* The biggest gaffe in Subway Series regular-season history (Castillo's dropped pop-up in Game 1)
(Note: the biggest gaffe in Subway Series history is a tie between Timo Perez's bad baserunning in Game 1 of the 2000 World Series and Mike Piazza not doing anything about having a splintered bat thrown at him by Roger Clemens in the 2000 World Series after getting beaned earlier in the year by Clemens)

* The most lopsided game in the series (15-0 against Johan Santana (!) in Game 3)

* A second inning to forget with three errors by the Met infield (David Wright, Alex Cora, Nick Evans) to lead to four runs (9-1 Yankee win in Game 4)

* The best combined pitching performance in the series (one-hitter by A.J. Burnett, Brian Bruney, and David Robertson in Game 5)

* Having the Yankees celebrate Mariano Rivera's 500th save on the Citi Field turf (4-out save in Game 6)

The only win for the Mets came from the improbable pitching of Fernando Nieve, certainly a game most Met fans expected to lose.

Much more has gone wrong for the Mets besides the Subway Series.  First, the injuries have mounted and taken their toll.  It has been well documented and not providing this as the Mets excuse for how they have played in the first 70+ games this year, but the results speak for themselves.

Oliver Perez is rehabilitating in the minor leagues and John Maine was before he felt some shoulder discomfort.  Maine and Jose Reyes should return about the All-Star Break.  Carlos Delgado and J.J. Putz should be back in August.  Alex Cora and Brian Schneider were Opening Day players that have missed time and have come back. 

Carlos Beltran may end up being more costly than Reyes because Beltran may be out for longer.  The glue of the outfield and, along with David Wright, the glue in the middle of the batting order, is consulting a second opinion on his badly bruised knee with the inventor of microfracture surgery.  If surgery is recommended and undertaken, Beltran would be out for three months.  With three months left in the season, do the math, his season would be over.

Now, we are leaping to conclusions here, playing out the worst-case scenario.  But, it could be the ultimate damning headline in a back page of horrors to start the Mets 2009 season.

The least of the Mets worries was the sweep over the weekend at the hands of the Yankees.  As the Mets turn their attention back to the senior circuit, the sheen of their new ballpark, their charismatic manager, and the Subway Series have all gone.  The injuries are becoming insurmountable.  The summer may be longer than we think.

If the Phillies had their act together, the Mets would probably be sellers at the Trading Deadline this year.  Luckily, for the Mets, they are in the National League East and the Phillies are barely treading water.  But, the Phillies will not be this bad forever.  Brad Lidge, Jimmy Rollins, and Cole Hamels will most likely eventually find themselves.  The Florida Marlins are knocking on the door of the NL East penthouse.

Good time for the Mets to go on a road trip.  Counting the loss on Monday night to the Brewers, the Mets are 7-13 since June 9th, which was when I was hoping for Reyes to come back to the lineup to give the Mets some semblance of health.  Reyes is no closer to coming back.  He still has not started a rehab assignment.  Beltran is now out. 

The Mets have six games left on a road trip, with two games left against Milwaukee, a one-game makeup in Pittsburgh, and a weekend series at Philadelphia, the only real question seems to be: "How far will the Mets fall before they return home?"

1. Everyone knows about the Alex Rodriguez pop-up-turned-two-run-error by Luis Castillo in the bottom of the 9th on Friday night that allowed the Yankees to walk off with a 9-8 victory.  Everyone knows what they were doing when they saw the play.  I was in my living room and I was inconsolable for hours, not being able to speak for about 45 minutes.  My hands were glued to the temples of my forehead.  But, in the aftermath, and after the requisite head-shaking on either side, came a new appreciation for Luis Castillo. 

Castillo could have taken the LeBron James way out and high-tailed it out of the clubhouse to avoid the media.  He could have allowed his teammates to answer for him.  He could have made the situation a whole heckuva lot worse.  Castillo did not.  He stood there to address his mistake, answering questions in a soft, remorseful tone that could not help but soften the media's blow in Saturday's papers.  After apparently not getting a good night's sleep on Friday night, Castillo made himself available to reporters again on Saturday before the 4pm matinee on national television.

Castillo played second base and batted leadoff, going 2-for-5, and the Mets won 6-2.

I think the two events are related.  If Castillo bucked the media, the Mets would have had some ticked-off players in the clubhouse and the situation would have gotten worse in the cauldron of Yankee Stadium and the New York media would have stirred the pot.  By facing the music, Castillo diffused a bomb that even the Joe Torre S.W.A.T. team would have been proud of.  If Castillo bucked the media, I think the Mets would have been swept and the pressure would have mounted as the Mets would have been five games back after the weekend.  Instead, they salvaged a game in the series, possibly finding a starting pitcher in Fernando Nieve to contribute to the cause, and the Mets came away with some dignity intact.

