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Monday, December 17, 2007

Mitchell Report

I'm sure you're all just dying to hear what I have to say about the Mitchell Report. Well I wrote my TOTK.com article on it this week. Big Names, Bigger Needles.

The report is just the tip of the iceberg.

I'm amused that Roger Clemens is scared of needles, but it's very sad that it seems like the only reason he didn't take HGH in addition to steroids is because he didn't like the "Belly button shot".

Saturday, December 08, 2007

I Trust Omar Minaya

“To me, it’s about quality. It’s not so much getting a guy. We will not be afraid to give our young kids a chance to pitch instead of going out there and paying a lot of money for a guy who gives a lot of innings - but they’re not quality innings. There’s a lot of demand for those guys. I’ve gotten a lot of hits on our young guys.”

This quote from Omar Minaya means a lot to me. Despite some issues I've had with him and some of his decisions, I'm actually pretty comfortable with him as a GM. I'm not afraid of starting the season the way the Mets are now. Pedro, El Duque, Maine, Perez, Pelfrey is fine to me. I think Pelfrey continued to grow last season, and his September was good. I think he's a good player with confidence being one of his bigger issues last year. Maine, in my opinion, is excellent, and I'd actually lean towards him as being the 2nd starter, as little as those designations really mean anything. It's not even so much talent, as it is that El Duque's not going to pitch 33 starts next year, he never does. Maine could, so it makes sense to designate more starts to him before the season, as he's more likely to meet the expectations.

Billy Wagner, among others, questions the replacement of Tom "I wouldn't call it devasting" Glavine's win total from last year. Number one, I don't think Glavine is the one that's going to match that total anyway, and number two, I think Pedro is capable of that. Even being babied, he showed me a lot last year near the end of the season, and I really feel he has a lot left. If I could put money on Pedro having a better season than Glavine, I would.

So do we need that Livan Hernandez type guy, who would be able to pitch a good amount of innings to relieve our bullpen? I still think so, but I'm not sold on overpaying these guys either. I think it can be done with what we have.

On another note of confidence in Omar Minaya, has anyone noticed how many second-hand pitchers he's signed? He's gotten a bunch of guys who have fallen out of favor, for almost nothing. Maybe we find that diamond in the rough with one of them, or maybe one of them really gels with how Peterson teaches. If not, it's so easy to cut them loose, you may not even remember they were Mets.

Still over two months until spring training...

P.S. Would it kill the Mets to actually market and make John Maine and Oliver Perez Jersey's? I want a Maine Jersey, but it requires actually getting a custom one made with 33 and Maine on the back, unless someone has seen one somewhere? I certainly haven't.

Friday, November 30, 2007

Mets make a trade. So Long Milledge

The Mets officially announced that they have acquired OF Ryan Church and C Brian Schneider from the Nationals for OF Lastings Milledge. Originally I was disappointed and thought this was a bad trade. However, it's grown on me and I'm going to present it optimistically.

Obviously we needed pitching, but it seems like Milledge wasn't going to get us that. His value seems to have been down leaguewide, and that includes with the Mets as a right fielder. Maybe he'll turn out well, but with Gomez and Martinez in the minors also projected to be good outfielders, it's not like we're lacking outfield prospects, and it's probably the easiest position to fill.

Brian Schneider, Paul Lo Duca.. They're probably not going to be much different in 2008. Schneider is probably cheaper, and more expendible which gives the Mets more flexibility to make a change later in the year/decade. Church is a decent player, and he'll definitely be serviceable for us. It's likely he'll be better than Milledge, but you never know either way. Between him and Alou, players like Endy Chavez and even Gomez and Martinez may be able to get some playing time.

Another thing is that after the disasterous end to 2007, the Mets desparately needed a new look. With certain obvious exceptions, I wasn't really looking for anyone's head afterwards though, so where would this fresh look come from? This should help with that new look.

And, on a different note, Ryan Church has a cool personal chant. When he got up last year, the Nationals fans chanted "hallelujah" which I thought was cool.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Mets Tickets, Saturday Plan

I currently own 4 saturday plan tickets for the Mets. Next year one of my friends has decided to pass on this. 3 seats just seems a weird number, so rather than trying to condense my plan, I'm looking for a 4th person that wants to buy the seat. I figured it's always fun to meet new people, and maybe there's someone out there that always wants to go to games but never has anyone to go with.

If anyone out there is actually interested in this and/or wants more details feel free to email me at ceetarsnose@gmail.com. Last year are seats were UR section 15, row G. which were decent seats.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Mota..oh, and Estrada

I think the best part of this deal was ditching Mota. and that the Brewers are paying him.

Estrada looks fine to me as a catcher, but the Mets could even ditch him and not pay him via arbitration. woo. It's time to focus on pitching, but I know that the Mets just improved the bullpen in this trade

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Classless organizations

Enough with A-Rod. I actually like A-Rod while he's not currently employed by those people, but I'm tired of the crazy rumors and speculation. Would he just sign somewhere already?

As for the Yankees supposedly willing to talk again? It's such a joke.

They've gone back on their word.
They're staging a one-man boycott of an agent, which will only hurt them in the end. You can't arbitrarily not deal with players because of who their agent is.
They expending quite a bit of effort and attention on basically keeping together a team that won one postseason game last year. They're putting an awful lot of faith in those young pitchers, which is the only real area you could expect improvement.
They just barely stopped short of asking A-Rod to crawl back to them, beg for his money, and apologize for opting out. Real classy.

As for the Mets, It's still a long offseason, but I'm getting antsy for some sort of real move, involving hopefully a bullpen guy or a starting pitcher.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Rumor Mill

Rumors abound!

I like all the rumors, because it keeps baseball talk alive, and I can only take so much of the same football stories all week since nothing happens between Monday night and Sunday afternoon, but I do hate chasing around rumors. There are so much unsubstantiated stuff, so many halfway-educated writers decided what the Mets just HAVE to do to be good next year, and so many little things to keep track of.

I'm happy with what the Mets have done so far. I don't think we needed Easley, but I like Anderson and Alou. Let's see what happens for the rest, but I don't know that I'll have a good sense until April, after I've seen and heard about all the bullpen prospects the Mets have for the season. Because I think the bullpen is the biggest issue, as much as I would like another starter. I wouldn't be panicing with Pedro, Maine, Perez and Humber, Pelfrey and El Duque. Maybe pick up a marginal guy now or later or both and see what happens. I want them to resign Lo Duca, and Castillo, and I think they will.

So let's see where this goes, I just can't take real interest in the zillion of rumors and trades that are suggested every day. Too many writers, not enough stuff to write about.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Today's resignings

I have no problem with resigning Alou. In fact I wanted someone like him for next year. I want Alou, Beltran, and Milledge opening day. I wonder if this move was made with the thought of trading Gomez, but if not, Gomez(and Endy) can get a fair amount of left field time in when Alou is out.

I've never been a big fan of Easley, and while he had some moments last year, i'm not sure where he fits with this team. Unless they're thinking of trading Gotay, this puts us in exactly the situation as last year with an overload at second base. Unless they're thinking Easley off the bench, a job that he'll hopefully play second-fiddle to Marlon Anderson. Does this effect the possibility of resigning Castillo? I hope not. (or the possibility of the A-Rod, Wright to second stuff?)

Good to see the Mets start making some news. The 2007 is officially over, and it's time to forget that, and focus on the future and stop letting the Yankees take all of the attention.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

A-Rod and Joe Torre

The New York Yankees, as is typical of their history, again act without class in firing Joe Torre. A move that I am really happy about, because I think it opens the door for the Yankees to not make the playoffs next year. If Mariano, Pettite, Posada or/and A-Rod decide to use the manager change as an excuse to leave for another team, the Yankees will take a blow. Hopefully at least one of them leaves.


As for A-Rod, I expect it won't be all about the money this time. He was willing to take some sort of pay cut to go to Boston. Only the greed of the players association kept him from going there. Maybe he'll overlook getting 900million dollars this time and take merely 800million to go somewhere that he'll be happy and have a chance to win. How much Joe Torre effects that, it's hard to say. Likely Mariano and Posada could have made a decision by the time A-Rod does.


