Dear Baseball Gods -
I know that in recent years you have answered the please of fans of losing franchises in Boston and Chicago, so I figured it was time for a fan of the NL franchise in NY to make his plea. I speak of course of the New York Mets, a team who, despite a rabid and loyal fanbase, has won but 2 World Championships since it's founding in 1962.
Surely given all that we have suffered over the years it is our turn. Heck, given what we have had to go through THIS year, it is our turn. I shall now make our case.
I reach back not to the early 1960's, as that was a time when the team had to lose in order to make the win in 1969 all the more special. You even threw in a wonderful run in 1973, albeit one that came up short, to keep those fans who started in the 1962 season happy. I will even forgo Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi. No, instead I go to the late 1970's a time when the owners and GM tried to destroy the team and its fans by trading Tom Seaver to the Reds. A dark pall was cast over the team, not to be removed until 1985 with the arrival of Doc and Darryl. 1986 was a nice gift, but we paid a price with Doc falling victim to drugs, and Darryl as well. Was this in response to allowing us to win at the expense of the Red Sox?
In 1988, you would not allow Bobby Ojeda to hire a gardener, ruining a wonderful season. Then came the early 1990's, with "men" like Eddie Murray and Vince Coleman and Bret Saberhagen and Bobby Bonilla (who for some reason you required we take back a second time, and then have to pay him till my 7 year old is in college in order to remove him from our midst at last). Hopes would be raised with the coming of "Generation K", but you saw fit to have one guy (Wilson) blow out his arm, another (Pulsipher) be afraid, and the last (Izzy) be traded and turn into a pretty darn good closer. We would trade Melvin Mora for Mike Bordick. We would trade Kazmir for Zambrano (of course we have been repaid with Omar and his team for that, we are sort of even here).
We would be saddled with Steve Phillips as GM, and then have to listen to him bash the team in the years after he was fired, from his perch at ESPN. We would have in-fighting between Doubleday and Wilpon. We would have to endure Kenny Rogers walking in a run against the Braves. We would have to endure Adam Wainwright, Scott Spezio, Yadier Molina and the gloating of Joe Buck and Tim MaCarver (I leave out Joe Morgan because all fans have to suffer him equally).
We time and again have to see other teams bring up rookie starters or has-beens or never-wases to face us and have them pitch very well, while our team sends out the likes of Lima Time! and Aaron Sele and Chan Ho Park to be decimated. "Five-Tool" prospects have been broken (Alex Escobar). Stars have been imported to help, and have failed (Alomar, Vaughn, Appier).
We have to read the slings and arrows from the likes of Wally Matthews and the other purveyors of crap that dot the NY print media. We have to listen to Mike Francessa rave about his favorite team and gloat over our failings. The chuckles on BBTN over the teams struggles. The Braves winning the division year after year and beating us along the way. Larry Jones naming his child "Shea".
We have suffered enough. Here is my plea. Tonight, Philip Humber makes his first Major League start. It is a tough situation for him, the middle of a pennant race, a 2 game lead, and a team that has not been playing well behind him, facing a team that has treated out pitching staff like a bunch of Lima's. I ask that you allow him to pitch well and allow him to win, as you have allowed other young starters to do against us. Further, I ask that you allow this team to end it's 21 year World Series victory drought. Last year was a tease, an awful one at that. This year we have suffered more, a big lead has shrunk. Stalwarts in the rotation have not done well. Injuries have hit the entire outfield, second base, catcher, first base, the bullpen. Make the suffering we as fans have had to endure worth it. Allow Humber to win, allow the team to win the division, and let them win the World Series. Make the suffering be worth it. Allow my 7 year old daughter to see something now that I was unable to see until I was 17, a Mets World Series win. Let my Dad and The Boy and my sister and Mom see another win. Let MetsGeek poster "86Forever" have the option to change his name to "2007Forever". Let all the Geeks and Mets fans all over have a World Series win. End our suffering. Hear my plea, please.
Warmest Regards,
Ed in Westchester
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
WTF?????????????????????????????
Seriously, WTF?
What has happened to the Mets team that we saw just one week ago?
Errors left and right. Guys shying away from throws (I'm talking to you Jose Jose Jose). Pitchers pitching who have no damn business starting games in a pennant race (I'm talking to you Brian Lawrence). Relievers pitching who just flat out suck (too many names to list here).
It's one thing to get beaten by a good team. It is another thing entirely to make the types of errors, both physical and mental that we have seen over the past 4 games.
Friday night Jamie Moyer (!) holds the team to 4 hits in 8 innings. Glavine pitched well, save for one mistake. Then, Aaron Heilman throws the ball to 2nd on a bunt, and Reyes makes a poor stab at catching it (the blame goes to both guys here). Again, bunts by the Phillies hurt the Mets (think back to Billy's meltdown at CBP last month). Saturday the pen coughs up the game. Sunday was a team effort of suckitude. But it was the Phillies, who at least have a lot of talent. What was the excuse for last night?
The Nationals hang a 12 spot against the Mets. The Nationals, who didn't have a 300 hitter in the lineup, who are LAST in the MAJORS in HR's and runs scored. I was in the car driving to the gym when Brian Lawrence showed why he sucks, coughing up a 4 run lead in the space of 6 batters. Then, Aaron Sele and Scot Schoeneweis continue to suck. Tell me something, why the hell is Philip Humber here? Why is it that pretty much every other team in a playoff hunt is willing to use a high ceiling rookie over a POS Veteran as a starter, but we get Lawrence over Humber? If they are worried about his arm, then shut him down, don't even have him here. All you are doing is adding to his service time clock. Other teams use rookies out of the pen to success, yet Willie says he doesn't want to throw Humber into that role. Fine. Then START HIM.
I'm a Big Willie guy. Liked the hiring. Like the level headedness. But the time for niceties is OVER. Some of these guys are not playing to their potential. Reyes looks lost. PLD stinks. Beltran has had a bad stretch, which must mean he is only at 85.478329%. Alou and Wright are the only two guys playing consistently good ball (yes, I know DW made an error last night.)
Willie needs to blow some steam. If not him, then someone else, like Wright. He has been talking about wanting to be more of a leader, then do it. Call the guys out. Enough of this BS.
Time to win some games and finish this damn thing.
What has happened to the Mets team that we saw just one week ago?
Errors left and right. Guys shying away from throws (I'm talking to you Jose Jose Jose). Pitchers pitching who have no damn business starting games in a pennant race (I'm talking to you Brian Lawrence). Relievers pitching who just flat out suck (too many names to list here).
It's one thing to get beaten by a good team. It is another thing entirely to make the types of errors, both physical and mental that we have seen over the past 4 games.
Friday night Jamie Moyer (!) holds the team to 4 hits in 8 innings. Glavine pitched well, save for one mistake. Then, Aaron Heilman throws the ball to 2nd on a bunt, and Reyes makes a poor stab at catching it (the blame goes to both guys here). Again, bunts by the Phillies hurt the Mets (think back to Billy's meltdown at CBP last month). Saturday the pen coughs up the game. Sunday was a team effort of suckitude. But it was the Phillies, who at least have a lot of talent. What was the excuse for last night?
The Nationals hang a 12 spot against the Mets. The Nationals, who didn't have a 300 hitter in the lineup, who are LAST in the MAJORS in HR's and runs scored. I was in the car driving to the gym when Brian Lawrence showed why he sucks, coughing up a 4 run lead in the space of 6 batters. Then, Aaron Sele and Scot Schoeneweis continue to suck. Tell me something, why the hell is Philip Humber here? Why is it that pretty much every other team in a playoff hunt is willing to use a high ceiling rookie over a POS Veteran as a starter, but we get Lawrence over Humber? If they are worried about his arm, then shut him down, don't even have him here. All you are doing is adding to his service time clock. Other teams use rookies out of the pen to success, yet Willie says he doesn't want to throw Humber into that role. Fine. Then START HIM.
I'm a Big Willie guy. Liked the hiring. Like the level headedness. But the time for niceties is OVER. Some of these guys are not playing to their potential. Reyes looks lost. PLD stinks. Beltran has had a bad stretch, which must mean he is only at 85.478329%. Alou and Wright are the only two guys playing consistently good ball (yes, I know DW made an error last night.)
Willie needs to blow some steam. If not him, then someone else, like Wright. He has been talking about wanting to be more of a leader, then do it. Call the guys out. Enough of this BS.
Time to win some games and finish this damn thing.
