The Mets Show Some Life and Beat Torre's Crew

It's amazing what a little job insecurity will do for a team. Willie starts sitting veteran players and the bench shows them the way to win games. Since the 2nd game against the Marlins the Mets have shown some life and have carried it over to the Dodger series.

Carlos Delgado was given a seat by Willie the teams attitude has changed on a dime. No longer do they just go through the motions. They're focused and hustling every inning, and making plays that could decide games. Delgado has been the worst offender over the last year and he's actually looking like he's worried about playing time. He had a great stop on a hot smash down the line that required him to drive straight out and then get the out at first. He also caught a line drive in another inning and made a great attempt to double of the runner at 1st base. He and the runner both drove headfirst back to the bag, but Delgado came up a few inches short of making the great play. But, the effort was there, and that alone is something new. All too often Carlos' fielding has hurt the Mets this year, and last night he was not a liability in the field. I still think he should sit at least twice a week. The rest and time to worry about his playing time seems to do well for him.

The Mets have always had their way with Brad Penny, and last night was no different. Penny is David Wright's Bi-ch!!! David has something like a .575 career average against Penny and pummeled him again last night. David had 2 home runs and drove in 4. He now has 11 HR and 40 RBI as his average continues to climb towards .300. Reyes and Castillo are also showing life at the plate. Luis is actually hitting the ball out of the infield on a regular basis, and Reyes is getting on base too. Everyone seems to have a reinvigorated attitude at the plate, and the Mets are scoring runs again. I hope the trend continues this weekend. I'm making my first trip ever to Shea Saturday, and would love to see Big Pelf get some run support to help end his losing streak.

I still believe the Wilpon's had a few choice words about Willie's lack of managerial ingenuity. Or maybe Willie is finally realizing that his job is in real jeopardy, and he better start putting the best team on the field, and not cover for the veterans who are not producing. Ever since that meeting Willie has shown the willingness to shake up the line-up and to use the pen in a diffent way. I also think that Willie's a little P.Oed at Delgado. Carlos didn't exactly give Willie a ringing endorsement when asked, and then Willie starts sitting him. What ever the real reason, Willie needs to do things like that more often. There is no reason to not play a right-handed line-up against left-handed pitchers. Easley and Castro can cover for Delgado and Schneider with little problem, and they should be used. Beltran is another that needs a day off. His production at the plate is dreadful, and Chavez can cover center field for a game or 2. The object is to win games, not stroke egos.

John Maine goes tonight against a young hard throwing left handed pitcher. He throws a 95 MPH fastball, and a good curve ball. Lets all hope he decides to throw the fastball more than the curve tonight. We all know the Mets can't hit a good curve ball. John beat the Dodgers quite easily last time out, going into the 9th inning, so I'm hoping for a repeat from him tonight. As long as the defense stay sharp and the team continues to put the bat on the ball, he stands a good chance of getting his 6th victory this season.

Willie learning how to Manage?

Before last night's game I was amazed to see the line-up posted by Willie. It also surprised just about everyone in the SNY pregame show too. Could the Wilpon's have given him some lessons on being a manager in their 3 hour meeting?

A common complaint about Willie by his critics and myself is his lack of ingenuity, and his refusal to put the best team on the field everyday. Putting the best team on field means sitting Delgado against left-handed pitching, and sitting Schneider when he's slumping.

Earlier yesterday I had mentioned to the local sports talk radio program that Delgado should sit and Easley should play first base against left-handed pitchers. I'm starting to believe in miracles. I wouldn't necessarily play Evans at 1st base just because it's his normal postion. With Alou' being out for how knows how long, I think it's better to get Evans comfortable in the outfield. He knows his way around 1st base but needs to get familiar in left field. He sometimes looks awkward, but he's shown good range and a nose for the ball while playing in left field. He has enough to worry about at the plate, he doesn't need to keep moving back and forth between positions. besides, Carp and Murphy are heavy hitters at 1st base, so they may get a look sooner than later in NY.

Castro and Tatis had good games in Colorado, and they provided pop to the order last night. The righty hitting line-up should be used more often against left-handed pitching. Other mangers do it, so why not Willie? The strategy has proven it's value over the years, so it always amazed me that Willie would be so reluctant to do it. Castro when healthy has always been able to hit, and I do recall the Mets wanting him to catch more games this year. Schneider and Delgado should be platooned on a regular basis. Neither has proven the ability to be consistently effective against lefties. Maybe Willie is desperate to save his job, so he's willing to do things differently to get the team winning. With Marlon Anderson's hammy being torn, I don't see him back in NY for awhile so Tatis and Evans are here for awhile.

Reyes is the most troublesome. He doesn't seem to stay focused and seems to be another Ollie Perez type of mind-set. I think he's very weak mentally and has shown no ability to learn from his previous errors. One inning he's great, and the next he's got his head up his butt. I was in the minority last year when I said to trade Reyes straight up for Santana. With all the outfield issues, and the thin pitching reserves in the minors, can anyone say that that would have been a bad trade as of now? Considering the year Gomez is having and the continued regression of Jose', that trade makes even more sense now than during the winter. Pouting underachieving short stops are easy to replace. Until Reyes gets his head out of his a-s, that's all he'll be. An over hyped, underachieving, mentally weak, little baby.

It's amazing what a little fear for your job will do to your outlook in life. Willie is acting and doing things differently, and the Mets won a game. If this trend continues, the Mets fans may need to get used to the idea of Willie being around through the length of his contract. Why do I now have heartburn after saying that?

Nick Evans Kicks the Mets Offense into Gear

You may have wondered, as I did, who the heck is Nick Evans? Well, he's the young [22] 1st baseman/3rd baseman/ outfielder that was hustled onto a flight from AA Binghamton to Denver. He proved his worth at the plate and in the field with 3 doubles, 2 RBI, and 6 putouts in his MLB debut'.

When I commented on last night's game I said that there may be a silver lining to the Anderson injury. I said that maybe Omar would call up a young hustler who wanted to prove he belonged, and Evans did his best to make that point. The first time up, he drilled a double in the corner of right field and didn't stop there. He had 3 doubles [all to right field] and played a good defense in left field. He hustled around the bases and didn't seem nervous at all. These are the kinds of players Omar should be stocking the team with. Not the old broken down players he's so in love with. Maybe we'll get to see Evans play some 1st base against left-handed pitchers, and give Delgado a few days off here and there.

Beltran cleared the bases in the 1st inning with a double in the gap, and the Mets didn't stop scoring. David and Delgado both had solo home runs, Castro had 3 hits, Castillo and Reyes pulled a double steal, and the defense was good today. Vargus did great today on the mound. Going on 3 days rest, he looked like the second coming of Ron Darling. He walked only 1 and gave up only 4 hits thru 7 innings. I had my doubts about him pitching on short rest, but he proved he was up to the challenge. If he continues to pitch like that, he'll have a future with the Mets.

Overall the Mets played the way we all hoped they'd play since opening day. They hustled, hit with runners on base, pitched deep into the game, and kept adding runs on during the game. Now it's up to John Maine to finish this trip with a nice tidy outing. 7+ innings and 2 runs or less would be nice. If the offense gets going, and the pitching comes thru, it will make for a much happier flight back to Queens. Winning 2 games in Denver may keep the fans a bay for a day or two, and allow the team to think about filleting the Fish, and not about Willie's job status.

Rockies continue the Mets' Slide

Coming into this weekend series the Mets have been playing stupid lazy baseball, and nothing changed tonight. The Met continue to lose, Omar is in town to "support" Willie and Perez once again comes out the goat.

