Jose Reyes...An Icon!

I wanted to write a bit about Jose Reyes, but came across an article by Steve Popper of THE RECORD which says it best.

Read this and then answer this question..."Would you trade Jose Reyes for either Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter Straight up?" -- My answer at the end...

Enjoy!

Jose Reyes has all 5 tools, and they are getting sharper


Sunday, April 1, 2007 By STEVE POPPER

STAFF WRITER
Jose Reyes can't cook.
Yes, there is something he can't do. But that's in the kitchen, where his mom still helps him. On the field though, every day that passes seems to dispel another notion that there is anything he can't do. And that is why he is the best player in New York.

Actually, his manager -- Willie Randolph, who is not prone to excessive proclamations -- already bypassed this debate and announced that Reyes could be the best player in baseball. And teammates who could lay claim to that designation -- David Wright and Carlos Beltran -- didn't flinch at that assessment.

"He's a five-tool player in every sense of the word," Wright said. "I expect him to be an MVP candidate on a yearly basis. I expect him to win numerous Gold Gloves because he's got that kind of ability. He's got that kind of ability you dream about.

"He's dynamic in all aspects of the game. He does everything exceptionally well in all aspects of the game. You can't look around baseball and find many more well-versed, five-tool players than Jose. He can absolutely do it all. The scary thing is he gets better and better."

He is 23 years old and seems to be just scratching the surface, but this isn't about potential, just as it isn't about the past. Sure the potential is intriguing. Reyes has just two full seasons in the major leagues and reported this spring to camp looking stronger and bashing home runs at the same rate as Barry Bonds.

But he's already reached a level that no other shortstop in baseball today -- Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez included -- has reached. Last year, he led the major leagues with 17 triples and 64 stolen bases and hit .300 with 19 homers and 30 doubles.

The only other shortstop in major league history to hit at least .300 with at least 15 triples, 10 homers, 20 doubles and 50 stolen bases was Honus Wagner in 1908. Only one other player in history -- Willie McGee in his MVP season of 1985 -- has reached those levels. And Reyes is the only player in history with the combination of runs (122), hits (194), stolen bases and homers he compiled.

But if you wanted just numbers you could point to Jeter's .343 batting average or A-Rod's 121 RBI last year, you could look in Reyes' clubhouse and see Beltran's 41 home runs. Reyes is not just a player who puts up numbers. On a team filled with big money, free agent acquisitions, superstar pieces at almost every spot, he is the piece that makes the Mets go.

When Reyes scored last season the Mets were 60-25, and when he didn't cross the plate they were just 37-40. When Reyes got on base the Mets were 80-47, and when he didn't they were 17-18. And in innings that Reyes got on base the Mets scored 60.7 percent of the time, compared to just 22.8 percent in innings when he wasn't on base.

He starts rallies -- hitting .325 with 20 walks leading off an inning. But he finishes them, too, hitting .414 in 79 at-bats with two out and runners in scoring position. Dave Williams, a teammate now who has faced him, said, "You worry about a guy like [Carlos] Delgado for his power and you try to take that away. But with Jose, you can't take anything away. If he singles, he's on third."

Unlike Rodriguez, whose every move seems calculated on how it will move him closer to immortality and the Hall of Fame, Reyes, with his infectious smile, has ignited his clubhouse and even Shea Stadium. The stands reverberate with chants of "Jose, Jose, Jose" with his every scamper around the bases. The smile and the skills are his calling card. There is no celebrity dating and few endorsements.

But this argument isn't about who is dating Jessica Biel or Jessica Alba or whatever movie star emerges next week -- although Reyes has begun a music career. It's about what he does between the lines, and Reyes has a combination of still-developing speed and power, cannon arm and acrobatic glove that no other player can touch.

"I appreciate that," Reyes said. "But that doesn't go to my head. I have to worry so much about playing the game, doing my job, giving 100 percent every day. I can't worry about that kind of stuff. Whatever happens, happens."

It's already happened. Only two years after he seemed too young, too injury-prone, Reyes has emerged. Last year he finished seventh in the National League MVP balloting, hurt by the suddenness of his ascension and by the votes split among his teammates (Beltran finished fourth, Wright ninth and Delgado 12th).

Now, he seems better. This isn't about the rings Jeter has or the numbers being compiled by A-Rod. This is about 2007. One year. Who is the best player today? Who would you want on your roster? And the answer is Reyes. Or as they would say at Shea, Jose, Jose, Jose.
E-mail: popper@northjersey.com
* * *

• WHY REYES IS BETTER THAN JETER
  Reyes is faster than Jeter and steals more bases.
• Derek Jeter is still a fast runner, and yes, he stole 34 bases last year. But for pure speed, few players in the league – if any – are as fast as Reyes.
• Reyes is nine years younger than Jeter.
• Jeter (June 26) and Reyes (June 11) share the same birth month ... but not the same year. Jeter was born in 1974, Reyes in 1983. When they're making room for Jeter in Monument Park, Reyes could still be at the top of his game.
• Reyes has more pop in his bat right now, and he's only getting stronger.
• Since hitting 24 home runs in 2004, Jeter's HR output has dropped in each of the past two years. At 32, it's reasonable to think that he'll never top 20 again. Reyes, however, could be the next perennial 30-30 guy.
• Unlike Jeter, Reyes gets along with his third baseman.
• For baseball fans who have grown weary of the almost daily Jeter and Alex Rodriguez soap opera, there's the Mets' clubhouse. Usually you can find third baseman David Wright cracking jokes about Reyes' wardrobe ... all in good fun.
• Jose Reyes on David Wright"We're just good friends. We joke around here in the clubhouse, but if we see each other outside, we're friends. We joke, try to have fun."
• Jeter's arm is strong, but Reyes has a cannon for an arm ... and may have better range
  A few years ago, former Mets first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz went to Reyes and asked him not to throw the ball quite so hard because he was worried about getting a bruised catching hand. And just because Reyes has a cannon for an arm doesn't mean he's a loose cannon; his throws from the hole are as accurate as anyone's.

RE: Trading Reyes for Jeter / Rodriguez: NO!!!!! I don't want to get lesser value in the deal.

What A Way To Begin!

After months of waiting and agonizing "WHEN WHEN WHEN" the baseball season would open, the wait stopped at the depot and we got some ball.

And, there were no disappointments.

Even though the Cards won the World Series, it's nice to beat them in their house on the same nights as they get their recognition.

It seems as if the Mets didn't skip a beat. DoubleGenerationOld Glavine's arm was spectacular. LoDuca's bat was good and naturally, Jose Reyes didn't fail the crowd.

There was one anxious potentially psychologically damaging moment - when Beltran was at the plate and the first two pitches sailed by for strikes. I was lamenting a deja vu'. I mean, who wants to repeat a called third strike without swinging. Fortunately it worked out. Can you imagine the first at bat of the year echoing his last at bat from last year. Forgiveness may not have been in option in that "ultra liberal" fan base of us Mets.

There was a lot of hustle and kudos to the catch that 40 year old Moises Alou made.

Interestingly, if you refer to the link above (click title of the blog topic), the Mets have the best EVER opening day win-loss percentage. Imagine if they had a contending team in the early years!

Well, it feels great to be back...let's talk a bit during the season.

15 Minutes to Opening Day...

Clock is ticking and I can't wait!

Jersey and hat are on...well attired.

Go METS!

Outta Hibernation - On the Eve of Opening Day

I thought this day would never get here, but, in approximately 23 hours as this is being written, we will have -- BASEBALL 2007!

And, what better way than to have the perfect team (a prediction of bookends coming up) - the Mets will win the first game of 2007 - AND the last (hint: WS).

Willie Randolph had a lot to evaluate during March and I am sure with the prodding of Omar Minaya, we will have a well rounded team. It's interesting to note the one thing that was of concern was the pitching rotation. Sure, the arms are old...that worries me a bit, but I like Pelfrey and do hope he is a plus for the future.

As expected, old timers Sandy Alomar, Jr., Ruben (I love how he kicks that leg up to bat) Sierra and Chan Ho Park will be all AAAers (better than AA)! Let's see if their candle goes out after this.

My prediction is the Mets will win 103 games this year - believe it or not, be mired in a 5-7 game losing streak, yet still pull ahead.

I am excited and can't wait to hear the sound of the bat and the screams of the fans.

I'll be posting more during the season...thank you wonderful audience. I would love to take you all home. (A two-seater is probably adequate!)

Musings...Glad Lastings Milledge got a new 'doo

Spring Training Game - Vs. Baltimore - March 20

For the three or four folks who are die hard readers of my blog (and, for those tallying the census, I am counting the Siamese Twins as two to bolster my reader numbers), I had the chance to catch a few plays here and there of the game tonight between the Mets and the Baltimore Birds.

I like what I saw...As this is being written, its the bottom of the 8th and the Mets scored two from an Anderson Hernandez bases loaded single. Here's a guy who is on the bubble, but should be a Mets regular one day. I wrote about him before and distinctly remember his awesome catch last year in the opening week of the season.

Jose Reyes looked impressive. As you all know, I am a fan of the Triple and he made it look easy once again. Last year he hit 17 and I believe this year he will break the Mets club record of 21 by Lance "One Dog" Johnson. (Interlude a la Eugene O'Neil) -- He was called One Dog because when he ran the bases, he stayed "close to the rail" much like the dog in the first post position at a the puppy oval.

Another triple in the game was hit by Jose Valentin and this is a guy, who is Teflon. Should not have made the club last year, but man, he impressed and ran the bases well. (Jose, if you are reading this -- readership would be 5 -- note that you kept turning to watch the ball too much).

Oh, and Mike Pelfrey looked good too. Let's not wear him out, but bring him up right. In the past, the Mets ruined more arms than an autopsy doctor. (Paul Wilson, et al).

With the season opener 10 days away, I look forward to some good ball this year.

Again, thanks for stopping by, feel free to comment and if you are one of my 80,000 readers, walk around with pride! :) Did I say 80,000? Darn Cat stepped on the keyboard -- AGAIN!

A-Rod - A MET??? Let's See, the Definition of Heresy Is...