Friday, August 17, 2007
On Vacation
Yes, it is time for Ed to take a break (yes, he knows he hasn't been posting a lot). Time to get away from work for a little while.
So, starting Monday Aug. 20, Ed is out for two weeks.
He may post here next week.
The following week he will be in Emerald Isle, NC. He will check here in case any comments are left.
He may also pop onto Metsgeek.
I will have a column on F.U. on Tuesday Aug. 21, but not the next two weeks following.
Let's hope for a nice winning stretch while I am gone.
So, starting Monday Aug. 20, Ed is out for two weeks.
He may post here next week.
The following week he will be in Emerald Isle, NC. He will check here in case any comments are left.
He may also pop onto Metsgeek.
I will have a column on F.U. on Tuesday Aug. 21, but not the next two weeks following.
Let's hope for a nice winning stretch while I am gone.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
51 Games Left
The title says it all. There are 51 games left starting tonight. It's actually quite simple. The Mets need to simply win at the same pace they have been all season, 57%, and go 29-22 the rest of the way. The final record would then be 92-60. In order to beat the Mets, the Braves (with 50 games left) would have to go 34-16 (play .680 ball), while the Phillies (51 left) would have to go 35-16 (play .686 ball). Neither team has done that this year. And neither has show the ability to do so.
The Mets have 9 games (3 sets of 3 games) left with Atlanta and 7 (a 4 game set and 3 game set) left with the Phillies. Obviously, series wins over each of these teams is vital. It starts tonight with 3 at Shea against the Braves. The pitching match-ups are as follows:
Perez v Carlyle
El Duque v Smoltz
Maine v Hudson
To date, the Braves hold a 6-3 edge on the Mets, with Perez winning all 3 games. El Duque faced them once, with an ND, and Maine has actually never faced the Braves. Of course Carlyle being a scrub will work against us, a classic SUCK ME pitcher. Smoltz is hittable against the Mets, but they never seem to get the "big" hit against him. Hudson is having a very good season to date. For a detailed look at the Braves pitchers, visit Metsgeek.
Following this series, the Mets have the following schedule
Florida (3)
@ Pittsburgh (3)
@ Washington (3)
San Diego (3)
LA Dodgers (3)
@ Philly (4)
@ Atlanta (3) 8/31 and 9/1, 9/2
@ Cincinnati (3)
Houston (3)
Atlanta (3)
Philly (3)
@ Washington (3)
@ Florida (4)
Washington (3)
St. Louis (1 rainout make-up)
Florida (3)
The time is now to send a message. Taking 2 of 3 is a must against Atlanta. The Braves then face the Phillies this weekend, so taking 2 of 3 against Florida is also important. The Phillies have Florida the next 3 days, so they could sneak a tad closer. One thing is for certain, the Mets will remain in 1st after the Braves series, no matter what happens.
The bats are warming up. Wright and Delgado are hitting. Castillo seems to be settling in. Shawn Green has hit the Braves well this year (of course, his fielding leaves something to be desired). PLD has as well. Jose Reyes is hitting, Milledge is providing a spark in the #8 spot. For all the wishing that Lastings would hit #2, he is doing a good job hitting 8th, he creates excitement, and is able to be on base when Reyes comes to the plate. He lengthens the lineup there, and for a team that needs to be creative to score runs, he adds that dimension. Willie gets panned for hitting him so low, but it is paying off, and at the end of the day, that is what matters. We may not like the "gut", but we need to realize that it is right many times.
The key this week is going to be the pen, and defense. Heilman needs to have a strong series, he has taken two of the losses against the Braves, both in games the Mets were leading. Pedro Dos needs to get back on track. On the defense, Green needs to tighten it up, and guys need to make the basic plays.
The Mets control their own destiny for the most part. Frankly, this team has the talent to play much better than .568 ball the rest of the way. They played .600 ball for April, and were at .654 at the end of May. Do that the rest of the way, and the job for the Braves and Phillies becomes nearly impossible. The Mets would finish with 96 wins if they play .654 the rest of the way, just shy of last years 97 wins. Get it done. Starting tonight.
The Mets have 9 games (3 sets of 3 games) left with Atlanta and 7 (a 4 game set and 3 game set) left with the Phillies. Obviously, series wins over each of these teams is vital. It starts tonight with 3 at Shea against the Braves. The pitching match-ups are as follows:
Perez v Carlyle
El Duque v Smoltz
Maine v Hudson
To date, the Braves hold a 6-3 edge on the Mets, with Perez winning all 3 games. El Duque faced them once, with an ND, and Maine has actually never faced the Braves. Of course Carlyle being a scrub will work against us, a classic SUCK ME pitcher. Smoltz is hittable against the Mets, but they never seem to get the "big" hit against him. Hudson is having a very good season to date. For a detailed look at the Braves pitchers, visit Metsgeek.
Following this series, the Mets have the following schedule
Florida (3)
@ Pittsburgh (3)
@ Washington (3)
San Diego (3)
LA Dodgers (3)
@ Philly (4)
@ Atlanta (3) 8/31 and 9/1, 9/2
@ Cincinnati (3)
Houston (3)
Atlanta (3)
Philly (3)
@ Washington (3)
@ Florida (4)
Washington (3)
St. Louis (1 rainout make-up)
Florida (3)
The time is now to send a message. Taking 2 of 3 is a must against Atlanta. The Braves then face the Phillies this weekend, so taking 2 of 3 against Florida is also important. The Phillies have Florida the next 3 days, so they could sneak a tad closer. One thing is for certain, the Mets will remain in 1st after the Braves series, no matter what happens.
The bats are warming up. Wright and Delgado are hitting. Castillo seems to be settling in. Shawn Green has hit the Braves well this year (of course, his fielding leaves something to be desired). PLD has as well. Jose Reyes is hitting, Milledge is providing a spark in the #8 spot. For all the wishing that Lastings would hit #2, he is doing a good job hitting 8th, he creates excitement, and is able to be on base when Reyes comes to the plate. He lengthens the lineup there, and for a team that needs to be creative to score runs, he adds that dimension. Willie gets panned for hitting him so low, but it is paying off, and at the end of the day, that is what matters. We may not like the "gut", but we need to realize that it is right many times.
The key this week is going to be the pen, and defense. Heilman needs to have a strong series, he has taken two of the losses against the Braves, both in games the Mets were leading. Pedro Dos needs to get back on track. On the defense, Green needs to tighten it up, and guys need to make the basic plays.
The Mets control their own destiny for the most part. Frankly, this team has the talent to play much better than .568 ball the rest of the way. They played .600 ball for April, and were at .654 at the end of May. Do that the rest of the way, and the job for the Braves and Phillies becomes nearly impossible. The Mets would finish with 96 wins if they play .654 the rest of the way, just shy of last years 97 wins. Get it done. Starting tonight.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Congrats Tommy, F U Wally
Congratulations to the latest 300 game winner, Tom Glavine. A nicely pitched game by him last night, on the heels of his last start which was also a nice job by him. Don't look now, but Mr. Glavine has done a pretty good job of late (let's forget the Dodgers start in LA, shall we?)
Tommy helped himself early. Following a walk to Milledge, Lastings stole second (apparently against the wishes of Willie, I gotta think Rickey sent him). Glavine then singled to center, and Lastings scored, thanks to Angel Pagan losing the handle on the ball. Milledge wound up 3-4 with a walk and 2 runs scored hitting 8th. I'll have a tad more about his lineup place in my F.U Column tomorrow. Luis Castillo also had a nice night, going 4-5 with 2 runs. Delgado went 2-4 scored a run and drove in 4 (he seems to be warming up just in time.) All in all, the lineup got the job done, despite 15 LOB.
The pen, nearly notsomuch. Mota entered for Tommy inthe 7th and gave up a hit to the only batter he faced. Pedro Dos got an out, but allowed a hit driving in a run. Heilman finished the 7th, inducing a fly to center. New bullpen component Jorge Sosa pitched a scoreless 8th, and Wags finished it up in a non-save situation, as Willie's gut told him to make damn sure Tommy got the win.
