I Got 99 Problems But The Mets Ain't One

Sorry, that was really bad. I was feeling a bit ghetto fabulous after I purchased my new Mets hat, but I'm sure Jay-Z would pop a cap in my ass if he read that title.


By the way, I hate to take all the credit for the Mets recent hot streak, but it looks as though I may have too. For the past two years, three other guys and myself have been doing a baseball pool at work. It is two Met fans vs. two Yankee fans. The rules or how we were scoring is not the point. We were losing 90-63 and just getting abused. The prize for being ahead at the all-star break is that the winning team goes to their team's stadium with the losing team buying tickets and having to go to the game. The end of the year prize is just cash. After getting spanked royally, they gave us and out that would cost us less money in the end since we had virtually no shot of catching up, we just had to admit defeat. So I swallowed what little pride I had left and accepted defeat at the hands of two Yankee fans. Ugly ones at that, but I think they all are. Anyway, the day we admitted defeat was June 25th, 2004. Since the day, the Mets have gone 9-5 and have surged to 44-31. That is a winning % of .643. Some people thought it was Hidalgo, some thought Reyes, some thought it was Kaz's hot streak, Wiggie's recent tear, or Cameron's home run stroke, but that is not the case. Nope, it was me. You can all thank me now and send money, Mets tickets, or beer if you would like, but that really is not necessary. The Mets kicking some butt is payment enough.

Now to the game. Jae Seo stealing a base? He must be trying to get on my good side. That charlie hustle move is ok in my book. Ty "David Who?" Wigginton hit a homerun and game winning double, Cameron's homerun, Matsui's clutch 8th inning double, Valent's two run single, and the Mets winning 6-3 in a great comeback victory. The resilience of this team is just amazing. They do not give up, no matter what. Oh, by the way, that was a big win without Piazza in the lineup.

"I think it starts from the minute we walk through the clubhouse door," Wigginton said. "I think everybody expects us to win. I didn't get that feeling last year."
-Yeah, I feel that way too and definitely did not get that feeling last year.

"My first steal ever," Seo said. "The home run is next." (I love it)

I do not know much, but I see one major thing that Ty has stopped doing. He stopped fishing after breaking balls. To me, that is the difference maker for him. That is one of the major reasons he is a better hitter of late. He stopped giving himself that disadvantage and having a glaring weakness. A breaking ball outside was his arch nemesis.

Scott Kazmir is due to make is AA debut today against Bowie. I'm feeling a good start from him. I just do not think AA can handle his nasty-ness.

Norfolk won 8-1 over Scranton. Randy Keisler continues to be impressive and went seven innings with only giving up one earned run. In the victory David Wright went 2 for 5 and is now batting .322, Victor Diaz went 3 for 5 with a dinger and three RBIs, and Prentice Redman went 2 for 4 with two doubles.

The Mets scouting Derek Lowe? Man, that is desperate. I'll take Seo and Ginter over that Boras bum.

The Big Unit interested in the Mets? Newsday seems to think he would approve a trade to the Mets. The thing that interests him the most about staying in the NL is so he can win his sixth Cy Young, which would not happen if he moved the AL. He is due $16,000,000 in 2005 and due roughly $24,000,000 total between 2004 and 2005.

Is anyone else sick of Fran Healy repeating himself? If I have to hear how a power pitcher supplies all the power when batter makes contact with a fastball I'm going to lose it. I repeat myself on this repeat myself on this blog often enough, but I do not get paid to do it. He gets paid to make the same comments day after day. Fran Healy seems like a nice guy, but enough already.

"One would think that the entire baseball universe is in New York and Boston," said Theo Epstein, the Red Sox' 30-year-old general manager. "I know that's not the case, because neither team has won the World Series since 2000."

Umm, Theo, you have not won the WS since 1918. I'm pretty sure you are not at the center of the baseball universe, though it may seem that way.

The Mets are anyway for your information.

The blockbuster between the Cards and Phillies is not happening. The deal proposed sending Morris and Kline to the Phillies for Millwood and Palanco. The Cards rejected the proposal.