Stoned By The Rockies

This sums up tonight's game...Rockies Catcher Yorvit Torrealba hasn't stolen a base since 2007. Tonight, he got one.

Jason Giambi, cut to oblivion (and I recommended picking him up) crushes the ball and runs score.

Why am I awake watching?

Pelfrey.....struggling as I Write This

So - what is wrong with Mike Pelfrey. Bases loaded, 0-2 count to Garrett Atkins (who is sliding down the talent hill quicker than greased wheels) - what happens. He Walks him.

Threw about 58 pitches to the third inning.

Mets lead the majors in walks...NOT getting them, giving them.

To echo Casey Stengel - Can't Anyone Here Play This Game?

Can't wait for Curling Season to begin....

It Cuts Like A Knife (But it DOESN'T Feel All Right)

Johan and Ollie went under the knife today. It's a good thing Mets fans didn't have a chance to cut Ollie the way he has been cutting us. (A lot of runs and walks are coming out of this $36 million dollar arm).

http://www.seattlepi.com/scorecard/mlbnews.asp?articleID=263596

The other note is that Beltran will be making a rehab start...let's hope all goes well.

September 1 is just 2 hours away. It will be interesting to see who the Mets (and other teams) call up to expand the rosters. Maybe a few diamonds. A friend of mine has been touting Ike Davis who is in the lower levels...At this rate, I agree with one of his statements...Let the minor leaguers play. They deserve a look without judgement of winning or losing. Does this mean I am packing in the season? Well, mathematically I think it was decided - though not officially yet.

Well, off to read the latest issue of Baseball Digest- an enjoyable bunch of words...(And the quizzes are pretty tough too!)

Kazmir, Zambrano & Zambrano

Title may lead you to believe this is a law firm with nepotism between the second and third name, but its more of a bit of irony...

The Mets today beat Carlos Zambrano who, at one time, was close to unhittable. Part 2 - the Angels got the old Met, Scott Kazmir who essentially was given by the Mets to the Rays for Victor Zambrano. Where is Victor Zambrano today? (chuckle - did HE show up on the the mound for the Cubbies?).

Omar - you missed the boat again...Prospects for someone who could help....Pitching is decimated, so we are looking long term here.

As my old Italian relatives used to say.... "Oooh-Fah...."

Even the Mets CANT Hit Heilman

Turned on the game today at a crucial spot. Jake Fox was rounding third after his grand slam. Is there anything else to watch?

Want to know the sad part? The Mets only managed ONE HIT against Aaron Heilman. If I recall, he gave away hits the way Rockefeller gave away dimes.

Look at the box score... http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=290829116

Counting to 162 is going to be painful -- considering there won't be a 163.

Baseball's Sad Lexicon - The Named and the Reality

Back in 1910, newspaper columnist Franklin P. Adams wrote what is titled "Baseball's Sad Lexicon." This work was first published in the New York Evening Mail on July 10, 1910, and is now in the public domain.

Many of you know it, the first two or so lines, but probably were not aware of the title.

It goes:

These are the saddest of possible words:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
Tinker and Evers and Chance.
Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,
Making a Giant hit into a double –
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."


Today, (well, not really today, but at the start of all the DL trouble for the Mets) Baseball's Saddest Lexicon is:

A Pagan
L Castillo
D Murphy
J Francoeur
F Tatis
O Santos
C Sullivan
W Valdez
P Misch

Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?

I heard the expression of the title of this blog a few times growing up. Today it happened with the Mets. Finally, a chance to trounce a good team (nowadays, all the teams they play are good, even the ones that suck) in front of the opposition's home crowd. Though there really wasn't anyone there...just several whole sections of empty seats with a few dots representing people. The box score claims 14,000+ showed up. Nice try.

Anyway, the skeleton crew (let's be real here, Third Shift) of the Mets performed admirably and it was smart to stretch Tim Redding a few innings since he is one of the key starters now.

While I am on that, wouldn't it make sense for the Mets to take a look at Brad Penny, fresh from his release from Boston? Wouldn't cost much and is a semi solid band-aid to minimize (did I say that?) the loss column.

On WFAN, they were speculating that the Mets COULD lose 90 games this year...scary.

Everything's Broken

Santana was probably the pin in the balloon that will make the Mets season just blow away with a raspberry sound fading into the end of '09.

Today, we get news that Oliver Perez is out for the year. Why couldn't we have had this sooner? Say, in April?

Not much to say, but as I was driving today, a thought popped into my mind and it was Bob Dylan's song, "Everything is Broken"

You can just substitute Mets player's last names if you don't know the words.

Check the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMWcgtB-Fkw&feature=related

If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Injury Day - Next, JoSAN

And, another Met bites the dust for the season (???). Johan is getting the MRI and apparently there are bone chips.

Check out this article...it really says a lot: http://myespn.go.com/blogs/sweetspot/0-4-213/Did-Mets-mismanage-Santana-.html Keeping a guy like Santana pushing it is like gunning that Rolls Royce and never putting oil in the engine -- or in park.

Well, I would rather see Santana in the park, but apparently, all the Mets I and my fellow Mets fans brethren have a better shot of visiting their fave player in the hospital.

Oh, and by the way Gary Sheffield...Nice "hustle" towards the end of yesterday's game. Another cramp today? Awwwwwwww...You had us believing for awhile, now the Three-Card Monte game is done.

Level the Field....Field Level...Not a Level Playing Field - 6-2 Loss

Today I had what can be tantamount to an out of body experience. No, nothing celestial. Just ballpark bliss.

I bought a few tickets to today's game on eBay and went with a friend. My intention was to sell two to cover the game. Cliff Lee, last year's Cy Young winner - should be a slam dunk. Had a few scalpers offer me $10 for the pair and were mad I didn't sell. About 2 minutes later, I sold the pair, met a friend and we walked in.

As we walked in, a man approached me and tapped me on the back. He asked to see my ticket. At first I thought the eBay transaction may have been a fraud...We had the paper tickets, but thought the eBay seller duped and sold the electronic and the hard copy tix...Nothing of the kind.

Major upgrade at CitiField today...walked in, security tapped me on the back, looked at my ticket (Sec 537) and asked if I wanted to be upgraded...Moved us to field level seats (Sec. 109) on the right field line...about 20 feet away from the ball boy.

One of the cool parts in getting to our seats was we had to walk in the maze of the tunnel under the stadium PAST the player's club house.

Was nice to be so close...wish the score was. But it was an experience of a lifetime.

Thank you Mr. Security Guard

Bizzaro Baseball - Ollie's Folly - Inside The Parker and a Triple Play....Oh, The Mets ALSO Lost.

I saw a chicken with lips, a pig flying and the devil buying a parka coat. Oh, and I also saw the Mets game today too. I was surprised (no I wasn't) that Ollie Perez turned in a poor performance - 6 runs and didn't even make it out of the first inning. (So, they cut Livan Hernandez the other day...Omar...Wake the *&^% up. Cut your losses...cut Ollie.

Box Score

Add to the comical environment, Angel Pagan's long ball stops under the outfield wall and the Phillies call for a ground rule double...Angel made it home.

Then, the catch by Francoeur which was reviewed and overturned...to quote the Mets announcers - I think it was Keith Hernandez - said officiating has been terrible lately.

And, we all know how the game ended as the Mets attempted to rally - BOOM - Unassisted Triple Play to end the game. That's when we all 'walked off.'

What's next? I don't know for sure, but if I see a Republican at Berkley University, something odd will happen with the Mets.

I will be attending tomorrow's matinee - Bobby Parnell vs. Cliff Lee (who I traded in fantasy for Brian Fuentes...after the trade, Lee reeled off like 4 in a row).

