"It is hard to find any fault with the Mets after they pounded out 13 hits last night. Then again, it is hard to say all is right with the Mets because they played a team that is 41-57."
- Mark Herrmann, today's Newsday
OK Mark, I'll buy that. But tell me something, where is the same language when it comes to the team that is 7.5 games behind the Red Sox, and has been feasting on the likes of Tampa Bay (38-61) and Kansas City (43-55)? The team that has major bullpen issues? The team that stil trots Kei Igawa out there every fifth day? They win and it's all roses, they are back, and they are going to overtake the Red Sox and win the division. The Mets though are scrutinized, and a win is minimized because it came against a 41-57 team. Let's see some consistency. Oh, and why is the first place team in NY relegated to the middle of the sports section, with the Yanks getting the prime spot just inside the back page, and then 2 pages of coverage of the NBA fiasco? Why the hell is the first place team not in the prime spot? The bias is astounding.
It's utter bullshit. I'm not saying the Mets don't have some concerns. We don't know if Alou will play. We don't know what we will get from Pedro. There are outfield depth concerns. Still, the press keeps trotting out the same stupid trade ideas, like trading Lastings Milledge for Jermaine Dye, saying they need outfield help, but ignoring the fact that if the depth is so short, why the hell would Omar trade Milledge?
They come back from a trip where they took 4 of 7 against the elite of the NL West, and yet they are still spit on. They win a well played game last night, and they are questioned. John Maine again pitches very well, going 7 innings, allowing 2 runs, 1 BB with 7 K's, raising his record to 11-5 with a 3.04 ERA, yet that is hardly the story. He even hits a 2 run home run. Lastings Milledge goes 3-3 with a Home Run and 3 RBI and 2 Runs Scored, yet we get a side piece about how he might have been a tad exuberant after Maine hit his FIRST CAREER Home Run. Good for Lastings, he was happy for a teammate. He swung his arm a tad, big deal. If the Pirates were pissed, they got their revenge when he got plunked the next time up. Then Lastings got his when he went yard. Newsday of course put in a blurb about this, trying to make an issue about it, but Pirates manager Jim Tracy declined to "get into that". Alas, everything Lastings does is going to be scrutinized, probably to his detriment. The kid is exuberant, that is part of his way of playing. Cut that out, and you may harm him. Leave him the hell alone. I half expect to see a story about how he didn't lift the seat sometime next week.
Speaking of cranky old men, Keith, I love you, but STFU about the dugout celebrations. You sound like the old man yelling "hey you kids, get off of my lawn". I wonder, did Keith used to bitch to his teammates in the 80's when they gave curtain calls? As noted last night by Danny on Metsgeek, some of those guys were going halfway out to the first base line to take their bows. You've made your point Keith, hundreds of times. Let it slide.
All in all, a good night for the Mets. Good pitching (well, except for Mota). Good hitting (only Wright was hitless, but he did have a Sac Fly). Against a tough pitcher in Snell, who lasted all of 4 innings. Two more against the Pirates, then the Nationals come to town. I would love to go 5-2 on this homestand.
Now if only the Giants could win a game against the Braves, I could be really happy.
In other news, the Mets signed Eddie Kunz, their first pick in this year's draft. He will go to St. Lucie, and probably go up to Brooklyn before the end of the season. He will be used in the bullpen.
Prior to the game, Rick DiPietro took batting practice, which is nice since he is recovering from hip surgery, so he must be progressing. He also gave Tom Glavine an Islanders jersey with #47 on it. No word on if Glavine asked if he could have an Atlanta Thrashers jersey instead.
Be back tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The (not so) Weekly Observations/Rants
1. So, despite all the claims in the media last week that something must be amiss, Pedro Martinez returned from his home in the DR and threw a simulated game. Since he had not returned after 10 days, the press thought he must be injured and ran with it. I'm not gonna hold my breath waiting for any of them to say "Oops, I guess I was wrong."
2. Michael Vick is under indictment for various charges related to dog-fighting. If found guilty, I say they lock him up with a few of the dogs he didn't slam to the ground until they died. Maybe strap his ass into the rape chair too, just for shits and giggles.
3. The Islanders resigned Chris Simon, who still has 5 games left on his 25 game suspension for trying to take the head off of Ryan Hollweg. Yeah, he's a good guy to have on the team.
4. The Isles also announced that Al Arbour will coach for 1 game on November 3, bringing his total games coached to 1,500. I have nothing snarky to say here.
5. Michael Chertoff, head of Homeland Security, said recently he has a "gut feeling" Al Queda may attack the US this summer. Michael, the only "gut" I want to hear from is that of Willie Randolph, OK? Take some Zantac and your gut will feel better. If you are that concerned, well, PROTECT THIS COUNTRY!
6. The Mets called up Anderson Hernandez following the injury to Jose Valentin. Seems the Mets felt, after the release of Julio Franco, they were missing a guy who could barely hit 190.
7. Someone explain to me why it wwas bad for Lastings Milledge to hi-5 fans after a game tying home run (off of Armando Benitez no less), but when Shelly Duncan hits a home run in a game the Yankees are leading by a tounchdown, it is OK for him to give a curtain call? Oh, that's right, Duncan is a Yankee, and they are all class all the time. That and of course he isn't "gangsta".
8. Barry Bonds is now 3 away from breaking Hank Aaron's record. Of course, even if he doesn't break it, Barry will hold the all time record for "Most Home Runs hit by a guy using the Cream and the Clear". So he's got that going for him.
9. Roger Clemens won his 351st game last night, beating the Royals. I'm sorry, do the Royals still count as a Major League team?