The talk of the day and for the week, has been the chances of Willie surviving as the manager of the Mets. Well Perez certainly didn't do him any favors. Perez couldn't find the strike zone all night. He gave up 2 quick runs in the first, then Mets than scratch out a run to get closer, and later get back to back home runs from Delgado and Tatis to take the lead. Then Ollie gives the lead right back in the bottom of the 6th inning. He managed to get through 5 innings with 102 pitches, but Willie in another sterling example of his great managing, brings Ollie back out for the 6th inning after the Mets went ahead in the game. Perez then walks the first 2 batters in the bottom of the 6th, and Willie pulls him. Smith comes in, gets one out on a bunt, but the next batter singles, and plates only the 2nd and 3rd inherited runners of the year to score off Joe.

After getting ahead 5-4, Willie brings Billy in to close out the game. Wagner then did what he hasn't done all year. He allowed an earned run and blew the save. Holliday hit a low fastball over the left center field fence and on to extra innings they go. In the 10th inning Reyes gets a hustle double, but then gets picked off 2nd base. Just another bone headed play by Jose' that never seem to end this year. The game ended up going to the 13th inning, and then every one's favorite reliever does what he does best. Heilman comes in, can't throw strikes, and allows the winning run to score on Holliday's single to right field. Game over, and Willie's job security slips a little further.

It's hard to find anything good in this game. Anderson pulled his hammy, Church is still dizzy, Heilman can't get anyone out, Jose' still does stupid things, Perez is doing his Jeckle and Hyde best, and the Mets slide continues with the 5th lose in a row. The only thing positive about the night, is the fact they didn't roll over and die once they fell behind.

Maybe Anderson's injury has a silver lining to it. This gives the Mets a chance to call up a young hitter like Carp or someone else. If they're a right handed bat, and can play 1st base, Delgado can sit against lefty pitchers. I really think Carlos should be platooned at 1st. As bad as he is this year, he's horrid against left-handed pitching. Besides, the Mets need to audition some players for next year. Carlos won't be back, and Teixiera will be very expensive and highly sought after by the Yankees. Maybe a young hungry player can instill some life in this team and get the ship headed up in the standings, not down.

Today the Mets try to stop the slide with Vargus going on 3 days rest. Somehow that doesn't sound like a recipe for success, but who knows. If the Mets lose 2 of these games this weekend, Willie may not make it the end of the month. With the Marlins tearing up teams and the Dodgers coming to Shea the games are not getting any easier. With every lose, Willie gets one step closer to the door.

I Should Have Gone to Sleep

Well I managed to stay awake for the whole game last night, but I should have gone to bed. It was the same old tired act. No hitting, shoddy defense, and wasted pitching. So the Braves swept the Mets to the trash and Willie's days in NY come closer to an end.

Yesterday before the game I watched the different SNY shows that come on starting at 5 p.m. They had some different takes on the state of the Mets, but everyone seemed to agree that Willie's days were numbered. People like to mention that Willie is only playing the hand he's been dealt, but it's how you play those cards that makes the difference. All too often the Mets players seem too comfortable with their jobs and their place on the team. Willie seems unable or unwilling to shake them up and make them worry about playing time. Somehow I doubt the new manager will have the same problems. Here are few examples of what I think could be done to shake them out of their naps.

Castillo rides the pine for a week or more. Until he can start earning his pay of the field, he might as well earn his pay on the bench. In the last 2 games, he's cost the Mets 4 runs because of his bone headed plays in the field. Last night, with men on base and 2 outs he makes a diving grab in the hole. Instead of throwing to Santana covering 1st base to get the last out, he throws home while sitting on his butt. Teixiera scores and the Mets start their slide. In Wednesday's game he was lazy in his play of a ball into the hole, and didn't get the ball to 1st in time for the last out. That allowed the Braves to score 3 runs in that inning when Big Pelf should have been out of the inning.

Schneider needs a seat on the pine too. For someone who has the reputation as a great defensive catcher, he sucks. Every time Santana pitches, Schneider screws the pooch. He couldn't make a routine play on a cropper in front of the plate, and can't catch any pitch unless it's right at him. If the pitch is not where he's expecting it, the pitch goes to the backstop. The Mets have 22 wild pitches so far this year, and I bet half of them should have been caught by Schneider. I can't believe all the talking heads extolling his talents behind the plate. Haven't they been watching the same games as me? For all of Lo Duca's faults, he never had so many pitches get past him when he played for the Mets. Now that Casanova is back with the team, he should start and Brian should see how a real catcher goes about his job.

Delgado needs to be platooned. With Tatis and Easley on the team, they should be getting playing time against left handed pitchers. Delgado hasn't done anything this year to deserve a full time spot in the line-up. He's hitting .220 and strikes out all too often. He needs to know that just because he's making $16 Million and has 400+ homeruns in his career, that he's not going to play every day. Maybe it's time to bring Carp up and have him show Carlos what a 1st baseman's job is all about. All Mets fans have to do is watch Teixiera play, and you'll know what the Mets are missing in Carlos. Speed, range in the field, ability to hit, and hustle 100% of the time.

Reyes needs some time off too. His play has gotten better, but I think he can use a day off here and there. Call it a mental health day. He needs to be able to sit down and relax once in awhile and not see it as punishment. I think he puts too much pressure on himself at times and that causes his focus to drift and his bat to disappear. If the Mets can't find a way to get Valentin to NY as a coach or assistant to Reyes, they need someone to fill that role. And the Carlos brothers don't make the grade as leaders or mentors.

David Wright also needs a day off here and there. He's carrying the weight of this team on his shoulders and could use a break from the rigors of the game. Maybe Ryan can help him with bearing the mantel of leadership, but he's so new to the team that he may not want to step into the spotlight and take on that responsibility. David can't do it alone, and Ryan has proven to be the hard nosed hustling player the Mets need more of. Last night the SNY booth was talking about leadership on the team and they all said David is too young for that role. For some reason they think someone think Delgado should be the leader. Why is a lazy, overpaid, mouse of a person the one to lead? Just because he is 36 and has over 440 home runs doesn't make him a leader. What someone does on and off the field is what makes him a leader. The only leading done by Carlos is being the first one out of the club house and in his car after a game.

Another thing that could be done is institute a system for rewarding or penalizing players based on their efforts and results on the field. Collect money thru fines for lousy play or lazy play, and then use that pot of cash to reward the players who excel and hustle the most at the end of each week. And make the fines have some hurt to them. I say half a game check should be about right, or at least 25% of a game check. The young players who don't make alot of money would get a chance to fatten their wallets, and the old lazy players would lighten theirs if they play like fools. It probably isn't possible, but it would definitely shake them awake when they start losing $100,000 for playing with their heads up you know where.


What do you all think? Should a reward/penalty plan be drawn up? Should certain players get a seat on the bench for awhile or a game? Lets hear your suggestions.

I guess I'm not so Stupid After All

Just a quick thing here. Last night while watching the game I heard the SNY crew bring up something I've been preaching about for months. Gary and Keith said that the absence of JOSE' VALENTIN has been hurting Reyes' production and focus. I almost fell off the couch when I heard that brought up. I've been saying for months now that Valentin was a mentor and father figure to Jose', and that Jose' has been sliding ever since Valentin broke his leg. Look it up. Valentin gets hurt in June, and Jose' goes in the tank for the rest of the year. The Mets need to find a way to get Valentin in NY as a coach or special assistant to Reyes. I firmly believe that if Valentin was in NY, Reyes would be tearing up the baseball and the base paths. Get it done Omar !!!!

The Mets solve my Sleeping Problems

I wish I had some positive things to comment on, but not much is going right in the Mets club house. They are so boring to watch and repeat the same mistakes over and over again. They make it quite easy to fall sleep watching the games. And that's a good thing for me.

When the game started, I was hoping Big Pelf could keep on the roll that's seen him go long in to games. No such luck. He couldn't find the plate, and was constantly behind in the count. With left handed batters hitting around .375 off him, you had to know it would be a long night for him. The defense was sub-par at best. Chavez was constantly out of position, and Castillo couldn't get to any ball that wasn't hit directly to him. If Castillo had made the play in the 3rd inning, Pelfrey gets out of that inning without giving up 3 more runs. Lazy play cost this game.

