Omar and Cashman

As silly as it sounds giving Omar 4 more years, it’s insane to give even 1 more year to Cashman. Just look at all the major pitching decisions that he’s screwed up on. Kevin Brown, Jared Wright, Kie Egowa, Carl Pavano, Randy Johnson, Rodger Clemens last year, Latroy Hawkins, Kyle Fansworth, Hidei Arabu, Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, ECT, ECT, ECT. The list is long and full of mistakes. The Yankees haven’t been to the series in 5 years, and haven’t won it since 2000. Does that partial list of pitching bust sound like it deserves a 3 year contract? What a joke. I guess Hank doesn't have the stones of his father. If his father was still in control, I doubt Cashman would even have been offered a contract as a buss boy in the new Yankee stadium.

Santana shows his Toughness to all

With the information about Santana’s knee surgery, that makes his month of September all the more impressive. It has been reported by Johan’s agent that Santana hurt the knee early in the month and refused to let the team know about the severity of the pain. With all that going on, he was voted the pitcher of the month in case you didn’t know. He was 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA in September.

Johan also had the best ERA in MLB [2.53] , pitched the most innings in the NL with a career high 234 1/3 , tied for most starts [34], and was third with 3 complete games, and pitched 2 shutouts. With a little more support earlier in the season, Johan’s 16-7 record could have easily been 22-7. Not too bad for a pitcher that Cashman didn’t want. How many wins did Hughes and Kennedy have? If the Yankees had traded for Johan, they’d be playing October baseball. I personally am glad that Cashman is so inept at judging pitching talent. Just think were the Mets would be without Johan in the rotation.

Post-Season Tidbits

John Maine had his shoulder surgery yesterday and should be set for Spring training. The doctors removed a lesion from his shoulder socket that was causing the pain. For him to pitch 140 innings last year with that bad shoulder says a lot about his toughness and willpower. That’s something more players on the Mets could use.

There is talk about the Mets maybe signing Derek Lowe if Oliver Perez isn’t brought back. What do you think of that possibility? He’d definitely be an up grade from Pedro. John Niese figures to be the 5th starter next season. Maybe Parnell can go to the pen and be a force there.

There is more and more talk in NY about not bringing Delgado back. I’d rather have Teixera than Carlos. He’s younger, hits for a much better average, and still hits HRs and drives in runs. But, somehow I doubt Omar has the will to let Carlos go.

There is also talk of bringing in Jason Varitek to provide some fire and leadership on the team. His best years are behind him, but I think he could be good in NY. Orlando Hudson and Pat Burrell are also being talked about. Pat “the Bat’ could play left field and weaken the Phillies in one fell swoop. Hudson would provide offense from the 2nd base position not seen since Edgardo Alfonzo was there. All these moves sound good, they just need to be done. Does Omar have the vision to do these things, or will he allow another disappointing season to happen in ’09? Time will tell.

I'm Not Alone in My Opinions

I watched the afternoon SNY shows and it’s amazing to hear that I’m not alone in my thoughts about the Mets roster. More than one said that Delgado should not be resigned. Everyone agreed that Joe Smith and Brian Stokes were the only relief pitchers that were deserving of return. And everyone questioned the 4 year extension for Omar.

The reason given for not bringing back Delgado was his age, the likelihood that his production will slide, and the fact that he is NOT THE LEADER needed in the clubhouse. Until he leaves, the ability of David Wright and Jose’ Reyes to become the leaders of this team will never happen. Delgado was ruler of the clubhouse during the last 2 rancid seasons and shouldn’t be allowed a third chance. His production wouldn’t be that hard to replace, and his influence is not the type needed on the team. Remember, Delgado is the same player at one time wouldn’t stand during the Pledge of Allegiance and turned his back of the singing of God Bless America.

I'd get Matt Holiday for left field, put Nick Evans on 1st base, or get Mark Tiexara to play there. Send Murphy to winter ball to learn 2nd base, and then the Mets might have a chance to change their September luck. I'd also look at gettting C.C. and K-Rod. Money shouldn't be an issue, and it's time to stop acting like 2nd class sitizens of NYC.

Painful Season Finally Ends

This weekend turned out about how I figured it would. When the Mets lost the 10 inning game to the Cubs I knew the season was over, it was just a matter of when and how.

Friday, Mike Pelfrey did his best against a team that has owned him this season, but once again the Mets offense went to sleep. As much as the bull-pen is to blame for all the losses they caused this year, the offense was delinquent in their duties too. How many times have we all seen runners stranded in scoring position? How many times have the Mets not scored a run after the 5th inning? How many times have the Mets hitters made lousy pitchers look like Cy Young winners? When will the hitters learn to hit breaking pitches? All too often this season the Mets never seemed to have the killer instinct to finish teams off. They never made it a habit to bury teams early and often. They would get out to an early lead, and then coast. The other teams would chip away, and before you knew it, it was a 1 run game and the bull-pen suffered for it.

Saturday, Johan showed once again why he's the best pitcher in baseball bar none. To come back on 3 days rest and throw a 3 hit shut-out when the team needed the win is the stuff Aces are made for. While watching the game, I thought back to the last Saturday of 2007 and it was Deja Vue all over. John Maine, with his team in the same situation, struck out 14 and took a no-hitter into the 9th inning. Unlike Johan, John had 10 runs to work with. If not for Santana's super human effort, the Mets would have ended their season on Saturday not Sunday. The Mets once again failed to score any runs to allow you to relax while watching. The bull-pen gets plenty of blame for the season's failures, but if the Mets had just scored a few more runs in a few more games, October baseball would have been guaranteed weeks ago.

Sunday, Oliver Perez at least pitched well enough to give the Mets a chance. On short rest he went 5+ innings and only gave up 2 runs. Smith shut down the Fish in the 6th, Stokes pitched the 7th and was rescued by another patented Chavez catch in left-field. You could almost see the eerie similarities to game 7 in the 2006 NLCS. The team was charged up, and Chavez was leading off the bottom of the inning. Then just like in '06, the air left the stadium in an instant. Instead of Heilman sucking the life out of Shea, it was a left hander. In the top of the 8th, Scott Schoeneweis did what he does almost as well as Heilman. He served up the winning HR and got booed as he dragged his butt of the field. Ayala then comes in and serves up HR #2 in the inning. By that time it didn't matter. The Mets were dead men walking and they went out with a whimper in the 9th. The game lost in the 10th inning to the Cubs earlier in the week killed them. That loss took out their heart and threw it to the ground. Just like an deer that's been shot thru the heart, it just took a little while to realize they were dead.

I said back in August when Billy Wagner got hurt that the Mets were going to have a hard time making it to October without him. Stokes, Smith, Ayala, and Figueroa did their best, but in the end it wasn't enough. Too often Heilman, Schoeneweis, Feliciano and Sanchez shot the team in the chest and in the end The Mets could overcome all the obstacles. Let's hope that Omar doesn't burden the fans with another version of the "07 or "08 team. Drastic changes need to be made and had better be made before spring training begins.

The 2009 Mets

In between cat naps on the couch I did manage to see most of the Mets game. A few things have become clear during this tortuous month of September. If the Mets don’t make the playoffs, the locker room needs a big makeover. Ever cense Cliff Floyd’s departure there hasn’t been a vocal veteran in the club house to shake up the players when needed. That means certain people need to go somewhere else.

As good as Delgado has been, he needs to go. He’s part of the leadership problem in the Clubhouse. Pedro, Heilman, Feliciano, Schoeneweis, Sanchez, Castro, Anderson, and Castillo all need to go too. Murphy should be the starting left fielder. Evans or Mark Texiera should be playing first. Robinson Cancel should be the back-up catcher, Argenis Reyes or someone else should be at second base. Santana, Pelfrey, Niese, Maine, and Parnell should be the starting 5 unless the Mets go after C.C. Sabathia. K-Rod should be closing, and Kunz should be setting up in the 8th inning. Smith, Stokes, Ayala, Muniz, Figgy should be in the pen. If the Mets can pick up a good left handed pitcher for the pen, then that would be helpfull. But this 2008 bull-pen crew can not be allowed in Citi-Field next year.

It may sound drastic, but I see no other way to take the rancid taste of 2007's defeat and the disappointments of 2008 from following the Mets into Citi-Field next year.

Mets afraid of Success

Watching the Mets these last few weeks is like watching a loved one slowly pass away. There is no other way to describe what is going on. They seem like they don’t want to play in October, and they seem afraid of success. All year long they have failed to do what is needed to win games, and now when wins are needed more than ever, they continue to spit the bit. The Mets have been terrible all year on there are runners in scoring position, and now when all that was needed was one hit, they fail once again to do the simplest things. Why can Daniel Murphy get a critical hit in the 9th inning, and then no one else can even hit the ball? All the Mets needed was a fly ball, and they win the game. But, that was impossible. David strikes out, Beltran and Delgado walk, Church hits a weak ground ball, and then Castro strikes out on three pitches. Thanks for the effort Ramon. The game was over there. What happened in the 10th inning didn’t matter.

When the Mets needed Ollie the most, he couldn’t throw strikes. He walked 5 batters and couldn’t get out of the 5th inning. Those walks ended up scoring, and the Perez blew an early 5-1 lead. On a night when Phillie was getting shelled, Ollie came up small. On a night when the Brewers were winning, Sanchez once again allowed anyone on base to score, and the season took another step towards the abyss. Such is the life a Mets fan.

Some thoughts on Niese

I have nothing against John Niese. The Mets once again are doing like last year. I can only suspect that there is a culture in MLB that treats Rookie players like disposable pieces to a larger puzzle.
In John’s 1st start, he didn’t pitch for 9 days, and got shelled by the Brewers. His 2nd start, he went on normal rest and shut down the Braves. Monday, he once again got shelled, and he was pitching on 9 days rest. He also had Schneider catching last night and in his first game. Robinson Cancel, who caught him in AAA, caught him in the game against the Braves. See a pattern here? Last year they sat on Humber until the last week, and he gets shelled. They’re doing the same thing with John. They’re not giving him the best chance to succeed, only a chance to fail. The Brewers and Cubs absolutely own left – handed pitchers this year. So why would the Mets start John against them? Why not flip him and Pelfrey in the rotation so Mike gets the Cubs, and John got the Braves Sunday? I guess that makes too much sense. I wonder if Willie has a voodoo doll of Jerry Manuel hiding somewhere.

Johan Proves He's the Best Pitcher in Baseball.