10. Drew Carey is set to replace Bob Barker as host of "The Price is Right". Apparently, after Rosie turned them down, they went with the next available out of work "comedian".
11. Alexi Yashin has decided to return to Russia to play hockey after no NHL team met his asking price. I'm thinking Carol Alt ain't gonna be happy about spending winters in Minsk.
12. David Beckham has joined the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS. And that is about how much time I spend caring about Soccer.
13. The last Harry Potter book was released and sold quite well. I just couldn't get over the fact that Voldermort was exposed as the man behind the Yankees all this time.
14. Gary Sheffield, still a nimrod.
15. A spokesman for the German Protestant Church has called Tom Cruise the "Goebbels of Scientology". Well, I guess a German would know all about that eh? Here's a tip, when Cruise oversees the attempted extermination of a race of peoples, then you can bleat. Until then, STFU.
16. Sergio Garcia chokes like Armando Benitez facing the Braves. And those pants, for the love of Pete, get this guy on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" quick.
17. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy is under suspicion for betting on NBA games, including games in which he was working. Reached for comment, Pete Rose said "I'll give you 10-1 that he goes away for 5 years."
18. Certain fat over-rated pompous asses (AKA, Mike Francessa) are saying the NBA issue is worse than the Vick issue. Yeah, I can see how betting on games where nobody faced any physical harm can be worse than a man who had dogs fight each other to the death, had dogs killed who didn't measure up to standards, and owned a dog "rape chair". Sure, they are very equal.
19. Lindsay Lohan's boyfriend has dumped her since she is too "boring" now that she is out of re-hab. What, does the booze monitoring ankle bracelt she has taken to wearing interfere with fun in the bedroom?
20. Starbucks is raising prices by 9 cents. So, already overpriced awful coffee becomes more expensive.
21. Another year, another Tour de France leader being accused of doping.
22. So the Yanks have won a few games of late, beating the Tampa Rays and the Royals. Let me know when they beat a good team, OK?
2. Michael Vick is under indictment for various charges related to dog-fighting. If found guilty, I say they lock him up with a few of the dogs he didn't slam to the ground until they died. Maybe strap his ass into the rape chair too, just for shits and giggles.
3. The Islanders resigned Chris Simon, who still has 5 games left on his 25 game suspension for trying to take the head off of Ryan Hollweg. Yeah, he's a good guy to have on the team.
4. The Isles also announced that Al Arbour will coach for 1 game on November 3, bringing his total games coached to 1,500. I have nothing snarky to say here.
5. Michael Chertoff, head of Homeland Security, said recently he has a "gut feeling" Al Queda may attack the US this summer. Michael, the only "gut" I want to hear from is that of Willie Randolph, OK? Take some Zantac and your gut will feel better. If you are that concerned, well, PROTECT THIS COUNTRY!
6. The Mets called up Anderson Hernandez following the injury to Jose Valentin. Seems the Mets felt, after the release of Julio Franco, they were missing a guy who could barely hit 190.
7. Someone explain to me why it wwas bad for Lastings Milledge to hi-5 fans after a game tying home run (off of Armando Benitez no less), but when Shelly Duncan hits a home run in a game the Yankees are leading by a tounchdown, it is OK for him to give a curtain call? Oh, that's right, Duncan is a Yankee, and they are all class all the time. That and of course he isn't "gangsta".
8. Barry Bonds is now 3 away from breaking Hank Aaron's record. Of course, even if he doesn't break it, Barry will hold the all time record for "Most Home Runs hit by a guy using the Cream and the Clear". So he's got that going for him.
9. Roger Clemens won his 351st game last night, beating the Royals. I'm sorry, do the Royals still count as a Major League team?
10. Drew Carey is set to replace Bob Barker as host of "The Price is Right". Apparently, after Rosie turned them down, they went with the next available out of work "comedian".
11. Alexi Yashin has decided to return to Russia to play hockey after no NHL team met his asking price. I'm thinking Carol Alt ain't gonna be happy about spending winters in Minsk.
12. David Beckham has joined the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS. And that is about how much time I spend caring about Soccer.
13. The last Harry Potter book was released and sold quite well. I just couldn't get over the fact that Voldermort was exposed as the man behind the Yankees all this time.
14. Gary Sheffield, still a nimrod.
15. A spokesman for the German Protestant Church has called Tom Cruise the "Goebbels of Scientology". Well, I guess a German would know all about that eh? Here's a tip, when Cruise oversees the attempted extermination of a race of peoples, then you can bleat. Until then, STFU.
16. Sergio Garcia chokes like Armando Benitez facing the Braves. And those pants, for the love of Pete, get this guy on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" quick.
17. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy is under suspicion for betting on NBA games, including games in which he was working. Reached for comment, Pete Rose said "I'll give you 10-1 that he goes away for 5 years."
18. Certain fat over-rated pompous asses (AKA, Mike Francessa) are saying the NBA issue is worse than the Vick issue. Yeah, I can see how betting on games where nobody faced any physical harm can be worse than a man who had dogs fight each other to the death, had dogs killed who didn't measure up to standards, and owned a dog "rape chair". Sure, they are very equal.
19. Lindsay Lohan's boyfriend has dumped her since she is too "boring" now that she is out of re-hab. What, does the booze monitoring ankle bracelt she has taken to wearing interfere with fun in the bedroom?
20. Starbucks is raising prices by 9 cents. So, already overpriced awful coffee becomes more expensive.
21. Another year, another Tour de France leader being accused of doping.
22. So the Yanks have won a few games of late, beating the Tampa Rays and the Royals. Let me know when they beat a good team, OK?