So, you would think we could celebrate Tom's accomplishment, and put aside any snarkiness about how Brave he is. Nope, thanks to Wally (I Hate the Mets) Matthews. Now, you all know I hate Wally, and I typically do not read his crap anymore, since all it does is annoy me. I also like to joke about Tommy and the Braves. However, there comes a time when you put that aside when a goal is met, and this is one of those times. Wally plays armchair psychologist and writes a column about how Glavine would have preferred to win #300 as a Brave. Is he right? Maybe. Then again, he might be wrong. Considering how Atlanta told him to go away twice, it is possible Tommy is not that upset to have not won it as a Brave. I also do see how he could be somewhat saddened, after all, he did come up in their system, and players do have attachments to their original team when they play there for a long time. Look at it this way, if Derek Jeter ever leaves the Yankees, and hits # 3000 as a member of another team, he may wish he was still a Yankee at the time. But my point is this, the day after the milestone, put the thoughts away. Don't write a story about it. Let the guy enjoy his moment. As for the fans who Wally is so sure still haven't embraced Glavine, sure, there is a subset that harbors ill will for his having beaten us so many times over the years. But even that subset cheered his accomplishment, because at the end of the day, he is a Met. He is one of our guys, and we cheer our guys. There was a nice contingent of Mets fans in Chicago last night, including several bloggers IIRC. Mostly they went to watch their team, but I'm pretty sure they cheered their pitcher, Tom Glavine, as he won #300. Sadly, Matthews would prefer to stir the pot, again, and look for headlines.
I'm saddened that Newsday continues to allow this hack to write hit pieces on my team. I expect that from the News and the Post, noted Yankee propaganda outlets. Newsday is usually a Metscentric paper. Yet it allows Matthews to continue with his drivel. I don't know who pissed in his corn flakes, but it is a tired act. One that I hope will be shut down. Maybe when the Mets win the World Series this year, behind a win from Glavine, Wally will write a story about how Glavine wishes he could have won it as a Brave.
In closing, F U Wally. You are dead to me.
And Congrats to Tom Glavine, a Met.
Tommy helped himself early. Following a walk to Milledge, Lastings stole second (apparently against the wishes of Willie, I gotta think Rickey sent him). Glavine then singled to center, and Lastings scored, thanks to Angel Pagan losing the handle on the ball. Milledge wound up 3-4 with a walk and 2 runs scored hitting 8th. I'll have a tad more about his lineup place in my F.U Column tomorrow. Luis Castillo also had a nice night, going 4-5 with 2 runs. Delgado went 2-4 scored a run and drove in 4 (he seems to be warming up just in time.) All in all, the lineup got the job done, despite 15 LOB.
The pen, nearly notsomuch. Mota entered for Tommy inthe 7th and gave up a hit to the only batter he faced. Pedro Dos got an out, but allowed a hit driving in a run. Heilman finished the 7th, inducing a fly to center. New bullpen component Jorge Sosa pitched a scoreless 8th, and Wags finished it up in a non-save situation, as Willie's gut told him to make damn sure Tommy got the win.
So, you would think we could celebrate Tom's accomplishment, and put aside any snarkiness about how Brave he is. Nope, thanks to Wally (I Hate the Mets) Matthews. Now, you all know I hate Wally, and I typically do not read his crap anymore, since all it does is annoy me. I also like to joke about Tommy and the Braves. However, there comes a time when you put that aside when a goal is met, and this is one of those times. Wally plays armchair psychologist and writes a column about how Glavine would have preferred to win #300 as a Brave. Is he right? Maybe. Then again, he might be wrong. Considering how Atlanta told him to go away twice, it is possible Tommy is not that upset to have not won it as a Brave. I also do see how he could be somewhat saddened, after all, he did come up in their system, and players do have attachments to their original team when they play there for a long time. Look at it this way, if Derek Jeter ever leaves the Yankees, and hits # 3000 as a member of another team, he may wish he was still a Yankee at the time. But my point is this, the day after the milestone, put the thoughts away. Don't write a story about it. Let the guy enjoy his moment. As for the fans who Wally is so sure still haven't embraced Glavine, sure, there is a subset that harbors ill will for his having beaten us so many times over the years. But even that subset cheered his accomplishment, because at the end of the day, he is a Met. He is one of our guys, and we cheer our guys. There was a nice contingent of Mets fans in Chicago last night, including several bloggers IIRC. Mostly they went to watch their team, but I'm pretty sure they cheered their pitcher, Tom Glavine, as he won #300. Sadly, Matthews would prefer to stir the pot, again, and look for headlines.
I'm saddened that Newsday continues to allow this hack to write hit pieces on my team. I expect that from the News and the Post, noted Yankee propaganda outlets. Newsday is usually a Metscentric paper. Yet it allows Matthews to continue with his drivel. I don't know who pissed in his corn flakes, but it is a tired act. One that I hope will be shut down. Maybe when the Mets win the World Series this year, behind a win from Glavine, Wally will write a story about how Glavine wishes he could have won it as a Brave.
In closing, F U Wally. You are dead to me.
And Congrats to Tom Glavine, a Met.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
I'm Still Around
I've been neglecting the BOG for a while now. Things have been a little hectic at work and at home for one. Also, the play of this team of late hasn't exactly inspired me to write a lot of positive stuff.
The one thing I didn't want to do was to turn this into a place where I would just bitch and moan all the time. I'm not saying I won't be critical, but to write the same stuff every day about this guy sucking in the field (I'm looking at you Shawn Green), or this guy not hitting (Shawn, a two time winner, also PLD of late, Delgado until last month), or this reliever throwing batting practice (Pick One) or Willie's Gut driving fans mad (not me, for IGIT! In Gut I Trust) gets boring for me as the writer, and for all 7 (is it that high?) of you who stop by and read my ramblings.
In any event, time to catch up on the events of the past week. Let's see, we took 2 of 3 from the Pirates, with Perez the loser in the lone loss. We then split a 4 game set with Manny Acta's Nationals over the weekend, where on Saturday night we had Willie losing count of who he had available. This week, we travelled to Milwaukee, with a heartbreaking loss on Tuesday in a game Tom Glavine pitched well enough to win #300, if not for Mota blowing it. The good news was that the boys rebounded, winning 8-5 yesterday (despite Perez having a bad first couple of innings) and 12-4 today (Brian Lawrence pitching OK in a spot start. Please have him go back to NOZ tonight.) David Wright had a nice game, going 4-5 with a HR. Easley had an Inside the Park HR, and Reyes went deep as well. Every starter had at least one hit. Except for new second-baseman Luis Castillo, who went 0-6.
Which brings me to trades made and not made. First, I am not bothered by the Castillo deal. For one, he cost nothing. Second, I like Gotay, he's a nice hitter, but he is not a good fielder. He has had at least 1 game losing error (the Dodgers series) and a few other miscues as well. It's not his range that is a problem, its on the DP turn. Castillo may not have great range, but he is a heck of a lot better turning 2. I know, he lacks the SLG% Gotay has, but in the playoffs, you need defense. You and I both know that if we went into the playoffs with Gotay at 2nd, and he lost a game on an error, Omar would be eviscerated for not trading for a new 2nd baseman.
As for trades not made, well, I hoped for some bullpen help, but the cost for a Cordero from the Nationals of Humber PLUS another player was too damn high. Frankly, Humber alone is too high for a set-up guy who's peripherals are not even close to say Aaron Heilman. Who knows, maybe Omar can pull of a waiver deal. Mota bounced back well last night, and Sosa has done well in the pen this week. Heilman is having his typical 2nd half resurgence. Wagner is Wagner. Just use The Show as a LOOGY, and use Pedro Dos as needed, and we will be fine. Who knows, maybe Joe Smith returns to April form.
As for deals other teams made, well, the Phillies added Kyle Lohse, who strikes fear into the hearts of the fans of the team he pitches for and no one else. They also added Tadahito Iguchi, to replace the injured Chase Utley. They also lost Victorino and Bourn to injuries. They are battling, I give them that.
The Braves of course made the big splash, adding Mark Teixeira and Octavio Dotel (let us not forget the other old friend, Royce Ring) by trading away half their farm team and one of their starters in Kyle Davies. Yes, the lineup is formidable, but their starting rotation isn't very deep and Smoltz has seen some skipped starts due to shoulder issues. They are getting career #'s out of a couple of guys. Let's see if that lasts.
The Yankees at least got their 3rd baseman for next year in Wilson Betemit in exchange for Scott Proctor. (End obligatory Yankee bash).
This weekend the Mets visit the Cubs, then it is home for 3 against the Braves. The Braves are in Colorado. The lead is 3.5 entering today. I would like to see that at 4.5 before Tuesday. Please?