On another note, Willie has done his best to apologize for his remarks the other day. He says now that he thought the conversation was off the record, and that he didn't mean to bring the "Race Card" into play. Well, that's fine and dandy, but it shows very poor judgement on his part and shows his true feelings. I don't know which of his comments mad me the maddest. The one about there being no Mets fans before he was hired, or the fact that he believes the critics are on his case because he's Black. Either way Willie has ruined his future in NY and will not make the All-Star game if the Mets keep playing like this.

The way the Mets are playing, I can see them winning no more than 4 games the rest of this month. That will force the Wilpon's hand and cost Willie his job. Who do you think gets hired to finish the season? Manual?

Randolph Shows his True Colors and Proves he's the Problem, not the Solution to the Mets' Season of Despair

In case you have been sleeping all day, Racist Willie was doing his best at damage control all day today. The article in the Bergen Record has caused a firestorm in the NY Media and fans. When will this all come to an end? When the Wilpon's fire Willie.

On the Wheel House [ a SNY afternoon sports talk program] today, the comments of Willie were front and center in the discussions. No one on the show , Scotty Ferrall, Brandon Tierney, or host Brian Custer [who's Black] could defend Willie's comments about the fan's views and media coverage of Willie. For Willie to blame his managerial troubles on his race was BS. It's quite simple, win games and the fans won't be angry. Willie trying to say that it was a tongue -n- cheek comment about race really set off Tierney. This whole incident only proves once again that Willie isn't capable of managing this team. He's arrogant, condescending, thin skinned, and looks for preferential treatment because he's Black.

The Wheel House also has a MLB insider who's name is Jon Heyman. He also writes for Sports Illustrated. He has an article coming out in SI where he talks to Willie one on one about some different things. He said something today that all Mets fans might be glad to hear. According to him, Willie and Omar received a phone call from Jeff Wilpon last Thursday. Jeff told them " You better get things straightened out in a hurry". That sounds to me like some one's job will soon be coming to an end. Will it be Omar and Randolph, or just Willie? Gauging the reaction to Witless Willie's comments in the Record, my money is on Randolph getting fired sooner than later. Every time Willie opens his mouth, he drives another nail in his coffin, and the coffin is running out of space.

With Willie's true feelings now coming to light in the Media, it's no wonder there's trouble in the Mets club house. If you were Reyes, would you listen to someone who thinks that everyone is out to get him because he's Black? Would you want to invest your heart and soul into a man that looks to make excuses and enemies with the fans? Would anyone in that locker room take advise from a man who blames his problems on his skin color? If the Wilpon's want to put the focus back on winning baseball and not on a crybaby manager, they need to fire Willie ASAP.

Today's game is a perfect example of why Willie needs to go. Instead of thinking about tonight's game plan and worrying about the Braves, he spent all day backtracking and covering his ass. The players had to be distracted too by all the controversy. Why would anyone think that this is a good environment for winning baseball? The focus of the teams efforts should be on winning games, not answering questions about their manager's warped view on NY fans and media. Instead of building on a good weekend ,beating the snot out of the Skankees, that karma was flushed down the toilet like last night's dinner. Until Willie is gone, winning baseball will always be second to the circus that follows Willie's mouth.

Sterling Mets contact info

Here is some info for anyone wishing to contact the Mets front office about the racist comments made by Willie Randolph. Flood their fax and phone lines with comments and demand that the Wilpon's fire Willie's ass imediately.


Sterling Mets LP
123-01 Roosevelt Ave.
Flushing, NY 11368-1699
NY Tel. 718-507-6387
Fax 718-507-6395

Randolph Calls Mets Fans Racists !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Willie Randolph has now added another reason for all Mets fans to hate him and want his butt fired. Today in the Bergen Record,[ http://www.northjersey.com/sports/Angry_Randolph_attacks_critics_who_hurt_me_to_my_core.html ]

Willie says NY fans are racist towards him and any other Black coach or manager in the City. It's time for the Wilpon's to fire his a$s and get someone in the clubhouse who deserves the job. He also says that SNY does it's best to paint him in a bad light. I personally think Keith, Gary, Ron, Maz, and everyone else doing anything with the games, goes out of their way not to criticize Witless Willie. So I don't know what altered reality Willie's living in but it sounds like a Racist one to me.

If anyone is a racist, it's Willie. If he thinks the fans are mad at him because he's Black, he's even dumber than we thought. He sounds more and more like someone who wants to be treated differently just because he's a minority. I don't care if the manager is green with yellow polka dots. As long as he coaches well and wins games I don't care, and I doubt any Mets fans would care either. But when I read the comments Willie was quoted as saying, I started fuming. When you add that to how he acts towards the media and towards any criticism, it all makes sense now. He thinks fans and media are questioning him because he's Black, and not because they have issues with his decisions.

He says Herm Edwards was a good coach because the Jets won a few playoff games. He thinks Isiah was treated unfairly too. Isiah, the same coach that ruined the CBA, and the Knicks. The same coach that lost a multi-million dollar sexual harassment lawsuit. Willie needs professional help with his Psychiatric condition that is causing him to twist reality to suit his own views. It's no wonder the Mets have clubhouse issues. With a Racist like Willie running it, how could problems be addressed with any sort of authority. Who in that locker room is going to listen to someone like Willie? I wouldn't. Not if those types of racist views towards the fans are known. I guess by Willie's view point, only Whites are Mets fans. Because how could a Black fan have racist views about a Black manager or coach in NYC?

This latest pearl of wisdom of Randolph is the last straw. The Wilpon's must demand his resignation and issue a public apology to all the fans that follow any NYC team. For a manager in the City to have the points of view expressed by Racist Willie is unacceptable. He needs to go and he needs to go now.

Willie gets a Reprieve for the Day

I listened to most of the game yesterday and was not feeling too good by the end on the 2nd inning. Pettitte was striking everyone out and the Mets were falling behind in a hurry. Good thing it was the Yankees they were playing, because they're about the only team worse than the Mets now.

The game didn't start out well, but the end result was a win. I have mixed feelings about the win though. Santana gave up 3 home runs, but did pitch into the 8th inning. He had some innings where he only threw 6 pitches for 3 outs, so he was conservative with them when needed. But 3 home runs is way too many to be giving up. The only thing I can say is that the extra rest isn't doing him any favors. I've heard that extra rest hurts Johan's effectiveness, and that seems to be holding true this year. Every time he has an extra day or two of rest, he struggles with his control. Reyes looked terrible at the plate today. The best swing was the single up the middle. He was swinging at pitches all over the place, and is looking more like the rookie Reyes than a 4 year vet. Delgado continues to look bad at the plate, and Easley struck out all day long. The Mets hitters have all been striking out way too often this year, and that is hurting the offense. Isn't there anyone that can throw breaking pitches in batting practice? The team as a whole never seems to be able to consistently hit a breaking pitch. If the opposing pitcher has a curve, slider, or splitter that they can throw anytime in the count for strikes, them Mets struggle.

The other reason for having mixed feeling about the game is because of Willie. The victory over the Yankees just prolongs our suffering. The more wins this team manages over the rest of the month, the more likely that we'll be stuck with Witless Willie as a manager. As bad as it sounds, we need the team to lose games if we ever have a hope of the Wilpon's removing Randumb from the team. This team will just continue to break our hearts and scuffle along as long as Willie is the manager.

The Mets may win today, but they have a terrible schedule for the rest of the month. Atlanta, Colorado, Florida, L.A.,all wait for the Mets. The Braves have only lost a handful of games at home, and the Rockies are always tough at Home. It's quite possible for the Mets to win only 5 games the rest of the month. If they have another bad home stand or road trip the end could be in site for Witless Willie. His firing is long overdue, but somehow I bet he survives the year. Especially since he's been named to the All-Star coaching staff. Is he going to be Hurdles' personal towel boy? That's all he's qualified to do right now.