I hope the Yankee fans were watching the Lefthanded pitching master on the mound at Shea stadium last night. In a game that the Mets could not afford to lose, Johan showed why he’s the best pitcher in baseball. 8 innings, 2 walks, 2 runs, and 10 strikeouts and a hit that brings back visions of the black cat in 1969. Santana who has not lost a game since June, is now working on a streak of 16 consecutive games without a loss. I bet Hank and Hal wish he was in pinstripes instead of the two brittle youngsters they bet their season on.

Offensively, Jose’ and David both got off the snide and drove in the deciding runs in two different bases loaded situations. David drove in the tying runs with a 2 run single in the 5th, and Jose’ cleared the bases in the sixth with his 19th triple. Jose’s triple was also his 200th hit. Only Lance Johnson has more hits [221] in a season for the Mets. David’s hit drove in his 122nd RBI and now he stands only 2 behind the club record set by Mike Piazza in 1999. With 5 more games to go, David could set the record with room to spare.

Maybe there is a chance for redemption yet. If Ollie can be on point this evening, and the Braves treat the Phillies like the Mets, the Mets may even catch them for the division title.

Changes in the works

Hello everyone. If you haven't noticed a few things have changed. Guinness, the founder of this blog has decided to leave for varying reason. Among them is work and family. I hope he keeps visiting and keeping us abreast of the newest Mets fan.

I want to thank Guinness for asking me to join him here and I've had fun doing this. It does tend to be time consuming on occasion, but I've enjoyed writing down what ever is on my mind regarding the Mets. Instead of shutting down the blog, Guinness has allowed me to take over ownership of the site. I'll do my best to continue to comment on the Mets' season as it winds down and look forward to all the comments and discussion that we have had. I've added a few new features to the site and hope they are of interest to the guests on the site. I hope to soon have a new banner posted, and will look to keep up with the season's twists and turns.

Santana Holds the Line

Yesterday I was asking for some Divine intervention, and I think it happened. The Brewers blow a 4 run lead in the 9th with 2 outs, and Ben Sheets may be done for the year. If the Mets can figure out a way to win in Atlanta, maybe they can get to October baseball afterall. With Ryan Church coming around at the plate, and David looking for redemption, maybe the Mets can win more than 1 game in Hotlanta.

Santana pitched like an ACE, and the Heiman Syndrome didn’t come into play last night. NY circles say that Heilman has pitched his way out of NY, and will see nothing but Mop Up duty at best. If, and that’s a big if, the Mets make the playoffs, Heilman could be left off the playoff roster. During the game Gary Cohan and Ron Darling mentioned that the Mets may try to trade for the Royals closer in the off-season. I say that’s a perfect place for Aaron. He can start there, and never be heard from again in NY.

The offense came from 2 former Nats and it couldn't have been better timing. Schneider and Church both delivered key hits and acounted for 4 for the 7 RBI in the game. Brian's 2 HR were the first 2 HR game for his since 2003, and Church seems to have found his stroke again. With David struggling at the plate, Ryan's bat is sorely needed. Maybe a change of venue will wake David's bat up. The Mets can't afford to lose another 2 or 3 games to Atlanta this weekend. Lets hope the Mets bury Hampton early and often, and that Heilman doesn't even pick up a baseball.

Knight stems the tide

It’s nice to see that the Carlos brothers have decided to show up and ride to the rescue. With an unproven pitcher on the mound the Mets needed to score early and often. The Carlos brothers hit 3 HRs and drove in 5 of the 9 runs last night to provide the cushion.

Brandon Knight did all anyone could ask of him. 5 innings and only 2 runs allowed. But with the Bull-pen situation, no lead is too big heading into the later innings. Once again the Heilman syndrome struck the pen. As soon as he started warming up, things got sticky. Rincon gives up a run, Stokes does his Heilman impersonation by giving up a 2 run HR, Heilman comes in and doesn’t retire a batter, Schoeneweis and Smith bail Aaron out, Feliciano allows 2 unearned runs to score in the 9th, and Ayala comes in and slams the door with a strikeout. It was just your typical bull-pen session for the Mets. It’s a wonder I haven’t taken up drinking yet. At least the Mets won. A loss would have put them behind the Phillies by 1.5 games and the brewers by .5 games. With Johan going tonight, the Mets need to win again and try to gain some separation from the Brewers, and put the pressure on the Phillies. Time to breakout the aspirin and Rolaids for this night’s game and to hope for divine intervention.

It's Hard to be a Mets Fan

I’ve been a Mets fan since the late 70’s and things never seem to change. The Mets constantly build up your hopes and then yank the rug out from underneath your feet. They in many ways seem to have an allergic reaction to success. As soon as they have things going in the right direction, something always seems to cause trouble. The Mets have been a lousy team against any pitcher who can throw breaking pitches for strikes, and that hasn’t changed since ’05. Now once again when they need to win games in September, they can’t hit anything out of the infield. They often have trouble hitting anything at all. If they think teams like the Nationals and Braves are going to groove fastballs for them, they are once again sadly mistaken.

Besides not being able to hit breaking pitches to save their season, the Mets are also missing something else. They don’t have a Ray Knight or Keith Hernandez type of player in the dugout. They haven’t had that type of player since Cliff Floyd left the team after 2006. The Mets need a veteran player who’s well respected and outspoken. And where is Cliff playing this year? Tampa. And what have the Rays done this year? They’ve won games and refuse to listen to all the “Experts” that said they’ll fade and not be a factor. Beltran and Delgado are too timid and won’t get in someone’s face to wake them out of their daze, and David isn’t that veteran yet. This September malaise will never completely go away unless there is that respected veteran to kick people in the butt when needed. Jerry has done wonders, but the players need one of their own to step up and be a vocal leader too.


As bad as the loss was last night, the roof hasn’t hit the floor yet. Now the Mets put the ball in Brandon Knight’s untested hand, and will rely on Evans and Murphy to cover left field for the rest of the season. Tatis separated his shoulder, and is done for the year. Tatis has been struggling at the plate, but he’s come thru in numerous games this year and pulled the Mets out of the fire more than once.

Yesterday I mentioned how there always seems to be a no name player that steps up and hurts the Mets, well Willie Harris is that player on the Nats. Once again he cost the Mets a win with his game saving grab of David Wright’s line drive. Too bad he couldn’t take a night off. Maybe the Mets would game if he wasn’t out in left field catching everything hit there.

Same old Story

Well, what can be said about last night’s game? Pedro pitched well enough until the 6th inning, but the bats once again went on vacation.

Since 2006 I’ve been railing about the Mets inability to score runs against a pitcher that can throw breaking pitches for strikes. Just picture Carlos Beltran standing there at the plate watching Wainwright’s curveball end the Mets season in ’06. Lannon pitched last night like he did earlier this year against the Mets. In that game, he went 7+ innings, and struck out 11 Mets. Sound familiar? If the Mets’ hitters weren’t swinging and missing at pitches off the plate, they were swinging at pitches that bounced behind the plate. Jose’ is once again in his annual September daze, David struckout with the bases loaded again, and the Carlos Brothers are MIA again.

The only saving grace is the fact that the Mets are in the wildcard chase with Phillie, and the self-destructing Brewers who fired their manager Ned Yost. With 6 more games on this road trip, the Mets don’t figure to go winless before they return to Shea. The fans are just left to wondering where the Mets will be when they make their last stand at Shea.

Nightmare Comes True

Well, the nightmare came true this weekend. The Brewers rolled over and got trashed by the Phillies, and the Braves continue to make life miserable for the Mets. The Braves have tortured and bludgeoned the Mets for 17 years, and nothing has changed. They get good pitching from recycled pitchers, little known players come up big in the late innings, and Chipper puts another knife in the Mets’ back. Now with the lead down to 1 game, the Mets get to go on a 7 game road trip to Washington and Atlanta. Not my idea of fun. Then they face the Cubbies and Fish, and very possibly their Waterloo too. Is there anyone out there that doesn’t think K-Rod would be worth the $15 Million next year? That was the 27th blown save of the Mets this year. Just imagine where the Mets would be in the standings if they had only blown 8-10 of those games.

The only positive things to happen all weekend was the stellar pitching of Jonathan Niese, and the torrid hitting of David Wright. Niese proved he belongs in the Majors with his 8 innings, 6 hits, 7 strikeouts, 2 walks, and NO RUNS ALLOWED. He’s only 21, and he looked like a seasoned vet on the mound. David is on a tear and has raised his average 10 points this week, hit his 31st HR, and now has 114 RBI. I’m sure he would rather have 2 more wins, but he’s surging at the right time, and his bat will be needed if the Mets have any chance of making the playoffs.

The Helter Skelter Mets Strike Again

This week has been typical of the Mets' season. They have the Nationals in Shea for a 2 games series that turns into a shootout, then the Braves come to visit, and they can't hardly score a run for Santana.

Last year the Nationals were directly responsible for the Mets sitting home last October and they tried their best to repeat that feat this week. When ever the worst team in the division comes into your house and they are allowed to score 18 runs in 2 games, you know there are ghosts coming to play. Unlike last year, the Mets never gave up and continued to fight for every run needed to win. Delgado had another monster series, David got back on track, Beltran seemed to wake up, and the relief pitchers held the line. Ollie was god awful, and Big Pelf didn't have his head in the game. Thank God for Joe Smith, Brian Stokes, Nelson Figueroa, and Luis Ayala. Smith picked up both wins and Ayala continues to rack up saves. With the News of Billy Wagner's need for surgery, the season now rides on Luis' right arm to close out games. Lets all wish Luis luck and hope his ride to glory continues until November.

After surviving the shootout with Washington, the Mets welcomed Atlanta to Shea for the last time. With a a little help from the Brewers, the Mets were hoping to add another game or two to their 3 game lead in the standings. With Santana pitching the opening game , and Chipper not playing, things were looking good for the Mets. Well the rain came and washed those ideas away and Johan once again fell victim to the Braves. In the 1st game of Saturday's double-header Johan struggled but only gave up 2 runs over 7+ innings. The Mets stranded numerous runners and failed to take advantage of multiple bases loaded situations. The Braves rallied for 3 runs in the 8th inning, and the Mets lose another one to the Braves in September. That certainly does seem to be the trend for the Mets over the years. Santana is now 0-3 with another no decision against the Braves.