In my last article at totk.com, I talk about A-Rod's impending pay day and how he's probably worth it. Hopefully someone else realizes this and takes him away from the Yankees. The former 'Bronx Bombers' used to have both the single season, and all-time home run records, but now they have neither. Babe Ruth was still probably the best slugger ever, but now his curse is focused on them. A-Rod leaving would pretty much prevent the Yankees from making an attempt at either record for a long time. Losing the best player in baseball could only hurt a team.


A team that payed Kei Igawa and Carl Pavano for pretty much nothing worthwhile this season, were supposedly upset about giving Torre an extra couple of million dollars, and now they're stuck looking for an option that has a prayer at living up to what Torre has done for the team. Likewise by not extending Rivera's contract before the season started like he wanted, they're risking letting him get away. There shouldn't have been any doubt that Rivera would be wanted on the team beyond this year, but someone that makes the decisions decided it wasn't worth paying the guy who may very well be the most valuable Yankee over the last 12 years.


Things look like they could be bleak in the future for the Yankees, just how I like them.


Tuesday, October 16, 2007

King of Sports

I have a couple of posts planned here and there about this and that. Including my thoughts on what the Mets need to do this offseason.

For now, here is a link to my last article on TOTK.com about why as we all turn to other sports to watch, I still view baseball as the best of them all. King of Sports

Sunday, October 07, 2007

So Long

Oh Look, the Phillies aren't in the Playoffs. Did anyone not see this coming? Honestly I thought they may win a game just because they can occasionally hit the ball and no one pitches that well all the time, but apparently not. Good job further proving that the division title in the East was lost and not won.

Most people out there are saying the Mets would've lost too, and while that may be true, I don't think they would've made as poor a showing as the Phillies. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter. Congratulations to the Rockies, and It's hard to not feel good about a team winning it's first postseason series, even if it wasn't against top-quality opposition.

The Mets won just as many playoff games as the Phillies this year. Here's to another 14 years of playoff drought for Philadelphia.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Should I Stay or Should I Go?


Should I Stay Or Should I Go?


David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Billy Wagner. These are my first tier of players, the ones that I feel should go under no circumstances.


Luis Castillo, Pedro Feliciano, Lastings Milledge, Mike Pelfrey, Joe Smith, Philip Humber, Endy Chavez, Marlon Anderson, Ramon Castro, Ruben Gotay. These guys are the next tier. I really don't want these guys to go anywhere, but they're not as completely vital. Some of them I'd miss, but would be glad to see value come from them in a big trade.


Carlos Gomez, Moises Alou, Paul Lo Duca, Carlos Delgado, Scott Schoeneweis, Orlando Hernandez are the guys that I think could succeed in certain roles with the Mets, or I think are due for a decent year and should be held while focus is placed on other areas. I think we can get good years out of Delgado and Lo Duca, leaving Omar(or whoever) free to search for a more long term solution in these positions while focusing on more immediate pitching concerns. I think Schoeneweis might be a tolerable addition, and his contract probably brings him back anyway. I'm not sure if guys like El Duque, Gomez or Alou can contribute reliably, and while I wouldn't mind keeping them, I also wouldn't mind exchanging them for value. One concern of mine is power, something I felt the Mets were missing when Delgado was slumping and Alou was missing. I found the Mets stringing together hits but failing to have big innings that a home run can bring.


Tom Glavine, Guillermo Mota, and Aaron Sele are the only three players that I'm ready to toss completely.


Everyone else is either too minor to make a decision on(Muniz, who looked real good. Ben Johnson, who barely factors in), or really doesn't seem to have a place in the future(Shawn Green, Aaron Heilman, David Newhan, Jeff Conine, who I believe was going to retire, Dave Williams, Mike Difelice). Guys like Jose Valentin or Duaner Sanchez or Damien Easley may or may not be done with the team, and certainly have to prove themselves again.


I'm never one to get too caught up in coaches. I think Peterson may have worn out his welcome, but I really don't know how much impact he has, or how much guys like Maine and Perez might rely on him. I like Howard Johnson, I could care less about Rickey's card playing habits and think he some valuable assets. I like Willie, Omar seems to be pretty competent, I don't know that I have much to say about Sandy Alomar at third base, and the other guys barely register.


I generally don't like to speculate and chase rumors about getting this guy, or getting that guy. Obviously trying to get a guy like Johan Santana would be awesome, but would it be worth Humber and Pelfrey? Probably, but it's a tough thing to judge. I've said this before, and I think Omar should just invite 18 middle relief guys to spring training, and hope to catch the guys that are going to have good years, or match well with Peterson's(or replacement's) style of pitching.

Monday, October 01, 2007

Mets Extra

At the end of 162, it's the Philadelphia Phillies 89, the New York Mets 88.


Wow. That sucked. So much for my optimism. I'm not going to be one of those fans that throws blame and anger all over the place, calling for heads and trades and all of that. I will break down the team and next year and what I want to see happen sometime in the near future. I expect I'll update a bit through the playoffs (I'm rooting for the Cubs) talk about awards and all of that. After October I'll still post, maybe once a week, or when other things happen. I'm proud of myself for getting through the entire season with this blog, and look forward to making new bloggie friends in the off-season and next year. Here is my postseason prediction, and my in-season stats for the year.


I think the Rockies win tomorrow.


AL Divisional Round
RED SOX defeat
ANGELS (3-1)
INDIANS defeat YANKEES (3-0)

AL
Championship
RED SOX defeat INDIANS (4-1)

NL Divisional
Round
ROCKIES defeat PHILLIES (3-1)
CUBS defeat
DIAMONDBACKS (3-1)

NL Championship
CUBS defeat ROCKIES (4-2)

World Series
RED SOX defeat CUBS
(4-2)


Personally I went to 33 baseball games this year.

My record at Shea Stadium was 15-12.

My record at Mets games was 17-12.

My record for the hometeam was 18-15.

My record for the Nationals was 3-2. (This included three stadiums, RFK, Shea, and Dolphin Stadium)

This year I attended games in 4 stadiums(Shea, RFK, Yankee, and Dolphin)

I've now been to 13 Stadiums(Shea, Yankee, Fenway, Wrigley, Citizens Bank, Dolphin, RFK, Petco, ½ old Busch, ½ new Busch, Dodger, Angel, San Fran, McAfee)


Next year the goal is to check out Camden Yards, Nationals park, and Tropicana field.



The Optimistic Mets Blog player of the year is: David Wright.


Is there any doubt? David Wright is looking so good. He was the most solid, consistant player on this team. He struggled in April when the team didn't, and since then there have been very few games he hasn't gotten a hit in. He's now in the top two or three in career Mets avg, slugging, obp and ops. He's got a .311 career Mets batting average. He expanded his game, learned from his peers, and took on more of a leadership role. He's a great fielder who needs to figure out his throws a bit, but I'm so glad he's on our team.


Saturday, September 29, 2007

It's all about being there...

I'll be there. I was there for game 7 last year, hopefully this isn't similar. I still believe the Mets can win this. I don't think the Phillies will win both these games, they just aren't that good, and I know the Nationals suck, but...All the Mets need to do is remember what it's like to win..and do it.

Friday, September 28, 2007

I'll be there

I can't fathom going to Shea tonight, but I am. I was debating it, and then someone told me they had tickets for me. I decided to take it as a sign, and I'm going. I'll be there tomorrow too.

Well..

2 scoreless bullpen innings.

Pedro went 7.

We still are in winning all our games.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Nothing to Say

I wish I had something to say, but there is nothing. The only reason to peruse Mets blogs and media today is the faint hope that someone, somewhere has some insight that promotes confidence. The problem is everytime you find that glimmer, the Mets blow it to shreds at night.