So there's a story in today's Record talking about "Shea-Rod" - Yes, (David Wright's Stats) as much as I love the kid, proclaims he would give up the Hot Corner if Mr. $252-Million-And-I-Am-Not-Pals-With-Derek-Jeter came to Flushing. (See story: Wright Wants Shea-Rod

Now, don't get me wrong. I am all for bettering the Mets (and the team finally "GOT IT" when they shed John Franco), but the dynamic of Wright at 3B, a position he played forever, just going away at this stage of the game is completely ludicrous. Remember, when A-Rod was with the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers, (Alex Rodriguez Stats ) he was either playing SS or DH. Now there is NO WAY us die hard Mets fans would let him go to SS and even get within the comfort radius of Jose Reyes - so, where is the logical place for him to play? Maybe 2B - that would be OK with me. And, before he goes spouting off (that is if I was GM and had him, I'd say that as a consummate player, he should be able to play anywhere in the infield.)

OK. I'm done ranting. A-Rod, you can come to Shea and play 2B...BUT, don't get any other ideas.

40/40/40/40 Club?

Is 40 the "New 20?" - Maybe for the starlets in Hollywood - Julia Roberts, Cindy Margolis, etc...but for baseball players? Well, Maybe. I know the Mets think so.

Glavine
El Duque (as alluded before in this blog, I believe he saw 40 awhile ago)
Mosies Alou
Julio Franco
Ruben Sierra
and, now, Sandy Alomar Junior -- all have blown out 40+ candles on their recent birthday cakes.

With the way ball players are taking care of themselves these days, it is good to see players being productive at this stage of their career.

Now, I hope the Mets aren't looking at these players figuring they will be as good as they were in 1988, but you never know. I personally hope they all do well and make the team. Longevity (AND being good) is key to this game and many players fade before you know it (David Clyde, Joe Charboneau, etc).

The ironic thing, is that many of these players will be admitted into the ballpark a few years from now with a senior citizen discount. (All they have to do is show their current employee ID and then they'll get past the guards and get on the field.

I have a sneaking suspicion that in a few years, we will have a team of old Minnie Minosos http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/minosmi01.shtml ...but that guy drubbed out a hit at the age of 50 and swung the bat twice at age 54.

Sandy, welcome aboard...Let's see you make the roster.

Validation for the Love of the Game of Baseball

For this vast audience which extends probably two - and I'm pushing - three towns

(interlude: Hey O.H. I don't know if I consider "C" a town !),

I saw something today, albeit a day late, on the Mets.com that really shows how much people love the game of baseball. I'd like to share it with you, and then give you my short, elevator assessment of why this scribe loves the game:

Expressions of love for baseball: http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070213&content_id=1801299&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym

Good, huh? Nice cross section of folk.

I can tell you this, I love baseball as long as I can remember...4 years old, first glove, watching the Mets and (CHOKE - do I say) Yankees with my late Uncle "T McP" - Keep in mind here, the age of 5 is considered the age of reason, so I had no idea what I was doing watching the pinstripers (more like Candy Stripers then). In any sense, the thrill of opening up baseball cards with the chalky gum. The thrill of getting a Met in the pack - didn't care if he sucked or was a star - IT WAS A MET! Smelling the grass of a cut fresh field...seeing my idols play from a far seat away...MEETING some real live ball players at baseball camp at the age of 8...getting autographs...having Gene Michael teaching me how to swing a bat - WHO CARED if he was a .220 hitter...talking baseball with friends...talking MORE baseball with friends and doing more and more of the latter and former...crunching stats...saying this player was better than that player (he was)...watching the instant replays...he was out...no, well, hmmm....second look, he looked safe...n0....no...he was clearly out....listening to the sound of the bat hitting the ball...listening to the thud of the ball hit the catchers mitt...arguing managers and umpires ejecting them...only a few games out of first place...IN first place...STAYING in first place...

Now, synthesize all these things into one - there's a small fraction of what baseball is.

I have one blog. This. It's about baseball. While I do other things in life, the gift of 3 hour games every day from April to October is what I enjoy. And, as I ranted before, Spring Training has NOW started...

I Love it. Mets.

Across in the Bronx...I never write about the Yankees, but something caught my eye in the newspaper on the commute home. Mariano Rivera is cackling about his salary and being respected - kind of creating the image that he's the only one that can do what he's doing. Time to stop and get humbled by the following quote which a reporter used: "The cemetery is full of men who are irreplaceable."

Book Me on The Next Flight To Florida....

We are about to get hit with a cold spell - snow, they say, and all that keeps ringing in my ears is the phrase ".........Days 'Til Pitchers and Catchers Report......."

That is one of THE nicest chain of words (well, aside from the things people say on Valentines Day to each other - let me qualify that by those who LIKE each other)...that I can hear all winter.

And, with the warming of weather, comes the change - not only in temperature, but in rosters.

Today, I learned the Baltimore Orioles signed Steve Trachsel http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/trachst01.shtml . Now, a good friend of mine, "MAC" who has contributed to this blog is a BIG fan of Steve. MAC, I will only refer to him as "Steve Trash Can" one time outta respect. I still, to this day can't see what the Mets saw in him. Not to take anything away from his ability as a ball player (in 2005, he made upwards of 6 million...I made upwards of 6 bucks) but he was marginal at best - YEAH. Go ahead and berate me with the 15 wins from 2006 -but when you add up his record with the Mets since 2001, it is only 66-59. Steve was one of those pitchers like Mike Hampton who came in with high expectations and just - well, didn't dazzle.

I know our pitching situation for 07 is influx. Glavine is 41. El Duque probably WAS 41 (at one time) and Pedro along with Dave Williams will be placing their derrierre's on wood for several months while their wings heal. Darren Oliver, speaking of wings, flew to the Angels, Chad Bradford sidled (get it? he s a side armer) outta here - so, our main concern will be getting the right guy on the mound at the right time - (Footnote to Omar - Remember the Maine: both John and the battleship: http://www.homeofheroes.com/wallofhonor/spanish_am/02_maine.html
Pelfrey can be good and we have to see what else is in store.

That's why we have Feb 15. It's the second most important day behind Valentine's day and grounhog day. I look forward to seeing my shadow - that will mean baseball season can't get here too soon.

I do ask my fellow fans to be patient until the bugs are worked out of the rotation.

Now the countdown begins - I can't believe I am saying this but after a drought of no MLB since late October, I can really get into a Mets-Devil Rays spring training game.

Yeah, I'm addicted to baseball and I won't give it up. I'll sit in the last row of a crowded delayed plane, middle seat between two fat guys (who each bring their own baloney & liverwurst sandwiches) just to see some early ball.

Vintage Wine...Vintage Clothes...Vintage Sluggers????

So, I am driving home from work and naturally, have the sports radio channel on (I ain't gonna say which one, but flip a coin, WFAN or WEPN, and I hear the Mets just signed Ruben Sierra...WHOA - back up a moment...Ruben Sierra??? Geeees.

He's vintage. I know people pay a lot for vintage clothes and vintage wines...but vintage ball players???

This would have been a no brainer back in '87 when Rubie kept crushing those 5 oz balls made in Haiti over high fences. But this is today and he is full of question marks based on his stats.

I do give the man (both he and Omar) credit. At an age when most ball players (save for the other vintage, Julio Franco) are retired, Ruben keeps bouncing back. And who can't resist admiring, questioning and even trying to practice that swing, kicking the leg out, pausing and bringing the bat around to hit the sssssshhhhhh - imaginary ball. Omar Minaya must see something in him too. It's rare that he has a bust as a player.

For all the Mets fans out there, this isn't the first time OLD R.S. has been getting a W-2 from the Metropolitans. Back in '98 he signed a free agent contract, but didn't appear in any games for the Mets. As a matter of fact, he sat out '99 returning the following year.

If you want to see a man who must own a few suitcases, click the link for Roob's stats and scroll down. Seems like he boomerangs to the Rangers every few years.

I am hoping Sierra will become a Treasure Sierra and lead the Mets to some W's...Wins, will be modern and vintage. Can't take them away.

Psssssssssssssssssst....Winter is officially over. It's Feb and this is the month that catchers and pitchers report.

Bring it on.

The Yankee Pharmacist vs. The Die Hard Mets Pro

My family pharmacist, who happens to be a great guy, is a die-hard Yankee fan. At times over this past season we battled to the extreme of who is better. Naturally I razzed him when the Devil Rays beat the Yankees something like 19-2 in 2006, and he let ME have it when the Red Sox swept the Mets. (Crow tastes very humbling for both of us.)

This gentleman, who has the SAME name as a famous slugger in the game today, (Don't worry Pharmacist pal of mine, I'll let the readers guess and I still won't tip my (METS) hat if they come up with the right answer) saw me today wearing the aforementioned cap and said "OK, get the scorecard out and let the record show the taunting begins on January 26."

It happens to be one of the coldest days of the year where we are, and already, this gent and I are thinking baseball. This game really is addicting in a good way.

Both of our teams are adding (and subtracting) as we speak. We just said fare-thee-well to Cliff Floyd who I thought was a class act, but his injuries have left him very fragile of late. Too much of a risk whether he will be healthy the whole year. Though one has to question whether 40yo Moises Alou is the panacea replacement. And, the dude with the RX jacket is probably pondering as we speak about the destination of Bernie Williams this season....WHOA WHOA...watch the counting of those pills...the scrip calls for 100, not 103...

It's about 2 weeks and a few days before pitchers and catchers report and then the RX man and this humble, timid, scribe will put on the boxing gloves and have our friendly debates. Though he's at an advantage as his staff all are pinstripe fans, I know the Metropolitans will be busy once again this October.

OK, here's ONE hint...the pharmacists name is not______________________

*Toldja I'd keep it confidential!

A New Era in NY - Say Hey (Willie)! Deux!

I was glad to hear the Mets inked a deal to keep Willie Randolph in Queens through 2009 and a possible option in 2010 (click headline for story linked to Sports Illustrated).

Willie's right for the job. Has been since day one and we'd like the momentum of last years team to be the first cog in an everlasting dynasty. It's time to break out!