Monday, July 23, 2007
Home Cooking Time
The trip that was supposed to see the Mets fall out of first has ended, with the Mets holding a bigger lead (3.5 games) than they had when they departed (2.5 games) thanks to the Braves pulling their best Sergio Garcia impression last night against the Cardinals. Now, they return home for 7 games, 3 against the Pirates Tuesday - Thursday, and 4 against Manny Acta and the Nationals Friday, 2 Saturday and Sunday. At the same time the Braves visit San Fran (where Barroid will hope to hit at least 3 home runs) and then Arizona. The Phillies have 3 vs the Nationals and 3 versus the Pirates.
This is a week where the Mets can start to put some distance between themselves and the Braves. This is the week, coming on the heels of a nice 3 out of 4 vs the Dodgers where they can keep the pedal to the metal. Moises Alou returns tomorrow possibly (we shall see if the weather in NY has any impact. I'm thinking he isn't going to play on a wet field). Dos Carlos' are starting to hit. David Wright has begun to deliver in clutch situations again. Lastings Milledge doesn't have a high average, but he seems to be involved in a lot of Mets scoring plays. Jose Reyes had a good day yesterday, with a couple of extra-base hits. Resiliency is starting to creep back. The comeback yesterday. The survival of Glavine's start the other night. Even Saturday they tried to fight back. The bats are waking up, scoring 28 runs in the series against the Dodgers, who have a pretty good pitching staff.
But now, it is time to focus on the upcoming opponent. The Pirates are not good. They have some pitching talent, in Snell and Gorzelanny. Overall though, this team should not be able to hang with the Mets. Taking 2 of 3 is a must here. The Big 3 are going, Maine, Glavine and Perez. Then comes the weekend set against the Nationals, Sosa Friday, El Duque and possibly Pelfrey on Saturday and Maine on Sunday. Again, a series win is vital.
We stand about a week away from the non-waiver trading deadline. Omar and Willie need to decide what move(s), if any, are needed to get this team prepared for the post-season. Putting a little more distance between us and the Braves will allow Omar to deal from a position of strength, as opposed to weakness. For my part, I am hoping for nothing more than a bullpen tweak. The bench was helped with the addition of Marlon Anderson, who can play the infield and outfield and will not eat all the egg whites (or suck for that matter). The return of Alou helps here as well, as Milledge, when he doesn't start, can be a PH, the same goes for Alou or Green when Milledge starts. The starters are fine, you only need 3 in the playoffs, Maine, Perez and Glavine, so no need to import talent there (unless of course you can get a real difference maker, but the day of those deals are past).
Enjoy the day off today boys, for tomorrow, it is time.
This is a week where the Mets can start to put some distance between themselves and the Braves. This is the week, coming on the heels of a nice 3 out of 4 vs the Dodgers where they can keep the pedal to the metal. Moises Alou returns tomorrow possibly (we shall see if the weather in NY has any impact. I'm thinking he isn't going to play on a wet field). Dos Carlos' are starting to hit. David Wright has begun to deliver in clutch situations again. Lastings Milledge doesn't have a high average, but he seems to be involved in a lot of Mets scoring plays. Jose Reyes had a good day yesterday, with a couple of extra-base hits. Resiliency is starting to creep back. The comeback yesterday. The survival of Glavine's start the other night. Even Saturday they tried to fight back. The bats are waking up, scoring 28 runs in the series against the Dodgers, who have a pretty good pitching staff.
But now, it is time to focus on the upcoming opponent. The Pirates are not good. They have some pitching talent, in Snell and Gorzelanny. Overall though, this team should not be able to hang with the Mets. Taking 2 of 3 is a must here. The Big 3 are going, Maine, Glavine and Perez. Then comes the weekend set against the Nationals, Sosa Friday, El Duque and possibly Pelfrey on Saturday and Maine on Sunday. Again, a series win is vital.
We stand about a week away from the non-waiver trading deadline. Omar and Willie need to decide what move(s), if any, are needed to get this team prepared for the post-season. Putting a little more distance between us and the Braves will allow Omar to deal from a position of strength, as opposed to weakness. For my part, I am hoping for nothing more than a bullpen tweak. The bench was helped with the addition of Marlon Anderson, who can play the infield and outfield and will not eat all the egg whites (or suck for that matter). The return of Alou helps here as well, as Milledge, when he doesn't start, can be a PH, the same goes for Alou or Green when Milledge starts. The starters are fine, you only need 3 in the playoffs, Maine, Perez and Glavine, so no need to import talent there (unless of course you can get a real difference maker, but the day of those deals are past).
Enjoy the day off today boys, for tomorrow, it is time.
Monday, July 16, 2007
On The Road Again
Nice weekend eh? Take 3 of 4, although we did lose a game in the standings to the Braves (I'm waiting for McDowell to pull a WWE turn and take out Bobby Cox and Tim Hudson). The pen has been doing much better, giving up 1 run (Mike Pelfrey) in the last 30 some odd innings. Wagner got 3 saves in the series, and did well. Pedro Dos continued his fine pitching, Aaron Heilman has seemingly turned a corner. The pen is settling in. Some of the guys think it is because they now have set roles. If that is the case, good. We need the pen to return to the dominance of last year. I want teams to fear having to re-take a lead against the relievers. I want the starters to continue to pitch well. But the key of course is the lineup (same refrain we've all been preaching for weeks now.)
