Cliff Floyd 2, Cardinal 0

The big boy broke out of his slump big time by going really deep twice last night. His 10th homerun tied him for second most in the Majors and behind only Slappy McSlaperton and Troy Glaus. More impressive than being tied for league lead, he has seven of this ten homeruns at Shea and seven of the teams thirteen homers at Shea. Glavine shocked the entire Met fandom by working into the eighth before leaving due to a Kaz Matsui error. However, like a good team does, they picked each other up. With no outs and two on base, Matsui's ego bruised even further, Roberto Hernandez came in and shut the Cardinals down. How could Hernandez have been so bad the past few years and the be so good this year while being on the wrong side of 40? Professor Rick takes a lot of crap with the entire Zambrano debacle, but when a guy like Roberto Hernandez turns it around, he deserves some credit. For all the bad stuff I've said about Roberto during Spring Training, I should send him and his family a fruit basket or something. By light years, he is the best guy in the pen with his 1.05 and mid 90's fastball.

* * *

Right now, Carlos Beltran is on track to strikeout 155 times this year. His previous high was 135 and he is on track to edge that out. Basically, with Beltran and his .299/.354/.486 line with nine doubles, six homeruns, and twenty three RBIs, I think he is struggling for how good he could be doing this year. I am expecting Beltran to go on a big tear and soon.

Cliff Floyd is on track to get a career high in homeruns and RBIs. He is on track for 45 homeruns and 122 RBIs. He will not keep this pace up, but if he stays healthy, I think he will set career highs in RBIs and homers for sure. Floyd is also fourth in the Majors in AB/HR with 11.2 out of anyone with more than seven homeruns.

Whoever did this should win the asshole of the year award.

Within hours of the opening of Germany’s national Holocaust memorial to the public, a vandal scratched a swastika into one of the 2,711 gray slabs, a spokesman for the memorial said Friday.

What can you really say about that?

Tunica Baby! just does not have the same ring as Vegas Baby!.

Stylish new design? Check. 20GB hard drive, which is detachable and upgradeable? Check. Progressive scan DVD player out of the box which requires no extra purchases to work? Check. Play all games in 16:9 widescreen with resolutions of 720p and 1080i? Check, check, and triple check. Wireless controllers? Check. Wireless Network Adapter allowing online play without any cables? Check. Gaming console gives blowjobs? Well, not yet, but Microsoft is work on it.

HD gaming on the Xbox360 is going to be niiiiiiiice.

Unflappable. During Cliffy Floyd's post game interview with Matt Loughlin, Dougie Eyechart gave Floyds head a healthy dose of shaving cream. Cliffy kept on motoring despite a mound of shaving cream on the side of his head and in his ear.

Scott Strickland may not be much a of lock to be place on the Major League roster.

The Mets believe he has regained his arm strength. But there doesn't appear to be strong support within the organization to return him to the big leagues. One person said it was an even chance.

Minaya on Steve Karsay:

Minaya said he has not contacted representatives for right-hander Steve Karsay, who was released by the Yankees on Thursday. "We talked about it," Minaya said. "It's under consideration."

From Newsday:

Left-hander Kaz Ishii (strained left lat muscle) threw four hitless, scoreless innings in a rehab start in Fort Myers, Fla., on Friday night. Ishii threw 49 pitches during the game and then threw 21 more in the bullpen with no setbacks. Randolph said Ishii would have to make at least one more rehab start before returning to the Mets.

...and

Minaya said he has not yet been contacted by the Royals for permission to talk to first base coach Jerry Manuel about their managing vacancy. Ex-Mets manager Art Howe has also expressed interest in the job.

We can all collectively laugh at Art Howe having interest in the job. If he is the best they can do, they did not try too hard. But at this point, Baird has not shown himself to be a very good GM to this point, so anything is possible.

Last season Baird traded for Jason Grimsely, despite being in last place. They gave up a solid, hard-throwing prospect Denny Bautista to get Jason. Then, he handcuffed himself in the Beltran trade by not going for the best available talent and picked up John Buck and Mark Teahan since he was stuck on the idea of getting a third baseman and a catcher. Justin Huber turned out to be the best pickup he made last year, and that was only done out of Mets own stupidity. The Royals need to look at upgrading their GM and not place the blame on their manager.

Floyd on the fans call for a curtain call.

"I didn't know what to do," he said. "I didn't. I went for a curtain call, I grabbed my helmet, I was all flustered. You know, I just play man. Superstars get curtain calls."

Ah, one day Cliffy will learn Met fans treat everyone like superstars if they are performing. I do not think there is any fan base more desperate to cheer than Met fans after the disappointments they have been saddled with.

Jim Duqquette, a wanted man?

Major League Baseball has asked for and been granted permission to speak with Diamondbacks general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. about its vacant vice president of operations position, the first step in a process that could lead Garagiola into commissioner Bud Selig’s hierarchy.......Jim Duquette, the senior vice president for baseball operations with the Mets after being replaced as GM by Omar Minaya this year, also could be a candidate.

Clint Barmes is batting .400 so far this season. Home, he is batting .458/.506/.806 with six homers and eighteen RBIs. Away, he is batting .333/.373/.476 with one homer and six RBIs.

Pedro v Mulder. Nuff said.