Not What I Hoped to be Writing Today...

I wasn’t prepared to write this today. Oh, there were fleeting thoughts that they could lose, but I pushed them to the dark recesses of my mind. After seeing the rebound in Game 6, I believed we would win. I knew it. Alas, it was not meant to be.

For all the concern from all corners about the starters for Game 6 and Game 7, both young men acquitted themselves quite well. Oliver Perez was dealing last night. I think we saw the birth of our #4 or #5 starter for next season. He got in trouble, but worked out of it. Big scare in the 6th after Willie visited the mound with a runner on and Scott Rolen at the plate. Rolen, who had been getting killed by Buck and McCarver all night for not being able to turn on a fastball, turned on one, sending it towards the Cardinal Bullpen. A gasp, and then a ray of hope as Endy Chavez lept and made the Best.Catch.Ever., and then proceeded to double up Jim Edmonds. The break we had been looking for had arrived.

Then another, in the bottom of the sixth Rolen threw a ball away. The Mets would load the bases with 1 out. Things looked good. But Suppan, who pitched well again, worked out of it, getting Stache and Endy to work out of trouble.

ChadBrad worked the 7th. Aaron worked the eighth, and came back out for the ninth, Then, Yadier Molina takes Aaron deep, and it is 3-1 Cards. The Mets get runners on in the 9th. Uncle Cliffy would stride to the plate as the tying run. I had stated that he would do something positive this series. Alas, there would be no Kirk Gibson like heroics. Beltran would come up with the bases loaded. He owns Cardinal pitching. The good feeling was still there. Then, he looks at a sick curveball, going down without a swing. Game and Season of such promise, over.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and name individual scapegoats. I’m not going to kill Aaron. I’m not going to kill Billy, or David. This team wins as a team, and loses as a team. The vaunted lineup is what failed them. Allowing Jeff Weaver and Jeff Suppan to dominate you twice each in the same series is not the way to win. They hit Carpenter well, but lose to two guys who are hardly great. A young Cardinal bullpen is battered once. There is no single goat. The lost together. Nobody hit last night, or for most of the series. Guys would have one great game, or two, but there was no consistency. They failed to execute. Coming into the NLDS, few experts thought the team would get past the Dodgers, considering how hot they were coming in, and the state of the Mets rotation. They swept them. Then, the same pitching issues were there for the NLCS, but save for blowing game 2, and a poor start in game 3, the pitching did well. The bats did not come through, that is the fact. None of the big bats came through, but we also lacked an unsung hero. Where was our counter to So Taguchi, or Yadier Molina (a 216 hitter in the regular season)?

This team is set for a number of years. The young guys, Reyes and Wright, have there first playoffs under their belts. We have found two starters for next year in Perez and Maine. Filthy Sanchez will be back (arbitration eligible). Endy is arb eligible as well. Delgado will want to get back to October, Beltran will want to wash it away as well. I have faith that Omar will do what he can to get a top starter, either through Free Agency or a trade. This is not 1986, with a lot of veterans and problem children. This team will be back next year. The problems will be fixed.

I’m tired. I’m sad. I’m left with the Jets and Islanders for the next several months until pitchers and catcher report. (Now I am even sadder thinking about that.)

Next week, I’ll have thoughts on next steps. Who should be back (hint, Steve Trachsel is NOT on that list)? Who should be a trade target, or Free Agency target? For now, I want to thank the team for a great ride. It was bumpy, yes. But it was fun, the first time in 6 years I can say that. I want to thank those of you who read and comment, and those who do not comment but just read. I want to thank other bloggers, Metstradamus, Toasty Joe, the guys at Faith & Fear, Metsgeek.com, and others for making this season even more enjoyable.

I’ll post Mets thoughts throughout the off-season. I’ll also post Jets and Islanders stuff, so stop by every once in a while. I might not have something every day, but I’ll still be here.

Necessary!

As if there was ever any doubt?

Yeah, it looked scary in the top of the first. Johnny Maine loaded 'em up, but got out of it. Then, the good vibes began.

Lenny Dykstra, er Jose Reyes led off with a Home Run. The place began to rock. Like in Rocky 4 (thanks Danny :) ), Carpenter was shown to be a man, not a machine. He could bleed. Later, Shawn Green would add another run, and PLD would drive in 2 to make the final difference.

Was Maine perfect, no. But he got the job done. Biggest start of his career, and he came through. Made Pujols look silly. Kept Spiezio in check. Kept Eckstein in check. ChadBrad helped him out, getting a DP in the 6th to end a threat. Mota redeemed himself. Aaron pitched well. If not for Billy making things interesting, it would have been a whitewash. (note to Billy and PLD, lets call the slider a little less often, shall we?)

Tonight, the best thing in baseball, a Game 7, with the WS appearance on the line. It ain't going to be easy. Pitching for the Cards is Jeff Suppan, who shut the Mets out on Saturday. Pitching for the Mets - Everyone with a pulse. Oliver Perez, just go three, four at most and keep them close. Darren Oliver, do what you have done all year. Then, Robo, Mota, Aaron, Pedro Dos, ChadBrad, Billy. Everyone.

Bring the bats boys, we're gonna need some runs possibly. Let's put a nice number up in the bottom of the first.

BELIEVE

You Gotta

BELIEVE

Who Shows Up Tonight?

This has been a season of highs (a 9-1 road trip, leading the division since game 3) and lows (insert Jose Lima start here). Last night's game was a microcosm of the season. The high came when the Mets went up 2-0 in the fourth behind Delgado, Green and 'Stache. The low started in the bottom of the fourth, as the Cards tied it when Albert Pujols woke up and hit one out, followed by Belliard driving in the tying run. Then in the bottom of the fifth, the Cards took the lead for good. Tommy Glavine just did not have his best stuff last night. He was far from awful, but he was not nearly the pitcher he had been his first two post-season starts.

Many feelings are running through my head. Anger, over the inability to hit Jeff Weaver for the second game. Sadness, that this season of promise could be over tonight. And hope.

Yes, Hope, and no, I am not off my meds. Hope because the boys are coming home. Hope because I know the fans will be behind them, giving all they have to urge the guys to give all they have. Hope because we have seen John Maine dominate at times this season, why could he not be able to do it again? Hope because the Pen is ready. Hope because I know this team is not going to go down without a fight. Hope because I know David Wright cannot continue his slump another day. Hope because I remember 1986, Mets down 3-2 to the Sox, and it did not matter.

John Maine has a chance here to be forever loved. I know, I wrote something similar prior to game 1 of the NLDS, but it holds true again. If he can give his all, and keep this team in the game, the fans will feed off of it, the players will feed off of it. David has a chance to wipe away the first 5 games of futility with a good game. These guys all know that there are no guarantees in baseball, just because they ran away with it this year does not mean it can happen again next year (ask the 87 team, or the 89 team).

Yes, you worry about the pressure getting to the young guys, and even some of the older guys. But there has been pressure for a good part of the season. Too many starting pitchers to count. The sweep in Boston. The loss of Pedro and El Duque. Tonight is a chance for the team to show the pressure means nothing. To show the pundits who are calling them dead that they are not quite dead yet. To show off that AL like lineup against Chris Carpenter. And then to show it to Jeff Suppan tomorrow.

It is OK to be worried this morning fans. But it is OK to have hope. That is the feeling I will be carrying with me today and tonight.

(not so) Deep Thoughts

With a rainout last night, we fans get to recharge a bit after three hectic days. Lot's of questions as we go into game 5 this evening, covering all sports in NY.

1. Can Glavine pitch as well as he did the last time out, given that the Cards have seen his stuff recently?

2. Can Jeff Weaver do the same?

3. Is David Wright waking up?

4. Why does Scott Spiezio have a "happy trail" on his chin?

5. Will Steve Trachsel even get a contract offer this offseason?

6. Who the hell is Jeff Brantley to call out Trax? A career 43-46 with a 3.39 ERA and 1.3 WHIP. I could care less that he won the Rolaids award. He won it once, and was mediocre the rest of his career.

7. Steve Lyons - idiot.

8. Miami football - awful weekend for both pro teams.

9. Why the hell are St. Louis fans imitating Spiezio's happy trail? Do they really think it looks good?

10. Who will pitch game 7 for the Mets.

11. Whatever happened to "King Henrik"?

12. For that matter, whatever happened to Rick DiPietro? Oh Rick, better heal fast, Dunham is outplaying your ass.

13. Can Curtis Martin come back and make a difference for the Jets?

14. Did the Yankees play yesterday? Golf I mean.

15. Good luck in Chicago Sweet Lou. You'll need it.

16. Has the real Alexei Yashin finally shown up?

17. Seriously, what the hell is that on Spiezio's chin?

18. Why is it the Mets get victimized by the likes of Eckstein, Suppan and Taguchi?

19. Can the Mets get a Kirk Gibson moment from Uncle Cliffy?

20. Who replaces Trax in the rotation if the Mets make the World Series?

21. Let me get this straight, some people got on Met fans for leaving Friday night after Billy gave up 3 runs, but no one says boo about the "Best fans in Baseball" clearing out in the 6th on Sunday?

22. Fun Fact - the spell check on Blogger gives "tragically" as the alternative to Trachsel.

Big game tonight. If the Mets can win, a huge amount of momentum going into Shea tomorrow. The fans, already pumped for the postseason will be in full throat. No silly bats to slam against each other to make noise. We do it with our voices, hands (and the occasional Jet overhead).
As loud as Shea has been in the past, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Oh, and if you happen to be at Game 6, please refrain form booing the boys. It ain't like they are losing on purpose. Yes, Wags blew it, but it happens. All the great ones do it. It was his turn. That being said, no more Billy, OK? Thanks.

That'll Do Ollie, That'll Do...

Facing a 2-1 series deficit, thanks to poor pitching and a day off from the lineup, the Mets threw Ollie Perez last night, in the hopes of getting something resembling a quality start, while praying that the lumber would awaken and do some damage. The hopes and prayers were answered.

Now, Ollie wasn't great, allowing 3 home runs (can someone explain to me why it is that Taguchi, Suppan and Eckstein can go yard?) in 5 2/3. However, he did limit the damage, allowing the bats to wake up and pound on the Cards. Chad Bradford, Pedro Dos and Mota finished it up, allowing no further damage. So the pen should be in good shape for Glavine's start, either tonight or tomorrow (it is already raining in STL, so we may have another rainout today.) After the pen spit the bit on Friday, it was nice to see Darren Oliver do a fantastic job Saturday, and the aforementioned trio get it done last night. Rehab is complete (speaking of rehab, El Duque had a promising side session yesterday. If we can make the WS, perhaps he can go?)