Read George Vecsey's "Sports of The Times" in Sunday's New York Times for the full story.

2. The Francisco Rodriguez-Brian Bruney dust-up was a late-developing story and I did not mention it during our show.  But, it is worthy of a mention.  Brian Bruney was quoted as saying that the Met meltdown on Friday night "could not have happened to a better guy". 

Chamberlain is the king of fist pumps, the pride of the prideful.  Yes, Rodriguez beats his chest after a save with some more vigor than most players when they quietly point to the sky after touching home plate on a homer.  But, Chamberlain does it more often and I see that as more of a show-up type of move.

In a Mets team lacking fire, in the few times they show some personality, it makes news.  File this with the "I'm a man" proclamation from Johan Santana last Tuesday night against the Phillies.  There is nothing wrong with playing the game with spirit, fire, chutzpah, whatever you want to call it.  It is not right to show up an opposing player, a manager, a teammate, or the fans.  But, don't you think that if the Mets everyday players, who have to be a baseball team's leaders, showed more fire, the pitchers wouldn't have to?

Read Marty Noble's account of the K-Rod/Bruney incident.

This is a keeper league, so teams can keep up to seven players with a maximum of one player per infield position, two outfielders, and three pitchers with no more than two starters or two relievers.  Teams that do not keep the maximum amount of players can pick players before those other teams in what we call the Supplemental Draft.  The same position restrictions are in place for the Supplemental Draft.

On the list below, the "keepers" are the players that were "retained" from last season.  Our Player Draft consists of 29 rounds, plus three (3) rounds for a Minor League Roster, in which all picks have to be on minor league rosters as of Opening Day.  The Minor League Draft, whose participation is completely optional, took place in the days after the FTL Main Player Draft.

Team Legend: CLE - Cleveland, DEA - Dearborn, GST - Gastonia, LI - Long Island, LV - Las Vegas, LWR - Lawrence, NO - Bourbon Street (New Orleans), QUE - Quebec, RC - River City, SD - San Diego, SF - San Francisco, STP - Saint Paul

Draft Order: 1. Dearborn, 2. Bourbon Street, 3. Quebec, 4. Lawrence, 5. River City, 6. Long Island, 7. Gastonia, 8. Las Vegas, 9. San Diego, 10. Cleveland, 11. San Francisco, 12. Saint Paul (order snakes in subsequent rounds)

FTL OPENING DAY ROSTERS
(round selected in parentheses, K - keeper from 2008, RK - rookie keeper from 2008)

BOURBON STREET BLUESMEN (Owner: Frank Mastrangelo, 8-12 in 2008)
C: Jorge Posada NYY (21)
1B: Aubrey Huff BAL (10), Todd Helton COL (14)
2B: Brian Roberts BAL (K), Howie Kendrick LAA (20)
3B: Aramis Ramirez CHC (6)
SS: Mike Aviles KCY (RK), Emmanuel Burriss SFO (27)
OF: Matt Holliday OAK (K), Nick Markakis BAL (K), Hunter Pence HOU (12), Eric Byrnes ARZ (16), Ken Griffey SEA (18), Shin-Soo Choo CLE (23), Aaron Rowand SFO (24), David Murphy TEX (29)
DH: None
SP: Josh Beckett BOS (K), Roy Oswalt HOU (5), James Shields TBY (8), Chien-Ming Wang NYY (9), Mark Buehrle CHW (13), Erik Bedard SEA (15), Scott Baker MIN (17), Kenshin Kawakami ATL (25), Glen Perkins MIN (26), John Smoltz BOS (28)
RP: Brad Lidge PHL (7), Chad Qualls ARZ (11), Joel Hanrahan WSH (22)

CLEVELAND WAHOOS (Owner: Michael Molek, 14-6 in 2008)
C: Ryan Doumit PIT (12), Kelly Shoppach CLE (24)
1B: Ryan Howard PHL (K), Ryan Garko CLE (23), Hank Blalock TEX (27)
2B: Ian Kinsler TEX (K), Alexei Ramirez CHW (9)
3B: Mark Reynolds HOU (15), Chris Davis TEX (16)
SS: Stephen Drew ARZ (K)
OF: Grady Sizemore CLE (K), Shane Victorino PHL (8), Raul Ibanez PHL (10), Brad Hawpe COL (13), Chris Young ARZ (14), Mark Teahen KCY (21)
DH: Jim Thome CHW (20)
SP: Fausto Carmona CLE (K), Felix Hernandez SEA (K), Ricky Nolasco FLA (11), Gil Meche KCY (17), Manny Parra MIL (19), Edwin Jackson DET (22), Anthony Reyes CLE (25), Pedro Martinez UFA (26), Micah Owings CIN (28), Clayton Kershaw LAD (RK)
RP: Brian Fuentes LAA (K), Brendan Morrow SEA (18)