Happ Schmapp

J.A. Happ pitched well for the Phils, but the Mets were not embarrased - the team has not gotten blown out as this scribe is writing during the bottom of the 8th.

I still have confidence the team will come back and sweep.

Today, the cool item is the 40th Anniversary celebration of the 1969 season....what a joy it was to see Koosman, Garrett, Kiner and Joe Pignatano, Dr. Ron Taylor (among others) in the broadcast booth and in-the-stands interviews with Kevin Burkhardt. Also now, a segment with Seaver, Ryan....ah, the good ole days.

Next year, we'll have a good year and dynasty built. I promise.

PHILLIES - Balls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's 4-2 in the 7th as I write this. The game we all love is played with balls and I am going to make a prediction...

Mets will SWEEP the Phillies - all 4 games.

Sometimes in life, you have to take the Bizzaro approach.

(a few personal experiences this week not related to baseball influenced this call here).

Livan, On a Jet Plane (Don't Think He'll Be Back Again)

I Shall Return....or so, declared Billy Wagner in his mind...and, he did.

Coming back from Tommy John surgery, the 38-year-old hurler set the stage with a first pitch strike right down the alley. And he looked good retiring the side.

And, the end of an era as Livan Hernandez, another one of the ageless brothers, gets cut by the Amazins. He had some good outings, but is definitely past his prime. OK, so, why didn't they try to trade him and get some value in return? Some of the minor stars got away for nothing (Aubrey Huff, etc.)

Check additional details from mlb.com
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090820&content_id=6525440&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

As I write this, Mets are holding their own against the Braves in the 9th...down 3-2....I am signing off and hoping this turns into a W.

15-2 Braves Trounce....

After seeing the Braves score 8 runs in the second, I pinched myself and was aghast that this wasn't a split-squad spring training game.

Wish it was...there would be more players with marquee names.

Johan, please get a W tomorrow.

Brave's New World

Derrick Lowe, one of the scions the Mets tried to chase this winter looked awful..JUST awful against the Mets tonight.

Good rally ball...a slew of hits and Ollie came away saving face.

Short post, but we got a few more games to play.

And, most importantly, it was nice to see (on TV) the METS starting to pay tribute to THE METS (rare)...Nice "1969" emblazoned on the field.

Cora Cora Cora...Wright Away...DeciMETed

Unravelling is the term that comes to mind. Wright is woozy and in a text poll, 52% of all fans agreed he should be shut down for the year...Cora has trouble with his hands and is now gone too.

They always say the only direction is up....and I am an optimist, but the team is deciMETed from opening day. (Yeah, obvious statement).

So, I am driving back from Pennsylvania today (was able to stay connected with WFAN!!!!) and I hear that Aubrey Huff was traded. Granted, his value has gone down a bit on paper since earlier this year, but he can play 1B and 3B...who gets him? The Tigers for a Minor League pitcher.

Too many good or decent players (granted, some would be band aids for only 2009) came by and Omar watched them drift away....(just like the win column, just like the ERA, just like the....

On a positive note, I got tix for the Mets-Phils next Monday afternoon...have an extra if anyone is interested....

MurpFrancoeuRUN

Didn't get a chance to watch the game, but heard a good part of it on WFAN and it was refreshing to see Murphy hit a game winner and score Jeff Francoeur.

Time changes things. A few years ago, this was a routine method of winning. Today, it is a prized novelty. Stat reflected stated this was only the FOURTH walk-off "W" the Mets had. Lord knows how many we saw this happen for the opposition.

As I will reiterate, glad we are skipping Lincecum. (Are WE?)

Wright - We Are Praying for a Quick Recovery

Wright. It's a name that is mandatory in the Mets line up, but Matt Cain may make David not Abel (hell yeah, that pun was intended) to play for a few days.

Didn't have a chance to see the actual pitch, but heard the broadcast.

It is looking like Seinfeld's prophecy is coming through....we are rooting for clothes. (Who the hell is 8/9ths of the Mets line up these days?

Parnell - Is He The Next Starter (Hidden in Plain View?)

Short post tonight as I am in a rush - but, looks like Bobby Parnell, if he can keep this momentum on par -- or close -- to what he did tonight could be a big boon for the Amazin's.

What impressed me the most? Zero walks and only 3 hits - all singles!

Let's keep our peepers peeled.

We May Lose One 'Los

Rumors are flying about (though not at the "frequency" of HRs out of CitiField) that Carlos Delgado is now suffering from another injury...So, my view is there is too much sentimentality with this team - Oliver Perez, Scott Schoenweis, Aaron Heilman and now Delgado...two were finally jetiisoned and now its time to do the same to the other remaining two.

Fresh blood is needed. Can't wait around for a perhaps...Now I am praying Wright comes back from his minor to-do.

Ahhhhh. To be a Mets fan. Well, life isn't easy, but I would rather be alive and a Mets fan than dead and a __________________ fan. (optional fill in the blank).

Stop The Presses! (More like Stop Perez-es)

Today the Mets played a matinee where they...(GASP) - WON. The sarcasm is heavy here because each time I watch them in an afternoon contest they come away with an "L."

The recap of the game from the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/sports/baseball/13mets.html?_r=1&hpw has an interesting line on Oliver Perez. Ollie, had 5 walks or so in the first 5 innings and the score was 1-0. Unreal, and ya got lucky on that. The TV commentators were saying he average 8.point walks per 9 innings....(oh, and 5 was considered BAD)... It baffles me why we keep him. Was he a jailhouse lover of the Wilpons?

Anyway, despite the free passes, he FINALLY pitched well. No decision, but better than the albatross of the Ls he carried around.

Kudos to Cory Sullivan. Getting one triple is HARD, two in a game, well, you can fill in the superlative here.

Off tomorrow and back east against the Giants...I just checked...barring and irregularities in the sked, we MISS Lincecum.

Need to Wright The Ship

David Wright is fatigued. Another hurdle we must overcome for tonight's game (and, man, is it showing. Mets are presently down 4-2 in the 4th. Thrills! Only 5 more innings to go).

Ben Shpigel takes a look at Wright...Worth reading his article

Wright is on pace to achieving (bad word, no?) 140+ strikeouts this year. I don't know what that means, except the Mets finally have someone who leads in a category, albeit an ignominious one.

Heard a stat that is still hard to fathom that the Mets lead the Majors (maybe its the NL) in stolen bases....

AND Broken Hearts!

Enough of the Beards

Oh, the title of the post has NOTHING to do with the Mets growing facial hair until they get to .500 (Editor's note: They may all look like Z Z Top before we know it)....The beards I am talking about are the substitute players. I want Beltran, Reyes, Delgado, Maine, Putz..etc...etc...etc... to return.

Ah.....just another night where the Mets are behind and I am jonesing for solid baseball....

Flatt Friars

OK, so, the series this week against the Padres wasn't what we expected. Two losses, but we come away with a win (Nice Pitching Santana) on the Sunday game.

On to Cactus land, but something is starting to look a bit scary. The Nationals (yes, not a typo) have strung together some seven wins and just beat Arizona.

Can the Mets turn the tables or will they get pricked?

Pelfrey will be getting the ball and will have more incentive to elongate his career (congrats on the birth of your new son).

I'm hoping for the same miracle of 1969....

Reverse Luck / Isn't Everth Cabrera's Name Spelled Wrong?

Oliver Perez finally yields a game to which the Mets brass predicted he would do on a regular basis. His walks were down and K's up. But what happens? Light hitting Everth C a SS for the Padres quashes with a crusher - a walk off granny.

Amazing how these losses rack up.