But the story of the night was the bats. After suffering some A-Rod comparisons, The Prince went yard, giving the Mets a 2-1 lead. His home run came one out after Beltran hit the first of 2 for the night (boy, does he own the Cards or what?) Beltran went 3-3 with 2 walks, getting on base all 5 times at bat. 'Stache got into it with a triple, scoring 3, Green had 2 hits. Everybody Hits was the rallying cry it appears.

But the story is the NY corner infielder who actually performs come playoff time. Carlos Delgado (is there anyone left who really wants Mike Jacobs back?) was huge, again. Delgado went 2-4 with 5 RBI. A three run HR, a ground rule double (oh, and both went to left field). Fire seemed to ooze out of him. The man is on a mission to carry this team. Should he keep it up, we could be playing Saturday.

On the other side, Larussa went to the pen early, and it cost him. They had done a great job in the playoffs until last night, when they imploded. The only guy who looked good was Looper, who went 3, giving up only a Beltran blast. Otherwise, the Card pen was treated like rented mules.

Next up, Glavine vs Weaver. Over on cardinalsdiaspora, a commenter noted that Larussa will figure out Glavine. Well, he might, but here is the question, will the Cards lineup? Oh, and do you really think the Mets lineup won't figure out Weaver? Cuts both ways guys. Of course, rain today could cause Larussa to bring Carpenter back tomorrow on short rest. Then again, he is not Mike (Scuffy) Scott.

Best of 3. I'm sticking to my 6 game Met win.

Let's get it on!

I can sum up the last 2 games in 1 word...

SHIT.

The pen shit the bed Friday. Trax and the offense shit it (shat it?) last night.

Tonight, Ollie Perez v Reyes. Let's hope our Reyes stays hot, and that it rubs off on the 3rd baseman.
I want runs galore put up by the Mets. I want a bunch in the first, and no let up. Burn out their pen, so Monday, once we smack Weaver around, there is nothing to replace him.

I'm not gonna sit here and say they are done, unlike those on ESPN and WFAN. There is way too much talent in the lineup. There is way too much hunger. Too many guys who have not been there, and a couple who have yet did not get the ring. Ian O'conner in the Journal News said they look like the Yanks. That insult should be in the locker room today.

Show the testicular fortitude guys. Show up tonight, early. Remind people who the beast's of the NL were this year.

"It ain't over til its over." - Yogi

Kick some ass boys. This series will be back at Shea.

That's 1!

Thanks for the birthday gift guys.

We saw a great game last night. Jeff Weaver tried to pull a Kenny Rogers on the Mets, pitching quite well until the 6th. Two quick outs were followed by PLD singling, bringing up Carlos Uno. A few nice pitches by Weaver, Beltran hanging in. Then, Molina sets up outside, and Weaver decides now is the time to slip back to a few years back, the last time he pitched in NY, and stays inside. Carlos said "Thanks for that" and hit an absolute BOMB off the scoreboard. It was one of those no-doubters, as soon as he hit it, you knew it was gone. The bench went nuts, as you could see Wright jump up as soon as Carlos made contact. It may have been the only highlight of the evening for the offense, but it was all that was needed, thanks to some excellent defense, and one Tom Glavine.

As bad as I feel for Uncle Cliffy, there is no chance he get to the ball in the fifth. Endy is something special to see in the field, and can do some nice things at the plate as well. To think that at the start of the season, many fans wondered why he was here over Tike Redmon, or even Victor Diaz. David Wright made a couple of nice plays as well. Then there is Beltran. Now, we all know Carlos plays deep, and some worry about that. Last night, a fly to shallow center, and Carlos gets on his horse (that quad is apparently healed, thankfully) and makes a nice grab. Pujols was running, and Carlos was able to double him off. All were key plays to help the team. Great defense helps in tight games, and last night was a nailbiter.

I cannot say enough about the job Tom Glavine has done in the postseason so far. In the NLDS, he pitched Game 2, going 6 innings of 4 hit ball, as the Mets overcame the great Kuo (dripping sarcasm). Last night, Game 1, with the team knowing they face probable Cy-Young Winner Chris Carpenter tonight, and Tommy gets it done again, 7 innings, 4 hits, 2 walks, and no damage by Pujols. He kept the Cards off balance all night, including a big strikeout of Pujols in the 1st inning, setting a good tone for the crowd. Going seven allowed Willie to conserve the pen. Mota pitched and uneventful 8th, and Wagner a similar 9th. All seemed to be on, which is key at this point. End result, a 2-0 win, a Mets lead in the series, and happiness amongst the fan base.

Tonight, another 8:19 start. John Maine looks to build on his last outing against Chris Carpenter. Carpenter is good, no doubt, but as Jessica pointed out the other day, he is not exactly dominant against the good teams, and did not face the Mets this season. We shall see. Hopefully the bats will awaken tonight. It is possible, nee, probable that more than 2 runs will be needed tonight. Johnny, you are on the spot again tonight. Let's go up 2-0 as we head to St. Louis.

Oh, and Mookie, despite your switching of allegiance to the Cards due to your son playing for them, I still love ya.

This Date in History

October 12, 1492 - Columbus discovers "America". Actually the West Indies, but big deal, he got here didn't he?

10/12/69 - Mets win Game 2 of the 1969 World Series. Oh, and a boy who would later grow up to be this blogger is born.

10/12/73 - No Met game.

10/12/86 - Met's lose Game 4 of the NLCS 3-1 to Mike (Scuffy) Scott. Your very own Ed in Westchester was there. Sadly.

10/12/99 - Mets lose Game 1 of NLCS to the Braves 4-2.

10/12/00 - Mets win Game 2 of NLCS over the Cards 6-5.

10/12/06 - Mets face Cardinals in Game 1 of NLCS. Result - ????

After last night's rainout, Game 1 of the NLCS will be played tonight. Weather looks to be OK, so that should not get in the way. Glavine vs. Weaver is still the matchup. Larussa is not changing his rotation, so Carpenter will not start until Game 3, Saturday in St. Louis. Home crowd in his corner is seen as a plus. We shall see how that plays out.

I still have my concerns over this series. If the bats are awake for the Mets, they should be able to take it, but in a 7 game series, you never know what can happen. The Cards could get excellent starts from their rotation. Their pen could step up. Their lineup could explode.

It is not easy being a Met fan. Rarely has the team entered the playoffs with a both good offense and pitching, 1986 may be the only exception. In 2000, the starters were good while the lineup had issues. This time around, the roles are reversed. As I wrote yesterday, the pen is the key. If they can dominate as they did during the year, and the starters can give quality starts, the Mets should take this series in 6. I stand by that prediction. I still see Uncle Cliffy having a positive impact. He hit well in the last series. Wright was hitting. PLD and Delgado hit. If we can get Beltran, 'Stache and Green and Reyes going, this will be a fun series for us fans. AM I worried about 5 games without a day off, a little, but it impacts the Cards the same. They have rotation issues after Carpenter as the Mets have after Glavine. Whoever has the other starters step up will win. We have seen Maine pitch well, as well as Trax. Perez has the potential as well. They can do this. I will enjoy the ride.

I'm hoping for a win for my birthday. How about it guys?

Sad News

It is being reported that Cory Lidle, most recently of the Yankees, who started his career with the Mets in 1997 died today when his plane crashed into an Upper East Side apartment building.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Lidle family and his friends in this sad time.

NLCS Preview

Before I get to the preview, I'm going to get on my soapbox about something that has annoyed the living shit out of me for a few days now, that being, the Mets place in NYC. No, I'm not talking about the wall to wall coverage of "Will George Fire Joe" in all the papers, or even the ESPN week-long special on "What happened to the Yankees". No, what I am talking about is the perception of this team among fans in the city.

I'm sick and tired of reading stories about how the Mets can now take over the city. I have news for the media, the Mets drew over 3.5 million fans this year. Ratings on SNY are higher than they ever were on MSG/FSNY. Merchandise sales are up. In other words, there already is a good portion of this city that loves our Mets. We have been there all along, and will continue to do so. What I do not want, and what most Met fans do not want are Yankee fans who switch allegiance to the Mets. No true fan of the Yankees would do that, as no true Met fan would root for the Yankees (despite Larry Jones' comments to the contrary a few years ago. How's your golf game Larry?)

Yes, of course there will be the casual baseball fan who has no vested interest in either team for the most part who might now tilt towards the Mets now that they are still playing while the Yankees are not, that is normal. But do not sit there and write stories that the Mets can take over the city. We do not want to. We do not want bandwagon fans. The true fan has suffered through the Art Howe Error. We suffered through Dallas Green. We lived through Joe Torre and George Bamberger. We lived with Buddy Harrelson. We enjoyed Davey and Bobby, and are enjoying Willie. We will be here even if the team loses in this round, and we will not be looking for a new manager, or to trade a Hall of Famer. We are Met fans, and we are Proud of that.


On to the Preview.

Interesting matchup. The Cards slumped coming into the playoffs, barely hanging on and holding off the Reds and Astros. However, once the playoffs began, they resumed playing good ball, beating the Padres (sorry Mike's) 3-1. The keys for the Mets, and obviously, this is not rocket science, will be keeping Eckstein off the bases, and holding Pujols in check. Edmonds is playing hurt, as is Rolen. Both remain dangerous, but their bread is buttered by Eckstein and Pujols.

The Cardinals of course want to neutralize Reyes and Delgado. The problem is that even if they do that, they still have to deal with PLD and Wright. A key for the Mets will be Valentin warming up again. He had a poor NLDS, so a bounce back performance is a must, especially with Uncle Cliffy possibly not being on the roster, and even if he is, available for pinch-hitting duties only for the most part. A wounded Carlos Beltran is still dangerous, as he can still move runners along, and work walks, as he did in the NLDS. So in the end, the lineup favors the Mets.

Pitching will be the deciding factor here. The Cards are throwing Jeff Weaver tonight. Now, before we get all happy about them throwing a guy who was released by the Angels this season, and failed in NY as a Yankee, I'm concerned he may channel Kenny Rogers from last Saturday and try for some NY payback. That is a slight concern though. Jeff Suppan goes tomorrow night, followed by Chris Carpenter. Their pen is missing Izzy, who has been replaced by Wainwright. Looper is still there, not closing however. The Cards do have a couple of lefties in the pen, but none in the starting rotation. Hopefully, leftitis is a thing of the past. The Cards do have Tony Larussa, a self-proclaimed genius, who always seems to overmanage at this time of year. He is a winner, so he could be a deciding factor here.

The Mets will counter with Glavine tonight, hoping he can emulate what he did in Game 2 of the NLDS, followed by Maine and Trax. For Game 4, since Kukla and Fran were not available, we get Ollie. So again, the hope for the Mets is to get 5 or 6 serviceable innings out of the starters, and then bring in the bullpen. This is the recipe used all season long, and it led to 97 regular season wins, and a sweep in the NLDS.