For me, the Mets managers have been like the governors of NJ. BAD (Torborg), Awful (Greene), Arrogant (Bobby Valentine). I'm not going to get political here, but the top staffers in NJ have been disappointing, back to around the time the Mets won the whole ball of wax in '86 (Tom Kean). And a short flicker with Dick Codey. OK. Back to baseball...

Randolph brings a good New York attitude to a home team -- and he's a native! (I promise this is the last reference to NJ Govs -- at least in this blog). The schmuck down in Trenton was born in Illinois and is not a lifelong NJ resident. Who wants that? We want someone who knows the DNA of the state...And Willie Randolph sure does.

Back in the halycon days of the 1950s, we had another great Willie - Willie Howard Mays: Stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/mayswi01.shtml who was revered and made the giants the GIANTS. I look to see Randolph doing the same with the Mets.

Omar, thanks for keeping the hopes of us Mets fans alive...(I'd gladly vote you as the next Governor of NJ !!!)

Well - I guess the air is outta the tires on Clemens...

A few days ago, I don't know what happened (OK, this is my way looking for a graceful excuse out - a la' the Japanese trying to save face)...But, for some reason, I concocted a strange notion that I wanted Roger Clemens on the Mets (still do).

According to http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article_perspectives.jsp?ymd=20070115&content_id=1779653&vkey=perspectives&fext=.jsp it looks like the 'Stros, Pinstripers and Red Hose have the best shot. And that's fine.

I just want to see some real action this winter by Minaya. Signing marginal players with SillyString arms isn't going to cut it.

So, I take it upon myself to issue a challenge to all my MLB Professional Ball Players who read this blog religiously (are there any???) to take it upon yourself and (in the vein of Shakespeare) - "Get Thee To a Mets Contract" if not - a nunnery awaits thee.

Blabberings...How ironic is it that today, the Mets announce that minor league tix go on sale and when I woke up, there was a coating of snow? After seeing that white poison covering my car and sidewalk, I immediately placed an order....It's getting late now and I am trying to stay awake - ah, forget it. I'm gonna pull a Casey Stengel (circa 1962 5th inning) and fall asleep...My dreams will be 40 Mets spilling champagne and seeing a calendar that says October 2007...

Time for a Random Met

The gods of the algorithm / oracle have spoken and the random Met is Anthony Young.



http://www.baseball-reference.com/y/youngan01.shtml

What an ironic name...This poor gent certainly didn't feel young when he was compiling his legendary loss streak. Twenty Seven, YUP 27 (vente siete) -straight, consecutive, uninterrupted "L"s appeared after his name in the box score.

He was certainly a hard luck pitcher and the Mets in 1991-93 when he played for them weren't exactly stars.

Here's something to figure that defies the laws of --well, almost ANYTHING. In 1993 he went 1-16 in 39 games covering 100 innings...NOW, look at his salary below:

1992 - New York Mets - $115,000
1993 - New York Mets - $205,000
1994 - Chicago Cubs - $230,000
1995 - Chicago Cubs - $380,000
1996 - Houston Astros - $275,000

What happens? After getting dealt to the Cubs for Jose Vizcaino, he gets a 25k increase in salary.

If this was corporate America, AY, as much as we pined for ya, you would have went from the executive board room to the night time janitor's position after being consistently -- UH - Bad.

Well, AY, you got on the late night shows and enjoyed a bit of celeb status...I hope years later you are doing well.

Until we meet again...the Mets rock!

OH, and only about 3 weeks 'til pitches and catchers report for spring training.

Pssssssssssssst...Anthony Young - stay home. We don't need a batting practice pitcher.

Let's Go Out on a Limb Here -- How About Trying To Get ---- Roger Clemens?

OK All - (especially Mets fans) - before you get the tar and feathers and the one way ticket to East Timor in my name, hear me out.

I think the Mets should go after Roger Clemens for 2007 and (beyond?).

Firstly, no one can refute his record. Even after entering his 40s, Rocket has been an effective pitcher. Look at some of the hurlers who went past the age Jack Benny stopped counting at -- some include Warren Spahn, Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry, Bert Blyleven, Jim Kaat and a few more that still could toss the cowhide the 60 feet 6 inches and have players in their twenties produce a WHOOSH of wind with their bats.

In his twenty-three years of toeing the mound, the Rocket only had two - count 'em 2 - losing seasons, 1993 and 1996 (and Seaver had 3 - albeit none with the Mets). What I am trying to demonstrate here is that he's a stalwart and this is something the Mets need right now. With Pedro Martinez returning many months after the Swallows of San Capistrano, and a few of the other moundsmen donning uniforms of other rivals, the Rocket may be just what the team needs to inspire motiviation for the younger arms.

Yes, Clemens was a pariah during the late 90s/early 2000s with the Mike Piazza incident (Footnote - to this day I am STILL a huge Mike Piazza fan and hope he will return to the Mets one day) and I expect many to not welcome this thought of having the Rocket at Shea.

What would I expect from Roger? Motivation, coaching, teaching, and a few strikeouts, maybe a shutout or two - and fear in the eyes of other NL batters. It would be an interesting scenario for sure. But the downsides would be Roger's perceived crankiness and desire of special treatments.

(And, if he can't hit the strike zone, we all know he can throw a bat).

Well, I can dream for a bit, can't I?

OK - Now comes time for the disclosure part. This wasn't the reason I wrote it, but if it does happen, Hey, I have a 1985 Topps Roger Clemens Rookie Card (off center). Maybe it will jump up in value by a buck?

Raj - don't say I ain't rootin for ya! (But if you don't come to the Mets - we'll be leading the raspberry parade!

Resolution for 2007

For every man who has ever donned a Mets uniform, whether it was in Single-A through the Majors, I want to thank you for making my favorite team even better. There were some lean years and many groans, but 2006 has proven that the team has heart, can come back and be a contender.

I want to propose a resolution on behalf of the fans to support the team through the good moments and bad for 2007. We must strive to play perfect baseball and execute the runs, wins and strategic pitching situations.

While it puzzles me why some players chose to leave a budding dynasty and seek the free *(greed)* agency market...Well, let's say one day you are up for a big "I Told You So."

As we countdown the hours (a mere three) to 2007, let's raise our glasses to a toast of champagne -- My toast is: "May we be spilling gallons of champagne in October of '07.

Bonilla in Hall of Fame?

Click the headline - all I gotta say is - NO! OH, Puh-Leeeease!

Zito - You Can't Take the Heat-O

A few of my loyal readers (O.H., M.F., and others) recently backed me into a corner and demanded my take on Barry Zito.

Well, I KNOW it may be after the fact, but in a sense, I am kinda glad he didn't sign with the Mets. Granted he is a good pitcher and a cog in the A's rotation for many years, but something deep down inside my gut told me he would be akin to Bret Saberhagen and a few other pitchers through history who had stellar seasons elsewhere and didn't make it in the Big Apple. It takes a special kind of personality and thick skin to hurl the ball in Queens - OH, plus some good pitches help too!

Zito, it was pointed out in a broadcast during the playoffs as good as he was, he never pitched a real BIG game (think of Jack Morris' 10-inning shutout, Curt Schilling with the toe, etc).

But what made Zito ink the paper in the 415 area code zone? Simple. The answer can be described in symbols instead of words: $$$$. [It may be a coincidence, but don't the SF Giants have a slugger on their team who beefed up his wallet - AND his body (with steroids -- I'm not going to say allegedly - so all you folks in the ACLU take that!). Can the Giants really have that big of a check book? ]

While we are on the topic of pitchers signing elsewhere. I am still baffled that Chad Bradford, a sidearmer who I liked decided to join the Orioles. If its for oogling Anna Benson, then that's a different story. But Chad, man, the opportunity to get a ring rests with the Metropolitans and NOT with the Orioles (Hearken back to 1969 my friend and see what happened).

Darren Oliver - another hurler who was so-so, but dependable also put on wings - literally - and became an Angel. What gives?

OK, we are in the hunt for a few good pitchers -- and, if we DON'T get any pitchers, this scribe, who stays away from the fermented grape and the hops and barley in liquid form -- WILL be drinking pitchers to calm the nerves.

Dontrelle, we'll even let you pee on the pitchers mound if you come north.

Barry, good luck in SF, but now since you are "the enemy," I hope you have an uphill battle a la Lombard Street (see accompanying picture) with your new Uniform.

Omar, it looks like its getting tough to entice and get commitments from live arms. Dangle good deals and get rid of the dead wood - (so far so good, Royce Ring, Roberto Hernandez - tragically - you're next.

OK, so, to sum it up. We may have lost the Zito-stakes, but we learned a lesson. Mets need to be more aggressive with the contracts.

Let's make 2007 a good one. (Place the bets in the sports books in Vegas for the playoffs).

I'm done now...see you back here soon.

Hall of Fame - Are any Eligible Ex-Mets Deserving???

OK.

I am a biased Mets fan. Let me get that out.

But, for the life of me, I am very practical when it comes to the Hall of Fame. This is a sanctuary that should honor SUPERSTARS, not marginal players. Unfortunately, the latter has been happening over the years as balloters feel compelled to vote SOMEONE in. No matter who -- or "who(m)."

The list of 2007 eligibles, plus carryovers from last year were announced. The link from the Hall of Fame and a brief overview of the players can be seen from this link:

http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/news/2006/061127b.htm

Now, I wish I had the time to rate all of these players to give you my opinion. I will do this...(for those who care -- and I don't think my mom is one of them, but, Kudos to you mom if you are reading this.

There are just TWO candidates who jump out at me and are fully deserving. Quite simply, in order of preference, it is Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken. If Tony had a finger for each batting title he won, he'd be a Polydactyly (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydactyly) That man could simply hit and his lofty batting averages certainly show it.

Cal Ripken, and the reason I put him second, is that the "streak" after awhile was man-made and based on the intent of breaking the Iron Horse's record of 2130. It didn't matter if Cal was hurt - his dad, the manager, would put him in the game. Take nothing away from Ripken, he was a superstar and an ambassador for the game.