With Santana losing the opening game there had to be enormous pressure on Johnathan Niese making his first start in Shea. But the young 21 year old lefty was up to the challenge. He threw 8 innings, struck out 7, walked 2, and only gave up 6 hits while winning his first game in the Major Leagues. He spotted his fastball well and had the Braves baffled by his curve all night long. David continued his resurgence by hitting a deep HR to right center field, Beltran had 3 hits and a HR, and Jose' even got in the HR act. The offense scored a few runs early for John and then he took care of business. With his performance last night, there is no doubt he'll get the ball next week when Jerry needs a win. If Niese continues to pitch like last night, I see little reason to spend $15 Million on Ollie next year. The Mets could have a rotation of Santana, Pelfrey, Maine, Niese, and either Parnell or a free-agent. C.C. Sabathia would be nice, but I doubt if the Wilpon's will drop another $140 Million on another pitcher this winter. I don't have any problems with spending the money needed to get C.C. It's time the Mets stop acting like they're from Florida, and start acting like they're from New York.

Today, the Mets need to finish the Braves and put some more pressure on the Phillies. While the Mets played their double header last night, the Phillies play theirs today. If the Mets can win again today, the Phillies will be feeling the heat as the season flutters away. 15 games to go, and the Mets are holding on. If the Brewers ever decide to put up a fight and show some pride, maybe the Mets can leave NY with a 4 game lead.

The Mets Survive the Weekend, but Wagner's Elbow Doesn't

What everyone was fearing would happen has happened. Wagner's elbow is history and so is his Mets career. With the required 12+ months to recover from "Tommy John" surgery, the is little chance of Billy ever pitching for the Mets again. His contract is up after 2009, and the Mets will have K-Rod in the pen next April. With Kunz as the possible set-up man, and Billy's desire to close games, the Mets don't figure into his future. It's too bad that Billy's Mets career had to end like this. He was always a gamer and fighter that never ducked the consequences of his failures, and didn't boast when he succeeded.

While Billy was testing his failed elbow, the Mets managed to win a game this weekend against the Phillies. Big Pelf did his best, but Meyers was just a bit better. The Mets' bats once again went to sleep and hardly managed a hit against Meyers. He threw his nasty curve for strikes the whole game, and we all know how the Mets hit curveballs. Just picture Beltran in the 9th inning of game 7 of the '06 NLCS and you get the idea. Why the Mets continue to show the inability to hit good breaking pitches is beyond me. Too bad Doc Gooden is pissed at the Mets, he'd make a great BP pitcher for them.

If Friday wasn't bad enough, in Sunday's afternoon game Jamie Moyer once again baffled the Mets and showed that a 82 MPH fastball works if you put it in the right place. Too bad Pedro wasn't paying attention. For the 3rd consecutive start, Pedro was shelled. The longer this goes on the less likely he comes back in any fashion next year. Unless Pedro takes a lesson from Moose, and learns to pitch to location and movement, he's done in this league. No longer can Pedro just go about his business and get outs. He's not even the pitcher he was in '05 much less '99. It's almost to the point of replacing Pedro with Parnell in the rotation. He certainly couldn't do any worse. Although Pedro gave 6 runs in only 4 innings, the offense never showed any signs of life until the 8th inning. 3 straight extra base hits scored the 2 runs, but by then it was too late.

Sunday's night game was the Carlos and Johan show. Delgado provided the offense, and Johan kept the Phillies in check. Santana continues to prove why he's the best pitcher in baseball. He hasn't lost a game since June, and is pitching into the 7th inning more time than not. His second half record during his career is something few pitchers in history have had. In 119 games, he's 55-17 with a 2.75 ERA. That's a .7635 winning percentage !!! He has proven this season why Cashman made the biggest mistake in the history of the Yankees by not trading for him this off-season. How Cashman could even think that Hughes and Kennedy were worth keeping over trading for Johan, baffles everyone in baseball.

What can be said about Carlos Delgado? I and many others wanted him off the team in April and May, now he may be the league MVP. Who would have thought that Carlos had the same reaction and feelings about Witless Willie as I did. If I had to work for Willie I probably would have slit my wrists, Carlos just hated playing baseball for him. As soon as Willie was canned, Carlos came to life. If not for his improved play, the Mets would have a hard time beating the Marlins in the standings, much less leading the standings. Without Carlos, the Mets are probably below .500 and talking like the Yankees are. You know, talking about injuries, being big players in the free-agent market this winter, making changes to the line-up, ect. All the things teams say when they have no hopes for the rest of the season.

Now the Mets spend the next 12 games playing the Nats and the Braves while the Phillies have the Brewers and Fish on their menu. I hope the Mets don't take any of these upcoming games for granted. Last year the Nats helped ruin the Mets season and the Braves have no warm fuzzy feelings for the Mets either. If the Mets can win 8-10 of these upcoming games, they should be able to gain a few games on the Phillies. A cushion of 3-4 games would be nice heading into the 4 games with the Cubs, and 3 games with the Fish to end the season. Last year the Fish buried the Mets' in the last game, and would love to do it this year too. With Wagner gone, Stokes and Ayala will really be tested and be the anchors of the pen. With some help from Smith and Figgy, maybe the pen can make all Mets' fans proud and bring another banner to the new ball park next year.

Mets Keep Rolling

Heading into this road trip there was more than a little worry in my mind. With 9 games against Philly, Florida, and the Brewers, it would be a true test of a shaky pen and sporadic offense. Any concerns I and others may have had turned out to be unfounded. With some luck and a better effort from the pen, the Mets could have won all 8 games on this road trip.

The Mets split 2 games in the band box that Philly calls home. Behind good starting pitching, timely hitting, and a few good innings from the pen, they survived Howard, Utley, and company. I cringe every time the Mets head to Philly because Howard, Werth, and Burrell always seem to make things difficult. Just when you think things are safe, they score multiple runs in rapid fashion to make things close. If not for a bull-pen meltdown and Pedro's struggles in the 5th inning, the Mets might have swept the Phillies.

The same thing happened in Miami. Big Pelf faced his demons and stared them down. Unfortunately, he also was the victim of a leaky bull-pen and didn't get his well earned victory. Winning 2 out of 3 in Miami against that powerful team is always welcome. The Marlins are one of the teams that the Mets faltered against last year and couldn't beat them when the season depended on it. Every time the Mets beat the Fish, they seem to get a little bit of payback from them. Now when the Fish need to beat the Mets to stay in the chase, they are losing and watching their post-season hopes disappear little by little.

All year long we as Mets fans have been subjected to the backhanded comments of being in the NL East. All anyone has talked about this year is the Cubs and the Brewers. Well, that argument just lost it's merit. After this afternoon's drubbing, the Mets have no worries about the Brewers. The Mets started 3 left-handed pitchers against the best hitting team in the NL against left-handed pitchers. The Brewers were 35-14 against lefties after last night's game. But the Mets managed to sweep the Brew Crew while starting a rookie pitcher, and having a sporadic offense in the middle innings again. The difference in this series is the Bull-pen. The pen has worked like 15.2 innings without giving up a run. Figgy and Stokes are the middle inning stoppers in the pen. They get both left and right hitting batters out, and they have the mix of pitches and arm strength to go multiple innings if needed. Joe Smith is lights out lately, and even Feliciano is getting people out with minimum effort. Jerry has found a couple of people he can rely on, and he's using them to great effect. The gem of the pen is Ayala. For the cost of A. Hernandez, the Mets have their reserve closer. Ayala has earned 5 saves and doesn't seemed to get rattled when things get sticky. It's nice to know that he'll be there to help Billy finish the season and give him a rest when needed. I don't ever want to see Heilman or Schoeneweis closing games ever again.

One big difference between this team and the '07 team is the never say die fighting attitude they have. Earlier this year under Witless Willie they would never have fought back from early deficits to win games. Now, they find ways win games even when they are down to their last strike. Jerry Manual deserves much of the credit for that change of attitude. His managerial skills and personal relationships with the players has them fighting for every win, and doing what ever is needed to win them. The young blood that has come up this year is also to blame for this new attitude. Murphy, Evans, Argenis Reyes, and Stokes have all played with passion and energy that was sorely missing last year. With the September call-ups, Figgy, Niese, Parnell, Muniz, Knight, Rincon, and company get their chance to add to the energy that is infecting the team. I doubt Willie would have Evans and Murphy playing more than a game or two a week, and Ayala would never be closing. Heilman would be doing that, and Willie wouldn't even blink when calling the pen. Jerry rewards effort and results. If a player does good, he plays. If the players fails, he sits. That's the way it should have been last year, and the 1st few months this year. That's why Willie is unemployed, and Jerry is going to get an extension. That's also why the Mets are winning, and not thinking of Champagne yet.

The Cardiac Mets Continue to Win

I don't know about any of you out there, but I don't know if I'm going to make it to the end of September. The Mets continue to give me and others a daily stress test as they manage to win games in nail biting fashion.

Against the Phillies earlier this week they seemed to have a win in the bag for Pedro. Winning 7-0 in the 3rd inning and cruising thru the game, who would have thought that the game would do a 180 and become a loss. Pedro gave up 1 run at first, then the roof fell in on him in the 5th. He gives up 2 homeruns and before you know it it's a 7-5 game. The Mets hitters went to sleep, the Phillies tied the game because of another bull-pen fiasco and they lose in 13 innings. Where have we seen that play out before?

The next night the Mets had Santana pitching and things weren't much better. Johan didn't have his shutdown stuff but kept the Mets in the game. He left trailing 3-1 but was bailed out by Delgado. Carlos hit 2 solo HRs to tie the game. In the 8th inning Mighty Murphy hit a ball into the right field corner of "Lights Out" Lidge to score the go ahead run. The Mets then scored two insurance runs and Ayala closed out the game. If not for Stokes bailing out Johan, and Smith and Feliciano holding the lead, it could have been a disaster. The Mets would have been 1.5 games behind Phillie, not .5 games ahead.

The Phillies have been losing to the Cubs as the Mets watch their lead grow in the division. Friday's game was another cardiac event. After trailing most of the game, the Mets actually got some production from Beltran. At one time in the 9th inning, the Mets were down to their last strike before the rally started. Castillo got a hit, David walked, and Delgado was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Tailing 2-1 in the 9th inning, Beltran hits the 1st pitch thrown from Gregg, and hits a grandslam to put the Mets ahead 5-2. Then the fun started again. Ayala comes into close the game, and needless to say it was nerve racking to say the least. Why is it always so hard to get the last out in an inning or game? Ayala got the job done [he later complained of a sore groin] but it was interesting and he owes the save to Murphy in left field. On a drive by Canto down the line, Murphy used his 3rd base skills to keep the tying run from scoring. He hustled to cut off the ball and threw it on the run [as he was headed towards the foul line] to Jose' and held the runner at 3rd base. He leaped and threw the ball all in one motion just as if he was throwing a ball from 3rd to 1st base. It probably saved the game.

