Mets vs Red Sox in 2008?

Totally off-topic...

2008-07-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't written for a while, but since I stopped the Mets have played well. So I'm going to post something TOTALLY off-topic instead.

Enjoy this video of Jimi Hendrix playing Red House at Woodstock.

Billy, WTF?!!?

2008-06-12T13:48:00.000-07:00

Can someone please tell me what the fuck is wrong with Billy Wagner? He was the best closer in baseball a month ago, now he can't hold up a two run lead today and a three run lead yesterday.

Billy called out other guys a month ago for not pulling their weight. Well, I think somebody needs to call Billy out now.

This team is pathetic. It sickens me to watch but I can't look away.

Pedro's Back

2008-06-03T23:15:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't written as much here as I planned to. I'm sorry for that. Basically, its because there's been increasingly less things to love about the Mets. They went through a stretch where they were god awful. Now they're in a run where they're playing fairly well. A horrible outing by Oliver Perez on Monday notwithstanding, the Amazins are started to look like a contender again. There's still a long way to go, but at least they're back on the right track.

A keep piece to getting back on that track may have come home tonight. Pedro Martinez pitched very well considering its his first game back from injury, only his second start of the season, and his father's deteriorating health. Willie probably left Pedro out there an inning too long, but he escaped unscathed. Pedro's pitches had great movement. He really seemed to be hitting his spots overall. He seemed confident and healthy. These are all excellent signs.

I am currently taking bets though as to whether or not he suffers another injury by the All Star Break.

Mets Lose Four Straight in Atlanta

2008-05-23T10:28:00.001-07:00

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

2008-05-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-05-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-05-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-05-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

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!!

Alou looks like he'll be back when the Mets hit the Valley of the Sun

2008-04-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

So Moises Alou had his MRI yesterday on the ankle that turned bum at the end of his rehab and it turned out negative. So it looks like he'll be back soon. Possibly for this weekend's series here in lovely Arizona. I can't wait for the Mets to come into town. I've already got tickets to all three games.

Alou should give the Mets a nice little shot in the arm when he returns, but I stand by my recommendation in yesterday's posting: if you can get Xavier Nady for a decent price, do it.

Nady liked playing in New York, put up very good numbers here, and he's the kind of guy who fits into the roll we tried to fill with Brady Clark. Now, the only problem with bringing Nady in is that he would want to start. It would be hard to start Nady over a healthy Alou - Alou's bat still has more in it on an average day than Nady's. But if Nady would accept a backup/platoon role and maybe learn to play first base, it would be a tremendous help for the Mets.

In other news: Every time I think David Wright has broken out of this funk he falls down again. Last night's game winning single in the bottom of the eleventh might do something to wake him up. With Wright struggling, Beltran not at his best, and Delgado trying to remember how to hit, the Mets line up does not look as formidable as it once did. Now, all three of these guys should get right at some point this season - certainly Wright and Beltran will - but will they all do it at the same time?

Maybe visiting Arizona is the answer.

In the last three seasons, the Mets are 11-1 when playing at Bank One Ballpark/Chase Field. They've outscored the DBacks 97-28 in that time span and I've seen every one of these games in person save one in '06.

But this year its a little different. This year when the Mets come to town the DBacks will own the best record in baseball. They will boast one of the best pitching staffs in the league and one of the highest scoring offenses.

Personally, I predicted that the Diamondbacks would win 100 games this year. I think the National League West is a little overrated. I think the DBacks match up well against LA and San Diego. The Giants are the laughing stock of the league (having recently sent Zito to the bullpen). The only problem they really face is the Rockies.

The DBacks will have/have had trouble with the Rockies this year because they are very similar teams. Young players, good pitchers, solid to great defensive teams with strong futures ahead of them. The DBacks and Rockies could become a minor Red Sox/Yankees tandem here in the NL West if they keep their core players in tack. The rivalry won't have the history of Sox/Yanks, but they could dominate the division the way the Sox and Yanks have in the last decade. It should be a lot of fun to watch.

So if history holds sway over the current state of baseball, then the Mets can get back on their feet here in the desert. If not, they're in for a long weekend. Looks like: Micah Owings (who is SO fun to watch) against Maine, Webb vs. Pelfrey and Haren vs. Figueroa. Although my buddy swears its Santana/Haren on Sunday. I think it would have been if not for the rainout. Apparently they were talking about the Santana/Haren matchup yesterday on ESPN Radio. I don't see how the rotation winds up that way though. Maybe they didn't expect Santana to pitch last night? I don't know.

Alou is Hurt AGAIN and Nady's on the Trading Block

2008-04-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

According to SI.com, Moises Alou's ankle is going to get an MRI today to see how bad he's hurt.

In a seemingly unrelated story, Xavier Nady is on the Pirates trading block.

How do we join these two stories, Omar? Make it happen! The thing that might keep this deal from happening is the mediocre talent the Mets have in the minors. Its hard to ship off prospects that you have to pretend are good and our prospects that ARE good we want to keep. Unless you can move one of our relievers (and they've all struggled this year) for Nady, I don't see it happening. But Omar's a creative GM. He'll find a way.

Stupid Fox Game of the Week

2008-04-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

The Fox Game of the Week blacks out my MLB Extra Innings package, which is BS, so I missed the Mets game vs. the Braves today. Apparently they won and Maine pitched well.

The Mets need John Maine in a big way this year, especially with Pedro hurting again. Oliver Perez is basically a .500 pitcher right now. Until he gets the consistency he needs, he's going to be amazing some days and piss poor the others. As good as he's looked at times this year, his last start against the Nats he was not so good. So John Maine has to step in and be the number 2 behind Santana and number 2 pitchers win games.

Hopefully this good start gets Maine back on track to where he was the beginning of last year. Oh, and its great to see that Wright broke out of his funk.

More on Aaron Heilmann...

2008-04-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

So people might think that what Heilmann did last night was what I was trying to point out. But its not. See last night Heilmann gave up a grand slam to a last place team. A team currently ranked 29th out of 30 in the SI Power Rankings. That's not the same at all.

Last night Heilmann made a bad pitch to a decent hitter and he clubbed it. I thought Milledge had a great at bat against Heilmann, laying off all but one change up in the dirt. Lopez put a good swing on a mediocre pitch and beat the Mets. Its upsetting, but these things will happen.

What I was trying to point out with my last post was a statistical anomaly that indicated Heilmann has trouble in a very specific situation. It was pointed out to me that I mentioned 15 situations out of 167 or so that Heilmann was in in 2006-2008. Yes, I agree. Its a small sample size, but its the only sample we've got. It was a very specific situation - as specific as say, hitting with 2 outs and a runner on second against a left-hander.

My point was that there are situations where Heilmann excels - tie games (last night was the exception), up by one, close games late - and some where maybe not so good (down by one late).

Anyway, taking one of two against a Nationals team that's reeling right now isn't going to help the Mets get ready for the Braves. Its very early in the season - still April in fact - but we've spent the whole month inside our division and have basically a .500 record to show for it. We need to get hitting boys! Pagan is doing great filling in. Church has looked good against righties and lefties. I've really been impressed. Wright was hot till they got to DC. Reyes and Wright sleepwalked through this short Nationals series. We need to get moving! Wake up guys! Wake up bats! And somebody figure out what to do with Delgado.

A little know stat about Aaron Heilmann...

2008-04-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

So tonight, Aaron Heilmann came in with a one run deficit and for the third time this season turned it into a 3 run deficit.

I'm not going to say that Heilmann is bad. I'm not going to tell the Mets to trade him. That would be stupid. Aaron Heilmann is VERY GOOD in tie game situations. He's better than most closers in one run LEAD situations, but when your team (the Mets) is down by one, call in someone other than Heilmann.

I decided to look over the last two seasons. Heilmann has come into a game where the Mets were down by one 15 times since the start of the 2006 season. In 8 of those instances, he held the deficit to one. In the other 7 instances, he's added two runs to the opposing team's score. And its always two runs. Its eerie.

Thanks to Retrosheet.org by the way. Check this out:

5/23/06 - came in Phillies 6, Mets 5, left Phillies 8, Mets 5
7/23/06 - came in Astros 5, Mets 4 left Astros 5, Mets 4
8/22/06 - came in St. Louis 7, Mets 6, left with the same score
8/25/06 - came in Phillies 4, Mets 3, left with Phillies 4, Mets 3
9/22/06 - came in Nationals 3, Mets 2 and held it there
So he finished 2006 - 4 holds and 1 loss in the down 1 situation

5/1/07 - came in Marlins 3, Mets 2, left Marlins 5, Mets 2
5/3/07 - came in DBacks 4, Mets 3, left DBacks 4, Mets 3
7/1/07 - came in Phillies 3, Mets 2, left Phillies 5, Mets 2
7/28/07 - replaced Feliciano with score Nats 4, Mets 3 with runners 1st and 2nd, left Nats 6, Mets 3
8/21/07 - came in San Diego 5, Mets 4, left with the same score
9/20/07 - faced the Marlins 4, Mets 3, left with the same
9/26/07 - came in Nats 7, Mets 6, left with the same
He finished 2007 - 4 holds, 3 losses

That makes him 8 and 4 coming into this year.

4/6/08 - at Atlanta. Came in down 1-0, gave up the two run homer to Teixiera
4/8/08 - last home opener at Shea, despite Schoenweiss' best efforts the Mets are only down by one to the Phillies, 3 to 2. Walk, Bunt, Single, Walk, Double, and Heilmann turns that into a 5-2 deficit.
4/21/08 - tonight. He gives up a tough error to Lee, hits Ramirez, fights with Fukodome and losses (but fought him hard), gets DeRosa, gets Soto, and has Cedeno on the ropes when he gives up the base hit and they're down by two.

So he winds up 8 and 7.

Again, I'm not saying that Heilmann is bad. I'm saying get rid of him. I'm just saying: Maybe rethink using him down by 1.

Pedro's Down; Wright and Beltran are starting Hot...

2008-04-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

So by now we've all seen it. Pedro was getting hit, he looks like he tries to be too fine on a pitch and he comes away from it grabbing his butt and leg. Well, he'll be out a couple weeks at least (I assume), and now we're looking at El Duque and Pelfrey in the rotation. There's some chatter about Claudio Vargas. I got to watch Claudio a lot over the years and especially during his time in Arizona. He's a solid pitcher but nothing special. If when El Duque comes back, he's anything like he was most of last year, I say go with Duque. But that's still a ways off. So for the first couple weeks, most teams don't need a fifth starter. The Mets though don't have a lot of off days to start the season.