Now, for the future of the former players who were Mets at one time or another. Here's my view on whether they will be enshrined...

Bobby Bonilla - PASS. Let's not talk about the obvious. (Pssst. As Allen Ludden would have said..."The Password, is 'tude.")

Tony Fernandez - A good shortstop/second baseman with a good glove. He was my favorite SS in the game back in the early 90s. His numbers were good, but I would not rate him a superstar. (I don't believe Don Mattingly is a Hall of Famer - and he has posted WAYYYY better numbers).

Orel Hershiser - One year with the Mets and not very memorable. 175 innings pitched, not even 90 strikeouts. Can't base his career on this sole season, but his total career numbers don't knock me over. A good man, and a morale builder around the clubhouse.

Bret Saberhagen - 2 Cy's still doesn't get him in with my criteria. I think he had some great years, but bounced around a bit after his days at KC. Only won 20 games twice. With seven of his 17 years in single digit wins, this guy still managed to pull down over $47 million in career salary.

Thanks for letting me spout. If you think its all drivel, tell me. If you agree with my opines - let's chat too!

Back soon. The winter talks are heating up. Sure to be more news for me to squawk about.

BACK!!!! With A vengeance!

Wellllll Hello All...

Sorry I haven't been posting lately. The demands of work got to me over the past few weeks and while I have been thinking about the Mets, just haven't had time to "get it down on paper," so to speak.

I want to thank a very good friend of mine for prompting me to write. O.H., from that bustling metropolis in Calhoun, GA has been a fellow baseball and sports fan and soundboard for me for the past - I dunno - what is it, O? Seven, Eight? NINE??? years...We got to chatting via IM and...well. Here I am.

A little bit has been going on. My views will be both spewed and skewed. Here goes.

Orlando Hernandez - Thanks for not holding out O.H. (Hey, I just noticed my friend has the same initials. -- The other thing they have in common was both were born in 1939. Though I am betting the Met hurler is a bit older). We locked you for two years and I think you will be coming back fine.

Jose Valentin - A good "insurance" sign. If Soriano becomes available, the 37 YO with the breakout year in 06 becomes a backup. 1 Year was a good contract. The Mets will develop more talent at the keystone.

Tom Glavine - Time to play the option game. Here's where we see a lot of finesse (READ: Bullshit) with contract negotiations. I can recall Glavine saying a few years ago he wanted to end his career in a Mets uniform. Now he is declining options and the like. Even considering going back to the Braves. Message to Tom: HELLO! Look at the records from2006....Why give up a steak and lobster meal for chuck shoulder (on the bone).

Royce Ring & Heath Bell - How do I describe these guys? It's a bit hard. But they are taking Horace Greeley's advice (via action by Omar Minaya) and plying their trade west. To me, these guys never seemed to be a real part of the Mets DNA and when they were pitching, just seemed to be fill ins. Honestly, I haven't evaluated the trade to the Padres: http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061115&content_id=1741131&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp though I hope the pitcher recieved by the Mets can throw the ball with a little authority.

Is the Majors turning into eBay????? - Now it seems the trend is to put the merchandise out - have a minimum bid and then do a buy it now a la eBay www.ebay.com First it was the "Gyro Ball" pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article_perspectives.jsp?ymd=20061114&content_id=1740293&vkey=perspectives&fext=.jsp and also 3B Akinori Iwamura which the Devil Rays won.

OK. Listen up. And this is directed to the 30 GMs who read this blog as their bible. DONT DO IT! DON'T FALL FOR THE BAIT.

Over the years, I have heard a ton about "CAN'T / WON'T miss prospects...Todd Van Poppel was supposed to obliterate every pitching record in existance - or wait - was that Brien Taylor -- NO NO! It was Hideki Irabu...To offer upwards of 40 million JUST TO TALK to a player is outlandish...then they HAVE to sign with a US ball club or they "lose face" to the nation of the rising sun. This is a dangerous trend for the MLB to fall into. The Japanese players could not even be worth their weight in Sushi. Then, every star there will be pumped up as a CAN'T /WON'T miss that will costs clubs dollars that will make accountants cringe to arms that twinge.

What I don't like about Daisuke Matsuzaka is that he overpitches. If he's so good, why did it take him 260 pitches for a nine inning game (or so lore goes). If the Japanese relish 3-2 counts, that's fine. But he is NEVER taken out of games. Let's see him go 9+ innings against more powerful hitters.

I saw a video of his alleged gyro ball (go to YouTube.com and type his name in)...To me, it was not impressive. It was like watching grass grow.

Glad it was the Red Sox that dumped the coin. Fans are still sore after the Sam Horn debaucle.

Mets Musings...My wish list includes Soriano to come in at second with Valentin backing him up. Anderson Hernandez can spell these guys, but deserves a chance too...Can we bring back John Olerud?...Glad Carlos Delgado decided to come back...I (tongue in cheek) salute him...Guillermo Mota - thanks for embarrasing us. 50 games is a good start to sit out...Willie Randolph, forgive me for saying this, but he's not all that.

Hey, it's late. I have to go to bed...I'll be back..thanks for staying awake through this...and in destiny's name - please comment! I welcome them. (You can even be anonymous!)

Free Agents - What Should We Do... OR What we Should Do!

The World Series is over and now it is time to make the "LIST" - In this corner here, we feel as this is a shopping list...Basically we need bread and butter for the team.

Below (so far) are the Mets who filed for free *Greed* agency. Here' are my humble comments combined with some gut instinct. I haven't had the time to analyze who to pick up from other teams. This is only the first time (and of many to come) of the F.A. market this fall/winter:

New York Mets-------------
Chad Bradford, RHP - Keep. A good submarine pitcher is hard to find.
Cliff Floyd, OF - Cliff, we love ya and want you to stay. Please overcome the injuries. Though it seems as you have a penchant for lists...Disabled list, free agent list.
Orlando Hernandez, RHP - El Duque. Good arm and resurrected with the Mets. Welcome to stay on. Between you and Julio Franco, we need some good 50-year-olders.
Roberto Hernandez, RHP - Roberto - I still can't figure out WHY the Pirates, one of the worst teams in the league, would dump a pitcher of D-level caliber. There are many nice independent leagues that would welcome your arm. I hear Cedar Rapids is lovely in May.
Ricky Ledee, OF - Ricky, you were a Philly once, and so was Lenny Dykstra. Tap into him as I am sure he will be more than happy to employ you at his car wash in 2007.
Guillermo Mota, RHP - A bit of a surprise for '06, but it seems like Willie Randolph is in love with Mota. Keep him signed to a one-year contract and then let's see what develops.
Darren Oliver, LHP - As aboe with Mota.
Steve Trachsel, RHP - Bon Voyage Steve.
Michael Tucker, OF - There ARE better players off the bench. At one time, he had potential. Now the word "marginal" comes to mind.
Jose Valentin, 2B - A big surprise after Anderson Hernandez went down early in the season. Good bat and a clutch hitter. But, let's keep in mind, he NEEDS to have the Jerry Stephenson philosophy from "Ball Four" He should be HAPPY to be on the team and if they shit in his hat, he'd gladly should put it on. (Kudos to Jim Bouton for capturing that quote in 1970).
Chris Woodward, 2B - A good fill-in player. Is he worth six figures?


And so the debate begins...

The Best Part of the World Series Being Over???

WE DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO TIM MCCARVER ANYMORE!!!!

www.shutuptimmccarver.com

Will There Be Withdrawal Symptoms????

Fact: This writer is a baseball fanatic.

Reality: Cardinals are up 3 games to 1 in the World Series - and it takes 4 to win.

Consequences: After that fourth victory becomes a reality, be that of the Redbirds or the Tigers - could be tonight, could be in a few days - the "wake up and smell the coffee" moment is that there will be NO baseball on TV or in the parks until April.

This is hard for me to accept. First, they take away the sunbeams and humidity of summer, and as this is being written, a coat is now being toted to the office. Next, the clocks get set back and the darkness pokes through, invades and settles in when the clock says 4:xx (that is purely insane). And, as mentioned above, baseball takes a bow with no encore.

Reaction: Do I take a "Woe is Me" approach? Nah, already did that when Beltran watched Wainwright's final pitch. Mentally, I will relive all the good moments of the Mets season and realize that the words "WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR" are uttered, but this time they have meaning! The Mets are contenders. When we used to say that in the early 90s, it was more of a hollow feeling and said because it was done with the obligatory M.O. of being a Mets fan -- and no one believed it anyway.

So, baseball is 24/7/365 now thanks to the Internet.

Action item: I'm going home and see if my cable company gets channels for baseball in Venezuela. If not, well, there's always Hockey.

Carlos Delgado Wins Clemente Award

New York Mets : News : New York Mets News

Good to see some of the Mets win individual honors. Though as a team, they were probably the best internally matched group of 40 to come along in years. No real friction between players and the way the line-up was composed, each player had a legit chance to contribute.

I have to admit, on a personal level, I was not thrilled to be getting Carlos Delgado at the start of the season. This was all predicated on the fact that he would not respect the country when they played God Bless America in the 7th inning. There is no need for me to link any stories to that. I still think its not Patriotic to disrespect the flag -- considering after 9-11 we need to be united and combat terrorism. But this is not the place for me to spout political stuff, its a place for me to grab a megaphone and yell (WITH PASSION!) about my love of the game of baseball.

Delgado turned things around and became a good player. A "GO TO" player. One you can count on to get that run in. And there were many occasions after he hit the ball, had the opportunity to pace 360 feet back to his original destination. 38 times. Carlos Delgado Statistics. For those who are mathematicians, that is equal to 2.5909 miles or 13,680 feet.

Well, without further adieu, I'd like to share the story about Carlos winning the Clemente Award. Roberto was a hell of a player and gave it his all. For those fortunate enough to either see him play in person or on TV, consider yourself lucky.
--------
Click the headline above or the link in the beginning of this post.

Spring training is not too far away, let's think about really WINNING this in '07.

It's time for a DYNASTY to start.

Kenny Rogers Pitched Well -- And He DIDN'T Shove Any Camera Men!!!