Hmmmmmm...had a halcyon moment...wonder if Davey Johnson is doing anything????

MLB Shakes a Player's Tree - Did The Mets Pick Up any Leaves?

Carl Pavano, Vicente Padilla and Jason Giambi were all deemed not relevant for their respective teams and were apparently put on waivers and / or cut from the team...Mets need some pitching - Minaya let Pavano go. He had a good record in his last few starts.

OK Omar, why not get Giambi for a small price. He's a Moneyball player and has a good on base percentage. Platoon him with Murphy as Daniel fully learns the position.

Now we need to focus on beating the Padres. Oliver Perez is pitching. Will I watch the full game? NO! Would rather have other types of nightmares.

Anderson WIN DOHS!

He was a familiar - or semi-familiar face to Mets fans back in 06 and 07 and a tad, if I recall, in 08, and now he's back. Good glove, average hitter (my opinion) Anderson Hernandez. See Article from MLB.com I recall a nice catch he made on an opening day a few years ago, and was slated to me the man at 2B until he got hurt.

Is it me, or is it a bit ironic that the Mets have done a lot of trading with one of the worst teams in baseball - the Nationals...we got Luis Ayala, Anderson Hernandez, Ryan Church, Scott Schneieder and a few others...even sent our old bench coach, the now, terminated Manny Acta there to manage.

With the Mets on the left coast the next few days or so, my posts will be pre-game. As big of a fan as I am of this team, I don't have the time to stay up so late.

Anyway, Anderson, good to have you back....bust some windows with your name and your swing.

Muscles, Bones, Strains and Sprains

I think each Met hitting the DL should get a one-on-one lecture with a winner of the Prestigious Purple Heart. Some of the injuries can be prevented with extensive stretching programs, plyometrics and better conditioning.

Sheffield, Niese and Castillo are all casualities of the past two game series with St. Louis.

Take a look at Stephania Bell's article on ESPN.com .

While I have you here, another good article appeared today...Perhaps if the Mets did a little Moneyball-like roster moves, we'd have a better team - http://nymag.com/news/sports/games/58180/

Green - Eggs a Slam

I do not like (Sean) Green
He Lets a slam
He gives it up
to Pujols, I am.

He can hit a batter
Man, it really matters
Ball hit in the bun
Knocked in a run

(terrible spoof on Green Eggs and Ham - but it was worse being at the game tonight seeing a 7-5 lead shrivel to 12-7 with Albert Pujols deciMETing the Mets.

So Close....Yet Miles Away 6-5

So, what comes out of tongiht's game? We came back from a 6-0 lead to close it at 6-5.

The Mets rattled Dan Haren's league leading ERA by scoring 5 Runs and the D-Backs probably gave Nelson Figueroa a bus ticket to another city (maybe even another club).

It is too embarrassing to punch in his stats from this keyboard, so look em up here: http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=290803121 but, don't say I didn't warn you.

Still trying to ponder why the punching bag teams like Washington, Pitt, Arizona give the Metropolitans a hard time.

A graphic showed the Mets were 8 games out of the Wild Card race...that's a lot, but, to me, a team shouldn't even be "considered" if they are playing below .500.

Well, I will be at tomorrow's game seeing Santana for the 4th time in person this year...Go-han; Johan.

Diamonds are the Hardest Rocks to Break (Especially.....)

When your opposing pitcher gets 5 at-bats during a game, well, that says it all.

Pelfrey was good...didn't melt....

Scary stat...Mets lead the majors in walks...something like 418 in 922 innings.

I took a look at some numbers from ESPN...Ollie Perez has 47 BBs in 48 innings (now that's a surprise)...Livan is next with 43 in 120 innings and Johan has the same, but in 137....The rest of the list is brutal. If we only showed more control, less base runners = less runs.

Facing Dan Haren tomorrow who is stellar. Gotta turn the tables.

I'm heading to the park on Tuesday night...

Angel Bedevils the Snakes

All I have to say tonight is the way the Mets played is reminiscent of the old days...tenacious, putting ducks on the pond and re-gaining the lead.

Nice Smack by Angel Pagan...this is a catalyst moment for the season.

O-Man, O-Mar....Asleep At The Wheel

I'm not going to go into the game tonight, except to state it is good the Mets are getting better at run management against the opposition.

Daniel Murphy is looking great turning the DP.

Now, today was the last day of the trading deadline and what I want to know is why Omar just sat there as teams are getting star players for prospects. Letting Victor Martinez go by was a move that lacked logic. Trade a Pelfrey, Niese maybe a Reed and a prospect and get a solid dish watcher. A caller to WFAN stated when the Mets acquired Gary Carter, they went to the World Series -- same with Piazza.

Does the front office know more about players than us fans? Doubt it.

So, when V-Mart continues to slug HRs and hit .300+ what do we say?

Elation -!

Spent the afternoon at CitiField and it was nice to see Santana hold down the Rockies. Wish it was more than 7 scoreless innings, but he did a stellar job only offering one free pass.

This was the first game I went to since the avalanche started awhile back. One thing I did notice was the absence of cheering "LETS GO METS" LETS GO METS....to me, this was a staple, much like the pickle when you order a pastrami sandwich at a Jewish deli...MANDATORY!

My view of 5 straight and then a double header split is still on the upward curve. You see, each of the recent teams they beat all went through some good winning streaks as of late. It is definitely and conundrum when the Metropolitans blow easy games to the Nationals, but belt the hell out of good teams.

On a closer, my good friend and sage, who has done a post here and there had some good wisdom he posted on my Facebook wall:

• Jerry Manuel has done an outstanding job holding the team together. Luis Castillo leads the NL in hitting this month batting .400. Jeff Francoeur is a breath of fresh air, positive vibes and timely RBI.Reyes and Beltran will make it an August for the ages exactly 40 years after the Mets came from 9 back to catch and pass the Chicago Cubs.You heard it here first.

No Game - No Gain

Trying to get the "No Pain - No Gain" gist worked in the title. But, due to tonight's rainout, we must wait a day to extend our streak...and the good news is a day-night doubleheader.

I have a ticket to the early game and figured I would be seeing Jon Niese...but, thanks to the raindrops, my eyes will have the opp to see Johan.

Nothing more fancy here...Let's Go Mets.

The MAN Comes Around....

One of the late great Johnny Cash's final album was titled "The Man Comes Around" - if you want, you can apply this to the Mets recent 4 (yes, 4 - which rhymes with for, four, fore) straight W's.

Pelfrey got in control - and that's what we want to see.

I will be counting more W's...what is encouraging too, is their recent wins against the Astros and Rockies were against teams with an upward momentum.

In Jim Bouton's legendary book, Ball Four, there's a line that comes to mind when they were losing..."Hey, you can't be as horseshit as you look out there...."

If You Listened....

To the game tonight, when Fernando Tatis his his grand slam off an 0-2 change up, you would have been witness to a first in a long time. No, not talking about the first pinch-hit Grannie since Todd Pratt, but it sure seems like it...loud cheers in the stadium....I couldn't believe it either.

Mets are back...Tony Bernazzard is gone...(wonder if he had a real tirade after being let go - that would have been ironic. Would that equate with a double negative and make it a good thing?).

Seems confidence is slowing creeping in...do we smell a pennant?

Renaissance Mets?

Didn't have much of a chance to plunk down in front of the TV today to watch the game as my boy was sick...but, seeing the Mets pull a W, the second in a row sure as hell is a confidence booster.

As Ralph Kramden once said, "Be kind to the people you meet on the way up---because you are going to meet the same people on the way down."

Though the Mets did the down part first. Upward momentum, here we come...Lets take 3 of 4 from the Rockies.