Lastings Milledge may not be the final answer, but he has done his part. First game back, he shows some hustle, scoring the eventual winning run from first on a single. Game 2, he hits a home run. Saturday, another hit. Yesterday, a 2 RBI double, and a nice recovery on a fly ball in right to make a catch. Since his return, he is hitting 267 with 5 RBI, a 313 OBP, 533 SLG and 846 OPS. Not bad for the #8 hitter eh?
But we need more. We need Wright, who has raised his average, to go on one of his blistering tears. We need Delgado to continue to improve. We need Reyes to start hitting balls in the gap. Gotay has done well in the #2 spot (sorry 'Stache). But the key folks is Beltran. He is the guy we need to get going. He can carry this team. He did it last year, but we have yet to see it this year.
July has not been kind to Carlos. He is hitting 133, with a 273 OBP, 311 SLG and 584 OPS. He has 2 HR, 6 RBI and 13 K's. That is not getting it done. I love Beltran, I think he has all the talent in the world, but he is not showing it. Hopefully, the road trip will get him going, as he has historically hit better on the road since becoming a Met than he does at Shea. This 7 game stretch against the Padres and Dodgers is the place to start. The Braves are 1.5 games back and playing well (and playing the Reds and Cardinals this week, not good for us). It is time for Carlos to go on one of his otherworldly type stretches where he hits everything thrown at him. Take this team on your back Carlos, lead us with the bat. Back on the road, hopefully, for a better trip than last time.
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Of course I would be remiss if I didn't discuss last weeks news. Now, I admit I was a Julio Franco supporter, but of late, my faith waned. I was not upset to see him go. I wish him luck, so long as it is on an AL team, or an NL team where he can help, not hurt us.
As for Rick Down, I wanted him gone last year, so I am not upset about his dismissal. Of course, now the media is worried their is a rift between Omar and Willie, since Down was Willie's guy. Guess what? Omar is the boss. Boss and employee don't always see eye to eye. Omar wanted to make a change, Willie may not have liked it, but he accepted it, and will move on. Instead of worrying about how this will affect their relationship, realize this is normal in business, and move on.
Lastings Milledge may not be the final answer, but he has done his part. First game back, he shows some hustle, scoring the eventual winning run from first on a single. Game 2, he hits a home run. Saturday, another hit. Yesterday, a 2 RBI double, and a nice recovery on a fly ball in right to make a catch. Since his return, he is hitting 267 with 5 RBI, a 313 OBP, 533 SLG and 846 OPS. Not bad for the #8 hitter eh?
But we need more. We need Wright, who has raised his average, to go on one of his blistering tears. We need Delgado to continue to improve. We need Reyes to start hitting balls in the gap. Gotay has done well in the #2 spot (sorry 'Stache). But the key folks is Beltran. He is the guy we need to get going. He can carry this team. He did it last year, but we have yet to see it this year.
July has not been kind to Carlos. He is hitting 133, with a 273 OBP, 311 SLG and 584 OPS. He has 2 HR, 6 RBI and 13 K's. That is not getting it done. I love Beltran, I think he has all the talent in the world, but he is not showing it. Hopefully, the road trip will get him going, as he has historically hit better on the road since becoming a Met than he does at Shea. This 7 game stretch against the Padres and Dodgers is the place to start. The Braves are 1.5 games back and playing well (and playing the Reds and Cardinals this week, not good for us). It is time for Carlos to go on one of his otherworldly type stretches where he hits everything thrown at him. Take this team on your back Carlos, lead us with the bat. Back on the road, hopefully, for a better trip than last time.
************************
Of course I would be remiss if I didn't discuss last weeks news. Now, I admit I was a Julio Franco supporter, but of late, my faith waned. I was not upset to see him go. I wish him luck, so long as it is on an AL team, or an NL team where he can help, not hurt us.
As for Rick Down, I wanted him gone last year, so I am not upset about his dismissal. Of course, now the media is worried their is a rift between Omar and Willie, since Down was Willie's guy. Guess what? Omar is the boss. Boss and employee don't always see eye to eye. Omar wanted to make a change, Willie may not have liked it, but he accepted it, and will move on. Instead of worrying about how this will affect their relationship, realize this is normal in business, and move on.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
L Millz is Coming Y'all!
Hide the women and children.
I joke, I kid. I'm looking forward to Lastings being back, for a LOT of reasons. First, he's a hell of a lot better than Ricky Ledee. Second, it's another bat with some pop in the lineup. Now, he isn't going to hit 20 HR's, but he is going to get his share of extra-base hits. With the lower third of our batting order (Green, Valentin) struggling, this is a good thing. He had 3 homers in his rehab stint in Binghamton, including 2 on Monday, and hit well over 400. Nice. He's in Brooklyn today and tomorrow, to get some more at-bats.
Odds are he will be here on Thursday as the Mets take on the Reds in a 4 game set. Hopefully, starting in left field, and hopefully, batting second. Why second you ask, and not 7th or 8th? Because PLD is not getting it done in the #2 spot, and the thought of Valentin or Easley hitting there makes me ill. The other options would be Wright or Beltran, but Wright is doing well in the #5 spot, and well, we know Willie ain't moving Beltran. Is Lastings the perfect answer? No. But he's the best one we have right now in my eyes.
Plus, he's gonna bring some exuberance with him. He's an excitable guy, and he wants to succeed. He's gotta know the fans will be on him if he does poorly, or says or does anything dumb. I'm sure he knows Willie and the boys will be on him too. It's time for him to prove that "he got his grown man on" and show those skills we've been hearing about.
Also returning this weekend should be Oliver Perez. He threw a rehab game yesterday, and reports had him feeling fine. He went 4 innings with 7 k's and reported no pain in his lower back. I don't need to explain how vital to the rotation he is.