This season started with the most promise and expectation in at least seven years, World Series or bust. The last team the Mets faced in 2006 was to become the first team they'd face in 2007. Now they are seriously in danger of that being the case again, only this time it's not a World Series champion that foils their quest, but the lowly Marlins. In that first season of the year, they did something they have struggled to do of late, and that's get revenge and complete a sweep. Maybe seeing Albert and Yadier sparks that fire that they need. Destiny, however slim, is still in the Mets hands. Are the Mets complacent, acting entitled, almost snobbish? Well here is the true wake up call. The one team that can remind them that despite the glory of last year, they are essentially losers. They are owed nothing and have everything to prove.


Hopefully the Mets beat up on the Cardinals, and then because a one game series is just not enough for the Mets to work out their aggression, they've got a series against bored fish on the weekend to continue with. Something needs to wake up this team, and if it's not the Cardinals, I may be using my Playoff money to buy an HDTV.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Book Review: The New York Mets: Ethnography, Myth, and Subtext

Review: The New York Mets: Ethnography, Myth, and Subtext by Richard Grossinger



The book isn't so much a story as a diary and tribute to one person's journey as a fan of the New York Mets. Throughout that journey he, like most of us, is constantly reevaluating his commitment to his team, and answering the question, “Why do we watch?” He was a born Yankee fan drawn to the Mets in their infancy, knowing there is more to life, and to baseball, then championships. He embraced the Mets from the beginning, from their minor league players to their major league players who probably should have been in the minor leagues.


As a younger fan, It was interesting to read a fan's perspective on my team that's been there from the beginning. I've never truly experienced a championship, but I've also had some fun and exciting moments. Grossinger explains that it's not always the championships that resonate and are remembered for years to come, but the truly spectacular moments. It's the journey that is what truly makes us fans, not just the final game of the World Series. Grossinger journey as a fan is a unique one, just like all of our adventures as fans are, and it's interesting to read as he goes to his first games at Shea, roots for his favorite players, and eventually gets his first press pass.


One part of the book that I found particularly interesting was about the author's time in San Francisco as a Mets fan. This was long before the time of DirecTV with Extra Innings, or mlb.tv. He was able to embrace the team through box scores, newspapers and magazines. Then he formed a club, and a bunch of baseball fans joined together to buy a satellite dish that could pick up the feeds of all the games across the country. They were able to get Mets games clear across the country and sometimes even picking up the feeds before they were edited for TV.


A big chapter of the book is his relationship with a Mets player, Terry Leach. Leach was one of those guys that perpetually was being send between AAA and the Major Leagues, despite how well he would pitch. In an era that people are constantly talking about “rooting for the laundry”, rooting for whoever the players are as long as they wear the uniform of your favorite team, It's a refreshing look at how sometimes we form an attachment to a favorite player, and how it's not always the best guy on the team. Grossinger, and his son's, attachment to Terry Leach was formed in the minor leagues off a statsheet. They followed his progress through the minors, and like many of us still do, formed a bond with a player that comes up through the Mets minor league system.


As you read through the book, reading accounts from different years and eras of Mets history, you start embracing what it is to be a Mets fan, and reaffirm your connection with the team. Throughout the book I felt myself relating to his stories of watching and following the Mets, even though my experiences often happened decades later. I learned new things about the history of my team, and got further insight into what it was like for the fans of the past. The culture of being a Mets fan is a unique one, but it's one that Richard Grossinger, me, and hopefully you, are all excited to be a part of.


All in all this book is a book most Mets fans will enjoy reading about. It has discussions of moments and events in all 45 years of Mets history. It explores what it's like to be a Mets fan, and helps get a perspective on how and why we watch baseball.

a sigh of relief?

Resounding weekend. I left work Friday with the magic number at 9. I arrive at work today and it's at 5. Three Mets wins, and even though it doesn't feel like a winning streak, it still is. It is said that good teams find a way to win, and nothing defines that than a bottom of the 11th featuring Aaron Sele, and Scott Schoeneweis for the save and the third consecutive win, on a day when the Phillies had lost. Delgado has his power stroke, which is the most important part of his game, Wright has another game-winning RBI, Alou is still hitting everything, and somehow, the bullpen's gotten some outs.

Plenty to worry about still, but hopefully they can get these 5 games out of the way, and be able to rest bullpen and injuries the final weekend.

As for the Phillies...I was in Washington DC this weekend to see the final two games of RFK Stadium, against the Phillies. The Nationals are really a bad team, and Saturday was at best 50/50 Nats fans to Phillies fans. Predictably, once the Phillies scored three in the top of the 10th, most of the Nationals fans left. Me and my friend decided to make our way towards the right field part of the stadium to be closer to the stairs we needed to exit from. As we walked around the stadium, each section noticed our Mets stuff, and took the opportunity to yell and boo us. It's an interesting feeling listening to most of the upper deck of a stadium booing you, It was like a wave of boos as we walked around. Of course I got in my "First place!", and "Better luck next year!" yells in, as well as pointing at the Mets score on the out of town scoreboard. Oddly, I didn't hear anything from the Phillies fans on Sunday.

Let's see the Mets come out swinging tonight, picking up that extra half game with the Phillies off, and go into the final 6 games with a decent lead.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Copper Lining

Well, it's not quite a silver lining, maybe a copper lining? We're now in the same position as two days ago, with the slight additional edge of having two more games off the schedule.

The team's going to have to learn from this, and maybe they it's a lesson that needs to be learned before they can succeed.

It's too late in the season to worry about micromanaging or second guessing Willie, or blaming someone for this. I look to the future and hope the Mets can make this stretch a small black mark on an otherwise terrific season.

Besides, the NL East Champion Phillies just has a poor ring to it.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock

Apparently the Magic Number Clock isn't broken, because it moved again tonight. Two big ticks of doom for the Philadelphia Phillies. The Number suddenly dips to single digits, with 11 games left for the Mets to play, and as the Cardinals celebrate on the field for perhaps the last time in 2007, the Phillies hopes have faded a little bit more. They're now three losses behind the Mets, and if the Padres can overcome a 3-2 Pirate lead in the 5th, they'll be three losses back in the Wild Card race too.

Today was looking good for the Phillies, and bad for the Mets. The Mets looked like they were going to be steamrolled by the competition, but instead it's looking like the Phillies don't have enough gas and that the Mets are just a little farther away than they realized. The momentum has suddenly swung back in the Mets favor as they head down to Florida where they haven't lost in what seems like ages pitching pitchers who will one day be immortalized in Cooperstown.

View Larger Map

It's a good time to be a Mets fan.

Champagne

It sounds like some people might have an issue with Willie Randolph's comment about sipping the champagne being sweeter when they do pull it out.

I don't have an issue with it, I like the confidence, I liked that he was talking packing for Detroit before game 7 last year. Confidence!

Joe Beningo is talking about "This isn't the Yankees, this is the Mets" trying to say we're not as good as them because we're second-class. We're not. We're not their shadow, we're our own team, and Willie Randolph not panicking is better than expecting it because "It's the Mets"

Eyes on the Prize

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. So at this rate, the Mets should be superb by October. Going into last weekend you figured the Mets had only a week left of baseball, and then a week of coasting. It looks like they decided to do it the other way, taking off for a week, hopefully followed by a week of good solid baseball. They went from being probably the first or second team to clinch, to a team letting the competition have a shot at the prize.


If the Mets play doesn't give you faith in a postseason berth, and why should it, you have but to look south, at Philadelphia. This team is truly abysmal. They can outhit just about anyone, but when it comes to the playoffs and October, hitting just doesn't get it done; You need to be able to pitch. The inability for the Phillies, and the Braves, to play truly competitive baseball for any length of time has been a double-edged sword. Sure it makes winning the division a little easier, but It bestows an air of confidence on the Mets that they haven't deserved. It's about time for the Mets to grab the prize that's been sitting their all season long for the taking, before they knock it into the Phillies lap.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Welcome to the 30-30 Club

David Wright reached the 30 home run and 30 stolen base plateau Sunday with his home run in the 7th inning. He became the third Met to do it, and the first since his hitting coach, Howard Johnson, did it in 1991. This is especially impressive considering he basically did it without the month of April where he didn't hit a home run and only stole three bases. I thought Wright had a good chance to do this this year, and it turns out I was correct. I also thought the Mets could win the World Series, so we'll see how that goes. I also think Jose Reyes has a shot to be a 30-30 guy in the future, but only time will tell.