'Stros Are in Orbit - And K-Rod Throws Gophers

I had the game on tonight, but was ensconced in a project, so I really can't offer a lot of insight (so what else is new?), but one of the only things I saw was K-Rod come in with a 9-run lead. Give the gent a bit of work, and what happens, Hawpe skys one.

Well, it was a pleasant surprise to see the Mets put up double digits on the board.

It dawned on me today what the Mets of July 24th are vs. the ones on opening day...take this analogy. Remember when you were in high school and the folks that were around were "your crowd"...then, when you visit the school about 5 years later, everyone is gone, and you may see the one or two kids that got left back.

On a good note, Jeff Eff is worth his oats - 4RBI and David Wright hit his 1st HR in July....Roger Maris, your "record" is safe.

Will Someone Please Say Something?

Ken Belson's article in the New York Times today says it all...Let's start talking and see what really is happening behind the scenes with the Mets.

It seems like something (besides losing) is going on. Is management trying to make the Mets the baseball version of the Producers?

Will this flop sell? Go ask any fan wearing blue and orange.

If Duffy Was Still Catching, He'd Change The Spelling of His Last Name to Dire

OK, excuse the pun in the title...and for those of you who are still mystified and aren't looking at another Web page, it was a spoof on old Mets' catcher, Duffy Dyer.

Mets are off today...well, they aren't playing. They have been WAY off for quite awhile.

Someone who reads my blog posted a comment which I would like to address:

• When is Johan pitching? That's our only shot at winning a game LOL

Sadly, there is a lot of merit in that statement. Brings me back to an old adage which I wrote about before here - the phrase "Spahn and Sain and Pray for Rain"

Would love to take the liberty and modify it a bit - more for the sound than the message.

Johan, Insane Today - Remember John Maine?

I've Got Nothing to Say

I am at a loss.

Not even the best psychics can figure out what is wrong with this team.

Nationals shut us out yesterday and 4-hit us today.

If Blue and Orange blood didn't course through my veins....I dunno...Let's just say the Mets "Jumped the Shark"

Ollie-------------WE"RE SORRY (we signed you)

This is the last straw. Perez MUST go...cut him...terminate the contract. How do you walk six, plus hit a batter and lose - get shut out - by the Nationals, a team arguably poorer than the Mets. Ollie walks an average of 6.9 batters per game. Even the kid who sucks in Little League isn't that pathetic.

Oliver, your day has passed. You are a typewriter (we are using portable mobile, laptops now).
Oliver, your day has passed. You are an 8-Track Cartridge (we are listening to digital recordings).
Oliver, your day has passed. You are a biplane (we are cruising the world in Jets now).

Oliver, your day has passed. You are a TERRIBLE PITCHER (we need a live arm).

W over the Ws

Plain, vanilla commentary tonight with no oomph.

All I have to say is I am happy for the W.

Interestingly, a stat came to light about the Nationals. They are second in on base percentage and walks in the National league. To take Billy Beane's "Moneyball" approach, they must get past third base to score runs.

Oh, and the Mets need to do that more often.

I'll take tonight's win....Murphy played some nice first base.

.333 is Good, No?

For batting average, surely, hitting .333 is phenomenal - but, when you flip the table and apply it to team wins, it is the antithesis. But, I am happy the Mets were able to take one from the Braves. A stat I heard astonished me -- I knew it was high, but to hear it, well, it's akin to someone saying you have spinach on your teeth -- is the Mets were shut out about 7x since June 14.

Mets never used to get blanked. Today they held their own for as long as they could. One thing I observed is how Daniel Murphy LOVES to hustle to 1B on a grounder when he is playing in back of the bag..Could this be a foreshadowing of speed?

I think its a good time for DMurph to learn the position while the team sucks...with a superstar at the bag, he may never get a chance.

Well, as long as I know there are 13 pitchers and 4 reserve players on the bench, that's a good dynamic. Is it? Sarcasm 1, Mets, 0.

Tomahawk Chop - and RUNS Scored for Santana

Classic Mets today - no, I mean in the good way.

Santana pitched, you could say, "lights out" and they all rallied to put some runs up on the board in the closing innings. This is what we LOVE to see. Angel Pagan certainly lived up to his FIRST name (the last few losses were up to his last name).

Wright was patient at the plate, and somewhat feared (WOW) as he drew 3 Intentional Walks.

I'm praying for another W against Atlanta....let's see.

It will be an odd 6:00 p.m. start (ESPN, I believe) is showing the ESPYs. Wouldn't it be a blast if it was an 19 inning affair?

11-0? Yeah. Wish it WAS a Typo

OOPS they did it again..another loss, another blowout.
There's gotta be some humor here...I mean, what would Casey Stengel say?
How would Yogi explain it?
Come to think of it, their logic and presentation would make sense.

I would inject some of the new millennium here and fabricate a Casey quote..."Well, this is to say that we suck royally at the present time."

Yogi would probably say, "It's Over."

Both may be right.

Oliver Perez - Frustrated - Incorporated

What does Oliver Perez, Carl Pavano and Mike Hampton have in common? They siphoned, milked and shammed their teams to give them a lot of money to do nothing.

I saw Ollie walked 4 tonight in six innings. When will it end?

A song by Soul Asylum, "Misery" reminds me of Ollie. Here are the lyrics...the words in parentheses is what we need / how this blogger feels....

They say misery loves company (Show me someone who gets a thrill out of watching Ollie)
We could start a company (Mets, Inc.)
And make misery, (Ollie and the rest of the team have been good at that this past month)
Frustrated Incorporated

I know just what you need (a NEW pitcher)
I might just have the thing (a NEW pitcher?> Roy Halladay?)
I know what you'd pay to see (a NEW PITCHER!!!!!)
Put me out of my misery (We sent Heilman and Schoenweis away, make Ollie the triumvirate)
I'd do it for you, Would you do it for me? (DAMN RIGHT!)

etc...

Link to the Soul Asylum Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8gJ3igY2Lk (ahhhhhh Clerks!)

2nd Half Begins - Two Meltdowns vs. Each Other

Oliver Perez vs. Derek Lowe....2 years ago, asses would have jammed seats for this matchup. Now, in the first game back, two pitchers who can't find the plate if they were in a dish factory are dueling.

Should be an interesting match up - and, I believe if Oliver doesn't "get it right" in the next two starts, he should go the way of Heilman and Schoenweis - that is, run out of town.

I am praying to the gods of the inverse - lets win more than we lose this half.

Mets: Two Carlos' - Phillies: Two Pedros?

Beltran and Delgado are both on the DL and part of the reason the Mets are skidding in the wrong direction.

News bandied about today is the Phillies, our rivals, our Benedict Arnold's, if you will, are on the verge of signing Pedro Martinez. Is PM (love the initials, snicker snicker) that good anymore? Can he regain form? Mets don't think so - and that is ironic, considering they need pitching. So. what will happen? PM will beat the Mets and make us all lament. The other Pedro on the team? Pedro Feliz who has been crafty with the wood as well.

All Star game is on...moving quickly, but I just am not a fan of these contests (nor do I like parades)...and, as I type this, McCarver is rambling about ....who the hell knows....

All Star Blues (and Orange)

Seems ironic that a few Mets are going to be in the All-Star game, but I am glad for the chance for the folks of the US to see the guys on the team we have really are good.

I find it ironic there is a home run hitting contest. I mean, I haven't turned the contest on the tube, but if any Mets - David Wright - are in it, that should be fun to see. Let's have this contest at CitiField next year to test out all these theories about the park, wind, physics, etc.