It's uncanny*, but also a testament to athletes and baseball players that a man with a 42-year-old arm can still hurl a 5 ounce stitched ball at the minimum driving speed on the New Jersey Turnpike (estimates are around 95 mph) and still be a dominant force.

Personally, I don't like Kenny Rogers. He was a big bust as a Met (Dolly Parton, YOU don't compare) and he pissed a lot of people off with his 'tude and his trumped up skills. But this year under the tutelage of Leyland and Co. he's been resurrected...And that gives great hope to other older players.

Now, here's a bit of Irony (to quote Col. Flag in M*A*S*H "Irony is Ironic") - Rogers, at one time during his career was getting a W-2 from 5 teams that made the post-season playoffs this year. (Click headline for his record)

• Yankees - 1996-97
• Oakland - 1998-99
• Mets - 1999
• Twins - 2003
• Tigers - 2006

During his career he also had THREE stints with the Texas Rangers. I'm beginning to think all this movement at some point he was married to Elizabeth Taylor (more than once, of course).

But besides having the same appellation as a famous country singer, he is remembered for shoving some poor camera man when "Little Kenny" was having a bad day. The Kenny Rogers I like performs songs in front of cameras - NOT "songs and dances."



Of course that "substance" that was on Roger's person is very suspect. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/23/sports/baseball/23cnd_rogers.html?em&ex=1161748800&en=ee53b1713dec9d87&ei=5087%0A I believe somewhere (perhaps even sitting together) Gaylord Perry and Joe Niekro enjoyed seeing Rogers with gunk.

Let's see what happens the remainder of the World Series. As this is being written, we are awaiting Game 3. It is an exciting series? Well, I LOVE baseball, but with the Mets not in it, let's just say I don't wait for a commercial to get up and re-load my seltzer.

*You don't have to refer to a member of the X-Men to use that phrase

Tip Of The Hat To Omar Minaya

Aw right.

We lost. But you have to admit that the teams put together under Omar Minaya really REALLY gel.

I don't understand what the thinking was when Steve Phillips was in charge. Let's face it, he kept a lot of players on the team for a long time that shouldn't have been there (John Franco, to name one). And many times, Steve Phillips traded away someone for nothing, then wants to give the store away for this same player in a following year (Jeremy Burnitz- and remember Fernando Vina?).

Omar looks for good players and has an eye for talent for developing players.

Omar, for next year, let's get some good bat, strong arms, great attitudes and players with courage who work their hearts out.

Here's a mini shopping list (and more to come):

• Barry Zito
• Dontrelle Willis
• Alfonso Soriano

Let's get some steamer trunks and bid bon voyage to:

• Steve Traschel
• Ricky Ledee
• Roberto Hernandez

Advice for Tim McCarver from the Fans...

Hey Tim -
One little tip on how to make your broadcasts more appealing:

Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!! Shut Up Already and be quiet!!!

And So It Ends...Ducks On Pond...112,714 Eyes In Disbelief as a Backwards "K" Puts A Denoument To 2006

I saw it.

This is the type of history you witness, but wish you read about it in a book instead -- YEARS later.

You all know what happens. Yadier sticks it. 3-1. Then the 9th and by the miracle that is always bestowed upon the Mets, the chance to tie, then win.

Let me interject something here. Besides baseball, I love to play dominoes. It is a game that teaches one to be humble and even tempered. Just because you are winning, let's say 90-5 (and playing to 100), does not mean a victory is in the bag. If you are that player with 5, you STILL have the hope of winning. That same set of luck/circumstances was bestowed upon the Mets in the lower 9th.

OK, so I accept the fact the Mets lost. It's hard when you root for your team, and this year was probably my best baseball year EVER. I saw parts off ALL of the Mets games - every one of the 162, save for 5 at the end of May when I was traveling internationally (I WAS able to catch the Mets and the Yankee Series thanks to ESPN Deportes ) I'm I'm not going to gripe. I remember an old saying from somewhere that said "There's no crying in curling" (or maybe it was Jai-Alai) -- either way, I'm applying it to baseball.

Kevin Kennedy said something of interest about statistics. As much I I love stats and pouring over them on my daily busride, Kennedy basically said it's all "past history"

I tend to agree that every instance in baseball is an incident that stands on its own and once it occurs, will be a stat. Just because Joe Schmoe is 15-for-15 against Pete The Pitcher, doesn't mean he will get a hit on the 16th time he faces him.

Mets needed to treat Game 7 as an individual event.

Now, I'm going to be an armchair manager... A few things didn't make sense. Why was Floyd in their with that beat-up achilles? Say he hit a nice slow roller down the right/left field line - he'd get beat by a fat lady to the base. Plus with two on, a DP could have been en vogue.
...The Mets DO have a great DP combo; Reyes to Valentine to Delgado. And they turned a few nice ones in games 6 & 7...The piece de resistance (and I am NOT the only one to write about this) is Carlos Beltran looking like a deer in the headlights. As our little league coaches used to say "PROTECT THE PLATE!!!!"...Wainwright's pitches were all dropping off the table like an anvil -- and it should have been incumbent upon the batters who faced him to give a quick report to the batter on deck or double deck...And who would have thought the series would be over by a K -- one that Carlos just looked at. Didn't even lift the bat.

2007 is coming and there will be some interesting moves. My next blog entry will focus on my personal predictions, prognostications and gut guesses.

Kudos to the Mets. Willie Randolph and Omar Minaya. The overall year was a success. As a long-time Mets fan, I have suffered with my bretheren for many years. This was one to remember. Way ahead of many people's expectations.

AND WHILE IM AT IT...A few memorable moments that immediately come to mind...Endy Chavez' http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/chaveen01.shtmlcatch. THAT was something. I heard people who don't even like baseball talking about it. (It was a bit reminiscent of Joe Rudi in the 1973 playoffs / WS)...Anderson Hernandez' catch in the second game of the season. This guy FLEW and looked like Superman...and, while we are in a Hernandez state of mind, how can we forget El Duque's triple!!!

I'll be back in the coming days commenting on the Mets-less World Series. (and other items)

It All Comes Down To Game 7 in the Playoffs - THE FINAL EXAM

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about tonight's Game 7 of the NL Playoffs. Let's face it, things haven't been easy for the Mets. Wings on some pitchers have gone south for the winter (and for pedro, the spring and part of the summer of next year too) and Cliff Floyd's Achilles Heel is his, uh - Achilles Heel.

Barring the injuries, the Mets have been playing OK (not great, just OK). And it takes more than an "OK" performance.

Game 6 showed the crowd was behind the team and they have the fortitude to press ahead and manufacture runs. Pitching will be in question, but Maine did a great job beyond expectations. There is no margin for error. I hope you read this Billy Wagner - you created some John Franco-like moments last night. Coming in with no runs and having the potential tying run at the plate. Let's use a little finesse, cunning, skill and just some good baseball playing. And while we're at it - WIN WIN WIN. Beginning Saturday, we should Maul some tigers.

However, if the Mets lose - and I KNOW they will not. We must think of the verse of that famous song by the Shirelles:

So tell me now, and I won't ask again Will you still love me tomorrow? Will you still love me tomorrow? Will you still love me tomorrow?

My reply is that I will always love the Mets - but the "year" is here. Let's do it.

Wanna Know Who is a Pest?

What do these three images have in common?

Simple...They are all PESTS in the worst way. No matter what you do, you just can't get rid of them and they pop up when you least expect it -- and stick around.

This David Eckstein is a hell of a player. His numbers aren't "great" but defensively he makes the play and offensively, he slaps those annoying rolling singles.

The Mets need to contain players like this. Other ones that come to mind (past and present): Craig Counsell (this guy's stats says he weighs 180 - yeah. And I'm Hank Aaron...Otis Nixon, Brett Butler (I liked him). And, I can say too, with PRIDE, that Jose Reyes is a pest, but man, can he hit and run and throw and field. All the tools.

Playoff Observations:...Is it me, or does Tim McCarver still not get it? He just rambles on and on and on. And when he gets out the pen and draws on the screen, why, I swear it was like the Rinky Dink toy of days gone by...Shawn Green - I'm glad he's in NY, but someone has to teach him not to be afraid of the ball and start fielding, charging and closing his glove when the time is right. We all have to pray for Shawn - this is an open call for all clergy and NY Rabbis to get in motion. (In the 1950s, a priest in Brooklyn suggested his congregation pray for Gil Hodges who wasn't hitting)...This image here is the best description I can conjure up about Shawn Green's glove:

CLOSE CALL! (HOW Scared Was I for the Mets?)

Well, the first game was a nice win, then followed by two horrific L's which shouldn't have been - When you are beating Chris Carpenter -- and SOUNDLY -- there is no reason to let the sand slip through your fingers.

Going into Sunday night's game - I will have to admit that I was a bit scared. How scared?

Let's just say a little bit more scared than serving as an altarboy with Father John Geoghan.

Glad the Mets trounced the Cards in Game 4...Shawn Green redeemed himself with the lumber, but he's gotta get a better claw to snare the balls.

Game 1 of Playoffs - We Shut The Cardinals Out of the House

This is the feeling the Cardinals got after Thursday night's shut out by the Mets...Looks like they can't get in any way!

Glavine looked great and Pujols whiffed on the first AB and then did an totally uncharacteristic-like got doubled-up on a DP situation.

As a fan, I want to see good head-to-head action. Weaver surprised the hell out of me and pitched well during the shutout innings. I actually saw him play in person in his debut when he was with the Yankees and thought - what the heck did the Yankees do? (Fear not, a friend had a ticket - I'm not a pinstripes aficionado.)

Friday's game is important. The Second Button theory as we referred to an earlier blog post. Maine vs. Carpenter. I think the wood man can get hammered. Beltran has some good wood and so does the rest of the team. Confidence is up.

NOTE: Floyd needs to sit down. An Achilles isn't something that can come back quick. As a runner, I have had Achilles issues in the past. REST REST REST is the cure.

See you back here soon.

He's The Opponent - But, He IS the BEST Player in the Game

Readers of this blog, please don't think of me as a Benedict Arnold for writing anything other than the Mets. This is an observation on the type of player you want to emulate -- and have on the Mets!

