They say baseball is designed to break the hearts of fans: just when you think all is well, everything collapses around you. For a perfect example of this dictum, look no further than the New York Mets. With 17 games left to play, the Mets had a seven-game lead over the inconsistent Philadelphia Phillies. All in all, a pretty safe lead, right? Wrong!

The Mets lost nine of their last 10 home games -- no one loses nine of 10 at home! Yesterday, the Mets had only to win the final regular season game to win its division, or at least force a one-game playoff with the Phillies. Twenty-year veteran Tom Glavine was given the ball to start against the Florida Marlins. Yeah, that Tom Glavine, who pitched the deciding Game 6 of the 1995 World Series vs. the Cleveland Indians and won 1-0 for the Atlanta Braves!!

But before the second out was recorded in the top half of the first inning, Glavine was gone and the Mets trailed 7-0. It was over and the tears in the stands began to flow. ESPN showed several fans tearing up and watching what should have been a glorious season go the way of the fish -- like in Marlins.