All these cardiac events wouldn't be needed if the team could score a few more runs in the middle innings. They score with regularity in the 1st inning or 2 but then the bats go silent all too frequently. If the Starters can continue to go deeper into games, it will make life easier on all of us. But, the hitters need to score more runs. Nobody is doing the job very well in the middle innings, and it's not a new situation. All year long the Mets have been stranding runners in scoring position. Of the 30 HRs hit by Delgado, only 1 has come after the 7th inning. David, Beltran, Easley, Tatis, have all left runners on the bases and it's got to change.

The Mets and Big Pelf need to take care of the Fish tonight. The Phillies are beating the Cubs and the Fish have hopes of staying in the race. A win tonight will get the monkey off Mike's back and keep the Phillies 2 game behind the Mets. With the Brewers coming up Monday, the Mets need all the cushion they can get.

Mets in Troubling Times

Hello again everyone. I have one question to ask all of you before we get into the baseball chatter. Where the heck is Guinness hiding? He hasn't posted here in over a week and I'm starting to worry. It's not like him to miss chances to send digs, jabs and backhanded comments my way. LOL.

Ok, now on to the business of the Mets. Unless you have all been hiding it's been kind of a mixed bag around Shea lately. I'll deal with the bad first and then hope to end on a positive note if possible. LOL.

The bad can be summed up in three phrases. God awful bull-pen, lousy situational hitting, injuries that could change the season.

I called into the SNY show "Loudmouths" today and actually got on the air. Now seeing that the outrageous tends to get on the air, and the sane don't, I stated what I've felt for awhile and I'm sure others have too. I told them that if I never saw Heilman, Sanchez, or Feliciano in a Mets uniform again it wouldn't hurt my feelings. I ment it then and I mean it now. They suck, and can't be relied on. If it's not one of them screwing up, it's the other. The only way to solve it it to get rid of them. Send them to AAA, trade them, do something besides take away wins in NY. I told Schein and Carlon I wanted Neise, Parnell, Figgy, and Kunz in NY. Neise would fill Maine's spot in the rotation, Parnell and Figgy could pitch out of the pen, and Kunz could team with Wagner and Ayala to close games out. Of coarse they went crazy, but them did agree Neise and Kunz should be called up.

The hitting at times is also God Awful. The Mets had longs streaks of hitless innings against the Astros, including ones of 20 batters, 15 batters, and 13 batters without a hit of any kind. It's hard enough to beat bad teams hitting like that but it's damned near impossible to beat any decent team when not hitting for those prolonged stretches. This isn't something new either. The Mets despite scoring the most runs in MLB in the 1st inning, and being one of the highest scoring teams in MLB, have been doing this all season. Beltran will never be the player he should be. He seems entirely too meek and too entirely happy to be a .270 hitter for his career. Delgado is streaky to say the least. Just when you think he should have a day off, he goes 5-5 or drives in 6 runs like tonight. Jose' and David are also streaky, but in different ways. David may not look like he's doing much at times, but he's hitting over .290, and has 99RBI with an OBP of over .380. His problem is that sometimes all too frequently he doesn't get that hit in the middle innings to drive in some insurance runs. Reyes before tonight was hitting .188 this home stand. He takes too many pitches down the middle and swings at pitches near his eyes. Sometimes I wonder if he's concentrating as well as he should at the plate.

The injury news just keeps coming and doesn't seem to stop. The latest news is that John Maine is back on the DL and probably won't see the mound again this season. As I've been saying for some time in John's defense, he's been pitching hurt for most of the season. I know from personal experience with bone spurs, that they don't form overnight. I'll guarantee that John left spring training with them and that they caused his rotator cuff strain. John's a tough pitcher and is never one to complain, and I bet he changed something in his delivery because of the bone spur and that caused his rotator cuff issue. I now how much Guinness and others love to bash John, but this latest news goes to my point about him playing hurt, and not being destined for the pen due to lack of talent. If you believe as I and others do, the return of Castillo from the DL is not welcome news. He may be healthier now, but he did nothing in this game to prove he deserves to play over Easley or A. Reyes. Some old Castillo. Trying to bunt in the 1st inning, striking out, and not making a difference at the plate or in the field.

The positive can be summed up in 3 words. Defense, Starting pitching.

Pelfrey and the rest of the starting staff have been great. Big Pelf tonight became the 1st pitcher since Brett Saberhagen [13 yrs ago] to pitch back to back complete game wins. Santana and Pedro are pitching great and Johan is continuing his habit of being lights out in the second half. Pedro is pitching deeper into games and has dropped his ERA almost 2 runs this month. Ollie is also doing his best to keep the Mets in games and rarely shows the helter-skelter pitcher he was early this season. Maine had even managed to pitch 10 innings without giving up a run before Saturday's game. Even with a compromised Maine the Mets have the best staff in the NL if not all MLB. They'll need to be on the top of their game in the coming weeks. With the Phillies, Marlins, Brewers, and Cubs all in the Mets future it's not going to get easier. With the pen collapsing every other game, If I was a starter, I wouldn't come out of the game unless my arm was falling off. Ollie said so much today. I read a quote from him saying that the starters are going to have to throw 150 pitches if they want to win games.

The other thing that's been stellar is the defense. I believe the Mets have now gone 30 games and only committed 4 errors in that stretch. David Wright is headed for his 2nd Gold Glove award. He only has 13 errors and is looking more and more like a Robin Ventura clone at 3rd base. He makes the barehanded plays with boring regularity and gobbles up everything else. His throws are better and rarely does Delgado need to move off the bag anymore. Reyes also is headed for his 1st Gold Glove. Ever since Castillo went away, Jose' has shined in the field. Whether it was Castillo causing the problems, or the fact that Jose' got to play with his friend Argenis, who knows. But the fact is that Jose' has stepped it up and deserves the Gold Glove for his work in the field this year. Delgado is playing a more effective in the field, and the kids Evans and Murphy are holding their own in left field too.

So, there is reason for hope this upcoming week or so. If the Mets can get some better hitting in the middle innings, and keep the pen playing cards we may all be better off. The Mets didn't get any help from the club managed by "The Greatest Manager Ever", so now they face the Phillies with only a half game lead. Time for the Mets to man up and put the Phillies down these to games, and to break their necks. Don't let them have a hope and beat them until they are nothing but a stain on the stadium grass. No more messing around, time to show the Phillies who's division this is.

Big Pelf Becomes a Stud

I've been watching the braves series with great interest due to the teams past historys. All too often the Mets dreams of titles and post-season glory have been dashed by the Braves. Not this year though. The Braves are a shadow of their former selves, and Jerry's kids are playing the best baseball of the season.

The biggest reason for the Mets lastest success is the starting pitching. They are the best rotation in MLB and Big Pelf is a major reason why. When the team is devoid of a closer the Starters have to take the ball and shut down the opposition. Big Pelf won his team leading 12th game Wednesday and threw his 1st complete game of his career. Not bad for someone that all the experts said was a 2nd tier pitcher at best. And to think that if Mike hadn't been so bad last year, the twins would have him now. The Mets offered him to the twins for Johan, but the Twinkies said no thanks. Remember also that Omar and Witless Willie insisted that Hernandez was their starting pitcher. The only reason Mike was starting the season in AAA was because on El Duque's bunyon. Thank God for old tired pitchers. LOL. I shudder to think what this season would be like with El Duque in the rotation, and not Big Pelf.

I've always like young talent over old worn out talent, and the Mets are winning this year because of their young talent. Big Pelf, Maine, Perez, Johan, Murphy, the Reyes brothers, David, Evans, and Smith are all under 30 and winning games for the Mets. The 6'7" Pelfrey stands above them all and shows why he will be a star in the league for years to come.

Rumblings in NY

This last week has seen the Mets go 6-1 on a road trip thru Washington and Pittsburgh, but not all is well in Mudville.

Yesterday afternoon we all have heard the news of what could be the torpedo that sinks the Mets season. Billy Wagner's elbow is swollen and he's been shut down indefinitely. The MRI Tuesday didn't reveal any damage it the elbow, but it's so swollen they may not get a good reading of the situation. For all the Billy Haters out there, you've been getting a small dose of what the bull-pen is like without him there closing games, and now you're going to get a much bigger dose of it. After watching another Sanchez meltdown Monday, nobody can have any faith in Duaner.

Also Monday we all have heard from the Horses mouth himself, that John is pitching hurt and has been for awhile. Every time he goes to the mound he has pain in his shoulder. They doubt it will get better this year but it isn't getting worse. Despite the pain he pitched well enough to keep the Mets in the game, but the pen gave up 5 runs in the loss to the Pirates. He pitched 5 innings and gave up no runs and only 2 hits. You could tell he was hurting because his velocity was only hitting 88-90 on his fastball. John also said that he's going to be limited to 5 innings no matter how many pitches he throws.

With the 6-1 road trip there are other issues of worry too. The offense is struggling to score runs and it can be laid at the feet of a few people. Carlos Delgado is back to his old ways, and Tatis and Beltran are struggling too. Delgado's average has fallen 20 points in just 2 weeks, and Beltran doesn't do much at the plate. Tatis is slumping and his average is down under .300, and Easley has grounded into 4 inning killing double plays in just 2 games [Sunday and Monday]. With the shaky pen and the uncertain return of Billy, the offense needs to score early and often. If the Mets are winning games by 3 or more runs going into the late innings, it makes it easier for the pen to no implode.

One group that can't be blamed for the Mets scoring troubles are the youngsters. Murphy continues to hit over .400, Evans is a doubles machine and gets better every game, and Argenis Reyes gets on base and to every ball hit anywhere near him. Where would the Mets be without the B-Mets carrying a large load the last Month? Third place? Second place? certainly not in 1st. They continue to prove they belong and deserve every compliment they get.

The starting pitching has been stellar even with John's bum shoulder. They are the best rotation in baseball now and always give the Mets a chance to win the games. But, the pitchers need runs too. They also need a pen they can rely on and someone to close the games out. Ayala pitched well in a tough spot last night and Maybe Heilman can keep his head on straight for the next few weeks and act as a de-facto closer. Until Billy returns things will be interesting and fans will continue to consider Rolaids a food group.

Mets Continue Battering Oppostion

Since Monday's bull-pen meltdown in Shea by the Mets, they have proceeded to beat the Nats 3 straight and stand one one away from beating the Pirates 4 straight. They've done all this with great starting pitching, stellar defense, and timely hitting.