Wright plays a smart game and is a great player; I fully expect this to the first of many 30-30 years he racks up. I don't think Howard Johnson's knowledge should be overlooked here either, I like Hojo as a batting coach. In a season that in June looked like the Mets would struggle to have even one player get to 100 RBIs, Wright has managed to put up some impressive numbers as an MVP candidate.


Also performing well after a bad start is Pedro. Pedro didn't actually have a bad start, he didn't have a start at all. He's three starts in and all three have been superb. It looks like he'll for sure get a start in the playoffs, the only downside is with his still healing rotator cuff, it will be tough for him to go deep into games. I'm interested to see how the bullpen shakes up during the playoffs. Presumably Maine and Perez will both be there in the division series, so hopefully they can get the job done and guys like M*ta and Sele don't need to make the roster, leaving room for guys like Joe Smith or even Willie Collazo if he can get the job done.


I know Collazo is too much of a rookie for Willie to go to him in the playoffs, but hopefully he finds a suitable substitute that he can use where we don't have to worry when the starters don't go 9.


Luckily, I think the Mets committed all the rest of their errors for the season and postseason this weekend, so it should be smooth sailing here on out.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Notes from Early September

Pedro: He’s looking better and better. Hopefully the end of the season doesn’t come before he peaks.

Book review: I just finished a new Mets book, my write-up to come.

David Wright: You all know the story here, and it's really no surprise. He’s an uncrowned leader and most valuable player of at least the Mets.

Bullpen: It’s looking better. Remember that in the playoffs it'll also have one or two of our five strong starters.

A-Rod: Suddenly talk has risen about him surpassing Roger Maris. I don't think he will; he’s actually four or five behind the pace. I’m torn about whether I think he’ll tie the Babe at 60 or fall one short. The Curse of the Bambino will permit nothing else.

Tonight’s game is an example of how the Mets just aren’t going to win every single game, but Reyes has three doubles so far, which is nice to see. Reyes does get into a funk every once in a while, and I think the grind of the season caused Reyes to take longer to break out of it this time.

I really like Wright batting third. I didn’t think I would at first, but somehow this lineup just seems right. Reyes has been getting some criticism about his production this year, but I think it’s mostly unfounded. He doesn’t have as many RBIs or home runs this year, but that’s not his game, and lately the complaints have been that he’s popping up the ball too much. I think he has improved; his runs are a little behind this year, but I actually think they reflect better on him this year. He’s gotten more of those runs manufactured this year, through his many stolen bases, whereas last year Lo Duca and Beltran and Delgado were driving him in. This year the offense behind him was a little slow, which kept him from scoring more often than not.

I will be at Shea tomorrow night, courtesy of the free tickets from the Mets for attending the Mets at the Movies promotion. I’d invite you to come say hello, but the tickets are for section 41, row Q. I think I can find two seats a teensy bit closer than that at least. I’ll also be in my usual seats (UR section 15, Row G) for Saturday too.

Mustache?

Apparently, the first 25000 fans attending Friday night's game against the Phillies will receive an SNY Mustache.

Interesting promotion, Maybe they can have other similar promotions and we can all sneak back into the dugout aka Bobby Valentine.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

A trip to Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium


I told myself I would go to Yankee Stadium one more time before it closes. I barely remember my previous visits, and I figured I should have some memories of a stadium that's been around in some form for over 80 years and hosted players like Babe Ruth. I had free tickets from a friend, so I decided to take advantage. Of course, I neglected to look at the tickets, and they were bleacher seats. The bleacher's aren't attached, and staying way out there didn't sound like a fun way to watch the Mariners. I hung out for batting practice leaning on the wall over Monument Park, and debated climbing over the wall and down the side of the Mariners bullpen into Monument Park to sneak into the main part of the stadium. I decided that my bright orange shirt under my Wright jersey with my Mets hat would make it hard for me to jump down and blend into the crowd, so I didn't do that. Eventually I walked out, an decided I'd just fork over the money to enter the main part of the stadium. Standing on line I actually ended up buying a scalped ticket, I paid $20 for a $60 ticket that I didn't end up sitting in anyway.


You're not allowed bags in Yankee stadium, but they didn't actually pat me down or anything. I had to show them my cellphone and remove my cap, but If I'd had a gun in my pocket they'd never have known. I brought plastic bags and used them to hold my stuff and started walking around. I spent most of my time in fair home run territory, and it was a nice change to be able to be in fair territory where home runs can actually reach.


There wasn't really any aggression towards my choice of attire. The phrase of choice was “You're in the wrong stadium.” There weren't many Mariner fans, and I only saw a handful of Mets fans.


First the negative. It's probably mostly biased, but the new Yankee stadium just looks boring and plain. The concourses make Shea look spacious, but I guess that's the difference of 40 years in design. If possible, the prices are actually more expensive for food. (Not to mention seating) I'll skip the obvious in that we all know the Mets don't play there, so that's a big minus. Plenty of people complain about Sweet Caroline at Shea, but it's nothing to complain about next to the grounds crew singing “YMCA”. The Yankees still feel the need to play God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch, which also annoys me.


I like being able to be in fair territory with the possibility of catching a home run. There are probably only a dozen home run balls at Shea that land in the seats, but there were a couple Tuesday night. A-Rod's went soaring over my head and landed in the upper deck. It was definitely on it's way down, but it was certainly impressive. Abreu's later landed in the seats about 10 feet to my left. Staring out at the outfield, imagining that Monument Park and the bullpens aren't there, it's amazing to think Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs playing in this ballpark. Posada's home run that easily cleared the fence in left-center would've been an out. The new Yankee mascot, the squirrel that hangs out on top of the right foul pole made an appearance, which was more interesting than the Mariners. One thing the Yankees have right is the merchandise. I saw shirts for Jobu Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes. At Shea you can't buy a shirt for Oliver Perez, John Maine, Mike Pelfrey or Joe Smith. The Endy Chavez catch bobble head came out before the Mets were selling Chavez shirts.


The Mets salvaged a split of the road trip after dropping the first four, which is cool. The division is all but wrapped up, the magic number is 19 and I've been to 26 (22 Mets) games this year. I have tickets to four more so far, and I'm thinking about adding another to make it 27 Mets games, officially 1/3rd of all home games. I think the Mets have turned the corner on their lackluster season, and I expect them to play well, and win well, on this long homestand.

Monday, September 03, 2007

Brooms a Flying

Brooms Flying

I said the Mets would sweep the Braves, and now they have. Anyone that doubts that the Philly series was the exception rather than the rule needs to look again. The Mets are again four games up, on the way to being five up as I write this. Assuming the bullpen hangs on, the Mets will again be going for five wins in a row.

Another thing that we need to stop talking about is the Atlanta ‘jinx’. There is no such thing, and if there ever was, it’s over. The Braves have no more magic, no more sway over the Mets. Chipper Jones may still have the Mets number, but it’s a lost cause. The Mets are very clearly better than the Braves, are the defending champions, and hold a commanding leader over those Braves again this season. So what if the season series is seven wins to eight losses against Atlanta? They were held down and pummeled when it counted the most. This weekend was pretty much must-win for the Braves for any illusions about the division, and maybe even the playoffs.

Now everything probably won’t go as well as it has these last four days, but I think this is closer to the Mets than the Philly series was. Delgado seems to have some power back, and if he can hold on to some of that and Alou can stay healthy the Mets have something that they actually lacked for much of the season, power. Beltran was slumping a bit, and Wright’s not a pure power guy, so the Mets were often resorting to small ball and stringing together hits. There are only so many hits you can string together sometimes. Many of those games in the middle of the summer that the Mets lost would’ve been wins if the RBI singles had become three run home runs.

Pelfrey and Pedro looked good, David Wright’s making his case for 30-30, as well as MVP, Wagner finally earned a save again, and the bullpen has settled down a little.