I guess we'll see. There's nothing more we can do that wait and see.

The way the rotation is shaking out, it looks like it might be Oliver Perez for the home opener. I wouldn't mind that at all. I've never seen Oliver Perez live and in person. That should be fun. I guess it depends on how they treat Pedro's spot in the rotation. I don't imagine that they'd start their stop-gap starting pitcher solution for the home opener. I suppose you could pitch Santana on extra rest, but I don't think you want to screw with his rhythm. Again, I guess we'll see.

I actually just read something that suggested Jorge Sosa for the open spot in the rotation. Sosa did an excellent job as a fill in last year. I don't see any reason why they shouldn't use him. I don't think he's got the stuff - he throws 90% sliders - for an extended stay in the rotation. But that slider is good enough to get him through most line-ups twice or three times. Sosa out there for 5 or 6 innings should be a good sight better than a lot of other options.

How about David Wright and Carlos Beltran to start this season? Crazy hot. Wright was a MACHINE tonight and Beltran wasn't far behind. Wright hit the homer and so did Beltran but the umps took it away from him. It was clearly over the wall on the replay, but whatever.

Hooray for baseball!

THE SEASON IS HERE!

2008-04-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, baby. Here we are. The Major League Baseball season has officially started. The Saux started the season by splitting their series with the A's in Japan. Johan Santana made his first start as a Met yesterday and he looked pretty darn good. Sure, it was against the AAA Marlins, but still, he looked good.

It was good to see Angel Pagan getting it working yesterday too. Who would have thought that our Opening Day roster would include Angel Pagan and Brady Clark? That seems ridiculous to me. I'm kind of upset we let Ruben Gotay slip away, as I think he was an adequate backup. I'm guessing the Mets tried to get him to clear waivers, but Atlanta stole him away. Don't get me wrong, I'm not crying myself to sleep at night, but he's better than some of our other back up options.

It just seems weird to me that they'd play game with Gotay but leave someone like Brady Clark who was a minor league invitee on the 25 man roster.

Anyway, the season's started and now I get to update this blog a LOT more often. Can't wait. Let's Go Mets!!

Spring Training's Almost Over - Bring on the Season

2008-03-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

Boston and Oakland open the season tomorrow night!! Bring it on.

Yesterday my wife and I spent the day watching the Diamondbacks and Brewers at beautiful Maryvale Park in Phoenix. We managed to get 2nd row seats behind home plate for $20 each the day before the game. Nice. We had a great time.

I was surprised by how thin Eric Byrnes was and how BIG Chris Snyder is. I knew Snyder was big, but he was rather large. Made Prince Fielder look positively small.

Funniest Picture EVER

2008-03-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

I don't know HOW I avoided this picture till today, but I guess I did.

God Bless Children. So innocent. So Pure. So Wise beyond their years.

Fernando Martinez the "Anti-Milledge"

2008-03-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

Walter Villa over at SI.com wrote a great piece on Fernando Martinez. You can check it out at this link.

I REALLY hope Martinez pans out to be half the prospect the Mets are predicting. Its been a LONG time - like since Darryl Strawberry - since the Mets had a big time outfield prospect that really panned out.

Think of the clunkers we thought we going to be huge: Jay Payton, Alex Escobar, Roger Cedeno... It would be really nice to have a homegrown outfielder with big talent.

I hate to say it, but the Yankees built those great late nineties teams on a homegrown core (Jeter, Posada, Bernie Williams, Pettite, Rivera) and a few quality free-agents (David Wells, Paul O'Neill, David Justice). I feel like the Mets are almost to that same stage. Wright & Reyes are a great home-grown start. In Pelfrey, Joe Smith, and Fernando Martinez pan out, that will give us a base like the Yanks had in '96. You add quality free agents with a good number of years left in 'em (Beltran, Delgado, Santana, Oliver Perez) and the Mets could be as dominant as those Yankees teams.

That's a lot of "ifs", but as all Mets fans, I'm hopefully pessimistic. Inwardly, I always think THIS is the year. Outwardly, I tell everyone that we'll lose. That's our culture! Hopeful pessimism or Cautious Optimism.

Walking Wounded...

2008-03-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

So the Mets are hurting. Literally.

Delgado is back in New York working on his hip. Ryan Church has a concussion. Also injured: Luis Castillo, Carlos Beltran, Orlando Hernandez, and (surprise surprise) Moises Alou.

I like Moises Alou. I thought it was a great idea when they signed him last off-season. I think this is a guy who can produce at a high level for the team. He just won't stay healthy.

My buddy Russ complained to high heaven when they signed Alou. "He's always hurt, he's too old." "Yeah but when he plays he hits well and he's fairly clutch." I'm starting to come over to his way of thinking. It's upsetting. But I don't know that Alou's body can hold up for another season.

If Fernando Martinez was a little further along in his development, I wouldn't be as concerned. But by Baseball America's estimation, Martinez won't be up till 2010. I've heard estimates as close as July 08. Everytime I look at a spring box score he's gotten a hit and scored. I haven't gotten to SEE him play though. I don't know how to judge his readiness.

There's a rumor about the Mets trying to get Marcus Thames. I think it would be a fabulous pick up, but I don't think we've got enough pieces to get him. Is there anyone on the free agent market to fit the Right-Hand Hitting, First Base Backup/5th Outfielder mold we need? I don't think so. If it was 3 years ago, I'd say Kevin Millar. But whatever that guy had I think he's lost by now.

There's nothing we can do but wait, I guess...

Rollins Reply and Wilpon Predicts "Deep" Playoff Run

2008-02-21T08:05:00.000-08:00

From SI.com,

"Has anyone ever heard of plagiarism?" Rollins said, breaking into a laugh.

The NL MVP treated Beltran's in-your-face message that the New York Mets are the team to beat in the NL East like a take-out slide at second base.

He eluded it nicely, but mixed in a jab the way some middle infielders purposely land on a hard-charging runner at second base.

"Sequels are never good," Rollins said, crediting teammate Brett Myers with that statement first.

Also from SI.com,

"I expect to be in the playoffs and deep into the playoffs," Wilpon said Tuesday at the Mets' spring training complex. "That's our expectation."

The mild-mannered Beltran said earlier this spring that the Mets were the team to beat in the NL East -- similar to the bold statement Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins made last year.

"I like it when players speak their mind," Wilpon said. "Beltran's not the kind of guy that's out there every day making proclamations. It's very meaningful when Carlos Beltran says something like that."

Ready for 2008? The Mets are. And they're already bragging!

2008-02-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

So after the biggest collapse in team sports history to end a season, mild-mannered Carlos Beltran starts talking trash in February. Pitchers and catchers had barely reported to Spring Training and Beltran - BELTRAN, the guy who barely says anything to the media - calls out Jimmy Rollins and says the Mets are the team to beat in the NL East in 2008.

While they have a potent offense returning and have done well to pick up Johan Santana, there is no reason to bring criticism upon yourself so early in a season. If Beltran comes out and backs up his statement the way Rollins did (who undeserving got the MVP over Holliday, but he was a solid #2 IMHO), then that's okay. But all you're doing at this point is getting the reigning NL East winners mad and begging for a fight all season.

ALTHOUGH, this is exactly the kind of swagger the Mets walked around with from 1985 to 1988 and I think we all remember those years. I could see Keith Hernandez making similar predictions were he still on this team.

Santana was a big pick up. I feel like we traded the whole farm to get him, but there wasn't that much down on the farm to begin with. With the exception of Fernando Martinez, I don't think the Mets have a prospect in the top 100. If Martinez pans out though, look out!

I feel good about 2008. You know the Red Sox are going to be there again. As always its the Mets I'm wondering about...

So I was HALF right...

2007-10-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

As my brother-in-law is sure to point out, the Red Sox managed to hold up their end of my bold prediction (and then some). It's just my Mets that spoiled it all.

Congratulations to the Saux. Enjoy another year as World Champions. We'll just have to try it all over again next year!

So much regret...

2007-10-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

With the end of the Mets season - with the UNBELIEVABLE COLLAPSE to end the Mets season - this blog was rendered moot. Obviously, with the Mets missing the playoffs (due in part to a Tom Glavine meltdown) there can be no rematch of the Mets and Red Sox in the fall classic this season.

A lot of my fellow Mets fans are quick to jump on Glavine for the final loss of the season. That's to be expected. Yes, it was a big game and Mets had to win it. They needed Glavine to step up and take charge the way John Maine (who's definitely the ace of the staff at this point) did on Saturday. But we fans are quick to forget that if the Mets had won any of a SLEW of winnable games that Glavine's meltdown would have meant nothing.

The Mets failed to sweep in Cinncinati and Pittsburgh. No offense to those franchise's fans, but those are two awful teams. Come out of those towns with a sweep and the Phillies are playing golf right now. Even more recently, the Mets lost one in Florida after coming back late because Jorge Sosa let up 3 runs and inexplicably stayed in the game to pitch the 10th where be promptly gave up one more.

There's a feeling in baseball that "it's only April". Well those games count the same as all the others. You've got to win as many games as you can, whenever you can. You can't sit back and say "we'll lose a bunch in April and May and have a fantastic July and August". You can see how well that's worked for the A's in recent history. If that theory worked, Barry Zito would have a handful of rings instead of a big paycheck and no hope in San Fran.

Well, nothing to do now but root for the Sox and wait till next year...

Apologies from the Mets...

2007-10-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

"Dear Mets Fan:

"All of us at the Mets are bitterly disappointed in failing to achieve our collective goal of building upon last year's success. We did not meet our organization's expectations -- or yours.

"Everyone at Shea feels the same range of emotions as you -- our loyal fans -- and we know we have let you down. We wanted to thank you for your record-breaking support of our team this year.

"Equally important, Ownership will continue its commitment in providing the resources necessary to field a championship team. Omar will be meeting with Ownership shortly to present his plan on addressing our shortcomings so that we can achieve our goal of winning championships in 2008 and beyond.

"You deserve better results."

