The trip that was supposed to see the Mets fall out of first has ended, with the Mets holding a bigger lead (3.5 games) than they had when they departed (2.5 games) thanks to the Braves pulling their best Sergio Garcia impression last night against the Cardinals. Now, they return home for 7 games, 3 against the Pirates Tuesday - Thursday, and 4 against Manny Acta and the Nationals Friday, 2 Saturday and Sunday. At the same time the Braves visit San Fran (where Barroid will hope to hit at least 3 home runs) and then Arizona. The Phillies have 3 vs the Nationals and 3 versus the Pirates.
This is a week where the Mets can start to put some distance between themselves and the Braves. This is the week, coming on the heels of a nice 3 out of 4 vs the Dodgers where they can keep the pedal to the metal. Moises Alou returns tomorrow possibly (we shall see if the weather in NY has any impact. I'm thinking he isn't going to play on a wet field). Dos Carlos' are starting to hit. David Wright has begun to deliver in clutch situations again. Lastings Milledge doesn't have a high average, but he seems to be involved in a lot of Mets scoring plays. Jose Reyes had a good day yesterday, with a couple of extra-base hits. Resiliency is starting to creep back. The comeback yesterday. The survival of Glavine's start the other night. Even Saturday they tried to fight back. The bats are waking up, scoring 28 runs in the series against the Dodgers, who have a pretty good pitching staff.
But now, it is time to focus on the upcoming opponent. The Pirates are not good. They have some pitching talent, in Snell and Gorzelanny. Overall though, this team should not be able to hang with the Mets. Taking 2 of 3 is a must here. The Big 3 are going, Maine, Glavine and Perez. Then comes the weekend set against the Nationals, Sosa Friday, El Duque and possibly Pelfrey on Saturday and Maine on Sunday. Again, a series win is vital.
We stand about a week away from the non-waiver trading deadline. Omar and Willie need to decide what move(s), if any, are needed to get this team prepared for the post-season. Putting a little more distance between us and the Braves will allow Omar to deal from a position of strength, as opposed to weakness. For my part, I am hoping for nothing more than a bullpen tweak. The bench was helped with the addition of Marlon Anderson, who can play the infield and outfield and will not eat all the egg whites (or suck for that matter). The return of Alou helps here as well, as Milledge, when he doesn't start, can be a PH, the same goes for Alou or Green when Milledge starts. The starters are fine, you only need 3 in the playoffs, Maine, Perez and Glavine, so no need to import talent there (unless of course you can get a real difference maker, but the day of those deals are past).
Enjoy the day off today boys, for tomorrow, it is time.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
On The Road Again
Nice weekend eh? Take 3 of 4, although we did lose a game in the standings to the Braves (I'm waiting for McDowell to pull a WWE turn and take out Bobby Cox and Tim Hudson). The pen has been doing much better, giving up 1 run (Mike Pelfrey) in the last 30 some odd innings. Wagner got 3 saves in the series, and did well. Pedro Dos continued his fine pitching, Aaron Heilman has seemingly turned a corner. The pen is settling in. Some of the guys think it is because they now have set roles. If that is the case, good. We need the pen to return to the dominance of last year. I want teams to fear having to re-take a lead against the relievers. I want the starters to continue to pitch well. But the key of course is the lineup (same refrain we've all been preaching for weeks now.)
Lastings Milledge may not be the final answer, but he has done his part. First game back, he shows some hustle, scoring the eventual winning run from first on a single. Game 2, he hits a home run. Saturday, another hit. Yesterday, a 2 RBI double, and a nice recovery on a fly ball in right to make a catch. Since his return, he is hitting 267 with 5 RBI, a 313 OBP, 533 SLG and 846 OPS. Not bad for the #8 hitter eh?
But we need more. We need Wright, who has raised his average, to go on one of his blistering tears. We need Delgado to continue to improve. We need Reyes to start hitting balls in the gap. Gotay has done well in the #2 spot (sorry 'Stache). But the key folks is Beltran. He is the guy we need to get going. He can carry this team. He did it last year, but we have yet to see it this year.
July has not been kind to Carlos. He is hitting 133, with a 273 OBP, 311 SLG and 584 OPS. He has 2 HR, 6 RBI and 13 K's. That is not getting it done. I love Beltran, I think he has all the talent in the world, but he is not showing it. Hopefully, the road trip will get him going, as he has historically hit better on the road since becoming a Met than he does at Shea. This 7 game stretch against the Padres and Dodgers is the place to start. The Braves are 1.5 games back and playing well (and playing the Reds and Cardinals this week, not good for us). It is time for Carlos to go on one of his otherworldly type stretches where he hits everything thrown at him. Take this team on your back Carlos, lead us with the bat. Back on the road, hopefully, for a better trip than last time.
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Of course I would be remiss if I didn't discuss last weeks news. Now, I admit I was a Julio Franco supporter, but of late, my faith waned. I was not upset to see him go. I wish him luck, so long as it is on an AL team, or an NL team where he can help, not hurt us.
As for Rick Down, I wanted him gone last year, so I am not upset about his dismissal. Of course, now the media is worried their is a rift between Omar and Willie, since Down was Willie's guy. Guess what? Omar is the boss. Boss and employee don't always see eye to eye. Omar wanted to make a change, Willie may not have liked it, but he accepted it, and will move on. Instead of worrying about how this will affect their relationship, realize this is normal in business, and move on.
Lastings Milledge may not be the final answer, but he has done his part. First game back, he shows some hustle, scoring the eventual winning run from first on a single. Game 2, he hits a home run. Saturday, another hit. Yesterday, a 2 RBI double, and a nice recovery on a fly ball in right to make a catch. Since his return, he is hitting 267 with 5 RBI, a 313 OBP, 533 SLG and 846 OPS. Not bad for the #8 hitter eh?
But we need more. We need Wright, who has raised his average, to go on one of his blistering tears. We need Delgado to continue to improve. We need Reyes to start hitting balls in the gap. Gotay has done well in the #2 spot (sorry 'Stache). But the key folks is Beltran. He is the guy we need to get going. He can carry this team. He did it last year, but we have yet to see it this year.
July has not been kind to Carlos. He is hitting 133, with a 273 OBP, 311 SLG and 584 OPS. He has 2 HR, 6 RBI and 13 K's. That is not getting it done. I love Beltran, I think he has all the talent in the world, but he is not showing it. Hopefully, the road trip will get him going, as he has historically hit better on the road since becoming a Met than he does at Shea. This 7 game stretch against the Padres and Dodgers is the place to start. The Braves are 1.5 games back and playing well (and playing the Reds and Cardinals this week, not good for us). It is time for Carlos to go on one of his otherworldly type stretches where he hits everything thrown at him. Take this team on your back Carlos, lead us with the bat. Back on the road, hopefully, for a better trip than last time.
************************
Of course I would be remiss if I didn't discuss last weeks news. Now, I admit I was a Julio Franco supporter, but of late, my faith waned. I was not upset to see him go. I wish him luck, so long as it is on an AL team, or an NL team where he can help, not hurt us.
As for Rick Down, I wanted him gone last year, so I am not upset about his dismissal. Of course, now the media is worried their is a rift between Omar and Willie, since Down was Willie's guy. Guess what? Omar is the boss. Boss and employee don't always see eye to eye. Omar wanted to make a change, Willie may not have liked it, but he accepted it, and will move on. Instead of worrying about how this will affect their relationship, realize this is normal in business, and move on.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
L Millz is Coming Y'all!
Hide the women and children.
I joke, I kid. I'm looking forward to Lastings being back, for a LOT of reasons. First, he's a hell of a lot better than Ricky Ledee. Second, it's another bat with some pop in the lineup. Now, he isn't going to hit 20 HR's, but he is going to get his share of extra-base hits. With the lower third of our batting order (Green, Valentin) struggling, this is a good thing. He had 3 homers in his rehab stint in Binghamton, including 2 on Monday, and hit well over 400. Nice. He's in Brooklyn today and tomorrow, to get some more at-bats.
Odds are he will be here on Thursday as the Mets take on the Reds in a 4 game set. Hopefully, starting in left field, and hopefully, batting second. Why second you ask, and not 7th or 8th? Because PLD is not getting it done in the #2 spot, and the thought of Valentin or Easley hitting there makes me ill. The other options would be Wright or Beltran, but Wright is doing well in the #5 spot, and well, we know Willie ain't moving Beltran. Is Lastings the perfect answer? No. But he's the best one we have right now in my eyes.
Plus, he's gonna bring some exuberance with him. He's an excitable guy, and he wants to succeed. He's gotta know the fans will be on him if he does poorly, or says or does anything dumb. I'm sure he knows Willie and the boys will be on him too. It's time for him to prove that "he got his grown man on" and show those skills we've been hearing about.
Also returning this weekend should be Oliver Perez. He threw a rehab game yesterday, and reports had him feeling fine. He went 4 innings with 7 k's and reported no pain in his lower back. I don't need to explain how vital to the rotation he is.
Moises Alou is in St Lucie to rehab his quad. This is good news. Hopefully all goes well and we can get him back in early August. Then, we can have him in left, in a sorta platoon with Milledge perhaps. Once he returns, he's gonna need days off of course. Around that time we may see Endy Chavez, another left field option. Who knows, if Green keeps faltering, then perhaps Milledge can play some right field. The good news, no regular season games in Boston.
Then, in the middle of August, Pedro.
It's all falling into place fans. We jumped out to the early lead. Then, the injuries and awful play hit. Yet, the lead is still there. Now, the wounded are returning. Just in time for the stretch run. Buckle up, the second half of the season is about to begin.
I joke, I kid. I'm looking forward to Lastings being back, for a LOT of reasons. First, he's a hell of a lot better than Ricky Ledee. Second, it's another bat with some pop in the lineup. Now, he isn't going to hit 20 HR's, but he is going to get his share of extra-base hits. With the lower third of our batting order (Green, Valentin) struggling, this is a good thing. He had 3 homers in his rehab stint in Binghamton, including 2 on Monday, and hit well over 400. Nice. He's in Brooklyn today and tomorrow, to get some more at-bats.
Odds are he will be here on Thursday as the Mets take on the Reds in a 4 game set. Hopefully, starting in left field, and hopefully, batting second. Why second you ask, and not 7th or 8th? Because PLD is not getting it done in the #2 spot, and the thought of Valentin or Easley hitting there makes me ill. The other options would be Wright or Beltran, but Wright is doing well in the #5 spot, and well, we know Willie ain't moving Beltran. Is Lastings the perfect answer? No. But he's the best one we have right now in my eyes.
Plus, he's gonna bring some exuberance with him. He's an excitable guy, and he wants to succeed. He's gotta know the fans will be on him if he does poorly, or says or does anything dumb. I'm sure he knows Willie and the boys will be on him too. It's time for him to prove that "he got his grown man on" and show those skills we've been hearing about.
Also returning this weekend should be Oliver Perez. He threw a rehab game yesterday, and reports had him feeling fine. He went 4 innings with 7 k's and reported no pain in his lower back. I don't need to explain how vital to the rotation he is.