Willie's days are Numbered

I was working during the game this afternoon, and couldn't believe what I was hearing. Pelfrey was pitching like Tom Seaver and the bats were not hitting a lick. The offense once again went on vacation during Big Pelf's start and wasted his excellent effort.

After listening in disbelief to the Mets make another awful pitcher [11.5 ERA] look like Cy Young I couldn't wait to see what the guys on SNY's afternoon shows had to say about another pathetic game by the Mets. I heard NO ONE on Daily News Live, The Wheelhouse, or Loud Mouths say anything good about this home stand or game. They were all livid with the lack of effort and results in these games. The only one who hasn't outraged was Frank Iriso, and even he said this home stand was bad. For the first time all spring, I also heard the beat writers and hosts on these shows say what Guinness and myself have been saying for months. They said that Witless Willie is a major reason for the team's issues. Chris Carlon of Loud Mouths was to the point of having a coronary over Willie's explanation about using Heilman last night. Adam Schien said "you worry about winning the game your playing, not the next game" And NO ONE ON ANY OF THE SHOWS said that Heilman should be used in that situation. It seems more and more people are coming around to the opinion that I and Guinness have been touting. Can the Wilpon's be far behind? They didn't want Willie back this year, and I can't believe they'll sit by and allow this season to go down the drain after last years collapse.

What was also interesting is what happened after the game in the clubhouse. Billy Wagner went off again, and NOT ONE MEDIA PERSONALITY disagreed with him. Here is what he said to the best of my recollection. " Why is all the media here asking the closer about today's game? I didn't even play. Why don't you ask them over there? [pointing to the other side of the locker room] Oh, that's right, they're not there. That figures." He was talking about all the Latin mice on the team. Billy is 1000% correct. Where is Beltran, Delgado, Castillo, Reyes, Castro, and company? Beltran answered a few questions then left, and Reyes did his usual incoherent 2 sentence answers that never change from day to day. There are major issues inside that clubhouse and Willie has no control or respect from the players. When asked, they all spout the company line, but you know the answers are hollow. There is no way that Willie can be in control of that team if there is this kind of infighting going on. His passive approach isn't working, and Wagner is doing and saying more than Willie ever has. Too bad the Mets didn't have 24 other Billy Wagners on the team. Maybe they'd win more than 50% of the games played. Everyone on the shows when asked said that Witless Willie's game time strategy today was stupid, and is a common problem with him. Sounds like one of mine and Guinness's recurring observations doesn't it? Maybe Guinness could be the GM, and Me the Manager. We certainly couldn't do any worse than Omar and Willie.

I don't even no what to expect this weekend. On paper we have the better chance of winning the weekend than the Yankees do. But on paper, the Mets should be blowing away the NL East too. The Yankees are as messed up as the Mets, but it's due more to injuries than effort. The way this season is going, the Yankees will sweep the Mets and go on a winning streak to win the AL EAST. All the while Willie will be saying "it's early in the season", "He's one of my guys", "I'll still keep using him" as he stand on the street corner trying to get a Taxi to pick him up.

Heilman Performs a Heimlich Maneuver on Mets

Yesterday I was wondering how Vargus would pitch. I should have been worried about Witless Willie doing something to lose the game. In an effort to continue his win 1 game lose 1 strategy, Willie brings Heimlich Heilman into a close game. Omar got rid of one cancer on the team, time to cut the next piece lose. Aaron needs to go bye bye. As long as he's there, the Mets will continue to lose games because Willie refuses to use anyone else. I hear the Mets are trying to trade Sosa. Package Heimlich Heilman with him and maybe the Mets can get a couple of tickets to a post season game.

The Mets are now going into tomorrows game with the very real possibility of losing 3 out of 4 games to the last place Nationals. Teams that hope to win in October don't lose to last place teams. Vargus did all we could have hoped for. 6+ innings and only 2 runs should be enough to win the game. But the offense went to sleep once again. They continue to just scuffle along and show no heart or killer instinct.

I have a feeling that this problem will not end until there is a major shake-up in the management department. Willie is the deserving candidate after once again having no idea how to win games that need to be won. I heard his post-game comments and they made no sense. He said Scott wasn't feeling well, and wasn't available to pitch. Because of this he brought Aaron in and wanted him to pitch 2 innings because of the day game tomorrow. He didn't want to burn out the pen going into tomorrows' game? How about winning this game before you worry about the next game? He needs to get a clue. The only concern he should have is winning the game they are playing, not the game that will come. Joe Smith ended up pitching 1.2 innings and Feliciano pitched 9th. If Scott doesn't pitch tonight, he can pitch tomorrow and still give the team an inning or two if needed. This game is exactly why people hate Willie's management decisions. He's a mental midget, and has no clue on how to win on a consistent basis.

Tomorrow's game now hinges on the right arm of Big Pelf. If the offense decides to show up, and Mike can pick up where he left off in his last game, maybe the Mets can win the game. Winning 4 out of 7 on this home stand is bad enough, going 3-4 will have the boo birds swarming thru Shea like a angry swarm of Killer Bees. They'll be looking for someone to attack, and it may not be limited to Heimlich Heilman. It could soon be Willie who's the target of boos echoing through Shea Stadium.

Maine and Church Deliver on the Fans Prayers

Before this game started, I would bet Mets fans were praying that last night's game was not going to be repeated. With the Young Gunslinger throwing bullets and Ryan swinging the lumber, they made sure there would be no repeat of last night.

John Maine just continues to improve as the season progresses. For the 7th time in a row, he gave up less than 2 earned runs. He set the tone of the game with his 1st pitch of the game. He drilled Lopez in the thigh, sending a message to the Nats. The message was, John's no pansy, and wouldn't stand for the bush-league clapping of game 1. The Mets are now 6-2 in John's starts after a loss. That sounds like John is turning into a stopper. His ERA is now 2.81 and dropping. He threw 109 pitches in six innings, and 79 were strikes. That's a great ratio. I do recall someone saying John should be a relief pitcher. I wonder if that train of thought still exists. If not for the 2 errors, he would have gone 7 innings. Those errors cost John another 10-15 pitches. I doubt anyone out there is calling John a mediocre pitcher anymore.

Ryan Church has earned a nick name from me. As I often refer to Maine as "Gary Cooper" because of his quite demeanor and deadly results, I've decided that Ryan should be called "The Minister of Offense" He continues to pound the ball and drive in runs. He had a home run, single, and a double. He drove in 4 runs and now leads the team in HR and has 30 RBI. His .324 ave. and .561 slugging is also leading the team. I said it last week, and I'll say it again. Ryan is going to be a left handed version of David. Those 2 hitters will have stats so similar it will be amazing.

It continues to be a problem for the Mets scoring runs when there are runners in scoring position. They can get away with it against bad teams, but it will continue to cost them wins when playing good teams. With 14 hits and 2 walks they should score more runs. At least they kept scoring runs. They scored runs in 4 innings and gave John the support he deserved. Too often pitcher do their job, but the hitters leave them hanging with a loss or no decision.

Tomorrow we all get to see Clardio Vargus pitch for the 1st time. Let's all hope that he isn't the second coming of Jose' Lima. I'm sure the "Minister of Offense" will do his job, but the defense needs to play sharper and eliminate the errors. Now is not the time to let up, now is the time to break the Nats neck and put them down.

Omar does the Fans Proud.

I didn't think it would happen, but Sosa has been sent packing. Omar did the right thing. I know I've been critical of him at times, but he made the right move. Sosa was hurting the team and has personally cost the Mets at lest 4 wins this year. Regardless of his $2 million contract, Sosa has the man that needed to leave the team, not Joe Smith. Joe has done nothing but excel this year and he's earned his spot in the pen. After striking out the side last night and only allowing 1 inherited runner to score all year, how could Omar send Joe to AAA?