Let's Talk about Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron...

2007-08-07T11:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, I believe that Barry Bonds cheated.

Yes, I believe that Barry Bonds continues to cheat.

Yes, I think it's unfair that Barry Bonds will become the all time home run king.

He'll be taking the title away from a man that may have had it harder than Jackie Robinson in baseball. A man who went out and played everyday in Southern states that were incredibly racist. Played minor league ball in Georgia and Alabama and other states where black men and women were being scared, intimidated, and murdered on a daily basis. But he went in front of all of them and played baseball. Then he showed up everyday and played in front of crowds that were just starting to feel good about integration in baseball.

And Hank Aaron played.

He played everyday, every year, and always produced the same way. Hank never hit 50 homers in a season. Hank never cracked 73 under dubious circumstances. Hank just showed up every day and quietly did what he was being paid to do. And he did it very well.

After hearing everything I've heard about the man Aaron was and is, its very hard to imagine mentioning him and Barry Bonds in the same sentence. Certainly not outside of baseball. Aaron was generous with his time and cared for the communities he lived in. Aaron didn't ask to be a civil rights leader, but when it was thrust upon him he didn't shy away.

Hank Aaron is man of integrity and grace on the field and off.

Listen to Dusty Baker talk about Hank Aaron sometime. Dusty played with Hank for some time. Knew him as probably the greatest all around player ever. Knew him as a man with a wife and children.

Dusty Baker also knows Barry Bonds.

Barry Bonds is a petulent child who claims that he hasn't done anything wrong. He's short with the media. He's short with his critics. He's an arrogant piece of trash that feels like he deserves everything he's gotten because of who he is and what he can do.

But Barry Bonds deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

I mean that honestly. Barry Bonds deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Mostly because of what he did BEFORE he started taking performance enhancers. He still would have been the only player ever with 500 homers and 500 steals. He still would have been one of the 10 best of his generation. And for that he deserves to be recognized. We can't take away any of Barry's numbers, because we don't know what he would have done in those same situations WITHOUT steroids or HGH. Maybe he would have still hit 73 home runs. Maybe he still would have gotten to 755 and beyond. We don't know, so we can't presume to wipe him from the record books.

But what we can do is make sure that no baseball fan ever forgets what Barry - and so many others - did. For the longest time, I believed in Mark McQwire's innocence. Why? Because I grew up watching the guy. He was my cousin's favorite player when he first came up. He was a great ballplayer and I idolized him. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Then he refused to speak out in front of Congress and I knew. I knew he did it and it disappointed me. We're willing to believe the worst out of Barry without the benefit of doubt because he's been a jackass throughout his career.

Our game is reeling in the wake of steroids. What we need in the game now more than ever is Hank Aaron. Someone who embodies everything we love in baseball and someone with a strong enough character to stand up to the challenge and the scrutiny and come out on the other side unscathed.

Baseball needs a new Hank Aaron.

Have you seen this?

2007-08-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

I love the internet...

The Sweetest Words a Mets Fan Could Hear...

2007-08-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

From FoxSports.com and the AP...

"Clemens was booed off the mound after allowing eight runs and nine hits in 1 2/3 innings. Garland gave up eight runs and nine hits in 1 1/3 innings."

Yes! Yankees suck! Yankees suck!

Read the whole article at: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7084076

Playing Better, But You've GOT to Sweep the Pirates

2007-07-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

So my Mets have been playing a little better as of late. They were very shaky coming off the All Star break, but they look better now.

They played well in San Diego (I saw them lose to David Wells from the bleachers at Petco - nice stadium but those seats stink) and in LA (I saw them beat Roberto Hernandez late in the game thanks to Beltran - also from the bleachers, much nicer seats than at Petco. Dodger Stadium is impressive.).

When you've got a chance to play a team like the Pirates though, you've gotta sweep 'em. I know the Pirates are getting better, but they're still the Pirates. Come on.

Great news that Glavine's at 299! I've got my DVR set for #300 on Tuesday. Hopefully all goes well. John Kruk and the boys on Baseball Tonight hypothesized what a great day it would be in Glavine got 300, ARod 500 and Barry 756 all on Tuesday. I don't agree. I would rather have Glavine get his 300th on a very slow day so it gets the most coverage possible. Glavine has been such a steady pitcher his whole career that he deserves all the attention he can get.

What I would like to see is Glavine pitch a complete game on Tuesday for a 4-0 shutout to cap off his 300th win in style. I would also like to see ARod admit what a dirty player he's become (swatting the ball out of Arroyo's hand, yelling at the 3rd Baseman on a pop up, etc. - only since he's been a Yankee, BTW) and I would LOVE to see Barry break both legs and not be able to play another game.

Barry Bonds was one of the top 15 players in baseball when he started taking steroids. Why bother? It doesn't make any sense to me. Now instead of being a venerated player who finished his career with 540 homers or so and still be the only guy headed to the hall with 500 homers and 500 steals, he's tainted his entire career. What a waste. I've never really liked the guy, but now he's a punchline. He's an asterisk. He's a glowing symbol for the entire steroid era. What a wonderful thing to be remembered for.

Idiot.

Feelings at the All Star Break...

2007-07-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, I haven't posted in a while.

So the All Star Break is here and my Mets are still in first. Boston's on cruise control. I barely even check in with them anymore. If they don't get to the World Series, I'll be shocked. The way they're playing, they might make it to the Super Bowl too. They're basically unstoppable. The only way you beat Boston is to let them beat themselves. Actually, the best way to beat Boston is to walk everyone but Julio Lugo and let him ground into double plays. That's basically your best plan.

My Mets are a little shakier.

I could see the Mets losing this division. Not because the other teams are THAT good. Atlanta needs to spend some money and remove some older talent before they'll be really good again. The Phillies are winning and still don't like their manager, so it's only a matter of time before they fall apart. The Mets might lose this division because they think they'll win the division. That sounds stupid, and it kind of is, but my point is that the Mets have been sitting back assuming the division is their's for the taking. You can see it in the way they play.

This weekend, they dropped 2 of 4 to an Astros team that can just barely see daylight. CoolStandings.com gives the Astros a .2% chance of making the playoffs and the Mets (who's playoff chances are listed as 80%) lost two games to them and it very easily could have 3.

They need to start playing like a team that needs to win games before they become a team that needs to win games!

All Star Selections...

2007-07-01T23:39:00.001-07:00

Reyes, Wright and Beltran are all heading to the All Star game as starters, as expected and Billy Wagner will be in the pen. I thought it was a little bit of a snub sending Cole Hamels to the All Star game and not John Maine after the way they've both pitched. The more I think about it though, the more I think that Maine didn't deserve to go. He had those three bad starts in a row (right while everyone was voting) and Hamels has scattered his.

The biggest snub I see in the National League is Eric Byrnes. Byrnes is one of the hardest players in the game and he's been great for Arizona this year. He's hitting in the top 5 in average & RBI for outfielders. He's in the top ten for outfielders in steals, runs and homers. He's hit first and fourth for the DBacks. He plays great defense. I mean, I don't know how much better he'd have to do to be considered for the All Star team. Byrnes numbers compare very favorably to who most consider the big snub, Jimmy Rollins. Byrnes is hitting several points higher with 1 more home runs and a couple RBIs. Defensively I'd put them on a par at their positions.

For the most part, I think the voting was dead on. Barry kind of has to go and its nice that he was voted to start. I've cooled slightly towards Barry because I've come to the realization that whenever he breaks Aaron's record, ARod will eventually break Bonds' record and Pujols will break ARod's record and so on. Home runs are more a part of the game now that ever. It's the only way some of these guys get on SportsCenter and for a lot of major leaguers, that's how they judge their careers!

There's been some question as to whether Manny was deserving of getting in as a reserve. I agree that its a same Orlando Cabrera didn't get into the game. This year, Manny probably didn't deserve to go, but the All Star game - whether its the fans or the players voting - is a popularity contest. If anyone had actually seen Cabrera play this year, the voting might have been different. Have you watched an Angels game yet this season? Me neither. Players watch SportsCenter too and if we don't see you, they don't see you. Cabrera deserved to go and its a shame. Think of all the players that deserved to go when Torre selected nothing but Yankees for the bench in 2000.

The End of the Streak

2007-06-26T23:16:00.000-07:00

So the Mets fell to the Cardinals in extras after Scott Schoenweiss (who's signed for 2 more years after this one) continued his so-so pitching by allowing the 1st homerun of Brendan Ryan's career. Sure, Ryan only had 3 hits before the homerun and he only hit 6 homers in his 3 years in the minors, but that's no reason to be upset with Schoenweiss. (Can you feel the sarcasm?)

Valentin's error in the 11th let the Cards tack on another and the Mets lost 5-3. Valentin was Sunday's hero, hitting a 3 run homer to put the game away against the A's. He was also tonight's 9th inning hero when he drove in Green with the tying run. But both of Valentin's errors on this Tuesday night cost the Mets a run which cost them the game.

Valentin's going to catch a lot more than he drops and I definitely see him as the Mets second baseman for the forseeable future, it was just hard to watch them drop a game that they should have had.

Well, for the Mets, there's always tomorrow. They'll face those same Cards again on Wednesday and Thursday. Hopefully, with better results!

Getting back on Track...

2007-06-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

Sweeping the A's is a BIG step in the right direction. The A's are a good team playing in a tough division and a playoff team from last year. The Mets finally put together a good series against a good team. They haven't done that since May.

It has really upset me to watch the Mets look as bad as my golf game.

Seeing the hits Beltran has over the weekend makes me look forward to the next couple weeks. If he's on a hot streak, we'll be okay.

Now if only we could get Delgado going...

BTW, how about Shawn Green this weekend? Green was very hot this season before breaking his foot. He was a little cold after coming back, but he looks like he's getting back to where he was before the DL. Shawn Green could be a great pick up for the Mets. Even if he never gets back to that real power hitter form he once had, if he keeps hitting the ball hard in the 7 spot and getting doubles, the Mets and their fans should be very satisfied. He's the kind of guy that opposing pitches might feel relieved to face. After getting through Reyes, Beltran, Delgado and Wright, you might think "Thank God it's only Shawn Green." But Green can still hurt you with the homer or a well placed double.

Lets Go Mets. Next up: My boss' St Louis Cardinals. Good luck Cards. The Mets are turning it back on!