Moises Alou is in St Lucie to rehab his quad. This is good news. Hopefully all goes well and we can get him back in early August. Then, we can have him in left, in a sorta platoon with Milledge perhaps. Once he returns, he's gonna need days off of course. Around that time we may see Endy Chavez, another left field option. Who knows, if Green keeps faltering, then perhaps Milledge can play some right field. The good news, no regular season games in Boston.
Then, in the middle of August, Pedro.
It's all falling into place fans. We jumped out to the early lead. Then, the injuries and awful play hit. Yet, the lead is still there. Now, the wounded are returning. Just in time for the stretch run. Buckle up, the second half of the season is about to begin.
Friday, July 06, 2007
A Good Day All Around
I am happy this morning, as I expect most Mets and Islander fans are.
First the Mets. For once, a complete team game. Willie had a pre-game meeting prior to taking on the Astros. The boys responded with a 6-2 win. John Maine gave an FU to those who did not vote for him by going 7 + and allowing 2 runs (thanks in part to Joe Smith.) Maine struck out the side in the first inning after the Mets put 2 on the board, and finished with 9 K's. Smith Pedro Dos and Wagner finished it up.
The bats were nice. Jose Jose Jose led off with a triple and scored on a single by # 2 hitter Ricky Ledee (!?!?). Ledee then scored on a 2-out single by Carlos Delgado (4-4 with a walk, now 13-31 of late). The Mets scored 4 of their runs with 2 outs, a nice change of pace from the anemic RISP hitting of, oh, pretty much the entire damn season. Carlos Beltran added a late solo home run in the 9th to provide the final margin.
Before the game PLD dropped his appeal and sat out last night and will sit tonight as well. Ramon Castro did well in his place with 3 hits and 2 RBI's. As for why Ricky Ledee was playing, much less batting second, well, the missing PLD is part of the #2 spot, and the other reason is that Carlos Gomez went on the DL with a broken hamate bone in his hand which was removed during surgery yesterday. Gomez will be out 6-8 weeks. Lastings Milledge, see you after the ASB. The hamate bone is useless, so the removal should not impact him. How do I know this you may ask? Well, Ed knows a lot of useless crap.
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My happiness was completed when the Islanders announced 2 signings yesterday. First, Bill Guerin was signed for 2 years. Now, the money may be a tad high, but who hasn't signed a player for mad cash this offseason (I'm looking at you woodman, sweetlew and other Ranger fans). Guerin is 36, but scored that many goals last year. He is a legitimate #1 wing, plus he brings veteran presence to the locker room. I see him wearing at least an "A", if not the "C".
The other signing was 26 yr old Mike Comrie, who has bounced around a bit but has legitimate #1 talent. Only a 1 yr deal, so this is a test of the youngster. If he starts out hot, I would hope Garth is able to lock him up, since there are no #1 centers in the system right now.
Does this guarantee a playoff spot? No, of course not. But it does show players will sign here. A veteran like Guerin can only help in that regard. Newsday reported Bill and Mike talked about joining the Isles as they negotiated with Garth. They knew each other from their Edmonton Oiler days. Nice little package deal. Good job Garth. Now, about that defense...
First the Mets. For once, a complete team game. Willie had a pre-game meeting prior to taking on the Astros. The boys responded with a 6-2 win. John Maine gave an FU to those who did not vote for him by going 7 + and allowing 2 runs (thanks in part to Joe Smith.) Maine struck out the side in the first inning after the Mets put 2 on the board, and finished with 9 K's. Smith Pedro Dos and Wagner finished it up.
The bats were nice. Jose Jose Jose led off with a triple and scored on a single by # 2 hitter Ricky Ledee (!?!?). Ledee then scored on a 2-out single by Carlos Delgado (4-4 with a walk, now 13-31 of late). The Mets scored 4 of their runs with 2 outs, a nice change of pace from the anemic RISP hitting of, oh, pretty much the entire damn season. Carlos Beltran added a late solo home run in the 9th to provide the final margin.
Before the game PLD dropped his appeal and sat out last night and will sit tonight as well. Ramon Castro did well in his place with 3 hits and 2 RBI's. As for why Ricky Ledee was playing, much less batting second, well, the missing PLD is part of the #2 spot, and the other reason is that Carlos Gomez went on the DL with a broken hamate bone in his hand which was removed during surgery yesterday. Gomez will be out 6-8 weeks. Lastings Milledge, see you after the ASB. The hamate bone is useless, so the removal should not impact him. How do I know this you may ask? Well, Ed knows a lot of useless crap.
*************************************
My happiness was completed when the Islanders announced 2 signings yesterday. First, Bill Guerin was signed for 2 years. Now, the money may be a tad high, but who hasn't signed a player for mad cash this offseason (I'm looking at you woodman, sweetlew and other Ranger fans). Guerin is 36, but scored that many goals last year. He is a legitimate #1 wing, plus he brings veteran presence to the locker room. I see him wearing at least an "A", if not the "C".
The other signing was 26 yr old Mike Comrie, who has bounced around a bit but has legitimate #1 talent. Only a 1 yr deal, so this is a test of the youngster. If he starts out hot, I would hope Garth is able to lock him up, since there are no #1 centers in the system right now.
Does this guarantee a playoff spot? No, of course not. But it does show players will sign here. A veteran like Guerin can only help in that regard. Newsday reported Bill and Mike talked about joining the Isles as they negotiated with Garth. They knew each other from their Edmonton Oiler days. Nice little package deal. Good job Garth. Now, about that defense...
Thursday, July 05, 2007
This is Starting to Become Irritating
After taking 3 of 4 from the Team to Beat on, the Mets went west for 3 against the Rockies. Now, someone who shall remain named Ed warned that just because we were going to hitters parks did not mean we were going to be the only beneficiaries. I was worried about going into the bandboxes with our set of Fly-ball pitchers. I am not an "I told you so" type of guy, but I was right. Not in Philly of course, but in Colorado.
Of course the fact that Ollie had to go on the DL didn't help matters since Vargas had to get the call. He showed why he needs a tad more time in NOLA. If you all remember his start against the Cubs, he did well for a while until the 5th when he got lit up. Well, this time he didn't wait that long. The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Vargas gave up 4 in the bottom of the first, on his way to allowing 9 in 3 1/3 innings along with 11 hits. Yeah, there were a lot of dinks and dunks, but as Keith said repeatedly, he just didn't have any velocity when he tried to go inside. Kaz Matsui had 5 hits for pete's sake.
Last night say El Duque throw another stinker. The problem is that the high altitude messes with breaking stuff. El Duque relies on breaking stuff. It was a formula for horror. It started off well for the boys as Wright went yard in the first for a 3-0 lead. Alas, El Duque couldn't hold it as he was batted around for 6 runs in 4 innings. The pen was awful, again, allowing another 11 runs in 4 innings, with Mota and The Show leading the charge as usual and even Pedro Dos giving up 3 runs. Only Heilman was able to pitch a full inning unscathed.
So the Rockies swept us, a few weeks after sweeping the Yanks, becoming the first team since the days of the Dodgers and Giants to sweep two NY teams in the same season. Crap.
Before the game last night, Vargas was sent down and Sandy Alomar Jr. was called up to be the 3rd string catcher in case PLD loses his appeal, and to keep Franco company on the bench. This call up probably allows Willie to use Castro as a PH as well since he would have another catcher in case something happened to PLD, like another temper tantrum.
The bats are quiet with the exception of DW and well, no one really. Beltran has done nothing since Philly. Green is still on the DL for as well as he is hitting. Delgado has a couple of good games and then goes quiet again. The pen has been terrible, with the exception of Pedro Dos and Wagner. Joe Smith has come back to earth, Mota is still in Spring Training. Heilman is giving up way too many HR's. The Show, well, he allowed a run on the road finally, so there goes that idea. What does Omar do now?
I do not want a big trade. I want Pelfrey, Humber, Milledge, et al to stay. Perhaps get another arm for the pen. ALou may be back by the end of the month. The starting pitching has been fine for the most part, I am not panicking over that group. Plus, we had some good news about Pedro, as he is ahead of schedule, throwing a 50 pitch simulated game the other day. He will now shut down for a week, and when he returns, will throw another simulated game, then, assuming all is well, will start rehab appearances. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
On to Houston. We will see Maine, Pelfrey, Glavine and Dave Williams against Jennings, Rodriguez, Woody Williams and Oswalt. The first three Houston starters have combined for a record of 10-20, so we will probably lose to all of them. Oswalt is 7-5, but is still fantastic. Oh, Peter Angelos, how I hate you.
Perhaps, the 17-7 blowout will cause some guys to take a long look in the mirror today. I've said that too many times this year. Maybe this time it works. The lead is now 3.
Of course the fact that Ollie had to go on the DL didn't help matters since Vargas had to get the call. He showed why he needs a tad more time in NOLA. If you all remember his start against the Cubs, he did well for a while until the 5th when he got lit up. Well, this time he didn't wait that long. The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Vargas gave up 4 in the bottom of the first, on his way to allowing 9 in 3 1/3 innings along with 11 hits. Yeah, there were a lot of dinks and dunks, but as Keith said repeatedly, he just didn't have any velocity when he tried to go inside. Kaz Matsui had 5 hits for pete's sake.
Last night say El Duque throw another stinker. The problem is that the high altitude messes with breaking stuff. El Duque relies on breaking stuff. It was a formula for horror. It started off well for the boys as Wright went yard in the first for a 3-0 lead. Alas, El Duque couldn't hold it as he was batted around for 6 runs in 4 innings. The pen was awful, again, allowing another 11 runs in 4 innings, with Mota and The Show leading the charge as usual and even Pedro Dos giving up 3 runs. Only Heilman was able to pitch a full inning unscathed.
So the Rockies swept us, a few weeks after sweeping the Yanks, becoming the first team since the days of the Dodgers and Giants to sweep two NY teams in the same season. Crap.
Before the game last night, Vargas was sent down and Sandy Alomar Jr. was called up to be the 3rd string catcher in case PLD loses his appeal, and to keep Franco company on the bench. This call up probably allows Willie to use Castro as a PH as well since he would have another catcher in case something happened to PLD, like another temper tantrum.
The bats are quiet with the exception of DW and well, no one really. Beltran has done nothing since Philly. Green is still on the DL for as well as he is hitting. Delgado has a couple of good games and then goes quiet again. The pen has been terrible, with the exception of Pedro Dos and Wagner. Joe Smith has come back to earth, Mota is still in Spring Training. Heilman is giving up way too many HR's. The Show, well, he allowed a run on the road finally, so there goes that idea. What does Omar do now?