The one thing I didn't want to do was to turn this into a place where I would just bitch and moan all the time. I'm not saying I won't be critical, but to write the same stuff every day about this guy sucking in the field (I'm looking at you Shawn Green), or this guy not hitting (Shawn, a two time winner, also PLD of late, Delgado until last month), or this reliever throwing batting practice (Pick One) or Willie's Gut driving fans mad (not me, for IGIT! In Gut I Trust) gets boring for me as the writer, and for all 7 (is it that high?) of you who stop by and read my ramblings.
In any event, time to catch up on the events of the past week. Let's see, we took 2 of 3 from the Pirates, with Perez the loser in the lone loss. We then split a 4 game set with Manny Acta's Nationals over the weekend, where on Saturday night we had Willie losing count of who he had available. This week, we travelled to Milwaukee, with a heartbreaking loss on Tuesday in a game Tom Glavine pitched well enough to win #300, if not for Mota blowing it. The good news was that the boys rebounded, winning 8-5 yesterday (despite Perez having a bad first couple of innings) and 12-4 today (Brian Lawrence pitching OK in a spot start. Please have him go back to NOZ tonight.) David Wright had a nice game, going 4-5 with a HR. Easley had an Inside the Park HR, and Reyes went deep as well. Every starter had at least one hit. Except for new second-baseman Luis Castillo, who went 0-6.
Which brings me to trades made and not made. First, I am not bothered by the Castillo deal. For one, he cost nothing. Second, I like Gotay, he's a nice hitter, but he is not a good fielder. He has had at least 1 game losing error (the Dodgers series) and a few other miscues as well. It's not his range that is a problem, its on the DP turn. Castillo may not have great range, but he is a heck of a lot better turning 2. I know, he lacks the SLG% Gotay has, but in the playoffs, you need defense. You and I both know that if we went into the playoffs with Gotay at 2nd, and he lost a game on an error, Omar would be eviscerated for not trading for a new 2nd baseman.
As for trades not made, well, I hoped for some bullpen help, but the cost for a Cordero from the Nationals of Humber PLUS another player was too damn high. Frankly, Humber alone is too high for a set-up guy who's peripherals are not even close to say Aaron Heilman. Who knows, maybe Omar can pull of a waiver deal. Mota bounced back well last night, and Sosa has done well in the pen this week. Heilman is having his typical 2nd half resurgence. Wagner is Wagner. Just use The Show as a LOOGY, and use Pedro Dos as needed, and we will be fine. Who knows, maybe Joe Smith returns to April form.
As for deals other teams made, well, the Phillies added Kyle Lohse, who strikes fear into the hearts of the fans of the team he pitches for and no one else. They also added Tadahito Iguchi, to replace the injured Chase Utley. They also lost Victorino and Bourn to injuries. They are battling, I give them that.
The Braves of course made the big splash, adding Mark Teixeira and Octavio Dotel (let us not forget the other old friend, Royce Ring) by trading away half their farm team and one of their starters in Kyle Davies. Yes, the lineup is formidable, but their starting rotation isn't very deep and Smoltz has seen some skipped starts due to shoulder issues. They are getting career #'s out of a couple of guys. Let's see if that lasts.
The Yankees at least got their 3rd baseman for next year in Wilson Betemit in exchange for Scott Proctor. (End obligatory Yankee bash).
This weekend the Mets visit the Cubs, then it is home for 3 against the Braves. The Braves are in Colorado. The lead is 3.5 entering today. I would like to see that at 4.5 before Tuesday. Please?
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Media Rants, But Still Pleased
"It is hard to find any fault with the Mets after they pounded out 13 hits last night. Then again, it is hard to say all is right with the Mets because they played a team that is 41-57."
- Mark Herrmann, today's Newsday
OK Mark, I'll buy that. But tell me something, where is the same language when it comes to the team that is 7.5 games behind the Red Sox, and has been feasting on the likes of Tampa Bay (38-61) and Kansas City (43-55)? The team that has major bullpen issues? The team that stil trots Kei Igawa out there every fifth day? They win and it's all roses, they are back, and they are going to overtake the Red Sox and win the division. The Mets though are scrutinized, and a win is minimized because it came against a 41-57 team. Let's see some consistency. Oh, and why is the first place team in NY relegated to the middle of the sports section, with the Yanks getting the prime spot just inside the back page, and then 2 pages of coverage of the NBA fiasco? Why the hell is the first place team not in the prime spot? The bias is astounding.
It's utter bullshit. I'm not saying the Mets don't have some concerns. We don't know if Alou will play. We don't know what we will get from Pedro. There are outfield depth concerns. Still, the press keeps trotting out the same stupid trade ideas, like trading Lastings Milledge for Jermaine Dye, saying they need outfield help, but ignoring the fact that if the depth is so short, why the hell would Omar trade Milledge?
They come back from a trip where they took 4 of 7 against the elite of the NL West, and yet they are still spit on. They win a well played game last night, and they are questioned. John Maine again pitches very well, going 7 innings, allowing 2 runs, 1 BB with 7 K's, raising his record to 11-5 with a 3.04 ERA, yet that is hardly the story. He even hits a 2 run home run. Lastings Milledge goes 3-3 with a Home Run and 3 RBI and 2 Runs Scored, yet we get a side piece about how he might have been a tad exuberant after Maine hit his FIRST CAREER Home Run. Good for Lastings, he was happy for a teammate. He swung his arm a tad, big deal. If the Pirates were pissed, they got their revenge when he got plunked the next time up. Then Lastings got his when he went yard. Newsday of course put in a blurb about this, trying to make an issue about it, but Pirates manager Jim Tracy declined to "get into that". Alas, everything Lastings does is going to be scrutinized, probably to his detriment. The kid is exuberant, that is part of his way of playing. Cut that out, and you may harm him. Leave him the hell alone. I half expect to see a story about how he didn't lift the seat sometime next week.
Speaking of cranky old men, Keith, I love you, but STFU about the dugout celebrations. You sound like the old man yelling "hey you kids, get off of my lawn". I wonder, did Keith used to bitch to his teammates in the 80's when they gave curtain calls? As noted last night by Danny on Metsgeek, some of those guys were going halfway out to the first base line to take their bows. You've made your point Keith, hundreds of times. Let it slide.
All in all, a good night for the Mets. Good pitching (well, except for Mota). Good hitting (only Wright was hitless, but he did have a Sac Fly). Against a tough pitcher in Snell, who lasted all of 4 innings. Two more against the Pirates, then the Nationals come to town. I would love to go 5-2 on this homestand.
Now if only the Giants could win a game against the Braves, I could be really happy.
In other news, the Mets signed Eddie Kunz, their first pick in this year's draft. He will go to St. Lucie, and probably go up to Brooklyn before the end of the season. He will be used in the bullpen.
Prior to the game, Rick DiPietro took batting practice, which is nice since he is recovering from hip surgery, so he must be progressing. He also gave Tom Glavine an Islanders jersey with #47 on it. No word on if Glavine asked if he could have an Atlanta Thrashers jersey instead.
Be back tomorrow.
- Mark Herrmann, today's Newsday
OK Mark, I'll buy that. But tell me something, where is the same language when it comes to the team that is 7.5 games behind the Red Sox, and has been feasting on the likes of Tampa Bay (38-61) and Kansas City (43-55)? The team that has major bullpen issues? The team that stil trots Kei Igawa out there every fifth day? They win and it's all roses, they are back, and they are going to overtake the Red Sox and win the division. The Mets though are scrutinized, and a win is minimized because it came against a 41-57 team. Let's see some consistency. Oh, and why is the first place team in NY relegated to the middle of the sports section, with the Yanks getting the prime spot just inside the back page, and then 2 pages of coverage of the NBA fiasco? Why the hell is the first place team not in the prime spot? The bias is astounding.
It's utter bullshit. I'm not saying the Mets don't have some concerns. We don't know if Alou will play. We don't know what we will get from Pedro. There are outfield depth concerns. Still, the press keeps trotting out the same stupid trade ideas, like trading Lastings Milledge for Jermaine Dye, saying they need outfield help, but ignoring the fact that if the depth is so short, why the hell would Omar trade Milledge?
They come back from a trip where they took 4 of 7 against the elite of the NL West, and yet they are still spit on. They win a well played game last night, and they are questioned. John Maine again pitches very well, going 7 innings, allowing 2 runs, 1 BB with 7 K's, raising his record to 11-5 with a 3.04 ERA, yet that is hardly the story. He even hits a 2 run home run. Lastings Milledge goes 3-3 with a Home Run and 3 RBI and 2 Runs Scored, yet we get a side piece about how he might have been a tad exuberant after Maine hit his FIRST CAREER Home Run. Good for Lastings, he was happy for a teammate. He swung his arm a tad, big deal. If the Pirates were pissed, they got their revenge when he got plunked the next time up. Then Lastings got his when he went yard. Newsday of course put in a blurb about this, trying to make an issue about it, but Pirates manager Jim Tracy declined to "get into that". Alas, everything Lastings does is going to be scrutinized, probably to his detriment. The kid is exuberant, that is part of his way of playing. Cut that out, and you may harm him. Leave him the hell alone. I half expect to see a story about how he didn't lift the seat sometime next week.