He may be an opposing player in the series against the Mets. But you have to take you hat off to Albert Pujols - as a player, and as a human being.

Pujols is a model of consistency and take a look at his stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/pujolal01.shtml

What's amazing is the first six years of his career, 2006 marked the most games he missed - 19.

He's got a good glove - career fielding percentage of .993 - and when you take a look at his appearances on the leaderboards, it is just mindboggling.

As I am writing this, the first game of the Mets playoffs against the Cardinals commenced. It was nice to see Glavine strike him out. This will hopefully set the tone of the series.

Mets in 4!

Philosophical Interlude - Why Jerry Seinfeld's View on Shirts Is Like The Playoffs and World Series

For all the laughing we did watching Seinfeld, years later it moves me to a famous quote he said in an early episode. To me, it relates to the playoffs and the World Series.

Take a read:

"The second button literally makes or breaks the shirt. Look at it. It's too high. It's in no-man's land. You look like you live with your mother."



Notice how he emphasized "second" - which brings me to my point.

In any of these series, the second game is the most important for a psychological edge. Let's say Team A wins Game 1...the series, naturally is 1-0. Second game comes around again, they win. They are up 2-0. Nice cushion but it still can be beat. However, it takes a team twice as hard to comeback to even the series.

The Mets have to remember this to play the entire series well. Its underrated, but I think against the grain sometime. So, Willie, you gotta put your best pitcher out there on Game 2.

And, for the team that loses 0-2, they are in no-man's land. They may as well live with their mother.

Tale of The Tape - Metropolitans and Redbirds

I found the following story to be good, accurate and demonstrative of the head-to-head line up:

A special thanks to MT, down in Howell NJ for sending it to me...

Before you read, keep in mind I think Albert Pujols is the best all around player today.

NOTE: Click the headline or this link for the original source:
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061008&content_id=1705594&vkey=ps2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Cardinals-Mets: Position analysis
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

Breaking down the Cardinals-Mets matchup, position by position

CATCHER EDGE: METS Paul Lo Duca is reputed as a winner, and he finally won, defeating his old team, the Dodgers, in the first round. Here's the chance for a grinder who handles a bat well and handles a pitching staff even better.
Yadier Molina has settled in as the heir apparent to Mike Matheny in St. Louis. Molina, the younger brother of Bengie and Jose, clearly has continued Matheny's defensive legacy, but he's already proven to be a better offensive player. He's backed up by Gary Bennett.

FIRST BASE EDGE: CARDINALS Carlos Delgado had been preparing for this for 1,710 games, more than any other active player without a postseason bow. Now he's had one and he's enjoying every minute of it, getting hits in each of his first four at-bats in the Mets' Game 1 victory against the Dodgers. His reputation is built on 162-game consistency. Now we'll see what happens as he keeps adding postseason games.

No contest here. Pitch to Albert Pujols in a key situation, and you will get burned. He's probably the best player in the NL right now and is a seasoned playoff performer. Ask Brad Lidge. The guy who has been removed at times this year as Astros closer is still waiting for the Pujols shot that won last year's Game 5 of the NLCS to come down.

SECOND BASE EDGE: EVEN Jose Valentin is the guy who finally ran Kaz Matsui out of Flushing. Had he done little else, he would be revered, but Mets fans have also appreciated his hard-nosed play and clutch hits.

It has been Russian roulette at this position since the Cards were swept by Boston in the 2004 World Series. This year, it's Ronnie Belliard, who came over in a midseason deal with the Indians. He's a .240 hitter and made some terrific plays for the Cards in their first-round win over the Padres.

THIRD BASE EDGE: METS The Golden Boy. David Wright is the unchallenged symbol of the Mets' rise back into New York relevance. Infield-corner power, vastly improved defense, humility and personality -- all that's missing on the rack is October success.
Scott Rolen is one of the premier third basemen in the game and has rebounded well from last year's shoulder surgery. Because of it, he missed the 2005 postseason. But Rolen has been playing with a sore left shoulder again this October, relegating him at times to the bench, with Scott Spiezio getting the start.

SHORTSTOP EDGE: METS His first full season had been impressive. His across-the-board improvement in Year 2 has been stunning. As Jose Reyes has settled into his role as the Mets' sparkplug, he has unleashed all of his tools. He doesn't get big-stage fright, delivering the game-tying single in Saturday's Game 3 NLDS clincher.

It's been an injury-plagued season for little David Eckstein, who recently returned from a pulled side muscle only to go down with a sore hamstring. He's fragile and may not make it deep into the postseason. He was replaced by Aaron Miles, who performed well enough.

LEFT FIELD EDGE: EVEN Cliff Floyd has chased the light as long as has Delgado: 14 seasons, 1,415 games -- two lousy postseason hitless at-bats, in the 1997 World Series. But he came out of Game 3 of the NLDS after re-injuring a problematic left Achilles tendon. His status for the NLCS is up in the air. Endy Chavez could see increased playing time vs. the Redbirds.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa flip-flopped rookie Chris Duncan and veteran Preston Wilson in the NLDS. Duncan had defensive problems and Wilson was a spark in the Cardinals' Game 2 victory at San Diego. If pressed, La Russa has also used Spiezio and John Rodriguez out there in a pinch.

CENTER FIELD EDGE: METS Carlos Beltran made a nice bounce-back from his booed 2005 Mets debut, but he still hasn't justified the big contract. This week, he can. The 2004 postseason (.435, eight homers and 14 RBIs in 12 games) is his yard stick -- and what people expect to see. His performance against the Cards two years ago in the NLCS is what got him the big deal.
It's hard to downplay Jim Edmonds, but he's had a rocky last month after smacking his head on the center-field fence and suffering through post-concussion syndrome. Yet he came back much sooner than expected, and the gamer he is will certainly be a force. Wilson is in the mix here if Edmonds can't go. So is Juan Encarnacion.

RIGHT FIELD EDGE: METS Along with Lo Duca, Shawn Green had to be pretty happy about defeating the Dodgers. His old team traded him to Arizona after the 2004 season, and on Aug. 22, the Diamondbacks flipped him to the Mets with Floyd on the disabled list. As age has slowed his bat, Green has forsaken some of his power by more often looking to slap balls the other way.

It's Encarnacion's first season with the Cardinals, and he's made the most of it. He has been one of the Cardinals' most durable players, playing in 153 regular-season games and all the NLDS games. He was a member of the 2003 Marlins team that was resurrected by Jack McKeon midseason and went on to defeat the Yankees in the World Series.

BULLPEN EDGE: METS Having Billy Wagner at the end of their bullpen made Mets manager Willie Randolph and his pitching coach, Rick Peterson, bulletproof. They assigned roles, compensated for injuries and could do no wrong. A day after valuable Duaner Sanchez went out with injuries suffered in a taxi accident, Minaya gave them Roberto Hernandez and, later, turned to Guillermo Mota. With Chad Bradford, Pedro Feliciano and Aaron Heilman also in front of Wagner, the Mets were 78-4 with a sixth-inning lead through their NLDS clincher.
With closer Jason Isringhausen out for the season after hip surgery, it's been a real mess and was one of the big reasons why the Cardinals lost seven games in a row near the end to make the NL Central race interesting. La Russa has been forced to go with Adam Wainwright and Braden Looper as his closers, with nominal success. Randy Flores is this year's Ray King in the situational left-hander's role.

BENCH EDGE: EVEN Starting with Julio Franco, Mr. Methuselah, this is a supporting cast that perfectly meshes with the high-profile headliners in New York. Ricky Ledee, picked up in early August after being waived by the Dodgers, might be activated for the NLCS if Floyd cannot go. Ledee would join Michael Tucker as the extra outfielders, with Chavez likely becoming the starter in left.

La Russa flip-flops pitchers and positions and substitutes with the best of them. He always has a pack of role players to go to. So Taguchi, Rodriguez, Miles, Wilson and Bennett are the big ones this season, depending on how many of his regulars are healthy. With Edmonds and Eckstein being hurt, La Russa's had to plug starting holes with bench players.

MANAGER EDGE: CARDINALS All those failed managerial interviews were worth it for Randolph, who got the job, and did the job, in the only city that matters to him. His quiet, patient leadership is ideal in a place where everyone else tends to get uptight. Randolph inspires confidence in his players, who feed off his faith in them.

La Russa is the resident genius with 22 seasons worth of big-league managerial experience. Can you believe it? But his lone winner was the 1989 A's, who salvaged the World Series after the last great Bay Area earthquake and swept the Giants. Come to think of it, his teams are 5-12 in World Series games. But this year has been one of his better jobs keeping these Cardinals competitive despite all the injuries.

INTANGIBLES EDGE: METS The arrival of an event that has been inevitable for months comes with intense pressure for the Mets, not to mention the letdown losses of Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez from the playoff rotation. They now own baseball in New York with the Yankees being booted out of the postseason for the third consecutive year without reaching the World Series.

The Cardinals may not be the same team as two years ago, when they went to the World Series, but they still boast the best position player (Pujols) and best starting pitcher (Chris Carpenter) in the NL. An injured Carpenter didn't pitch two years ago when the Cards were swept by the Red Sox in the World Series. It proved to be a big loss.

Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Where Are The Yankees Going after October 7????

Right Here:

WE ARE THERE! - NLDS

Short and sweet.

We got the victory in 3 games and while there were a few teetering moments, the Mets looked great.

Honestly, even though I am not a fan of the Yankees, I wanted to play them as they were, in my opinion, the second best team in the MLB.

Kudos to Joe Torre. I think he's a great manager. As far as I am concerned, Omar Minaya should offer him a coaching position if he is let go.

Back to the Mets. Let's see who the next opponent will be - I think the A's or the Tigers would be tougher for the Mets to face than the Cards or Padres.

Wednesday is coming...Let's pick up more W's

2006 vs. 1986 - Let The Halycon vs. Modern Debate Begin -- BUT, When We Are Done "Arguing" Let's Have the Same Result - A WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP

How many times have you heard your uncle say, "In my day, baseball players were so much better because...blah blah blah"

Well, here's another argument. For those uncles around in '86 - and for uncles to be in 2006, I hereby open a can of worms.