I do not want a big trade. I want Pelfrey, Humber, Milledge, et al to stay. Perhaps get another arm for the pen. ALou may be back by the end of the month. The starting pitching has been fine for the most part, I am not panicking over that group. Plus, we had some good news about Pedro, as he is ahead of schedule, throwing a 50 pitch simulated game the other day. He will now shut down for a week, and when he returns, will throw another simulated game, then, assuming all is well, will start rehab appearances. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
On to Houston. We will see Maine, Pelfrey, Glavine and Dave Williams against Jennings, Rodriguez, Woody Williams and Oswalt. The first three Houston starters have combined for a record of 10-20, so we will probably lose to all of them. Oswalt is 7-5, but is still fantastic. Oh, Peter Angelos, how I hate you.
Perhaps, the 17-7 blowout will cause some guys to take a long look in the mirror today. I've said that too many times this year. Maybe this time it works. The lead is now 3.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Just One Year of Love...
Is better than a lifetime of annoying the hell out of my wife. (The title of today's blog is from a Queen song off of the CD "A Kind of Magic". ) I started this blog so as to not annoy her with my incessant chatter about my sports teams. I had found an outlet for the Mets over on Metsgeek, but needed more.
My loves (besides the wife and kids of course) are the Mets and the Islanders and the Jets. My Jets made me happy this past season, exceeding expectations. The Mets last season made it to the NLCS. I still refuse to discuss how that ended. So far this season, they are within about 2 games of last years pace (48-34 last year, 46-35 this season), though the lead is 4 this year as opposed to 10.5 last year. Considering the injuries and the awful start to the month of June, the fact that they are still in 1st speaks well of the team, and ill of the other teams in the division, who also had awful June performances (well, the Phillies did OK at least till this past weekend.)
All in all, I have faith that the Mets will continue to lead the division, and will exceed last year's performance at the end of the year.
My first day last year, I blogged about the Islanders and the changes they had gone through. In fact, it was in my first posting over at the old address. At that time, they had just hired Ted Nolan as coach, and had named Neil Smith GM. I liked the former, not so much the latter. SMith of course lasted 40 days, and was replaced by Garth Snow. Smith made a couple of signings before he left, and Snow added a few people as well, including Ryan Smyth in a deadline beating deal for two prospects and this year's first round draft choice. Last season's #1 pick, Kyle Okposo, was a fantastic pick by all measures, but he will spend another year in college.
So a year later the team is in a bigger mess than it was. Gone are Smyth, Blake, Kozlov, Poti. Gone too is Yashin, though that was addition by subtraction. In excess of 100 goals has walked out the door. Offense is going to be in short supply. Defense is going to be poor. Rick DiPietro may regret signing a 15 year contract by the time December rolls around.
Despite making competitive offers, Garth Snow has been unable to attract any big name players to join the team so far this FA period. Why do players not want to come to LI? We know money isn't the issue, as Charles Wang is not exactly shy when it comes to writing fat checks (see Yashin, Alexei and DiPietro, Rick). Nolan is a good coach. DiPietro is a damn good goalie. Yashin is gone (this fact cannot be repeated enough). Mike Milbury is gone (another fact that cannot be repeated enough). A good player can get paid and can be part of a revival. So why not?
This morning in Newsday Garth Snow blamed the arena. I can't say I totally agree with him on this. Now, I do agree that the time has come for Nassau County to get their thumbs out of their asses and let Wang do the renovations he has been trying to get done for years. The county has been dragging their feet on the application process for years now. Enough is enough. The arena has been there, so the process should be a lot smoother. The county is messed up, and this is hurting the team. By dragging their feet on this, they are hampering Wang's ability to make money. A renovation will allow him to improve the atmosphere in the arena, and make it more fan friendly. It will increase the # of seats, will will allow more revenue. Wang has lost millions since he purchased the team. If he can get the renovations done, he may be able to turn a profit. Fans may be more willing to come to the arena. Other events could be held (perhaps more NCAA sub-regionals?) The county spent millions on a pool for some athletic event that has turned into a white elephant. Here they have an opportunity to improve the Coliseum, in the heart of the County. Make it a destination place again.
Of course, it all hinges on the ability to put a good team on the ice. You do that, and players will want to come. Fans will want to attend games. If Snow can groom the youngsters in the minors and make good picks in the draft, if Okposo can continue to blossom, if he can attract some players, the team can win. Once they win, the fans will come back. They always do. Look at the early 90's when they had a couple of good seasons. Look at the early 2000's when they made the playoffs. The fans came and the place rocked. But they need a reason to come. They want to see a good team. I fear that this season we will not have one. I forsee the #1 overall pick being up for grabs at the end of the season. Perhaps they can get an impact player like a Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin. There is some talent on the team now. Hunter is good. Satan hopefully will be consistent. Sillinger is a gamer. We all know how good DiPietro can be. Let's hope Nolan can get them to overachieve this year.
And lets hope the Nassau County Government gets off their asses and give Wang the approvals he needs to fix the Coliseum.
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I've enjoyed blogging this past year. I want to thank those who come and visit, whether they leave comments or not. I'm not a stats guy, I am simply a fan. I love the Mets, I love the Jets and Islanders. I just try to blog from my heart, to give my thoughts, a simple fan perspective, on how things are going. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope to do it for years to come.
My loves (besides the wife and kids of course) are the Mets and the Islanders and the Jets. My Jets made me happy this past season, exceeding expectations. The Mets last season made it to the NLCS. I still refuse to discuss how that ended. So far this season, they are within about 2 games of last years pace (48-34 last year, 46-35 this season), though the lead is 4 this year as opposed to 10.5 last year. Considering the injuries and the awful start to the month of June, the fact that they are still in 1st speaks well of the team, and ill of the other teams in the division, who also had awful June performances (well, the Phillies did OK at least till this past weekend.)
All in all, I have faith that the Mets will continue to lead the division, and will exceed last year's performance at the end of the year.
My first day last year, I blogged about the Islanders and the changes they had gone through. In fact, it was in my first posting over at the old address. At that time, they had just hired Ted Nolan as coach, and had named Neil Smith GM. I liked the former, not so much the latter. SMith of course lasted 40 days, and was replaced by Garth Snow. Smith made a couple of signings before he left, and Snow added a few people as well, including Ryan Smyth in a deadline beating deal for two prospects and this year's first round draft choice. Last season's #1 pick, Kyle Okposo, was a fantastic pick by all measures, but he will spend another year in college.
So a year later the team is in a bigger mess than it was. Gone are Smyth, Blake, Kozlov, Poti. Gone too is Yashin, though that was addition by subtraction. In excess of 100 goals has walked out the door. Offense is going to be in short supply. Defense is going to be poor. Rick DiPietro may regret signing a 15 year contract by the time December rolls around.
Despite making competitive offers, Garth Snow has been unable to attract any big name players to join the team so far this FA period. Why do players not want to come to LI? We know money isn't the issue, as Charles Wang is not exactly shy when it comes to writing fat checks (see Yashin, Alexei and DiPietro, Rick). Nolan is a good coach. DiPietro is a damn good goalie. Yashin is gone (this fact cannot be repeated enough). Mike Milbury is gone (another fact that cannot be repeated enough). A good player can get paid and can be part of a revival. So why not?
This morning in Newsday Garth Snow blamed the arena. I can't say I totally agree with him on this. Now, I do agree that the time has come for Nassau County to get their thumbs out of their asses and let Wang do the renovations he has been trying to get done for years. The county has been dragging their feet on the application process for years now. Enough is enough. The arena has been there, so the process should be a lot smoother. The county is messed up, and this is hurting the team. By dragging their feet on this, they are hampering Wang's ability to make money. A renovation will allow him to improve the atmosphere in the arena, and make it more fan friendly. It will increase the # of seats, will will allow more revenue. Wang has lost millions since he purchased the team. If he can get the renovations done, he may be able to turn a profit. Fans may be more willing to come to the arena. Other events could be held (perhaps more NCAA sub-regionals?) The county spent millions on a pool for some athletic event that has turned into a white elephant. Here they have an opportunity to improve the Coliseum, in the heart of the County. Make it a destination place again.
Of course, it all hinges on the ability to put a good team on the ice. You do that, and players will want to come. Fans will want to attend games. If Snow can groom the youngsters in the minors and make good picks in the draft, if Okposo can continue to blossom, if he can attract some players, the team can win. Once they win, the fans will come back. They always do. Look at the early 90's when they had a couple of good seasons. Look at the early 2000's when they made the playoffs. The fans came and the place rocked. But they need a reason to come. They want to see a good team. I fear that this season we will not have one. I forsee the #1 overall pick being up for grabs at the end of the season. Perhaps they can get an impact player like a Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin. There is some talent on the team now. Hunter is good. Satan hopefully will be consistent. Sillinger is a gamer. We all know how good DiPietro can be. Let's hope Nolan can get them to overachieve this year.
And lets hope the Nassau County Government gets off their asses and give Wang the approvals he needs to fix the Coliseum.
*****************
I've enjoyed blogging this past year. I want to thank those who come and visit, whether they leave comments or not. I'm not a stats guy, I am simply a fan. I love the Mets, I love the Jets and Islanders. I just try to blog from my heart, to give my thoughts, a simple fan perspective, on how things are going. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope to do it for years to come.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Test
We have a test in front of us fans. Eleven games in bandboxes. Now, the papers are making a big deal about how this might help our bats, and this may be true. However, there is a flip side, how will our pitching hold up in those same parks? Remember, we have a few fly ball pitchers on our staff.
It starts today at 1PM in Citizens Bank Park with the first game of a day-night DH against the Phillies. El Duque (pushed back due to the rainout last night) faces Chad Durbin. In the nightcap, John Maine faces Cole Hamels. I am not going to sit here and write about how much Durbin sucks. Given the offensive funk the Mets have been in of late, there is no guarantee that facing a POS will make any difference. The way things are going, they may win a 2-1 game in the opener with 4 hits, and then knock the crap out of Hamels in the evening.
In any event, to say the ballparks will help the bats while ignoring the impact of those same factors and their impact on our pitching is silly. Maine is a fly-ball pitcher. CBP is a bandbox. It is quite likely he could be taken deep a coupleof times. The same for El Duque if he isn't on his game. Tomorrow we put Sosa (another fly ball guy) up against James Happ, who ESPN has not information on. In other words, he could kill us. Saturday is also Metsgeek day at CBP as some 20+ commenters band together to see our beloved Metsies. I hope Fox gets wind of this somehow so we can see how they take over CBP. Sunday sees Perez face Kyle Kendrick, another new guy who has appeared in 3 games in his career, and is 2-0 with a 5.00 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.
So, given all these factors, I am not exactly giddy with excitement. We have a bandbox, and 3 unknown pitchers going against us. It would be nice to go in and take 3 of 4. I think it can be done, but I'm not seeing any blowouts.
Other News
PLD is starting to worry me a tad. It started with his lunatic act over the weekend. Since then he has been a little prickly with the media. Yesterday, after being asked again about whether he was dropping his appeal, he blew up at the press, saying they should drop the line of questioning. He then proceeded to complain about being one of the "go-to" guys for the media, and about how only 3 or 4 guys are spoken too. He then said the media should go to some of the spanish speaking players for comment.