Speaking of cranky old men, Keith, I love you, but STFU about the dugout celebrations. You sound like the old man yelling "hey you kids, get off of my lawn". I wonder, did Keith used to bitch to his teammates in the 80's when they gave curtain calls? As noted last night by Danny on Metsgeek, some of those guys were going halfway out to the first base line to take their bows. You've made your point Keith, hundreds of times. Let it slide.
All in all, a good night for the Mets. Good pitching (well, except for Mota). Good hitting (only Wright was hitless, but he did have a Sac Fly). Against a tough pitcher in Snell, who lasted all of 4 innings. Two more against the Pirates, then the Nationals come to town. I would love to go 5-2 on this homestand.
Now if only the Giants could win a game against the Braves, I could be really happy.
In other news, the Mets signed Eddie Kunz, their first pick in this year's draft. He will go to St. Lucie, and probably go up to Brooklyn before the end of the season. He will be used in the bullpen.
Prior to the game, Rick DiPietro took batting practice, which is nice since he is recovering from hip surgery, so he must be progressing. He also gave Tom Glavine an Islanders jersey with #47 on it. No word on if Glavine asked if he could have an Atlanta Thrashers jersey instead.
Be back tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The (not so) Weekly Observations/Rants
1. So, despite all the claims in the media last week that something must be amiss, Pedro Martinez returned from his home in the DR and threw a simulated game. Since he had not returned after 10 days, the press thought he must be injured and ran with it. I'm not gonna hold my breath waiting for any of them to say "Oops, I guess I was wrong."
2. Michael Vick is under indictment for various charges related to dog-fighting. If found guilty, I say they lock him up with a few of the dogs he didn't slam to the ground until they died. Maybe strap his ass into the rape chair too, just for shits and giggles.
3. The Islanders resigned Chris Simon, who still has 5 games left on his 25 game suspension for trying to take the head off of Ryan Hollweg. Yeah, he's a good guy to have on the team.
4. The Isles also announced that Al Arbour will coach for 1 game on November 3, bringing his total games coached to 1,500. I have nothing snarky to say here.
5. Michael Chertoff, head of Homeland Security, said recently he has a "gut feeling" Al Queda may attack the US this summer. Michael, the only "gut" I want to hear from is that of Willie Randolph, OK? Take some Zantac and your gut will feel better. If you are that concerned, well, PROTECT THIS COUNTRY!
6. The Mets called up Anderson Hernandez following the injury to Jose Valentin. Seems the Mets felt, after the release of Julio Franco, they were missing a guy who could barely hit 190.
7. Someone explain to me why it wwas bad for Lastings Milledge to hi-5 fans after a game tying home run (off of Armando Benitez no less), but when Shelly Duncan hits a home run in a game the Yankees are leading by a tounchdown, it is OK for him to give a curtain call? Oh, that's right, Duncan is a Yankee, and they are all class all the time. That and of course he isn't "gangsta".
8. Barry Bonds is now 3 away from breaking Hank Aaron's record. Of course, even if he doesn't break it, Barry will hold the all time record for "Most Home Runs hit by a guy using the Cream and the Clear". So he's got that going for him.
9. Roger Clemens won his 351st game last night, beating the Royals. I'm sorry, do the Royals still count as a Major League team?
10. Drew Carey is set to replace Bob Barker as host of "The Price is Right". Apparently, after Rosie turned them down, they went with the next available out of work "comedian".
11. Alexi Yashin has decided to return to Russia to play hockey after no NHL team met his asking price. I'm thinking Carol Alt ain't gonna be happy about spending winters in Minsk.
12. David Beckham has joined the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS. And that is about how much time I spend caring about Soccer.
13. The last Harry Potter book was released and sold quite well. I just couldn't get over the fact that Voldermort was exposed as the man behind the Yankees all this time.
14. Gary Sheffield, still a nimrod.
15. A spokesman for the German Protestant Church has called Tom Cruise the "Goebbels of Scientology". Well, I guess a German would know all about that eh? Here's a tip, when Cruise oversees the attempted extermination of a race of peoples, then you can bleat. Until then, STFU.
16. Sergio Garcia chokes like Armando Benitez facing the Braves. And those pants, for the love of Pete, get this guy on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" quick.
17. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy is under suspicion for betting on NBA games, including games in which he was working. Reached for comment, Pete Rose said "I'll give you 10-1 that he goes away for 5 years."
18. Certain fat over-rated pompous asses (AKA, Mike Francessa) are saying the NBA issue is worse than the Vick issue. Yeah, I can see how betting on games where nobody faced any physical harm can be worse than a man who had dogs fight each other to the death, had dogs killed who didn't measure up to standards, and owned a dog "rape chair". Sure, they are very equal.
19. Lindsay Lohan's boyfriend has dumped her since she is too "boring" now that she is out of re-hab. What, does the booze monitoring ankle bracelt she has taken to wearing interfere with fun in the bedroom?
20. Starbucks is raising prices by 9 cents. So, already overpriced awful coffee becomes more expensive.
21. Another year, another Tour de France leader being accused of doping.
22. So the Yanks have won a few games of late, beating the Tampa Rays and the Royals. Let me know when they beat a good team, OK?
2. Michael Vick is under indictment for various charges related to dog-fighting. If found guilty, I say they lock him up with a few of the dogs he didn't slam to the ground until they died. Maybe strap his ass into the rape chair too, just for shits and giggles.
3. The Islanders resigned Chris Simon, who still has 5 games left on his 25 game suspension for trying to take the head off of Ryan Hollweg. Yeah, he's a good guy to have on the team.
4. The Isles also announced that Al Arbour will coach for 1 game on November 3, bringing his total games coached to 1,500. I have nothing snarky to say here.
5. Michael Chertoff, head of Homeland Security, said recently he has a "gut feeling" Al Queda may attack the US this summer. Michael, the only "gut" I want to hear from is that of Willie Randolph, OK? Take some Zantac and your gut will feel better. If you are that concerned, well, PROTECT THIS COUNTRY!
6. The Mets called up Anderson Hernandez following the injury to Jose Valentin. Seems the Mets felt, after the release of Julio Franco, they were missing a guy who could barely hit 190.
7. Someone explain to me why it wwas bad for Lastings Milledge to hi-5 fans after a game tying home run (off of Armando Benitez no less), but when Shelly Duncan hits a home run in a game the Yankees are leading by a tounchdown, it is OK for him to give a curtain call? Oh, that's right, Duncan is a Yankee, and they are all class all the time. That and of course he isn't "gangsta".
8. Barry Bonds is now 3 away from breaking Hank Aaron's record. Of course, even if he doesn't break it, Barry will hold the all time record for "Most Home Runs hit by a guy using the Cream and the Clear". So he's got that going for him.
9. Roger Clemens won his 351st game last night, beating the Royals. I'm sorry, do the Royals still count as a Major League team?
10. Drew Carey is set to replace Bob Barker as host of "The Price is Right". Apparently, after Rosie turned them down, they went with the next available out of work "comedian".
11. Alexi Yashin has decided to return to Russia to play hockey after no NHL team met his asking price. I'm thinking Carol Alt ain't gonna be happy about spending winters in Minsk.
12. David Beckham has joined the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS. And that is about how much time I spend caring about Soccer.
13. The last Harry Potter book was released and sold quite well. I just couldn't get over the fact that Voldermort was exposed as the man behind the Yankees all this time.
14. Gary Sheffield, still a nimrod.
15. A spokesman for the German Protestant Church has called Tom Cruise the "Goebbels of Scientology". Well, I guess a German would know all about that eh? Here's a tip, when Cruise oversees the attempted extermination of a race of peoples, then you can bleat. Until then, STFU.
16. Sergio Garcia chokes like Armando Benitez facing the Braves. And those pants, for the love of Pete, get this guy on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" quick.
17. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy is under suspicion for betting on NBA games, including games in which he was working. Reached for comment, Pete Rose said "I'll give you 10-1 that he goes away for 5 years."