Here's an odd thought -- what if the hero of this years' game - whoever it may be - hits a bombastic shot where they come from behind and win by a run...this gives the league home field advantage in the World Series...but, let's say that player gets traded mid season to the other league....wonder how is new teammates would feel if they get to the WS? One of the odd thoughts and permutations in the game, but not so far fetched when you think of Tony Cloninger (pitcher who hit TWO grand slams in one game)...and a slew of others....

Mets Home Runs - No Need To Post (PASTE) Them On Milk Cartons

A second straight win going into the All-Star Break is a nice way to put a mini denouement to the first half of the season.

Seems like the Metropolitans have finally figured out they have to get their heads in the game...play better defense and support each other at the bat, in the field and all over.

We are still in limbo when the regular guys will (IF) return from the DL, so in this case, we have to rely on regular water instead of Holy Water, and this is acceptable during these times (Catholic peeps will get the referenece).

Ironic how all the Mets got to the All Star team as the club is foundering. Look for an upward change after Tuesday.

The next three days are "off" from the game, but look for a few mini blog posts here and there...some may be observations, stats and did you knows.

Beaming at the Keyboard --- and the Dugout

This is the first game in ages (I think if we can carbon date it, it would go back to when we used to have Italian popes) that I am actually HAPPY after a Mets game.

Santana was Santana. Angel Pagan put wings on, flew up and saved two runs in the first inning. That set the tone of the game.

And "The New Boy" Jeff Francoeur knocked in two runs in his first at-bat. Plus the team played well defensively and held the Reds to ZERO runs. Usually its the other way around.

This is going to be a short post...I am a bit tired...so....Let's hope the Mets will now play in a Bizzarro World from their recent games....Hearing that the 73 team was in last place in August still gives encouragement. Baseball seems to be like the stock market..resilient for awhile, then weaker than a schoolyard punching bag....Jeff Eff has 65 career outfield assists since he broke into the league in '05....the Mets TEAM record for outfield assists (and this is career, mind you) is 64....Hopefully that Cannon-Like Arm will remind us of Larry Walker.

I'm going to root extra loud tomorrow. A friend offered me a ticket to the game, but I can't go.

Arranging the Furniture (And Surprising Hellen Keller)

The headline may seem harsh, but it basically describes the Mets trade of Ryan Church for Jeff Francoeur. Early gut reaction tells me its a good one. Ryan was an average player when he came over from the Nationals and improved a bit under the Shea/CitiField facilties.

Jeff Eff is five years younger, supposedly has a cannon for an arm, and showed signs of hitting for average and power early on. AND, the best part, according to SNY's own Kevin B, he WANTS to play in New York.

What Omar did wasn't radical - and, I believe we still DO need a radical move. Looking at the starting lineup, only Wright (and you can quasi count Brian Schneider) as original, regulars, from Opening Day. All replacements. Substitute "instructors" sitting in for "full professors" if I may be bold to draw an inane analogy.

Roy Halladay is on the block. Why not get involved with the talks? He's got a good arm...goes the distance (and I have to say, just like Bronson Arroyo did to the Mets tonight - but the focus here is on baseball not on the Mets losses - at least not overtly)...

So, to bring us back to the title, we are in the same place, but a few things are different. Will we stumble around and trip over them because we aren't use to them? I hope so. Let's get the bats swinging again and the legs running beyond first base.

Less Than Zero (AGAIN)

Mets don't come away with a win (Again).

This stat makes you shiver in your boots..prior to tonights's game, the Mets had not hit a home run in 48 innings (they didn't hit one tonight either. I'll be valiant and save your calculator batteries - that's 57 innings. 8 Days without a dinger. How long can that last?

Now, F-Mart does the DL thang.

Instead of baseball cards, all Mets (and it seems they are all hurt) should be featured on Milk Cartons...among the missing.

Do I Detect a W for the Mets?

Yes. They beat the Dodgers. I have been praying to obscure Saints with one name (usually Roman) whose names end in -"us" and it has worked. Though it could be a placebo and even Saints are known for miracles...that is, a win for Oliver Perez.

Ollie was typical Ollie. Let me interject something here. To describe how I feel about Ollie on the Mets is best lifted from a line from M*A*S*H* when Hawkeye is writing home describing Charles Emerson Winchester (The Thuuurrrd) - "He's like a substitute teacher that stayed the whole year." For some reason, Mets management likes him. He seems to be like Teflon and has had more chances that the late Steve Howe.

Ollie was very liberal with the BBs and this is a killer. Seven isn't a lucky number here.

What I found somewhat odd was I turned the opening of the game on while driving, and he tosses 4 straight balls. BOOM. Then later on, as I turn the TV on, what is the first thing I hear? "BALL FOUR." (and I don't mean the great Jim Bouton's book).

I was nice to see Manny go O-fer, until he grooved K-Rod to the right field stands and made HR hitting look easy. Metsies, he came to YOUR house and upset your coffee table...Now you gotta do the same.

Lets pick the Dodgers apart - again.

Less Than Zero

Elvis Costello once wrote a song called "Less Than Zero"

Some how, I think this should be the Mets' new theme song. It appears thats the number of runs, hits, average and average with RISP.

I want to get cloning legalized so we can bring back the DLed.

I wonder how many old timer Mets fans feel since Dodgers skipper Joe Torre cut his teeth with the Mets way back when.

Just two more games in the series...and, hey, Omar, while you are at it, see if you can get Juan Pierre...

Welcome Home Dodgers

Just another "jab" at the Mets...Not the first to write this, but I won't be the last.

This week we Welcome the Dodgers to NY. They may like CitiField as it is patterned after their team heritage and pays zero homage to the Mets.

Come to think of it, the way they have been playing, it's more like Last Rites.

When the new stadium opened, people were griping that it was 10,000 seats LESS than Shea...now I think there will be many more empty seats.

I remain a die hard fan and plan to plant my (self) at a few more games this year.

Where Have All The Hitters Gone (Long Time Coming)

In today's Bergen Record, they had a special story reminiscing about 1969. It reminds me of a song "Where Have All The Flowers Gone? Long Time Coming...."

And that brings me to the Mets.

Where has all the HITTING gone? This series it seemed to be spectres running around in uniforms and red hats donning a Mets logo.

Put your seat belt on...3 runs in the ENTIRE series...NO extra base hits. Santana AGAIN pitches great, yet gets zero run and additional offensive support.

Good thing there is a day off tomorrow.

Independence - From the W

Snarky attitude here as I peck the keys - so don't expect much.

You could get all sentimental and say how appropriate that the Phillies win on Independence day. Hogwash.

I have been scowling the past few days. One word to Jerry M - MORE batting practice. More fielding practice. We need the work ethic of the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s back.

I'm done. Gonna light some firecrackers...nah, I already saw the Mets explode.

Don't fret. I'll watch the game tomorrow.

An Open Note to Omar Minaya

Omar - We have been losing - not only players to the DL, but games and a few players who would have been good additions - granted, some band-aids - for the Metropolitans while many of the core team are collecting AFLAC benefits.

Mark DeRosa - slipped through the goal. Nyjer Morgan /Nate McLouth - practically given away at Goodwill rates.

I'm sure you heard that Manny Rodriguez is coming back. STOP. I don't want you to get him as he would be trouble. But, with his return, there is an "odd man out" and that is Juan Pierre. Pierre would be a good leadoff hitter, he runs and scores runs. Will he hit home runs at CitiField? (IF he hits 5, he will top David Wright). - No, Juan isn't know for powerful lumber. But he might be what we are looking for. And, I am sure he can be had cheap.

Speaking of "cheap" - your SS needs to start diving for balls - whoever it is. Saw too many slip by that could have been stopped.