So, a potentially good series awaits us. I have my concerns about the starters, and some parts of the lineup, but I have faith. Mets in 6.

Islanders Preview

Momentary diversion while we await the start of the NLCS. Time for the Isles Season Preview. Yes, it is a week late, but then again, the Isles have forgotten the season started as well, so no big deal.

After an offseason of turmoil, two General Managers, the hiring and resignation of Pat LaFontaine, numerous free agent signings (some of which were good, others, not so much) and the record 15 year deal given to Rick Dipietro, the Isles began play last week. Looked just like the start of last year. Let's take a look at each group, shall we:

Goaltending:
Above any other position, this is the one that will determine how high or low this team will go. On the heels of an Olympics starting appearance, and a good 2nd half of last season, Rick DiPietro signed a 15 year $67.5 million contract, making him goalie for life. As we all know, Rick was the #1 overall pick a few years back, replacing Roberto Luongo (who is now on his second team since the trade to the Panthers). Is Rick an elite goalie right now, no. Is he good with the potential to be great, yes. He has the skills, and when he is on, can take over a game, as he did many times in the second half. He outplayed Martin Brodeur several times last year. The problem with Rick is that he is up and down. He claimed at one point last year he loses focus when he plays too many games in a row. Rick, you are the man now, no more excuses, you will be playing 70 games. Time to step up and show Wang that he was right to have faith in you.
Rick is backed up by Mike Dunham. Nothing special there, he will only need to start a handful of times, and come in for Ricky during blowouts.

Defense:
The Isles have for years had highly rated defensemen come in and proceed to fail to live up to expectations. A few years back, the defense boasted Kenny Jonnson, Adrian Aucoin, Roman Hamrlik among others, and we all felt this was a great group. The problem was that while they were all good, they all played the same game, and there were no hitters in the bunch. All are now gone. Last year Milbury brought in Brent Sopel and Brad Lukowick who both were traded before the end of the season.
This season, Alexei Zhitnik returns, along with Chris Campoli, Joel Bouchard and Radek Martinek. Bruno Gervais is on the team while Campoli nurses an injury. Added to the group were Sean Hill, Tom Poti (?) and Brendan Witt. Witt is a hitter, so this was a good add. Hill has not looked good so far. Poti is awful. I hated this signing when it was announced, and I still hate it.
So the defense no longer boasts big names. They need to keep the pressure off of Rick. Right now, I am not confident they can do so. Hill and Poti are frankly not very good, Campoli is young, as is Gervais. Martinek is OK at best.
It could be a long season for Rick if this group does not gel quickly.

Offense:
Yashin is still here. He is the guy being counted on to carry this team. To date, he has not shown the ability to make those around him better. When you are paid $7 million a year, you better be able to do that if you are not putting 100 points up on the board a season. This is (hopefully) his last chance. If he fails again, he better be bought out.
Returnees include Trent Hunter (who had a poor sophomore season), Mike York (better 2nd half than 1st), Blake and Bates (both of whom are overhyped), and Satan, who hopefully called his namesake to cut a deal to get this team to improve.
Newcomers include Andy Hilbert, and Richard Park (WTF?), Mike Sillinger (on his 12th team for pete's sake), Victor Kozlov (this years Oleg Kvasha, lots of talent, never lived up to it) Chris Simon (I thought he had retired) and Jeff Tambellini (son of Steve). Tambellini had a nice camp, hopefully he can live up to his first round draft status. Oh, and Aaron Asham is back, whoopee.

Management:
Ted Nolan is back in the NHL. A lot was said about how he will be good for this team, as the new NHL is an attacking style. Also, Ted is a disciplinarian. Well, game 1 saw 12 penalties and poor play. Not a good start. I do like the hire though, and expect to see improvement.
Garth Snow is the GM. Very few of the players were brought in by him, so a grade on him will be reserved until his first trade and after next offseason.
Wang is a meshuganah. I love the fact that he bought the team and kept it here and is trying to redo the Coliseum, but he still allows Milbury to hang around. And Yahsin. Need to see some improvement here.

Expectations:
Well, pretty much every publication has the Isles in last place this year. This is either going to be excellent Bulletin Board material (Could you see them with a cut out of Larry Brooks ala Major League), or a prediction out of Nostradamus.
Sadly, I do not see this team in the playoffs. I think the defense is poor, leading to a shelled Rick. The offense will struggle to score (Jason Blake shoots way too much and misses the net more than Reijo Ruotsalainen) again. All this adds up to a last place Atlantic finish, and 13th in the conference (Atlanta and Toronto behind them) I fear. If Rick is able to morph into the best goalie in the NHL, then they might have a shot. I just don't think that is going to happen yet.

Tomorrow - Metsies Metsies Metsies.

Stage 1 Complete

Well, I did not get my trifecta on Saturday. Oh, the Yanks and Mets lived up to their end of the bargain, but my Islanders decided to not score any goals, while Rick DiPietro decided to let in only 2 (bringing his GAA down to 4, hey Rick, that ain't gonna get it done son.)

What can I say about the Mets that hasn't already been said here or elsewhere. They were given little to no chance to win this series once El Duque went down. They did not listen to the experts though, and proceeded to sweep the Brooklyn Dodgers of Los Angeles. Little threw a lefty at them, no problem. We started John Maine in the opener, no problem. Trax pitched game 3 and the pen leaked a bit, no problem. Greg Maddux, a former torturer as a Braves was thrown at us, and he was hit. They got the job done.

Hats off to PLD and Shawn Green. They took out their frustrations of being traded by the Dodger, PLD having a very good series, and Green having a good game 3. Uncle Cliffy did well, until he tweaked his achilles again. If the last play for Cliffy as a Met is him motoring home for a run and hurting himself, that is a nice way to go out, giving your all for your team. David Wright went 4 for 12 with a few RBI. Jose Jose Jose warmed up in game 3 as well. Beltran did not hit much, but got a few key walks. Mota pitched 2 scoreless innings, and Heilman 1. Wags did the job in the last two games with nary a Tums needed.

So it is on to the NLCS. The Cardinals come to town on Wednesday. Interesting match up, as neither team has a great rotation. The Mets have the edge in the pen, but the Cardinals have Pujols. I have a good feeling about this.

Now, I'm not going to gloat over the Yanks (OK, maybe a little bit). They and their fans understimated the Tigers. Yes, they slumped in September, but so did the White Sox last year. The Tigers have an impressive pitching staff, a lot of youth and a lot of speed. They also have Kenny Rogers, who apparently made a deal with the Devil to allow him to beat the Yanks.

Typically, Yankee fans and the media and George are pointing fingers. They are all pointing at Joe Torre. Now, I personally think Joe is a tad overrated, but this is not his fault. He did not trade for the Big Eunuch. He did not sign Jaret Wright. He did not take away the ability to hit from ARod, Sheffield, Giambi et al. He is getting hit for plugging Sheffield in at first (who was supposed to play their, Craig Wilson?) and for taking Melky Cabrera out for Matsui. Now, call me crazy, but how do you not start those bats?

In my book, a lot of the fault lies with one man, who will never see a finger pointed at him, and that is Hitting Coach Don Mattingly. Now, I've ripped Rick Down here, as I feel the hitting coach needs to work with slumping guys. Don should have been working with ARod a lot this year. He shold have worked with Giambalco as well. That is the hitting coaches' job. When the Yanks were dominant, they waited pitchers out, and drew a lot of walks, or tired the starter and got to the pen. They do not do that as much any more. That is the problem.

Cashman and George get some blame as well. Cashman signed Wright. George singed Sheff. George wanted the Big Eunuch. Well, he got them, and they did nothing for the team. The players who have been there, Jeter, Rivera, Posada, were all drafted and groomed by the Yankees. Outside of Wang and Cabrera, who have they brought in in the last 5 - 7 years? No one. Time to groom again, and stop signing big name players. The Rangers tried this after they won the Cup in 1994, and it did not work. It is not working for the Yanks now.

I did not watch the Jets for more than 5 minutes yesterday. Apparently, all I missed was the defense getting shredded and Chad tossing 3 balls to the other team. A shutout? I would not want to be on the practice field this week.

That's all for today. See you tomorrow.

Let's Go Mets!

The Yankees Lose!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Best lineup ever

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

No doubt they are making the World Series

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I mean, it's just so perfect

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh George, no World Series for you. Come back, one year.

1/3 of the trifecta to make today a perfect day is done.

Take 2

So Tommy Glavine comes up big. Memo to Fox and ESPN, yes Kuo is a lefty, and he did shut out the Mets in September, but you all seemed to forget that the guy the Mets were pitching wasn't a chump. He does have 290 career wins after all.

We needed Glavine to do well last night. Had he lost, the good feelings from Wednesday would have dissapated. The jackels on ESPN and Fox would have been circling. His Pompousness and the Hyena would have had a field day. I wonder if Tommy was a might pissed over the lack of respect he was accorded coming into the game. If he was, he showed them all what he was made of. This is the Tom Glavine we wanted when he was signed. This is the one we got, when it was needed.

After using the long ball Wednesday, the boys showed they can play small ball as well. Mike's favorites player, Endy Chavez drops a beautiful bunt and would later score. He also had a nice single later on in the 5th. PLD had a sac fly. Jose Jose Jose had a hit, a walk and 2 RBI. Wright had another hit. Nothing powerful, but they got 4 runs.

I cannot say enough good things about the pen. Pedro Dos pitches one shutout inning. Heilman, despite giving up a HR, looked good as well. Wags was on, no Tums needed last night.

The Dodgers helped of course, with a wild pitch, an error and generally poor fundamentals. Little gambled, starting Kuo, and failing to pull him when the Mets started to rattle him. Hmm, where have we seen that before?

So to all the experts who so quickly jumped off the bandwagon, STAY THE HELL OFF! I do not want to hear any of you trying to revise history. I do not want to hear any of you trying to pump the Mets up. You thought they had no chance, and you were wrong. I'm trying to not get so annoyed about this, and enjoy the WINS. I am enjoying the WINS, and am enjoying seeing all these guys look stupid. So I win both ways.

Tomorrow, Trax vs. Maddux. Of course, given their respective careers, Maddux will be favored. Fine. Be that way. Trax will do what he always does, pitch well enough to keep the team in the game. Maddux is not the same pitcher he was. Remember, he goes 5 or 6, then the Dodger pen comes in. Nothing scary there.

Oh, and George S, after seeing how your team played yesterday, you should be a little more concerned with how they look, as opposed to how the Mets look.