DEARBORN MUSTANGS (Owner: Greg Jorgensen, 7-13 in 2008)
C: Victor Martinez CLE (10)
1B: Prince Fielder MIL (K), James Loney LAD (12)
2B: Clint Barmes COL (24)
3B: Evan Longoria TBY (3)
SS: Miguel Tejada HOU (13), Khalil Greene STL (22)
OF: Josh Hamilton TEX (K), Carlos Quentin CHW (6), Hideki Matsui NYY (15), J.D. Drew BOS (16), Rick Ankiel STL (17), Jay Bruce CIN (RK), Matt Joyce DET (29)
DH: None
SP: A.J. Burnett NYY (5), Scott Kazmir TBY (7), Chad Billingsley LAD (8), Justin Verlander DET (9), Brett Myers PHL (11), Oliver Perez NYM (18), Wandy Rodriguez HOU (19), Randy Wolf LAD (20), Randy Johnson SFO (21), Jordan Zimmerman WSH (25), Rick Porcello DET (28)
RP: Francisco Rodriguez NYM (4), Francisco Cordero CIN (14), Dan Wheeler TBY (23), Scot Shields LAA (27)

GASTONIA GAZELLES (Owner: Eric Brown, 10-10 in 2008)
C: Russell Martin LAD (K), Ivan Rodriguez HOU (26)
1B: Lance Berkman HOU (K), Adam LaRoche PIT (21)
2B: Robinson Cano NYY (9), Rickie Weeks MIL (17)
3B: Alex Rodriguez NYY (K), Ian Stewart COL (25)
SS: Jimmy Rollins PHL (K), Michael Young TEX (10)
OF: Ryan Braun MIL (K), Ichiro Suzuki SEA (K), B.J. Upton TBY (8), Milton Bradley CHC (15), Travis Snider TOR (24), Cameron Maybin FLA (27), Kendry Morales LAA (28)
DH: Travis Hafner CLE (22)
SP: Jon Lester BOS (7), Yovani Gallardo MIL (11), John Lackey LAA (12), Jered Weaver LAA (13), Johnny Cueto CIN (14), Gavin Floyd CHW (16), Luke Hochevar KCY (RK)
RP: Frank Francisco TEX (18), Matt Lindstrom FLA (19), Heath Bell SDG (20), Fernando Rodney DET (23)

LAS VEGAS FLASHERS (Owners: Heather Yunger and Pete Yunger, 10-10 in 2008)
C: Geovany Soto CHC (8), Kurt Suzuki OAK (18)
1B: Kevin Youkilis BOS (K), Paul Konerko CHW (13), Lyle Overbay TOR (28)
2B: Dustin Pedroia BOS (K)
3B: Mike Lowell BOS (11)
SS: J.J. Hardy MIL (9), Orlando Cabrera OAK (12), Yuniesky Betancourt SEA (27)
OF: Curtis Granderson DET (K), Jayson Werth PHL (K), Jermaine Dye CHW (14), Jose Guillen KCY (19), David DeJesus KCY (20), Brian Giles SDG (22), Randy Winn SFO (23), Fred Lewis SFO (29)
DH: None
SP: Johan Santana NYM (K), Ryan Dempster CHC (10), Matt Garza TBY (15), Chris Young SDG (16), Ubaldo Jimenez COL (17), Todd Wellemeyer STL (24)
RP: Joe Nathan MIN (K), Hideki Okajima BOS (K), Joey Devine OAK (21), Manny Corpas COL (25), Scott Linebrink CHW (26)