Now a Word from my good friend, ML, the Mets Sage: Despite all their struggles, errors and injuries - the Mets are in a virtual tie for first place. Why? Because Jerry Manuel has held them together, literally (on the bus) and figuratively (with his sense of reality and humor). That which has not killed them has only made them stronger. August will be a month to remember with Redding, and Billy Wagner added to the bullpen and the always unpredictable Olive Perez added to the rotation. Did somebody say Carlos Delgado has resumed baseball drills? Be still my heart.

Mets - Pirates - Day Games - Never a good Mix

Short post...but I noticed the last 4-5 times the Mets play the Bucs in a weekday game, the Pittsburgh 9 always trounce them or give them a hard time.

Is there a biorhythm connected to this?

Community Commute

Adam Rubin's article sparks a funny thought...Jerry Manuel made the team commute together rather than going in separate taxi's so the article states. One wonders if Duaner Sanchez was with the team how he would have felt about this.

To me, this whole taxi incident was the downfall...got rid of Xavier and got Ollie...Do I have to go further? Who wants to watch a ball of yarn get undone by a cat; a map opened and refolded by a man...you get the picture.

To digress back to the point, the Mets were solid today. You know, even when they went into the 9th with a 1 run lead (uh, footnote, 1-0 was the score), I felt they would be invincible.

Pelfrey was the Pelfrey we have been expecting. A low pitch count helped and he actually recorded a few K's. (Grrrrrr...so did David Wright and two of them are recorded in the scorebooks as backward Ks).

I like high scoring games, but this was a good drama. Would Mets fans take a majority of 1-0 wins vs. 7-6? Sure. It would mess up many a fantasy league, but we want to remember reality. Hats off to Yovani Gallardo - 12ks... And, to quote Steve Somers yesterday on WFAN, he thinks the Mets are an October team.

I'm with ya!

Hassidic Brew

Crappy title that has nothing to do with the blog post...just wrote it so I could wake up. What a disaster of a game.

I think the Mets DEFENSE is lacking big time - yesterday Argenis Reyes was never in the right place and a lot of balls were getting by the shortstop. Today, F-Mart has a horrendous gaffe in center field.

One thing that goes through my mind...remember Willie Randolph? Yeah. The guy before Jerry Manuel....Not many know where he wound up - yes. Still in baseball and a bench coach for the Brew Crew.

As you recall, he was fired at 3:00-something a.m. by an E-mail.

Wonder what is going through his mind now. Surely a few "I told you so" chuckles.

Gotta Be A Diehard Fan No Matter What

Over the last few weeks, my fellow fans have been (MYSELF INCLUDED) second-guessing rather than second-basing.

Tonight's game was just another in throwing the hands (and stomach contents) up in futility. There was a glimmer of hope in the 9th with 5 straight hits, but it never materialized. I got bit psyched when they had to resort to Trevor Hoffman. Don't think I am a Hoffman "fan" - it amused me that he had to get ready in a jiffy. Going from a 10-3 lead to 10-6...End result was egg on the face. 1 Pitch. 1 Double Play. 1 Game Ending. 1 Fan (me / you) coming back again tomorrow to watch.

Notes...This is a one liner, but what the hell were the Mets thinking letting Mark DeRosa slip away? He's a good lunchpail player. Cardinals got him for a song - like 2 notes.

SEE - I do have more than 1 reader!....A good friend of mine posted a comment about the loss yesterday..."I'm for taking up a collection: We need to get Jerry Manuel: a Berlitz guide to English, and a truck load of ACTIVIA (win or lose) just to get through a postgame without freaking my ears out."We need to catch somebody on a bad day..." WTF?

See Ya At The Ball Park

3rd Game v. Yankees

Tough to watch. Mets should "OWN" Chien-Mien Wang. As I write this, he is outpitching Livan. Not that Livan is Cy Young timbre, but when Wang's ERA is higher (or so it seems) than Livan's real age, and your team isn't clobbering him, there needs to be some righting of the ship.

Brewers tomorrow. Glad to get back to regular baseball. Interleague is the Three-Card-Monty of all sports.

A Picture is Worth 1 Hit (Well, That's all the Mets Were Able to Muster Against the Yankees

A 1-hit shutout to our cross town rivals.

Ugh.

Saw a graphic that was haunting. (I may be off by 2-3 on each range, but you will get the idea)...Mets his 26 HR at CitiField since opening day. Opponents - 36.

What's wrong with this picture.

Everything.

This team reminds me a bit of the scab football (and baseball) players during the strike many years ago.

What's In A Name? (Uhhh...Not Much, Especially if it's Elmer)

When I was a kid, a good friend of mine (full disclosure, also a Mets fan, but this is unrelated -- Until now) told me that historically, kids named "Elmer" never succeed.

His theory became correct tonight, at least for Elmer Dessens. Who? My point exactly. Serves about 20 pitches, two of them reached the seats and 3 runs came home.

Granted, Yanks C.C. Sabathia pitched a gem, but Jerry Manuel needs to evaluate putting in low-experienced -- (just typed the word talent and erased it) arms against a tough team. Actually, Dessens does have experience...traveling -- as he has had short stints with many teams.

I'm happy with taking one of the three games.

RedBirds Migrating South

I had the pleasure today of securing a tough ticket and getting a chance to see Johan Santana v. Chris Carpenter at CitiField. In the beginning, Santana looked - eh. Plus the umpire's strike zone was a bit suspect. Cards took an early lead and then the Mets came alive. No home runs (surprised?) but the air was on the electric side as fans were pumped. Omir Santos is becoming a favorite as is Nick Evans.

Pujols, the best player in the game today was virtually shut down. I thought it was interesting to see K-Rod get six strikes on the first six pitches he threw, then appeared to pitch around Pujols. Smart idea considering down by 1 run in the 9th.

The team is turning the corner and it's time to beat up the boys from da bronx.

"I Don't Think You Do" - This is a POSITIVE Headline - Read On....

The headline of this blog sort of sounds pessimistic - but, if we are playing Jeopardy! the question is "What did Jerry Manuel reply when asked if you take Fernando Nieve out of the line-up.

It has been three starts and he has pitched brilliantly. Tonight, a shut-out performance and keeping the first place Cardinals at bay is no easy task. I know it seems odd that Nieve was a cast-off, but Oliver Perez got more chances that Steve Howe did with his problems. Let's put Ollie out to pasture. (Heck, they did it with Duaner Sanchez whom they messed the whole dynamic of the team with back in 06).

Tonight's game was a milestone win. A confidence booster and one the team should be proud of. The stat that jumped out to me was 8 for 13 with runners in scoring position. Usually when we see these stats as of late, or, **Gulp** bases loaded, the numbers are anemic. How anemic? Mario Mendoza-like.

Welcome back to Nick Evans, who was a reclamation project. He went 7-for-75 in the minors before a fete of hitting. Hope its contagious.

Fernando, I hope you keep your momentum and poise - and keep winning.

Tomorrow its a matinee - Santana and Chris Carpenter. I'm there!

It Ain't In the Cards - That is, With Mets Shuffled Line Up To Beat Pujols...

I opened my mouth (too wide, too boastful) in the elevator today...saw a Mets fan and three Cardinal fans and asked them if they were prepared to lose tonight. They said no. They held their ground - Joe Piniero held the Mets bats in silence.

I got a very interesting email today from a good friend, Mister Earl (some may call him Speedo). He has been a fan since Casey Stengel trotted out to the mound at the Polo Grounds to check on 20-game loser, Al Jackson.