Now, I don't know what PLD's issue is. He is a guy known for being a leader in each stop. Why is he saying this out loud? Why not pull the guys aside a ask them to speak up? Why air it out in the press. The only outcome is media types writing about it, and possible dissension in the room, in addition to bloggers like me. Then there are the fans who already have "concerns" about the makeup of the team. These people are gonna love this. There are those who do not like the Latin "tilt" to the room. I personally care only about having the best team on the field, no matter where a player is from.
So Paulie, you may not like being a go-to guy, but the fact is you have been one for your entire career. You are a leader. A leader doesn't air the dirty laundry in the press. I'm disappointed in you Paulie.
ISLES News
Well, I don't really have anything to report. Rumors abound about Ryan Smyth and whether Snow is going to sign him or trade him. Eklund over on Hockeybuzz.com reported yesterday intense talks were underway with lawyers involved. Then came a rumor he had been traded to Toronto, and that rumor was then pulled.
I am torn on Smyth. I would love for him to stay, but am worried about how much it will cost to entice him. This is not going to be a contending team next year. Blake is gone, as is Yashin, taking some 40+ goals with them. There is no #1 center on the roster. Odds are if Smyth stays, they may be able to get someone else, but if he is too expensive, will there be enough $ left? There is need for help on the blueline as well. Smyth is a character guy, not a big scorer. How much of an impact will he have without someone who can pot 15-40 goals onthe roster?
Rumors also abound that Michael Peca may return. Again, I am torn. I like his grit, but he is no longer a top line player, or even a #2 center. He might be a good fallback if Smyth leaves (either through a trade or FA). But the same scoring issues will remain.
Snow has his work cut out for him. This offseason will show whether he is in over his head or not.
It starts today at 1PM in Citizens Bank Park with the first game of a day-night DH against the Phillies. El Duque (pushed back due to the rainout last night) faces Chad Durbin. In the nightcap, John Maine faces Cole Hamels. I am not going to sit here and write about how much Durbin sucks. Given the offensive funk the Mets have been in of late, there is no guarantee that facing a POS will make any difference. The way things are going, they may win a 2-1 game in the opener with 4 hits, and then knock the crap out of Hamels in the evening.
In any event, to say the ballparks will help the bats while ignoring the impact of those same factors and their impact on our pitching is silly. Maine is a fly-ball pitcher. CBP is a bandbox. It is quite likely he could be taken deep a coupleof times. The same for El Duque if he isn't on his game. Tomorrow we put Sosa (another fly ball guy) up against James Happ, who ESPN has not information on. In other words, he could kill us. Saturday is also Metsgeek day at CBP as some 20+ commenters band together to see our beloved Metsies. I hope Fox gets wind of this somehow so we can see how they take over CBP. Sunday sees Perez face Kyle Kendrick, another new guy who has appeared in 3 games in his career, and is 2-0 with a 5.00 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.
So, given all these factors, I am not exactly giddy with excitement. We have a bandbox, and 3 unknown pitchers going against us. It would be nice to go in and take 3 of 4. I think it can be done, but I'm not seeing any blowouts.
Other News
PLD is starting to worry me a tad. It started with his lunatic act over the weekend. Since then he has been a little prickly with the media. Yesterday, after being asked again about whether he was dropping his appeal, he blew up at the press, saying they should drop the line of questioning. He then proceeded to complain about being one of the "go-to" guys for the media, and about how only 3 or 4 guys are spoken too. He then said the media should go to some of the spanish speaking players for comment.
Now, I don't know what PLD's issue is. He is a guy known for being a leader in each stop. Why is he saying this out loud? Why not pull the guys aside a ask them to speak up? Why air it out in the press. The only outcome is media types writing about it, and possible dissension in the room, in addition to bloggers like me. Then there are the fans who already have "concerns" about the makeup of the team. These people are gonna love this. There are those who do not like the Latin "tilt" to the room. I personally care only about having the best team on the field, no matter where a player is from.
So Paulie, you may not like being a go-to guy, but the fact is you have been one for your entire career. You are a leader. A leader doesn't air the dirty laundry in the press. I'm disappointed in you Paulie.
ISLES News
Well, I don't really have anything to report. Rumors abound about Ryan Smyth and whether Snow is going to sign him or trade him. Eklund over on Hockeybuzz.com reported yesterday intense talks were underway with lawyers involved. Then came a rumor he had been traded to Toronto, and that rumor was then pulled.
I am torn on Smyth. I would love for him to stay, but am worried about how much it will cost to entice him. This is not going to be a contending team next year. Blake is gone, as is Yashin, taking some 40+ goals with them. There is no #1 center on the roster. Odds are if Smyth stays, they may be able to get someone else, but if he is too expensive, will there be enough $ left? There is need for help on the blueline as well. Smyth is a character guy, not a big scorer. How much of an impact will he have without someone who can pot 15-40 goals onthe roster?
Rumors also abound that Michael Peca may return. Again, I am torn. I like his grit, but he is no longer a top line player, or even a #2 center. He might be a good fallback if Smyth leaves (either through a trade or FA). But the same scoring issues will remain.
Snow has his work cut out for him. This offseason will show whether he is in over his head or not.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Ugly? Who Cares? It's a Win.
Well, it sure wasn't pretty last night. The bats were sleepy again. Two guys got picked off first. Joe Smith was a tad wild. Two errors by Pujols were not taken advantage of. But at the end of the night, the Mets went home with a big W. Not pretty, but it really doesn't matter.
That's four in a row for the good guys. Wins that is, in case you weren't sure. A lead that had dwindled to 1.5 games is now back to 3.5 over the Phillies this time. The Braves stand 4.5 back. The lead is the same it was on June 1. The only fly in the ointment is that the Phillies actually whittled their deficit down from 8.5 to 3.5 this month. But that's OK, since we have 4 against them this weekend. Time to bury them, just like last year.
Jorge Sosa pitched well last night, which was a nice sight since he had been blasted his last two outings. He went 6 innings, allowing 1 run with 2 walks and 5 K's. Joe Smith went 2/3, allowing a hit and two walks. Pedro Dos relieved Smith, turning Scott (Happy Trail) Spezio around to the right side (his good side), but Pedro got the out, leaving the bases juiced. Pedro pitched the 8th, and Wags pitched the 9th and 10th, allowing not hits with 3 K's. Heilman pitched the 11th, allowing a bloop hit and getting 2 K's. Aaron has turned it on of late. Time to anoint him the 8th inning guy. He got the win.
The bats totalled 3 hits. Delgado had a single. Carlos Gomez, after hitting a long fly ball to left that was foul, straightened it out 3 pitches later. It is not often that you see a long foul followed by a HR. Well, Gomez did it, and then, in the 11th, Shawn Green did the same thing. A long foul to right. Two pitches later, a CRUSHED homer off the scoreboard and jubilation in the stands and at home plate.
The streak is now at 4. Lets take at least 2 more from the Cardinals. Then, onto Philly, for a doubleheader on Friday and games Saturday and Sunday. Saturday there will be a large contingent from MetsGeek in the stands. That oughta be interesting. Alas, Ed is unable to attend.
In other news PLD was suspended 2 games for his tirade on Saturday. He has appealled, and is hoping it gets knocked down to 1 game. If not, I would guess he will sit out the two games Friday, or perhaps Thursday and the first game Friday, allowing the called up catcher to catch Mike Pelfrey, who is the probable starter for one of the games Friday. We shall see. Paulie needs to watch his temper. I'm all for fire, but he went way too far.
Pedro will throw another bullpen session today. If all goes well, he will start throwing BP probably next week. This bears watching. I'm cautiously optimistic about his return, but not getting my hopes up too high.
Alou will see the doctor again next Monday. Omar said that he is feeling better. Perhaps the shut-down has helped. His bat is important.
Finally, I have a new column coming today on FU. Take a look, it will probably be up this afternoon. It is about Delgado.
Over at FU, "The Coop" has a column about Alou. Nice read as always Coop.
That's four in a row for the good guys. Wins that is, in case you weren't sure. A lead that had dwindled to 1.5 games is now back to 3.5 over the Phillies this time. The Braves stand 4.5 back. The lead is the same it was on June 1. The only fly in the ointment is that the Phillies actually whittled their deficit down from 8.5 to 3.5 this month. But that's OK, since we have 4 against them this weekend. Time to bury them, just like last year.
Jorge Sosa pitched well last night, which was a nice sight since he had been blasted his last two outings. He went 6 innings, allowing 1 run with 2 walks and 5 K's. Joe Smith went 2/3, allowing a hit and two walks. Pedro Dos relieved Smith, turning Scott (Happy Trail) Spezio around to the right side (his good side), but Pedro got the out, leaving the bases juiced. Pedro pitched the 8th, and Wags pitched the 9th and 10th, allowing not hits with 3 K's. Heilman pitched the 11th, allowing a bloop hit and getting 2 K's. Aaron has turned it on of late. Time to anoint him the 8th inning guy. He got the win.
The bats totalled 3 hits. Delgado had a single. Carlos Gomez, after hitting a long fly ball to left that was foul, straightened it out 3 pitches later. It is not often that you see a long foul followed by a HR. Well, Gomez did it, and then, in the 11th, Shawn Green did the same thing. A long foul to right. Two pitches later, a CRUSHED homer off the scoreboard and jubilation in the stands and at home plate.
The streak is now at 4. Lets take at least 2 more from the Cardinals. Then, onto Philly, for a doubleheader on Friday and games Saturday and Sunday. Saturday there will be a large contingent from MetsGeek in the stands. That oughta be interesting. Alas, Ed is unable to attend.
In other news PLD was suspended 2 games for his tirade on Saturday. He has appealled, and is hoping it gets knocked down to 1 game. If not, I would guess he will sit out the two games Friday, or perhaps Thursday and the first game Friday, allowing the called up catcher to catch Mike Pelfrey, who is the probable starter for one of the games Friday. We shall see. Paulie needs to watch his temper. I'm all for fire, but he went way too far.
Pedro will throw another bullpen session today. If all goes well, he will start throwing BP probably next week. This bears watching. I'm cautiously optimistic about his return, but not getting my hopes up too high.
Alou will see the doctor again next Monday. Omar said that he is feeling better. Perhaps the shut-down has helped. His bat is important.
Finally, I have a new column coming today on FU. Take a look, it will probably be up this afternoon. It is about Delgado.
Over at FU, "The Coop" has a column about Alou. Nice read as always Coop.
Monday, June 25, 2007
The Three Stooges
Wally Matthews (Newsday). Pete Abraham (The Journal News). Steve Phillips (ESPN). These my friends are the Three Stooges. Mets fans at times bemoan the lack of coverage our Mets get from the local media, and ESPN. These three show why that is not always a bad thing.
