NY TIMES Headline: "Mets Lose Putz for 10-12 Weeks" ---OK, What I Want To Know is How Is He Going to Pee?

Some players lead the league in hits, some in home runs, others in triples. The Mets are leading the majors in an unenviable category...no, not hit batsmen, nor is it high ERA, but rather Men on the DL. For position players, it means we won't be seeing the likes of Reyes, Delgado, Church, Ramon Martinez and Angel Pagan...for pitchers, these arms are on the shelves: JJ Putz, Oliver Perez and Billy Wagner. If you are counting, that's 8.

Latest victim is the much ballyhooed JJ Putz. If you recall I did a post about pronouncing his name a mere few days ago. Last year, same thing, his season was curtailed, while in 07, he was unhittable.

Ben Shpigel chronicles the injury and adds a few good observations in his article with the headline that is going to have many a truck driver blushing, "Mets Lose Putz for 10-12 Weeks"

Ironic that tonight's win against the Nationals (interjection here - NO one seemed to be at the game tonight - looked like it was fans of the Ebola disease who showed up - uh, not many) that the Mets rallied and won.

We are all guilty of analyzing each play, each game, each win, each loss. Just glad the team showed heart.

Carlos Beltran said the other day about the loss to the Pirates, in essence, both teams put out fields of healthy men. 'Cept many of these Mets never played with each other, let alone against a bad team.

Jerry - more infield practice! Call for it!

Wikked - We Beat the Sawx (Hearken Back to '86)

Like Gaul, this blog post will be divided in 3 parts...As far as drawing sequiturs between them, that's up to you -- I ain't the brains of this outfit - you are! (That's why you read UltiMETFan1969 with wreckless abandon).

So, first of all, I am not a fan of the Red Sox. Only players I really admired were Ted Williams and Carl Yaz (who was a relative of a late friend of mine, BJMZ). Tonight's victory was a symbol of a long rivalry and a triumph for all mankind. Going back to (I think) '06, the Sox swept the Mets in three. I still have not forgiven that!

Interesting stats...coming into this game, the Mets had ZERO Home runs on the road trip. That's hard to believe. HR's don't WIN games, but they are a catalyst...How are we going to fill the missing folks..Reyes out, Church looks like he may be out a day or two...and, Ramon Martinez? Puh-leeese...

Now the third part...as you know a good friend of mine, ML was a Mets fan in the Casey Stengel era. He and I have an instant message conversation maybe a few times a week relating to our fave team. Today, he sent me an interesting email, which he has allowed me to post...check it out....


If I could live through 40-120 I can certainly live through being a measly game and a half out of first place in May, after sleep-walking on the west coast.

Here is exactly what happens:

Murphy gets a glove from Wilson and learns to enjoy taking infield practice again. Amazingly, he snaps out of his slump.

Luis Castillo continues at a .280 clip and is solid as the two hitter. Jose Reyes returns in June, takes a minute, then gets hot as a firecracker in July, bouncing triples off the crazy angles at Gil Hodges/ Choo Choo Coleman Field

David Wright is David Wright. He and Shef become the clubhouse leaders. Remember the hug after home run 400? That was significant.

Carlos Delgado rests.Carlos Beltran never runs into another error where the ball drops in his area.

Ryan Church never misses another base and Angel Pagan is a better hitter than people give him credit.

Oliver Perez and Brian Schneider are traded to the Texas Rangers for an insurance infielder.

Sean Greene will be Fed Ex'ed to AAA Buffalo in early July and Dillon Gee gets his minutes.

Putz and KRod do their thing. By September 3rd, Billy Wagner is pleasantly effective as a middle relief man, augmenting Pedro Feliciano from the left hand side.

The Phillies lead the division by 9.5 games in early September. The Mets, channeling 1969, catch fire and catch them at the wire... in truly amazing fashion, in a pennant drive for the ages, forty years after catching and passing the Chicago Cubs.

Jerry Manuel is suddenly a genius.

You heard it here first.

So, wisdom of many! Let's go Mets!

Ward or Dugout?

Seems like there are some hurtin' bods in Queens (and now on the West Coast)...Delgado's hip, now Putz's elbow and Reyes too is getting sore.

Too many integral guys getting aches at the wrong time - and the time zone change doesn't help much - that's for sure. The Mets need to realize the team doesn't revolve around 1 injury and must cover for it.

I just turned on the SF - Mets game and what astonishes me is how many empty seats there are. A downright crime.

My good friend and Mets fan from the Casey Stengel days (ML) just IMed me with a nice nugget of wisdom...I agree...he states: "... nice challenge move to bat Sheffield in the 4 spot. Manuel sends a dual message of respect to a vet, and simultaneously challenges him to produce."