The magic number is at 23, soon to be 21, and before you know it we’ll be pricing playoff tickets on Stubhub and hoping the Mets clinch at home on the 24th so that we can be in attendance.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

The Real Truth

I know this series sucked, trust me. I still believe it's the exception and not the norm, and were this the playoffs we'd have found a way to win, and hold the leads. Wagner and El Duque are not usually going to pitch like this.

This is the NL East race, pictured here in mid-September.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

If you don't have something nice to say..

I still trust Willie, I do. It's only the regular season, but I wish they'd played more to step on their throats. They've hit a little downswing offensively which is understandable after a two week stretch on fire, but the bullpen has been unable to make anything stick.

The Phillies won't catch up, but you can't let them sweep either. Even the four games, while it doesn't sound like much, is enough for the division. Willie has some hard decisions ahead of him about postseason rotations and bench players, but he's got an equally hard and much more important one in finishing out this bullpen. We'll get some September call ups, and Willie has to be looking for some extra bullpen help. Someone needs to play well, so Willie can pull the "I can't leave this guy off the way he's throwing" justification for not putting Mota on the postseason roster. Honestly the Mets need to do some cost analysis and realize that the extra postseason money that they'll make from the team going further into the playoffs is more than enough to pay off Mota's contract.

Tomorrow I'll be watching the game at the Ziegler theatre with the Mets at the Movies promotion they've been promoting for a couple of weeks. I have no idea what to expect, but hopefully it'll be fun to see the Mets on the screen like that. Look for me, I'll be the one with the Mets hat.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Shea and Citi Fun Facts of the Game

Some Things I Learned At Shea For Last Night's Game.

1.Jose Reyes is so fast, it took the scoreboard operator three batters after he tied Roger Cedeno's single season Mets record for them to announce it on the board. (They were ready instantaneously for his record-breaking steal of third) Not to mention that he stole those bases after striking out.

2.There is going to be an Orchard Seating section at Citi Field. It will be in right center field, right next to the new Home Run Apple.

3.Some of you may have noticed that the right field side of Citi Field facing the subway seems to be more finished than the rest of the ballpark. Not surprisingly, this is where the Mets offices will be.

4.The right field 'excelsior seating level' will actually jut out over right field.

5.There will be a seating section directly behind the two bullpens.

6.The seats, particularly the ones for the special people behind home plate, are comfortable.

7.The neon ballplayers that adorn Shea Stadium will make the trip to Citi Field, at the very least residing in the home clubhouse.

8.I never knew that shouting 'drop it!' at a fielder fielding a pop-up worked, but apparently neither did Luis Castillo because when Geoff Blum dropped David Wright's pop-up Castillo was still basically on first and had no chance to get to second before Blum picked it up and threw him out.

9.It was inconsequential, and probably mostly unnoticed, but when Alou threw the ball to the plate in the 5th inning, David Wright pretending to grab it and faked a throw to second to try to keep Gonzalez from advancing.

10.If Mota makes the postseason roster, I may cry. How can he explode so thoroughly after two outs? I strongly suspect that he's no good after one inning, and maybe not on consecutive days either.

11.There are only three places in the entire stadium where you can buy a knish, but I still think it's the best concession food I can buy.

12.If the Mets were to win the World Series, they could have a Ticker-Tape Parade with torn of 2007 pocket schedules. There are boxes upon boxes of the things in the ticket booths, and that's just Gate E!

13.One of the ball-boy's jobs is to run the umpires out their water bottles. I just find this funny.

I'm going to stop at 13 for now, I'll probably make a longer post about my trip to the “Citi Field Preview Center” another time. Of course, I didn't get to ask questions because it was 7:10 and I didn't want to miss the game.

Oh, and if you haven't already seen it, Texas won the first game of a double-header over Baltimore 30-3 setting a modern day record. It was a come from behind victory, and Littleton earned the save for the Rangers.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Quick Word

Everyone else has already gushed over last nights game, so I'm just going to highlight a few things that I liked, and could help in the playoffs.

1. Beat a Cy-Young candidate pitcher.

2. Beat a Hall Of Fame bound Closer.

3. Staged multiple come from behinds RBIs

4. Beat a former Met, Heath Bell, and didn't let a former Met, Mike Cameron, beat us.


Oh, and this was in the Press Pass notes for today's game. I think it's a little silly..at least wait a couple of games.

"Good Luck Charm: Since the birth of John Ricco's daughter, Olivia, the Mets are 1-0."

John Ricco being the assistant general manager.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Pedro and the Padres

The Friars come to town this week, followed by the Dodgers. I'm planning on being at Wednesday's game and my usual Saturday game for game numbers 24 and 25 on the season. That's more than Carl Pavano. This team is finally playing with some fire and energy, winning six of their last seven. I expect them to continue this stretch through these next two teams, who may be playoff contenders, but are not in the Mets class. More importantly, I think they'll win more games than the Phillies and Braves over this six game stretch, bringing their division lead to at least six before they go play both of those two teams.

Jeff Conine is on his way, and I really could care less. I hope this isn't a statement on how Delgado is feeling overall, because despite his 2007, I'd rather Delgado at first any day. Castro and Lo Duca healing up is another thing I'm waiting for, despite Mike Difelice doing as well as he is doing. Lo Duca was upset that he went on the DL in the first place, so I expect him to come back healthy and angry, which I suspect is when he's at his best. Pedro Martinez is climbing the ladder, and I expect he'll be here before we know it. He's itching for the competitive baseball of the major leagues, and even though by the time he gets here we may be already putting the finishing touches on the division, I expect that competitive fire to come through in the playoffs.

Endy Chavez could be back as early as tonight. As far as bench impact players go, he's a good one. He's a fan favorite too, and maybe his reappearance is all the Mets need to start winning at home again. I'd love to finally break the 4-win plateau with some crushing victories at home over the Padres. I'd even be there for the 5th one should the game go well tonight, and with John Maine on the mound looking to redeem himself after a couple of iffy starts, I expect tonights game to be a good clean win.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Down the Stretch

I wrote an article recently about a team’s transfer from old stadium to new ballpark. In it I mention the Home Run Apple. I’ve heard of a campaign to move the actual apple from Shea to Citi, and I thought about it a bit, and I don’t quite agree.

Recently brought to my attention was a campaign to keep the home run apple when the Mets move to Citi Field. Whenever a Mets player hits a home run at home a red apple rises out of a black top hat, lit up to display the Mets logo on the front. I've been talking about this for a while, but I don't want the old apple at the new Shea. I want a new apple, a fresh apple, and most importantly, a real apple. An apple with the newness of Citi Field. A digital apple would just be a disgrace.

John Maine just looks tired, as I watch this second game of the Pirates series. He’s struggled through five innings, and I imagine he’s done. With the Mets up 5-3, at least he has a shot at a win. This would be game three in a row, on the way to trying to finally top their season-high four game winning streak. Hopefully the Mets can find a way to get a little more of a lead in the division, allow them to rest Maine and Perez, rather than risk burning them out.

They need to address the bullpen a little too, and I’m afraid big contracts in the likes of Mota and Schoeneweis will prevent them from figuring out what would be best. They’ve got a guy or two down in the minors like Willie Collazo who I wouldn’t mind seeing. Joe Smith has only thrown five innings since going down; it might be time to bring him back up too. Jorge Sosa has pitched well out of the bullpen, maybe that’s a gem that we can count on where we weren’t expecting it.

Pedro threw his second rehab outing, did well, felt good, and continued on his path towards returning. It seems likely that he’ll be back in a couple of weeks, and maybe can provide that spark and energy that’s been so lacking so far. It’s going to be a fun night when he returns, and it’ll also be the night he gets 3000 strikeouts.

The Mets have just over six weeks remaining, and hopefully they can put behind this so-so season by coming on strong and playing like the playoff team they almost certainly will be.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Brave Woes

We got the one game, which of course is less than optimal. However, we retain a comfortable four loss lead in the division. This was a much more important series for them than for us. Had the Mets won two, the Braves would be six back and in trouble. Now they're not as much in trouble, but like they have for the past three months, they'll be playing a series this weekend for third place.


