Mets September Baseball: Don't Touch that Dial

It's not easy watching the Mets these days. On the list of things to do on a weeknight, turning on SNY has fallen behind doing the dishes, constantly hitting refresh on your fantasy football waiver wire, and even watching yet another presidential debate.

But for those of us who just can't suffer enough, there are still plenty of reasons to watch the final two weeks of the Mets 2011 season. Here are just a few:

The Jose Reyes Watch - Most Mets fans are hoping Reyes wins the NL batting title, but I'm not one of them. In fact, I'm hoping he goes hitless the rest of the year. Why, you ask? Well, a 28 year old reigning batting champion shortstop sounds way to expensive for the cash-strapped Wilpons. A 28 year old shortstop with injury concerns who goes 0 for his last 60, on the other hand, sounds right up their alley.

Bay vs. Pelfrey - The battle for the biggest bust of 2011 comes down to the wire. Bay may be the heavy favorite because of his enormous contract and paltry stats (.245, 12 hrs, 56 rbi), but he hurt his chances by somehow capturing Player of the Week honors last week. Pelfrey has put up a strong underdog fight by going from staff "ace" to complete dud (7-11, 4.66 ERA), but he too has shot himself in the foot with a few decent outings down the stretch. Who wants it more?

Keith Hernandez - We now basically know what to expect from each Mets players on a daily basis, but Keith is a constant wild card in the booth. The man once questioned a woman's presence in the dugout and fell asleep during a live broadcast, so who knows what he will say or do down the stretch run of another lost season. Here's hoping it's something entertaining enough to keep us watching but sane enough to keep him from getting fired.

The Battle for 3rd Place - Don't discount the value of the Mets finishing 3rd in the NL East, ahead of the Nationals and Marlins. Pulling off this seemingly meaningless feat will go a long way in helping us argue against our friends who may belittle the Mets. After all, the Red Sox finished 3rd last year and the Rays will likely finish 3rd this year, so 3rd place can't be all that bad, right?

The First No-Hitter - If you get really desperate for reasons to keep watching. Hey, even a Mets fan can dream.