Today on The Dan Patrick Show, MLB Network analyst Al Leiter came on to discuss the controversy surrounding an explosive article about the Red Sox’ late-season collapse.

But the Red Sox weren’t the most interesting thing Patrick and Leiter discussed. Instead, it was the possible uncovering of a little-known room in Shea Stadium that caught our attention.

There is very little reason for anyone to be at Citi Field right now. The New York Mets, currently 76-85 and 25 games out of first place, are playing their last game of the year against the also-mediocre Cincinnati Reds. It’s a dreary and foggy day in New York. It’s the afternoon on a weekday. These are conditions that don’t exactly scream “baseball.”

There is one reason to be at Citi Field, though. Well, actually, there was, because that reason just got taken out of the game after one at-bat.

As the Mets finish up another forgettable season – assured of a losing season despite a high payroll, Bernie Madoff connections, etc. – it’s tempting to look for one moment that encapsulates it all. What comes after the jump might be it.

The New York Mets are in the midst of another season to forget. They’re 71-77, they’ve been feuding with Major League Baseball, there was that whole Bernie Madoff connection – the team hasn’t given fans much to be excited about. Unless, that is, they’re also Star Wars fans.

By now, you’ve no doubt heard about the controversy surrounding the New York Mets not wearing NYPD, FDNY, and PAPD caps for their game on September 11. There was much outrage, most of it hurled in the direction of Major League Baseball. The reason for this, it seemed, was pretty clear: money. And it still seems that way…just maybe not quite how we originally thought.

On September 21, 2001, Mike Piazza hit a home run to help give the Mets a 3-2 win over the Braves. This might sound unremarkable until you remember it was also the Mets’ first game at home after the 9/11 attacks, and that Piazza’s homer was just what the home crowd needed to release a whole lot of pent-up energy. (See it here.) That home run remains a defining moment in Piazza’s great career, so it shouldn’t be any surprise that when Piazza looks back on it now, he’s a little overwhelmed.

Trust us: we’re just like you. When we heard from the New York Post the area surrounding Citi Field was being overrun with dogs, of course we pictured this. Or maybe this. It made us want to go to Citi Field ourselves to experience this puppy kingdom for ourselves. Alas, this was only what we imagined, and the actual situation is not quite like that.

Look, we know baseball not having the fast-paced action of other sports is by design, having no clock is part of the game’s charm, etc. But sometimes the games get a little too slow, and you might tune out the game entirely in favor of something where something, anything, is happening. Don’t feel bad – players do it, too.

Yesterday, during his Diamondbacks’ 5-3 win over the Mets, pitcher Jason Marquis took a line drive off the leg. He stayed in the game, thinking the injury was nothing too serious. Turns out, it was a broken leg…and pitching on it didn’t end well.

Mike Francesa not only thinks the New York Mets are bad, he thinks they’re unoriginal.