The bandwagon is passing me by, and I’m not climbing aboard. I’m talking about the bandwagon Mr. Met is operating and inviting all comers to join. From what I’ve been reading, it’s getting pretty crowded.

A consensus seems to have grown in the off-season months that this is the season the Mets turn it around. “It” is their streak of six straight losing seasons, four of which belong to the current general manager, Sandy Alderson, who a curious new book says has revived the Mets.

It’s more than a stretch, I think, to think or say this is a season of …

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There are editors at The New York Times who are not happy with me and to whom I am persona non grata. I suspect that one or two have even placed my e-mail address on their spam list. These are people who are thin skinned and sensitive to criticism. The Times, you understand, is above criticism. The same scrutiny with which the Times views subjects it covers should not apply to the newspaper itself, these editors believe.

I acknowledge I have been critical of the Times at times, though not so much that it warrants the editors’ reaction. I could be far more critical. I have, for example, refrained from …

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Theo Epstein, the man who runs the Chicago Cubs’ baseball operations, said this:

In this business of trying to win a world championship for the first time in 107 years, the organization has priority over any one individual.

He also said this:

We have clung to two important ideals during our three years in Chicago. The first is to always be loyal to our mission of building the Cubs into a championship organization that can sustain success. The second is to be transparent with our fans….To our fans: we hope you understand, and we appreciate your continued support of the Cubs.

Epstein included both of these comments in a statement he issued when the Cubs fired their manager, Rick Renteria, last October and hired Joe Maddon. If they sound familiar, it’s because …

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