Mets' postseason hopes ride on 41-year-old Glavine

Tom Glavine, who could be making his last career start Sunday, gets another chance to come up big under a pressure situation. John Biever/SI

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NEW YORK -- When Dontrelle Willis was just a kid -- which, really, wasn't that long ago at all -- he'd watch Tom Glavine pitch for the Braves every chance he'd get. He not only appreciated Glavine's sneaky talents and brainy style of pitching, he appreciated how he competed, too. Every time out.

"The one thing I always liked about him," Willis told me a few weeks ago, "is how he always sticks to his plan. He never gives in to hitters. And, 300 wins later ... God bless him. He's one of the few jerseys I have in my house. He signed it for me. As cheesy as that is."

Willis got his first chance to pitch against Glavine back in June 2003, when the Marlins' ace was just a precocious 21-year-old, with all of seven starts to his name. The two lefties have squared off four times since then. Sunday at Shea Stadium, in the final game of the regular season for both teams, the two southpaws will go at it again.

It could hardly be more important. Especially for the old guy and the Mets.

The Mets, who have squandered away their NL East lead to the Phillies and were on the brink of getting knocked out of postseason contention altogether, pummeled the Marlins on Saturday, 13-0, to force meaning into this latest Willis-Glavine showdown. Coupled with a Phillies' loss to the Nationals, the Mets and Phillies are again tied for the division lead. With a win Sunday, the Mets will at least push their way into a playoff for the NL East title. A loss, with a Phillies' win over the Nationals, would spell the end to the Mets.

Sunday's game means more than that, though. Willis, still only 25 years old, has had the worst year of his career, rekindling the rumors that he'll finally be placed on the trading block this winter. If so, then Sunday could be his last game with the Marlins.

Glavine, 41, is in the last year of his contract with the Mets. After winning the 300th game of his career earlier this season, Glavine might now be ready to retire (though most insiders believe he's leaning toward returning in '08). Or he could come back, if you believe the rumors, to his pitching roots, back with the Braves. Either way, if things go badly for him Sunday, this could be his last game with the Mets -- if not his last game for anybody.

If there's one characteristic of a Willis-Glavine showdown, it's that it's usually close. In their five previous meetings, four of them ended up being one-run games, including one this year, an 8-7 Mets' win on Sept. 20. Overall, though, you'd have to give the Marlins the edge when Willis meets Glavine. Florida is 3-2 in those games.

For his part, Willis has pitched magnificently against both Glavine (2-1 with a 2.00 ERA in five games) and the Mets. He's 11-3 with a 2.49 ERA in 18 career starts against the Mets, and he's 5-0 at Shea Stadium, the site of Sunday's game.

The two pitchers, in many ways, could hardly be more different. Willis, of course, throws a lot harder than Glavine ever did. He has a lot more moving parts. He shows a lot more passion. Back in June of '03, in that first start against Glavine, Willis showed his stuff in a complete game one-hitter against the Mets -- now called Dolphin Stadium.

Still, Willis knows as much as anyone what Glavine can do to opposing teams. He's been watching it for a long time now.

"He knows what he can do and what he can't do. Not that there's a lot that he can't do," Willis said. "I've seen him throw it by more guys than some guys who throw 95, because he's able to do things that a lot of guys can't do."

He'll have to do all of it Sunday to keep the Mets alive.

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