18. Certain fat over-rated pompous asses (AKA, Mike Francessa) are saying the NBA issue is worse than the Vick issue. Yeah, I can see how betting on games where nobody faced any physical harm can be worse than a man who had dogs fight each other to the death, had dogs killed who didn't measure up to standards, and owned a dog "rape chair". Sure, they are very equal.
19. Lindsay Lohan's boyfriend has dumped her since she is too "boring" now that she is out of re-hab. What, does the booze monitoring ankle bracelt she has taken to wearing interfere with fun in the bedroom?
20. Starbucks is raising prices by 9 cents. So, already overpriced awful coffee becomes more expensive.
21. Another year, another Tour de France leader being accused of doping.
22. So the Yanks have won a few games of late, beating the Tampa Rays and the Royals. Let me know when they beat a good team, OK?
Monday, July 23, 2007
Home Cooking Time
The trip that was supposed to see the Mets fall out of first has ended, with the Mets holding a bigger lead (3.5 games) than they had when they departed (2.5 games) thanks to the Braves pulling their best Sergio Garcia impression last night against the Cardinals. Now, they return home for 7 games, 3 against the Pirates Tuesday - Thursday, and 4 against Manny Acta and the Nationals Friday, 2 Saturday and Sunday. At the same time the Braves visit San Fran (where Barroid will hope to hit at least 3 home runs) and then Arizona. The Phillies have 3 vs the Nationals and 3 versus the Pirates.
This is a week where the Mets can start to put some distance between themselves and the Braves. This is the week, coming on the heels of a nice 3 out of 4 vs the Dodgers where they can keep the pedal to the metal. Moises Alou returns tomorrow possibly (we shall see if the weather in NY has any impact. I'm thinking he isn't going to play on a wet field). Dos Carlos' are starting to hit. David Wright has begun to deliver in clutch situations again. Lastings Milledge doesn't have a high average, but he seems to be involved in a lot of Mets scoring plays. Jose Reyes had a good day yesterday, with a couple of extra-base hits. Resiliency is starting to creep back. The comeback yesterday. The survival of Glavine's start the other night. Even Saturday they tried to fight back. The bats are waking up, scoring 28 runs in the series against the Dodgers, who have a pretty good pitching staff.
But now, it is time to focus on the upcoming opponent. The Pirates are not good. They have some pitching talent, in Snell and Gorzelanny. Overall though, this team should not be able to hang with the Mets. Taking 2 of 3 is a must here. The Big 3 are going, Maine, Glavine and Perez. Then comes the weekend set against the Nationals, Sosa Friday, El Duque and possibly Pelfrey on Saturday and Maine on Sunday. Again, a series win is vital.
We stand about a week away from the non-waiver trading deadline. Omar and Willie need to decide what move(s), if any, are needed to get this team prepared for the post-season. Putting a little more distance between us and the Braves will allow Omar to deal from a position of strength, as opposed to weakness. For my part, I am hoping for nothing more than a bullpen tweak. The bench was helped with the addition of Marlon Anderson, who can play the infield and outfield and will not eat all the egg whites (or suck for that matter). The return of Alou helps here as well, as Milledge, when he doesn't start, can be a PH, the same goes for Alou or Green when Milledge starts. The starters are fine, you only need 3 in the playoffs, Maine, Perez and Glavine, so no need to import talent there (unless of course you can get a real difference maker, but the day of those deals are past).
Enjoy the day off today boys, for tomorrow, it is time.
This is a week where the Mets can start to put some distance between themselves and the Braves. This is the week, coming on the heels of a nice 3 out of 4 vs the Dodgers where they can keep the pedal to the metal. Moises Alou returns tomorrow possibly (we shall see if the weather in NY has any impact. I'm thinking he isn't going to play on a wet field). Dos Carlos' are starting to hit. David Wright has begun to deliver in clutch situations again. Lastings Milledge doesn't have a high average, but he seems to be involved in a lot of Mets scoring plays. Jose Reyes had a good day yesterday, with a couple of extra-base hits. Resiliency is starting to creep back. The comeback yesterday. The survival of Glavine's start the other night. Even Saturday they tried to fight back. The bats are waking up, scoring 28 runs in the series against the Dodgers, who have a pretty good pitching staff.
But now, it is time to focus on the upcoming opponent. The Pirates are not good. They have some pitching talent, in Snell and Gorzelanny. Overall though, this team should not be able to hang with the Mets. Taking 2 of 3 is a must here. The Big 3 are going, Maine, Glavine and Perez. Then comes the weekend set against the Nationals, Sosa Friday, El Duque and possibly Pelfrey on Saturday and Maine on Sunday. Again, a series win is vital.
We stand about a week away from the non-waiver trading deadline. Omar and Willie need to decide what move(s), if any, are needed to get this team prepared for the post-season. Putting a little more distance between us and the Braves will allow Omar to deal from a position of strength, as opposed to weakness. For my part, I am hoping for nothing more than a bullpen tweak. The bench was helped with the addition of Marlon Anderson, who can play the infield and outfield and will not eat all the egg whites (or suck for that matter). The return of Alou helps here as well, as Milledge, when he doesn't start, can be a PH, the same goes for Alou or Green when Milledge starts. The starters are fine, you only need 3 in the playoffs, Maine, Perez and Glavine, so no need to import talent there (unless of course you can get a real difference maker, but the day of those deals are past).
Enjoy the day off today boys, for tomorrow, it is time.
Monday, July 16, 2007
On The Road Again
Nice weekend eh? Take 3 of 4, although we did lose a game in the standings to the Braves (I'm waiting for McDowell to pull a WWE turn and take out Bobby Cox and Tim Hudson). The pen has been doing much better, giving up 1 run (Mike Pelfrey) in the last 30 some odd innings. Wagner got 3 saves in the series, and did well. Pedro Dos continued his fine pitching, Aaron Heilman has seemingly turned a corner. The pen is settling in. Some of the guys think it is because they now have set roles. If that is the case, good. We need the pen to return to the dominance of last year. I want teams to fear having to re-take a lead against the relievers. I want the starters to continue to pitch well. But the key of course is the lineup (same refrain we've all been preaching for weeks now.)
Lastings Milledge may not be the final answer, but he has done his part. First game back, he shows some hustle, scoring the eventual winning run from first on a single. Game 2, he hits a home run. Saturday, another hit. Yesterday, a 2 RBI double, and a nice recovery on a fly ball in right to make a catch. Since his return, he is hitting 267 with 5 RBI, a 313 OBP, 533 SLG and 846 OPS. Not bad for the #8 hitter eh?
But we need more. We need Wright, who has raised his average, to go on one of his blistering tears. We need Delgado to continue to improve. We need Reyes to start hitting balls in the gap. Gotay has done well in the #2 spot (sorry 'Stache). But the key folks is Beltran. He is the guy we need to get going. He can carry this team. He did it last year, but we have yet to see it this year.
July has not been kind to Carlos. He is hitting 133, with a 273 OBP, 311 SLG and 584 OPS. He has 2 HR, 6 RBI and 13 K's. That is not getting it done. I love Beltran, I think he has all the talent in the world, but he is not showing it. Hopefully, the road trip will get him going, as he has historically hit better on the road since becoming a Met than he does at Shea. This 7 game stretch against the Padres and Dodgers is the place to start. The Braves are 1.5 games back and playing well (and playing the Reds and Cardinals this week, not good for us). It is time for Carlos to go on one of his otherworldly type stretches where he hits everything thrown at him. Take this team on your back Carlos, lead us with the bat. Back on the road, hopefully, for a better trip than last time.
************************
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.
*************************************
My happiness was completed when the Islanders announced 2 signings yesterday. First, Bill Guerin was signed for 2 years. Now, the money may be a tad high, but who hasn't signed a player for mad cash this offseason (I'm looking at you woodman, sweetlew and other Ranger fans). Guerin is 36, but scored that many goals last year. He is a legitimate #1 wing, plus he brings veteran presence to the locker room. I see him wearing at least an "A", if not the "C".
The other signing was 26 yr old Mike Comrie, who has bounced around a bit but has legitimate #1 talent. Only a 1 yr deal, so this is a test of the youngster. If he starts out hot, I would hope Garth is able to lock him up, since there are no #1 centers in the system right now.
Does this guarantee a playoff spot? No, of course not. But it does show players will sign here. A veteran like Guerin can only help in that regard. Newsday reported Bill and Mike talked about joining the Isles as they negotiated with Garth. They knew each other from their Edmonton Oiler days. Nice little package deal. Good job Garth. Now, about that defense...