The bull-pen continues to be an adventure and will be so for awhile longer. Billy isn't ready to return and the Mets traded for Ayala. Granted he came cheaply enough [Anderson Hernandez], but he's 1-8 with an ERA over 5.70. Is this really the answer to the bull-pen question? It's bad enough that the Mets have a pen full of headcases and tired arms, why bring in another one? I guess we'll have to see if he can help, or if he hurts. Leave it to Omar to bring in another one of his former players off the scrap heap for reclamation.

The defense continues to shine during this winning streak. Although there was an error in today's game the Mets have been catching and stopping every ball hit their way lately. The Reyes boys are in a league of their own. Since Jerry's hiring Jose's defense has been exponentially better and he could win the gold glove this year. Argenis Reyes is also sparkling in the field. He has the range and glove that has been sorely lacking earlier this year. He hasn't committed and error yet, and has even saved a game or two with his glove and mobility. Beltran continues to catch anything hit in the outfield, and even the B-Mets tandem of Murphy and Evans have been doing steady work in left.

The offense is the offense we as fans expected this spring when the season started. Wright and Jose' are doing their best to split the MVP vote, and the kids produce on a regular basis. A. Reyes is always in the middle of things [.280 ave.], Murphy continues to hit[.415], drive in runs[9 RBI in 41 ABs] and draw walks [8], and Evans is becoming a steady player. Castro when healthy continues to hit, and Schneider is turning on baseballs once again. Tatis is surprising no one anymore. He continues to hover around .300 and has 38 RBI in only 216 ABs. If he played the whole year, he be on pace to drive in over 80 runs. Not bad for someone who hadn't played in '04-'05. He has so many 2 strike big hits I shudder to think where the Mets would be without him. Delgado has settled down some since July, but he is no longer the automatic out he was for almost a year. Beltran has put up decent numbers but isn't the player he should be. All too often he fails to drive in runs when needed and seems to be content to hit around .270 for his career.

With all the issues with the offense, the team still finds ways to score. They have scored first in 19 of their last 21 games on the road. They did it today again. The biggest concern is their inability to consistently add on runs in the late innings. They are being outscored by over 80 runs in the 8th inning on. Without the extra runs, the pen has a habit of coughing up the lead if care isn't taken. Jerry has tried to mix and match the relievers and somehow is keeping things together. With Ryan Church's rehab going well in New Orleans, maybe his impending return will help solve some of those issues with runs and the pen.

Overall it's been a good week to be a Mets Fan. The Phillies and Marlins are starting to sink in the standings, and the Mets have a different hero every night. With another week or two of baseball like this, the division could be close to being settled. As the Mets beat up on the weaker teams, the Fish and Phillies play the better teams in the league and fall farther behind the Mets. Don't you like the schedule now? LOL.

Has Jerry Seen the Light?

While at work today I listened as the Mets took care of business as they should. They jumped out to an early lead on the strength of David's bat and good pitching from Pedro. Then every Mets fan's nightmare once again was replayed. The starter left with a lead, the Pen did it's usual worst, and the Mets once again lose to a sub .500 team.

Once again Feliciano, Heilman, Schoeneweis can't throw strikes and give away the game. The only target they seem capable of hitting is the batter. Both Heilman and Feliciano hit batters and they gave up critical runs and lost the game. Scotty boy then comes in to try to clean up Heilman's mess, and gives up a bases loaded hit that scores 2 runs and seals the defeat. I'm so sick of seeing the same old bullshit pitchers doing the same old shit I've had it. If it was up to me, Heilman, Feliciano, Schoeneweis, Sanchez, would never see another game in a Mets uniform. Send them to the minors, trade them, or release them. They all suck and have proven scores of times that they can't do the job of getting outs when needed.

I think Jerry has finally had it too. In his post-game news conference he said changes will be made and things can not continue as they have been. When asked if he had confidence in the bull-pen, he said he had confidence in the team. Not exactly an ringing endorsement about the pen. I do believe we will finally see Eddie Kunz closing games after today. A reporter asked Jerry if today's game means he will now look to Eddie to close games. Jerry said he'd seriously have to consider it. He said he didn't want to but he may not have any other choice. Eddie has pitched pretty well in his limited innings here in NY. He gave up a HR in his 2nd game and had a run score on a wild pitch the other day. Personally, I don't call it a wild pitch when the ball hits the pocket of the catcher's mitt, but isn't caught. I call that a passed ball. Either way Eddie certainly can't do any worse than the current bums trying to close games and get late inning outs.

If Eddie does indeed start closing games until Billy's return, he needs an entry song. Billy uses "Enter the Sandman", so Eddie needs a nasty song to enter the stadium to and to get the fans pumped up. I've been a Heavy Metal fan as long as I've been following music and I have a great song for Eddie to use. "You've got Another Thing Coming" by Judas Priest would be a 100% kick ass song for a big hard throwing closer to enter to. Check it out.

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/judas+priest/youve+got+another+thing+comin_20076024.html

I've seen Priest in concert twice and this song is an absolute head banging, fist pumping, get you charged up song and I can't think of anything better for Eddie to enter to. What do you out there think? Wouldn't you love to be in Shea when this song blast thru the P.A. system and Eddie does his Wild Thing Strut out to the mound? Lets here your thoughts and suggestions.

Mighty Murphy Muscles the Mets Past Marlins

Friday morning, in an e-mail to the Local sports talk radio program, I said all Murphy needed was a HR to finish off his week and get the Mets going against the Fish. Well, he was a day late but he delivered none the less. Get out the cape and paint a big red "S" on his chest because Daniel Murphy is turning into "Superman" at the plate.

With a shaky bull-pen and spot starts by retread pitchers, the Mets knew they would need to score runs this weekend to put some distance between them and the Fish in the standings. The Wizard of Ollie cast a spell over the Marlins on Friday night and David Wright provided all the offense needed. His 2 run HR in his 1st AB set the tone and allowed Ollie to do his thing. Murphy continued to hit the ball and Heilman did the unthinkable. A perfect 6 out save to seal the win.

If anyone out there is still wishing for the days of Willie and Rickey you need professional help. Dan Warthen has been a blessing to this team and has Big Pelf's endorsement. I read an article earlier this week that had Big Pelf basically blasting Rickey for trying to make every one of the pitchers the same. What kind of pitching coach tells a pitcher to "never throw that pitch again"? Mike says Dan uses the pitchers abilities to the utmost and doesn't dismiss comments or suggestions from the pitchers. Who are the 2 biggest surprises this season in the rotation? Big Pelf and Ollie. Both pitchers were stifled and belittled by Rickey's comments to them. Since the firing they both have become dominating on the mound and someone to count on in the big game. It's amazing what a little confidence and encouragement will do for a player.

In last night's game the team was counting on Brian Stokes to give them a chance and he did just that. He pitched well and showed surprising velocity on his fastball. I saw 98 MPH on a few pitches and consistently saw 92-95 MPH. He had a very good slider and spotted it well most of the night. His only mistakes were leaving 2 pitches in the wrong spots for 2 very dangerous hitters. Those pitches were promptly parked over the fences and ended Brian's night after 5.3 innings. Then the hero came to the rescue.

Daniel Murphy is that hero. Called off the bench to pinch-hit with the Mets clinging to a 5-4 lead and one runner on base, he did as all "Super Heroes" do. Once Murphy was announced as the hitter, the Fish brought in Pinto the left-hander to face the rookie. Well the rookie continued to add to his growing legend. After working the count, Mighty Murphy blasted an opposite field 2 run HR to give the Mets the lead for good. He hit the back wall hard enough to have the ball bounce back into the field and now has another souvenir for the trophy case. The fans at Shea have fallen in love with the Young slugger and cheered for his appearance on the dugout steps. With some encouraging from Castro, Mighty Murphy stepped out of the dugout and tipped his helmet to the crowd as they roared their approval. Daniel [I like that name] continues to show a calm demeanor and maturity at the plate as his .500 average will attest to. If he continues to hit like he has, the Mets could have a star player for years to come.

The Carlos brothers even got in the HR act. Delgado hit a mammoth shot that cleared the bull-pen and Beltran hit one to the apple in center field. That was the first HR for Beltran in 82 ABs!!! He also had a 2 run double in the first. If Beltran can ever get to being a steady hitter in the line-up, it sure would make winning games a lot easier. His bat has been sorely missing all too often this year and that has been the source of many sleepless nights for Mets fans.

Today Big Pelf goes to the mound looking for the sweep of the Fish and his 11th win. Who would have thought in spring training that Big Pelf would be the team leader in wins and the most reliable starter in July and August. With a strong outing from Mike and some more support from Mighty Murphy the sweep is within reach and first place will soon be home to the Mets once again. I love the fact that the Mets are winning on the bat and arms of young hungry players. I hope Omar is paying attention. The future is now for the Mets and it rest with the youngsters, not old brittle players with fat contracts.

Wright and the Rookies Salvage the Day

Today listening to the game I was smiling while the Binghamton Boys proved they belong in NY and help to reinforce my trust in them. I've been a big proponent of getting the youngsters into the games and they've responded in Spades.

Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans were the stars today. They appear to continue the tradition of mid-season call-ups that have produced David Wright, Jose' Reyes and John Maine. [Granted Maine didn't come thru the system, but his call-up in July of '06 was a major factor in reaching the NLCS Game 7.]

Murphy is a hitting machine. He finished his 1st week in NY hitting .467. With his plate discipline and cool demeanor I see great things in his future. He hits the ball to all fields, works the pitcher, and never seems overwhelmed. His gap to gap power is sorely needed in the line-up and could be a difference maker in games to come. He continues to cover the field well and is no worse than Alou' in that regard. His speed isn't his strong suit, but he's no Ramon Castro on the bases either.

Nick Evans is not the power hitter that Murphy is capable of being but he too is producing in the field and at the plate. Today he made a critical play in the field to end the 8th inning and he drove in 2 runs with a Sac Fly and a single. It's too bad that the veterans on the Mets can't take a lesson from the kids. When all that's needed is a fly ball or a single to score a run, the Vets swing too hard, pop-up bunts, strike-out, or hit into Double plays.

Argenis Reyes didn't hit the ball out of the infield today, but he turned in sparkling plays in the field that help contain the Padres and limit the damage that could have been done. He has twice the range of Castillo, and never seems overwhelmed by the spotlight. As a bonus, he's hitting over .400 as a pinch hitter.