Moises Alou is in St Lucie to rehab his quad. This is good news. Hopefully all goes well and we can get him back in early August. Then, we can have him in left, in a sorta platoon with Milledge perhaps. Once he returns, he's gonna need days off of course. Around that time we may see Endy Chavez, another left field option. Who knows, if Green keeps faltering, then perhaps Milledge can play some right field. The good news, no regular season games in Boston.
Then, in the middle of August, Pedro.
It's all falling into place fans. We jumped out to the early lead. Then, the injuries and awful play hit. Yet, the lead is still there. Now, the wounded are returning. Just in time for the stretch run. Buckle up, the second half of the season is about to begin.
I joke, I kid. I'm looking forward to Lastings being back, for a LOT of reasons. First, he's a hell of a lot better than Ricky Ledee. Second, it's another bat with some pop in the lineup. Now, he isn't going to hit 20 HR's, but he is going to get his share of extra-base hits. With the lower third of our batting order (Green, Valentin) struggling, this is a good thing. He had 3 homers in his rehab stint in Binghamton, including 2 on Monday, and hit well over 400. Nice. He's in Brooklyn today and tomorrow, to get some more at-bats.
Odds are he will be here on Thursday as the Mets take on the Reds in a 4 game set. Hopefully, starting in left field, and hopefully, batting second. Why second you ask, and not 7th or 8th? Because PLD is not getting it done in the #2 spot, and the thought of Valentin or Easley hitting there makes me ill. The other options would be Wright or Beltran, but Wright is doing well in the #5 spot, and well, we know Willie ain't moving Beltran. Is Lastings the perfect answer? No. But he's the best one we have right now in my eyes.
Plus, he's gonna bring some exuberance with him. He's an excitable guy, and he wants to succeed. He's gotta know the fans will be on him if he does poorly, or says or does anything dumb. I'm sure he knows Willie and the boys will be on him too. It's time for him to prove that "he got his grown man on" and show those skills we've been hearing about.
Also returning this weekend should be Oliver Perez. He threw a rehab game yesterday, and reports had him feeling fine. He went 4 innings with 7 k's and reported no pain in his lower back. I don't need to explain how vital to the rotation he is.
Moises Alou is in St Lucie to rehab his quad. This is good news. Hopefully all goes well and we can get him back in early August. Then, we can have him in left, in a sorta platoon with Milledge perhaps. Once he returns, he's gonna need days off of course. Around that time we may see Endy Chavez, another left field option. Who knows, if Green keeps faltering, then perhaps Milledge can play some right field. The good news, no regular season games in Boston.
Then, in the middle of August, Pedro.
It's all falling into place fans. We jumped out to the early lead. Then, the injuries and awful play hit. Yet, the lead is still there. Now, the wounded are returning. Just in time for the stretch run. Buckle up, the second half of the season is about to begin.
Friday, July 06, 2007
A Good Day All Around
I am happy this morning, as I expect most Mets and Islander fans are.
First the Mets. For once, a complete team game. Willie had a pre-game meeting prior to taking on the Astros. The boys responded with a 6-2 win. John Maine gave an FU to those who did not vote for him by going 7 + and allowing 2 runs (thanks in part to Joe Smith.) Maine struck out the side in the first inning after the Mets put 2 on the board, and finished with 9 K's. Smith Pedro Dos and Wagner finished it up.
The bats were nice. Jose Jose Jose led off with a triple and scored on a single by # 2 hitter Ricky Ledee (!?!?). Ledee then scored on a 2-out single by Carlos Delgado (4-4 with a walk, now 13-31 of late). The Mets scored 4 of their runs with 2 outs, a nice change of pace from the anemic RISP hitting of, oh, pretty much the entire damn season. Carlos Beltran added a late solo home run in the 9th to provide the final margin.
Before the game PLD dropped his appeal and sat out last night and will sit tonight as well. Ramon Castro did well in his place with 3 hits and 2 RBI's. As for why Ricky Ledee was playing, much less batting second, well, the missing PLD is part of the #2 spot, and the other reason is that Carlos Gomez went on the DL with a broken hamate bone in his hand which was removed during surgery yesterday. Gomez will be out 6-8 weeks. Lastings Milledge, see you after the ASB. The hamate bone is useless, so the removal should not impact him. How do I know this you may ask? Well, Ed knows a lot of useless crap.
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My happiness was completed when the Islanders announced 2 signings yesterday. First, Bill Guerin was signed for 2 years. Now, the money may be a tad high, but who hasn't signed a player for mad cash this offseason (I'm looking at you woodman, sweetlew and other Ranger fans). Guerin is 36, but scored that many goals last year. He is a legitimate #1 wing, plus he brings veteran presence to the locker room. I see him wearing at least an "A", if not the "C".
The other signing was 26 yr old Mike Comrie, who has bounced around a bit but has legitimate #1 talent. Only a 1 yr deal, so this is a test of the youngster. If he starts out hot, I would hope Garth is able to lock him up, since there are no #1 centers in the system right now.
Does this guarantee a playoff spot? No, of course not. But it does show players will sign here. A veteran like Guerin can only help in that regard. Newsday reported Bill and Mike talked about joining the Isles as they negotiated with Garth. They knew each other from their Edmonton Oiler days. Nice little package deal. Good job Garth. Now, about that defense...
First the Mets. For once, a complete team game. Willie had a pre-game meeting prior to taking on the Astros. The boys responded with a 6-2 win. John Maine gave an FU to those who did not vote for him by going 7 + and allowing 2 runs (thanks in part to Joe Smith.) Maine struck out the side in the first inning after the Mets put 2 on the board, and finished with 9 K's. Smith Pedro Dos and Wagner finished it up.
