You may have missed the news that San Francisco Giant superstar Tim Lincecum was busted for marijuana possession — heck, I’m about a week late in hearing about it. Which brings up the obvious question posted originally by my pal Ted Berg: Does anyone care?

When the backup (Ramon Martinez) to the backup (Alex Cora) went down, the Mets found themselves hunting the scrap yards for a fill-in at shortstop who had Major League skills. They found Wilson Valdez and, all things considered, could’ve done a lot worse. In fact, they DID do a lot worse — Angel Berroa was on the roster for about a week.

The 31-year-old Valdez displayed excellent defensive skills — including a rifle for an arm — but not much with the bat. He was fundamentally sound in the field and on the basepaths, and gave good effort. Though he played almost exclusively at shortstop for the Mets, he’s equally adept on either side of the second base bag, and can handle both third base and the outfield in a pinch. Whether he’ll ever

For a brief time early in his career, Sammy Sosa was a “Palehose” — meaning, a member of the White Sox. Now, he’s a “pale face” — meaning, literally, his face has paled.

The picture here is a recent one of Sammy Sosa — yes, THAT Sammy Sosa (is there any other?) — taken on November 4th during the Latin Grammys at the Mandaly Bay Casino and Resort in Las Vegas. His skin is now frighteningly white, his eyes are green, his hair unkinked. How and why is Sosa suddenly so pale? Here are some explanations:

Not long ago, I gave you five reasons to root for the Phillies in the World Series.

Which team to pull for was a difficult decision for any Mets fan. But now that the World Serious is over, and the Yankees are the 2009 World Champions, I have a question for those Mets fans who chose to root for the Bronx Bombers: would you now reconsider that decision?

I ask because it is now five days after the final game, and yet the YES network is still showing that goddamn parade 24 hours a day. Sure, it’s easy to avoid the channel, but when I’m surfing or looking through the on-screen TV guide, that damn thing pops out like an inflamed wart. And if you frequent NJ’s Route 3 highway, you’ve no doubt noticed that a digital sign just past the Meadowlands STILL states “Friday – Celebration Parade in Manhattan”.

But it’s not just the parade. I turned on the Giants football game on Sunday — the first time I’ve put the Giants on since they won the Super Bowl — and, lo and behold, the Yankees “general manager” Joe Girardi was honored in a pregame ceremony.

Then of course, there was the “key to the city” thing. If the Phillies had won the World Series, I doubt I would be reading about Pedro Martinez getting a key to the city of Philadelphia — that news simply wouldn’t get up here (NOTE: this post does not apply to anyone living in the South Jersey / Philly area).

Similarly, I probably wouldn’t be seeing Matt Stairs, Greg Dobbs, and other Phillies bench players hawking various products and promoting local businesses the way I suspect we’ll be seeing people like Jerry Hairston, Jr. on local cable channels and newspaper ads this winter.

I also doubt sincerely that I’d be seeing people coming out of the woodwork wearing Phillies hats all over my town, on the ferry, on the bus, on the subway, and in random coffee shops — such as I and others are seeing NY Yankee hats infiltrate their neighborhoods.

And I’m certain I would not be running into at least one acquaintance every day who just happened to be a Phillies fan, knifing me with their gloating smiles and condescending quips like “I’m sure the Mets will turn things around soon”.

Again, I’m sure things would be / are much different in the South Jersey / Philly area. But here in the New York City Metropolitan Area, there is no escape from the daily reminders that the “other” New York team won the World Series.

As fellow blogger Greg Prince of Faith and Fear opines:

“Tell me how this isn’t tangibly more hellish than a Phillies victory.”

It’s going to be a long, cold winter, Mets fans.