Tom Glavine is my hero.

2007-06-22T23:03:00.000-07:00

Glavine pitched an absolutely heroic game tonight and seemed to have a lot of fun doing it.

Glavine was all smiles after being tagged out at home where he busted it from first on a Jose Reyes triple. He was all smiles while leaving the mound to a standing ovation when Randolph pulled him after a first pitch single to Eric Chavez in the top of the ninth. 5 K's, 2 walks and one bad pitch to Shannon Stewart. Glavine was positively brilliant.

Carlos Beltran had 2 hits and 3 RBI. Delgado had 2 hits and an RBI. But Shawn Green had a great night with a homer, a double, and 3 RBI's of his own.

This is the Mets team we've been waiting for. This is the team that opened the Minnesota series by winning decisively 8 to 1. This is the team that faced a tough pitcher after a laugher and collapsed on Tuesday against Johann Santana. The task tomorrow is slightly easier with Joe Blanton instead of Santana, but Blanton's no push over.

It's this SECOND game of the series that the Mets have struggled with and wound up losing the whole series because of it. Perez pitched brilliantly on Friday besting Clemens at Yankee Stadium, but then they were promptly manhandled the next two games. Maine pitched very well on Tuesday to beat the Twins, but the Mets lost the next two 9-1 and 6-2.

Tonight they were energetic, happy and hitting.

But what will they be like tomorrow?

They need to put two or more of these types of wins together, in a row, before we can really look at them as the class of the National League again. I know they can do it. They've just got to DO it!

Marty Noble says it all...

2007-06-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

"The losing has reached unfathomable proportions, and solutions -- timely hits, quality starts and reliable relief -- are in short supply. Exasperation is not."

What can I say?

Mets Break Out for 8 Runs and Possible Break Out of Their Slump

2007-06-18T22:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been wrong before and I'm sure I'll be wrong again, but I've got to think that the Mets putting up 8 against the Twins tonight has got to do something to break them out of this funk.

Big notes of the night: Carlos Delgado 2 for 4 with a homer. Carlos Beltran only 1 for 5 with a double and 1 RBI, but he hit the ball hard 4 of 5 times tonight. Wright continued to be hot going 3 for 5 with 2 doubles and just missing a home run.

The only thing that kept Delgado from being 3 for 4 with 3 RBI's was a RIDICULOUS play by Kubel. He made it from his starting position against Delgado in Left-Center all the way to the left field line and made an excellent diving, rolling play to rob Delgado of at least two. We're going to see that play on highlight reels the rest of the season. That was a fantastic play.

If not for the stellar defense of the Twins (Castillo and Cuddyer made outstanding plays in the same inning as Kubel), the Mets would have had a lot more runs.

The same could not be said for the Twins. If not for a bloop double for Cuddyer off Feliciano, the Twins would have been shut out.

John Maine pitched a terrific game, going 7 1/3 and allowing only 4 singles. He was charged for the run allowed by Feliciano, but Maine was superb. Really a very sharp outing. He was changing speed very well. It looked to me like he wasn't hitting all of his spots, but when the ball got to the plate the bats missed it.

This team is poised to break out - BUT they have to get through one of - if not the best - left handers in the game tomorrow in Johann Santana. Santana proved hittable this year, but the Mets have been bad against lefties lately (think Hon Chi Kuo - or however you spell it) and Santana's tough even in down years.

Whether or not the Mets bounce back tomorrow to beat a very tough pitcher is up to them. I'm pulling for them, but I would happily settle for a loss tomorrow and a win on Wednesday.

Mets and Red Sox Status

2007-06-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

Well the Sox are holding up their end of this prediction. They manhandled a Giants team that my Mets had some trouble with a couple weeks ago. Manny's hot right now, Ortiz is cooled but he'll come back, and Kevin Youkilis has been nothing but solid. The Yankees are making their push, but as long as Boston keeps playing they way they have, the Yanks can't catch them.

The Mets on the other hand...

The Mets have been sucking hard for weeks now. I thought the brilliant game Perez pitched against Clemens on Friday would be enough to break this team out of their funk, but I was sorely mistaken.

They lost by a lot of runs in the last two games of the series.

Yeah, they split the season series with the Yanks, but they should have been able to sweep this team. I know it sounds very Monday-Morning-Quarterback like, but I don't know that I would have pitched Duque against the Yankees. He can't beat them. I think I might have angled the rotation differently. But then what does that do to Duque's confidence? Who knows.

At this point, they need to start playing like the team that's in first place in NL East and not like the team that's lost 11 of their last 13 or whatever the dreadful stat is.

I Need them to WIN and SOON!

2007-06-14T10:11:00.001-07:00

You know how people say they "live and die" with a team and it sounds like an exaggeration? Well I've noticed that since the Mets started this slide of theirs that I have not been as happy and carefree as I normally am.

I'm a pretty easy going guy normally. I like my life and I enjoy myself. I'm married to a beautiful woman who loves me unconditionally. I have a great job that I really like. I don't have a lot to really worry about.

But I have been irritable and moody and generally kind of a bitch since the Mets started losing. It really is kind of scary. I walk around all day in this kind of malaise. I'm a couple more loses away from being clinically depressed.

So please, win a freaking game or two guys. Something that will make me stop thinking about the fact that you didn't even show up for the series in LA. Please.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

2007-06-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

The Mets are losing for what feels like the 30th day in a row. They continue to lose games they had a lead in. The Mets managed a run in the second and refused to score another all night. I've had to listen to Vin Scully talk about the 3 home runs the Dodgers hit off Maine about a dozen times. Its infuriating. I think its about time for a closed door meeting. In fact, I think its well past time.

And who the f*ck does Hon Chi Kuo think he is flipping his bat? It's his first home run of his career and according to baseball-reference.com, the second f'ong hit of his career. The SECOND HIT. Who do you think you are flipping the bat? If it was 20 years ago you would have caught the next pitch you saw in your eye. But I guess baseball has changed. I didn't think Randolph would stand for that bush league b.s., but I guess I'm wrong again.

They still have two more at bats, but the Mets have given up on this one. They deserve to lose. Until they get mad and start hitting again, they don't deserve it. Why doesn't someone in that dugout get pissed and start kicking ass?! Get Hernandez out of the booth and send him down to that clubhouse to push some people around.

And what the hell happened to John Maine his last 4 starts????

Problems continue in Detroit...

2007-06-10T23:24:00.001-07:00

I didn't expect the Mets to get healthy in Detroit, they're a very good team in what is clearly the best division in baseball, but I was at least hoping they'd show up. They won the first game largely on the speedy pitching of Jorge Sosa and some nifty homers by Wright and Delgado. The lost the next two games by a combine score of 14 to 23. I don't care what team you are, you don't want to see your pitching staff give up 23 runs in 2 games. That's WAAAAY too much. Those are past football scores and into video game scores.

Glavine had some issues today and the bullpen has been very shaky of late. Thank God that the Braves are refusing to play well or the Mets might be in second place right now. They need some help and they need it fast. Where its coming from and when it'll get here, I don't know. Hopefully its Alou and Green returning and soon!

The Red Sox came very close to a sweep of the Diamondbacks. The DBacks look fantastic since the middle of May and are now tied for first in the West. Taking 2 of 3 from these Diamondbacks is no easy feat and wasn't for the Sox. The DBacks took 2 of 3 from my Mets back in Shea only last weekend. They should not be taken lightly. If they can keep it up this year (they've looked good in May but fell apart a couple times since Bob Melvin took over the reigns), they could be a serious contender in October. Good young hitters (but no real #4 hitter will hurt them in the playoffs), great starters (Webb, Hernandez, Doug Davis and a resurgent Randy Johnson), and a decent bullpen with strong defense, especially up the middle. This is a good team that could be great if they can keep it up for a whole season!

What does Tom Glavine have to do to get 300 wins?

2007-06-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

Glavine's pitched very well his last few outings. He gave up a couple runs to the Giants last week and lost to Barry Zito. He gave up 2 to the Phillies today and walked away with a ND when the Mets lost in the 11th inning. The poor guys doing everything he can short of smacking out a couple dingers and just can't get these wins. I assumed he'd pass it by the All Star Break the way he was pitching, but the Mets can't seem to get the runs across when Tommy's on the mound.

Its got to be very upsetting to Glavine. But he's a soldier and he'll keep going out there until he breaks the 300 win mark.

Funniest T-Shirt I've Seen in a While

2007-06-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

Check this thing out: http://www.bustedtees.com/shirt/jesushatestheyankees/male

That's just too funny!

Yankees vs Red Sox - A-Rod's got problems and more

2007-06-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

So I've been a little neglectful this week, sorry. Lot's of stuff going on and I just didn't have a chance to post anything.

I just finished watching the Red Sox lose a heart breaker to the Yankees at a very rainy Fenway Park. The Sox were ahead until Okajima - who's been solid all season - kind of fell apart. Then one bad pitch to A Rod by Papelbon gave the Yanks the lead. David Ortiz can about 20 feet from tying it up and Youkilis took one off the arm to get the winning run to the plate, but Mike Lowell couldn't bring him in. Rivera pitched like he was two years younger and the Yankees walked away from Fenway winning 2 of 3.

My Mets also lost today to the DBacks. Oliver Perez held them hitless through 4, but then had a nightmare of a time in the fifth, walking 2 and giving up a pair of hits. The Mets dropped two of three to the DBacks, their only saving grace being that their entire starting outfield was on the bench recovering.

Alou still isn't ready to be back, Shawn Green has a broken foot, and after a collision with Rich Aurilia at first base, Beltran has been out of the line up with a balky knee. The replacement outfielders - Endy Chavez, Gomez, Ben Johnson, and David Newhan - were enough to help them win on Saturday (thanks to Ruben Gotay and Ramon Castro), but they proved in-effective against Brandon Webb and Doug Davis.

This coming weekend, the Sox will be in town to face the surging Diamondbacks. I should be able to make it down to one of the games at least. I'm thinking Friday or Sunday. I have to see who'll go with me.

------------

So here's a news flash!
A-Rod cheats on his wife and on baseball.