As far as the other moves, I have mixed feelings. I like Nelson, but he was regressing and he kind of lost his spot after his comments last night. Pagan on the DL was a good move. The bench is too thin to have someone who can't play the field right now. Tatis is another Marlon Anderson type, but with more power. He can play the infield and outfield. And He gives Willie a right handed bat for 1st base. So maybe Delgado can get some days off and stay healthy. Wise had to come up, or the Mets would lose him too. We'll see how he fills Sosa's spot as long relief. Vargus, I don't know. I know he was in the big leagues and is a proven pitcher, but I'd like to see a young gun come up from AAA to get the start this week. He should get a couple of starts, but when Pedro gets healthy, who knows if he'll be around.

Overall, Omar did some good today. Now we just have to wait and see how it all shakes out.

The Mets Add Another Nail to Willie's Coffin

What started last September is continuing this spring. The Mets have a nasty habit of playing down to the competition. When they should beat teams like the Nationals and add them to a list of destroyed opponents, they reverse the roles and play as if they're the worse of the two teams. Sadly, the Mets may be the worse team in the league.

Granted, the records say otherwise, but The Mets are not as good as the rest of the teams in their division. Nobody expects the Marlins or Nationals to win many games, and the Phillies and Braves are always in the mix, but no one expected the Mets to play like they have this year. With all the "talent" on this team, and the historic collapse last year, everyone expected the Mets to come out this season and prove a point. They were supposed to prove that they were an elite team and that last year was a fluke. They were supposed to come out with a different attitude and demeanor. Well, the only thing that's changed from last year is the calender. It's a different year, but it's the same old uninspired, underachieving, overpaid, over hyped team as last year. They continue to play listless baseball and show no signs of caring about anything other than their paychecks.

Since May 9th, they have played 2 of the worst teams in League, and have a 2-2 record. In the 2 loses, the Mets have given up 17 runs and lost games to starting pitchers with a combined 1-7 record. Does that sound like a Championship caliber team to you? To me it sounds like the choke is still on. The Mets continue to play the "Willie Way". Win one game, lose one game. Why is it that the Marlins, a team with a $20 million pay role can win 7 games in a row, but the Mets can't win more than 2 or 3 in a row? Why do the Marlins have the best record in baseball, and the Mets hover around the .500 mark? The difference is in the attitude of the players and the management. The Phillies are the same way. They have less talent and a lower payroll, but seem to always play with fire and passion. The Mets, well they go through the motions and expect teams to roll over for them. They show no pride or passion in their play, and seem more worried about what's for dinner than what the score is.

Most of these problems I lay at the feet of Management. Omar and Willie are both to blame. Omar gets the blame for signing passive, mute, mice for players. He's also responsible for signing old worn out has beens to long term and/or big money contracts. If everyone stays healthy and motivated, that problem can be minimized. The problem is they can't stay healthy, and they all have fat bank accounts to retire on. The Yankees suffer the same fate this year. Too many people collecting a check instead of earning it. Willie's blame comes in the management of this team. Just because a guy earns millions shouldn't guarantee his spot in the line-up. If a player isn't delivering, he should be sitting. That's something that Willie has never been known for. How many times have we all heard these words of wisdom come from Willie's mouth? "He's one of my guys", "I have faith in him", "He'll work it out", "I'll keep giving him the ball". Why does it always seem that as soon as a guy gets his fat contract, he stops producing? Sosa, Mota, Reyes, Castro, Pedro, Alou', Heilman, Perez, Hernandez, Castillo, and Anderson are a few recent examples. When all of them were playing for a contract, they were great. They get their contracts, and it's been downhill ever since. In baseball, as you all know, the contracts are guaranteed. So no matter what happens, the player has their money regardless of their effort or results.

One of the ongoing discussions this week is what to do with the bull pen. Wise needs to be activated, and the Mets have a crowded pen. So who's the guy on the short end of the stick? Joe Smith. The same guy that has allowed 1 inherited runner to score all season, is going to be sent to New Orleans sometime this week. The same pitcher that struck out the side last night, will be watching the Yankee series this weekend from AAA, instead of playing in it. Meanwhile, the pitcher that gave up 4 runs in 1 inning last night and has an ERA of 7.06 while be staying with the Mets. You know why? Because he's making $2 million a year, and has no options to allow his return to AAA. The Mets would have to put him on waivers and hope he clears before sending him to AAA. That in it's self is why this team is failing. They continue to play people who don't produce. Winning the game should be the top priority, not stroking someones ego or adding to their bank account.

Until Mets Ownership and Management starts caring more about winning games, this season will never be the season we Mets fans had hoped for.

Perez Shows Some Pride and the Offense Comes along for the Ride

It was with great trepidation that I awaited Ollie's start today. With his helter skelter pitching the last month and the offense not playing up to it's talent, I had no idea which team would show up to play today. Luckily the team came to play.

Ollie was very good for most of the game. He mixed his pitches up and had the fastball working today. He only gave up 1 hit thru the 1st 5 innings and seemed to be focused and on a mission. But, then Ollie does what Ollie does. He lost focus and soon had given up 3 runs and allowed the Reds to sniff another melt down from Ollie. But he managed to get thru 6 innings with the lead and got his 3rd win of the season. He stuck out 8, hit 1 batter, and walked another 4. Typical Ollie outing. But this time he kept it from spiraling out of control and the Mets won the game.

The offense did it's best to keep Ollie ahead in the game. They gave him 3 early runs and that appeared to help Ollie. Beltran had 2 hits and 3 RBI and continues to wake up from his long slumber at the plate. Church and Beltran went deep in the 5th inning for 2 more runs, which Ollie surrendered back in the top of the 6th inning. That was the 7th home run for Ryan, and he now leads the team. Reyes and Castillo had multiple hits, and David Delgado and Easley all had a hit too. Castillo left the game because he hurt his Quad, probably running around the bases. It's not something he's done much of this year. So add a bad leg to go with his bad Knee, and the brilliance of Omar's 4 year contract comes into better focus. Another fat contract for one of Omar's broken down buddies. If this game proved one thing, it's that the Mets have issues with Breaking ball pitchers. Cuerto was getting his fastball pounded, but Arroyo was lights out with his curve last night. Can Doc be hired to throw batting practice?

The defense was good too. Church had a nice day catching everything hit his way. He even caught a fly ball in the corner as be bounced off the wall. Reyes and Beltran were on their game and Delgado and David stayed out of trouble. Schneider still can't catch, but none of his drops and misses made a diffence. Maybe he'll get the hang of actually catching the ball sometime this year.

Now on to the Nationals. The Mets need to sweep them and set the tone for the Yankees this weekend. The Mets need to get on a role and get the team focused on catching the Marlins and gaining the lead in the NL East. Here's hoping for a hot week and a long winning streak to end next week after the Mets leave the Yankees bleeding and battered.

The Mets do Their Jeckle and Hyde Best

Is there anyone else out there that has noticed this Mets teams' nasty habit of allowing bad teams to hang around in games? Is there anyone else out there that thinks the Reds scoring 6 runs in the 1st game is what allowed them to score 7 and win in the night-cap? Teams the Mets should pummel into dust, are allowed to gain confidence and win games. This is a common theme for over a year now and it needs to stop.

As nice as the opening win was and with all the positive signs from struggling hitters, there were storm clouds building as the game went on. The Carlos brothers have been showing signs of life and Beltran had 5 RBI. Delgado was hitting in the 7th hole and had a good game. As much as I dislike the man personally, his bat is needed in this line-up as long as he produces. David got off the snide and there was plenty of hitting all around. About the only one who didn't hit was Jose' and Castillo. The Mets scored numerous runs in numerous innings and managed to win the game. The storm clouds came in the form of allowing the Reds to score 6 runs. Why even allow them to score more than a run or two? The Mets can't seem to slam the door in teams' faces and knock them out. Bad teams, that play the Mets, have the habit of climbing back into the game and getting some hope of a win. And that cost the Mets the game in the night cap.