Here goes...interesting points...(this was written before the Cards game tonight and I did not adjust any numbers)

Anyone who does not enjoy watching how these underdog replacement Mets battle (only 1.5 out of first despite all the injuries, drama and human error) is just bitter about the past.

These Mets are unpredictable, fun, gritty and tenacious. A no-name like Omir Santos is more lovable and more clutch than Paul LoDuca ever was.

Alex Cora plays with his finger in a splint.

The butcher of left field, Daniel Murphy, is our new first baseman. Fernando Martinez is about 3 years away from his first shave...Luis Castillo turns boos into cheers because he has heart and does not avoid the glare of the reporters lights. David Wright either strikes out or hits a frozen rope. I have no problem with that.

Jerry Manuel is cool and crazy at the same time. A perfect fit for the improvisational strategy that is required to make guys work through mistakes and make the players believe they still have a job to do.

Ryan Church is seeing clearly now and reminds me of Fred Lynn.

Gary Sheffield was supposed to be washed up, too old and a clubhouse cancer. That toughness is not materializing from thin air. If Lenny Dykstra was nails, Shef is an industrial strength locking bolt.

Omar is shuffling guys like a dealer at a Las Vegas table. Even Sean Green looks like he's figured it out. Mike Parnell is on the clock. All our pitchers from Venezuela (Santana, Rodriguez and even Nieve) are the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Win or lose... I love dese freakin' guys

We Gave The Birds The Bird

Going into tonight's game, well, I thought we were going to have to OD on Alka Seltzer...but the fizz was in the Mets bats (Omir Santos, Luis Castillo) and legs - good running efforts and aggressiveness by Razor Shines.

On WFAN today Mike Francessa (rhymes with incessant) kept talking about how the team that was fielded for the starting line-up had 10 less home runs that Albert Pujols. Mr. F, I will be happy to remove the egg from your face.

Omir Santos faced the St. Louis hurlers with no fear going 4 for 4 -- here's a stat to ponder, he only saw 8 pitches tonight.

Luis Castillo made a bold run home and challenged (barely beat the tag) of Rick Ankiel's arm.

Cardinals are a tough team and then the next stop is the Yankees. (Oh, enough of Interleague). Personally, I would say today's game was a turn back the clock (2005-07) when the Mets played with a lot of hustle every night. Beltran's trip to the DL isn't pleasant, but everything came together and they rallied.

On paper, with their top starters, the Mets are the best. But the paper has been crumbled with the loss of Beltran, Reyes, Delgado...Putz....etc.

Twas A Ray Day (Again)

Didn't get a chance to watch much of this contest today - save for the first inning, but when I got back and looked at the box score...I just had to reach for the Pepcid.

Another game blown by the bullpen and this is something like 1-7 over the last several occasions where the starters weren't able to go the distance.

I know we exorcised the spirits of Aaron Heilman and Scott Schoenweis away, but this is bad. Wright put some wood on the ball and IRONICALLY, the Mets gave up only two walks. One from Takahashi (kind of expected) and one from Felciano - who has been a tad overused.

Meanwhile the Rays gave 5 free passes, yet the Mets would go home 4 runs shy.

The good news is that Interleague play is over *GULP* until next week's series with the Yankees.

I am wondering now if CitiField is built over an ancient Indian Burial Ground...hard to hit a home run there. Hey, BJ Upton has been quite effective..why not consider him for next year.

Santana - Mets Bats Defying the Laws of Physics - Runs

Another Santana starts, another game where the Mets bats seems to go Rip Van Winkle...3 hits, 3 doubles total. 1 Run.

Usually when the ace takes the mound, the bats are alive....There was some hustle in the game, but the breaks didn't go the right way. A rain delay...well....that's not cool.

I'm beginning to like Omir Santos...slowly I think he's rounding into the everyday catcher.

Speaking of promising players, let's revisit Fernando Nieve...A good friend of mine had the following quip (and he has been a fan since he was a kid in '62):

The Natural.Fans are missing a great comeback story in Fernando Nieve. Drafted as a skinny 170 pound prodigy at 16 who struggles through a roller coaster of expectations and false starts the minors as property of the Astros, Nieve is claimed by Minaya and gets an opportunity to finally get it right, 50 pounds heavier at 220 and more mature.At only 26, he shows signs of maturity and confidence to step into a pennant race. Stay tuned.

He's got a point~

Nieve Snowed The Rays

Are we on to something? Is Fernando Nieve for real? I hope so. His performance tonight was stellar - 6 innings, 1 run. Seems like they haven't figured him out yet. Maybe he's our version of Cliff Lee? Minors one year - solid performance the next.

One wonders if the Mets acted to quickly by cutting Ron Villone, Freddy Garcia and maybe one or two others from Spring Training.

In any event, the victory was warranted and Schneider and Church did some good offensive damage.

Let's keep our eyes open with Fernando. And, the quartet of Green, Feliciano, Parnell and K-Rod seem to be effective.

Mid afternoon game tomorrow!

He HUFFed and He Puffed and He Blew OUR House Down

Second Straight Night Aubrey Huff invoked damage on the Mets.

Going into the 9th, when K-Rod loaded the bases, we all knew it was ALLLLL Over. The Mets rallied a few times and had good moments, but the Birdseye view (from my couch) wasn't that great. (Not to be a fair weather fan, it would have been stellar if they won).

Many have heard me praise Aubrey Huff - Now it's time for the Mets to get their nemesis, make him an ally (and a nemesis to other NL teams).

Livan once again had a no decision. Is that good? No.

Tomorrow its the Rays...I haven't looked at the sked lately, (Cardinals next week) but the Rays who were once a carpet are now a red carpet. Something to look at.

Mets better not LOOK at them, but rather play them well.

Mets are the Statues for the Birds

Sometimes you are the bird (Orioles), sometimes the statue (Mets) and you know what birds do to statues?

Mets weren't bad tonight - however, I HOPE Omar Minaya is scouting players for next year -- or for that matter, later this year.

Take Aubrey Huff - (yeah, I know I mentioned him a few times before here) - he can clock the ball a bit and is still young enough to be productive.

Can Pedro Felciano be blamed for the loss tonight? Sure. If you want, but let's face it, he was in the last 7 of 9 games. He has a good ERA and tough to hit....What else? Nick Markakis did well tonight and I can see this kid going places....Jose Reyes Return? I heard "Around the All Star Break." This is going to be tough.

A good friend (former business client) gave me a boost today when he said he thought the Mets could come back and win the pennant. Gotta like friends like that!

Squeeeek.

I didn't get a chance to SEE the game, but heard the last inning or so on the radio and it sounded like K-Rod may not have been that invincible. He was lucky to get these guys out as he hit the heart of the order and these guys bring wood.

Good to rebound after a day's rest.

Leakings in the press were that Santana had a bit of knee trouble. In the pre-game comments, that was news to Santana too.

Love the press. To quote Jim Bouton in Ball Four, "Consider the Source."

On The Eve....30 Years Ago - Mets-Orioles - NOT to be Missed....June 15,2009 - Mets / Orioles --- TO Be Missed

I was just puttering around some baseball stats and happenings and pondered that 30 years ago, the hottest ticket around was the 1969 World Series where the Mets were playing the vaunted Baltimore Orioles. Brooks Robinson...Jim Palmer...Boog Powell...Dave McNally and the list goes on.

Tomorrow, the Mets begin a series with the O's in interleague play. Both teams are struggling to win. The O's have some good players and I hope Omar Minaya will be in attendance to scout a few. Aubrey Huff, Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold, Brian Roberts - I would welcome any of these guys to the Mets. The two teams have a history of doing some trading/dealing...John Maine, Kris Benson and a few others come to mind.

