End Game for Mets and The Mike

Despite the fact that the Mets finished their 2005 season on Sunday afternoon with an 11-3 loss, one couldn't quite say that it was a season of disappointment. Finishing with an 83-79 record, their best record since the 2000 season, the Mets managed a 3rd place tie in the NL East.

At points, the team showed that they were truly a "new" team, but at other points, the dreadful performances of the past few years showed its ugly head. The results in 2005 makes 2006 a season of new expectations. With David Wright and Jose Reyes blossoming this year and Mike Jacobs showing great potential, the Mets look like they have a solid core of players for the future.

Sunday was also Mike Piazza's last game as a New York Met. The future Hall of Fame catcher was clearly emotional as the fans at Shea Stadium cheered him on during his at bats. While it's likely the end of his career with the Mets, it's not entirely out of the question that Piazza returns. For what exactly, we're not sure.

Way back before the season started, Gothamist said that a winning team was all we wanted. While that's all we got, we also end the season with a sense of hope, something that might have been lacking in seasons past.

Photo by Kenji Takabayashi/MLB.com