LAWRENCE WELK (Owner: Jon Strauss, 8-12 in 2008)
C: Chris Iannetta COL (18)
1B: Derrek Lee CHC (8), Casey Kotchman ATL (17), Chad Tracy ARZ (29)
2B: Mark DeRosa CLE (15), Akinori Iwamura TBY (22)
3B: Chipper Jones ATL (7)
SS: Hanley Ramirez FLA (K), Ryan Theriot CHC (16)
OF: Manny Ramirez LAD (K), Adam Dunn WSH (9), Andre Ethier LAD (11), Josh Willingham WSH (20), Luke Scott BAL (23), Mike Cameron MIL (24), Ryan Spilborghs COL (25), Michael Cuddyer MIN (27)
DH: David Ortiz BOS (K)
SP: Dan Haren ARZ (K), Daisuke Matsuzaka BOS (K), Rich Harden CHC (10), Derek Lowe ATL (12), Javier Vazquez ATL (13), Jamie Moyer PHL (28)
RP: Jonathan Papelbon BOS (K), Kevin Gregg CHC (14), Troy Percival TBY (19), George Sherrill BAL (21), Justin Masterson BOS (26)

LONG ISLAND BLUEBIRDS (Owner: Wills Gillan (new owner, franchise was 9-11 in 2008)
C: Bengie Molina SFO (K), Mike Napoli LAA (25)
1B: Miguel Cabrera DET (K), Billy Butler KCY (18), Mike Jacobs KCY (26)
2B: Brandon Phillips CIN (K), Luis Castillo NYM (28)
3B: Edwin Encarnacion CIN (9), Melvin Mora BAL (22), Casey Blake LAD (24)
SS: Troy Tulowitzki COL (8), Cristian Guzman WSH (21)
OF: Torii Hunter LAA (K), Bobby Abreu LAA (10), Ryan Ludwick STL (13), Xavier Nady NYY (17), Ryan Church NYM (20), Carlos Gomez MIN (29)
DH: None
SP: Andy Sonnanstine TBY (K), Carlos Zambrano CHC (K), Josh Johnson FLA (11), Aaron Harang CIN (14), Mike Pelfrey NYM (15), Jair Jurrjens ATL (16), Bronson Arroyo CIN (19), Chris Volstad FLA (23), Doug Davis ARZ (27)
RP: Bobby Jenks CHW (K), B.J. Ryan TOR (12)

QUEBEC POUTINES (Owner: Tim Bresnahan, 8-12 in 2008)
C: Dioner Navarro TBY (21)
1B: Adrian Gonzalez SDG (6), Carlos Delgado NYM (10), Conor Jackson ARZ (12)
2B: Placido Polanco DET (13), Freddy Sanchez PIT (20)
3B: Jorge Cantu FLA (16), Kevin Kouzmanoff SDG (24)
SS: Jose Reyes NYM (K), Jason Bartlett TBY (27)
OF: Jason Bay BOS (K), Vladimir Guerrero LAA (7), Alex Rios TOR (8), Corey Hart MIL (11), Delmon Young MIN (17), Garret Anderson ATL (29)
DH: None
SP: Roy Halladay TOR (K), CC Sabathia NYY (K), Cliff Lee CLE (9), Kevin Slowey MIN (18), Brad Penny BOS (19), Joe Blanton PHL (22), Jeremy Guthrie BAL (23), Scott Olsen WSH (26)
RP: Mariano Rivera NYY (K), Mike Gonzalez ATL (14), Brad Ziegler OAK (15), Chris Ray (25), Brandon Lyon DET (28)

RIVER CITY STORM (Owner: Stephen Johannes, 9-11 in 2008)
C: Yadier Molina STL (K)
1B: Justin Morneau MIN (5), Nick Johnson WSH (22), Travis Ishikawa SFO (27)
2B: Jose Lopez SEA (13), Felipe Lopez ARZ (24)
3B: Garrett Atkins COL (6)
SS: Yunel Escobar ATL (15)
OF: Alfonso Soriano CHC (K), Nate McLouth PIT (8), Pat Burrell TBY (11), Coco Crisp KCY (17), Skip Schumaker STL (18), Daniel Murphy NYM (20), Marcus Thames DET (25), Cody Ross FLA (28), Jordan Schafer ATL (29)
DH: None
SP: Jake Peavy SDG (K), Edinson Volquez CIN (K), Adam Wainwright STL (10), John Danks CHW (12), Chris Carpenter STL (16), Jonathan Sanchez SFO (19), Jesse Litsch TOR (21), John Lannan WSH (26)
RP: Jonathan Broxton LAD (7), Brian Wilson SFO (9), Jason Motte STL (14), Ryan Franklin STL (23)

