Mets Lose Four Straight in Atlanta

I really hope I'm not the only one that's physically nauseous from that series in Atlanta. The Mets shouldn't have even bothered to get on the plane. They could have called Larry and just said "Sorry, Chip. We're not going to bother. Just take the four wins and we'll talk to you soon."

Something HAS to be done to shake this team up. Something HAS to be done to rattle the cage and say "THIS IS NOT F'ING ACCEPTABLE." Willie Randolph isn't the guy that's going to do that. But Joe Torre's never been that guy either. If this were '86, Hernandez would have called a closed door meeting and started throwing punches until everyone agreed that there would never be another series like this one. This is deplorable. I'm embarassed to be a Mets fan right now.

I was embarassed in September too, but not this bad. Because we're constantly reminded of September this year. EVERY announcer brings it up during every game. You can't open a New York newspaper and not see the words September and Collapse together. Thankfully, they also usually add Historic to make sure we don't forget exactly how bad it is.

The Yankees are in last place. I should be happy as a pig in shit. But the Mets are SO UNINSPIRED right now that I can't even gloat. Because unless someone starts kicking ass in that dugout, the Mets are headed for last place too.

Someone, anyone step up and be a leader.

Alou is on the DL AGAIN

From Mets.com: "The Mets placed left fielder Moises Alou on the 15-day disabled list before Thursday night's game with the Braves with a strained left calf.

"The Mets bought the Minor League contract of Raul Casanova to fill the roster spot. He will be used as a backup catcher and primarily in pinch-hit situations."

I really like Moises Alou. And I think the Alou family is one of the most respected family lines in baseball history. But maybe its time to look somewhere else for a solution in left field? Just throwing the idea out there. There's GOT to be someone out there that we can pick up who'll be able to play every day.

The Padres are hours away from a fire sale. Maybe they have someone to deal for next to nothing and cash? Uh, I just looked at their roster - that's a big No. There's got to be someone out there. Maybe give Angel Pagan and Endy Chavez a shot at platooning there. Having two four outfielders out there to fill in for Alou can't be too bad. Pagan's looked really good at times and Chavez is a premier fourth outfielder.

Fernando Martinez is a couple years away, so we can't push him. He's just not hitting enough in the minors to throw him into the Majors right now. He's hitting .280 with 3 HR and 16 RBI in Binghamton. That's not ready for the Majors.

Please Omar! Get on the horn and make something happen! Will the Sox take cash for Manny?

A Sad Day in Mets History; Mike Piazza Retires...

Check out the full story at SI.com...

Here's an excerpt from SI.com:

"Within the eight years I spent in New York, I was able to take a different look at the game of baseball," Piazza said. "I wasn't just a young kid that was wet behind the ears anymore -- I was learning from other veteran guys like Johnny Franco, who taught me how to deal with the pressures of playing in New York, and Al Leiter, who knew what it took to win a world championship." ...

"Last but certainly not least, I can't say goodbye without thanking the fans," Piazza said. "I can't recall a time in my career where I didn't feel embraced by all of you. Los Angeles, San Diego, Oakland and Miami -- whether it was at home or on the road, you were all so supportive over the years.

"But I have to say that my time with the Mets wouldn't have been the same without the greatest fans in the world. One of the hardest moments of my career, was walking off the field at Shea Stadium and saying goodbye. My relationship with you made my time in New York the happiest of my career and for that, I will always be grateful."

Getting Mike Piazza was the deal that made the Mets an actual ball club again. During those years in the '90s, we had kind of an awful team. '97 saw us break out a bit, but it was the acquisition of Mike Piazza in 1998 that put the Mets back on the map. He was the anchor that allowed Edgardo Alfonso, Rey Ordonez, and John Olerud shine. Piazza is how the Mets got to the Series in 2000. Piazza hit the home run to beat the Braves after 9/11. Mike Piazza made the Mets fashionable again. Current Mets like Carlos Delgado, Johan Santana, Carlos Beltran, probably wouldn't be playing here if not for Mike Piazza. We would not have the best-ever anti-Chant for Chipper Jones if not for Mike Piazza (Larry. LA-rry.)

Mike Piazza will always have a very special place in my heart. Right next to Rusty Staub as one of all-time favorites. I'm sorry to see his career come to an end. He's always been a classy guy and a great ballplayer. Now I just hope he decides to go into the hall as a Met. Seaver needs company, Mike!

Yankees, Schmankees! Rounds 1 and 2 go to the Mets!

So two big wins against the Yankees this weekend have me feeling pretty good.

I'd be lying if I said that Santana giving up three home runs on Saturday isn't a little disturbing. But history says that Santana will be at the top of the league in home runs allowed and still pitch like Santana. I've got to break myself of thinking that he's not pitching well. Before he became a Met, I saw him pitch twice. He's been a boon for the Mets since arriving and he's pitched a lot better at times than his 5-2 record.

Oliver Perez looking horrible to me last night, but all of his numbers were right where they should be. He allowed 3 hits, one the two-run homer by Matsui in 7 2/3 innings. That's a very good outing. I don't know why I'm so pessimistic with these pitchers, but I've got to break out of it!

But the big story of the weekend was that Jose Reyes seems to be on his way back. He's hitting homers which is a little worrisome, but when he was super-hot early last year he was hitting homers too. Hopefully this will get him back on track and playing like the Jose Reyes of old!

Everytime I see him play, I think Luis Castillo is going to have a break-out game with the bat. He's always so focused at the plate and he's swinging at his pitches, etc. He'll always take the first one, but whatever. He's the best with 2 strikes. He's got more left in the tank that this, doesn't he? He just seems like he can't slap the ball the way he always has. Maybe he's slowed up just enough that the pitches he used to be able to wait on left-handed and line into left field he's hitting for groundballs? I hope not. I really like Castillo and he should turn it around.