I doubt the series between the two will have the word "World"next to it come October. (Hope I'm wrong - hell, I'm a blogger, of course I'm wrong!). But it would be good to see some recovery and an upward momentum like we had earlier this year.

Saying this out loud as I type: LET's GO METS!

Interesting Date - June 15...Checking BaseballReference.com, look at some of the interesting things that happened. Ironically, only two games are being played today...

1902 - Corsicana defeated Texarkana 51 - 3 in a Texas League game. Nig Clarke of Corsicana took advantage of the small park and hit eight home runs. Some telegraph operators, thinking there was a mistake, reported the score as 5 - 3.

1938 - Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds stunned the baseball world by pitching his second successive no-hitter in five days, defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers, 6 - 0, as Brooklyn played the first night game ever at Ebbets Field. In front of 38,748 fans, including spectator Babe Ruth, Vander Meer struck out seven and walked eight, including three one-out walks in the ninth inning. A force at home and a fly ball ended the game. Vander Meer no-hit the Boston Braves, 3 - 0, on June 11.

1949 - Eddie Waitkus of the Philadelphia Phillies was shot by 19-year-old Ruth Steinhagen at Chicago's Edgewater Beach Hotel. She will later be placed in a mental hospital. Waitkus battled for his life and came back to play the following season.

White Flag Up....We Surrender....Please Invoke the 10 Run Rule During a ShutOut

If Nancy Pelosi mentions waterboarding one more time, I am going to make her watch the last 10 Mets losses. WE have been waterboarded and tortured with horrible play (AND luck).

In all of my years as a diehard fan, today's game was one of the hardest to watch...In fact, I could only watch the first few innings. If it was a rainy day, I would have stayed in, but it was so sunny that I decided to go outdoors.

Johan was off his game and allowing 9 runs was uncharacteristic of his performance, but, as you have also witnessed, the Mets defense has been terrible. (Worse than that - BELOW suck level).

Heard a stat that said something like the Mets team average with bases loaded was .111. That is anemic. It makes Bobby Sands look like Walter Hudson.

First, I have not been a proponent of extended interleague play. This isn't new, it was blogged about last year. Maybe one series against a rival and then another 3 game series is OK, but it's old now.

My hat goes off to the Yankees...they played well and showed class by sitting some of the stars and giving the B squad a shot.

What's next for the Mets? A serious overhaul. Here's a quick, down and dirty shooting from the hip who they should acquire to help the team....Who do you give up? Doubt anyone wants walking wounded....

P - Cliff Lee
C - Keep Omir ...
1B - Aubrey Huff
2B - Mark DeRosa
SS - If Reyes doesn't return, maybe Edgar Reneteria? I dunno
3B - Wright Stays
OF - Ben Zobrist, Eric Byrnes (he'd do good in NYC) and I like this kid on the O's - Nolan Reimold.
Manager - Hmmmmm - Dusty Baker? I was a fan of his before the Mets went with Art Howe.

I know the list above isn't the be-all, end-all, but it sure feels good being a GM on a Sunday night.

Day off tomorrow (oh, and today wasn't???)....Let's see what transpires as we move forward.

Keith Hernandez basically summed it up. "Throw out today's loss. It is easier to take than the Castillo pop-up-drop."

Ramblings...We need a modern day version of the Reverend Herbert Redmond of Brooklyn's St. Francis Roman Catholic Church who told his flock in 1955 when the great G.H. was slumping...."It's far too hot for a homily. Keep the Commandments and say a prayer for Gil Hodges." It's a shame NYC's new Cardinal is a Cardinals (or Brewers?) fan.

This Crazy Game Called Baseball

Logic.

Throw it out the window, and when it lands on the street, pounce up and down on it like there is no tomorrow.

Who would have ever thought that a Houston Astros castoff in Spring training would tame the Yankees and keep them at bay? Even the folks who are addicted to picking longshots would have hopped off that bet if you GAVE it to them.

Nevertheless, Fernando Nieve, another in the long line of Mets obscure fill-ins made us believers. Held Jeter, A-Rod and co to a mere four hits, and conversely, the Flushing Ferocious Mets clubbed 17 hits...count em...thats a lot...about doubled their average.

One thing that kind of irked me watching the game on TV there wasn't any loud cheering. I mean, this is a bigger rivalry than Coke and Pepsi....than Vanilla vs. Chocolate, Scuffy vs. Pinebrook. Surely the fans could have risen to the occasion. Maybe I'm just to passionate about baseball. (I hope I'm judged that way by my peers and enemies). If that's the case, then I am going to be making some noise at the ballpark...Cheer the team on peeps, we need to rally and get over the Castro Catastrophe.

Tomorrow, we are gonna get ya A.J. Burnett....WATCH OUT!

Luis Castillo's New Photo

Plain and simple, Castillo is a goat. To give up all the Mets worked for, and succeeded, to lose it in the 9th, to make a fundamental error. Unacceptable.

Taking the lead from the Yankees three times - no one will remember.

Beltran getting on base four times and working through 36 pitches. Forgotten. Ryan Church's 3 RBIs. Really?

Joba struggling to get a strike (and the Mets getting many on by walks)...zzzzzzzzzzzzz

It all comes down to a goat-warranted easy out blunder. Sure, there were two men on base, but this was enough.

OK Omar, now, the philosophical question...What was wrong with Orlando Hudson? (So you don't have to look it up, Castillo is presently batting .277 to Hudson's .307).

The team, despite my ranting, played valiantly, but no one exalts in a loss.

Phillies 2009 = Mets of Late 80s

Too good to be true. Mets leading by several runs..Redding pitching nice. Then, Takahashi, the 40 year old rookie (Couldnt they have waited at least ONE more year?) comes in and gives it all up. (Sadly, he didn't get the loss, though he should have).



The stat that wraggled me was that the Phillies have 20 (YAH, Twenty) come from behind wins this year. That means with 35Ws they were only leading in 15 of these games. Good rallying, wrong team.

Was Cole Hamels right this past winter? I don't want to answer that now -- would rather wait till there are definitive stats, but Jerry needs to make a shakeup.

It ain't all doom and gloom...its just a matter of being outscored.

Parnell Spills It (Phils Win It)

Cole Hamels gets battered for 11 hits and 4 runs....what happens next, you would expect a win for the Mets?

Yeah, you know the drill.

I'm just speechless....they were doing so well and it feels like as you are about to get a birthday cake, someone comes in and steps in it (barefoot, no less). There go the candles, there goes the W.

A former co-worker set me straight - told me to be happy to take 2 of 3 and not be greedy.

Here's the box score...you may curse when you see Parnell giving up the gopher to Utley.
http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=290610121

And, On June 9, CitiField Was Transformed Into a Band Box

Prior to the game I was listening to WFAN and the talk was about how hard it was to hit HRs in CitiField...Mike Francessa was blabbering stats comparing the Yankees having 90+ and the Mets only 34 in their respective new parks.

Then the talk got into "if Wright played at Yankee Stadium, he'd have more than the three he has now."

Lots of moot points.

But, tonight, the CitiField law(s) of Physics were altered as 7 Wall Balls occurred. 4 by the Phils, 3 by the Mets..wanna know what was more miraculous? The Mets showed heart the whole way and KRod shut them down.

Please, I hope this is THE turning point. I haven't thrown in the towel.

Seatbelts, HERE...Getcha Seatbelts

Fans, fellow friends, Mets followers...Tonight I was going to write about WHO the Mets should get at each position as either a back-up or full time player, but it got late and my brain feels like the Mets have been playing, so I will spare ye lone reader.

All I have to say is buckle up for the next few...it's going to be a doozy.