Ike's We Like

First there was Dwight D. Eisenhower (don't know why they called him Ike, which according to Wikipedia is short for Issac - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ike

This brings us to Ike's...

Ike's we don't like:
...Turner
...[Hurriance] Ike

Ike's we like:
...Taylor
...Ike Broflovski

Ike's we are GOING TO LOVE!
DAVIS!  - http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=davis-002isa

First at bat = Hit. 

Hopefully he is a Beacon for us.  We should have the first base conundrum solved.

20 Innings - The Mets Showed A Lot of Balls

In one of the strangest Mets games I have witnessed in years, the 20 inning shindig had me at the edge of my seat.  I wish I had the time to watch from first to last pitch, but a few things were done while multitasking.  Box Score: http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=300417124

In any event, who would have surmised the Mets would have been able to hold off Albert Pujols and friends by throwing 18 donuts on the scoreboard.  Usually, something prevails and one team is able to take advantage of it.

For sure, I thought it would get wacky when a relief pitcher came up with bases loaded.  As a Mets fan, we are prone to some interesting scenarios.  This is one we did not want to bear witness.

Kudos to Jerry Manuel for managing a good game.  When your bench gets short, you have to be smart.  I think bringing Pelfrey in was an edge over LaRussa's edict that a starter would not relieve.  Then again, the Mets should have walloped a few balls that position players (Lopez) was tossing in the strike zone (or near it).

This win gave the team a lot of confidence - and for the fans too.  As I write, the Mets are leading 3-0 in the Sunday night game.  Let's Go Mets!

Thomas Paine had Foresight....

11-2 Rockies lead in the 7th.  Sloppy play allover...

"These are the times that try men's souls..."

This TRULY is the American Crisis

Santana AND Perez LOSE to the Nationals - A Tale of Two Pitchers

Dickens starts out "A Tale of Two Cities" with the line:  "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

Funny how over a century later, this can be applied to two Mets pitchers.  The Best (Santana) of Pitchers and the Worst (Oliver Perez).  The uncommon ground is both lost to the worst team on paper - and theoretically, on the field, to the lowly Nationals.

A few bad breaks, but no excuses.  The line drive with the bases loaded on Friday night and the Willingham Granny HR didn't help much.

Yeah, we can get sour after this - as a colleague called - a True Litmus Test.  I think many of us are starting to turn purple.

See, Omar, you should have been more active in getting "A" quality players in the winter.  Now, the Boys of Spring and Summer in Queens are on the path to playing like the boys of the ice age.

Dickens also wrote Great Expectations...which I have.

Pass The Salt - This Crow I'm Eating...

If you read the previous blog post (hopefully someone reads this besides my mother - she's very sympathetic!) you will note a bit of dour sarcasm and fear that I had for the Mets.

Today, a good portion of that was alleviated.  They played with verve.  They surprised. They had magic - or as the Seinfeld episode once touted, "kevorka."

Wright's HR was spectacular.  It wasn't hit - it was launched.  Santana looked like the ace he was.  The ball he hurled moved with the right velocity and it baffled batters.  Just as his job description calls for.

So, now it comes time for me to don a bib, carefully take the knife and fork (as I learned in Finishing School) and dine on the crow that I must eat for being so --- dour. 

Wednesday we come back and take care of the Marlins again.  They are always a tricky team and you never know who will show up.

All I know is I am glad to be back!

2010 - Put the Seatbelt On....Gonna Be a Long Ride

Thrilled to death the season is starting.  I am watching the Yankees-Red Sox game as I am writing this - but don't call me a traitor.  Not hopping on any bandwagons.  I'm a dyed (Blue and Orange) in the wool Mets fan through and through.

The reality is, we are going to have a tough year.  Omar sat and fiddled while great deals burned about him.  (Instead we are getting burned with D-List - a la Kathy Griffin - caliber players).  Jason Bay is going to be a welcome addition, but he won't carry the team.   Reyes. Beltran. Murphy - all question marks of what and when.