It wasn't bad enough that A-Rod got caught cheating on his wife this week, he also had to yell at Toronto's third baseman while rounding the bags causing the guy to drop a routine pop up and allowed the Yankees to score 3 runs. What a piece of crap this guy is. A-Rod should be ashamed.

He always seemed like such a classy player and a decent human being before he became a Yankee. Maybe that clubhouse breeds it into you? Maybe those pinstriped uniforms with the inter locking NY are like Spider-Man's alien black suit? Maybe just putting them on turns you into a cheating lying scum-bag who shouldn't be allowed to interact with normal human beings?

This guy is a disgrace to the game of baseball and the great city of New York.

There has been a long line of assholes on the Mets side of things too, but nothing on the field like this. A-Rod should be ashamed. And the Yankees should be ashamed.

Top 10 Best Switch Hitters in the Last 50 Years

2007-05-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

So my buddies and I have been talking about the best switch hitters in history.

I built a little list of switch hitters, but revised my statement "in history" to "the last 50 years". Prior to 1955, I know precious little about baseball. I've done what I can to learn a lot - reading severa l books on the subject and picking the brains of as many older baseball fans I can find - but I don't know enough to effectively claim "in history" so I amended my title.

Anyway, this is my list.

1. Mickey Mantle
2. Eddie Murray
3. Larry "Chipper" Jones
4. Pete Rose
5. Robbie Alomar
6. Lance Berkman
7. Bernie Williams
8. Tim Raines
9. Howard "HoJo" Johnson
10. Carlos Beltran

My friend Gregg has Lance Berkman higher than I do. My brother Rob refused to put Berkman on his list. And there's been debate over how good a hitter Pete Rose actually was. Carlos Beltran and Lance Berkman are as high as they are based on their potential as much as their current career numbers.

I'd like to hear your comments on the subject. Chime in below!

Is Carlos Delgado's Slump Over?

2007-05-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

I have spent the majority of the season worried about Carlos Delgado. I wasn't worried that he would never start hitting, I was worried that he would start hitting too late. The Mets and I have learned the hard way over the last 16 years that you can't go to sleep against the Braves.

My Mets broke their streak of division titles last year, but that doesn't mean the Braves are done. Quite the opposite! The Braves regrouped this off season with the intention of taking the East back from the Mets. And after leading a good part of this young season, the Braves remain only a few games behind the Mets.

What does this have to do with Carlos Delgado's slump?

Lots a people like to think that games in April and May don't mean as much. You hear the phrase "Hey, it's only April!" an awful lot. I've never agreed with this.

When it gets to September and you're out of first by 1 game and looking at golf reservations instead of the playoffs, where is the first place you look for games you could have won? You look at the games that just past because that's what's most familiar.

If you only look at the series in September where you won one of three in Atlanta instead of looking at the 3 games you lost in Pittsburgh in May, it will seem like the late games are the only important games. But the games in April and May count against your win/lose total the same as the games in August and September. Why treat them differently?

So with Carlos Delgado finally heating up here at the end of May, it means that we will likely have a good June. I would LOVE to see the Mets build at 9 or 10 game lead in the East in June like last year and cruise the rest of the season than fight off the Braves in September when they get hot.

Bobby Cox teams always perform well under pressure. They're not under as much pressure in May as they are in September, so you've got to beat them in May.

And you have to keep beating the teams you're supposed to beat. How many football teams wind up out the playoffs every year because they look forward and get beat by a team that is very bad? The Broncos last year proved that. There's at least one team every year that does it. Learn from their mistakes.

---------------------

So Delgado? OMG he's on fire.

2 Home runs in Florida so far tonight and a total of 5 hits / 8 at bats and 5 RBI in the series. He's on his way to really breaking out of this slump. I can't wait to see it.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy either. Delgado has been a boon to every city he's played in (see my previous comments about Mo Vaughn - very similar in their communities).

Bad news for the Mets though: Gomez tweaked his leg and he's day to day. Shawn Green is shaken up from Friday and Moises Alou isn't due back for a few days. If we have to rely on David Newhan, we're screwed.

My brother Rob has this theory that David Newhan is a writer working on a story with the Mets and that's why he keeps getting playing time. I know he's not playing because of his hitting.

Skip Bayless is a Frigging Idiot

2007-05-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

Skip Bayless, one of the "analysts" on ESPN's Cold Pizza/First Take (or whatever they're calling it now), is the biggest idiot I've ever had the misfortune of listening to. I purposely don't watch that show because of this jackass. Every now and then I'll be passing the station and he's always on saying something stupid.

He spent 5 minutes this morning defending the Yankees and trying to convince us that they still have a chance because of the Wild Card. How can you possibly think that the Yanks - who are 3 games shy of .500 - will beat out Cleveland, Minnesota, and Detroit in the Central or Anaheim and Oakland in the West for the Wild Card. There is no way that the Yankees take the Wild Card from one of those teams.

His defense of the Yankees is based on one solid outing from Andy Pettite, a good game for Derek "I Love Men" Jeter, and the expectations of Roger Clemens return. Clemens didn't look particularly good yesterday against a minor league team. Bayless' excuse for this was "he wasn't trying against them". Yeah right. One of the few things I like about Roger Clemens is that he's a fighter. Clemens would fight his wife for the last piece of toast. He's not the kind of guy that's going to go easy on Minor Leaguers. He might have held back a little so he doesn't get hurt, but trust me, Roger Clemens wanted to win that game.

Basically, what it boils down to is this: Skip Bayless is a douche. He's a Yankee Loving Douche. 'Nuff Said.

Time off and a Rough Night against Kyle Davies...

2007-05-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

So I had to take a little time away. Sorry. I was in New York getting married.

Thank you.

So I got to go to a game at Shea and I got some nice pictures of the construction on Citi Field. I got to see a game with my nephew (it was his first ever), two of my brothers, a sister in law and my then wife-to-be. We got to see Glavine's start against the Cubs where the Mets trailed, Wright hit a two run homer, and the Mets won on a walk-off walk after Delgado fouled off about 6 pitches to stay alive.

Then I got to watch the game live on TV in New York when the Mets came back with 6 runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Cubs (again) with Carlos Delgado (again) delivering a pinch hit single for the win.

I got to watch the Mets and Oliver Perez beat the Yanks 3-2 during my rehearsal dinner, then watching them almost blow a win after my wedding. Then when no wedding activities were still going on, the Mets lost to the Yankees on Sunday.

So I came home last night and tonight got the opportunity to watch the Mets turn it around and beat the Braves at Turner Field. Only problem is, the Mets didn't win. Not only did they not win, they looked horrible against Kyle Davies - a pitcher that I'm convinced the Braves only keep in the rotation to pitch against the Mets. He's now 4-2 against the Mets. The Mets continue to be ridiculously bad at Turner Field (despite being 6-3 there last year), and Carlos Delgado continues his struggles.

When he got those big hit & walk against the Cubs I thought Delgado could be working his way out of it, but tonight was solid evidence otherwise. They need Delgado to start hitting.

Alright, back to work. Enjoy your evening and keep on watchin! Boston is on top of the Yanks 7-3 right now in the bottom of the ninth. They're just waiting for Papelbon to close it out then the Sox will be 6 and 2 against the Yanks this season. Go Saux!!

Oliver Perez Shines in a Near One Hitter!

2007-05-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/wrap.jsp?ymd=20070513&content_id=1962255&vkey=wrapup2005&fext=.jsp&team=home

Oliver Perez has been on fire of late. He went on a string of starts where he routinely struck out 9 or more and walked less than 2. His last outing he seemed more than shaky, giving up 8 in 4.2 innings to San Francisco giving up 5 hits, walking 2 striking out only one and allowing 2 homers.

Today Perez was brilliant. 8.1 innings allowing only one hit. The second hit was a solo homer. He struck out only 6, but walked only 1. Perez was dominating in a way that all of his former coaches and managers and GM's had ever hoped.

Reyes, Wright and Beltran all had good days, but again its Damion Easley who gets position player of the game for me. Easley was 3 for 5 driving in 4 runs. Damn. Just Damn.

Tomorrow night I'll be at the game as Tom Glavine looks for win 295 against Jason Marquis who's been red hot this season. It should be a very good game.

Let's not overlook something here. The Brewers came into this weekend in New York with something to prove. The Mets were a proven, veteran team and the Brewers are relatively young and haven't had a winning season in a while. These Brewers showed everyone this weekend that they can hang with and beat the big teams. You have to respect the Brewers this year. You can't help but like JJ Hardy and Prince Fielder, but role players this year like Tony Gwynn Jr could make a real difference to this team. You can't count out any team that has Craig Counsell on their roster. The Brewers will make it to the post season this year.

Mets Edge Out Brewers 5-4 Thanks Again to Damion Easley

2007-05-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

David Wright, Carlos Delgado, Prince Fielder, Geoff Jenkins, JJ Hardy and Damion Easley all had homer runs last night. That's good news to the Mets because two of their most important - and least productive to this point - got homers last night. Beside the HR, Delgado had a couple nice swings. Wright's looked good for the past week. I think they're on their way to getting up to speed. And just in time too, because Shawn Green's hot streak is over. Since shaving his head with most of the team, Green has gone 0 for 12.

The real story of the night was Damion Easley. How can you not appreciate Damion Easley this year? Doing a fantastic job of filling in for last year's fill-in regular Jose Valentin. How big has Easley been? This is the fifth game this season he's won for the Mets. Really impressive. Thanks Damion.

This That and The Other...

2007-05-11T00:03:00.000-07:00

So the Mets had the day off. Makes for a boring time for me.

Yesterday, Wright came through again, driving in 2 on a double to left. Good to see him turning on a high pitch like that. I couldn't tell if it was a fastball or a hanger, but either way its a good sign. I think he may be breaking out of this funk. Now if we could only get Delgado going...

The Yankees are starting to climb their way up the AL East. They're 1/1000th of a percentage point out of second place, but still 7 games back of my Red Sox. Nice. The Sox could bury the Yankees with another good series against them. And if the Sox play in Interleague anything like last year, they'll be just fine.

It's May folks. Baseball season is officially in high gear! Let's Go Mets!!

Glavine gave up 745 to Bonds, but gets win 294

2007-05-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Tommy Glavine pitched a fine game at ~~Pac Bell~~ ~~SBC~~ AT&T Park. He went 7 innings, giving up 7 hits included the homer to Bonds (his only run allowed) and striking out 5.

