Exasperating

Art Howe is man that is mentally incapable of making a coherent and intelligent decision. He has trouble making the right move in just about every situation. Whatever he does, it is the wrong choice. I'm not sure if the Mets could win anything with Howe mismanaging the team and misusing the players. His reluctance to actually separate his 'by the book' style of managing from reality is getting increasingly hard to stomach. His stupidity astounds me daily.

On Saturday with the Mets holding a 2-1 lead behind a solid performance by Jae Seo, Ricky Bottalico came out to pitch the eight inning. Ricky gets the first batter out in Milton Bradley and then gives up a bloop hit to Beltre. Now, it was not like Ricky was getting knocked around, he was doing just fine. After Beltre, two lefties were coming up in Green and Choi. You could have seen this move coming a mile away. Howe hails down to the bullpen to set up his extremely coveted lefty/lefty match up.

Howe continually likes to 'play the numbers' but fails to actually look at the #'s.

Bottalico vs. lefties:
66 at bats
.212 BAA
.258 SLG
.625 OPS
.368 OBP% (biggest negative)
Rickey actually is holding lefties to a lower .BAA than he is holding righties. He is hold righties to a .233 BAA.

Stanton vs. lefties:
93 at bats
.247 BAA
.409 SLG
.763 OPS
.355 OBP%

Stanton actually is holding righties to a lower .BAA than he is hold lefties. He is holding righties to a .239 BAA.

What does that tell me? Howe does not know his ass from his elbow. If Bottalico was not getting ripped apart, which he was not, why would you take him out? He is holding lefties to .034 points less on .BAA when compared to Stanton. Why the hell would you create a match up that is less favorable for your team? I have no idea. I have no way of understanding the reasoning behind Howe's inexplicable decisions since they seemingly have no bearing on reality. He is married to his by the book match ups and it drives me up a wall.

Stanton on the boos:

"That's they're prerogative," Stanton said. "It really has no bearing on what we do."

You suck Stanton. If anyone deserves the boos, it's you and Franco. Deal with it.

On Sunday, Howe further infuriates me with decisions that contribute in ruining my day. I was at the game and I had a good feeling with Benson on the hill. I was expecting a good game for him. Unfortunately, my hunch was probably just my burrito from the night before playing havoc with my stomach and Benson was not exactly sharp. He gave up five earned runs and eight overall behind a terrible fielding performance, which includes Benson. The errors allowed him to labor on a hot and humid day and the wheels came off. I don't fault him, if they played a tight game and kept him off the mound, he would have done better, but that is a moot point. After Benson was knocked out of the game my Robin Ventura's grand slam, Howe pulls a double switch and takes the only reason I still go to the games out. He pulls David Wright in the fifth innings and replaces him for Todd Zeile so the pitcher can go in his spot!!! What the hell is he thinking? The Mets are down by seven runs, who cares if Feliciano is due up in the next inning. Let the dude hit and keep Wright in the game. I'm not sure I can put up with his incompetence for another year. Simply brutal.

* * *

Floyd is turning into quite a complainer. First he talks about his body breaking down and wanting to perhaps finish his contract on a AL team's roster. Then he talks about the team doing bad with no light at the end of the tunnel. Then he tops it off on Sunday by making a shitty play on the ball sand says that he did not get the ball because he did not want to get hit in the face. Talk about giving it your all. This team as given up and is pretty impossible to watch. Just scary, really scary.

The Mets threw out on Sunday a lineup that included Keppinger batting .231, Buchanan batting .190, Jason Phillips batting .196, Delgado hitting .225, and Gerald Williams (I do not care if he is batting .310). How exactly do the Mets have any chance to win? Look, Williams nor Buchanan have a future on this team. I repeat, NO FUTURE!!! Let Valent hit against lefites. Valent has a future on this team. He only has seven at-bats against lefties. These games do not matter. Meaningful games are not on the Mets horizon and neither is .500. I know I'm repeating this like a broken record, but find out what he can do. Now is the time to figure it out and not next year when the Mets may actually be considered to be some type of contender. I would rather watch Valent than watch "Ice" or Buchanan. If Howe had any brain, you would give Valent a chance. These at-bats should not be going to re-treads, but should be going to players that the Mets are actually interested in developing.