The efforts of the rookies were nearly wasted by the pen once again. Santana deserved the win but Scott Schoeneweis did his Heilman imitation by serving up another HR. Feliciano and Smith did well in limiting the bases loaded no out jam in the 8th inning. Why Kunz wasn't brought in to face the music in the 9th I don't know. What could he have done worse than Scott? Eddie hadn't given up a HR in over 4 years until last night. What were the chances of him doing that 2 nights in a row? I'd take Eddie over anyone else in that pen right now.

After Scotty boy tried to waste away another game it was left to the hitters to save the day. Chavez got a single, Reyes popped up a bunt to Bell, A. Reyes makes out #2 and then David came to the plate. After having a difficult series on the bases and not hitting the ball very well the last week or so, David went 3-5 with a walk off 2 run HR. He took a low outside slider and parked it over the fence in left field. Believe it or not, that was the first walk off HR of David's career in baseball not just MLB.

The offense was disappointing this series but managed to win 2 of 3 from the lowly Padres. Now they face the Marlins and need to play better than the last time they went "fishing". If Murphy and Evans continue to improve, and the Carlos brothers can get off the snide, the Mets could draw closer to the division lead before the weekend is over. All Murphy needs now is a HR to go with his doubles, triple, and singles this week. I'm hoping he hits one out to set the tone and get the Mets jumping on the Fish.

Season on the Brink

If you've been living under a rock the last week or so, there are major issues at a critical time for the Mets. These issues could very well determine the outcome of the Mets season.

The most critical injury is to Billy Wagner. Regardless of what all the Billy haters out there think, he's the most important player on the Mets and his absence for the next 2 weeks could sink the Mets. I shudder to think of "Grandslam" Heilman or "The Nibbler" Sanchez as the closer until Billy's return. It takes a certain mentality to be a closer, and they don't have it. What's equally troubling is the fact that Jerry Manuel has mentioned a "closer by committee" plan of action. I feel the closer duties should go to the only guy on the staff who's a proven closer. Eddie Kunz is that man. All 6'6" 265 pounds of him says closer. On the pre-game show Lee Mazzilli said Kunz can't close because there are other guys in the pen who've been there longer. That's Bull. That's why Lee isn't being employed as a manager now. The best guy for the job should be doing the job, not the guy that's been there the longest!!!! Kunz has been a closer for years and he's built for the job. He could be the Mets version of Joba Chamberlain. There's a saying you may have heard of, "young, dumb, and full of ___." What that means is that someone is too young to be scared or to know any better. Give Kunz the ball and watch the batters fall.

The other injuries to Maine, Castro, Anderson, and Church are also troubling but to different degrees. Maine's absence puts even more strain on a shaky pen. Castro's sore ankle in itself isn't a big deal, but knowing Castro's injury history and his habit of healing slowly, it could be a factor too. Anderson was struggling all season and it made you wonder if his hamstring tendon ever healed correctly. Church is the wild card. With his concussion, and the general lack of rehabilitation protocol in baseball, you just don't know when he'll return. That's a shame too. His bat is sorely needed and he played the outfield with great skill. If he can return soon, he just may be the offensive spark the team needs for the stretch run through September.

With all the injuries this is the time we as fans need the young kids to step it up and prove that they belong. Omar wouldn't trade them for other players before the trade deadline so it's imperative that they contribute to the team. Murphy is proving to be a budding hitter and can even make a play or two in the field. He, Evans, Kunz, Pelfrey, Reyes and Wright are the future and the present and will be tested in the weeks to come. Lets all say a prayer before bed and maybe the sun will come up and shine on the Mets.

The Roadtrip From Hell

Lets see if this sound familiar. 6 games ago the Mets were in 1st place and they were headed for Florida and then Houston. Six games later the Mets are 3 games back, and in 3rd place. Where have he seen this before? It seems like every season the Mets have to suffer the same old story.


If being in third place because of a 4 game losing streak wasn't bad enough, the injuries to critical people are starting to pile up. John Maine goes on the DL to heal his shoulder and free up a spot in the bull-pen. And why you ask is an extra arm in the pen needed? Because nobody in the pen can be trusted to close games except for Billy, AND HE'S HURT !!!!! So with Wagner's injury, the Mets wouldn't have a closer if Eddie Kunz hadn't been called up. Placing John Maine on the DL was more about getting a closer [Kunz] to NY than resting John. The Mets season could very well be resting on the broad 21 year old shoulders of Eddie. If Wagner goes on the DL, the Mets and we fans will be looking to Kunz and his strong right arm to save the season. His 96 MPH sinking fastball will come in handy and his closer's mentality is sorely missing from anyone else in the bull-pen. Sanchez and Heilman are headcases, and Schoeneweis and Feliciano are reverting to their helter-skelter selves.


As good as Reyes hit in Houston, that series proved who was the most valuable member of the Mets. That person is David Wright. Since his latest slump, the Mets have had problems scoring runs even when Delgado is hitting. I've said it before and I'll say it again. When David hits, the Mets win games. When he doesn't hit, they struggle to score. The starting pitchers are doing their jobs, but the Mets are not scoring when needed. All the SNY "Daily News Live" crew can't understand why the Mets lost in Houston with Reyes getting 11 hits there. It's simple, Reyes getting on base means nothing if David isn't hitting. Guinness and others worship at the alter of Jose', but David is the more important player. The stats prove it out. David hits well over .300 when the Mets win, and under .200 when they lose. Without David hitting the ball, Reyes gets stuck on base looking for a hit from someone. How many times on this road trip did the Mets leave the bases loaded and not score ANY RUNS !!!!! 5 times? 6 times? More than 6? A hit in any of those instances would have turned losses into wins.


If there is anything to be hopeful for it's the play of the youngsters. Evans and Murphy will share duties in left field. Both did a good job in Houston with that weird wacky wall in left field. Murphy had an outfield assist in Saturday's game, and Evans threw out 2 runners at 2nd base in Sunday's game. With Kunz in the pen and Neise maybe getting the start Friday or Saturday, we should be getting a good look at the future of the team. With any luck, they can shine a little light on a gloomy situation in NY.

POST DRAFT THOUGHTS

I unlike most Mets fans am glad that Omar didn’t make any trades before the non-waiver deadline. All too often Omar overpays for marginal players. If the Mets need bull-pen help, call up Eddie Kunz. He’s the closer to be, and the time under Billy’s arm will do him good for next year when he’s the 8th inning set-up man and 2010 when he’s closing. If they need a starter, call up Neise. Neise in his 1st game in AAA pitched 7 innings and gave up only 1 run. If a Bat is needed, call up Murphy or Carp. Both are hitting over .300 and play the infield or outfield.

If the Mets are looking for an experienced Major League pitcher, Freddie Garcia is a free-agent and pitching this week for a job. He’s healthy now and won’t cost the Mets half the farm system to sign. It’s become evident that other MLB Gm’s don’t like to deal with Omar unless they have no choice. This is evident in the double standard of players needed. The Redsox gave away 2 bum players to get Jason Bay, and the Mets were being asked to trade major players. So in light of the price needed by the Mets to get anyone, I’ll take my chances on the kids in AA and AAA.


What do you all think? Should Omar have signed someone? If so who, and at what price?

Fish Fry Mets

What started out as a possible chance to put some distance between the Mets and their division rivals has done just the opposite. The Mets lost 2-3 in Miami and are now a half game behind the Phillies with the Marlins close behind.

The Wizard of Ollie did his job Tuesday while Delgado continues to punish baseballs and drive in runs. Ollie went 6.2 innings and allowed only the 1 run on a night where he didn't have his best outing. He worked thru the night and gave the bull-pen a 1 run lead to hold and protect. Heilman stepped it up and allowed nothing and handed the ball the Billy the Kid. Wagner proceeded to set the fish down 1-2-3 while striking out 2 of the 3 hitters he faced. I guess Guinness and others will allow Billy to keep his job for another day or two.

Beltran had an RBI and David drove in his 83rd run in the 1st inning. Nick Evans had 2 hits and scored two runs, and Delgado drove his 23rd HR over the right-center field fence in the 8th inning to extend the lead to 4-1. Delgado should be player of the month after the July he's had. I doubt even Guinness figured he'd have this kind of month.

Last nights game had Big Pelf going to the mound and hoping to keep his dominance over the last month intact. No such luck. Mike was hammered early and often by the fish. I didn't like the game plan that Schneider had Mike working to. The Marlins are a free swinging HR hitting team. That to me would mean they would be all over Mike's fastballs unless Mike mixed it up some. But, Brian had him throwing mostly fastballs and the Mets paid for it. With a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the 4th it looked like a pitchers duel was in the works. But, the baseballs started flying all over the field and off the walls with regularity against Mike. 2 triples and 4 doubles later, the Fish had 5 runs on the board and the Mets were cooked. Muniz came in and pitched well in the 5th and 6th innings, but the Fish added 2 more runs against Joe Smith and put the game out of reach. Easley hit a 3 run pinch-hit HR to get the Mets to 5-4 but they couldn't get to the Marlins before the last out was recorded. With the tying runs on base, Reyes flied out and the game was over. So the Mets continued to fight back, but ultimately they fell short.

Now they have an off day and Pedro pitches in Houston on Friday. He'll be on a pitch count so he needs to be conservative with his pitches. If he runs a lot of deep counts, he'll never get out of the 4th inning. That could mean a long night for the pen and the fans in Houston. If Pedro pitches ok, there will be no need to pitch Maine on Sunday, and risk injuring his shoulder again. With 10 days off, John should be able to rest his arm and come out slinging with no problems.

Maine Leaves Hurt, and Bull-Pen Blows Up

What started out as a good outing soon left a bad taste in my mouth. John Maine was pitching a good game and breezed through the 1st 4 innings, then something happened in the 5th inning.

Before recording the 1st out of the inning, all hell broke lose with the trainers and coaching staff running out to the mound and surrounding John. They all were worried about something. After throwing a couple of pitches to the catcher, they left and John went back to pitching. He threw one pitch, and the baseball was promptly parked in the seats in right field. After Nolasco's long fly ball to Chavez, that was the end of John's night. Come to find out later, John has had a stiff shoulder for a few weeks now. Dan Warthen and Jerry were worried about John hurting something else because he started changing his delivery during the game. They don't seem to think there is anything major going on, they were just being careful. Somehow I bet Guinness is jumping up and down celebrating this latest set back for John. He's bound and determined to make John a reliever and I'm sure he'll say this proves something. The only thing it proves to me is that John isn't a wimp, and wanted to pitch and stay in the game because he knew it was important. John has proven to have a bulldog personality and sometimes that isn't good for him. I heard that he was barking at Warthen about being pulled. I like that fight in players, but sometimes it's better to error on the side of caution.