Reyes had a hot night to start with a double and a triple in the first two innings. Wright had a nice night bouncing back with a couple doubles and a 2 for 4 night. Delgado's still not firing on all cylinders, but once he does, this offense is going to be disgusting.

I don't know if its my age or the fact that he's been less of an ass this year, but I don't hate Barry Bonds half as much as I used to. He was one of the big three people in baseball that I wanted to see dead. Bonds, Chipper Jones, and John Smoltz. None of these three scare me the way they used to - they all had a way of beating my team at inopportune times - and they're all getting older. But I still vehemently hated Bonds as recently as last year. I just don't get it.

I guess I'm getting nice in my old age...

Say what you will about the Yankees, but they spend to win

2007-05-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

I have never been anything that can be confused with a Yankees fan. The closest I ever came was feeling good for my Uncle Mario in 1996 when the Yankees won their first championship in a while. So I think I can say this without a hint of remorse: Despite the many things the Yankees do that suck, they work within the rules of the game to get the players they want.

The Yankees don't spend unnecessary time wittling down offers from free agents or nursing trades that they have no intention of making. There are teams that are perpetually in trade talks about one big name or another (I'm looking at you LA Anaheim Angels), but when the Yanks are talking about someone they get them.

If the Yankees threw as much money at Babe Ruth's grave as they just threw at Clemens, the Big Man would rise up and hit .320. The Yankees can afford it and its a player they need. Why not spend? Go for it.

I would rather see a big market, hey we got the money team like the Yankees spend that money to get a top class pitcher that they were desperate for. Bully to the Yanks. If my Mets did the same thing, I wouldn't compalin about it. So how can I complain about it when someone else does it?

So I missed a day!

2007-05-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

I had a busy night last night and I didn't get a chance to post anything. Sorry about that.

I didn't get to watch the game, but as they lost 9 to 4, the less said about it the better. Apparently, Oliver Perez finally had his bad outing. We all new it was coming, but I was hoping it wouldn't be quite that bad. Let's just hope he bounces back his next start.

Still kind of busy tonight, but I'll be watching the game while I work. I'll definitely write something later. It started well - 3 straight doubles to start it out - and the Mets lead 3 to 0. Let's see what Glavine's got tonight.

Sox took care of business against the Jays winning 9 to 2. Beckett had a very solid outing giving up a lead off homer to Alex Rios to start the game and not a run more in 7 innings. Sox are on a roll!

All Good Things Must Come to an End...

2007-05-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

Well, the Mets streak against the Diamondbacks finally came to an end. The DBacks won today's game 3 to1 on the strength of an Eric Byrnes double and some situational hitting from Stephen Drew. One of the most important things in a game that never shows up in a box score is hitters moving over runners so they have a better opportunity to score. Hitting behind a runner at second to get them to third is a basic tenet of the game and one of many core fundamentals that Stephen Drew does on a regular basis. Drew is going to be a very good player one day.

Mike Pelfrey had a much better fastball and a much better outing today than his last start. He went 5 1/3 innings giving up 3 runs on 3 hits while walking four and striking out one. Not Pelfrey's best start , but not his worst. He's coming along and hopefully by the end of the season he'll start maturing into something close to the pitcher that the Mets (and Mets fans like me) think he can be.

The bullpen pitched well - with the exception of Feliciano not being able to keep the last run (that was charged to Pelfrey, one of Feliciano's runners hasn't scored yet) and giving up 3 hits over own in the process. But the surprise for me was Lino Urdaneta. I have no idea who this guy is. I don't even remember seeing his name anywhere during the spring. How does a pitcher come out of no where? I don't get it...

On to San Francisco! Hopefully the Mets will have similar luck with the Giants now that Met Killer Jason Schmidt is "pitching" in Los Angeles. (I think Schmidt was put on the DL in LA - sad news for the dude that wrecked Mike Piazza. Mike hasn't been the same since the Schmidt brush back pitch that tore his groin apart.) I hope that the SanFran Fans are classy enough to give Alou a nice hand if he plays. Alou has been a class act wherever he's gone. There's no reason to diss the man.

Enjoy your Sunday evening. Everybody's got to work tomorrow!

Loyalty to the Team

2007-05-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

Well, this morning my current softball team played two teams with several players that were on my former softball team. I faced a pitcher that was a teammate, another pitcher that I spent the winter practicing with, I hit the ball to a shortstop that was my best friend on the team last year, and then I watched more of my former teammates play each other after my games were done.

How hard must this be in the Major Leagues?

I felt guilty telling my current teammates the weaknesses of my former teammates. These were people that I considered friends and marched into "battle" with every Sunday, only to turn on them the following year. There's a lot more on the line for these Major Leaguers. How hard is it for Shawn Green and Damion Easley to tell their new Mets teammates about everything they know about their former team.

Just thinking about it.

Let's Talk about Morons at the Ballpark

2007-05-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

So I was at the DBacks/Mets game again last night and the dude behind me said something really stupid.

Now, baseball has its own language. A very specific series of phrases and altruisms that helps the average baseball fan connect with his fellow fan. The Texas Leaguer. Ducks on the Pond. Dinger / Goin' Yard /Tater / Blast, etc. Touch 'Em All. And all sorts of little sayings like that.

Some moron behind me watched a Met hit a pop up to shallow centerfield and officially declared it "Candy Corn." He said "that's an easy play, that's Candy Corn."

The saying, my friend, is "Can of Corn." That play is so easy it's a can of corn. It's a baseball faux pas to screw up so old an expression. Of course, this was the same guy that yelled at Brandon Medders to throw fastballs exclusively to Carlos Delgado, then cheered when a curve went in for a called strike, saying "Yeah, nice curveball." And then demanded curves for the next half inning.

Otherwise, it was a classic night at the ballpark. It was "little league night" so the park was full of little ones wearing their uniforms. The hot dogs were good (and plentiful), the beer was good (and plentiful), the weather was good, my team won and the company was perfect My wife joined me).

Actually, a couple got married at the stadium before the game and another couple got engaged during the seventh inning stretch. What's more baseball than that?

More soon, stay focused and remember - even with the re-acquisition of Roger Clemens, the Yankees still suck. Chien Ming Wang be DAMNED!!

Mets Make it 13 Straight at Chase Field

2007-05-05T22:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a two run homer from Shawn Green and a costly error by Scott Hairston, the Mets managed to pull out another win at Chase Field beating the Diamondbacks 6 to 2.

Carlos Delgado blasted through the Mendoza Line with a second inning double. Then followed it with a single in his next at bat. Then Delgado walked in his final two at bats. A good night for Delgado could mean a turnaround to his season. Hopefully this will mean good things for the Mets...

So Jorge Sosa had a pretty good night. He seemed to be in a fair amount of trouble throughout the night, but he only allowed 4 hits and 1 of the 2 runs scores the Diamondbacks put across. Sosa went 6 1/3. All in all a decent start for a guy who was in New Orleans yesterday.

The Yankees still suck by the way.

John Maine is coming into his own

2007-05-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

Maine pitched 6 strong innings giving up one run, striking out 7 and walking only one.

Maine beat out Randy Johnson, who also struck out 7 and walked one. Johnson gave up 5 in 7 innings. The five runs are regrettable, but 7 innings is a good sign for Johnson who's still recovering from off-season back surgery.

The Mets continued to roll over Arizona in Chase Field. Twelve wins in a row at the friendly confines of Chase Field. And, as I've stated before, a ridiculous run differential since I moved to the Valley of the Sun. It's now up to 90 to 23. Crazy, crazy.

And hey, the Yankees lost a real pitcher's duel in the Bronx dropping to Seattle 15 to 11.

Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat!

2007-05-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

It didn't look good for the Mets last night. Micah Owings pitched a solid game, giving up 3 runs over 7 innings and leaving the game with a 4-3 lead.

Tommy Glavine didn't get career win 294, but he didn't loss the game either. Tommy's ND came on a night where he gave up a two run homer to mostly-backup catcher Chris Snyder and one to second baseman Orlando Hudson. Up and comer Stephen Drew drove in Eric Byrnes for the DBacks other run.

Moises Alou again figured in the scoring for the Mets. Driving in Beltran with a double, then scoring himself on a hit by LoDuca. The Mets could have gotten more in that fourth inning, but a throw by Chris Young to third clipped Shawn Green in the leg. Green retreated to second (where LoDuca was already headed) instead of continuing to first. He was promptly throw out at second by third baseman and all around utility sparkplug Alberto Callaspo. This is one of those duh errors that doesn't show up in the boxscore. Like Jay Peyton rounding second on a fly ball out, realizing there's only one out he retreats to first but doesn't touch second. Or Benny Agbayani handing the ball to a fan in the first row when there's 2 outs and runner on. The Mets have made lots of Duh errors. This is just another in that long line.

Anyway, back to the game.

The longest hit of the night went to Carlos Beltran. A monster homer that easily traveled 450 feet to right center. The ball hit into the new Diamond Club at Chase Field and bounced back out onto the field. Crazy, crazy big homer.

The game had great defense on both sides - Reyes making a ridiculous play up the middle and Drew trying the same play a half inning later and just falling short; Wright too a grounder deflected off Glavine's mitt and made a nice play to get the runner. In the bottom of the ninth, Shawn Green laid out for a ball destined to be a triple in the spacious alleys of Chase Field. Chris Young made a fine play going back on a ball hit to center.

The Diamondbacks website hints at the blame for the loss being Tony Clark's error in the top of the ninth. The ninth started with endy Chavez striking out against Jose Valverde and (ironically) ended with Chavez striking out against Dustin Nippert.

With one out (Chavez), Shawn Green came to the plate against former teammate Jose Valverde. Green hit a grounder to Tony Clark. Um, its not entirely fair to call it a grounder. The ball was hit rather hard and took a nasty bounce right in front of the normally sure-handed Clark (former Met). I'm sure Clark's beating himself up enough for the missed play - he doesn't need the DBacks web site chiming in. Anway, Green was followed by a great at bat from LoDuca (who doesn't seem to have anything OTHER than great at bats), then came another former Diamondback Damion Easley.