Worry-warts are saying that this is the same old Mets team, struggling against the Braves. I think differently. That particular struggle was put to rest last year. The reason the Mets are 4-8 against the Braves this year is precisely that they're not that good. The flip side is that the Braves know that the Mets are the team to beat, and they don't seem to have any sort of struggles in playing the Mets. While the Mets see the Braves as just one of the teams they have to hold off, the Braves see these games as must wins. The Braves know that they have to beat the Mets to get to the top, and they play these games appropriately.


The Braves have to play this games this hard, because they're not that good. They know they need to get through the Mets to win the division, because even winning what they have against the Mets, they're not in first. If the Mets had even split these 12 games with Atlanta, I'd probably be discussing resting players already. All is not lost though. The Mets have two options that they can very easily take. The first is to start playing like they're capable, beating teams left and right, starting with the Marlins this weekend. If they play strongly, there is no way the Braves can catch up. The other option is to play the six remaining games against the Braves hard, and put the distance between them that way.


The Mets have the capability to play well, and to win this division. They are easily the best team in at least the East, if not the whole league, and when they play well no one else has much of a chance.

Monday, August 06, 2007

The Land of the Free, and the Home of the Mets

Here come the Braves. Literally, not figuratively, though if the Mets play badly this week it could be both.

In some of the time I spend in the Hot Foot Bleachers, I mentioned once that this upcoming series is a lot bigger for Atlanta then it is for the Mets. I was laughed at, but it still holds true. The Braves are four and a half games back, which means the best they could reach is two losses behind the Mets with a sweep. If the Braves win the series, which is what I’m sure they’re setting out to do, that puts them four losses back. Three and a half games back with only 48 left to go is what the Braves are aiming for. This isn’t a threat to the Mets; the Braves have been hovering around three and a half for a while now, unable to really put on the pressure. They’ve flirted with third place more than first place.

That said, the Mets still should go out there and win this series at home. They need to brush them back with the attitude of “What? You’re still here? This is our division now, check in again sometime next decade.” They can do this; they just won series against the two contenders in the Central division, they won a seven game road trip against the West division contenders. It’s time to show the Braves that there aren’t any contenders in the East division, only a repeat champion.

I have heard no word yet on if Willie Randolph is going to pitch his pitchers on normal rest next week, taking advantage of the day off to get Maine to pitch Thursday against the Braves instead of Friday against the Marlins. It would be the right move to get the best pitcher in the rotation to pitch against the team currently sitting in second place in the division.

I want all the Braves fans to be thinking about one thing Thursday night; the Friday preseason Falcon game against the Jets.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Seeya Next Year Brewers

The season is now two thirds over. I’m not going to bother doing projections, as that doesn’t matter anymore. The home stretch has arrived, and the Mets are in first. All that matters from now until October first is how well they play. Now how well, or badly, they played. I still strongly believe the Mets are better than the Phillies or Braves, and we now have 54 games left and the Braves and Phillies are playing with a four loss handicap.

The Mets again haven’t been playing like last year, and I really think it’s time for people to forget about last year. Not to quite 2005 or anything, but next year is now. This isn’t the same team as last year, but that’s not a bad thing; the Mets didn’t win last year. They had a rough middle, and have only gradually recovered from that. They’re only as far in first place as they were on June first before they went into their tailspin. They’re winning though. They find ways to win when it matters, even when they aren’t playing at their best. People predicted they’d have a tough stretch against the Dodgers and Padres, and they won four of seven. Sure that’s not terrific, but it’d win the NLCS against either of those teams. This Milwaukee and Chicago trip is supposed to tough too, but they beat the Brewers two of three and four of six despite Oliver Perez pitching weakly and Brian Lawerence starting today. The only game they squandered was Glavine’s attempted 300th win and it took the Brewers 13 innings to get their only win of the series.

The Cubs are the hottest team in baseball right now, so we’ll see how the Mets handle them. Maybe facing a tough hot team will spark them to be hot themselves. The Mets have actually been getting better with runners in scoring position, with runners on third, and with two outs. They have some injuries, but no one’s going to be out all season. Beltran, Pedro, Lo Duca will all probably be back and very healthy by the playoffs. Really healthy. Beltran will probably be able to rest all his sore muscles while on the DL, Pedro will return nice and healthy and stronger than ever. Lo Duca will return, and hopefully these days off will also help him be productive. Plus I think Willie finally realizes what a commodity Ramon Castro is, and hopefully will use him more appropriately.

I was getting a little down earlier last month with the way the Mets seemed to be playing, but I feel good now. I see a lot of good in the Mets future, and I can’t wait to get my playoff tickets. As for the Braves and Phillies? Well maybe the Falcons or Eagles will still be in it this October.


Monday, July 30, 2007

T Minus 30 days and Castilling

A lot happened today in Metland, and it was full of good tidings. The Mets today acquired Luis Castillo from the Twins, for basically no one. Two minor leaguers I’d never heard of, and probably won’t be missed. Luis Castillo is a good consistent player that will fit well here, and although it limits Gotay, I’m pretty okay with it. Although I’m getting the feeling that Ruben Gotay is this year’s Endy Chavez.

Pedro Martinez had another session today, and said he’s pitching Wednesday night for Class A. Provided he does actually make this start, it’s definite, not just hopeful, that Pedro will be back with the Mets in September. He has to be added to the roster 30 days after his first start, which puts him there by September first and should get him a couple of starts before the playoffs.

Of course, Luis Castillo is only hitting .254 with runners in scoring position, but hopefully he can work on that. He can add some consistency to the Mets lineup, by batting second. Plus once Beltran returns it’ll be three switch hitters at the top of the lineup. Will make opposing managers think twice before looking for match-ups.

The Mets aren’t playing badly as of late, despite a mere split with the Nationals. Look for them to play well again this coming week, against Milwaukee and the Cubs. Should be a fun week, as both those teams are struggling for the lead in the Central division.

On an opposing note, I’m not worried about the Braves and Teixeira. Sure he’ll be good, but I really don’t think it’ll be the difference the Braves need to close the gap. I think both Castillo, and the resurgence of Delgado, who’s had a great July, will hold them off.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Smith, Delgado, Pelfrey and the trading deadline

At first I was a little upset that Joe Smith got sent down. I know he's been struggling as of late, but I still think he's a good pitcher. I've gotten over it though, and I hope he can work on some adjustments down in AAA that will aid the Mets down the stretch. I feel the Mets need a reliever and contract situations make that tough, so if Joe Smith could be a solid playoff contributor, it would go a long way.

The trading deadline is approaching, and while I feel like we need a move, I'm not quite sure exactly what it should be. There are a lot of underachieving parts on this team, and it's a tough spot to figure out which parts are going to come around, and which could use a backup or replacement. Should we get a decent reserve infielder that can spot Delgado at times? Do we need another decent outfield bat? Another reliever? I don't relish Omar Minaya's job this year, he's got a lot of tough choices. I have faith in him though, based on what he's done so far.

Mike Pelfrey is getting the start tonight, a game in which I'll be in attendance. I have a strange feeling he'll be good. He managed to pitch himself onto this team in the spring against expectation, and he is in that situation again tonight. With Sosa no longer exceeding expectation, I feel like Pelfrey could steal his spot with a gem tonight. Hopefully he'll only be keeping it warm for Pedro, but until Pedro's throw a game or two, It's hard to talk about him.

Carlos Delgado is hitting .333 this July. He's got a .394 OBP this month. Hopefully this is a turning point for him. Whatever the struggles were early, he's looking like he might start turning it around for real. If he plays well the rest of the way, I don't care what happened early this year. Maybe he just struggled to get into his groove, but we're in first place, and if he keeps playing well, it'll stay that way.

This team isn't playing great, but that doesn't mean they can't. Almost everybody is having a poor season, and that just means that they all are capable of playing better. Better than four games up in the division is a good thing, and I expect that at least some of the underachievers will step it up down the stretch and in the playoffs. It's going to be a successful year, I can feel it.