Pelfrey did all he could be expected to do. After a rough 1st inning, he settled down and pitched well for the next 5 innings. The hitters failed to produce and the pitching in relief has bad.

Before the game even started, I told my father that Witless Willie would have all the bench players in the 2nd game. He laughed and said "I Believe it". Well, all 4 of the bench players went 0-12, with just 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. Way to go Witless Willie!! Willie seems content to win one lose one as his career comes to an end. That type of game philosophy will cost Randumb his job before too long. It's unacceptable , but normal for the Mets, to only get 4 hits off a pitcher that came into the game 1-4 with an ERA over 8.00. When the heck is someone in the front office going to explain to Willie that these games can not be lost !!! That means putting the BEST TEAM on the field every game!!! Rollins is back in Phillie, and the Mets had better start worrying. If they couldn't pass the Phillies in the standings without Rollings playing, what's going to happen now? Will the Mets be fighting the Nationals to stay out of the basement?

I give up trying to figure out Willie's dumb-a_sed pitching moves. Heilman can't throw strikes and pitches in the 1st game, so why bring him back for the 2nd game. Sanchez is regressing, and Sosa is scary. But Willie continues to use them and I'm about to take up drinking again. I wish someone in the pen beside Wagner actually cared about how they pitched. Aaron shows as much emotion and Al Gore. Sanchez seems to be afraid to throw his fastball. Without the fastball, everything else becomes easier to hit. Sosa is a mystery. He seems to have no confidence on the mound, and just seems to go thru the motions and hope for the best. None of this is a recipe for a successful bull-pen.

Meanwhile Joe Smith has allowed only 1 inherited runner to score all year, and he doesn't get used yesterday. He'll also probably be handed a plane ticket to New Orleans this evening. That's just wrong. The Mets should designate Sosa for assignment, and take their chances. There's plenty of arms in AAA to fill the need if it arises, but Smith needs to stay in NY. But Joe isn't one of Willies' "guys" so I don't see him working to keep Joe in NY.

I'm hoping that a miracle happens today and that Ollie wins a game and the Mets bury the Reds early. If Ollie struggles the Mets are doomed. Because that means we'll be seeing Heilman and Sosa for multiple innings and that's a scary thought. I want Ollie to go 8 innings and give the Ball to Joe Smith for the 9th. It would be a nice way for Joe to say goodbye to NY instead of sitting in the pen when the game comes to an end.

Dodgers Battered and Beaten by Maine's Wrecking Crew

I was working when the game started and I listen with great interest as the Mets showed some life and attitude. What happened after last night's game is any one's guess, but maybe there is some pride in this team after all.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I absolutely love John Maine as a pitcher. He's been a favorite of mine since his call up in '06. He has a powerful arm and a brain to match. He is constantly learning how to pitch and never seems content to be average. I see a lot of Josh Beckett in him. He wants to shut the other team down and beat them to a pulp. It hasn't always worked out for John, but he never quits and never surrenders. And those traits are evident this year. While in earlier starts he hasn't had his best stuff, he worked his way thru the problems and gave his team a chance to win. Today, he was smoking and the Dodgers never had a chance.

John didn't strikeout a lot of hitters, but they were pounding the ball into the dirt and couldn't get anything going until the 9th inning. His fastball was constantly hitting 93-95 MPH and topped out at 97!!! His change-up has nasty and dropping across the plate at 78-82 MPH. He worked quickly and threw strikes. His pitch count was only in the low 80's in the 8th inning, and came out for the 9th. Then things got sticky. He allowed a bloop double to Andrew Jones, walked 1 and had another hitter give him a long at bat that turned into a RBI single. Once the 1st run scored, Willie pulled him after 117 pitches. John even managed to drive in 2 runs with a single to center. So not a bad day at all for John.

The offense finally played like we all hoped they would. They got 2 out hits and hit with runners in scoring position. Once they got Brad Penny reeling, they didn't let up. They kept their foot on his throat and scored 10 runs on him. That's what they needed last night, but failed to do. They need to be like sharks in the water. Once there's blood flowing, attack over and over. Don't allow other teams to hang around. Bury them and their hopes of victory as fast as possible. Ryan Church just continues to get better and better. He had 3 hits today and 1 was another long home run. I said earlier this month that I envision him as a left handed version of David Wright. Well so far he's proving me right. Castillo, Pagan, Casanova, Anderson and David had RBI hits also. Reyes went 0-3 with 2 walks, and Beltran mangled 3 balls and got 1 hit. Most importantly, Castillo, Wright, and Maine all got 2 out RBI hits. Those have been very rare for the Mets this year.

Overall is was a complete game. Great starting pitching that went deep into the game. Timely hitting with runners in scoring position and 2 outs. And good solid fielding. These things are the foundation of success on the field, and something that needs to happen more often.

Hell is on the Way

It's hard for me to see much of these games out in L.A., but that may be a blessing. The same issues Guinness and I constantly harp on are continuing to happen. No life, no emotion and no results.

Once again the burden falls on the Young Gunslinger John Maine. He comes into this game with the impossible job of stopping the bleeding and salvage one of these games. Without some more effort at the plate, it may be an impossible job. None of the hitters can get a hit when needed, and very few can even get on base. This team is headed for disaster when they return to NYC. If they thought Shea was chilly and rough before, wait until they losing games to the Reds.

The Mets since last May have exactly a .500 record, and I don't see thing improving with the present management in place. I was reading an article in a NYC paper and the author was talking about the managements' problems. From his reporting, he says that the Wilpon's have given opmar 1 month to right the ship. If after that month, the Mets are still playing .500 baseball and falling in the standings, choices will be made. Omar will have to decide if the Mets can will with Witless Willie as manager. If he sticks with Willie, and the Mets fail this year, Omar and Willie will both be fired. The reporter has sources inside the Mets front office. So maybe there is some truth to this rumor. I've been saying that I'd be willing to have the Mets be in the cellar by June 1 if it means Willie getting fired. The way the Mets are playing that could soon be the situation. They are now in 4th place, just a couple games ahead of the Nats.

Today's game is an early start so I should be able to see most of it. Here's hoping "Gary Cooper" can once again face down the bad guys and save the team from destuction. John is needed more than ever today, and I hope he's up to the task.

The Duel of Aces turns on an Error

This game was billed as a Duel of ACES and it certainly lived up to it. Both Haren and Santana gave up very little and the Bull-pens decided the game. This time the Mets came out on top.

Last year I used a Movie title as a theme for my post game comments. I think I'll use it here too.


The Good

Marlon Anderson, David Wright, and Jose' Reyes provided the hits that made the difference. Jose' had a critical SacFly in the 9th inning, and David crushed a ball into the seat in right center field. He just missed a home run in the 1st inning when he drove a ball to the wall in center. Carlos had another hit and scored a run on Jose's SacFly. Beltran managed a hit and scored on Anderson's single to take the lead. The Mets went into the 9th inning tied and managed to score three runs to seal the win. They took advantage of an error by Jackson to kick open the door and score the deciding runs. All too often the Mets have been on the wrong side of that situation this year.
The defense was also good when it was needed. Church made a great throw from the left field foul area to nail a runner at third. It was his 4th assist this year, and shows how strong that arm is. It turned out to be the game saving play. Without his strong accurate throw, the D-Backs have the go ahead run on 3rd base with no outs. Because of it, they have one out and never showed any life after that. Plays like that are becoming common with Ryan, and prove the value of the Milledge trade. Reyes made some great plays too, and was robbed of a PO on a blown call at 1st base. Castillo was clean in the field and had a busy day throwing to first base.