First, my old friend Wally. Several times last year Wally annoyed me. Whether it was writing a story extolling the virtues of Steve Trachsel while ripping an injured Pedro Martinez, or linking David Wright to PED's, or any number of other slights, Wally is consistent in his hatred of all things Met. Last week, Wally went 2 for 2. First, he wrote a hit piece on Beltran. Now, I know Carlos has been struggling, but Wally went above and beyond a mere story on that. He went on and on about how Carlos has done nothing in NY, and that he is the most overpaid Scott Boras client in NY. Of course, Wally brought up the final pitch in the NLCS. And of course he went on and on about 2005. One thing was missing, basically, the entire 2006 season. You know, the one where Carlos was an MVP candidate up until he caught his knee in the stupid ass fence in Houston. Later in the week, he wrote a piece of garbage about how the Mets don't compare favorably to the Twins. Now, I have a lot of respect for the Twins and what that organization has accomplished. They were as Wally wrote, doomed to be contracted at one point, and since then have done well. However, Wally used the piece as a chance to bash Omar and Petersen. Omar because he would not talk to Wally during the game, and Petersen because Rick doesn't like to tlak about the starting pitcher as part of one of his superstitions. Well, Wally doesn't like being told people don't want to talk to him, and bashed both parties for deciding to ignore him. I wonder if Wally realizes that part of the reason may be that he is always 100% anti-Met in any story he writes? Perhaps if he wasn't such an ass, members of the organization may talk to him.
Our second Stooge is Peter Abraham from the Journal News. He seems to be the guy in charge of the Sunday baseball section. Why else would he be able to bash the Mets in every little blurb he writes. Each week he does a little top ten teams piece (like a Power Ranking) and each week the blurb about the Mets is a negative, even when he ranks them high. Every other team gets props except for the Mets. Yesterday, Pete wrote a piece about why Mets fans hate Beltran. He had asked for feedback on Delcos' blog. Well, I don't think he got too much of a response, because he quoted feedback from one fan, as well as from Matt Cerrone at Metsblog. Now, I like Matt, and think he has a great blog. Many of the posters on his site though are extreme. So of course the piece talks about how Mets fans hate Beltran, one reason being his late attempt to join the Yanks. Now, most rational Mets fans realize this was Boras, not Carlos, but Abraham uses a handful of people to paint us in broad strokes. Personally, I could care less that Boras called the Yanks late. I like Beltran. Is he overpaid, sure, but most players are. The guy plays hurt. He did it in 2005 and took crap for it (the media leading the charge of course). He did so last year to an extent, and had a great year. So far this year, he has played with myriad injuries, and if not for others being hurt, he might have taken time off to get healthier. But he is playing through it. Yet, he gets no credit for this. And it annoys me to no end.
Finally, we get to our old idiot GM Steve Phillips, who now shows the ESPN audience that Wilpon has made mistakes, like hiring Steve. Every chance he gets he bashes the Mets. He picked them to finish third this year, behind the Braves and Phillies. So far, Steve has been wrong. Again. Yesterday on BBTN, Steve said the Mets fanbase is happy about the turmoil in the Braves clubhouse between Larry Jones and John Smoltz, since we don't think our team can beat the Braves. Steve, did you see last year's standings? The MEts won the division. The Braves, not so much as a sniff. So you see, we have beaten the Braves you pompous ass. Do yourself and the ESPN audience a favor and STFU. For someone who made myriad bad deals as Mets GM, and by the grace of God missed on a couple of others (like trading Reyes for Larkin, or Wright for Jose Cruz Jr.), you sure like to talk like you know what you are doing. Well, you don't.
*************************************
Ah, so a three game winning streak, as part of a swep of an AL team. I like. I like very much. Friday was nice, a 9-1 win behind Glavine, who finally got # 296. Against a lefty. With Dos Carlos' and Green getting two hits each. A couple of 2-out RBI. Only 2 LOB. Tommy goes 8, and Aaron finishes up. Good all around.
Saturday, a nail biter. El Duque vs. Joe Blanton. El Duque was dominant for the most part, confusing the A's with his arsenal. The highlight was a curveball that hit about 50 mph on the gun, that had the batter looking like he could have swung twice and still had time for a 3rd swing. Sloppy defense tough, and it took a poor play by A's rightfielder Buck to allow the winning run to score in the bottom of the 9th. Castro led off with a double. Beltran was walked, and up strode Wright. David blooped one to right, which should have loaded the bases, but Buck made an awful try at a dive, allowing the ball to go past him, and allowing Castro to rumble home from 2nd. It wasn't pretty, but it worked. Willie noted after the game that it wasn't pretty and he wasn't happy. MLB is probably not happy after PLD went nutso after being ejected for arguing balls and strikes and then proceeding to pull a Pinella a litter the field with equipment. Paulie is probably looking at a few days off as a result. We shall see.
Then we had yesterday. Another win, and a blowout again at that. John Maine won his 8th game of the season, 7 innings, 5 hits, no walks (yeah) and only 2 ER. He lost focus at one point, but The Jacket righted him and he got through it. The bats were alive again. Reyes led off with a double and scored on the play after Buck made a Damon-esque throw from right. Maine drove in his first run in his career in the 2nd, and from there others chipped in , with Stache hitting a 3-run HR, Beltran (is he waking up?) and Easley driving in 2 each. Shawn Green played first as Delgado got a day off (he apparently asked for it). Carlos Gomez has 3 hits, including 2 infield hits. I'm happy to see him doing this, but I fear that once teams start to cheat a bit, he is going to struggle again. Long term, I like him, but once Endy, Milledge or Alou come back, he should go back to the minors. He needs to work on his swing, he looks overmatched frequently.
But today is not a day to worry about the Mets. It is a day to be happy. And to look forward to a 4 game set against the Cardinals. No Looper though, as he is on the DL. Too bad.
First, my old friend Wally. Several times last year Wally annoyed me. Whether it was writing a story extolling the virtues of Steve Trachsel while ripping an injured Pedro Martinez, or linking David Wright to PED's, or any number of other slights, Wally is consistent in his hatred of all things Met. Last week, Wally went 2 for 2. First, he wrote a hit piece on Beltran. Now, I know Carlos has been struggling, but Wally went above and beyond a mere story on that. He went on and on about how Carlos has done nothing in NY, and that he is the most overpaid Scott Boras client in NY. Of course, Wally brought up the final pitch in the NLCS. And of course he went on and on about 2005. One thing was missing, basically, the entire 2006 season. You know, the one where Carlos was an MVP candidate up until he caught his knee in the stupid ass fence in Houston. Later in the week, he wrote a piece of garbage about how the Mets don't compare favorably to the Twins. Now, I have a lot of respect for the Twins and what that organization has accomplished. They were as Wally wrote, doomed to be contracted at one point, and since then have done well. However, Wally used the piece as a chance to bash Omar and Petersen. Omar because he would not talk to Wally during the game, and Petersen because Rick doesn't like to tlak about the starting pitcher as part of one of his superstitions. Well, Wally doesn't like being told people don't want to talk to him, and bashed both parties for deciding to ignore him. I wonder if Wally realizes that part of the reason may be that he is always 100% anti-Met in any story he writes? Perhaps if he wasn't such an ass, members of the organization may talk to him.
Our second Stooge is Peter Abraham from the Journal News. He seems to be the guy in charge of the Sunday baseball section. Why else would he be able to bash the Mets in every little blurb he writes. Each week he does a little top ten teams piece (like a Power Ranking) and each week the blurb about the Mets is a negative, even when he ranks them high. Every other team gets props except for the Mets. Yesterday, Pete wrote a piece about why Mets fans hate Beltran. He had asked for feedback on Delcos' blog. Well, I don't think he got too much of a response, because he quoted feedback from one fan, as well as from Matt Cerrone at Metsblog. Now, I like Matt, and think he has a great blog. Many of the posters on his site though are extreme. So of course the piece talks about how Mets fans hate Beltran, one reason being his late attempt to join the Yanks. Now, most rational Mets fans realize this was Boras, not Carlos, but Abraham uses a handful of people to paint us in broad strokes. Personally, I could care less that Boras called the Yanks late. I like Beltran. Is he overpaid, sure, but most players are. The guy plays hurt. He did it in 2005 and took crap for it (the media leading the charge of course). He did so last year to an extent, and had a great year. So far this year, he has played with myriad injuries, and if not for others being hurt, he might have taken time off to get healthier. But he is playing through it. Yet, he gets no credit for this. And it annoys me to no end.
Finally, we get to our old idiot GM Steve Phillips, who now shows the ESPN audience that Wilpon has made mistakes, like hiring Steve. Every chance he gets he bashes the Mets. He picked them to finish third this year, behind the Braves and Phillies. So far, Steve has been wrong. Again. Yesterday on BBTN, Steve said the Mets fanbase is happy about the turmoil in the Braves clubhouse between Larry Jones and John Smoltz, since we don't think our team can beat the Braves. Steve, did you see last year's standings? The MEts won the division. The Braves, not so much as a sniff. So you see, we have beaten the Braves you pompous ass. Do yourself and the ESPN audience a favor and STFU. For someone who made myriad bad deals as Mets GM, and by the grace of God missed on a couple of others (like trading Reyes for Larkin, or Wright for Jose Cruz Jr.), you sure like to talk like you know what you are doing. Well, you don't.
*************************************
Ah, so a three game winning streak, as part of a swep of an AL team. I like. I like very much. Friday was nice, a 9-1 win behind Glavine, who finally got # 296. Against a lefty. With Dos Carlos' and Green getting two hits each. A couple of 2-out RBI. Only 2 LOB. Tommy goes 8, and Aaron finishes up. Good all around.
Saturday, a nail biter. El Duque vs. Joe Blanton. El Duque was dominant for the most part, confusing the A's with his arsenal. The highlight was a curveball that hit about 50 mph on the gun, that had the batter looking like he could have swung twice and still had time for a 3rd swing. Sloppy defense tough, and it took a poor play by A's rightfielder Buck to allow the winning run to score in the bottom of the 9th. Castro led off with a double. Beltran was walked, and up strode Wright. David blooped one to right, which should have loaded the bases, but Buck made an awful try at a dive, allowing the ball to go past him, and allowing Castro to rumble home from 2nd. It wasn't pretty, but it worked. Willie noted after the game that it wasn't pretty and he wasn't happy. MLB is probably not happy after PLD went nutso after being ejected for arguing balls and strikes and then proceeding to pull a Pinella a litter the field with equipment. Paulie is probably looking at a few days off as a result. We shall see.
Then we had yesterday. Another win, and a blowout again at that. John Maine won his 8th game of the season, 7 innings, 5 hits, no walks (yeah) and only 2 ER. He lost focus at one point, but The Jacket righted him and he got through it. The bats were alive again. Reyes led off with a double and scored on the play after Buck made a Damon-esque throw from right. Maine drove in his first run in his career in the 2nd, and from there others chipped in , with Stache hitting a 3-run HR, Beltran (is he waking up?) and Easley driving in 2 each. Shawn Green played first as Delgado got a day off (he apparently asked for it). Carlos Gomez has 3 hits, including 2 infield hits. I'm happy to see him doing this, but I fear that once teams start to cheat a bit, he is going to struggle again. Long term, I like him, but once Endy, Milledge or Alou come back, he should go back to the minors. He needs to work on his swing, he looks overmatched frequently.