No Respect

On the heels of being relegated by ESPN to the afternoon slot yesterday, comes the gems of wisdom I saw earlier today prior to the Yankee game, as Eric Byrnes, Peter Gammons and a couple of other guys gave their predictions for tonight. No surprise that 3 of the 4 people said the Dodgers would win.

Byrnes takes the cake. He said if not for the DP at the plate, the Dodgers would have won 7-6. Um, Eric, do you really think that if the Mets were down a couple in the 6th that Willie STILL would have had Mota hit with the bases loaded? You may be a good ball player, but not a very good analyst.

Gammons said he likes Kuo's stuff. Byrnes said he did not think the Shea crowd would get to Kuo. First Gammons, Peter, what about Glavine, the 40 year old 290 game winner? You think he is going to be outpitched by some rookie? Eric, you think a rookie is not going to be affected by 57,000 screaming mad lunatic Met fans? You wanna rethink that there buddy?

So, once again, we are the underdog. There is no respect for the lineup. There is no respect for Glavine. Stick it to them boys. Hard.

Next, we get to my old friend, Wally Matthews. Wally decided to take on Willie today. The column was titled "Manage to win despite Randolph". He started by saying it took WIllie 12 years to manage his first playoff game. Wally, since he has only been a manager for 2 years, you mighht want to rethink your math. Then, he said it took Willie two hours to nearly manage his team out of it. Then he bashed to decision to pull Maine in the 5th, citing the fact he had only thrown 80 pitches. Wally, in the game I watched, Maine was in trouble. He also cited the fact Mota was allowed to hit, tying it to the decision to pull Maine early.

Now, this is not as bad as the other hit jobs Wally has put out there, but it still stinks. The day after the Mets, despite all the experts saying they would lose game 1, win the damn game, this guy has to write a column saying Willie almost lost it for them. No Wally, they did not almost lose, they WON. Almost doesn't count, except in horseshoes and hand grenades. Had they lost, yeah, Willie would have looked bad batting Mota, but they did not. The choice worked. Yet he still gets hit. Had he not pulled Maine, and he gave up a run or runs, Willie would have been blmaed for that. They won because Willie wrote out the lineup, putting in Floyd, despite his struggles, going to Maine to start, and relying on his pen to get the Win.

Of course, tomorrow Wally will write a fluff piece on the Mets, since that is what he usually does after bashing them or a single player. Fans of the team are going to start taking all of his columns with a grain of salt.

Show Wally how wrong he is too guys. Let's hang another W on the board tonight.

We're Not Quite Dead Yet...

You know, I've sort of taken pains to not use the "we" when discussing the Mets, not wanting to sound like a Yankee fan. But after reading this excellent post by the guys at Faith & Fear, pains now more.

So, to quote Monty Python and the Holy Grail (classic movie, a must see)

"We're Not Quite Dead Yet".

Yes, there is concern now that Duque joined Pedro on the DL. But as I wrote the other day, this team was built around an enhanced bullpen. Get the starters to go 5 or 6, then hand the ball over.

Thanks to ESPN, the game started at 4:09. Thanks to the wonders of DVR, I was able to record the game and watch it when I got home. By the way, ESPN Gamecast - sucks. Froze so many times yesterday, I missed the double play and action in the ninth. They have to fix this and quick. No excuse for screwing up in the playoffs guys.

Willie sent Maine out against the Dodgers, the team that all the experts predicted would treat the Mets like trash. Maine wasn't great, but he got the job done, 4 1/3, giving up 1 run. Nice first inning, you could see him exhale after striking out Lofton, like he was saying to himself "I can do this". Ran into a little trouble in the 5th, but the pen did its job, Pedro Dos got Lofton swinging with 2 on, then Chad Bradford got Nomar.

The highlights of the game were many. First, the double play at home. For all the talk of the ghosts at Yankee Stadium, it looks like the ghost of Timo Perez possessed Jeff Kent there. Why else would he hold up? Valentin made a perfect relay, PLD made a great tag, and then noticed by looking at the ump that something was going on, turns around, and tags out JD Drew. Let's not overlook the play Shawn Green made. He played the bounce perfectly, and made a great throw to Valentin.

Do you think Carlos Delgado enjoyed his first Playoff game yesterday? Four for Five, with a long ass homerun, hitting the top of the camera stanchion in Center. Methinks he is hot. David Wright did his part, driving in 3, including the difference maker. And what can I say about Uncle Cliffy. Did I not write he would have an impact? I did, and he did. How sweet was it for him to drive that ball?

Willie acquitted himself quite well in his first playoff game as manager as well. Taking out Maine was the right move. Leaving in Mota was as well, even though he gave up 3 runs. I would rather he go 2 than Aaron Heilman, especially with Glavine going today. This is going to be a series decided by the pen. Wags made things interesting, but in the end, they got the Win, that is the bottom line.

Comments on the broadcast -

Why on earth was Tim Robbins in the booth?

Why on Earth was Steve Phillips assigned to the game? We know you were the GM in 2000 Steve, we also know you sucked at your job, hence your new one.

Joe Morgan was going to cover both the Met and Yankee games. Big deal. He still sucks.

Speaking of propaganda, we got lots of Dodgers info between the top and bottom of the first instead of commercials. However, instead of the pre-game introductions, we got 5 minutes of commercials. I remember the days when the intro's were broadcast. Lets go back to that TV guys, OK?

Speaking of commercials, the Bud Light ad with the 6 pack rigged with a dye pack - very funny.
The Derek Jeter Spike Lee Ford Commercial - not so much.
The Derek Jeter Movado ad "Humanitarian, Leader, Athlete" has ensured that I will not by a Movado watch.

Thorne raving about Furcal having an MVP type season. No similar plaudit for Reyes, who had better numbers in EVERY CATEGORY. Gary, you used to cover the Mets, but you have been infected by ESPN (Extremely Sucky Programming Network). You are done.

Note to fans, if a Met is going after a foul ball in the stands, MOVE OUT OF THE F'IN WAY. Delgado went for a pop foul, and people tried to get the ball. Do you not remember Bartman in Chicago? MOVE you numbskulls. If it is an opponent, go for it, but for a Met, MOVE!

Normally I would be annoyed over seeing a Yankee replay, but the use of the Dale Berra Bobby Meacham replay of their similar DP at home gave me a warm fuzzy.

TONIGHT

Game 2 tonight. Kuo vs. Glavine. Kuo is a lefty S.U.C.K.M.E., who shut the Mets down last month at Shea. Methinks the boys will be looking for some revenge. David is hot right now. Delgado is as well. Endy will probably start over Uncle Cliffy, especially since we got some rain last night, so the field may be a little wet (not sure on this factor, but it might have an impact).

This is the game the Mets signed Glavine for. Game 2 of a playoff series. A chance to put the other team in a 2-0 hole. Tom, get out there, and show all these experts who do not like your stuff in the playoffs that you can get the job done. You have been "on" since the clot scare. Keep it up.

We have a chance to put the Dodger down 2. Let's get it done.

Maine is the Man

The Mets announced that John Maine will start today.

El Duque is out for this series, and possibly the playoffs with a torn calf.

John, it's your time now. Show us what you got.
Show Anna Benson that her husband could not carry your jock.
Show ESPN and the rest of the media that you have what it takes.
Show the skills that Omar saw when he insisted on you in the Benson trade.
Make us proud.

Who's the Man?

Who is the man today? Who will rise to the occasion and pitch the Mets to victory in game 1. Since news broke yesterday of El Duque's injury, Met fans have been even more nervous than usual. The media of course now has more reason to write this team off. Bulletin board material boys. A lot better than asinine signs hung on rookie's lockers.

Willie has a tough decision today. Word is that Oliver Perez was added to the roster, so he may be the game 4 starter, or a long man out of the pen. No chance he starts today, as he went Sunday. The easy answer of course is John Maine. He is on his scheduled rest. He has done well this season on short notice starts (a shutout). He is prone to the long ball, but Shea in October is a little more forgiving than Shea in August. Plus, the Dodgers do not have a lot of power hitters.

This morning, I see on the back page of Newsday that El Duque says he can go. Will Duque be the Mets Willis Reed? Their Kirk Gibson? Will he walk the walk from the pen and go 5 or 6, holding the Dodgers in check? The injury is to his push off leg, so there is concern that it could go on any pitch. However, it's not like he is a hard thrower, so he does not need that much power from his legs. We shall see. Darren Oliver could come in if he falters, and he has done that job well many times this season.

It is a tough choice. No matter who goes, one thing is certain, the bats must get to Lowe early and often. If they can picture that Trax is pitching, and it is July, they can get it done.

I'm back from the ledge. I am worried, but not overly so. Whatever happens, happens. Will I regret it if they do not make the series, sure. But if they do make it, it will be that much sweeter in face of the odds.

LETS GO METS!
Win for the Gimpies!

That's all I can stands, I can't stands no more...

This is starting to get silly.

Now El Duque is down. Apparently, he pulled his calf. Willie tried to put a good face on it, saying it might be a cramp, but Duque told Newsday he pulled it while running.

Note to Omar - get a new training staff. Way too many leg injuries this year. These guys are not stretching well. Pedro, Duque, Beltran, Bannister all had leg issues.

So where does that leave the Mets? Trax is apparently still attending to family business, so he is not an option for game 1. Glavine hates short rest, so he is not an option. John Maine, come on down!

Considering Pedro as the example, I would not look for Duque in the first round, if at all. So that leaves the question, who is the other starter. Glavine and Trax and Maine and pray for Rain? Is it Oliver Perez? Is it Brian Bannister? We know it will not be Lima Time! At least we have that going for us.

Memo to Trax. Steve, I don't know what is going on with your personal business, but I hope you take care of it fast and get back to NY in the right frame of mind to pitch. Your team and its fans need you.

To quote a great Pixar movie:
It is my considered opinion that now is the time to PANIC!!!!
(monsters inc., remember, I have young kids)

Pedro I sort of expected in the back of my mind that he would not make it.
Duque worries me because this is now 2 starters out. And he was a vital cog.
What did we do to piss off the baseball gods so much?

Who will be the Mets Mr. October?

The regular season is now over. All that was accomplished, as a team and as individuals is wiped clean. All the playoff teams are in the same place, they are 0-0 and all have pluses and minuses as we start the most important time of the year, the playoffs. The Dodgers come in extremely hot, winning their last 7. The Mets, after floundering for a couple of weeks, finished up winning 4 in a row. The last time these two teams squared off in the playoffs, 1988, saw the Mets come in as the dominant team, and having destroyed the Dodgers in the regular season, only to have the Dodgers win the series. All that is in the past, what matters now is the present (though it would be nice to wipe that loss from the collective Mets fan memory bank). So how can they do it? How can the Mets defy the expectations of most pundits and actually win this series? I mean, they have been all but left for dead after the news about Pedro not being available hit the airwaves.