Now, my buddy Russ had been complaining all night about two players - Moises Alou and Damion Easley. I had mentioned several times that Damion Easley has been directly involved in the Mets winning no less than 3 games this season - either tying games up, or being the winning run. That said, coming up in the top of the ninth against the DBack closer and a former teammate, Damion Easley came through yet again.

Easley cracked a homer to left center right where the fence meets the back wall.

The stadium went nuts. Absolutely crazy. Of the 19,710 in reported attendence, there were probably 15,000 Mets fans and they all knew enough to stay around for the ninth.

Easley's homer put the Mets up 6 to 4. Easley was followed by a pinch hit single by the ageless Julio Franco. Then something happened that I have never seen in a visiting team park. The crowd started chanting the "Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose" song they play for him at Shea. Granted, it might not have been the whole stadium, but it was at least our whole left field bleacher section. The chant was started by my aforementioned buddy Russ and given life by a large man next to us with an equally large Mets tattoo on his leg.

A hit by Reyes chases Valverde and the DBacks brought in Dustin Nippert to face David Wright. Wright's been struggling this season and Nippert's been uphittable since his recent call up. Nippert will one day be a big star for his team. Wright already is.

Nippert started Wright off with the heat, getting to 94 on the sometimes stingy Chase Field radar guns. Wright and Nippert battled for a few pitches. The Wright launched a deep field to right-center gap, not as far as Beltran's monster shot, but enough to clear the fence with some breathing room.

The Mets were now up 9 to 4. Billy Wagner sat down and Scott Schoenweis got up. The rest as they say is history. Nippert got Chavez to strike out, Green made a helluva catch to rob Hudson in the top of the ninth, and the rest went quietly.

Just another game at what the large tattooed Mets fan deemed "Shea West".

This makes the run differential of the Mets v. Diamondbacks at BOB/Chase Field since I moved to Phoenix 85 to 20 in favor of the Mets. They are currently 9-0 in that span. Its bound to end sometime, but I'm sure glad it wasn't last night!

Hopefully, I'll get to see both of these teams here again come playoff time!

Tom Glavine vs. Micah Owings - Who's coming out on top?

2007-05-03T16:17:00.000-07:00

Let's look at their career numbers:

Glavine - 21 Yr Career
.604 Winning %, 293 W, 192 L, 641 GS, 55 CG, 24 Shutouts, 4185.0 innings, 2,499 K's, 3.46 ERA, 1.303 WHIP

Pretty good.

Owings - 1st Year
.500 Winning %, 1 W, 1 L, 3 GS, 0 GS, 0 Shutous, 15.3 innings, 14 K's, 2.93 ERA, 1.174 WHIP

That's not bad at all.

Well, I'm heading to the park to see them square off in about 1/2 hour. I'll let you know which one looks better! I'm going to try to get some video while I'm at it. Sweet.

If I was waging, despite a pretty good season for him so far, I think I'd have to lay my money on Glavine. But we'll see. This is why they play the games.

Reyes and Maine Player and Pitcher of the Month

2007-05-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

From Mets.com: "Jose Reyes and John Maine have now become the first Mets teammates to win the Player and Pitcher of the Month awards in the same month since Dwight Gooden and Gary Carter in September 1985."

That's right. More of this to come!

Wright is Back On Track | Oliver Perez looking like a Young Randy Johnson

2007-05-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

David Wright had two more hits today driving in the final run for the Mets in a 6-2 victory. In and of itself, this is not important. Considering that a week ago Wright - who should be cornerstone of this offense for the forseeable future - had only 1 RBI and no home runs. Well he's managed to finally start to pull himself out of whatever funk he's been in. Hopefully this will cure him and he can get back to the form he had before the homerun derby last year. (Check out video on www.MetsTube.com).

Its kind of creepy actually how that home run derby damaged two big time hitters. I've never really liked Bobby Abreu, but after he won the home run derby two years ago, he couldn't hit a watermelon. Last year, Wright shows off in the first round of the home run derby and now he's hit, what 3 or 4 home runs since.

Outlaw the home run derby! (Or at least keep Wright from taking part).

Meanwhile, Oliver Perez continues to impress. Another pretty strong outing - 5.2, 3 hits, 3 runs, 1 earned, 10 K's. That's a solid line. I'd really like to see that be 6.2 or 7 innings like Maine gave us his last time out, but I'll take 5.2. That's better than Perez has been.

I was watching the video clips of his strikeouts over on Mets.com and he looks an awful lot like the Unit did a few years ago. Nasty fastball followed by a wicked slider. I'm not saying that Perez is as good as the Unit was - I'm not retarded - but he's in the middle of a run right now where he's looking really good. I hope he can keep it up. This is the kind of pitching that every team Perez has played for knew he was capable of.

And lastly, John Maine was named NL Pitcher of the Month. I can think of no one more deserving. He's # 1 in ERA (1.35), tied for second in wins (4), and this is his second full year in the bigs. He's been very impressive so far. Keep in up Maine!!

Omar Minaya Tampering with Miguel Cabrera

2007-05-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

From SI.com:

"While the Mets were taking batting practice and the Marlins were stretching, Mets General Manager Omar Minaya engaged third baseman Miguel Cabrera in about a 10-minute conversation. Per Major League Baseball directive, it was tampering. Was Minaya recruiting Cabrera, a free agent after the 2009 season?"

That's what I like about Omar Minaya, he's always working. Why wait until 2009 to lay the seeds of a possible free agent signing? Do it now. Maybe he'll demand a trade mid-season or something. Who knows.

I'm sure Omar's going to play it off as they were talking about a mutual friend or where the best refried beans are in Miami, but the point is, Omar isn't thinking about improving the team just this year, he's thinking about improving the team YEARS from now. Go Omar.

This is a the kind of thing that I could see Theo Epstein doing. But Epstein would do it in a bear suit. I love that guy.

Good News Bad News Kind of Night for Mets & Sox

2007-05-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

The good news is, David Wright finally hit a home run and Mike Pelfrey pitched much better than his last two outings.

The bad news is the Mets lost again 5-2, Papelbon blew a save setting up a Sox loss and Philip Hughes almost pitched a no hitter for his second start in the bigs.

The good news is Hughes may be injured, the Sox are still in first, the Mets hold onto second and the Yankees are still in last. Phew!

I have a very strong feeling that Chan Ho Park is heading back down to Triple A and Jorge Sosa's on his way up. Let's call it a hunch...

Yankees suck! Yankees suck!

The Chan Ho Park Experiment Is Over

2007-04-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

4 Innings, 6 Hits, 7 Runs (all earned), 2 Walks, 4 K's, 2 HR allowed and a 15.75 ERA. Aaron Sele however has pitched well in relief. Hmm. I wonder who suggested Sele instead of Park...

oh and the Yankees are off, so they remain in last place. Yankees Suck! Yankees Suck!

All Star Voting is Underway | Pitching Change for Tonight's Game

2007-04-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

So this is how my current All Star Ballot is looking. Comments are welcome:

First Base: Ortiz, D., BOS
Second Base: Kinsler, I., TEX
Third Base: Chavez, E., OAK
Shortstop: Lugo, J., BOS
Catcher: Mauer, J., MIN
Outfielder: Ramirez, M., BOS
Outfielder: Sizemore, G., CLE
Outfielder: Suzuki, I., SEA

First Base: Delgado, C., NYM
Second Base: Hudson, O., ARI
Third Base: Wright, D., NYM
Shortstop: Reyes, J., NYM
Catcher: Lo Duca, P., NYM
Outfielder: Alou, M., NYM
Outfielder: Beltran, C., NYM
Outfielder: Green, S., NYM

Honestly, based on numbers right now, Delgado and Wright are borderline at best. But I'll defend my choice vehemently. You can't argue the other Mets on the list. Beltran's almost as hot this spring as he was last spring. Reyes, LoDuca, Alou and Green are all hitting over .300 and are scorching hot right now.

I actually voted for Justin Morneau on a few of my ballots instead of Ortiz. I know, I know, but Morneau's the reigning MVP and he's pounding the league this year. How do you not vote for him?

From Mets.com: Chan Ho Park will make his regular-season debut for the Mets, replacing Orlando Hernandez, who is sidelined with a shoulder problem, when the Mets face the Marlins tonight at 7:10 ET. Be there to watch the Mets face left-hander Scott Olsen.

I can't say I'm excited to see (1) El Duque on the DL or (2) Chan Ho Park making a start for the Mets. I would say that you should give the starts to Sele - he's been pitching well out of the bullpen - but Sele's been pitching well out of the bullpen so why screw with him. Park wasn't horrible in Spring Training. I don't hate our chances with him on the mound. We'll see how he pitches tonight and pass judgment tomorrow!

Oh BTW, the Yankees are still in last place. Enjoy!

F The Yankees! - John Maine is the Man

2007-04-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

On a weekend where the Mets were having an awful lot of trouble with the worst team in the league (tied for worst with the surprisingly bad Royals - I thought they might have had it this year), John Maine took the bump on Sunday with a lot to lose. He had the third best ERA in the league (1.71) coming in and a line up that could only be classified as second string (with Easley, Castro and 49 year old Julio Franco getting starts). If Maine finished the game going 6 innings with 3 runs and a half dozen hits, everyone would have been happy.

Instead, John Maine came out and dominated for 6 innings. Dmitri Young is home crying after a game like that. Maine struck him out three times and Young didn't even get close to the ball. Maine walked a few, but he went 7 strong (a little drama in the 7th but only one hit), gave up 3 hits all day, struck out a career high 8 and took home a strong win thanks to Beltran's home run (one of only two hits for the Mets against Nats starter Bergmann).

Here's a little quote from the Mets web site:
The Mets also got strong performances from starter John Maine (4-0, 1.35 ERA) and relievers Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis and Billy Wagner. Maine was spectacular, giving up three hits and striking out eight in seven innings. Schoeneweis came on with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth and got Ryan Church to ground out to Franco at first.

Beauty.

And now, to the really impressive part of our story. Yankees Suck! Yankees Suck!

From RedSox.com: Manny Ramirez's 50th home run against the Yankees was one of three Red Sox long balls and helped Boston extend its AL East lead over last-place New York to 6 1/2 games. David Ortiz and Alex Cora also went deep, and Hideki Okajima made his 11th straight scoreless appearance.