The bats were nice. Jose Jose Jose led off with a triple and scored on a single by # 2 hitter Ricky Ledee (!?!?). Ledee then scored on a 2-out single by Carlos Delgado (4-4 with a walk, now 13-31 of late). The Mets scored 4 of their runs with 2 outs, a nice change of pace from the anemic RISP hitting of, oh, pretty much the entire damn season. Carlos Beltran added a late solo home run in the 9th to provide the final margin.
Before the game PLD dropped his appeal and sat out last night and will sit tonight as well. Ramon Castro did well in his place with 3 hits and 2 RBI's. As for why Ricky Ledee was playing, much less batting second, well, the missing PLD is part of the #2 spot, and the other reason is that Carlos Gomez went on the DL with a broken hamate bone in his hand which was removed during surgery yesterday. Gomez will be out 6-8 weeks. Lastings Milledge, see you after the ASB. The hamate bone is useless, so the removal should not impact him. How do I know this you may ask? Well, Ed knows a lot of useless crap.
*************************************
My happiness was completed when the Islanders announced 2 signings yesterday. First, Bill Guerin was signed for 2 years. Now, the money may be a tad high, but who hasn't signed a player for mad cash this offseason (I'm looking at you woodman, sweetlew and other Ranger fans). Guerin is 36, but scored that many goals last year. He is a legitimate #1 wing, plus he brings veteran presence to the locker room. I see him wearing at least an "A", if not the "C".
The other signing was 26 yr old Mike Comrie, who has bounced around a bit but has legitimate #1 talent. Only a 1 yr deal, so this is a test of the youngster. If he starts out hot, I would hope Garth is able to lock him up, since there are no #1 centers in the system right now.
Does this guarantee a playoff spot? No, of course not. But it does show players will sign here. A veteran like Guerin can only help in that regard. Newsday reported Bill and Mike talked about joining the Isles as they negotiated with Garth. They knew each other from their Edmonton Oiler days. Nice little package deal. Good job Garth. Now, about that defense...
Thursday, July 05, 2007
This is Starting to Become Irritating
After taking 3 of 4 from the Team to Beat on, the Mets went west for 3 against the Rockies. Now, someone who shall remain named Ed warned that just because we were going to hitters parks did not mean we were going to be the only beneficiaries. I was worried about going into the bandboxes with our set of Fly-ball pitchers. I am not an "I told you so" type of guy, but I was right. Not in Philly of course, but in Colorado.
Of course the fact that Ollie had to go on the DL didn't help matters since Vargas had to get the call. He showed why he needs a tad more time in NOLA. If you all remember his start against the Cubs, he did well for a while until the 5th when he got lit up. Well, this time he didn't wait that long. The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Vargas gave up 4 in the bottom of the first, on his way to allowing 9 in 3 1/3 innings along with 11 hits. Yeah, there were a lot of dinks and dunks, but as Keith said repeatedly, he just didn't have any velocity when he tried to go inside. Kaz Matsui had 5 hits for pete's sake.
Last night say El Duque throw another stinker. The problem is that the high altitude messes with breaking stuff. El Duque relies on breaking stuff. It was a formula for horror. It started off well for the boys as Wright went yard in the first for a 3-0 lead. Alas, El Duque couldn't hold it as he was batted around for 6 runs in 4 innings. The pen was awful, again, allowing another 11 runs in 4 innings, with Mota and The Show leading the charge as usual and even Pedro Dos giving up 3 runs. Only Heilman was able to pitch a full inning unscathed.
So the Rockies swept us, a few weeks after sweeping the Yanks, becoming the first team since the days of the Dodgers and Giants to sweep two NY teams in the same season. Crap.
Before the game last night, Vargas was sent down and Sandy Alomar Jr. was called up to be the 3rd string catcher in case PLD loses his appeal, and to keep Franco company on the bench. This call up probably allows Willie to use Castro as a PH as well since he would have another catcher in case something happened to PLD, like another temper tantrum.
The bats are quiet with the exception of DW and well, no one really. Beltran has done nothing since Philly. Green is still on the DL for as well as he is hitting. Delgado has a couple of good games and then goes quiet again. The pen has been terrible, with the exception of Pedro Dos and Wagner. Joe Smith has come back to earth, Mota is still in Spring Training. Heilman is giving up way too many HR's. The Show, well, he allowed a run on the road finally, so there goes that idea. What does Omar do now?
I do not want a big trade. I want Pelfrey, Humber, Milledge, et al to stay. Perhaps get another arm for the pen. ALou may be back by the end of the month. The starting pitching has been fine for the most part, I am not panicking over that group. Plus, we had some good news about Pedro, as he is ahead of schedule, throwing a 50 pitch simulated game the other day. He will now shut down for a week, and when he returns, will throw another simulated game, then, assuming all is well, will start rehab appearances. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
On to Houston. We will see Maine, Pelfrey, Glavine and Dave Williams against Jennings, Rodriguez, Woody Williams and Oswalt. The first three Houston starters have combined for a record of 10-20, so we will probably lose to all of them. Oswalt is 7-5, but is still fantastic. Oh, Peter Angelos, how I hate you.
Perhaps, the 17-7 blowout will cause some guys to take a long look in the mirror today. I've said that too many times this year. Maybe this time it works. The lead is now 3.