But today is not a day to worry about the Mets. It is a day to be happy. And to look forward to a 4 game set against the Cardinals. No Looper though, as he is on the DL. Too bad.
Monday, June 18, 2007
I'm Gonna Take a Short Break
I can't seem to hit anything, or throw anything, so I'm going to take a short break, probably a few days.
You know, kinda what Willie should do with a slumping player.
Rather than sit here and rail against everything, I'm gonna keep my trap shut.
I will have a new column on F.U. tomorrow.
And I will be over at Metsgeek.
But I'm hoping that my little exile here will help wake the Bats up.
You know, kinda what Willie should do with a slumping player.
Rather than sit here and rail against everything, I'm gonna keep my trap shut.
I will have a new column on F.U. tomorrow.
And I will be over at Metsgeek.
But I'm hoping that my little exile here will help wake the Bats up.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
A Call to Arms (and Bats)
Enough. That's it. Done. I refer to the losing streak. It ends Friday night. Playtime is over, it is time to get serious about winning this division.
I call on Perez, Glavine and El Duque to bring their A games. I call on Heilman to forget Yadier Molina. I call on Mota to forget he is no longer using steroids. I call on Joe Smith to think this is April. I call on Pedro Dos to continue as is. I call on Wagner to be his best. (I call on Willie to forget Sele and The Show exist).
Wright, you keep doing what you've been doing of late. I call on Reyes to drop a bunt Friday night each and every time at bat against Clemens. Whoever is in the 2 hole, get a single, drive Jose in. I call on Dos Carlos' to be the players that we all know they can be. I want doubles and home runs from both of you. 'Stache, pretend it is last year and get a couple of key hits. I want hits with RISP.
Willie, I know that you are not a screamer, I kinda like that. But even a calm guy needs to shake things up. Throw a fit. Break a water cooler with a bat. Smack The Show with a bat (actually, that will serve two purposes, use that one). Do something to let these guys know losing will no longer be tolerated. You are the defending NL East Champions. Now play like it. There is no good reason the Phillies or the Braves should be within 6 games of this team right now. The talent in the Mets locker room is better than both of those teams. Now show it.
The media is poised to proclaim the Mets dead. The bandwagon fans are ready to jump ship. I call on you to show them they are wrong. Slumps happen, I know. But they end. And the time to end this one is Friday night. Lets roll off a nice winning streak shall we? No better way to start than against the Yankees.
I call on Perez, Glavine and El Duque to bring their A games. I call on Heilman to forget Yadier Molina. I call on Mota to forget he is no longer using steroids. I call on Joe Smith to think this is April. I call on Pedro Dos to continue as is. I call on Wagner to be his best. (I call on Willie to forget Sele and The Show exist).
Wright, you keep doing what you've been doing of late. I call on Reyes to drop a bunt Friday night each and every time at bat against Clemens. Whoever is in the 2 hole, get a single, drive Jose in. I call on Dos Carlos' to be the players that we all know they can be. I want doubles and home runs from both of you. 'Stache, pretend it is last year and get a couple of key hits. I want hits with RISP.
Willie, I know that you are not a screamer, I kinda like that. But even a calm guy needs to shake things up. Throw a fit. Break a water cooler with a bat. Smack The Show with a bat (actually, that will serve two purposes, use that one). Do something to let these guys know losing will no longer be tolerated. You are the defending NL East Champions. Now play like it. There is no good reason the Phillies or the Braves should be within 6 games of this team right now. The talent in the Mets locker room is better than both of those teams. Now show it.
The media is poised to proclaim the Mets dead. The bandwagon fans are ready to jump ship. I call on you to show them they are wrong. Slumps happen, I know. But they end. And the time to end this one is Friday night. Lets roll off a nice winning streak shall we? No better way to start than against the Yankees.
Rants
1. There is going to be a concert in memory of Princess Diana. Scheduled to perform are Elton John, Duran Duran, P Diddy and Kanye West. Yep, nothing says Lady Di like "Golddigger".
2. Jonathan Vilma is the latest NFLidiot player to support Michael Vick, somewhat equating dog-fighting to horseracing. Yea Vilma, dogs biting each other is a lot like horses running around in circles.
3. Jason Giambi is being threatened with suspension if he does not cooperate with MLB's steroid investigation. Big deal, it's not like he is playing now anyway.
4. A-Rod has been on fire since being caught going out with a woman who is not his wife. Hey Delgado, why not give it a shot?
5. Paris has been in and out of jail more than, oh, that one is just too easy. Much like Paris.
Thanks, I'll be here all week. Tip the waitresses and try the chicken.
6. Someone was fired from Grey's Anatomy. Make me care.
7. CBS is brining back Jericho after fans inundated their offices with peanuts. CBS is donating the nuts to food banks. Not the fans who took the time to send inthe nuts, the actual nuts.
8. The Islanders finally bought out the contract of Alexei Yashin. This means no more Carol Alt at Islander games. Hopefully, whoever they sign can bring along an upgrade in that area as well.
9. Tom Coughlin is asking that the Giants just shut up and play. Well, since Tiki is gone, he may get his wish.
10. Paris Hilton is claiming that she will no longer act stupid once her jail term is up. I'm sorry, there is no way she was acting that dumb. Have you seen her movies?
11. Mike Keenan is going to be coach of the Calgary Flames. Alas, he will not be GM, so other teams will not be able to trade a bag of pucks for a star goalie.
12. Pacman Jones' DNA has tested negative according to his attorney. For any trace of common sense.
13. The Soprano's ended the other night.
2. Jonathan Vilma is the latest NFL
3. Jason Giambi is being threatened with suspension if he does not cooperate with MLB's steroid investigation. Big deal, it's not like he is playing now anyway.
4. A-Rod has been on fire since being caught going out with a woman who is not his wife. Hey Delgado, why not give it a shot?
5. Paris has been in and out of jail more than, oh, that one is just too easy. Much like Paris.
Thanks, I'll be here all week. Tip the waitresses and try the chicken.
6. Someone was fired from Grey's Anatomy. Make me care.
7. CBS is brining back Jericho after fans inundated their offices with peanuts. CBS is donating the nuts to food banks. Not the fans who took the time to send inthe nuts, the actual nuts.
8. The Islanders finally bought out the contract of Alexei Yashin. This means no more Carol Alt at Islander games. Hopefully, whoever they sign can bring along an upgrade in that area as well.
9. Tom Coughlin is asking that the Giants just shut up and play. Well, since Tiki is gone, he may get his wish.
10. Paris Hilton is claiming that she will no longer act stupid once her jail term is up. I'm sorry, there is no way she was acting that dumb. Have you seen her movies?
11. Mike Keenan is going to be coach of the Calgary Flames. Alas, he will not be GM, so other teams will not be able to trade a bag of pucks for a star goalie.
12. Pacman Jones' DNA has tested negative according to his attorney. For any trace of common sense.
13. The Soprano's ended the other night.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
What's the Old Saying?
If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all? Well, that's where I am now. I have little nice to say, but I'm going to write anyway. Sorry.
The team flat out stinks right now. No one is hitting. They faced Kuo last night, a guy they beat in the NLCS, and a lefty, which the Mets have basically owned this year. So what happens? They get one run, and five hits (two by David Wright, the only guy really hitting consistently right now).
As for pitching, Maine had a god-awful 3rd inning, giving up back to back to back home runs to the bottom of the order, including the last one to Kuo. That's right, the damn pitcher. Joe Smith pitched 1.1 innings, allowing an inherited runner to score. The Show was used as he should be, as a LOOGY, and got the one out called for. Herr Midol finished it up, 1 inning, 1 hit, and a positive sign here, 2 strikeouts.
I don't have any answers. This is a stretch of crap we haven't seen since 2005. Big guns are doing nothing. Little guns are worse. Following a first of the season 3 game losing streak in getting swept by the Phillies, we have now lost 4 in a row after a win on Friday in Detroit. The tally is now eight losses in the last nine games. Utter crap. I feared this June schedule when it came out. Apparently, I was right to do so.
One more in L.A. tonight, then an off-day, then onto the Bronx, where the Yankees await. I hate to say it, but the Yanks have turned it on. They are hitting, as most smart fans knew they would at some point, there is too much talent there. Maybe that series is what the Mets need. Maybe they need to pressure of facing the cross-town team. They will undoubtedly go in as underdogs, given the respective recent play.
I hold out hope that they can get a win tonight. Brad Penny goes for the Dodgers. I am not going to list his career stats against the Mets. Suffice it to say, we usually do OK against him. The Mets throw Jorge Sosa. Perhaps he can be a stopper like last week. But until the bats wake up, it's going to be hard for anyone to stop the losing.
The team flat out stinks right now. No one is hitting. They faced Kuo last night, a guy they beat in the NLCS, and a lefty, which the Mets have basically owned this year. So what happens? They get one run, and five hits (two by David Wright, the only guy really hitting consistently right now).
As for pitching, Maine had a god-awful 3rd inning, giving up back to back to back home runs to the bottom of the order, including the last one to Kuo. That's right, the damn pitcher. Joe Smith pitched 1.1 innings, allowing an inherited runner to score. The Show was used as he should be, as a LOOGY, and got the one out called for. Herr Midol finished it up, 1 inning, 1 hit, and a positive sign here, 2 strikeouts.
I don't have any answers. This is a stretch of crap we haven't seen since 2005. Big guns are doing nothing. Little guns are worse. Following a first of the season 3 game losing streak in getting swept by the Phillies, we have now lost 4 in a row after a win on Friday in Detroit. The tally is now eight losses in the last nine games. Utter crap. I feared this June schedule when it came out. Apparently, I was right to do so.
One more in L.A. tonight, then an off-day, then onto the Bronx, where the Yankees await. I hate to say it, but the Yanks have turned it on. They are hitting, as most smart fans knew they would at some point, there is too much talent there. Maybe that series is what the Mets need. Maybe they need to pressure of facing the cross-town team. They will undoubtedly go in as underdogs, given the respective recent play.
I hold out hope that they can get a win tonight. Brad Penny goes for the Dodgers. I am not going to list his career stats against the Mets. Suffice it to say, we usually do OK against him. The Mets throw Jorge Sosa. Perhaps he can be a stopper like last week. But until the bats wake up, it's going to be hard for anyone to stop the losing.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Nothing Today
I've got nothing. I saw the first inning, and went to sleep. I know it turned out bad. I know El Duque turned in his first stinker. I know they failed to hit with RISP. Alas, I know the Show did OK, which means Willie will keep bringing him in.
I will have a new column up over at F.U. later today. Take a look at it.
I should hopefully have something to write tomorrow. Hopefully it will be a happy re-cap. I'm getting sick of the un-happy ones.
I will have a new column up over at F.U. later today. Take a look at it.