First the Mets. For once, a complete team game. Willie had a pre-game meeting prior to taking on the Astros. The boys responded with a 6-2 win. John Maine gave an FU to those who did not vote for him by going 7 + and allowing 2 runs (thanks in part to Joe Smith.) Maine struck out the side in the first inning after the Mets put 2 on the board, and finished with 9 K's. Smith Pedro Dos and Wagner finished it up.
The bats were nice. Jose Jose Jose led off with a triple and scored on a single by # 2 hitter Ricky Ledee (!?!?). Ledee then scored on a 2-out single by Carlos Delgado (4-4 with a walk, now 13-31 of late). The Mets scored 4 of their runs with 2 outs, a nice change of pace from the anemic RISP hitting of, oh, pretty much the entire damn season. Carlos Beltran added a late solo home run in the 9th to provide the final margin.
Before the game PLD dropped his appeal and sat out last night and will sit tonight as well. Ramon Castro did well in his place with 3 hits and 2 RBI's. As for why Ricky Ledee was playing, much less batting second, well, the missing PLD is part of the #2 spot, and the other reason is that Carlos Gomez went on the DL with a broken hamate bone in his hand which was removed during surgery yesterday. Gomez will be out 6-8 weeks. Lastings Milledge, see you after the ASB. The hamate bone is useless, so the removal should not impact him. How do I know this you may ask? Well, Ed knows a lot of useless crap.
*************************************
My happiness was completed when the Islanders announced 2 signings yesterday. First, Bill Guerin was signed for 2 years. Now, the money may be a tad high, but who hasn't signed a player for mad cash this offseason (I'm looking at you woodman, sweetlew and other Ranger fans). Guerin is 36, but scored that many goals last year. He is a legitimate #1 wing, plus he brings veteran presence to the locker room. I see him wearing at least an "A", if not the "C".
The other signing was 26 yr old Mike Comrie, who has bounced around a bit but has legitimate #1 talent. Only a 1 yr deal, so this is a test of the youngster. If he starts out hot, I would hope Garth is able to lock him up, since there are no #1 centers in the system right now.
Does this guarantee a playoff spot? No, of course not. But it does show players will sign here. A veteran like Guerin can only help in that regard. Newsday reported Bill and Mike talked about joining the Isles as they negotiated with Garth. They knew each other from their Edmonton Oiler days. Nice little package deal. Good job Garth. Now, about that defense...
Thursday, July 05, 2007
This is Starting to Become Irritating
After taking 3 of 4 from the Team to Beat on, the Mets went west for 3 against the Rockies. Now, someone who shall remain named Ed warned that just because we were going to hitters parks did not mean we were going to be the only beneficiaries. I was worried about going into the bandboxes with our set of Fly-ball pitchers. I am not an "I told you so" type of guy, but I was right. Not in Philly of course, but in Colorado.
Of course the fact that Ollie had to go on the DL didn't help matters since Vargas had to get the call. He showed why he needs a tad more time in NOLA. If you all remember his start against the Cubs, he did well for a while until the 5th when he got lit up. Well, this time he didn't wait that long. The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Vargas gave up 4 in the bottom of the first, on his way to allowing 9 in 3 1/3 innings along with 11 hits. Yeah, there were a lot of dinks and dunks, but as Keith said repeatedly, he just didn't have any velocity when he tried to go inside. Kaz Matsui had 5 hits for pete's sake.
Last night say El Duque throw another stinker. The problem is that the high altitude messes with breaking stuff. El Duque relies on breaking stuff. It was a formula for horror. It started off well for the boys as Wright went yard in the first for a 3-0 lead. Alas, El Duque couldn't hold it as he was batted around for 6 runs in 4 innings. The pen was awful, again, allowing another 11 runs in 4 innings, with Mota and The Show leading the charge as usual and even Pedro Dos giving up 3 runs. Only Heilman was able to pitch a full inning unscathed.
So the Rockies swept us, a few weeks after sweeping the Yanks, becoming the first team since the days of the Dodgers and Giants to sweep two NY teams in the same season. Crap.
Before the game last night, Vargas was sent down and Sandy Alomar Jr. was called up to be the 3rd string catcher in case PLD loses his appeal, and to keep Franco company on the bench. This call up probably allows Willie to use Castro as a PH as well since he would have another catcher in case something happened to PLD, like another temper tantrum.
The bats are quiet with the exception of DW and well, no one really. Beltran has done nothing since Philly. Green is still on the DL for as well as he is hitting. Delgado has a couple of good games and then goes quiet again. The pen has been terrible, with the exception of Pedro Dos and Wagner. Joe Smith has come back to earth, Mota is still in Spring Training. Heilman is giving up way too many HR's. The Show, well, he allowed a run on the road finally, so there goes that idea. What does Omar do now?
I do not want a big trade. I want Pelfrey, Humber, Milledge, et al to stay. Perhaps get another arm for the pen. ALou may be back by the end of the month. The starting pitching has been fine for the most part, I am not panicking over that group. Plus, we had some good news about Pedro, as he is ahead of schedule, throwing a 50 pitch simulated game the other day. He will now shut down for a week, and when he returns, will throw another simulated game, then, assuming all is well, will start rehab appearances. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
On to Houston. We will see Maine, Pelfrey, Glavine and Dave Williams against Jennings, Rodriguez, Woody Williams and Oswalt. The first three Houston starters have combined for a record of 10-20, so we will probably lose to all of them. Oswalt is 7-5, but is still fantastic. Oh, Peter Angelos, how I hate you.
Perhaps, the 17-7 blowout will cause some guys to take a long look in the mirror today. I've said that too many times this year. Maybe this time it works. The lead is now 3.
Of course the fact that Ollie had to go on the DL didn't help matters since Vargas had to get the call. He showed why he needs a tad more time in NOLA. If you all remember his start against the Cubs, he did well for a while until the 5th when he got lit up. Well, this time he didn't wait that long. The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Vargas gave up 4 in the bottom of the first, on his way to allowing 9 in 3 1/3 innings along with 11 hits. Yeah, there were a lot of dinks and dunks, but as Keith said repeatedly, he just didn't have any velocity when he tried to go inside. Kaz Matsui had 5 hits for pete's sake.
Last night say El Duque throw another stinker. The problem is that the high altitude messes with breaking stuff. El Duque relies on breaking stuff. It was a formula for horror. It started off well for the boys as Wright went yard in the first for a 3-0 lead. Alas, El Duque couldn't hold it as he was batted around for 6 runs in 4 innings. The pen was awful, again, allowing another 11 runs in 4 innings, with Mota and The Show leading the charge as usual and even Pedro Dos giving up 3 runs. Only Heilman was able to pitch a full inning unscathed.
So the Rockies swept us, a few weeks after sweeping the Yanks, becoming the first team since the days of the Dodgers and Giants to sweep two NY teams in the same season. Crap.
Before the game last night, Vargas was sent down and Sandy Alomar Jr. was called up to be the 3rd string catcher in case PLD loses his appeal, and to keep Franco company on the bench. This call up probably allows Willie to use Castro as a PH as well since he would have another catcher in case something happened to PLD, like another temper tantrum.
The bats are quiet with the exception of DW and well, no one really. Beltran has done nothing since Philly. Green is still on the DL for as well as he is hitting. Delgado has a couple of good games and then goes quiet again. The pen has been terrible, with the exception of Pedro Dos and Wagner. Joe Smith has come back to earth, Mota is still in Spring Training. Heilman is giving up way too many HR's. The Show, well, he allowed a run on the road finally, so there goes that idea. What does Omar do now?
I do not want a big trade. I want Pelfrey, Humber, Milledge, et al to stay. Perhaps get another arm for the pen. ALou may be back by the end of the month. The starting pitching has been fine for the most part, I am not panicking over that group. Plus, we had some good news about Pedro, as he is ahead of schedule, throwing a 50 pitch simulated game the other day. He will now shut down for a week, and when he returns, will throw another simulated game, then, assuming all is well, will start rehab appearances. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
On to Houston. We will see Maine, Pelfrey, Glavine and Dave Williams against Jennings, Rodriguez, Woody Williams and Oswalt. The first three Houston starters have combined for a record of 10-20, so we will probably lose to all of them. Oswalt is 7-5, but is still fantastic. Oh, Peter Angelos, how I hate you.
Perhaps, the 17-7 blowout will cause some guys to take a long look in the mirror today. I've said that too many times this year. Maybe this time it works. The lead is now 3.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Just One Year of Love...