Remember fans (and pundits), this team was without Pedro for most of the season. This team was built around something that harmed them in the 2005 season, the bullpen. Out with Looper, in with Wagner. Out with Roberto Hernandez, in with Duaner Sanchez. Jorge Julio traded, in comes Guillermo Mota. Aaron Heilman, MIA for the 1st half, found himself in the second half. Mets starters rarely went deep, it was up to the pen, the aforementioned parts, as well as Darren Oliver, Pedro Feliciano, Chad Bradford to hold the fort. Look at the starters, Bannister gets a nod, he goes down. Victor Zambrano is still around, he gets hurt. Jose Lima makes a few starts. Pedro misses significant time. Glavine misses time. Filthy gets hurt. It went on and on. So what happened? The Mets won 97 games, a fact conveniently forgotten by those who (do not) know. I'll put this bullpen up against any out there.

Yes, the starters are not dominant. Glavine and Duque are old, and I have concerns about Duque on short rest. At the end of the day, these guys live for the big game. Trax, high on the Tums meter, was the guy who won the clincher. He was the guy, who when Pedro and Glavine were ailing or not winning, continued to win. It wasn't pretty, but he got the job done. John Maine is the key. The fireballer needs to pitch well, for his own sake, as well as those of the fans. He is pitching for a spot next year, and more importantly, for the team's playoff hopes. Who among this group will be the Bobby Ojeda of the staff? (yes, I know I wrote this last week, but it still fits). Who is going to step up and get the job done. With all that has been written about Duque's age and Glavine's and Trax's WHIP and Maine's youth, and the loss of Pedro, I expect these guys will be looking to prove people wrong.

For the offense, we have seen what Beltran can do when he gets hot, this year and in 2004 while in Houston. Is there someone else here who wants to do the same? Will Wright step up and announce his presence as he did at the All-Star Game? Will Reyes' speed scare someone into pulling a Buckner? Can Delgado go the other way against the shift? Who will be Ray Knight, the unheralded guy who comes up with the key hit? Valentin? PLD? Or maybe Uncle Cliff can make us remember when he was not hobbling around and come up with some key hits.

As for the Dodgers, this is a dangerous team. The lineup, while not powerful, is good, hitting well, and doing the little things. Their bullpen is OK, and Saito stepped in well for Gagne. I ask, where is the wonder about how he will fare in the playoffs? This is his first time after all. We've all read about how this is the first time for many Mets, shouldn't the same be true for the Dodgers? Maddux is good, no doubt, but the Mets have had success against him the past couple of years. Penny is injured. Lowe is good, no doubt, but not scary good. Of course, Little threw Kuo, a lefty, out there for game 2. Here's hoping this works out as well as his decision to leave Pedro in a few years back.

Who will be Mr. October? For my part, on the pitching side, I say Trax. Game 3 will be key, no matter what. I think he will step up in a big way. It has happened before to back-end rotation guys.

From the offense, I see Wright, as well as Floyd. David will do his normal quiet assassin work, while Cliff, who knows this may be his last stretch in NY, if not as an active player, will want to go out on a high. He will have a key hit at some point, and I feel a key play in the field from him as well. He's seen the stories about how he should not start.

Part of me wants this series to go 5, as I have a ticket thanks to a longtime friend. However, fear that my heart could not take it, and my feeling that this team is poised to send a message leads me to think the Mets take this in 4.

What a Weekend

JETS Quick Hits

Mike said...
Ed-How bad did that one hurt yesterday?

About as bad as a kick in the testes. I'm sitting there watching the Jets, happy that they are hanging with the Colts (you do this when expectations are low) and feel the first kick to the jimmy when Chad throws his first interception in the red zone in 120 plays. I will not castigate Mangini for the call, it was the right one, Peyton is too good to pass up the opportunity to put 7 on the board. Nonetheless, it hurt.

The next kick came on the "pass interference" call against Justin Miller. Now, I usually do not blame the refs, but in this case, the call was AWFUL. You can see Wayne pushing off of Miller first. I saw it, 80k fans in the stadium saw it, the TV audience saw it. At the least, it should have been offsetting calls.

Now, I'm not gonna say I can see the future like this guy, but right after the Colts scored, I said to myself, OK Justin, run the goddamn kick back. And he did. The place goes nuts, you cannot even hear the announcers on TV it was so damn loud.

Then the final kick, Peyton leads the Colts for another score. Prevent defense prevents them from winning. Where was the blitz? Where was the pressure?

All in all, the Jets played well. Not great, but they are a heck of a lot better than anyone thought they would be. Give them a little more time. This was not up there with the Marino fake spike, but it still hurt.

METS Quick Hits

So The Brooklyn Dodgers of Los Angeles come to town Wednesday. Can someone explain to me why the first game of the Met series is relegated to a 4:07 start while Game 2 of the Yankee series is at 8? Met fans now have the choice of skipping out of work early or missing most of the game. Bad call by Fox.

Couple of more Mets notes. One, to the team. Guys, you don't like Milledge, fine. Tell him in person. Have one of the leaders sit down with him, or go to Willie. You think publicly embarrassing him with a sign, that Willie rips down is the way to go? If he has a bad attitude, you think this is going to help? All you did was upset him more, and reduce his trade value. Smart move.

Pedro is out for next season. I do not expect him back at all. If it happens, good, but I will not expect it. I am not going to bitch about his contract, no need. He did what he could, and things happen. What better not happen is Wilpon not signing or trading for an ace in the offseason because they have too high a payroll. They need to replace him, otherwise we are looking at a 1 season playoff run.

Wow, Roger Clemens accused of using performance enhancers. You think that might be why he threw a bat a Piazza? And gained speed on his fastball after age 36? But the Yanks knew nothing about it. I see him and Pettitte both retiring now. Why come back and answer the questions?

I'll have a Mets Playoff preview Wednesday.

Isles Notes

Finished up the preseason 3-2, after dropping the first 2 games. DiPietro improved as the preseason went on. Alexei Yashin scored a couple of goals the last couple of games. Yashin made some comments about how the fans treat him. Note to Alexei, you have come nowhere near living up to the hype that surrounded you when you were drafted. People will boo you until you produce. The boos you hear are nowhere hear as bad as others in NY have heard. You can turn them to cheers very easily. Just produce and play hard.

I'll have a preview for the Isles up sometime this week.

It's Over (NOT!)

"It ain't over till it's over" - the beloved Yogi

"Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! " - John "Bluto" Blutarsky

"You Gotta Believe" - the late, great Tug.

"Fuck it, I have faith in this team" - Ed

So now the fears have been confirmed, Pedro is out, not just for the NLDS, but the entire postseason. It appears that he tore a tendon in his left calf, the one that was not hurt recently. So now, the schadenfreude can begin amongst fans of the other NL teams, and certain AL teams I am sure. Met fans of course are upset, some taking it in stride, while others will call for an end to Pedro as a Met (trust me, there were posts to this effect on certain other blogs).

As for me, I look at this is the continuation of how this team has played since July. Pedro has started a handful of games since then, a few good, but the last few, poor. His leg gave out, not his arm, so all the talk about how the contract was too long (and you know that is coming) is stupid. Most Met fans hoped that they would get 3 years at the most out of him. Guess what, there are still 2 years left on the deal. As one guy on Metsgeek put it last night, while it hurts for the postseason, this will allow Pedro to rest and begin his normal offseason routine on time. Remember, he entered this season without having done so, due to the toe injury.

El Duque has done well for this team. Glavine has pitched well since his clot scare. Trax has the ability to pitch a good game, as he did in the clincher. John Maine has heat, and he has shown good potential. The bullpen has gotten the job done all year. The loss of Pedro does not impact any of this. Does it hurt, sure, but he has no impact on the lineup. If those guys start hitting again (and there were signs last night of awakening), they can put enough runs on the board to cover for a poor start by a pitcher.

This is still the same team that ran roughshod over the teams that they could potentially face in the first round, doing so without Pedro. This is the same team that has a great pitching coach in The Jacket. Willie is still the manager. The young guys, Reyes and Wright, are hungry. They want to do well. Beltran shone the last time he was in the playoffs. You think Delgado is not loving the fact he will be in the playoffs for the first time? Same for PLD. As for the pitchers, you think they are not going to have a chip on their shoulders with everyone writing the Mets off without Pedro? I'm sure it's pissing off Glavine a bit. Duque as well. Trax knows he is pitching for a contract, and Maine for a slot next season. This team was built as a unit, it is not Pedro only.

Call me optimistic. Say I am wearing rose colored glasses. That's fine. I am a Met fan. This team has been through worse. Look at 86. Who was the best starter in the playoffs? It wasn't Doc, the ace of the staff. It was Bobby Ojeda, the #3 guy. One or more of the other starters is going to step up, I know this. The MVP was Ray Knight, not exactly the star on the team that year. Sometimes it is an unlikely guy that take the reigns and leads the charge.

So jump off the bandwagon if you must. Fine by me, leaves more room for those who Believe.

"And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough... the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go!" - Bluto

The Maine Man

I've got good news for some, bad news for some others, and awful news for all of us.

The awful news as you might expect is that Pedro was shelled last night. It appears that he is not going to be able to go in the first round at the least. Unless something changes in the short term, he may not be available at all in the playoffs.

The bad news is that Steve Trachsel is guaranteed a spot in the rotation for the playoffs, as Willie stated prior to last nights game. This is bad news for only the portion of Met fans who hoped he would be left off of the roster.

The good news is also for a portion of the fan base. At this point, it appears that John Maine is poised to get a start in the first round, assuming the series goes at least 4 games.

What can I say about last night? I can't gloss over how awful Pedro looked. He was struggling. While he hit the mid 80's with his fastball, his breaking stuff was up and hanging. I had hoped that last night would see further progress in his rehab, but we did not. At this point, there appears to be very little chance of Pedro pitching in the first round. He cannot be counted on to get the job done. Pedro has made fools out of people who counted him out in the past, and I hope that will be the case here, but his own words cast doubt on that being possible. Willie said after the game that Pedro said he could not get the calf loose. We all know that a pitcher needs to be able to use his legs, especially a slight guy like Pedro, who does not have bulk to help compensate for an inability to push off.

So the rotation for the first round appears to be this
Game 1 - El Duque
Game 2 - Glavine
Game 3 - Trax
Game 4 - Maine

Really, what other option is there besides Maine? Dave Williams did a nice job, but he is too similar to the other starters, in other words, a junk-ball pitcher. Mike Pelfrey is not ready. Oliver Perez, no chance in hell. So that leaves Maine.