The Bad

The umpires were terrible. They missed a call at 1st base, and clearly blew a call at second base early in the game. Ojeda was out stretching a hit into a double, but the ump blew it. The strike zone didn't seem very consistent either. The pitchers were rolling the dice when they threw pitches on the corners. Sometimes they were strikes, sometimes not.

The defense has bad too. Feliciano throw away a ball that could have been a disaster. If not for Ryan's great arm and hustle, the D-Backs would have had a runner on third in the 8th inning. At that time the game was in the balance, and who knows how the Mets would have responded if the D-Backs took the lead there.

Castillo and Ryan were hitless and Beltran continues to struggle. Delgado is becoming a better hitter lately than Beltran. THAT'S SCARY!!! Schneider was also hitless although he did have a critical sac bunt in the 9th.

The UGLY

Schneider's defense sucks. I've never seen such a lousy catcher behind the plate. He had the reputation of being this great defensive catcher when he was acquired in the Milledge trade. Doesn't he know how to block any balls in the dirt? Does he know how to CATCH THE BALL!!! I've lost count on how many times this year balls have popped out of his glove. Santana was charged with 3 wild pitches today. That has never happened before in his career. If Schneider could actually do his job, none of them would have happened. Casanova and Molina put Brian to shame behind the plate. They catch and block everything. They can even hit the ball. If I had a say in it, Brian would be the backup catcher to Raul. Brian has done nothing to impress me this year. The game announcers try to pass it off as his lack of playing time this year. And who's fault is that? If he STAYED HEALTHY, he'd be playing more. Why don't Molina, Casanova, or Castro have these catching problems? Is it maybe because they CAN MOVE AROUND BEHIND THE PLATE and catch the ball? As bad as Lo Duca was claimed to be behind the plate, he looks like Johnny Bench compared to Brian. Everything Brian has been dropping and missing, Pauly caught or blocked. Doing that alone saves runs.

Now onto L.A. and a date with the Dodgers. The Mets website says Figueroa is pitching but I heard something about Ollie pitching Monday. I hope it's Nelson that faces the Dodgers 1st. It's alot easier to win the series when you win the 1st game. I doubt I'm alone in these feelings, but I don't trust Ollie to keep his head on straight. I bet people on the Mets feel the same about Ollie. If he has another Meltdown like he did against the Pirates, it could get real ugly in NY when he returns.

The Desert Snakes bite the Mets in the Butt

What an aggravating game to watch. Pelfrey couldn't throw a strike, Heilman hits 2 batters, and Sanchez does his imitation of Perez. On a day when the Mets score 4 runs off Webb, none of the pitchers came to play.

The Mets scored their runs from the least likely sources. Raul Casanova had a RBI single and Carlos Delgado hit a three run home run in the 6th inning. The Mets only had 6 hits and that doesn't usually bode well for winning games. Webb had the Mets beating his sinker into the ground all day long and they never took advantage of the few base runners allowed. Church was in the 2 hole again and had 2 hits off Webb. But Reyes was swinging at pitches in the dirt and never got on base. David went hitless, and Alou' sat out the game. Why, after waiting over a month for him to return, is he already sitting out a day game? If there was a bright spot with the offense it was the fact that Carlos Beltran got a hit, and Delgado managed to hit a home run. I guess the sun even shines on their butts once in awhile. That could be all the hits they see for the week. Maybe it's a sign of them waking up. Lets all hope so. It sure would be easier to win some games if they could consistantly hit the ball.

Once again the Pitching was terrible. Pelfrey couldn't get ahead in the counts and didn't have the means to get out of trouble. Unlike Maine, he lacks the ability to strike hitters out. When balls are put in play, they tend to find holes. Sosa came into the game to start the 6th inning and managed to get out of the inning without doing anymore damage to his ego. Heilman got the 7th, and then things got scary. He gets 2 quick outs, walks the next batter, and then HITS the NEXT 2 BATTERS to load the bases. AHHHHHHH !!!! Somehow he managed to gather himself and strikeout the next hitter. Disaster was adverted, until the 8th inning. Sanchez who has been great all year, blew up the game. He walked 1 and gave up 4 hits and allowed 5 runs in only 1/3rd of an inning. Any chance of getting a victory went up in smoke. Willie called Schoeneweis in to close the inning out. Augie Ojeda then ripped a double into the right field corner and scored the final 2 runs of the inning. But the damage was done and there was no coming back today. Who would have thought that Hudson's replacement would drive in 6 runs and single handily kill the Mets? I guess he had his 15 minutes of fame today.

Well one more game to go and we'll be treated to quite the pitching match-up. Dan Haren goes for the D-Backs against Johan Santana. During the winter the Mets tried to trade for Haren but managed to get Santana instead. I'd rather have Johan than Haren, but now we get to see which trade was better. The sad part is that both could have been on the staff if Omar had made a certain trade. Early in '07 I believe Billy Bean called Omar about trading Haren for Heilman and another player. Omar sad no thanks, and we are left to wonder what might have been. Imagine this rotation. Santana, Haren, Maine as the top 3 starters for years to come.

Ryan brings Wright and Reyes to Church in the Desert

It's amazing what a little desert air will do for the bats. Willie moves Church to the 2 hole, Reyes hits the 1st pitch of the game for a triple, and David starts hitting the ball again. Can the Mets stay in Phoenix for a few weeks?

While watching Mets Pregame Live, I heard Ryan would be batting second in the line-up. Everyone on the show that was asked said the move made sense, and Ryan proved me and all those people right. Now if Willie could only see the light, and leave Church there, this offense may show some more consistent life. But in his post game remarks, Willie said Ryan didn't make a difference hitting in the 2 hole. He said the offense got going because Jose' got on base. He also said that Castillo was his 2 hitter, and that he knows his "guys better than anyone else in the world". Will you get a clue Willie. It's no wonder this team has under performed for over a year. I guess the 3 RBI that Church had didn't count? I guess the fact that the Mets scored early and often didn't have anything to do with Ryan's bat either? I guess the fact that Jose' hits .500 and Ryan hits .400 when they bat 1-2 in the order doesn't matter. I guess the 6 wins the Mets have when Ryan bats 2nd don't matter either. Let's just give them back. It's attitudes and ignorance like Willie's that is holding this team down. I know Ryan isn't the prototypical 2 hole hitter, but IT WORKS !!! With Ryan there, the top 3 hitters had 9 of the 12 hits by the Mets and drove in 5 of the 7 runs. So leave him there until things don't work. Why does Willie insist on not placing the best team on the field everyday? Putting the best team on the field also means placing them in the line-up where the team benefits most. The Mets benefit the most when Ryan is hitting 2nd, not 5th or lower. With Alou' in the line-up, are you going to bat Ryan 6th or 7th instead of 2nd? That's crazy thinking, and only Witless Willie or Guinness would consider it.

Enough of my ranting about batting orders, how about the fielding ? Reyes was great and made some super plays and throws tonight. His flat out diving grab was what we all hope to see from him in the field. That play doesn't get made if he's daydreaming in the field. And how about the catch by David? Running full speed into the outfield down the foul line, he dives and makes an over the shoulder catch in the dirt to end an inning !!!! That's why he won the Gold Glove last year. He has a knack for making catches that don't seem possible. But David was the victim of a hot smash off his glove they ruled an error earlier. He got an error there, but Hudson muffs a routine ground ball and doesn't get one? Granted Alou's ball was hit hard at Hudson, but David's play was much tougher to make and he gets charged anyway.

How about the pitching!!! John did what Ollie couldn't do. He found away to get thru 6 innings without having his best stuff. He struck out 6, walked 2 and for the 5th game in a row allowed only 2 runs. Not too bad for someone who had to use his breaking pitches more than normal. He actually got 3 strikeouts on his CHANGE-UP. And he was throwing his SLIDER for strike too. He used those pitches to set up his fastball in the 5th and 6th innings. His ERA is down to 3.48 and John is maturing with every start. It takes a PITCHER to know how to adjust during the game. Anyone can throw a baseball, but not everyone is a pitcher. Ollie should take a lesson or 2 from Maine before his next start and maybe he'll last more than 1.2 innings. The relievers were also on point this game. Joe Smith pitched 1.2 innings and looked good. Feliciano came in to close the 8th out, and Sanchez was dominate in the 9th striking out 2 hitters. That's what the Mets need from the pen. Good consistent pitching and no messing around.