I like ML's viewpoint. SF is soft target, and after the first AB it produced a dividend - a hit and an RBI

In other areas....Maybe this guy can teach some of the Mets how to run out hits.... Streaker (Jose Reyes, I hope you are reading this...I LOVE ya, but you gotta learn to hustle a bit more...Willie R is gone...Jerry M is the man now).

Mets' Youth is Answer to Their Woes

All --
I'm taking a day off from writing today (can't stomach it after seeing the Mets pen give up 6 runs today to the lowly Pirates). I dispatched a long time business colleague and fellow Mets fan to utter some logic in this time of bullpen confusion.

by Mark Tordik

Okay, so the Mets didn't sweep the Marlins on Sunday. [Editors Note: Nor did they play up to the level of the Sisters of Charity "B" team against the Pirates on Monday in a make-up game].
We have to give Josh Johnson a lot of credit. He is a big time pitcher although he's still relatively inexperienced. It's a waste of time to analyze Pelfrey's performance since the Mets' bats did nothing to keep pace with the offensively-charged Marlins.

Going back to Game 2 of this series, Murphy and Evans were nothing short of awesome. It is always exciting to see our young talent get called up in August and September every season. Two years ago, Mike Jacobs hit 10 HRs in something like his first 100 ABs. He's a jerk anyway, especially with what he did to Brian Stokes who got his first major league hit in as many ABs -- Jacobs tossed the ball over the Mets dugout and into the stands. Delgado and Mets officials needed to act fast to get the ball back. This was no accident -- the Marlins team was angered by a stong start by the Mets in which they scored four runs in the first inning.

Anyway, back to the young Mets talent. Another minor leaguer who has been getting some blog buzz is Valentino Pascucci who has hit 25 HRs this season for the New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA).

Val Pascucci should be starting in LF for the Mets. Evans should split time with Tatis in RF and Daniel Murphy should be starting every game for the Mets at second base (he played 3B in the minors and should be able to make the switch) while Castillo continues his rehab. I don't want to ever see Damion Easley start a game for the Mets. He should always be used for PH.

Here is what the Mets lineup needs to look like if they are to challenge the Phillies and take the NL East:

• 1B - Carlos Delgado/Nick Evans
• 2B - Daniel Murphy/Luis Castillo
• SS - Jose Reyes
• 3B - David Wright
• C - Ramon Castro (when healthy, of course)
• LF - Valentino Pascucci
• CF - Carlos Beltran
• RF - Fernando Tatis/Nick Evans (if Church comes back healthy, then I'd give him the nod to start against righties only)

Note: I left Argenis Reyes off the list since he hasn't shown enough power and hitting ability. Murphy should be getting the time there. After all, Murphy has a .500 batting average. As for Nick Evans, he started slow batting .179 on July 12, but has been on a hot streak and is now hitting at a healthy .263.

In terms of pitching, the Mets need to bring up southpaw pitcher Jonathan Niese NOW. His ERA at New Orleans is 2.37. (FYI -- Brian Stokes' ERA at AAA is 4.41). He needs to come up ASAP along with teammate Tony Armas who is sporting a 2.54 ERA.

The Mets' future is bright but only if they can embrace the future and give these young kids a shot.

Editors Note: Mark, I thank you and even though I should be neutral as a moderator, I'll compromise and be succinct... "Ya darn right!"

Looks Like the Mets Beat The Vatican Cardinals

A few weeks ago, Carlos Delgado was a Pariah in the House. An anemic .203 average (give or take- but let's be realistic and take - .201), bad fielding and just no production mixed in with Ks (forward AND backward ones). But, today is July 25 and Delgado had a hell of a month and could realistically be named Player of the Month. A solid HR - his 20th was amongst the highlights of the Mets W over the St. Louis Cardinals (Box Score). OH, but wait, there's more..

Mike Pelfrey, whom I was ready to give away for a bucket of practice balls and a fungo bat and maybe even a used batting glove (for reference, see most posts of 2007! :) ) has come into his own. The confidence is there and the batters are taking him seriously. 7 Solid innings and over his last few starts, his ERA is 2.57. That's what it USED to be after 1/3 inning!

The one area where I still get a little trepidation is that 8th inning...Duaner (HEY TAXI) Sanchez has a predisposition to put runners on. Heilman, is like, well, John Kerry. Flip-flop on whether the mound time will be good or bad.

Cardinals look beatable. In fact, Albert Pujols, arguably the best all-around player (Here's where I have to tout Jose Reyes with his triples) looked like he was an 80-year-old Cardinal from Vatican City. 0-for-5 with 3Ks. Time to light a candle. Santana goes on Sunday and my ass will be planted in the stadium. GO METS!