Maine can now prove all those who doubted the trade of this guy for him and Jorge Julio wrong. He has had his ups and downs, but now is his time to shine. He had a few good starts, and I think he has the skills to get the job done again. Mr. Maine, sit down with The Jacket. Sit down with the other starters who have been to the playoffs before. Find out what it will be like. This is your chance to not only remove the trade from people's memories, but to solidify your spot in the rotation next year. Not only that, you have the chance to go down in Met lore as a winning playoff pitcher.

Other notes from last night - nice to see Delgado take the ball the other way against the shift. He may not have done it on purpose, but he did it. Do it a couple of more times, and teams may rethink the overshift, making your life easier. Humber and Bannister pitched well in an inning apiece.

As for the rest of the lineup, they should be embarressed. The whole team should be. Giving up 25 runs to the Braves is unacceptable. This is a team that had a poor year, lost their hold on the division, but is still treating the Mets like a minor league team. Larry Jones, who is playing hurt, showed drive last night, taking out Jose Valentin on a possible double play. Now, I hate Larry, but I respect his drive. I want to see that drive from this team. A few weeks ago, we were lauding Willie for his ability to have the team play hard, even though the division was all but wrapped up. We are not hearing any of that now. Thinking they can turn it on once October 3 comes is foolhardy. I know, there are teams that have had big winning streaks at the end of the season who have failed in the playoffs, and teams who skidded at the end who did well. Those are exceptions. For the most part, teams who have played well coming into the playoffs continue to play well once they begin.

Rest time is over. Time to play hard and get ready for next week. Get some revenge tonight for the pastings over the past couple of days. At the start of the season, I stated that winning 6 of every 10 would be enough for 96 wins and a playoff spot. . They got the playoff spot, but the 96 wins appears out of reach at this point.

This may sound defeatist, but it is not. It is concern, concern which is justified by poor play over the past couple of weeks. I know this team has the talent to do well in the playoffs, even without Pedro. I just want to see it happen.

Is the Finger Poised...

Over the panic button? For me, not quite, but it is getting close.

I know, I know, they are playing out the string. But seriously, the past 12 games, have been UGLY. We are talking about a team that ran roughshod over the NL for the better part of the season suddenly not being able to hit. Lets look at the numbers, shall we?

3 losses to the Pirates
2 - 2 against the Marlins
1 - 3 against the Nats
Last night, a 12-0 thrashing at Turner Field.
The ERA over the past 12 games is 4.73. The batting average is .244.
For the season, the ERA is 4.15 and the batting average is .264.

Now, as Metstradamus pointed out today, most of the pitching damage (I mean you Oliver Perez) has been done by guys who will not be on the post-season roster. However, there are questions about 2 of the 4 starters as we get set for the NLDS. Pedro, we know all about his issues. Then there is Trax, who after pitching a gem in the clincher, has had 2 bad outings.

Think about this for a second. Game 1, if Pedro is pushed back, could be started by El Duque. Game 2 would then be Glavine, with Pedro pitching Game 3 and Trax game 4 (if necessary). Now, I like Trax a bit, but I really won't be all that comfortable with him being on the mound if they are down 2-1 going into game 4. If that is the case, he better bring his A+ game, or a lot of fans are going to be looking to drive him to the airport. Game 5 would be El Duque again. On the other hand, the pen will be stacked enough where they should be able to survive any pitching blips in the first round.

My main concern is the lineup. The bats have been quiet. The Carlos' have been slumping, Wright has his moments, but they are a bit less frequent of late, Green has been slumping, and Floyd, well, Uncle Cliffy has had a hard time of it this year. I don't care how well the pitchers do, if the bats stay silent, this thing could be over quick. Leaving 8 guys on base last night against Smoltz is not a way to prepare yourself for facing good starting pitching in the playoffs. Now, a couple of weeks ago, it looked like they would face either The Brooklyn Dodgers of Los Angeles, or the San Diego Padres. Now, though, St. Louis is slumping, so they could be the first round opponent, or, should they continue to falter, Houston could be the opponent (if Philly wins the WC). Houston has a rotation that is scary good. Oswalt has been on fire, Pettitte has pitched well, and Clemens, well, you never know if he is going to throw a ball or some other object at someone. The only saving grace is that Houston has hit as well all season as the Mets have the past 12 games, in other words, poorly.

The time for rest is over. The A Lineup needs to play it out. Everyone has had the rest they will need. Now, they need to get the bats going. Call Jobu, sacrifice a chicken, sleep with your bats, I don't care. This team needs to start hitting. Tonight would be a good place to start.

Let's keep our fingers crossed for Pedro's health tonight.

Wally Matthews Update

To show that I can give credit when due, Wally wrote a nice piece yesterday on Jose Reyes being the MVP for the team. It is amazing how one day he can do a hatchet job, and then turn around and write a well thought out piece.

Still, while I can give credit, I hold a grudge. Wally has a lot of work to do to get back in my good graces. While he is not in Larry Brooks territory with me, he is on the lower rung.

Fun with links

Ah, I see the more things change, the more they stay the same. Hope you are enjoying him Falcons fans.

Wah, wah, wah. You leave 10 guys on base, you can't bitch about a bad call.

Better. Now do it in the regular season OK?

Wally Matthews - Class A A-Hole - Part 2

I want to thank Jessica at Chick's Dig the Pitchers Duel, for mentioning Wally Matthews story from yesterday on her blog (apologies to Jessica for mistakenly crediting someone else earlier for bringing the story up). I normally read Newsday on my way home, which is why this post was not up yesterday. Rest assured, had I read this in the AM, I would have written this then.

So Wally has done it again. A month or so after basically saying David Wright cold be using performance enhancers, yesterday, Wally decided it was time to take on Pedro Martinez, in an effort to boost Steve Trachsel. Now, I do not have an issue with trying to boost Trax. Frankly, if he gets a start in the first round, no problem from where I sit. I wouldn't mind Maine getting the start instead, but I am not going to get all twisted about Trax starting, he has done a good job this year, and, who knows, he could be Bobby Jones II.

No, my issue was with the way Wally wrote about Pedro. Here is an example

Martinez, on the other hand, is a temperamental diva who trains at his own pace and pitches when he feels like it. Last year, he shut it down early when the Mets were eliminated from the race. This year, he vacationed for much of August and now, despite two subpar comeback outings, finds his position at the head of the rotation waiting for him.

Well, this sounds suspiciously like the crap we used to hear about before Pedro came to NY. Now, lets examine the claims here a little more closely. Wally starts by saying last year Pedro "shut it down early". That is true, but the fact is that he had been pitching hurt, and the Mets had signed him to a 4 year contract. Should the organization have let him pitch, risking further injury, and destroying their investment? I think not.

Then we get to "This year he vacationed in August". Now, Wally apparently has not been reading his own paper. All year long Pedro has been fighting myriad of injuries. First, it was the toe. Then, he hurt his hip in Florida. Now, he hurt his calf. Now, maybe Wally doesn't realize this, but a pitcher needs his legs to be strong in order to be able to do his job. When you cannot push off, you cannot be effective. Perhaps Wally should see Pedro's start in Philly when he was knocked around the day the calf first started hurting. Everyone in NY, with the exception of Wally, realizes that the Mets post-season hopes rest on the entire rotation, including Pedro being healthy. Does he really think teams are quivering at the sight of Trax on the mound?

Wally took exception to the following quote from Pedro, given on Sunday "You guys are 50 vultures and I'm one dead, skinny raccoon." Given the story that Wally wrote, can you blame Pedro? I certainly can't. Every day he gets asked the same question. Every day, he gives the same answer. The media continues to pry and try to get the hot quote from him. Just shut the hell up, and let the guy rehab. If he is ready, he will be ready. If he is not, then he is not. This injury is not something that is going to magically heal overnight.

I'm not sure if Wally is just a closet Yankee fan trying to piss Pedro off or if he is trying to make the case that Steve Trachsel deserves a postseason start more than Pedro. LIke I wrote above, Steve can start, that is fine. But to try to say he is more deserving than Pedro because he has 15 wins is nuts. You want to know the reason why Pedro has a slot Wally? It's because any time out there he has the chance to dominate. You want to know why Trax is not guaranteed a spot? Because any time out there he can be dominated.

I'm getting a little sick and tired of the anti-Met slant of some members of the media. The Post ran with the PLD divorce/girlfriend story. Wally has taken shots at the Mets. His Pompousness and the Hyena take at least a day a week to slam the team. Tell me Fat Boy, where was the questioning of the Yankees celebrating after they clinched, after a loss no less? It was OK to bash the Mets, but not the Yanks guys? We got 1 day of stories out of the whole A-Rod thing, but a week over PLD, with a lot of unsubstantiated claims thrown in for good measure.

You know, considering the Mets won the division for the first time in 18 years, the continued maturing of Jose Reyes and David Wright, the comeback season of Carlos Beltran, and the surprises that are Endy Chavez and Jose Valentin, I should be a lot happier right now. Too bad the media can't let me enjoy it more. Am I being a little sensitive on this? Maybe. But the last thing I want is a Pedro pissed off at the media, because if he mouths off about it, every single paper will have a negative story about him.

"Not Ugly, Not Great, Just so-so"

The above quote was uttered by:
1. Eric Mangini after the Jets win against Buffalo yesterday
2. Steve Tracshel after the Mets loss yesterday
3. Bill Clinton, while discussing his latest intern

That quote definitely fit 1 and 2 above, and who knows, may have fit #3 as well (based on his track record, probably a good guess.) The winner is Tracshel, who gave that critique of his outing yesterday. Steve was Steve, 5 innings, 3 runs, 8 hits, 3 walks and a strikeout. In other words, his usual outing.

The concern on my part is not with Trax, he will give what he has. Three runs is usually not insurmountable. However, the way the Mets have been hitting of late, it is. Carlos Delgado has 32 rbi in his last 30 games, a nice number, but, they come in bunches, as Howie said yesterday on WFAN. It is vital that Carlos start hitting before next week. Carlos Uno is sitting out with a tight quad. Better he does so now, rather than injure it more and be hobbled in the playoffs. They need all facets of his game, including his legs, to be ready. David Wright woke up Saturday, with a 3 run HR amid a 3 - 5 day. PLD went yard Saturday as well. The bottom line for the Mets is this, no matter what the starters do on the mound, if the bats are asleep, the playoffs will be over very quickly. Rick Down needs to work with these guys, now. The inconsistency has to stop before it does damage.

Nice to see Phil Humber get out there yesterday. Good reward for a guy who came back from Tommy John surgery. Nice for the fans to get to see a glimpse of the future.