Monday, July 23, 2007

7 game series

I was right. The Mets gained ground in the division race over the road trip. If I had any nagging doubts about this team, they're gone now. The playoffs are decided on a best of seven series, and the Mets just played one against two teams that will likely be participants and opponents. The Mets won, winning game seven where they failed last year.


Now they come home to play the Nationals and Pirates. Hopefully they can continue this stretch of play and pick up more games in the division. They're currently on pace to win 91 games, but with a good stretch run they can easily win more than that. The trade deadline arrives soon, and with it hopefully another little piece to this team.


I like the way David Wright is swinging the bat. He looks like he's in a good place right now, a place where you can get the big hits and carry this team a little bit if he needs to. If the opposition starts pitching around him, hopefully Carlos Delgado can make them pay. Delgado is working on a eight game hitting streak, and has hit in 12 of his last 13 games. This is the kind of consistency that was missing from him all year, and while he only has two home runs in that stretch It gives more more confidence then when he hits a bunch of home runs over a weekend, but then stops hitting again. I've predicted that Delgado would atone for his slow start with a hot finish; I expect by the start of October for him to be right in his groove.


Could the worry warts please shut up about Beltran? I know his average is a little low, but he's playing well. I have been very busy lately, and haven't had a chance to really sit down and just watch a baseball game, but whenever I do it seems like Beltran is coming through with a big hit. Don't compare him to the small sample size with Houston in the playoffs, don't equate a dollar value to production ratio based on his contract. Take him for what he is; a great player, but not the only great player, on this team.


I've been saying it for a little while now, I think we may have gotten all we're going to get out of Jorge Sosa. With Pedro vanishing into the Carribean, and Pelfrey being a strain on our offense I'm not sure what the solution is here. Maybe Sosa turns it around, but even if he doesn't, I don't want any sort of panic moves out of Minaya that bring a mediocre starter in here at the expense of any worthwhile prospects. Maybe he can pull off something like last year where he pulled in Perez and Maine from seemingly nowhere.


A day off, and then I'll be on the field level at Shea for Tuesday night's game. I'll get to see John Maine pitch again, who after a couple of iffy performances is going to settle down again. I expect to see the offense play well again, and I fully expect it to be a fun day.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Tough Road Trip? Maybe not.

I've heard all about this tough seven game road trip the Mets are on. I just don't agree. Surely it's tougher than the upcoming home stand of the Pirates and Nationals, but I'm certainly not scared of the Dodgers or the Padres. Right now the Mets are doing something they haven't quite done lately, tacking on runs late. They are leading 7-0 against the Padres re-evening the all-time series.


One game is not a trend, and they didn't exactly play great on Monday, but I like what I saw tonight. Tomorrow night Maine should pitch a good bounce back game, and Greg Maddux hasn't exactly been lights out against the Mets. 35-19 with a 3.40 ERA is pretty well on pace with his career numbers, but it always seems like the Mets manage to get to him. In the Mets last two good seasons he hasn't pitched well. 2000 finds Maddux with a record of 1-3 against the Mets with a 5.64 ERA, and 2006 finds him 1-2 with a 7.36 ERA. Now the offense hasn't been playing like 2000 or 2006 lately, but I'll take my chances on Maine. I'm actually going to place a wager on the Mets for tomorrow night.


The Mets owe the Dodgers a measure of revenge for the last series they played, so I'm not that worried about them either. I said it before the road trip, and I still feel it; the Mets will come back home with a bigger lead in the division than when they left. When it all comes down to it, the Braves just aren't that good. The Phillies are still reasonably close, but they don't seem to be better than a .500 team anyway.


There is talk about the Mets needing to fall out of first to be 'tested' and get their drive back. I very much disagree with this statement, it's a statement often made by the fan that wants some sort of justification for his pessimistic outlook on the season. Seeing the Braves get close is a test, finding a way to win any given game is a test, trying to get runs in with key hits is a test. By no means is this division over, like I expected it to be by this point. The Mets will figure out away to get through this tough patch, that has lasted a lot longer than anyone expected. In the end though, you can learn a lot by trying and failing. If the Mets only win 93 games this year, and only win the division by a handful of games, but in the process learn anything they can use in the playoffs, I'll take it.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

After the Shakeup


I don't know that I'd actually call the actions of the Mets after the All-Star game a shakeup, but they've gone 2-1 since then. It's a very soft 2-1 so far, but I'll take it. The pre-game Ralph Kiner events were very nice. It was cool to see all those guys come onto the field, guys like Seaver and Koosman and Yogi. It was cool seeing clips of Kiner's Korner and all of that stuff. I'm only 25, so i barely remember a lot of the old stuff, I don't even remember '88 or '86, and the Mets were bad for a lot of the time after that so my focus was never fully on the Mets growing up.


I was at the last two games, Friday and Saturday. I was witness to, and part of, the growing anger of the Met fan. Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado, particularly on Saturday, were getting booed when they failed. It's probably part booing the Mets for failing in key situations, as they had six hits and no runs through four innings on Saturday. It's also part booing what is perceived as Delgado's and Beltran's recent struggles. I can refer you to my earlier post about Beltran, where I point out that he's had some pretty key moments with the Mets. Or I can point out that although it's primarily taking pitches that fans have a problem with, but Beltran did draw one of the Mets two walks. He also had two of the Mets four walks on Friday. On Friday it was primarily David Wright and Delgado swinging at everything and not taking pitches, but Delgado had a couple of hits. Saturday Delgado hit two long fly balls, and three of his outs were hit the other way, which usually will help Delgado get some hits against the shift.


Alternatively, it's not any one player that's struggling, but all of them. The Mets are hitting, the Mets are even on occasion drawing walks, but they're inconsistent. Saturday Matt Belisle for the Reds has 60 pitches through three innings, but managed to get through seven innings. They were working counts early, but failed in the middle innings. The Mets had 11 hits, they just failed, and have failed to string together hits at the right time. Whether this is because of bad luck, bad approaches at the plate, or just a coincidence is hard to say, but it's something Howard Johnson and the Mets need to address.


This post has been more negative than I feel, so let's put together a list of good signs.


-Shawn Green gets a hit with a runner on third and two outs.

-Lastings Milledge got a hit with two outs and a runner on second to score the go-ahead run and the win for Glavine after he'd pitched eight terrific innings.

-Lastings Milledge scores the go-ahead run on Thursday by scoring from first on a hit.

-Saturday the Mets played terrific defense, and when you start doing well at one aspect of the game, it often carries over to others.

-Wagner continues to pitch excellently.

-The Mets are showing signs of being able to work counts and take walks.

-The Mets are accumulating a lot of hits.

-The Mets are still in first place.

-Oliver Perez looks like his back is fine.

-Even John Maine's bad outing wouldn't have been horrible without two errors.

-Delgado has hit some long fly balls for outs, suggesting that he's just missing having his stroke back. He's slowly raising his average up to miserable from completely miserable. Some of this fly balls have been the other way, suggesting he's making an attempt to use the whole field.


I'm going to describe this season like I would describe John Maine's pitching last year. They're a good team, but they have some mental blocks at key times. I'm still confident in them, and you should be too. Every season can't be easy, but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, and I don't think the Braves or Phillies have what it takes to kill our season.



Thursday, July 12, 2007

Some Transactions

Ricky Ledee has been outrighted to New Orleans.

The Mets signed Marlon Anderson, who will also be going to New Orleans.

Metsblog is saying that Ken Davidoff of Newsday has reported that the Mets released Julio Franco. Which would be nice, but I'm still skeptical.

Billy Wagner was pitcher of the month for June.

Ceetar's Ready To Watch the Mets Again

When the Mets start there game tonight after the break, Rickey Henderson will be the new hitting coach. I like Rickey, despite all his baggage. I thought Rick Down was a good coach, but I'm not going to be upset over the switch of someone I almost never see save for an occasionally spot with the SNY guys.


