By Geoff Walter / SNY.tv

 

 

It's amazing what the power of one hit (or lack thereof) in the sport of baseball can have in the psyche of player and fan alike. The 0-for-19 streak Carlos Delgado was mired in is just the latest in a season long slump for the lefty but has he come out of his funk enough to help the Mets pull away in the East or was that two-run single in the fifth simply a fluke?

 

Maybe Willie Randolph thinks it's the latter, as the Met manager chose not to give Delgado an at-bat during Sunday's 6-2 loss to the Dodgers. I don't think that the best thing to do to Delgado after breaking out of a slump is to bench him. If anything, you try to start a streak in the opposite direction, and for that to happen you need time at the plate. His average for the year is only .245, 60 points below what he posted two years ago, and 20 lower than last year. The Mets though are stuck between a rock and a hard place, as Delgado is signed through next year and they do not have any other first baseman on their roster who can hit for power.

Until that time, the Mets seem content to slide him into the fifth slot in the batting order, carrying Delgado on their backs, and judging from the cheers when the 35-year old veteran came to the plate, the fans have volunteered to help carry the load as well. But just how long until those shoulders slump and their backs can no longer bear the burden? Will the fans feel the same if and when the Mets get into the playoffs and need Delgado's bat more than ever? Or will he simply be watching October from the bench, relegated to the role of pinch-hitter? If that's the case, those cheers will be long gone, from throats shouted sore in vain.

Wanna argue with the Ref? Don't like the call? Go ahead and make your own!