Good thoughts for Nick Johnson, man, that collision was ugly. Further good thoughts for Chris Simms. Having your spleen removed is no small thing.

As for the Jets, what can I say? Who would have thought they would be 2-1 after 3 games? Not I, that's for sure. Now, they are tied for 1st, but given the next couple of games, against Indy and Jacksonville, they may not stay there for long. But for now, bask in it fans, it sure feels nice.

Chad was not a world-beater yesterday, failing to hit the 300 yard mark, actually, the 200 yard mark. But he made the right throws, and did not give up the ball. He had a key first down on the final scoring drive, on a sneak. Nice to see him playing without fear. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, these guys want to play for him, and it shows. Coles played despite a sore calf, and had 10 catches for 78 yards, continuing a nice start to the season. The running game was basically dead, though Cedric Houston had 2 nice 5 yard carries on the last TD drive, including the score.

On the other side of the ball, they bent (boy, did they bend) but did not break. You can do that against JP Losman. Nice dying quail at the end of the 3rd quarter JP. And hey, what's that noise behind you JP? Oh, its Kerry Rhodes coming to get the ball again. Man, Rhodes is playing well. Taking advantage of the plays the defense is calling. Willis McGahee may be a great runner, but he can't block a lick. As for Hobson's TD on the fumble return, if Dick Jauron is not going to ask for a review, too bad. The defense though will have its work cut out for them against Peyton next week. Let's see how they respond.

Odd's and End's

Nice to see this guy is up to his old tricks

Nice to see this one sticks the knife into other fans hearts not just Met fans

This guy better start earning his new contract, or else it is going to be a long 15 years.

Fret Not Fans

So last night, we saw the second start of Pedro's late summer spring training. After Friday night's display, fans were concerned that he was not ready, and that the Mets would be in trouble in the playoffs. So many were hoping that last night would see Pedro dominate. For a little while at least, he did.

Four innings of no-hit ball. Five strikeouts. Not a bad way to start. Not a lot in the way of speed, but Pedro's control was much better, and he had his off-speed stuff working well. In the fifth, he tired, allowing a couple of hits, hitting a batter to load the bases, and finally allowing 4 runs, 3 earned. Final line, 5 innings, 7 k's, 1 bb, 4 runs, 3 earned. So, some improvement.

So the question remains, should Met fans be worried about Pedro? He has missed significant time this year due to injuries (which was a fear when he was signed for 4 years prior to 2005). The bad side of this is that he is not in peak form as they head to October. The good side is that Pedro has tired late in the season the past couple of years, so this time off could be a blessing. The thing is this, he is using these last 3 starts as Spring Training in a way. He did not make any rehab starts, he is in effect doing his rehab with the Mets. He threw 68 pitches on Friday, and threw 87 last night. He is doing his side work to get his arm strength back. The key is for him to get his arm back and his control. These games now mean nothing, the division is clinched, Home Field is in the bag as well (damn you Trevor Hoffman). The man is a competitor, once the bell rings, he will give it all he has. Let's take a little trip down memory lane, shall we.

In 1999, the Sox were facing the Indians in the ALDS. Pedro started Game 1, and went 4 innings, leaving with some soreness. The Sox went on to lose the game 3-2. They also lost game 2, but won games 3 and 4. It all came down to a deciding game 5. Bret Saberhagen started for the Sox in Cleveland, and lasted little more than 1 inning. Derek Lowe came in, and pitched the 2nd and 3rd. Boston tied the game at 8 in the top of the 4th, and in the bottom of the 4th, Pedro came in. He proceeded to pitch the rest of the game, 6 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 3 bb's and 8 k's. Boston went on to win the game.

Now, I know that was 7 years ago, but lets go back to 2004. Boston is playing the Yanks. The Yanks are in the midst of the GREATEST CHOKE OF ALL TIME. After pitching well in games 2 and 5, during Game 7, with the Sox up big, Pedro asks in, at Yankee Stadium, where he is sure to be greeted with "Who's Your Daddy Chants". Now, he did not pitch great, giving up 2 runs in 1 inning of work, but the fact is that his team needed him, given the extra inning games that had depleted the Boston pen, and he took the ball. That's the type of guy he is.

Was I worried when I saw his reaction on Friday, a little. But at the same time, I understand it. He is a prideful man, who wanted nothing more I am sure, to be the man who pitched the clincher. He felt he let his team and the fans down, and he was upset that he was not where he wanted to be. Last night, he made progress. Wednesday, against Atlanta, he will make some more. Then, on October 3rd or 4th, he will give everything he has for his team and the fans.


JETS PREVIEW

Gang Green head up to the tundra in Buffalo Sunday. This will mark Chad's first game there since his first shoulder injury. It will be interesting to see how he performs in the rain and the wind, especially if Coles (calf injury) cannot go. The lack of a running game will hurt them badly if they can't get it going. The defense needs to keep Willis McGahee in check, which has not been easy the past few times these two teams have met. Stopping him will allow J.P. Losman to lose the game for the Bills. Buffalo is favored by 5 1/2. Now, I don't bet on the Jets (one of the lessons Dad taught me), but if I did, I would take them this week. I think the running game will get going, and the defense is going to stop McGahee. The running game will be key. Time to get moving guys.

Randomness

With the playoffs being a certainty, I am a lot calmer. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself, now that I do not have to dwell on each game and what the impact will be. As a result, posts here may be a little less frequent, and may cover more than just the Mets for the next couple of weeks, today's post being a case in point. Once the Playoffs start, back to normal.

Last night, the Mets, despite losing, clinched Home Field Advantage for the NLDS and NLCS. This is important, as any fan can tell you. Shea during the playoffs absolutely rocks. The fans act as not just the 26th man, but and extra 52,000 fans. You can have your St. Louis fans, or Boston fans, but the NY fan supports there team like no other. I don't care if you talk about baseball, football basketball or hockey, there is no place like a NY arena or stadium for a playoff game. Shea is loud, MSG is as well. Nassau Coliseum literally moves as the fans stomp their feet. The Meadowlands, with the wind and the fans is a vortex. Great environments for the home team all around.

Not much to say about last night, as I missed most of the game. I can say this, guys, I know it would be nice to have Dontrelle WIllis on the team next year, but making him happy by letting him hit 2 home runs and drive in 3 is not going to make a trade any easier. At least he wil not face the Mets in the first round. He absolutely owns this team, 11-2 all time, 5-0 at Shea.

Memo to Miguel Cabrera - STFU. Going into the opposing manager's press conference to talk smack about winning, and then sitting out the game? This guys got some testicular fortitude. If I was Miggy, I would think twice about digging in against Pedro today, assuming he shows enough sack to actually be in the lineup.

I see the other NY team clicnched the division last night and had a little celebration. I wonder if His Pompousass and the Hyena (I've changed his nickname. A hyena is a scavenger and laughs a lot, just like Russo) will have anythingt o say about it being too much. I saw the Big Eunich gave a champagne shower to the YES reporter. He must have loved that.

I'm a little torn about all the hooha over A-Rod in SI. Seems Giambi talked a little bit, as did A-Rod. On one hand, it makes me chuckle to hear teammates throw each other under the bus. A-Rod did it to Mussina, who was only the Yanks best pitcher for most of the season, and Giambi, who rebounded nicely from, what was it, oh, a pituitary gland issue or something totally unrelated to sticking needles into his ass. Giambi apparently told Torre to stop coddling A-Rod, and told A-Rod that he needed to start hitting, and proceeded to rip apart a few hit A-Rod talked about having in Boston. Now, I do not like the Yankees, so part of me is happy to see some turmoil.

The other part of me thinks this is so much BS. I have no doubt that guys on the Mets call each other out when they are slumping. That is what teammates do. The problem I have is that this is in a magazine. This type of stuff should have stayed in the clubhouse. By most accounts, the Yankees granted permission for Verducci to interview various players, but I have a hard time believing that Giambi, Torre or A-Rod gave up that Giambi stuff knowing it would be used in the story. The timing of the story is irksome as well, being so close to the end of the regular season. Just seems like piling on. Of course, the way the story is written shows the Yanks in turmoil, which could wind up being not the case. As I noted, guys call each other out in the clubhouse all the time. The stuff being reported is nothing new.

It was only a couple of months ago that I opened the Cafe. I don't pretend to be a journalist, I'm just a fan who is enjoying the season. I had no thought of starting this place until a couple of months ago. Last season, I started to frequent a couple of the blogs listed in the links, Faith & Fear, and Metsblog. During this past spring, I found Metsgeek and Metstradamus. It was while commenting there (and on a couple of other sites) that I started to get the idea to do something similar, to put my thoughts down. A couple of bloggers gave me some encouragement, and here I am. I hope that you are enjoying my slant on things. I know I'm enjoying writing them.

Same Stuff, Different Day

And so, on the day after, things went about as normal as usual. The "A- lineup" (per Willie) was used, with Julio Franco playing 3rd base and Michael Tucker playing first. The only "regular" was Tom Glavine, who pitched 8 solid innings, allowing 2 runs. Since they once again faced a lefty, the Mets were down 2-1 coming into the bottom of the eigth, but used a rally started by Anderson Hernandez (who earlier did something odd, homering for the first time in his major league career) to take a 3-2 lead. Billy Wagner closed it out, save #39 on the year. Same result, different day.

Interesting point about lefties that I read yesterday. The problem is not entirely with the lineup not being able to hit them it seems (while it would help of course). Met pitchers, in the past 20 starts against lefties, have an ERA over 7. I don't care who is facing the Mets, when your starters are putting up a large crooked number as an ERA, you are not going to win many games.

In other Same Stuff, Different Day news, Francessa and Russo (aka His Pompousass and the Screaming Ninny) had another show of Met bashing apparently. You see, each week on Tuesday, Paul Lo Duca does a call in show with mid-day host Joe Bennigno. Seems Paulie missed yesterdays show for some reason. His Pompousass and the Screaming Ninny went on the berate Paul for missing the spot, not understanding how he could do that. Apparently they called his agent, who had no idea where he was. Hey guys, I know where he was, at home, sleeping it off. Did these idiots not notice that the team won the division the night before? Did they maybe think that he had a late night?

Look, I'm not saying Paulie should get off scott free here. He has a contract, he should have at least called to say he would miss the spot, maybe offer to do it today instead. But once again, His Pompousass and the Screaming Ninny had an opening to bash the Mets, and took it. The whole schtick is getting tiresome. If anyone should be upset, it is Benigno, who's show PLD was supposed to be on. The other two idiots should have stayed out of it. But of course, they cannot. The Screaming Ninny should be more worried about his Giants, 20-8 losers to the Rockies on Monday night, the same Giants who last week he said the Mets don't want to face in the playoffs. Hey Doggie, they are DONE. Especially after last night's 12-4 ass-whooping. Oh, and your star rookie, Matt Cain, he took the loss, giving up 7 earned in 5.1 innings. Maybe Barry should share some of his stash with the rest of the team. As for His Pompousass, stick to talking about horses, the one thing you can do without pissing off a good portion of your audience.