Of course the fact that Ollie had to go on the DL didn't help matters since Vargas had to get the call. He showed why he needs a tad more time in NOLA. If you all remember his start against the Cubs, he did well for a while until the 5th when he got lit up. Well, this time he didn't wait that long. The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Vargas gave up 4 in the bottom of the first, on his way to allowing 9 in 3 1/3 innings along with 11 hits. Yeah, there were a lot of dinks and dunks, but as Keith said repeatedly, he just didn't have any velocity when he tried to go inside. Kaz Matsui had 5 hits for pete's sake.
Last night say El Duque throw another stinker. The problem is that the high altitude messes with breaking stuff. El Duque relies on breaking stuff. It was a formula for horror. It started off well for the boys as Wright went yard in the first for a 3-0 lead. Alas, El Duque couldn't hold it as he was batted around for 6 runs in 4 innings. The pen was awful, again, allowing another 11 runs in 4 innings, with Mota and The Show leading the charge as usual and even Pedro Dos giving up 3 runs. Only Heilman was able to pitch a full inning unscathed.
So the Rockies swept us, a few weeks after sweeping the Yanks, becoming the first team since the days of the Dodgers and Giants to sweep two NY teams in the same season. Crap.
Before the game last night, Vargas was sent down and Sandy Alomar Jr. was called up to be the 3rd string catcher in case PLD loses his appeal, and to keep Franco company on the bench. This call up probably allows Willie to use Castro as a PH as well since he would have another catcher in case something happened to PLD, like another temper tantrum.
The bats are quiet with the exception of DW and well, no one really. Beltran has done nothing since Philly. Green is still on the DL for as well as he is hitting. Delgado has a couple of good games and then goes quiet again. The pen has been terrible, with the exception of Pedro Dos and Wagner. Joe Smith has come back to earth, Mota is still in Spring Training. Heilman is giving up way too many HR's. The Show, well, he allowed a run on the road finally, so there goes that idea. What does Omar do now?
I do not want a big trade. I want Pelfrey, Humber, Milledge, et al to stay. Perhaps get another arm for the pen. ALou may be back by the end of the month. The starting pitching has been fine for the most part, I am not panicking over that group. Plus, we had some good news about Pedro, as he is ahead of schedule, throwing a 50 pitch simulated game the other day. He will now shut down for a week, and when he returns, will throw another simulated game, then, assuming all is well, will start rehab appearances. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
On to Houston. We will see Maine, Pelfrey, Glavine and Dave Williams against Jennings, Rodriguez, Woody Williams and Oswalt. The first three Houston starters have combined for a record of 10-20, so we will probably lose to all of them. Oswalt is 7-5, but is still fantastic. Oh, Peter Angelos, how I hate you.
Perhaps, the 17-7 blowout will cause some guys to take a long look in the mirror today. I've said that too many times this year. Maybe this time it works. The lead is now 3.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Just One Year of Love...
Is better than a lifetime of annoying the hell out of my wife. (The title of today's blog is from a Queen song off of the CD "A Kind of Magic". ) I started this blog so as to not annoy her with my incessant chatter about my sports teams. I had found an outlet for the Mets over on Metsgeek, but needed more.
My loves (besides the wife and kids of course) are the Mets and the Islanders and the Jets. My Jets made me happy this past season, exceeding expectations. The Mets last season made it to the NLCS. I still refuse to discuss how that ended. So far this season, they are within about 2 games of last years pace (48-34 last year, 46-35 this season), though the lead is 4 this year as opposed to 10.5 last year. Considering the injuries and the awful start to the month of June, the fact that they are still in 1st speaks well of the team, and ill of the other teams in the division, who also had awful June performances (well, the Phillies did OK at least till this past weekend.)
All in all, I have faith that the Mets will continue to lead the division, and will exceed last year's performance at the end of the year.
My first day last year, I blogged about the Islanders and the changes they had gone through. In fact, it was in my first posting over at the old address. At that time, they had just hired Ted Nolan as coach, and had named Neil Smith GM. I liked the former, not so much the latter. SMith of course lasted 40 days, and was replaced by Garth Snow. Smith made a couple of signings before he left, and Snow added a few people as well, including Ryan Smyth in a deadline beating deal for two prospects and this year's first round draft choice. Last season's #1 pick, Kyle Okposo, was a fantastic pick by all measures, but he will spend another year in college.
So a year later the team is in a bigger mess than it was. Gone are Smyth, Blake, Kozlov, Poti. Gone too is Yashin, though that was addition by subtraction. In excess of 100 goals has walked out the door. Offense is going to be in short supply. Defense is going to be poor. Rick DiPietro may regret signing a 15 year contract by the time December rolls around.
Despite making competitive offers, Garth Snow has been unable to attract any big name players to join the team so far this FA period. Why do players not want to come to LI? We know money isn't the issue, as Charles Wang is not exactly shy when it comes to writing fat checks (see Yashin, Alexei and DiPietro, Rick). Nolan is a good coach. DiPietro is a damn good goalie. Yashin is gone (this fact cannot be repeated enough). Mike Milbury is gone (another fact that cannot be repeated enough). A good player can get paid and can be part of a revival. So why not?
This morning in Newsday Garth Snow blamed the arena. I can't say I totally agree with him on this. Now, I do agree that the time has come for Nassau County to get their thumbs out of their asses and let Wang do the renovations he has been trying to get done for years. The county has been dragging their feet on the application process for years now. Enough is enough. The arena has been there, so the process should be a lot smoother. The county is messed up, and this is hurting the team. By dragging their feet on this, they are hampering Wang's ability to make money. A renovation will allow him to improve the atmosphere in the arena, and make it more fan friendly. It will increase the # of seats, will will allow more revenue. Wang has lost millions since he purchased the team. If he can get the renovations done, he may be able to turn a profit. Fans may be more willing to come to the arena. Other events could be held (perhaps more NCAA sub-regionals?) The county spent millions on a pool for some athletic event that has turned into a white elephant. Here they have an opportunity to improve the Coliseum, in the heart of the County. Make it a destination place again.