Is better than a lifetime of annoying the hell out of my wife. (The title of today's blog is from a Queen song off of the CD "A Kind of Magic". ) I started this blog so as to not annoy her with my incessant chatter about my sports teams. I had found an outlet for the Mets over on Metsgeek, but needed more.
My loves (besides the wife and kids of course) are the Mets and the Islanders and the Jets. My Jets made me happy this past season, exceeding expectations. The Mets last season made it to the NLCS. I still refuse to discuss how that ended. So far this season, they are within about 2 games of last years pace (48-34 last year, 46-35 this season), though the lead is 4 this year as opposed to 10.5 last year. Considering the injuries and the awful start to the month of June, the fact that they are still in 1st speaks well of the team, and ill of the other teams in the division, who also had awful June performances (well, the Phillies did OK at least till this past weekend.)
All in all, I have faith that the Mets will continue to lead the division, and will exceed last year's performance at the end of the year.
My first day last year, I blogged about the Islanders and the changes they had gone through. In fact, it was in my first posting over at the old address. At that time, they had just hired Ted Nolan as coach, and had named Neil Smith GM. I liked the former, not so much the latter. SMith of course lasted 40 days, and was replaced by Garth Snow. Smith made a couple of signings before he left, and Snow added a few people as well, including Ryan Smyth in a deadline beating deal for two prospects and this year's first round draft choice. Last season's #1 pick, Kyle Okposo, was a fantastic pick by all measures, but he will spend another year in college.
So a year later the team is in a bigger mess than it was. Gone are Smyth, Blake, Kozlov, Poti. Gone too is Yashin, though that was addition by subtraction. In excess of 100 goals has walked out the door. Offense is going to be in short supply. Defense is going to be poor. Rick DiPietro may regret signing a 15 year contract by the time December rolls around.
Despite making competitive offers, Garth Snow has been unable to attract any big name players to join the team so far this FA period. Why do players not want to come to LI? We know money isn't the issue, as Charles Wang is not exactly shy when it comes to writing fat checks (see Yashin, Alexei and DiPietro, Rick). Nolan is a good coach. DiPietro is a damn good goalie. Yashin is gone (this fact cannot be repeated enough). Mike Milbury is gone (another fact that cannot be repeated enough). A good player can get paid and can be part of a revival. So why not?
This morning in Newsday Garth Snow blamed the arena. I can't say I totally agree with him on this. Now, I do agree that the time has come for Nassau County to get their thumbs out of their asses and let Wang do the renovations he has been trying to get done for years. The county has been dragging their feet on the application process for years now. Enough is enough. The arena has been there, so the process should be a lot smoother. The county is messed up, and this is hurting the team. By dragging their feet on this, they are hampering Wang's ability to make money. A renovation will allow him to improve the atmosphere in the arena, and make it more fan friendly. It will increase the # of seats, will will allow more revenue. Wang has lost millions since he purchased the team. If he can get the renovations done, he may be able to turn a profit. Fans may be more willing to come to the arena. Other events could be held (perhaps more NCAA sub-regionals?) The county spent millions on a pool for some athletic event that has turned into a white elephant. Here they have an opportunity to improve the Coliseum, in the heart of the County. Make it a destination place again.
Of course, it all hinges on the ability to put a good team on the ice. You do that, and players will want to come. Fans will want to attend games. If Snow can groom the youngsters in the minors and make good picks in the draft, if Okposo can continue to blossom, if he can attract some players, the team can win. Once they win, the fans will come back. They always do. Look at the early 90's when they had a couple of good seasons. Look at the early 2000's when they made the playoffs. The fans came and the place rocked. But they need a reason to come. They want to see a good team. I fear that this season we will not have one. I forsee the #1 overall pick being up for grabs at the end of the season. Perhaps they can get an impact player like a Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin. There is some talent on the team now. Hunter is good. Satan hopefully will be consistent. Sillinger is a gamer. We all know how good DiPietro can be. Let's hope Nolan can get them to overachieve this year.
And lets hope the Nassau County Government gets off their asses and give Wang the approvals he needs to fix the Coliseum.
*****************
I've enjoyed blogging this past year. I want to thank those who come and visit, whether they leave comments or not. I'm not a stats guy, I am simply a fan. I love the Mets, I love the Jets and Islanders. I just try to blog from my heart, to give my thoughts, a simple fan perspective, on how things are going. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope to do it for years to come.
My loves (besides the wife and kids of course) are the Mets and the Islanders and the Jets. My Jets made me happy this past season, exceeding expectations. The Mets last season made it to the NLCS. I still refuse to discuss how that ended. So far this season, they are within about 2 games of last years pace (48-34 last year, 46-35 this season), though the lead is 4 this year as opposed to 10.5 last year. Considering the injuries and the awful start to the month of June, the fact that they are still in 1st speaks well of the team, and ill of the other teams in the division, who also had awful June performances (well, the Phillies did OK at least till this past weekend.)
All in all, I have faith that the Mets will continue to lead the division, and will exceed last year's performance at the end of the year.
My first day last year, I blogged about the Islanders and the changes they had gone through. In fact, it was in my first posting over at the old address. At that time, they had just hired Ted Nolan as coach, and had named Neil Smith GM. I liked the former, not so much the latter. SMith of course lasted 40 days, and was replaced by Garth Snow. Smith made a couple of signings before he left, and Snow added a few people as well, including Ryan Smyth in a deadline beating deal for two prospects and this year's first round draft choice. Last season's #1 pick, Kyle Okposo, was a fantastic pick by all measures, but he will spend another year in college.
So a year later the team is in a bigger mess than it was. Gone are Smyth, Blake, Kozlov, Poti. Gone too is Yashin, though that was addition by subtraction. In excess of 100 goals has walked out the door. Offense is going to be in short supply. Defense is going to be poor. Rick DiPietro may regret signing a 15 year contract by the time December rolls around.
Despite making competitive offers, Garth Snow has been unable to attract any big name players to join the team so far this FA period. Why do players not want to come to LI? We know money isn't the issue, as Charles Wang is not exactly shy when it comes to writing fat checks (see Yashin, Alexei and DiPietro, Rick). Nolan is a good coach. DiPietro is a damn good goalie. Yashin is gone (this fact cannot be repeated enough). Mike Milbury is gone (another fact that cannot be repeated enough). A good player can get paid and can be part of a revival. So why not?
This morning in Newsday Garth Snow blamed the arena. I can't say I totally agree with him on this. Now, I do agree that the time has come for Nassau County to get their thumbs out of their asses and let Wang do the renovations he has been trying to get done for years. The county has been dragging their feet on the application process for years now. Enough is enough. The arena has been there, so the process should be a lot smoother. The county is messed up, and this is hurting the team. By dragging their feet on this, they are hampering Wang's ability to make money. A renovation will allow him to improve the atmosphere in the arena, and make it more fan friendly. It will increase the # of seats, will will allow more revenue. Wang has lost millions since he purchased the team. If he can get the renovations done, he may be able to turn a profit. Fans may be more willing to come to the arena. Other events could be held (perhaps more NCAA sub-regionals?) The county spent millions on a pool for some athletic event that has turned into a white elephant. Here they have an opportunity to improve the Coliseum, in the heart of the County. Make it a destination place again.
Of course, it all hinges on the ability to put a good team on the ice. You do that, and players will want to come. Fans will want to attend games. If Snow can groom the youngsters in the minors and make good picks in the draft, if Okposo can continue to blossom, if he can attract some players, the team can win. Once they win, the fans will come back. They always do. Look at the early 90's when they had a couple of good seasons. Look at the early 2000's when they made the playoffs. The fans came and the place rocked. But they need a reason to come. They want to see a good team. I fear that this season we will not have one. I forsee the #1 overall pick being up for grabs at the end of the season. Perhaps they can get an impact player like a Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin. There is some talent on the team now. Hunter is good. Satan hopefully will be consistent. Sillinger is a gamer. We all know how good DiPietro can be. Let's hope Nolan can get them to overachieve this year.
And lets hope the Nassau County Government gets off their asses and give Wang the approvals he needs to fix the Coliseum.
*****************
I've enjoyed blogging this past year. I want to thank those who come and visit, whether they leave comments or not. I'm not a stats guy, I am simply a fan. I love the Mets, I love the Jets and Islanders. I just try to blog from my heart, to give my thoughts, a simple fan perspective, on how things are going. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope to do it for years to come.
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.
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