I should hopefully have something to write tomorrow. Hopefully it will be a happy re-cap. I'm getting sick of the un-happy ones.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Lost Weekend
Well, the bats woke up at least. The pitching alas, caught the suckitude virus and crapped the bed Saturday and Sunday.
On the heels of Jorge Sosa seeing how bad the bullpen was last week and saying "Fuck it, I'm going 8" we had our two big guys, Perez and Glavine going Saturday and Sunday. Both sucked. There is no other way to put it. Ollie got hit early and often on Saturday, Glavine got smacked around yesterday. Face it, the Tigers are a damn good team. They can hit. They have good pitching. And they have a real DH. Injuries have left the Mets shorthanded, and it hurt this weekend when PLD had to DH, instead of perhaps Moises, or even Green. Thankfully, Green is due back possibly as early as tonight against the Dodgers.
The pen blew up this weekend as well. Yesterday, Sele and Smith got blown up, giving up 2 and 4 runs respectively. On Saturday, Mota was the culprit. About the only good news from Saturday was Heilman pitching 2 scoreless innings, allowing only 1 hit. He HAS to get back to form. Forget Molina, just pitch.
The other good news from the weekend was David Wright, who has now homered in 4 straight games, and has a little hitting streak going. You know things are bad when Ricky Ledee is starting in your outfield. Easley played yesterday, Stache is back. The lineup has clicked. Now, we need the pitching to get back to where it was.
Here are the matchups for the Dodgers series.
El Duque vs. Wolf
Maine vs. Kuo
Sosa vs. Penny
Wolf and Penny have had good years. Kuo, not so much. Grady, lefties don't scare the Mets this year. Thanks for that.
Don't panic fans. We went through a bad stretch like this last year, remember the Boston Series?
That being said, I want things fixed, starting tonight.
On the heels of Jorge Sosa seeing how bad the bullpen was last week and saying "Fuck it, I'm going 8" we had our two big guys, Perez and Glavine going Saturday and Sunday. Both sucked. There is no other way to put it. Ollie got hit early and often on Saturday, Glavine got smacked around yesterday. Face it, the Tigers are a damn good team. They can hit. They have good pitching. And they have a real DH. Injuries have left the Mets shorthanded, and it hurt this weekend when PLD had to DH, instead of perhaps Moises, or even Green. Thankfully, Green is due back possibly as early as tonight against the Dodgers.
The pen blew up this weekend as well. Yesterday, Sele and Smith got blown up, giving up 2 and 4 runs respectively. On Saturday, Mota was the culprit. About the only good news from Saturday was Heilman pitching 2 scoreless innings, allowing only 1 hit. He HAS to get back to form. Forget Molina, just pitch.
The other good news from the weekend was David Wright, who has now homered in 4 straight games, and has a little hitting streak going. You know things are bad when Ricky Ledee is starting in your outfield. Easley played yesterday, Stache is back. The lineup has clicked. Now, we need the pitching to get back to where it was.
Here are the matchups for the Dodgers series.
El Duque vs. Wolf
Maine vs. Kuo
Sosa vs. Penny
Wolf and Penny have had good years. Kuo, not so much. Grady, lefties don't scare the Mets this year. Thanks for that.
Don't panic fans. We went through a bad stretch like this last year, remember the Boston Series?
That being said, I want things fixed, starting tonight.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Cancel the F'in Show
I try. Real hard. I try not to be a fan who panics. I am an optimist at heart after all. I've lived through good (86, 88, 00) and bad (take your pick). This team is good. Good players all over the roster. Good manager, good GM. I should be happy. I get pissed when fans bash certain players (Beltran, Wright, Delgado) and hate booing of Met players. But I can't stand it no more. "The Show" needs to fucking go.
Look, all teams have their weak point, 1986 had Doug Sisk. The Show was signed to be more than a LOOGY, otherwise, why 3 years for sick money? I supported him this year. I have done it hear, at F.U., at Metsgeek. But I am done. If he is hurt,. why the hell is he pitching? Have we not learned from 2005 with Looper? How many games did that idiot cost us pitching with a messed up shoulder? Now we have The Show, who has stated "it feels like I am pitching on ice". Really? Then guess what motherfucker, go on the DL. You are NOT helping the team right now if your damn leg feels like it is going to fall off.
I am putting this on Willie and Omar. Put Scott on the DL right fucking now. I don't want to see #60 on the mound until his leg is either healed, or the Mets have a 15 game lead in the NL East. Anytime before then, don't wanna see him. He can't get out righties. He can't get out lefties. Willie, what the hell were you doing putting him in to face switch hitters, who would go up batting righty? WTF? The fans are turning on him, he is becoming Doug Sisk before our very eyes.
Now, Billy of course shares some blame for last night, since he gave up the HR to Patt (I SUCK) Burrell (he is hurting my fantasy team this year.) But the Show lost the damn game. Joe Smith may have allowed a couple of inherited guys to score, but this is on Show. On a night the Mets go back to back to back, and get a great outing from Maine, the pen coughs it up.
This shit needs to stop. I want a goddamn team meeting and some ass chewed out. The situational hitting has been for shit. The pen has been for shit. As I wrote yesterday, June is a tough month, it is time for this team to assert itself. Losing like this is not the way to do so.
Look, all teams have their weak point, 1986 had Doug Sisk. The Show was signed to be more than a LOOGY, otherwise, why 3 years for sick money? I supported him this year. I have done it hear, at F.U., at Metsgeek. But I am done. If he is hurt,. why the hell is he pitching? Have we not learned from 2005 with Looper? How many games did that idiot cost us pitching with a messed up shoulder? Now we have The Show, who has stated "it feels like I am pitching on ice". Really? Then guess what motherfucker, go on the DL. You are NOT helping the team right now if your damn leg feels like it is going to fall off.
I am putting this on Willie and Omar. Put Scott on the DL right fucking now. I don't want to see #60 on the mound until his leg is either healed, or the Mets have a 15 game lead in the NL East. Anytime before then, don't wanna see him. He can't get out righties. He can't get out lefties. Willie, what the hell were you doing putting him in to face switch hitters, who would go up batting righty? WTF? The fans are turning on him, he is becoming Doug Sisk before our very eyes.
Now, Billy of course shares some blame for last night, since he gave up the HR to Patt (I SUCK) Burrell (he is hurting my fantasy team this year.) But the Show lost the damn game. Joe Smith may have allowed a couple of inherited guys to score, but this is on Show. On a night the Mets go back to back to back, and get a great outing from Maine, the pen coughs it up.
This shit needs to stop. I want a goddamn team meeting and some ass chewed out. The situational hitting has been for shit. The pen has been for shit. As I wrote yesterday, June is a tough month, it is time for this team to assert itself. Losing like this is not the way to do so.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Who Broke the Rabbits Foot?
Sanchez. Alou. Valentin. Green. Beltran. El Duque. Now Chavez. All have gone down to injury this season. Other players have missed time, Wright, Easley, Gomez. In the minors, Johnson, Milledge, Carp, among others, have gotten hurt. What the hell did we do to run into this buzzsaw?
I know all teams have to deal with injuries. Look in the Bronx for example. But this is bordering on ridiculous, if not there already. We are missing 2/3 of our outfield. Now, you can say that we should have expected Alou to get hurt, I agree with that sentiment, but Green? The guy has never been on the DL before this year. We call up Gomez, and he strains his leg. Then, Endy "strains" his hammy last night in a disheartening loss. I'm sorry, from the way he grabbed it, and the look on his face, I ain't expecting Endy back anytime soon. Alou tried to run yesterday, after having more fluid drained from his quad on Monday, and it was not good. He has no idea when he will be back. Valentin should be back tonight (keep your fingers crossed). Green on Sunday. But Beltran is going to have to fight his knee tendonitis for a while. Easley, the same thing (though the return of Stache helps this, as does the play of Gotay.)
With Milledge hurt (and still 4 weeks away apparently), now Endy, who is next to come up? Newhan is not a starter. I'm sorry, I try not to be one of those fans, but this guy sucks. He couldn't even get a damn bunt down last night. Yes, he doubled, but it was a flare. The guy is not good. Johnson has not shown much in limited action, though he does have decent minor league numbers. Can you say Ricky Ledee anyone? Cripes.
Of course, the injuries are not to blame for the present 3 game (that's right folks, only 3 games) losing streak. The blame there falls to the big bats. Beltran, Delgado and Wright have not gotten it done. Now, we could survive one of them slumping, but all 3 at once? No chance. They need to get going. Tonight. Cole Hamels is the opponent, and he is damn good. Maine goes for the Mets, and he needs to be as good, if not better, than Glavine and El Duque the past two nights. The bullpen has had a part in the recent streak, but it all gets back to the bats. Reyes needs to get on base, and the other guys need to drive him in. With Chavez out, it will be interesting to see who bats second the next couple of days. I'm guessing Stache, leaving PLD in the 6 spot to protect Wright (yes, I know protection is overrated, humor me, I'm in a bad way today). It would also be nice if some of the guys in the bottom of the order could get a couple of hits. I know Gomez, Johnson and Gotay are young, but they need to contribute. We've gotten great starts of late, with not so good bullpen. In the last seven games though, the lineup has been dead. They have scored 0, 4, 1, 7, 1, 2, 2 runs in each game, with two wins, the 4 and 7 run games. Something needs to be done about the lack of hitting.
The boys better take last night's loss as a wake up call. Inter-league is starting, and June in particular is a tough month. I know we are 3.5 games up, as we were last year on this date. But the team has not been hitting as well since the start of May really. Somebody needs to step up. Someone needs to carry this team. Enough messing around guys. Start hitting. I heard boos last night after Aaron gave up the homer to Rollins. I hated it, but I can sort of understand it. Use that as fuel. Show the fans that they were wrong to boo, and beat up on Hamels. Then do the same to the Tigers starting tomorrow.
I know all teams have to deal with injuries. Look in the Bronx for example. But this is bordering on ridiculous, if not there already. We are missing 2/3 of our outfield. Now, you can say that we should have expected Alou to get hurt, I agree with that sentiment, but Green? The guy has never been on the DL before this year. We call up Gomez, and he strains his leg. Then, Endy "strains" his hammy last night in a disheartening loss. I'm sorry, from the way he grabbed it, and the look on his face, I ain't expecting Endy back anytime soon. Alou tried to run yesterday, after having more fluid drained from his quad on Monday, and it was not good. He has no idea when he will be back. Valentin should be back tonight (keep your fingers crossed). Green on Sunday. But Beltran is going to have to fight his knee tendonitis for a while. Easley, the same thing (though the return of Stache helps this, as does the play of Gotay.)
With Milledge hurt (and still 4 weeks away apparently), now Endy, who is next to come up? Newhan is not a starter. I'm sorry, I try not to be one of those fans, but this guy sucks. He couldn't even get a damn bunt down last night. Yes, he doubled, but it was a flare. The guy is not good. Johnson has not shown much in limited action, though he does have decent minor league numbers. Can you say Ricky Ledee anyone? Cripes.
