In the 1961 classic, The Hustler, "Fast" Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) has Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) against the ropes in an all-night, one-on-one pool tournament. He could have put Fats away at any point, but his enormous ego and weakness for JTS Brown lead to his embarrassing and utter demise.
 
In the 2008 National League Wild Card race, the New York Mets had the Brewers pinned to the mat. In fact, they had the Phillies beat in the race for the division title, leading their rivals by four games with 17 to play. The Mets could have put either of these teams away, but their lousy bullpen and inability to get clutch hits brought about their second straight late-season collapse.
 
This weekend was one of the most depressing of 2008 as the Mets squandered their postseason hopes, and my all-time favorite actor, Paul Newman, lost his life to lung cancer.
 
Newman fought an unwinnable battle all summer against an incurable disease, much in the same fashion that he refused to lay down when he boxed the much larger Dragline (George Kennedy) in Cool Hand Luke.  At least he fought.
 
The Mets showed this year that they had talent, youth and potential, but when it came down to the big spots, they didn't have enough heart or determination, both key ingredients in playoff teams. Here are some stats that illustrate this:

- 29 blown saves, 16 since the All-Star break
 
- 7-10 record to close the season
 
- 5 runs scored in their last three games
 
How about these series of events, which I was unfortunate enough to witness from a lodge box at the fifth-to-last game at Shea Stadium versus the Chicago Cubs: Bottom of the ninth, score tied 6-6, no outs. Daniel Murphy is on third base after leading off the inning with a triple. David Wright strikes out. Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran are intentionally walked to load the bases for Ryan Church, who precedes to hit into a fielder's choice, taking away the game-winning sacrifice fly opportunity that had been available after Murphy's triple. Ramon Castro follows by striking out on three pitches and effectively deflating the stadium of hope. The Cubs go on to score three runs off Luis Ayala in the top of the tenth and the Mets go down in order in the bottom half of the inning, blowing the one-game lead they had over the Brewers in the wildcard race at the beginning of the day.
 
This game was a microcosm of the Mets' season. Runners stranded in scoring position and close games blown by the bullpen have left a bad taste in Mets fans' mouths.
 
Granted, the collapse was not as dramatic as last season's plummet from first place – the Amazins had a seven game lead with 17 to play – but it stings more. Not only did the Mets acquire arguably the best pitcher in the game in Johan Santana this off-season (who performed brilliantly all year long), but they let it come down to the last game of the season once again, dragging their fans through all 162 games to watch their team fall one game short again. They blew it at home in the last-ever game played at Shea Stadium, while the Brewers simultaneously won their final game with a six-game-old manager.
 
So who is to blame?
 
The Manager? Jerry Manuel took a team that was 34-35 under Willy Randolph and went 55-38, putting them in a spot where they should have made the playoffs. He lightened the mood in the clubhouse, played the hot hand all season, and became an instant darling to a New York media that eats coaches and players alive. However, he let the Mets go 7-10 in the most important stretch of the season.
 
The General Manager? Omar Minaya is responsible for bringing in Santana, Delgado and Beltran, three core players whose 2008 numbers speak for themselves. He also signed Wright and Jose Reyes, the homegrown core of the Mets, cheap. He did, however, rely heavily on older players like Moises Alou, Pedro Martinez and Luis Castillo, who either got injured or underperformed. Plus, he let a few relievers like Darren Oliver and Chad Bradford.
 
The Core? Beltran and Delgado had slow starts, but finished the season strong and clutch. Wright tied the Mets single-season RBI record (124) held by Mike Piazza. Reyes led the NL in hits with 204 while also swiping 56 bases. They do deserve some blame for not coming through in big spots down the stretch, but they shouldn't have been in that spot to begin with.
 
The Bullpen? The Mets lost their closer, Billy Wagner, to injury and were never able to recover, but the bullpen was in trouble before Wagner went down. All year Manuel had to play mix and match games with pitchers like Joe Smith who could only get righties out and Pedro Feliciano who could only pitch to lefties. Players like Aaron Heilman and Duaner Sanchez, who have proven track records, came up short all season.
 
Everyone deserves some blame for "collapse part duex," but that does not mean that the team needs a dramatic shakeup. Wright and Reyes should not be traded, Manuel should come back next season, and Minaya should not be blamed for the poor performances of players who underachieved.
 
The Mets are so close to becoming a World Series-caliber team. The solution lies in cutting dead weight (Martinez, Alou, Castillo, Heilman, Marlon Anderson, Scott Schoeneweis…) and adding a vocal leader and/or a tough ballplayer. The Mets need a Keith Hernandez to teach the team how to win, and a Lenny Dykstra to put on a gutsy display of balls-to-the-wall baseball.
 
But where do the Mets look to find this grit and guidance?
 
First, lets focus on second base, where they need a steady presence. Jeff Kent is a free agent and is a proven veteran (not to mention a former Met.) His play is still respectable, but he turned 40 this year and unless he is willing to sign a one or two-year deal, he isn't worth the money. Orlando Hudson is also available and would provide speed, solid offense, Gold Glove defense, and most importantly, charisma. Rich Aurilia is 37, but his play has been steady throughout his career. He also can play all four infield positions. Another guy is Joe Crede, who is known for his spectacular defense. He is a third baseman who, if he could be taught to play second, puts up respectable numbers for the position.
 
Depending on whether Daniel Murphy is converted from outfield to second base (he is a natural third baseman), the Mets may need to acquire a new outfielder. The Padres have a one-year, $9 million option on Brian Giles, but he is a pesky player with solid offensive stats that the Mets could use in left field. Slugger Adam Dunn is available, and though he boasts a meager .247 lifetime average, he has hit 40 homeruns six years in a row. However, he is notorious for striking out and coming up short in the clutch, both qualities of which the Mets do not need more. David Dejesus had the highest batting average with runners in scoring position this season and is a Brooklyn native. He is not a free agent, but could be a trade possibility from the small market Royals of Kansas City. The Diamondbacks need a second baseman with Hudson on the market and there has been buzz about possibly dealing one of the gutsiest, grittiest and dirtiest players in the game, Eric Byrnes, for Luis Castillo. Sign me up!
 
The Mets have options with pitching. Santana, Mike Pelfry and John Maine are all solid starters that will be back next year. Oliver Perez is a free agent and unless he is willing to sign for relatively cheap (which he won't because Scott Boras is his agent), he will be pitching elsewhere. The Mets could spend their money on a big name pitcher like C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, Derek Lowe, or Ryan Dempster, or they could go after Esteban Loaiza, Brett Tomko, Claudio Vargas, or Randy Wolf, all of whom are free agents. They need to acquire a few live arms for the bullpen, and young pitchers would be optimal for this role. However, with Wagner's Mets career over, Minaya may consider spending money on a new closer. Here are some options from the free agent market: Joe Borowski, Kerry Wood, Kyle Farnsworth, Brian Fuentes, Francisco Rodriguez, Rafael Soriano.
 
The bottom line is that it doesnt matter who the Mets sign, the players they have now have to step up and face the clutch situations head on, like  Paul Newman faced the Bolivian Army in the final scene of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
   
The Mets have to stop handing teams playoff berths on silver platters. Let Newman stick to the charity.
 
R.I.P. Paul Newman.
 
Don't rest until you put together a playoff team, Mets.