For a franchise that seems to botch everything, just add this one to the list. One of the few interesting things the New York Mets have had the second half of the season has been Jose Reyes' attempt to win the NL batting title, as he has traded the lead with Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers countless times.
With the players neck-and-neck going into Wednesday's 162nd game of the season, may the best man win... right? Not when you are dealing with the Mets.
After Reyes led off the game with a bunt single, manager Terry Collins pinch-ran Justin Turner for his shortstop to try and give him a better chance to win the batting title.
That's right, in what very well be Reyes' final game in a Mets uniform, he came out after one at-bat. The select few that decided to waste their day at Citi Field made their dissatisfaction heard, especially when Turner made his first plate appearance in the third inning.
Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner was in the booth for the SNY broadcast and was more than happy to rip the Mets latest screw up.
"They cannot win this one," Kiner said. "There is no argument that's going to stand up when you take a player out of the game when he's playing chicken."
There's no better example of how this sort of situation is supposed to be handled than when Ted Williams hit .400. Entering the final day of the season Williams held an average right at .400 and could have sat out the team's doubleheader. Instead, Williams played in both games, went 6-for-8 and finished at an astounding .406.
If Braun is unable to catch Reyes tonight (3-for-4 will do the trick), no matter where he plays next season, he should not be recognized for it and the team should stick their "Commemorative Jose Reyes Batting Champion" merchandise someplace special.