If that wasn't bad enough, the bull-pen blew up again. Muniz did ok but surrendered the lead and left after 1.2 innings and a tied game. Pedro got out of the 6th inning, Sanchez made it thru the 7th inning, then Smith and Schoeneweis promptly gave up 5 runs in the 8th and the game was over. The Mets never threatened to score any runs and the Marlins pen held the lead. Now the Mets are only .5 games ahead of the Phillies, and 1 game ahead of the Fish.

Ollie goes tonight and hopes to stop the bleeding and extend the Mets lead in the division. No one ever said beating the Marlins would be easy, but it needs to be done. They may have great HR hitting abilities, but the Mets should be able to exploit their pitching. If the Mets bull-pen doesn't improve, it will be the Mets pitching that gets exploited not the Marlins.

Mets Pluck Cardinals

In between thunderstorms and hail this weekend I actually managed to watch/listen to the Mets play the Cardinals. While Saturday's lose was disappointing, the fight and tenacity of the Mets was good to see. Sunday's game just reaffirmed that they are not the team of Witless Willie.

All too often during the dark days of Willies tenure, the Mets would just roll over and die if they fell behind early in a game. They did anything but that Saturday. After Knight's rough 1st inning, the Mets settled into a 14 inning slug fest. Tatis had another late inning home run to tie the score, and Delgado had two home runs earlier in the game. Jose' had his 12th home run of the year also and everybody seemed into the game. The rally caps were out in force all night and things just didn't work out as hoped. Heilman working in his 3rd inning of relief left a pitch over the middle of the plate, and Phat Albert parked it in the bleachers. Heilman was the last pitcher in the pen, and Perez would have come into the game if it went any longer. Even in the lose there were good things about this game that bode well for the future of this team. They never gave up, and the team really seems to be jelling as a whole. They are well on their way to becoming the best team in the NL.

In Sunday's game it was the Johan Santana show. On a day when a classic Ace pitching display was needed, Johan didn't let the team down. He pitched like an ACE and never let the Cardinals into the game. Tatis, Castro, and David once again went deep into the bleachers. David now has 82 RBI and is third in the league. Beltran made a great catch in center field to rob a HR and even had an RBI and hit. The Mets never trailed and never allowed the Redbirds to even think they had a chance. Johan knew the pen was spent and he needed to deep into the game. He pitched the first complete game for the Mets since 2006 and only gave up 6 hits. His lone mistake was giving up a home run to Phat Albert. The man can plain hit the ball. The fans were chanting Johan's name during the 8th and 9th inning and gave him a stand ovation as he left the field. He tipped his cap and the crowd roared it's approval. This was the kind of game so many fans hoped for when Santana was traded to the Mets. The dominating pitching that only an ACE can deliver. With an extra day of rest before his next start, Johan should be ready to continue his 2nd half surge and push the Mets to another Division title.

Now the Mets head for Florida and their second home. The Mets own the Marlins in Florida and hope to continue to trend towards total domination of the division. A sweep would be nice, but may not be possible with all the HR bats in the Marlins line-up. Here's to another successful road trip and a larger lead in the standings.

Jerry's Miracle Mets Reclaim Division Lead

Back in May this very same team was left for dead. Since the firing of Witless Willie this team is playing with confidence and purpose. The players may be the same, but the results are completely different. What Jerry Manuel has managed to do in a little over a month is a miracle. If anyone out there needed any more proof that Willie Randolph wasn't the man for this job, they must be related to Willie.

In today's game the Wizard of Ollie showed up and cast a spell over the Phillies for 7.2 innings. His only walk was an intentional one to Burrell in the 8th, and he struck out 12. Ollie is focused and pitching like a man possessed. Dan Warthen deserves loads of credit for not trying to stifle Ollie's personality. Dan listened to Ollie and worked with him to channel his energy in one direction towards the plate. The result is a confident and dominating pitcher on the mound.

Jerry and Dan have also worked on the pen and on Mike Pelfrey to improve their efforts. Tuesday's meltdown not withstanding, the pen has pitched well except for Pedro Feliciano. The defined roles seem to be agreeing with everyone but Pedro, and that may make him expendable for a trade.

The biggest change the last month or so is in Delgado. He's hitting over .400 for the month and has fought his way back to the 4th spot. It's clearly evident that Carlos had issues with Willie, or vise verse. During the whole Willie death watch Carlos was strangely silent in his support of Willie. If Carlos giving up on Willie and tuning him out helped to lead to Willie's firing, then we all owe Carlos a thank you. Working with HoJo, Carlos is becoming the power hitter the Mets have needed for months now. He's laying off the inside pitches and using all areas of the field. Today's game winning hit was a line drive into the left field corner that scored the deciding 2 runs. Beltran is not a clean-up/power hitter, and seems overwhelmed at the plate at times. There is something really wrong with a clean-up hitter that lays down bunts instead of swinging away. When Ryan comes back, I wouldn't be surprised to see Beltran hitting in the 6th hole. It seemed to help Delgado, maybe it will help Beltran.

Now the Cardinals come to town and they have to face the Big Pelf. Mike has been great the last month or so and needs to come up big in this game. I look forward to seeing Mike shatter lots of Maple bats and keep the heat on the Phillies. Who pitches Saturday is a bigger question. The last I heard is that Brandon Knight [who's on the Olympic team] would be called up. He's 5-1 with and ERA of 1.60. Other possible pitchers are Neise from AA and Stokes from AAA. From what I hear, Knight [who was in the Yankee system] is tearing up the AAA circuit. Wouldn't it be nice to see him pitch a shutout for 7-8 innings and rub it in the Yankees faces?

Billy The Kid Comes Thru For Maine and the Mets

Not that I like to gloat or anything, but the end of this game is what should have happened last night. Billy is worth every penny paid to him, and tonight he proved it. What was an impossible job for Sanchez and Feliciano last night, was a walk in the park for Wagner. Closing games out is as much a mental job, as a physical job. Billy proves time and again that he's the warrior that's needed in the closer's job, not Sanchez or Pedro.

My Maine man John came thru like he's known to do. He's the stopper on the team and needed a good game after struggling the last 4 starts. John is 6-1 this year after Mets loses, and the team is 7-2 when he starts after a team loss. He's also the only Mets pitcher to be undefeated in his 1st 9 starts against the Phillies. He's 5-0 with an ERA under 2.40 in his starts against the Phillies. Not a bad record for someone that "doesn't have an out pitch". He attacked the strike zone, went 7 strong innings, and left with the lead thanks to a long homerun from Jose' in the 6th. John is such a perfectionist that he's often too hard on himself while pitching. He looked much more relaxed on the mound and never seemed to get frustrated with his pitching. Ron Darling commented during the game that John is very much like he was when he came into the league. Ron was often told that he was too hard on himself. If John can be a pitcher like Darling was for the Mets, I think we'll all be happy with that.

The offense did enough but still has a habit of leaving runners on base. Jose' had the deciding HR, Delgado was on base 4 times, David walked twice and singled while scoring 2 runs, and Easley had a couple of hits too. Why Marlon Anderson continues to start in left field is beyond me. He's helpless at the plate and left men on base all night. Schneider got off the skids too with 2 hard hits, and kept every pitch in front of him. I really look forward to the return of Ryan Church. He's so important to this offense. With his big bat, the Mets should be able to add another run or 2 to their average during August and September.

Schoeneweis and Smith picked up the 8th inning and did it in convincing fashion. They seem to be the most reliable relievers now. Feliciano's head is messed up. He's doing now what Heilman did in May and June. He looks like a deer in the headlights when he's out on the mound. Sanchez is the biggest puzzle. For a few games he'll look good, then he'll look god awful the next few. I hope the Wizard of Ollie shows up tomorrow, and not Ollie the fool. The Mets need 7 strong innings from Ollie and then hope that someone doesn't blow-up the game in the 8th. If Billy can go again tomorrow, the Mets have a good chance to win the series and send Philly home in second place.

I Hope All the Billy Wagner Haters are Happy Now

Well, what can I say about this game? For all the grief and complaining about Billy Wagner, I guarantee that he saves this game and the Mets are in 1st place. So for all the people out there that hate Billy and think he's no better than Armando Benitez, shut the f_ck up and be careful what you wish for.

As I've said on this blog and on other blog's, Sanchez is not fit to be the closer. That was proven tonight beyond a shadow of doubt. He's not the same pitcher he was in '06, and he's been spotty at best this year. I've also said that I don't trust Feliciano and shudder when ever he comes into the game. If I was Santana, I wouldn't come out of the game unless I couldn't throw the ball at all. The pen has now blown 3 wins for him and he could have won this game. The problem is that everyone is worried about the $137 million dollar arm. I don't think 105 pitches was too many heading into the 9th inning, but then again I didn't see Johan fighting very hard to go back out.

I've also said time and again that Jose' Reyes is not the Messiah that Guinness and others proclaim him to be. Another lousy night at the plate, another costly mental error in the field, and Jimmy Rollins standing at 2nd base after driving in 2 more runs in the 9th inning. The difference between a good player and a great player is what they do when the chips are down. Rollins is a great player, Jose' is a good player. Rollins can draw to an inside straight, and all Jose' can do is draw a pair of deuces.

Some Mets fans are always clamoring for Chavez should start more games. Well, the bloom and petals fell off that rose and turned to fertilizer. He made three costly base running blunders, and then allowed Taguchi's routine fly ball to go over his head in the 9th inning to score the winning runs. He didn't run to 3rd base on an easy triple, and then he was thrown out at the plate twice, WITH NO OUTS !!!! I don't know who the bigger goat is this game. Chavez, Sanchez, or Feliciano?

The bottom line here is that you should be careful what you wish for. Too many people bash Billy Wagner and praise Sanchez and Chavez. After this game we all know who's the most valuable player on this team is. It's not Jose', Sanchez, or Chavez. It's Billy "The KID" Wagner. With him the Mets win games, without him they lose big leads in the 9th inning and look like the team from last September.

Guinness and Others on Suicide Watch

Just kiding folks. But you'd have to wonder about it going into the series with Philly and the news that Billy Wagner's arm is fine. In case you haven't heard, there is nothing really wrong with Billy's shoulder. He just has been experiencing spasms the last few days. He's listed as day to day. that means if the game is on the line, "Enter the Sandman" will be blasting from the Shea Stadium Speakers. Judging by the comments posted on various blogs and Newspapers' web pages, there must have been great cheering when Billy was scheduled for an MRI. Guinness and others want him traded or worse. There was even chatter about wanting to bring Benitez back to close games. I don't know why Guinness and others are so down on Billy. A lifetime BA of under .200 and 350+ saves should have people glad to have Wagner in the Orange and Blue. The are very few closer in the game better than Billy. But, somehow I bet all the Billy haters wouldn't be happy unless Wagner struck out every batter faced all year long, or had to have his arm amputated.