What was a better team, the 1986 Mets or the 2006 Mets?

First, some stats...And, this isnt the basis for judgement here. It's my gut instinct mixed with seeing players from both eras + a little bias thrown in...

C Gary Carter 32 132 490 81 125 14 2 24 105 62 63 .255 .337 .439 1 0 21 6 0 15 9 116
1B *Keith Hernandez 32 149 551 94 171 34 1 13 83 94 69 .310 .413 .446 2 1 14 4 0 3 9 141
2B #Wally Backman 26 124 387 67 124 18 2 1 27 36 32 .320 .376 .385 13 7 3 0 14 3 1 114
3B Ray Knight 33 137 486 51 145 24 2 11 76 40 63 .298 .351 .424 2 1 19 4 3 8 2 116
SS Rafael Santana 28 139 394 38 86 11 0 1 28 36 43 .218 .285 .254 0 0 15 2 1 3 12 52
OF *Lenny Dykstra 23 147 431 77 127 27 7 8 45 58 55 .295 .377 .445 31 7 4 0 7 2 1 130
OF *Darryl Strawberry 24 136 475 76 123 27 5 27 93 72 141 .259 .358 .507 28 12 4 6 0 9 9 140
OF #Mookie Wilson 30 123 381 61 110 17 5 9 45 32 72 .289 .345 .430 25 7 5 1 0 1 5 116

OK, now, what I am about to do is NOT scientific, but rather a gut analysis of both teams and who had the advantage. As far as pitching goes, that is a tough one to line up. I will attempt a column like this in the future. But for now, let's just take a look at the offensive herd:

C - 1986 - Carter
2006 - LoDuca
Choice: Carter - While I like LoDuca's bat, Carter had a good arm and was just an inspirational leader. Of course if Piazza was in this equation, let's just say...Piazza.

1B -
1986 - Hernandez
2006 - Delgado
Choice: Delgado - Seems to have a better bat and comes through more in the clutch. I'd opt however for Hernandez' Glove. But we are building an all-time team here, so Delgado gets the nod.

2B -
1986 - Backman
2006 - Valentin
Choice: Valentin. I like a guy who can surprise you and hit HRs when they count. Plus, he was not even considered as a starter on opening day.

3B -
1986 - Knight
2006 - Wright
Choice: Wright. He's young. He has an arm and he's charismatic. While Ray was the leader and Captain of '86, Wright appears to be the heir apparent at 3rd and will stop the long skein of gents who patrolled the hot corner since 1962. (I don't have an exact number as this is written, but I believe 117+ or - )

SS -
1986 - Santana
2006 - Reyes
Choice: Simply stated, Reyes is my favorite Met on the current roster. He has all the tools, speed, ability to get on, steal and a bit of pop in his bat. Once again, Omar Minaya put an end to the "next greatest shortstops" who fizzled. Reyes is the real thing.

For the outfield, I'm going to do this collectively:

OF -
1986 - Dykstra, Strawberry, Wilson
2006 - Chavez, Beltran, Green/Floyd
Choice: 2006 Lineup. Old timers will probably maim me when I say I was NEVER a fan of Darryl Strawberry. Heavens to mergatroid how many times we heard "woulda coulda shoulda" with him. He was clutch, had the tools and every opportunity. We all know what happened and there is no need to repeat it here. There seems to be more pop in the bat and better fielding with the modern crew. But lord knows how Lenny Dykstra played - and that spirit was like ebola on the Mets - it caught on and everyone adapted the hustle. Beltran came into his own and adapted well to NY. He's here to stay. Endy Chavez was a surprise and put up some good #'s and came through. Green was a steal. Floyd, oft-injured, is part of the DNA of the squad.

EXCITEMENT LEVEL
1986
2006
Choice: Both! For 1986, when the Mets were down 7-1 in the 8th, you KNEW they would come back and while watching, you would never be frantic. 2006 is now. Let's keep up the excitement.

I will say this here and expound on it later in a blog post, that Omar Minaya knows how to put a team together. The previous administrations kept players who were way past their prime (READ: John Franco) who were detriments and helped pile up the "L" column. Minaya did an a la carte with quality goods and not a hyped Las Vegas Buffet (ever see the surf and turf specials at some of those joints? Fatty meat -- REAL Fatty -- and the lobsters are usually sick crayfish).

Cheer Loud! Thanks for reading. Comments encouraged.

Do We Need Pedro (Guest Blog from MAC)

Hello All -
Once again, my colleague MAC has a lot to get off his chest and thus, we are about to be treated to some high-fallutin' often controversial stuff.

Let it rip. (PS, I agree, as much as we love Pedro, if he's not able to perform during the playoffs, why showcase a liability. Would rather win with a lesser named pitcher than lose with an icon).

Take it away MAC... (Note - this was written on Friday morning, Sept. 29 before it was announced that Pedro wouldn't be back until mid-2007....


Pedro Martinez has been great for the Mets and we are sad to see him not be part of the playoff roster, however, this is not the downfall people believe it to be. Pedro was 0-3 with an 11 ERA in his past three starts; I don’t want that in the playoffs. Also Pedro only accounted for 9 out of the Mets 94 wins. They are NOT reliant on him. So who do we have?

Hernandez is 9-3 in the post season with a 2.55 era and since he came to the Mets he’s 9-7 with over 100 strike-outs .

Glavine – 14-7 and a great veteran ball player with 12 wins of playoff experience.

Maine – This guy was an ‘extra’ in a trade this year and he’s been huge for the Mets. He’s 6-5 this year with a 3.64 era in 15 games. He also only has 30 walks this year (No Playoff Experience)

Traschsel – He’s 15-8 this year and gets the most run support of any pitcher on this team. (1 Game Playoff Experience. No Decision)


I am very happy with my staff. Those bats have started to turn around and the good old Amazing’s are back in town. LETS GO METS!

This is UltiMETFan1969 again....And there you have it.

Time for Another RANDOM MET

KONG!

I don't know how the proprietary algorithm came up with Dave Kingman, but we were all familiar with him during his few stints with the Mets. http://www.baseball-reference.com/k/kingmda01.shtml Dave was known for two things (and, I am not sure what order is appropriate because you could make an argument for either case.

In the spirit of John Kerry, I will include both:

• Hitting Home Runs
• Striking Out

or

• Striking Out
• Hitting Home Runs

A quick count by my calculator (yes, I did this by hand) shows Dave hit 154 home runs with the Mets in 2323 AB with 672 Ks. With all those dingers, he led the NL with 37 in 1982. (And you KNOW how much I LOVE the triple, well, he hit a whopping total of 6 of 'em. For a perspective, my boy Jose Reyes hits 6 triples before he even steps out of the house every day).

Will Kong ever make it to the Hall of Fame? Doubtful. He's one of a few players with 400+ round trippers (I believe that Darrell Evans is one too) that are longshots.

But Kong, we would have welcomed you back the other day with the Mets losing two games by a score of 25-1.

Stay tuned for more Random Mets.

The NEXT Team That Will Beat The METS!

This is getting ridiculous. I hope that the Mets are really doing this to finesse the other teams, and then coming back full guns in the playoffs. There is something to be said for clinching too early -- too much complacency. Here is the next team the Mets are destined to lose to if this keeps up:

Crazy - But That's How It Goes...(Mets aren't the only ones who have been derailed)

News on Yahoo today that the Washington Nationals train was derailed... http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AniwXcfQY4liYbMB4lGuAQ0RvLYF?slug=ap-nationals-trainderailment&prov=ap&type=lgns

It seems as the Mets' train derailed against these crapo teams.

Gents - let's not lose to the Braves. This would be embarassing. If this is the case, I'm personally going to shove an Ostrich and stick my head in the hole.

OK - I'm done ranting.

Drowning In Losses? The Mets Need to Drown Their Sorrows

In my last blog post, it dealt with the victory of the Mets clinching.

What happened since? Have they gone complacent? I'm not sure, but I have a solution - for all the champagne they drank in victory, each player must drink TWICE as many Thunderbirds and Night Train Express in defeat.


Its quite puzzling. They just can't seem to get it together. Getting beat by a bunch of doormats named Pirates, Marlins, Nationals doesn't seem to gel with the winning formula they put together this year. They are flirting with dropping below the .600 percentage mark and just a few weeks ago they were around .630 give or take.

We understand that Willie needs to rest a few of the regulars, but the guys out there on the 9 don't need to rest. They need to hustle. The last few games were all bad. In the three aforementioned series, with the lack of strenght and depth in all these teams, realistically should have produced three loses.

OK, Metropolitans...If you drop more than two in a row now, its going to be baaddd...Real baaaad. This isn't a threat, but if you don't get beyond the playoffs, there will be a lot of pissed off fans.

METS CLINCH! How Sweeeeet It IS!

THIS SAYS IT ALL! 25 Cases of it - DUMPED on all of the Metropolitans PLUS Management!

WOOO HOO! Vintage 1986!

What's Going On Here? A Sweep By the Pirates? Did Mr. Peabody and Sherman set the WABAC Machine to 1962???

My jaw is on the floor and so is the rest of me laying prostate --think of George Costanza in Seinfeld when Jerry saw him in his aparment and said the famous 'And you want to by my latex salesman' line...

Did we go away for a few days? Did these two - Mr. Peabody and Sherman - pull a trick on us and make it 1962?

Three straight losses to bottom feeders - the Pittsburg Pirates. How did this happen? My answer is the same as the priest's in the Gong Show Movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080808/ when he was asked if there was life after death: "Beats the shit outta me." Casey Stengel was given some woeful stock and once proclaimed "Can't anybody here play this game???" That's what it feels like.

Don't get me wrong. John Mane pitched OK. Pedro, well, he was worse than so-so. When I was in the supermarket today (wearing my Mets hat of course), a heavy gentleman in his 40s was riding by on one of those shopping scooters and yelled over (as I was contemplating a cut of meat) -- "Pedro don't belong in NY" I think he does but that last outing stunk out the joint.