SAINT PAUL SAINTS (Owner: Michael Josephson, 16-4 in 2008)
C: Joe Mauer MIN (K), A.J. Pierzynski CHW (16)
1B: Mark Teixeira NYY (K), Pablo Sandoval SFO (14)
2B: Chase Utley PHL (K), Orlando Hudson LAD (22)
3B: David Wright NYM (K), Chone Figgins LAA (28)
SS: Jed Lowrie BOS (13)
OF: Matt Kemp LAD (K), Jacoby Ellsbury BOS (8), Vernon Wells TOR (10), Denard Span MIN (17), Jeremy Hermida FLA (18), Jason Kubel MIN (21), Jack Cust OAK (25)
DH: None
SP: Tim Lincecum SFO (K), Brandon Webb ARZ (K), Joba Chamberlain NYY (9), Ervin Santana LAA (12), Hideki Kuroda LAD (19), Ian Snell PIT (23), Andrew Miller FLA (24), David Purcey TOR (26), Jeremy Bonderman DET (27), Chan Ho Park PHL (29)
RP: Carlos Marmol CHC (11), Matt Capps PIT (15), Grant Balfour TBY (20)

SAN DIEGO STATS (Owner: George Stathopulos, 11-9 in 2008)
C: Ramon Hernandez CIN (16), Matt Wieters BAL (26), Jarrod Saltalamacchia TEX (27)
1B: Albert Pujols STL (K), Joey Votto CIN (12)
2B: Kelly Johnson ATL (11), Aaron Hill TOR (23)
3B: Ryan Zimmerman WSH (K), Alex Gordon KCY (15)
SS: Jhonny Peralta CLE (8), Edgar Renteria SFO (18)
OF: Carlos Beltran NYM (K), Carlos Lee HOU (K), Magglio Ordonez CHW (9), Justin Upton ARZ (14), Lastings Milledge WSH (20), Adam Jones BAL (21)
DH: None
SP: Cole Hamels PHL (K), Francisco Liriano MIN (K), Matt Cain SFO (13), John Maine NYM (17), Armando Galarraga DET (19), Paul Maholm PIT (25), Anibal Sanchez FLA (28), Max Scherzer ARZ (RK)
RP: Jose Valverde HOU (7), Kerry Wood CLE (10), J.J. Putz NYM (22), Jose Arredondo LAA (24)

SAN FRANCISCO SOUR DOHS (Owners: Dung Nguyen and Dino Aliferis (new owners, franchise 10-10 in 2008)
C: Brian McCann ATL (K)
1B: Carlos Pena TBY (11), Jason Giambi OAK (19)
2B: Dan Uggla FLA (K)
3B: Carlos Guillen DET (K), Adrian Beltre SEA (10), Andy LaRoche PIT (28)
SS: Derek Jeter NYY (8), Rafael Furcal LAD (15)
OF: Carl Crawford TBY (K), Johnny Damon NYY (12), Jeff Francoeur ATL (14), Nelson Cruz TEX (24), Elijah Dukes WSH (25)
DH:
SP: Zack Greinke KCY (K), Ted Lilly CHC (K), Andy Pettitte NYY (16), Joe Saunders LAA (17), Jon Garland ARZ (18), Aaron Cook COL (20), Kyle Lohse STL (21), Barry Zito SFO (22), Dave Bush MIL (23), Nick Blackburn MIN (26), Jeff Suppan MIL (27), David Price TBY (RK)
RP: Joakim Soria KCY (K), Trevor Hoffman MIL (9), Huston Street COL (13)

FTL MINOR LEAGUE ROSTERS
BOURBON STREET (3 picks): SP Phil Hughes NYY, 3B Brandon Wood LAA, SP Virgil Vasquez PIT
CLEVELAND (3): 3B Michael Moustakas KCY, SP Carlos Carrasco PHL, 1B Lars Anderson BOS
DEARBORN (3): SP Tommy Hanson ATL, SP Madison Bumgarner SFO, Brian Matusz BAL
GASTONIA (3): 3B Mat Gamel MIL, SP Aaron Poreda CHW, C J.P. Arencibia TOR
LAS VEGAS (0): No picks
LAWRENCE (2): SP Clay Buchholz BOS, SP Michael Bowden BOS
LONG ISLAND (2): OF Matt LaPorta CLE, OF Jason Heyward ATL
QUEBEC (1): SP Jeff Samardzija CHC
RIVER CITY (0): No picks
SAINT PAUL SAINTS (3): SP Chris Tillman BAL, OF John Mayberry PHL, C Jeff Clement SEA
SAN DIEGO STATS (3): OF Andrew McCutchen PIT, SP Jonathan Niese NYM, RP Chris Perez STL
SAN FRANCISCO SOUR DOHS (2): SP Neftali Feliz TEX, SS Alcides Escobar MIL

Stay tuned for more postings on our house fantasy league, including more about the individual teams that make this league what it is, and the pennant race that will shape the 2009 fantasy baseball season.