Mets Win Ugly Split in Cincy

Sometimes I wonder if I can stand watching the Mets. They're doing there best to make me an old man with their sloppy play and helter-skelter hitting. Somehow they managed to win the last game of this series with poor pitching from Pelfrey and many missed chances at the plate. I hope they get their act together before Tuesday, because Phillie is coming and the division lead is at stake.

I've used this format before and I'll use it again here. For you reading pleasure this evening, "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" of Saturday's and Sunday's games

The Good
The hitting for the most part was good. Saturday's game they left the bases loaded more than once and got nothing for it. Maybe someday Beltran will learn to hit a curveball, and David will stop letting inside strikes go past him. But, Delgado continues his Resurrection and has his average up around .260. Argenis Reyes is hitting over .300, and continues to find himself in the middle of rallies. I like the kid. He's quick as hell in the field and can hit the ball too. Jose' finally got off the snide and had a very good day at the plate Sunday. He did manage to commit his 13th error on another ball thru his legs, but at least he didn't throw his glove on the ground again. David had 3 hits Saturday including a monster HR, but only managed a SF Sunday to go with 2 walks and 1 hit.

The Bad
The pitching was terrible at times these two games.
The Wizard of Ollie went on vacation and Ollie the Fool showed up instead. After 2 very good outings Ollie had to screw around on the mound Saturday. He was throwing side-armed, hesitating his delivery to the plate, and falling off top 3rd base in a sloppy fashion. The results were as to be expected. Plenty of walks and no consistency.
Heilman and Feliciano were shaky at best. They gave up critical hits and couldn't throw strikes this weekend. I used to trust Pedro, now I don't. He never seems to have an easy inning and has problems throwing strikes.

The Ugly
The situational hitting was terrible. Too often men are left stranded in scoring position because hitters don't swing at strikes, or do swing at balls. Someone needs to throw breaking pitches to the hitters during DP. If the Mets face a good breaking ball pitcher, they have issues with scoring runs. Can't the starting pitchers throw to hitters when they're doing their bull-pen work? It sure would seem to help both parties with hitting and throwing breaking pitches. Endy Chavez is now being exposed at the plate. He has trouble hitting the ball for power, or even making contact at all lately. He has cost the Mets numerous runs this weekend with his lack of hitting ability.
The fielding was awful too. Tatis don't make a catch in right field last night that cost Heilman, Jose' had another ball go through his legs that could have cost Pelfrey, and Anderson couldn't catch a routine fly ball in left field today that did cost Pelfrey. Why is Anderson even playing? Evans is a better fielder, and hits as well as Marlon. Give the kid the ABs and sit Marlon on the bench where he does the most good.

The Mets now head home in 1st place and ready themselves for the Fighting Phillies. Santana and Ollie will be going against Howard and Utley to decide the division. The Mets have done well against Phillie so far this year, but need to win this series in Shea. 2-3 would give them sole possession of 1st place, but the Mets should go for the sweep. Sweep the Phillies, and send them a message that this isn't '07 and the Mets will not roll over and give the division away this year. Time to get on another roll and put the Phillies behind them and then give the Redbirds a good beating too.

All Good Things Must End

I know we all would like the Mets to run off win after win, but you had to figure this would be the game they'd lose. Arroyo is death to the Mets and Maine has been struggling. That combination didn't bode well for the Mets.

John Maine has been struggling with his control the last few games, so everybody was hoping the break would help sort out that issue. John pitched much better yesterday, but still ended up losing. His pitch count was lower and his control was better. After getting thru the 1st 4 innings with about 60 pitches thrown, everything fell apart in the 5th. A couple of walks and a bunch of dink and dunk hits and before you know it, there are 5 runs across the plate. I swear John must have a Black Cat following him around this year. If David makes a stop on a short hop chopper at 3rd, Maine gets out of the inning leading 2-1. With no chance to get the speedy Keppinger, David tried to get the short hop and step on 3rd base for the last out of the inning. Instead, the ball glanced off his glove and everybody was safe.

John wasn't the only pitcher having problems on the Mets. I believe the Mets had 7 walks and the Reds had 4 more walks last night. When the umps have a tight strike zone, it really hurts Heilman, Smith, and Maine. They have so much lateral movement on their pitches that they tend to get balls called because of it. If hitters are not swinging, they're walking.

Even with the problems of Maine and the pen, the Mets could have won the game if they could hit a curveball. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if the opposing pitcher can throw breaking pitches for strikes, the Mets have a hard time scoring. Arroyo sucks this year, but the Mets make him look like Seaver. I think he's beat the Mets 4 straight times. Why can't someone throw breaking pitches to the hitters during batting practice? Is Doc Gooden Available?

Tonight Ollie goes to the mound and hopes to start a new winning streak for the Mets. If the Bats get out of their slumber, there could be plenty of runs crossing the plate tonight. No one ever said the Reds couldn't hit, but the Mets should win 3-4 of these games. Here's hoping the Wizard shows up today, not Ollie the Fool.

Eight is not Enough

Today's game at Shea was one of great anticipation for me. After the last seven games I can't help but worry that the dream would end. The Mets have been pitching and playing like a team possessed. Every game they play you have to wonder if they can get to the break in first place.

Pedro came into this game with 2 bad starts and 1 pretty good one. So I wondered which one would show up to pitch today. The good Pedro showed up, but he left after only 4 innings. I heard conflicting information during the broadcast. I heard a groin problem, and a stiff shoulder. Lets just hope that the rest over the break will get things back to normal for Pedro.

Where Pedro left off Muniz took over. I really like Carlos. He attacks the hitters and has good location and movement on his pitches. He worked 2 great innings and won his first game in the big leagues. I'm glad to see him pitch so well in his new roll as the "Long Man" out of the pen. Too bad El Duque will probably end up replacing him on the team in a month or so. I really don't want to see Hernandez back in NY. It's time to move on to the future and not continue to live on past reputations.

Schoeneweis, Heilman, and Wagner pitched the last 3 innings and they extended the bull-pen's streak of scoreless innings to 18.1 innings. The Mets also set a MLB record with 5 consecutive games of 3 hits or less allowed. Jerry's and Dan Warthen's pitching philosophy seems to be reaping the rewards of success. With the defined pitching roles and some confidence from the manager, the pitchers have responded beyond anyone's wildest dreams. It makes you wonder why Peterson and Witless Willie lasted as long as they did.

I don't know about any of you out there, but I'm getting tired of all the talking heads in the Media saying that Jerry isn't the reason for this turn around of the Mets. I couldn't disagree more. I've seen almost every game that Witless Willie has managed since 2005 and Willie doesn't know how to manage a club. Jerry has changed the way of thinking on the Mets and made baseball fun again in NY. Willie was so uptight and condescending that it's a wonder he wasn't decked by someone during his tenure. Jerry and the players are not going to come flat out and say that Willie was lost as a manager, but you can tell from their comments that they're glad Witless Willie is gone. As I and Guinness have been saying for years, there was a reason why Willie interviewed for 12 jobs before Omar hired him. Now all the baseball world can see what Mets fans have known for years. Willie is not suited for the manager's job in the Big Leagues. If he wants to manage, go to the minors and learn the job like everyone else does. Then again, Willie and his ego wouldn't do that because it would be "beneath" him. I hope he enjoys his forced retirement.

I look forward to seeing Big Pelf continue to dominate hitters and win his 8th game. Here's hoping the Big Blue Wrecking Crew shows up and pummels the Rockies into little pebbles.

Mets Getting on a Roll as All-Star Break Looms

During last night's game, the Big Blue Wrecking Crew took a night off, but the Wizard and Easley were more than enough for the Rockies. Ollie used his fastball to cast a spell over the Rockies hitters and Damion's big stick blasted a 3-2 pitch over the centerfield wall to give the Mets the win. For the 7th consecutive game the Mets were the winners and they continue to pressure Phillie for the division lead.

Ollie had the fastball hopping and he looked very strong all night. He managed to stay out of trouble for the most part even with 6 walks issued. Maybe it's the Rockies who have something to do with the walks and not John and Ollie. The Rockies don't have a bunch of free swingers on their team and John and Ollie both relay on hitter chasing pitches that are off the plate. Ollie's one mistake was leaving a slider up over the plate that soon left the park. Heilman came into rescue Ollie and scared the bejeebers out of all of us before striking out the last two hitters of the inning. Sanchez continued the trend of scaring the fans and Billy had a dominate 9th inning. He struck out 2 and had the fastball hitting 97. It's good to see Billy getting his game together before he travels to Yankee Stadium next week.

A day after losing out on the last-chance Internet vote, David Wright was selected by Clint Hurdle to fill the roster spot on the NL team vacated by Soriano's injury. I'm glad to see David get on the squad and have a chance to represent the Mets on the field. Maybe he can be the hero and win the game for the NL this year. Since he's a reserve player, he'll most likely be playing in the later innings. Wouldn't it be great to see him come to the plate in the 8th or 9th inning and drive a RBI double into the gap to score the winning run? Or how about a Homerun into Monument park? That would be a fitting finish to the night.

It would have been nice to see some more players from the Mets on the team, but I feel the poor start to the season hurt the chances of that happening. Witless Willie ran the players and the team into the ground trying to save his job and everyone's stats suffered because of it. The fans , including myself, were so pis ed off at the players and the team, that I think it affected the voting. It's only been in the last few weeks that I've felt better about this team, and I'm sure that was a widespread feeling among Mets fans. I believe that attitude is what hurt the chances of Mets players getting to the All-Star Game. Jose' has improved his game and could have joined the team, but there are so many talented SS on winning teams, that someone had to be left home. Santana could have been chosen too, but once again there are so many very good pitchers in the league that his 7-7 record despite a sub 3 ERA hurt him.

Now Pedro will head to the mound this afternoon and hope to continue the winning streak. He looked much better in his last start and should be able to handle the Rockies. He's learning how to pitch all over again, and seems to be getting into a better frame of mind. His arm is strong and his fastball looks like the one from 1997, but his location is off just a touch.

Lets hope the bats come alive again and give Pedro 5-6 runs early in the game. I'd like nothing better than a 9 game winning streak going into the break.