Well, the Mets as far as I am concerned are taking that "Magic Number of 1" and are exponentially making it tougher than climbing Everest and breaking the 4:00 mile. Both were done in the past by others and its no longer a barrier. Guys, jump that hurdle Monday night and clinch.

I am tired of my champagne glasses being filled with dust over the last three days.

David Wright - A REAL Humanitarian -THE KID IS ALL WRIGHT

WINNERS: David Wright gets a return visit from young Bobby Singer, who recovered from meningitis after a visit from his Met hero.Photo: Kevin P. Coughlin

Back on August 22 I posted a story here about David Wright being a real role model to a son of a very good friend of mine.

Today, the New York Post talked about it as well: http://www.nypost.com/commentary/the_kid_is_all_wright_commentary_andrea_peyser.htm (if link doesn't work, text is below):



THE KID IS ALL WRIGHT
By ANDREA PEYSER

September 11, 2006 -- I WONDER what else the Mets can cure.

You didn't even see him coming. David Wright, mega-superstar third baseman for the New York Mets, a guy who makes women weak and men insane, sneaked up in the hallway to join us.

"I've been wanting to see you again for a really long time," Wright said in his shy Virginia drawl to a startled Bobby Singer, 8.

You expected David would be accompanied by fanfare, flunkies, an attitude, maybe. He's the most sought-after face in baseball. Bigger than the Beatles, Springsteen and the Wiggles to my daughter.


Instead, here was a very young man - he's 23 - showing off the boyish smile that, along with his magnificent arms, will earn him $55 million over the next six years.

"I got something for you, too - a bat," David told Bobby.

"Cool! Cool!" the boy shrieked. And they embraced.

It was hours before David would slug in the two-run single that would bring the unbelievable Mets to victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. But to call this reunion unlikely would be understating matters.

Two years ago, Bobby, then 6, lay near death.

He was diagnosed with contagious, deadly meningitis. The sign on his door at Schneider's Children's Hospital on Long Island clearly warned all who would dare enter: "Wear mask and gloves."

On a tour of the hospital on Aug. 25, 2004, David - either a hero or a damn fool - ignored the warning. "I've got three younger brothers at home," he explained to me.

Wright was then a rookie. It would be more than a year before his jerseys would become the hottest in New York baseball - outselling even Derek Jeter's. He entered Bobby's room and shook the boy's hand.

"I was very scared. I was in total agony from a very bad test," said Bobby. "Then a man came in and he said, 'Don't worry, Bobby. Just be brave.' "

Now Bobby, of Long Island, is a Wright freak. "We have to peel off his No. 5 jersey to wash it," laughed his dad, Dave. His mother, Pam, is certain David was responsible for her son's recovery.

"One of the big perks of getting to put on this uniform every day is seeing their faces brighten," said David. "It makes it all worthwhile."

Readers of this column probably know I've been unable to watch a Mets game in a decade, after the scummy antics of the early '90s team broke my heart. But this year, our scrappy, beautiful, first-place Mets are winning it back.

I know they're going all the way.

andrea.peyser@nypost.com

Loss to Dodgers 9-1 and Marlins 16-5 - OUCH

All I have to say is...

"What in the HELL is going on?"

The Mets looked like they were a bunch of altarboys getting abused by priests (with guns) at a camp-out. There was NOTHING they can do.

Gentlemen - let's get it together. We have a magic # in the works here and we need to get it sooner, rather than later.

See you at the ballpark tomorrow - Let's take home a W.

9-11

While baseball is something that is very important to us; and to society, we must take a moment today to pause and reflect on the events of 9-11-2001.

Because of that tragic event cultivated by heartless, sub-human gutless slime, there are many children who will never have the opportunity to play catch with their fathers or go to a ballgame with their dad.

If you know of any such children, give them the gift - take the time to introduce them to baseball. Maybe get them tickets to a game and be a mentor. 1 Day can be a huge difference in their lives.

Random Met - When The Going Gets Tough...

The Teufel Gets Going!!!!

I had MAC who penned the recent blog posting on Steve Trachsel select the Random Met this time with my proprietary secret algorithm.

Here we have, I guess by serendipity, a Met from the classic year, 1986, Tim Teufel. Tim was popular and a staple at second, but not much power with the lumber. He hit 14 baseballs out of the confines of a baseball diamond in '86 to match his career high.

Timmy was acquired from the Twins in a pre-season trade in January 1986. Traded by the Minnesota Twins with Pat Crosby (minors) to the New York Mets for Billy Beane, Bill Latham, and Joe Klink. Somewhere along the line, the pot was probably sweetened with a bag of practice balls and a fungo bat.

Interestingly, there is a lot of magic at second base this year with Valentin who came into his own. Is this a foreshadowing and mirror of 1986? Let's hope!

Timmy, we saw you at the Mets' 86 reunion (on TV) and you still look like you can play. Lace up them cleats again, brother.

And, for those too old to remember and too young to forget, "When the going gets tough, Timmy Teufel got going!"

Two Dozen (Plus 1) Donuts! & Some other ramblings

A few tidbits and kudos...

First, to "my boy" Jose Reyes, who is making us forget about all the other "can't miss"shortstops on the Mets...Rey Ordones, etc...What a show of HUSTLE! Nice inside the park homerun which is textbook...see kiddies, remember a few blogs ago I talked about the fundamentals of running?

According to the announcers of tonights game against the Dodgers Box score: http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2006_09_07_lanmlb_nynmlb_1 the Mets have had 25 consecutive scoreless innings against their opponents. Strong pitching...strong offense, strong defense. How can one be a cynic of the Mets now?

Until tomorrow's game...instead of counting sheep to get to sleep, I am going to count scoreless innings.

Trachsel is good, real good. Reliable too - I told you so***

***This is a guest blog from one of my colleagues, MAC. We are both die hard Mets fans, but take different views about the subject of this blog. I have never been a fan of his, MAC is... Read On...

Take it away MAC...

Trachsel ain't flashy. He's boring. And when you watch him, he takes so long to pitch, you fall asleep. But his numbers -- the double-digit wins, capable ERA and WHIP, and general reliability -- made him one of my favorites.
-Eric Krabell, ESPN

That’s how I feel about Trachsel in a nut shell. In a year where the Mets have had as many as 9 starting pitchers on the roster (Pedro, Glavine, Trachsel, Hernandez, Perez, Pelfrey, Bannister, Maine, Williams) one has been there all year. Trachsel. My friend and Blogmaster likes to call him Stevie Trash-Can, but these numbers prove otherwise.

This year he is:
14-6
1.06 WHIP
2nd in the NL in wins
3rd in the NL in Winning percentage
5th in the NL for Walks
.971 fielding percentage

Since the All-Star break:
10 games
6-228 Walks
6 Hits/game
In 7 games gave up only 3 or less earned runs
Wins included San Diego, St. Louis, Florida, and Cincinnati (All possible Wild Card Teams)
Yes- his ERA (5.02) is ugly. I can admit that. Not every pitcher is lights out. Yet the Mets give ST more run support than any other pitcher this year – THEY PLAY FOR THIS GUY! Willie put it nicely after ST’s ugly loss to the Braves on Monday.

"As long as he keeps winning, it's (his ERA) not a concern at all," Randolph said. "It's about winning games. Sometimes you're not going to always do it pretty."

All teams need a good strong reliable veteran pitcher. Not one who is flashy and a bull - that’s an ace – but someone who is a strong middle or end of your rotation. Someone who will last an entire season. Someone who will eat up innings. Someone who will not make mistakes. And someone who has been in the league long enough to know which way is up, help the young bloods and add positive charisma and leadership quality to the locker room.

Trachsel is better than any 5 or 4 pitcher out there, and this year is an amazing 3 starter. You only need 3 good pitchers in the playoffs… can you find a better guy that ST right now for that role?

The Triple - The Holy Grail Of Baseball-1-2-3

For years, people have been clamoring for the Home Run. And that's great. What can be better than socking one out of the park and having up to 4 gents with the same logoed garments simultaneously chasing each other around the bases? I'll tell you. It's the Triple. Often taken for granted, this is probably the hardest offensive stat to acheive. In fact, this year, our beloved Mets are 4th in the majors (at this stage of the game) in the three-bagger. Now, why do triples appeal to me? You need to hit the ball right on the mark. You need to have judgement. You need speed. OH, and luck plays a role too. How many times have you seen a ball hit to the corner field and the player winds up with a single? Other times, he is bounding to third. The key is to Hustle! Of course, there are other variables too, the speed at the ball being hit, the carom, and the judgement of the fielder.

Click the link in the title of this blog post and it will bring you to the active triple leaders. Interestingly a bunch of them are on the Mets or have played for the Mets. (yes, this includes Ruben Sierra who was signed by the Mets, but never even donned a Mets Uni). Jose Offerman, Carlos Beltran, Julio Franco, Michael Tucker, Fernando Vina and Jose Vizcaino. This list is through 2005 and "my boy" Jose Reyes http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/reyesjo01.shtml came into the year with 23 triples in his first three years and as of this writing, has a major league-leading 16 three baggers to bring his career total to 39.

Can Jose encroach Sam Crawfords' record of 309? http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/stats/historical/player_stats.jsp?statType=1&timeFrame=3&timeSubFrame2=0&sortByStat=3B&baseballScope=mlb&timeSubFrame=0Let's See, Let's hope. Let's pray. (for you folks who get humor about skating, I just performed a "Triple Lets"

On that note, I will bid you all adieu and thanks for bearing with me. There's a song on the radio now that is apropos to this blog...Now everyone sing, "Once, Twice, THREE Times a.....Triple."

I think you get my obsession with the triple.

Hey Mets - Make Some Noise With The Bats - Harpo Marx is Louder

An Open Letter to The New York Metropolitans -

Gents: Please make some noise with your bats. This is not the early 1990s. Mo Vaughn is gone, so is Bobby Bonilla and John Franco isn't serving up anymore gopherballs.

Would love to see you playing past September 30.

Start hittin' em.

Respectfully Yours,

UltiMETFan1969