Yeah. The LAST PLACE YANKEES. That's the four sweetest words ever put together. Despite the return of Chien Ming Wang, the Yankees Starters still suck. Wang gave up two of the homers, 4 runs, 3 walks and 1 measley strikeout.

Ha ha!

Yankees Suck! Yankees Suck!

Mets Squeak One Out in Extras against Lowly Nats

2007-04-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

The Mets seem to be having a little trouble with the Nationals. A team that's won only 8 games all season is giving fits to the team that supposed to win the NL. That's a little messed up.

I suppose every great team has their achilles heel team. The Suns this season had a lot of trouble with the Hawks. The Hawks. The Suns are arguably the second best team in the NBA this season (assuming Dallas as the first - but as my best subject is not basketball, I don't think I'd defend my position very vigorously). Maybe the Nationals are going to be the Mets' Hawks.

So it took 12 long innings and a good start by Tom Glavine, but the Mets finally pulled out a win. And who do we have to thank for this win? Damion Easley for tying it up (again) and Beltran and the boys for breaking through in the 12th.

I'm a little pissed because I couldn't actual watch either the Mets of the Sox games today. (BTW the Sox lost today to some bullshit team in the Bronx. I'm trying not to think about it) Fox blocks all the games in my baseball package during their broadcast and for some reason, Fox on the West Coast thinks we're more interested in the Cubs/Cardinals games instead of the Yankees/Red Sox. Who gives a rat's ass about the Cubs/Cardinals? I'm basically been forced to watch 3 Cubs Cardinals games so far this year and they've all been very boring. Who wouldn't want to watch the greatest rivalry in all of sports? Apparently Fox thinks we do. It's bullshit.

Then Cox Cable didn't broadcast the Mets Nationals game in the Extra Innings package. It seems I can watch as much Kansas City as I want, but the Mets are blacked out a couple times a week. I only got the package 10 days ago and the Mets have already been blacked out 3 times. Sometimes I hate the TV.

So I had to "watch" both games through the game cast, little play by play flash feeder on the MLB sites. It's nice to "see" the games this way, but you have no real idea of what's going on. Modern life has made me spoiled.

Alright, I guess that's all I've got. I'll write more tomorrow.

Oliver Perez Pitches Well but the Mets Lose to the Nats; Dice-K Bests Yanks

2007-04-28T00:04:00.000-07:00

For anyone that was still on the fence, Daisuke Matsuzaka is going to be a solid major league pitcher. I still don't see that spark of a real ace pitcher (I used to cringe when it was Shilling's turn and the Mets were at Philly), but he's going to be a great #3 or a very good # 2. If he gets better than this, if he settles down and starts to pitch the way the Sox thought he could pitch, he could get to that # 1 feel. But he's still picking up how the American League works. We've seen him now against a variety (although a small one) of teams and he's pitched equally well. I think his annual salary is competitive with his stuff, it was that $52 posting fee that makes the deal ridiculous.

Oliver Perez pitched his ass off last year in game 7. That's mostly why he's back in the rotation for 2007. He pitched well his first outing, then go knocked around a bit - couldn't find the zone, but his last two outings he's pitched well enough to win. 9 K's in both outings and nary a walk between them. For a guy that used to strike out 6 and walk 8 in a game, that's a hell of an improvement. If he keeps this up, I think the media outlets of the world should annoint Rick Peterson the new Leo Mazzone and be done with it. Perez pitched 7 and gave up 4. Not a bad outing. The Mets offense just couldn't get it done in the end (no matter how hard Moises Alou tried - my brother Marc is SO wrong about Alou).

Its just one loss. It just infuriates me that it came against the Nationals. They are giving the work suck new meaning. To lose to the Nationals is a shame. A true shame.

NFL draft tomorrow! That should be fun. Then Mets baseball in the nations capital. Let's see if Glavine can help us bounce back from two losses in a row.

Yankees Suck! Yankees Suck!

Mike Pelfrey Didn't Throw His Best Game, but He's Better than Hughes

2007-04-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

So, Mike Pelfrey was less than stellar on Wednesday - http://mlb.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070425&content_id=1929402&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym&partnered=rss_nym - giving up 6 runs in 3 innings and REFUSING to get away from his fastball which proved rather ineffective. The Mets site called it the "worst of his young career" and I doubt anyone can disagree.

The good news is: Philip Hughes, Yankee Savior, gave up 4 earned in 4 1/3 innings causing the Yankees to lose their sixth straight game. That's a shame. (Inside I'm laughing! Sometimes its hard to read sarcasm on the internet...) The Yankees' site is playing it off ("Hughes Shows Promise Despite Loss" - yeah, and an 8.31 era.), but it really says something about their starting pitching that they had to call him up this early.

Let me ask you all this: Who had April 15th as the date Carl Pavano would leave with injury in the pool? I didn't think he'd make it out a spring training. I was surprised that he even made a start. I thought he might break a nail while flossing or something and miss the rest of this season too.

The thing that worries me though is how Duaner Sanchez seems to be injured almost as often as Mr. Pavano. What's going on there?

Alright, back to work!

First Outings for Two Young Pitchers
P Hughes NYY 0-1 8.31 ERA 4.1 INN 7 Hits 4 ER 1 BB 5 K's
Pelfrey NYM 1-0 3.60 ERA 5 INN 5 Hits 2 ER 4 BB 3 K's

(thanks again Retrosheet.org!)

Mets Visiting the Desert a Week from Tonight

2007-04-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

The Mets are coming to town early this year.

I really look forward to the brief visits the Mets make to the Valley of the Sun (which I call home). Mostly because when the Mets come to town its a four game series. I don't know why it always happens that way, but I'm not complaining. And secondly because no matter how good the Diamondbacks are (and they looked good the first week of this season) the Mets POUND them when I'm at the games here. The first game we saw at Chase Field with the Mets visiting, the Mets won 14 to 1 (and won by Victor Zambrano). They haven't let up since.

The Mets have played 8 games in the valley since I moved here and they are 8-0 with a ridiculous run differential. (76 to 16 since 2005 at Bank One Ballpark/Chase Field - thank you www.RetroSheet.org) And the games were never that close.

I'm happy to see one former Diamondback regular (Shawn Green), one former Diamondback bench player (Damion Easley - who saved our ASS the other night against Brian Fuentes, thanks Damion), and kind of happy to see one former DBack starter - El Duque Hernandez. When the DBacks signed him, I complained for months. He's washed up, he can't pitch, he sucks, he used to be a Yankee (the most vile of creatures). Then I watched him pitch against the Rockies for the home opener last year at Chase Field. God, he was awful. I think he made it about 4 innings and he walked a bunch (let's see if I'm right, RetroSheet.org says 4.2 and only 2 walks, so I guess I'm half right). Then I had to watch as the Mets traded for him at mid-season. Ugh!

But he's pitched well as a Met so far. That's why I've got mixed feelings. I'm pissed that he managed to hurt himself in time for the playoffs last year (but still blame Trachsel for not picking us up in that game we HAD to win in St. Louis - though the offense apparently had no answer for Jeff Suppan anyway. WTF? Really. I mean, Jeff F'ing Suppan.)

He'll be on the mound (if there's no changes to the rotation) next Thursday when the Mets open their series here. Hopefully, he'll be a little more of the Mets El Duque and little less of the DBacks El Douche when he starts.

Boston's out here in June (8 through the 10th). Maybe my Boston lovin' brother in law Erik will come out for another visit...

David vs. ... David? Would you rather have Wright or Ortiz?

2007-04-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit of a David Wright fan. I'm writing this blog while wearing a David Wright T-Shirt. But if I was building a team from the ground up, I would seriously have to consider which David I would pick.

David Wright is young. He's an excellent hitter. His defense is very good and getting better. He's got power and poise. He's going to be a dangerous hitter in the NL for the next ten years.

But David Ortiz is the best clutch hitter in the game.

Wright brings more to the table in the way of defense, speed and hitting for a high average.

But David Ortiz is THE best clutch hitter in the game.

David Wright is the kind of guy that you build a team around. The Mets have decided to build their team - a team that came within 1 game of the World Series last year - around David Wright and Jose Reyes. And David Ortiz was let go by the Twins.

But David Ortiz is the BEST clutch hitter in the game.

It's a tough decision, but I think in the end I've really got to stick with David Wright. It really hurts to give up someone of Papi's quality, but the defense of David Wright makes up for the runners he would occassionally leave on base. I've got to stick with David Wright.

Comments are welcome.

It's a replay of the 1986 World Series with similar results!

2007-04-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

I know what some of your are thinking... Boy, he's really going out on a limb, picking the two teams that are heavily favored to win their divisions this season. But if you've followed the Mets as long as I have, you know that when we're favored this early in the season, it has a tendency to fall through.

But I think this is the year.

You see, the Mets are winning right now (well not today, today they lost to Colorado) and David Wright has 1 RBI. Carlos Delgado has 1 home run. When those two guys get going, this offense is going to be disgusting.

The starting pitcher has been very solid so far (John Maine's ERA is under 2.00). The bullpen's been a little shaky this past week, but when Mota comes back, it should help. Heilmann will find his release point, Smith has looked very good, Feliciano looks like he did last year, and Billy Wagner's Billy Wagner.

The big surprise for me has been Shawn Green. He's hitting very well so far this season. I don't know if its just that the Mets keep playing the Braves and Greenie likes Braves pitching, but Green's been good so far. I know a lot of people are surprised by Moises Alou, but honestly, this is what I thought we were going to get. My little brother kept talking about what a horrible contract the Mets signed with Alou and they made a mistake and blah blah blah. Moises Alou has been nothing but steady for 15 years now. Why should you expect anything else? He might play 120 games this year, tops, but he'll provide a .300 average, probably 25 home runs, and 90 RBI's. What's not to like?

So that's the Mets half of the deal. Why is Boston getting back to the series? Starting pitching and David Ortiz. You can't pitch around Ortiz in pressure situations now. You have Manny and JD Drew (if he's healthy) behind him. What are you going to walk all three of them and hope Mike Lowell doesn't hurt you? Their bullpen is good enough and Papelbon is going to wreck the AL this year. He's disturbingly good. Their defense is pretty solid. Their only weak spot is the very bottom of the order with Coco Crisp - and his triple beat the Yankees last weekend.

So yeah, its an easy pick, but its the right pick. Prove me wrong.