I think this can only be good. Rick Down certainly wasn't the reason the Mets hit last year, they hit because they are good players. There's always more Reyes can learn about base stealing from Rickey, and I'm sure so can Beltran and Wright. It's just a shame Gomez is injured and will have to wait for those lessons. Rickey is also a superb hitter, and at the very least I'm sure he can lend some insight to some of the struggling bats.


I think the Mets are going to start hitting again anyway, but this move will basically give Rickey the credit. In general the Mets have had a rather lackluster first half. It had it's moments, but it certainly wasn't great. Now is the time to push towards the playoffs, get some distance in the division, rediscover that offensive stroke and fine tune the team. Pedro looks like he'll be back, Alou supposedly will be back. Endy will be back. Maybe the Mets make some changes here and there, bench and bullpen and get better. They're only looking at a pace to win about 91 games, but I think they'll have a good enough second half to win at least 95.


Lastings Milledge will by all accounts be back with the Mets, hopefully over Ledee, tonight. It's been almost a year since he's had any real major league experience, and I expect that this time he'll have more success. I kind of like the guy, he's got some personality and excitement.


The Home Run Derby and All-Star Game are fun in their own ways, but I'm looking forward to the Mets again tonight. I'll be at Shea for my 18th and 19th baseball games of the season tomorrow and Saturday for Endy Chavez bobble head night and Ralph Kiner night.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Mid-Summer Classic

We've reached the theoretical halfway point of the season, and I'm sure we all hope for a better second half. I'm confident we'll get there. For now, It's All-Star time. I point you all to my TOTK article where I explain why I have a little excitement about watching the Derby and the Game.

BTW, nobody except a Mets player has driven in or scored a run in the All-Star game since 2005.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Carlos Beltran's Key Met Moments

Carlos Beltran had a miserable first season with the Mets, but since thing he's been a big part of the team. He doesn't like to be in the spotlight, or to be the star player, but he's had some big impact games and single-handedly won a couple of games for the Mets over the last couple of years. There are a couple that come to mind.


  1. On May 23rd 2006 against the Philadelphia Phillies at Shea, Carlos Beltran launched a long homer over the Mets bullpen in the 16th inning to send everyone home. No one else seemed to be getting to Ryan Madsen, who was in his 7th inning of relief at that point, and even earned a start for the Phillies off of that performance.


  1. Game 1 of the NLCS in 2006. A classic pitchers duel. The only two runs scored by the Mets off of a Carlos Beltran home run down the line.


  1. Sunday, April 29th, 2007. Carlos Beltran's home run is the only run scored in a terrifically pitched game. John Maine gets the win, but Beltran was just as important.


  1. Thursday, May 17th, 2007. Carlos Beltran has a pinch-hit walk as part of the Mets 5-run come from behind rally against the Cubs.


  1. Saturday, June 23rd, 2007. Lost among the Paul Lo Duca ejection was a key single to left field by Beltran that would've scored the only run of the game, had Ricky Ledee not gotten thrown out at the plate.


  1. Saturday, July 7th, 2007. Beltran smacks a single to right field to score Jose Reyes with the go-ahead run in the top of the 17th with the Mets quickly running out of pitchers. Beltran also made a terrific catch on the hill in center field in the bottom of 14th to rob Luke Scott of a walk-off hit.


His ability to come through when he's needed (game 7 aside, no one's perfect, even Babe Ruth has ended a post season with a caught stealing.) is going to play a huge role in where the Mets go this year. He's able to play great defense, and his playoff performance with the Astros can't be overlooked. He's a solid contributor to this team, and most of the difference in his numbers from last year are a result of the inconsistency of the rest of the lineup.


Reyes is going through one of his mini-slumps, but Wright's been hitting well. Carlos Delgado seems to be picking it up a little bit, but he's teased us with that before. The Mets outfield is beat up, but after the All-Star break I expect we'll get to see some of Lastings Milledge, which could add some excitement. The last I heard Moises Alou was on the road back, but I haven't heard much since then. I think these days off will really help Delgado, and he'll have his best half-season as a Met yet. Endy and Gomez will probably be lost until September, but they should be around for October, when they can both play key roles.


Hopefully the Mets can end this half with another win, and go to the All-Star break with the attitude that the worst is over. I look forward to seeing the Mets starting on Tuesday night, and after they scored and drove in the only runs last year, seeing if the rest of the league can help them out this year. The more World Series games at Shea, the better a chance I have at getting (more, I'm already guaranteed one game) tickets.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

John Maine to the Rescue

Before we do something stupid and trade needed prospects for Mark Buehrle, the Mets need to consider something. Does Buehrle help us win the World Series? The answer to that is no, not this year. I don't want to hear any complaints about how we're not making the playoffs, anyone that thinks that hasn't been paying attention. Oliver Perez has been amazingly clutch for the Mets in big games, and nothing is bigger than the playoffs. Oliver Perez is probably our fourth playoff starter, and that's if you assume El Duque would pitch out of the bullpen. Pedro Martinez is going to be our fresh ace, Tom Glavine is obviously going to be second based on experience and seniority. There hasn't been a game this year that John Maine has started that the Mets have gone into the 7th inning thinking the game was lost. (If that's not an All-Star pitcher, I don't know what is) With Orlando Hernandez to pick up the slack if one of those guys struggles through the first couple of innings, where would Buehrle fit? He wouldn't, and that's the point. Building the rotation for the future is all well and good, but there is plenty Omar can do to make this team good now, and it's not the starting rotation. Maybe a more reliable second baseman or outfielder, a better bench, or more importantly, a reliever.


John Maine gets a chance to continue that consistency tonight, against the Houston Astros. With the Mets desperately needing a win, and the bullpen desperately needing a rest, it would be really helpful of Maine to pitch at least 7 effective innings. He's shown that he can keep us in these games, and if the offense can string together some hits, he should be in for his 10th win.


I'd like to see the Mets clearly win this series, end the road trip with a positive record, and go into the break on a good note. I think the couple of days rest will do some players good, particularly Delgado and Valentin. Then they can come back, put this whole losing thing behind them, and play good baseball after the All-Star break.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Halfway Mark - Projections

Midseason Projections


Some interesting notes. The Mets had a bad June, and without a swoon like that in the second half, I forsee these numbers being a little higher. If they have a better second half than first, Carlos Beltran and David Wright both have a chance to be 30 Home Run and 30 Stolen Base guys. Another key note is that Scott Schoeneweis should have significantly less IP than Feliciano, and he doesn't. Heilman's not been very good this year, but somehow he's the most used reliever. Maybe he just needs a little more rest to be the most effective. I left out Aaron Sele because he's horrible, but his numbers look like 51.1 IP with 74 hits. That's really all you need to know about him. I want to see Feliciano, and even Smith get more pitching, rest Heilman a little more and Schoeneweis a lot more.



Player

AVG

OBP

SLG

Hits

R

2B

HR

RBI

SB

BB

Jose Reyes

.316

.397

.453

208

114

34

8

68

80

90

Carlos Delgado

.229

.293

.418

140

78

38

26

90

4

50

Carlos Beltran

.271

.346

.475

164

90

32

28

100

26

72

David Wright

.290

.378

.505

176

92

42

28

88

36

82

Paul Lo Duca

.280

.329

.371

148

62

18

10

48

4

32

Shawn Green

.276

.331

.436

134

70

32

14

54

12

38













Win

Loss

ERA

IP

BB

SO

HR

Hits

SV

SVO

Tom Glavine

14

12

4.39

217.1

78

104

28

228



John Maine

18

8

2.74

204

76

168

20

158



Oliver Perez

14

12

3.14

189.1

74

170

22

146



Orlando Hernandez

8

6

2.78

144.2

50

118

18

104



Jorge Sosa

14

6

3.92

128.2

46

76

12

110



Aaron Heilman

12

6

4.19

77.1

18

58

12

70


6

Joe Smith

4

0

2.73

66

32

66

2

56



Billy Wagner

2

0

1.73

62.2

18

98

8

48

32

34

Scott Schoeneweis

0

4

5.46

59.1

40

30

10

64


2

Pedro Feliciano

2

2

1.76

61.1

30

52

2

34

2

2




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