Of course, it all hinges on the ability to put a good team on the ice. You do that, and players will want to come. Fans will want to attend games. If Snow can groom the youngsters in the minors and make good picks in the draft, if Okposo can continue to blossom, if he can attract some players, the team can win. Once they win, the fans will come back. They always do. Look at the early 90's when they had a couple of good seasons. Look at the early 2000's when they made the playoffs. The fans came and the place rocked. But they need a reason to come. They want to see a good team. I fear that this season we will not have one. I forsee the #1 overall pick being up for grabs at the end of the season. Perhaps they can get an impact player like a Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin. There is some talent on the team now. Hunter is good. Satan hopefully will be consistent. Sillinger is a gamer. We all know how good DiPietro can be. Let's hope Nolan can get them to overachieve this year.
And lets hope the Nassau County Government gets off their asses and give Wang the approvals he needs to fix the Coliseum.
*****************
I've enjoyed blogging this past year. I want to thank those who come and visit, whether they leave comments or not. I'm not a stats guy, I am simply a fan. I love the Mets, I love the Jets and Islanders. I just try to blog from my heart, to give my thoughts, a simple fan perspective, on how things are going. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope to do it for years to come.
My loves (besides the wife and kids of course) are the Mets and the Islanders and the Jets. My Jets made me happy this past season, exceeding expectations. The Mets last season made it to the NLCS. I still refuse to discuss how that ended. So far this season, they are within about 2 games of last years pace (48-34 last year, 46-35 this season), though the lead is 4 this year as opposed to 10.5 last year. Considering the injuries and the awful start to the month of June, the fact that they are still in 1st speaks well of the team, and ill of the other teams in the division, who also had awful June performances (well, the Phillies did OK at least till this past weekend.)
All in all, I have faith that the Mets will continue to lead the division, and will exceed last year's performance at the end of the year.
My first day last year, I blogged about the Islanders and the changes they had gone through. In fact, it was in my first posting over at the old address. At that time, they had just hired Ted Nolan as coach, and had named Neil Smith GM. I liked the former, not so much the latter. SMith of course lasted 40 days, and was replaced by Garth Snow. Smith made a couple of signings before he left, and Snow added a few people as well, including Ryan Smyth in a deadline beating deal for two prospects and this year's first round draft choice. Last season's #1 pick, Kyle Okposo, was a fantastic pick by all measures, but he will spend another year in college.
So a year later the team is in a bigger mess than it was. Gone are Smyth, Blake, Kozlov, Poti. Gone too is Yashin, though that was addition by subtraction. In excess of 100 goals has walked out the door. Offense is going to be in short supply. Defense is going to be poor. Rick DiPietro may regret signing a 15 year contract by the time December rolls around.
Despite making competitive offers, Garth Snow has been unable to attract any big name players to join the team so far this FA period. Why do players not want to come to LI? We know money isn't the issue, as Charles Wang is not exactly shy when it comes to writing fat checks (see Yashin, Alexei and DiPietro, Rick). Nolan is a good coach. DiPietro is a damn good goalie. Yashin is gone (this fact cannot be repeated enough). Mike Milbury is gone (another fact that cannot be repeated enough). A good player can get paid and can be part of a revival. So why not?
This morning in Newsday Garth Snow blamed the arena. I can't say I totally agree with him on this. Now, I do agree that the time has come for Nassau County to get their thumbs out of their asses and let Wang do the renovations he has been trying to get done for years. The county has been dragging their feet on the application process for years now. Enough is enough. The arena has been there, so the process should be a lot smoother. The county is messed up, and this is hurting the team. By dragging their feet on this, they are hampering Wang's ability to make money. A renovation will allow him to improve the atmosphere in the arena, and make it more fan friendly. It will increase the # of seats, will will allow more revenue. Wang has lost millions since he purchased the team. If he can get the renovations done, he may be able to turn a profit. Fans may be more willing to come to the arena. Other events could be held (perhaps more NCAA sub-regionals?) The county spent millions on a pool for some athletic event that has turned into a white elephant. Here they have an opportunity to improve the Coliseum, in the heart of the County. Make it a destination place again.
Of course, it all hinges on the ability to put a good team on the ice. You do that, and players will want to come. Fans will want to attend games. If Snow can groom the youngsters in the minors and make good picks in the draft, if Okposo can continue to blossom, if he can attract some players, the team can win. Once they win, the fans will come back. They always do. Look at the early 90's when they had a couple of good seasons. Look at the early 2000's when they made the playoffs. The fans came and the place rocked. But they need a reason to come. They want to see a good team. I fear that this season we will not have one. I forsee the #1 overall pick being up for grabs at the end of the season. Perhaps they can get an impact player like a Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin. There is some talent on the team now. Hunter is good. Satan hopefully will be consistent. Sillinger is a gamer. We all know how good DiPietro can be. Let's hope Nolan can get them to overachieve this year.
And lets hope the Nassau County Government gets off their asses and give Wang the approvals he needs to fix the Coliseum.
*****************
I've enjoyed blogging this past year. I want to thank those who come and visit, whether they leave comments or not. I'm not a stats guy, I am simply a fan. I love the Mets, I love the Jets and Islanders. I just try to blog from my heart, to give my thoughts, a simple fan perspective, on how things are going. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope to do it for years to come.
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