I think I've said it here before, but if not I'll say it again: Ryan Church has been fantastic since joining the Mets. This was a trade that I thought was just a get-rid-of-Milledge deal, but Church has proven to be the real thing. He's better than average in the outfield, he's hitting for a good average, decent power, great in the clutch, great in any part of the line-up, hitting lefties, righties, everybody! He's still going to strike out a little more than I want, but whatever. Everyone on the Diamondbacks strikes out a TON and they've still got the best record in baseball. Great trade by Omar. Unless Milledge turns out to be Manny Ramirez, it was a solid trade. And even if he does, its still a good trade. The Mets, Omar and Willie are in a "Get it done NOW" year. If you have to mortgage the long-term a little to get guys like Santana and Church, then the New York fans will get over it. Its not like trading Seaver for no one.

Is Beltran Back?

I'm trying not to get my hopes up. Carlos Beltran looked very good today against the Reds. He played very well in both games and most important - he was raking the ball. Its the kind of day that he needed in a big way to get back to the hitter he really is. But this big step forward might not bring him all the way back and I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

The Mets starting pitching has been better than expected so far this year (IMHO anyway). Perez has had issues and Pedro going down again didn't help. But Figueroa has pitched as well as any fill in starter. Pelfrey's 2-3 record is not as bad as it seems. Maine's throwing the ball well. Santana is Santana.

The Bullpen's been suspect to say the least and the offense has been mostly dreadful. I felt great about the offense putting up 12 in the first game, but then they only managed one in the second.

Come the end of the season, the National League East leaderboard could and probably will look very different. I don't think the Fish have enough to hang around. I think the Braves will make a push if the other teams let them. Play the Braves soft and the Phils and Mets are in trouble. In the end it should come down to the Mets and Phillies again. Hopefully, the Mets pull it together with enough time left to beat out the Phils this year.

John Maine is Our Salvation

After two games where the Mets couldn't get out of their own way in LA, leaving runners on base left and right, they finally started knocking a couple of those guys in and they had a decisive victory to end the series.

Tuesday night, the Mets struck out the final six times batters came up with runners in scoring position. Including the final out of the game where impossible-to-strike-out Luis Castillo struck out. The Mets were sinking, sinking sinking.

Wednesday out comes John Maine. John has always been the losing streak stopper for the Mets. When the Mets are in a big slide, Maine comes in and pitches a gem to get the team back on track. He did it at least 4 times that I know of last year - including the second to last day of the season. John Maine is one of the MOST clutch pitchers the Mets have ever had. When things were going bad for the Mets, you used to be able to count on Al Leiter to come in and pitch a quality start. Even if he didn't have his best stuff in those occasions, he'd gut it out and keep the team in the game. John Maine is that kind of pitcher, but BETTER. I can't praise John Maine enough.

Good to see the guys hitting today! Hopefully we can keep this going! Lets Go Mets!

Weekend Game Recap from Arizona

Moises Alou did indeed return on Friday night in the desert. He looked good. They originally gave him a hit in his first at bat but later changed it to an error on Orlando Hudson. I thought it was a cheap hit at the time. Hudson clearly could have fielded the ball but just muffed it. He hit the ball hard all weekend and final got his first hit on Sunday. He looked good in left field and seems relatively healthy right now. I really think he'll be a boon to the Mets lineup. They need something.

Wright's fighting his way out of whatever funk he was in. He had the homer Friday and another on Sunday. Reyes looked REALLY good on Friday. And Ryan Church continues to impress me. I don't know what the general feeling in Mets Nation is about Church, but I think he's been a really good pick up. He's providing more right now than Milledge is in Washington. He's hitting lefties and righties. He strikes out a bit, but not TOO much.

I had an argument at the game Sunday with one of my buddies about Mark Reynolds. Its an argument as old as baseball. I like to think of it as the Dave Kingman argument. Here you have a power hitter (Reynolds) who's struck out 43 times in 106 at bats (as of Sunday's game) and leads the team in RBI. My buddies argument: "You want this guy on your team because he hits for power and drives guys in. So what if he strikes out for every out. As long as he's driving guys in, who cares how they get him out." My argument (the correct side of the argument, BTW): "A guy that strikes out a lot (Kingman, Bobby Bonds, PrestonWilson, Reynolds) won't help your team in intangible situations. You can't move a runner to third with a strikeout. You can't be a truly tough out if the pitcher knows he can get you on strikes (with exceptions - Adam Dunn)." There's only so much that you can do when you strike out. If you make more productive outs, then you're furthering the team without producing numbers. The grounder behind the runner, the fly ball that a guy advances on, can't happen if you strike out. Also, how many times can you force an error on a strikeout? If you hit it hard at the second baseman and he boots it (as Alou did in my previous comments) then your team has a chance to score on the error.

It seems VERY obvious to me that you would rather have a guy that strikes out less and hits as hard but with situations in mind (David Wright) than a guy that might hit 5 to 10 more homers and strike out 200 times (Reynolds).

Mark Reynolds 43 K's in 106 AB's projects to 215 strikeouts in 500 AB's. That would be the record plus 30. He's got the potential to do it. By comparison (and its not a fair comparison because one of these guys was a first ballot hall of famer, but it illustrates the difference nicely), Joe DiMaggio struck out 369 times in his CAREER. Never as many as 40 times in a season and Reynolds surpassed that in a month. He's got 173 K's in 480 AB's in his career. Yikes!!