It was a nice game to watch overall. The Mets played focused baseball and continued their dominance in the desert. Lets hope this is a sign of things to come, and the Mets can start burying teams early and often in games.

A Possible Road Trip to Hell?

Tonight starts a road trip that could possibly save the Mets, or bury them. They go into Arizona and play the Hottest team in MLB. The Diamondbacks have their 3 best pitchers going against the Mets. They send Haren, Webb, and Owings against Maine, Pelfrey, and Santana. The three Dback starters have a combined 14-1 record. Owings is also a hitting fool. He's so good with a bat, they use him as a pinch hitter!!!!!

At least there are a few things in the Mets favor. The Mets have a history of beating up on the Dbacks. Alou' is returning to the line-up tonight. Lets hope he provides a kick in the butt to the offense this trip. Here's to hoping he also stays healthy. Lastly, Webb doesn't have very good luck against the Mets. He's 1-4 when facing them.

Monday doesn't get any better. Torre' has the Dodgers on a 6 game winning streak. So either they'll be ready to lose when the Mets visit them, or they'll be starting a new streak against the Mets. Lets hope the Mets start them on a losing streak, not a winning streak.

If the Mets don't have success on this trip [3-3, or 4-2] I hope they can endure some more heat from the fans. We as fans are losing patience with the teams lazy attitude and Witless Willie's denials of existing problems. It's time to man up and prove to fans around the world that they belong in the elite teams of MLB. Baseball played at a .500 rate won't cut it, and that's what they've been playing since last June.

Grades for the Month of April

I thought since it was an off night that I'd try to rate some aspects of the Mets play this past month. I'll also try to give a rating to some of the players too. I try not to get to involved with my reasons, but just give a quick overview. I would really like some feed back about the players I mention, or about a player you think deserves mentioning.

I'll start with the brightest aspect of the Mets team so far. The starting pitching has been better than expected and was had far fewer surprises than last year.

Johan has been very good, but not the shutdown pitcher we had hoped for, YET. He's given the team quality starts and has pitched deeper into games than anyone else. Once the weather warms up, I believe so will Santana. He's given up a few home runs, but is walking fewer hitters and striking out his share. His record is 3-2, but could be 5-1. He left one game with the lead, and got no run support in a game against the Braves. He gave up 1 run and got the loss. Johan's ERA is at 3.12, so I except it to fall some more in the near future. I give Johan a "B+".

John Maine has gotten better as the season as progressed. His 1st game was bad, but he's pitched well enough to merit our trust. His 2-2 record is a bit deceiving. He's pitched well enough to be 4-1. He left games with the lead, only to have the bull-pen blow it for him, or not get any run support. His walks are really the only major issue. He seems to be the victim of a shrinking strike zone, but he's adjusting ok. If he can get into the 7th inning he should get more chances for the win. His ERA is down to 3.58, so he's headed in the right direction. I give John a "B".

Oliver Perez is up to his old tricks. He's great for a couple of innings, and then it all falls apart for him. He seem to be easily distracted and unable to pick up the team when something goes wrong. Even in his 1st 2 victories, he couldn't get out of the 6th inning. His walks come by the basketful and he can't seem to stop them. Once the walks start, they only stop when Ollie is removed from the game. His ERA started out in the 2s, but has now ballooned to 4.03. Ollie also has 21 walks in 29 innings. Not very good. Oliver gets a "C-" from me.

Mike Pelfrey is a small surprise this spring. The last few weeks of spring training he struggled and only won a spot in the rotation when Grandpa Hernandez could pitch. He started out good but has had difficulties his last few games. He's 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA. He has 10 strikeouts and 10 walks to go with 29 hits in 22 innings. Not very good. But it is an improvement from last year when he started 0-7. I give Mike a "C" .

Nelson Figueroa is the biggest surprise this spring. He's been very good [2-1, and 4.08 era]and never really seems to get rattled. Which begs this question. Why didn't anyone sign him to a contract before the Mets? With pitching so hard to find, I don't know why Nelson would be struggling to find a job in MLB. He throws numerous pitches for strikes, has a fastball between 86-90 MPH, and gives you innings. In his Mets debut, he retired the first 14 batters to face him. He came into Ollie's meltdown game on 2 days rest, and pitched well for 3 innings. Too bad Ollie didn't pitch like Nelson. Because of his surprise showing this spring, I give Nelson a "B" for his efforts.

Now for the Hitting. This is a troubling aspect for the Mets. Too few people are hitting, and when they do hit, it's at the wrong time. The offense is continuing to play without any energy or passion. And few players are earning their pay.

Ryan Church is more than anyone could have hoped for. He's crushing left handed pitching, driving in runs, scoring runs, and playing a great outfield. All that was heard from too many fans was how bad of a trade this was. Nobody liked trading Milledge [I thought it was a good trade] and everyone was saying how Ryan couldn't hit left handed pitchers. Well so much for them. He goes about his business like a professional, plays hard everyday, and has more good days than bad. Who could ask for more? I give him an "A" for his efforts.

David Wright has been great, and not so great. He's in a little funk now, but has shown some life in the last few games. He's the leader in most offensive stats on the team. At one time this season he was hitting .345 and was leading the league in RBI. His swoon at the plate has brought his average down to .281, but that should start climbing above .300 very soon. His 5 errors are not very good, but no one ever said David was perfect in the field. 3rd base is called the "HOT CORNER" for a reason. Balls hit there are moving at warp speed. I give David a "B-" so far this year. I expect better from him, so his grade will suffer for now.

Jose' Reyes is lost. His average is at .250 and not getting any better. His OBP is .307. The only everyday player lower is Delgado at .297. Even Santana has a higher OBP [.313]. He only has 6 steals and 9 walks. the worst part of it is the fact that he's not getting any better. He has a good game or two, and then does nothing for the next 3-4 games. Jose's fielding hasn't been the greatest either. He has 5 errors, and has been out of position many times this spring. He seems to be daydreaming in the field and at the plate. Until he gets his head on straight, the season will be rough for him and the Mets. He gets a "C-" from me so far.

Carlos Delgado can be summed up in a few words. He's done in NY. His fielding is costing the Mets runs, and his lack of a bat is causing too many outs. His average is at .198 and his OBP at .297. He has 20 strikeouts, 19 hits, and only 12 RBI. He refuses to admit he has problems, and does nothing to correct them. To make matters worse, Willie loves him. I doubt Carlos even matches his paltry stats from last year. He gets an "F" for the season so far.

Carlos Beltran is MIA this spring. Where is the hitter that had 5 doubles in his 1st 6 ABs? Carlos is hitting .212 with 21 strikeouts and only 19 hits. Beltran and Delgado truly are the Carlos brothers. Their stats are so alike, it's scary. They are the major reason why the Mets offense is so anemic. Until he wakes up at the plate, David will continue to see a stead diet of sliders and curveballs on the outside corner of the plate. Pitchers no longer fear the Carlos brothers. Until that happens, the offense will sputter. Carlos also gets a "F" for his lack of results.

As bad as the offense has been, Heilman and Sosa have been worse. They have single handily cost the Mets at least 5 wins this season. They have given up 3 GRANDSLAMS in APRIL alone. They can't get anyone out, and don't seem to remember how to pitch. All Aaron wants to throw is his change-up. And all Sosa wants to throw is his slider. When you only throw 1 pitch, it doesn't take long for hitters to pound the baseball. If it was possible to give them something lower than a "F", I would.