I see the pundits are putting the Amazins at third or fourth.  Pitching would be the linchpin that are going to move us.  And, before I start ranting, Omar, please, get rid of Perez.  I heard on WFAN that at least 10 teams would be interested in him - save for that Stimlus-like salary package.  If he starts to slide, time to move him.  Personally, I would watch out for the Nationals.  They did a lot of rebuilding with some good lunchpail players.

Going to go out on a limb here -- Eric Byrnes will be Comeback Player of the Year.  Omar, you could have had him cheap.  But, as Ralph Kramden, of Honeymooners fame said, "What do I know, I'm just a blogger."

And, speaking of, I am glad to be back blogging for my beloved team!

Spring Training...Where are the Off Season Moves?

Glad Spring Training is upon us.  It is a better yard stick than those pesky groundhogs that predict the seasons for us.

However, I am inclined to think that when they peered out from their holes, (Pete and Phil, repping PA and NY - and somewhere there is a Staten Island "Chuck"?) they probably also had a prediction for the Mets: Six more weeks of inactivity.

If you were to grade the Mets pick-ups from the close of the World Series to now, I would give a C.  True, Jason Bay is on the squad, but he still is unproven.  Now, I know he had a great year with the Sox, but he struggled a bit when he was with the Pirates...  Today Kelvim Escobar, it's reported, can't grip a baseball.

Wonderful Omar.  What's next?

One thing that lights the ire (pun intended, with all respect to Jim Morrison) of Mets fans is that the Nationals had a pretty agressive year and picked up a few semi-solid free agents.  Superstars? NO!  But can each of these players in their role - be that limited or expanded - help the lowly Nationals advance? Yes.

Chess isn't won with two moves, but rather all positions working in concert with each other. That's what gives teams those cherised W's.

Irony though, the Nationals, formerly known as the Expos, was where Minaya hung his cap before the Mets.  Did Omar leave his playbook in Montreal?  Did the moving men box and bring it to the Nation's capital?  If you are just jumping on the Mets bandwagon, you may not know that at one time Omar was a wheeler dealer.

I'm not sure, but I bet the clubhouse men in DC have a lot more uniform making and locker assigning than the Mets do.

Let's hope for a solid season and some momentum pick-up.

After the Fire (maybe Omar) the Fire Still Byrnes...

Hello All -

Tis been awhile since I blogged about our beloved team. Fear not, I won't recount the bad season the Mets had in '09.

But, some news has prompted me to dust off the cobwebs during the off season. It's time to look ahead.

I have always been an Eric Byrnes fan (just do a search in this blog and you will see how many times I cited him).

Well, as Ralph Kramden said to Alice about his "ship coming in," the Queen Mary is here. The Diamondbacks made a judgement call and picked up Adam LaRoche (do a quick count and see how many teams he's been on the last few years) and designated Eric Byrnes for assignment. So, that simply means they cut bait and he will be available. Az is on the hook for some $11 million, so, whoever picks up Byrnes, can do it relatively cheap.

Byrnes is a good clubhouse leader, a motivator, a hustler and a pest at the plate when he's healthy. Plus, he steals bases and plays gutsy. It's been awhile since we saw the hustling Jose Reyes, so a Byrnes would be refreshing on the basepaths. There is nothing wrong with a Dykstra-Eckstein-Brett Butler-like player.

Omar, you made a few good and a few more BAD judgement calls. I implore you to sign Byrnesie. Sheffield was a similar signing and that worked out better than expected. Eric is a team player and we need good morale.

It won't bust the budget. Byrnes will be a good ambassador for the team. Hey, the Yanks got Granderson, the Mets need a charismatic player.

Omar, fill out a contract and get Eric to sign it. He's interested in the Giants. How about pulling a player away from another team - it's been done to us too many times.

Stoned By The Rockies

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

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

Why am I awake watching?

Pelfrey.....struggling as I Write This

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

Threw about 58 pitches to the third inning.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kazmir, Zambrano & Zambrano

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

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

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

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

Even the Mets CANT Hit Heilman

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

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

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

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

Baseball's Sad Lexicon - The Named and the Reality

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

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

It goes:

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


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

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

Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?

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

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

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

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

Everything's Broken

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you Mr. Security Guard

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

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

Box Score

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

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

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

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

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

Happ Schmapp

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

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

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

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