Of course, the injuries are not to blame for the present 3 game (that's right folks, only 3 games) losing streak. The blame there falls to the big bats. Beltran, Delgado and Wright have not gotten it done. Now, we could survive one of them slumping, but all 3 at once? No chance. They need to get going. Tonight. Cole Hamels is the opponent, and he is damn good. Maine goes for the Mets, and he needs to be as good, if not better, than Glavine and El Duque the past two nights. The bullpen has had a part in the recent streak, but it all gets back to the bats. Reyes needs to get on base, and the other guys need to drive him in. With Chavez out, it will be interesting to see who bats second the next couple of days. I'm guessing Stache, leaving PLD in the 6 spot to protect Wright (yes, I know protection is overrated, humor me, I'm in a bad way today). It would also be nice if some of the guys in the bottom of the order could get a couple of hits. I know Gomez, Johnson and Gotay are young, but they need to contribute. We've gotten great starts of late, with not so good bullpen. In the last seven games though, the lineup has been dead. They have scored 0, 4, 1, 7, 1, 2, 2 runs in each game, with two wins, the 4 and 7 run games. Something needs to be done about the lack of hitting.
The boys better take last night's loss as a wake up call. Inter-league is starting, and June in particular is a tough month. I know we are 3.5 games up, as we were last year on this date. But the team has not been hitting as well since the start of May really. Somebody needs to step up. Someone needs to carry this team. Enough messing around guys. Start hitting. I heard boos last night after Aaron gave up the homer to Rollins. I hated it, but I can sort of understand it. Use that as fuel. Show the fans that they were wrong to boo, and beat up on Hamels. Then do the same to the Tigers starting tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
OH HAPPY DAY!
Forget the loss last night. Forget that Pedro Dos had a bad outing (it happens from time to time). Forget that the bats let Glavine down again. Yesterday was a good day for fans of teams that wear Orange and Blue.
For the Mets, Pedro Uno thew off a mound for the first time. Only 30 pitches. Nothing fast. No breaking stuff. But for the first time he tested his motion, and was happy with the result. He actually threw 5 more pitches than scheduled because he looked so free and easy. The plan now is, assuming he is OK today, for him to throw from the mound again Friday. Then, they will continue on a program of bullpen sessions, stretching him out. First, increase the # of pitches. Then, increase the speed. Then add some breaking balls. He is confident he will be back this year, and that he will be good as new. What a boost he will be to this team. His energy. His talent. I can't wait.
As happy as that news made me, I was happier this morning when I picked up my copy of Newsday (I'm a born and bred LI boy afterall) and saw this headline:
Isles Give Yashin $17.6M Buyout
I practically danced down 47th street on my way to the office. Wang finally woke up and listened to Nolan. The albatross is gone.
I was in favor of the trade when it was made. They needed at the time to make a splash, and they did. He wasn't what we expected given his 10 year contract, but he was a star. The problem was he never made players around him better. Star centers do that. Alexei did not. Peca left in part because of him. Smyth has apparently told confidants that he definitely would not return to the Island if Yashin was still there. So Wang cut the cord and coughed up the money. It will cost $2.2 million per year against the cap for 8 years, but that is a fuck of a lot better than $7 million per year for 4 years. It opens up room to sign Smyth (who will be Captain, assuming he re-signs). Or to make a run at Briere or Drury, or any number of Free Agents. The team will now be rebuilt. Blake is probably gone (no great loss IMNSHO). Odds are they will not make the playoffs this year, unless they can add a couple of guys who can score. But the cloud of Yashin is lfted. Oh Happy Day indeed.
Back to the Mets. A loss hurts. Pedro Dos had a bad outing. Smith was a little shaky. But The Show, Mota and Wags were good. Beltran ran with ease. And Alou, Green and Stache are coming. Don't despair Mets fans.
One last thing, That play by Ruiz on Delgado better get him hit today. I know the papers didn't note it, and no one cared during the game, but that little fucker tried to trip up Delgado after he crossed the plate. He moved his leg. He had time for the throw. I think once the Mets look at the tape they will see this. Oh, and David, next time, how about sliding a little early, or at least try to hit the guy. That was a bad slide that could have led to an injury.
For the Mets, Pedro Uno thew off a mound for the first time. Only 30 pitches. Nothing fast. No breaking stuff. But for the first time he tested his motion, and was happy with the result. He actually threw 5 more pitches than scheduled because he looked so free and easy. The plan now is, assuming he is OK today, for him to throw from the mound again Friday. Then, they will continue on a program of bullpen sessions, stretching him out. First, increase the # of pitches. Then, increase the speed. Then add some breaking balls. He is confident he will be back this year, and that he will be good as new. What a boost he will be to this team. His energy. His talent. I can't wait.
As happy as that news made me, I was happier this morning when I picked up my copy of Newsday (I'm a born and bred LI boy afterall) and saw this headline:
Isles Give Yashin $17.6M Buyout
I practically danced down 47th street on my way to the office. Wang finally woke up and listened to Nolan. The albatross is gone.
I was in favor of the trade when it was made. They needed at the time to make a splash, and they did. He wasn't what we expected given his 10 year contract, but he was a star. The problem was he never made players around him better. Star centers do that. Alexei did not. Peca left in part because of him. Smyth has apparently told confidants that he definitely would not return to the Island if Yashin was still there. So Wang cut the cord and coughed up the money. It will cost $2.2 million per year against the cap for 8 years, but that is a fuck of a lot better than $7 million per year for 4 years. It opens up room to sign Smyth (who will be Captain, assuming he re-signs). Or to make a run at Briere or Drury, or any number of Free Agents. The team will now be rebuilt. Blake is probably gone (no great loss IMNSHO). Odds are they will not make the playoffs this year, unless they can add a couple of guys who can score. But the cloud of Yashin is lfted. Oh Happy Day indeed.
Back to the Mets. A loss hurts. Pedro Dos had a bad outing. Smith was a little shaky. But The Show, Mota and Wags were good. Beltran ran with ease. And Alou, Green and Stache are coming. Don't despair Mets fans.
One last thing, That play by Ruiz on Delgado better get him hit today. I know the papers didn't note it, and no one cared during the game, but that little fucker tried to trip up Delgado after he crossed the plate. He moved his leg. He had time for the throw. I think once the Mets look at the tape they will see this. Oh, and David, next time, how about sliding a little early, or at least try to hit the guy. That was a bad slide that could have led to an injury.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Rants
So Clemens has disrupted scar tissue in his groin, which pushed his start back. I'm thinking he pushed it back because the Yanks are looking worse than the Astros right now.
Lou Pinella was suspended 4 games for a tirade over the weekend. Poor Lou, stuck in Chicago. To think, he could have been Yankee manager.
Gary Sheffield, still an idiot.
Let me get this straight, it was bad for the media to write about A-Rod going out with another woman, but it was OK for the Post to write about Paul Lo Duca dating other girls, while in the midst of a divorce?
The Yankees are now 15 games behind. Repeat after Ed, they are DONE! Over. Kaput.
Pedro throws off a mound for the first time today. This makes Ed happy.
Prior to the season, I predicted 30 wins between Maine and Perez. That might be on the low side.
Fox during the Yankee game over the weekend talked about how off the field stuff should not be written about. OK, then why the fuck did you feel the need to talk about Latings Milledge and his rapping? Oh, that's right, because he's not a Yankee. Fuck You Joe Buck.
Eric Mangini guest starred on the Sopranos this past weekend. Next week, (Spoiler Alert!) Tony does him a favor and whacks Belichicken.
Dear ESPN, it might be a good idea to wait until Bonds is within 3 HR's of Aaron to give updates. Do we really need to see on every scroll that he is still 9 away from the record?
Chris Pronger, still a headhunter.
Ding Dong the witch is finally dead. Mike Milbury is no longer an employee of the Islanders. I wonder which franchise will be stupid enough to hire him. Too bad for him Wang doesn't have any relatives that own a team.
Joel Sherman might be off Derek Jeter's Christmas Card list after this gem from yesterday "...
and a range-challenged shortstop who is now having difficulties with routine plays." Shit Joel, anyone who does not drink the Jeter kool-aid has been saying that for years. Welcome to the club.
Note to Julio Franco. Please, ask Omar to hire you as a coach or something. I respect you, but we need a guy off the bench who can catch up to a fastball.
Francessa last week conceded the AL East. Of course, after the Yanks took 2 of 3 from the Red Sox, he is probably going to claim he never said that.
Note to the Red Sox, please, do not let Wakefield pitch against the Yankees anymore. He has sucked the last two times he faced them.
Does anyone realize the Yanks were 5.5 games out when Roger announced his return. They are now 15 games out. Poetic Justice.
That's all the rants for today.
Let's kick the snot out of the Phillies this week, shall we?
Lou Pinella was suspended 4 games for a tirade over the weekend. Poor Lou, stuck in Chicago. To think, he could have been Yankee manager.
Gary Sheffield, still an idiot.
Let me get this straight, it was bad for the media to write about A-Rod going out with another woman, but it was OK for the Post to write about Paul Lo Duca dating other girls, while in the midst of a divorce?
The Yankees are now 15 games behind. Repeat after Ed, they are DONE! Over. Kaput.
Pedro throws off a mound for the first time today. This makes Ed happy.
Prior to the season, I predicted 30 wins between Maine and Perez. That might be on the low side.
Fox during the Yankee game over the weekend talked about how off the field stuff should not be written about. OK, then why the fuck did you feel the need to talk about Latings Milledge and his rapping? Oh, that's right, because he's not a Yankee. Fuck You Joe Buck.
Eric Mangini guest starred on the Sopranos this past weekend. Next week, (Spoiler Alert!) Tony does him a favor and whacks Belichicken.
Dear ESPN, it might be a good idea to wait until Bonds is within 3 HR's of Aaron to give updates. Do we really need to see on every scroll that he is still 9 away from the record?
Chris Pronger, still a headhunter.
Ding Dong the witch is finally dead. Mike Milbury is no longer an employee of the Islanders. I wonder which franchise will be stupid enough to hire him. Too bad for him Wang doesn't have any relatives that own a team.
Joel Sherman might be off Derek Jeter's Christmas Card list after this gem from yesterday "...
and a range-challenged shortstop who is now having difficulties with routine plays." Shit Joel, anyone who does not drink the Jeter kool-aid has been saying that for years. Welcome to the club.
Note to Julio Franco. Please, ask Omar to hire you as a coach or something. I respect you, but we need a guy off the bench who can catch up to a fastball.
Francessa last week conceded the AL East. Of course, after the Yanks took 2 of 3 from the Red Sox, he is probably going to claim he never said that.
Note to the Red Sox, please, do not let Wakefield pitch against the Yankees anymore. He has sucked the last two times he faced them.
Does anyone realize the Yanks were 5.5 games out when Roger announced his return. They are now 15 games out. Poetic Justice.
That's all the rants for today.
Let's kick the snot out of the Phillies this week, shall we?
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