Shitty stat line of the week. 2.2 innings, 12 hits, 12 runs, 10 earned runs, two BB, and two surrendered homers. It was Randy Keisler and needless to say, the Tides lost to Durham on Sunday.

Binghamton lost to Trenton, but who cares? The more important news is that Aarom Baldiris is getting a bit more comfortable. He went 2 for 3 with one run scored, one RBI and one walk. He is now batting .278 and has driven in eight RBIs in fourteen games.

Petit is quickly achieving super stud status. I'm sure you have heard or read what he did in his AA debut this past weekend, but in case you have not, click here to find out. I think you can put this kid at AAA. In the minors a pitcher learns how to control his pitchers, refine his mechanics, learn how to work the hitters, etc. However, this kid already seems to have a amazing grasp on all of those things. As he said, people need to adjust to him, he does not need to adjust to other people. He already went from low A to AA in one season, and there is no reason to think he will not be at AAA sometime in 2005. He may be closer to the majors than we think. It was one game, but it was hard not to get excited about it. Fact of the matter is he has done this wherever he goes. Wins, K's, and does not walk people. Unreal, 10 K's to NO BBs in his debut!

Howe on Kazmir:

When asked if he would watch Scott Kazmir's second Major League outing on Sunday against Oakland, his former team, Howe chuckled. "I've got better things to do with my time," he said. "I've got enough headaches around here to take care of. But it will be interesting to see what he does against a team that's more patient."

Howe does have better things to do, like sabotage the Mets' attempt at victory every step of the way.

From Mets.com:

Howe said that it's "iffy" whether Zambrano will return this season, adding that if he can come back healthy next month he'd like to see it happen. ... Norfolk right-hander Bob Keppel is out for the remainder of the season with shoulder tendonitis. ... Second baseman Jeff Keppinger was named to the Eastern League All-Star team after hitting .341 with Altoona and Binghamton. As of Saturday, he was still leading the race for the Eastern League batting title.

Keppel with more arm problems is not good, but good news for Keppinger. He may be a bit old for AA, but a batting title would sure be nice.

As for Zambrano, there is not a need to bring him back. Just shut him down for 2005 and let him rest that tender elbow. Same with Reyes, he better not see any more action this year, too much risk and not much in terms of reward for this lost team at this point. Why bring either back? If either one steps on the field, it will just speak volulmes to the ineptitude of the franchise. Unless either one can get an entire month, I do not see the logic.

Anna Benson is doing her part.

The gorgeous Anna is seriously considering posing for a "sexy calendar" to raise money for New York's Finest.

"Did you know that if you give a police department $1,200 to buy bulletproof vests, the feds will match that grant?" she asked. "They'll get two-for-one, and that kicks ass.

"Cops have the hardest job in the world, and they need to have the right equipment."

I could do so much with that last line, but I'll leave it alone.

Scott Kazmir was not as effective in his second start as he was in this first start, which is something I bet the Mets are secretly smiling about. He did exhibit a bit more control. He only walked one person in his three innings of work and threw 48 strikes to 23 balls. That is step in the right direction, but the five earned runs was not. He gave up nine hits overall, and got a welcome to the bigs by the first place A's. I'm sure he'll see more days like this.

I think this says it all:

Alay Soler will be sent to the Arizona Fall League.

Bonds is four homers away from 700.

This news story is nuts:

A 35-year-old man was sentenced Friday to three weekends in jail for playing a pornographic movie in his car.

Andre Gainey of Clifton Park pleaded guilty in June to misdemeanor public display of sexual material.

Gainey was arrested in February by Schenectady police who said images from the porn movie, "Chocolate Foam," could be seen from outside his Mercedes as he drove through the city 11 miles west of Albany.

Police, who pulled up behind Gainey at an intersection, said the movie was playing on the passenger-side sun visor of Gainey's vehicle, and was rolling on screens set into the car's headrests.

First, was there really a need to play "Chocolate Foam" while you were driving? I guess he could have been doing it because he does not want to get caught watching porn by his wife in the house, but on the road? Secondly, I really do not think I need a secondly. This one speaks for itself.