In the Who Gives a Rat's Ass Dept...So, the following article appears on MLB.Com "Hampton slated to make return Saturday" The sub-head says it all - He hasn't pitched in 3 years in the majors. What is so special about this guy? I thought he left the Mets for the Rockies because they had a better school system? What's he then doing in Atlanta? Why? Why? Why? A very good friend of mine who happens to reside in the same state where Hampton's employer is, summed it up. Take it away O.H. "Hampton is pitching tomorrow if he doesn't pull a muscle wiping his ass in the morning." Sadly, he's accurate. Hampton is as fragile as origami. He put many young pitcher's careers in the shredder waiting for his spot. My prediction? He will make Micah Owings recent outings look like Sandy Koufax in the early 60s.

First PLACE! How Do You Spell Oliver Perez? K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K

The following prognostications, taken singly, would have put anyone in the loony bin had they been evoked in May:

• The Mets are in first place
• Oliver Perez will be consistent
• Carlos Delgado will hit - AND be the catalyst to the Mets getting in first place

OK all ye (me included) Oracle consultors, all three are true. We are not in the loony bin, but in first place. It took an afternoon delight and a win over the Phils to get there.

But, Hey, I'm happy. A good sign is that Delgado, whom I put on a train to New Orleans -- or anywhere for that matter -- early this season, is now hitting and in clutch situations. Let's just hope the early mishaps were seasonal slumps.

Now we are in first. As the John Bon Jovi lyrics state in Livin on a Prayer:

Ohhhh We're Half-Way There....(Everybody sing)

The Tone Changes

So, I am a positive, upbeat person, but the way the Mets played early on this year, the only way to write about was to criticize, lament and try to prevent that tear from falling in your beer.

Today, the Mets took the Rockies again and extended their winning streak to 8. Hope is eternal. Delgado, whom I was willing to trade for a fungo bat and a few practice baseballs earlier in the year, has come around and is connecting. Fernando Tatis is the latest of Mets sensations which earlier in the year included Ryan Church and Angel Pagan. (side note, where IS Angel Pagan these days? Perhaps paling around with J.D. Salinger and Thomas Pynchon? No one has mentioned him at all of late save for "he's on the DL.:

The asset the Mets have is that the underheralded players, a la Damon Easely and the aforementioned chaps in the preceding paragraph all have the capability to turn the game around. That is what makes baseball exciting.

We have to see what is up with Pedro after today's game. And, tomorrow, it is Pelfrey, under the lights on the night game. (wonder if CowBell Man is going to be at the game tomorrow?)

Perez and Delgado Shut Me Up Today -- And I Am Grateful

As you may have inkled (that is past tense for an inkling) in several recent posts, I have gone postal over the performances of Ollie Perez and Carlos Delgado. Let's face it, the reasons have been legit, but I don't write for the sole purpose of bashing, but rather a personal analysis, color commentary and a bit of mystery tossed in.

So, today, I buckled my seat belt upon taking my seat (incidentally, I "walked" down a bit -- a few rows closer.

The place was packed and there was a good rivalry. But, you always get nervous with Perez. He was nothing short of brilliant. 8Ks, 0BB and 7 Innings....seems Koufax-like numbers, but I am not set to anoint ""46" as the next "32." Ollie didn't panic. And you could sense it. There was only 1 time where it looked like the Yankees would tie it up, but he kept his cool. Kept the pitching white-hot.

Delgado has been on fire. Another HR...I think I have seen maybe 6 of these in person.

What a thrill to beat the Yankees. On our grass. In our house. Which will be a flat land, eerily taken away by -- not eminent domain - but always remembered. And, the sandman, Ole Billy Wagner, shut em down.

Check out the box score for posterity, proof and pride.

Trounce The Yanks On Their Turf

Today was the first time this year I went 'cross town to the rivals' Yankees house and I must say, a friend and I were treated to a great game. Originally, this was slated for a Friday in May, but was rained out.

Mets were nothing short of brilliant. I have been rough, tough and salty on Delgado, but today, he had a very good day. 2 Hrs (one a granny, one a 3-run and doubled in 2 to give him 9RBI.
See Box Score

In essence, the Mets of today were like the Mets of 05, 06 and early 07 - run scoring machines.

Tonight, the second part of the day-night doubleheader, they are being shut out in the 7th. Boys, I hope that rally happens.

Well, on to Sunday, where I will be back at Shea and I just saw that --- GULP ---- Ollie Perez is pitching.

Not that I root against him, but he's consistent..that is, unpredictable. That's what we KNOW - but we don't know the outcome. All I ask is that Ollie has a break-out like Delgado.

Incidentally, Michael Kay on ESPN Radio was saying that Delgado's efforts today was a result of Major League pitching gone diluted.