconsider the phrase "all-you-can-eat". The Miracle Mets were led by third-year pitcher Tom Seaver (25 wins) and outfielders Tommy Agee (26 HR, 76 RBI) and Cleon Jones (.340 BA). The next few years saw the painful departures of Nolan Ryan, Dave Kingman, and Tom Seaver, the bumbling leadership of Yogi "where am I" Berra, and the near-amazing '73 season. For Mets fans, lightning striking twice that quickly was obviously too good to be true.
The '86 championship was similarly flawed and spectacularly short-lived. Again, the Mets built up to the championship year with acquisitions of Keith "got a light?" Hernandez, Gary Carter, draft picks Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden, and hiring Davey Johnson to let the inmates run the asylum. The '86 Mets dominated the regular season despite snorting the Gross National Product of Bolivia, took advantage of the curse of the Sox, and won the franchise's second and last championship. The team self-destructed quickly, leaving many Mets fans wondering just what the hell is going on. Goodman, on the other hand, method acted his way into playing The Babe (complete with hot dogs, hummers, and heart attacks) and shocked fans and probably family members by managing to look like he cannibalized a small Austrian village between film appearances.
No credit for being the original bobblehead
The Mets have had their moments of success, but continually get in their own way when it comes to being the 'Mazin Mets (Bobby Bonilla, anyone?). Injuries, inconsistency, and ego led to the 2009 Mets being the first team to spend at least $140 million and win less than 89 games. Despite the healthy return (fingers crossed) of Johan Santana and the healthy bat of Jason Bay (what bad knees?), 2010 looks almost as laughable as 2009. Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran are entering the season already with health issues, not to mention the schizophrenic mental state of Oliver Perez (who, by the way, I consider to be only slightly less of a thief than
Bernie Madoff) and ex-Brave Jeff Francoeur (I almost threw up when I heard we picked him up, but whatever, this is what we are). Remember, we were a popular World Series pick in 2009 (nice jinx, SI), but according to the Mets' and Goodman corollary, we're at least a year away from making a surprise run at success. So sit back and be ready for more buffoonery from Perez, more ridiculous injuries, and more stoicism from two men hopefully gone from the team by 2011 - Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel.
Bernie Madoff) and ex-Brave Jeff Francoeur (I almost threw up when I heard we picked him up, but whatever, this is what we are). Remember, we were a popular World Series pick in 2009 (nice jinx, SI), but according to the Mets' and Goodman corollary, we're at least a year away from making a surprise run at success. So sit back and be ready for more buffoonery from Perez, more ridiculous injuries, and more stoicism from two men hopefully gone from the team by 2011 - Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel.
Give my son a cushy job with his loser friends - maybe he'll learn something.
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