The Happy Recap

After waiting the weekend, not to mention 18 years, the Mets clinched the NL East last night, topping the Marlins 4-0. The crowd could be heard loud and proud over the airwaves. The anticipation started early, and was helped along as the scoreboard showed the Cubs dismantling the Phillies. At the end, Cliff Floyd secured the win (and kept the ball, Fred, let him have it). The celebration began, on the field, then in the clubhouse, then back out on the field, as the team went out and showered some fans behind the dugout with champagne and beer. Nice of them to do it, and what a rush for th fans themselves.

It has been a long road to return to this position. Fans know the history of late, the loss in the 2000 World Series, the Art Howe Error, various players coming with promise, only to fail. Last year, they showed progress. Omar brought in Pedro and Carlos B to start off. However, he was stuck with guys like Braden Looper, so the progress was not as good as it could have been. Still, there was a 24 game improvement from the year before, and we had something that had been lacking for quite a while - reasonable hope.

This year, Omar brought in more reinforcements, Wagner, Delgado, Lo Duca, Filthy. During the year, he filled in holes with Green, Mota and Roberto Hernandez. The youngsters stepped up, as Wright and Reyes made the All Star team, having breakout seasons. The Mets have owned first place since the 3rd game of the season. Its been a great ride for all.

It was perhaps fitting that Steve Trachsel pitched and won the clincher. I posted on Metsgeek yesterday that Steve would go 7, giving up 3 runs. While he missed the innings mark, he exceeded the expectations of runs allowed in the best way, allowing none. Steve has 15 wins on the season. He may have caused a run on Tums, but he got the job done.

This was a season of redemption for a few guys. Carlos Beltran for one more than made up for last year, putting up MVP Type numbers for most of the season. Jose Valentin, who most fans wanted to run out of town earlier in the year, took over 2nd base and has not looked back. Fitting for him to have 2 home runs last night. Many thought the idea of Lo Duca batting second was wrong, but it could not have been more right. He may never replace the power of Mike Piazza, but he has earned a place in fans hearts.

Then there is Willie. Say what you want about his decisions from time to time, but he has gotten the team far in less than 2 seasons. Everytime he trotted out the "B" lineup, it seems to have worked. How many starting pitchers has he had to put out there this season? The injury to Filthy? Wagner's blown saves? Heilman's poor first half (when compared to last season's second half). Having to use Lima Time! as a starter a few times? He may make us scratch our heads from time to time, but he is doing something right.

Today is a day for us to reflect on the season, and to enjoy the first step. There are two rounds of playoffs, then the World Series to look forward to. There is Pedro getting ready for those games. Meaningful October baseball is back in Queens. As is Hope.

Tonight, I would expect to see the B lineup. I'm not afraid of it anymore.

Still Waiting...

Well, both the Mets and Jets had issues this weekend. Let's start with the Jets.

Despite Chad Pennington throwing for over 300 yards for the second straight game (first time in his career), the Jets feel to the Patriots yesterday, 24-17. The New England Belichickens jumped out to a 24 - 0 lead, thanks to continued kicking game issues, this time punter Ben Graham, who shanked a punt late in the second quarter, the result being a 10 yard punt and a Patriots TD.

The running game, or lack thereof continues to hurt the Jets. Blaylock, Washington and Barlow combined for a total of 51 yards on 24 carries, 2.1 yards per carry. That is not going to get it done. Teams know that the Jets can't run, so they are going to come after Chad, hard, and make him beat them alone. While he has bounced up from each hit the last couple of games, how much longer can he be expected to do so?

The passing game looks good. Coles and Cotchery each had big plays on short passes. Coles used the stiff arm to good effect. These guys, assuming Chad is alive after the next game, could have a nice season. Talk all you want about Chad not having a powerful arm, as I wrote last week, he is smart, he gets the ball to the receiver. If they can break a couple of tackles, things can happen. The Jets rarely in their history have had guys like that, usually the receiver catches the ball and goes down. Nice to see these guys fighting for yards after the catch, and making things happen.

They had a chance at the end to tie it. Things looked bleak, as New England once again drove down the field, but a blocked field goal by Bryan Thomas (finally starting to play well after being a 1st rounder a few years ago) gave the Jets the ball. The Jets moved to their own 45 with 26 second left, but an interception at the NE 25 ended the drive and the game.

Still, based on the expectations coming into this season, the team should be proud. They played well the first game, and yesterday made a game of it when they could have given up. Nice to see the fight is there. It can translate into wins at some point.

Can someone explain to me why Eric Mangini feels the need to cover for Belicheck? Eric, the cord is cut, Belicheck snubbed you in front of 80,000 fans and many more at home yesterday. I don't want to hear that you are friends still. The man is an ass. He could have at least shook your hand. He insulted you, because his ego is more important to him than your getting an opportunity to be a head coach. Belichicken hates Woody Johnson. Woody signs your checks, not Bill. Send him a little love note saying "Dear Bill, GFY you Fat Bastard, your former friend Eric. PS: You don't like it, TFB."



As for the Mets, this weekend saw the appearance of SUCKME and leftitis. Toasty Joe coined SUCKME, which stands for Shaky Unknown Chuckers Kill the Mets Every time. Well, that is what has happened as of late, especially Friday and Saturday. Unknown lefties took the mound for the Pirates, and shut the Mets down. Yesterday, we saw Zach Duke, far from a SUCKME, as he is a known quantity. Yesterday was simply leftitis.

Now, a couple of weeks ago, I was not all that concerned about the Mets facing lefties. Some fans were concerned about the Padres getting David Wells, but not me, thinking its only one guy in a rotation. Since then, the Dodgers have thrown two unknowns, the Pirates threw 2 unknowns and 1 known. The Mets have gone down each time. I am not starting to worry. Even the players are making jokes, asking if Florida called up any lefties for tonight. Thankfully, no, they are throwing righty Moehler.

So the Mets now have an 8 game homestand where they can end the waiting and clinch the division. A word to fans who may be there when it happens. I know it's been a long wait, I've been with you every step of the way. But please, do not tear up the field. They have a game tomorrow. The groundscrew will have to patch it up. Do you want to be the person responsible for an outfielder hurting their leg stepping into a divot? I didn't think so. Scream your head off, go home, pop open a beer, and watch the highlights on the news. Keep your ticket stub. But don't rip up the turf. They need the field for another month plus. Let's show some control.

So, let's set the DVR or VCR for tonight. Keep the drink of choice on ice. Trax takes the mound. This is a chance for Steve to get the fans in his corner. If he gets the win tonight while pitching well, we fans may (I stress, may) forgive the past couple of poor outings. To be the guy on the mound when they end 18 years of waiting will get you a lot of love. Go get 'em Steve!

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

The Magic Number is now down to 1! After 18 long years, the Mets are on the verge of a division title. This season has been special, as the team has been in first place for all but 1 day in the first week of the season. The group Omar put together has gelled, behind Willie, a man who last year was the subject of some criticism. While there are still times Willie makes you scratch your head, it is hard to argue that he has done an excellent job this year. There was an influx of new players to start. Then, numerous injuries to the starting pitching staff, as well as the relief corp. But in the end, the team kept it together, and dominated not only the NL East, but the NL overall. Met fans can now enjoy a division title, one a long time coming.

As I've noted before, I've been a Met fan for some 30 years. I was born in the midst of the 1969 World Series, so in my life, the Mets are 2 - 2 in the WS, and have made the playoffs a total of 6 times. There has not been a stretch where the Mets have been the dominant team. In the early 80's, as the team began to emerge from the doldrums of the M. Donald Grant Error, the fanbase grew. There was a nice mix of veterans and youngsters, and the Mets made nice runs in 1984 and 1985, before finally breaking through in 1986. In 1987, injuries and suspensions hurt them, but 1988 saw another playoff appearance. That would be the last one until 11 years later, when in 1999 the Mets won the Wild Card. They repeated that in 2000, and made it to the WS, losing to the Yankees. We have waited another 6 years for an appearance, and, much like 86, they did it in style.

During the last 20 years since the Mets last won the Series, we fans have been witness to some truly awful teams and players. The early 90's were painful. The Art Howe (did he get the job) Error sucked. We have seen Jeff Torborg and Dallas Green in the dugout. We've had guys like Robbie Alomar all but spit on the ground at the thought of playing here. Worse, we've seen the other team in town make the playoffs for 10 straight seasons, winning several WS along the way, but also thankfully being the perpetrator of the BIGGEST CHOKE IN SPORTS HISTORY (you didn't think I was going to forget that now, did you?). We fans have suffered the slings and arrows of Yankee fans who could not name 3 players from the pre 1996 roster. Ask them who Luis Polinia or Mike Pagliarulo were, and you would get a blank stare.

We've suffered the jibes from Atlanta Braves players, like John Rocker, who insulted our fair city. Of Larry Jones, who uttered the biggest insult of all, telling Met fans to put on their Yankee shirts. Of Larry naming his daughter Shea. Of Alomar hating playing here. Of Mo Vaughn, well, being Mo Vaughn. Of various bad trades and bad free agent signings and draft picks not panning out. Of the media reveling in the latest Mets lost. Of the media, despite the fact the Mets were having an outstanding year, still feeling the escapades of various Yankee losers like Carl Pavano deserved back page coverage more than the latest Met comeback win. We've heard the snickers of "Pedro is playing with a bad arm. You bought all of your talent", while youngsters such as David Wright, Jose Reyes and Aaron Heilman, among others were conveniently forgotten. We've heard, "Well, it took a Yankee like Willie to teach you how to win, and you needed El Duque too", all while they forget about players such as Straw, Doc, Cone, Leiter, not to mention the manager, Joe Torre, who all came from the Mets and were integral parts of Yankee success.

Well, at some point in the next few days (perhaps, and hopefully as early as tonight, how sweet would it be for Pedro, who helped show that good players should sign with the Mets, to get the win), we fans will be able to exult along with the players, as the clinch the division. All the hard work the team has put in will bear fruit as they enter the postseason. For the fans part, all of the poor play, missed expectations, and various insults from all parties from the past 18 years can be forgotten, as we toast our NL East Champions. The waiting is indeed the hardest part, but it makes the winning that much sweeter. We can worry about who the opponent in the first round will be later. For now, we will enjoy the moment, and savor it.

Feel free to use the comments and tell me and the other readers how you feel about the pending clinching of the division.