Cruel Joke

Of course. I finally get my wish, which was the same as 99% of the rest of you, and Aaron Heilman spit the bit. He goes 16.1 innings without allowing a run to score or an inherited runner to score and finally gets shot in a high leverage situation. Heilman let an inherited runner score, only got one out, gave up five runs, three hits, a walk, and hit a batter. He still has a tidy 2.70 ERA out of the pen, but I fear that this sets him back in Willie's eyes. The Mets still played a bad game and gave them a few runs on mistakes, and that has to end.

The Mets seem like their own worst enemy right now and cannot get out of their own way. Whether it was David Wright making a bad decision on the field to allow a runner to score, a pitcher giving up a crucial walk, or whatever else, the Mets hurt themselves more than their opponents do lately. When Spring Training started, Willie had the Mets working harder and longer than the Mets teams in previous years and most other teams. I thought it would pay off with a fundamentally sound team, but maybe Willie needs to rethink their training regimen. The Mets are anything but fundamentally sound and whether you want to chalk it up to growing pains with young players or just bad luck, it is ugly. The Mets are in danger of losing their fifth series in a row with the Yankees on the horizon in Yankee Stadium. Now, the team looks to Kaz Ishii to stop the bleeding.

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Minor update:

• The Norfolk Tides lost to Buffalo 7-4. Prentice Redman continues to hit well going 2 for 4 with his third homer of the year and two runs scored. He is now batting .306 on the year.
  
• Brian Bannister was on the mound for Binghamton, so they undoubtedly won. The B-Mets beat New Britain behind another stellar Brian Bannister performance. He went seven innings, gave up four hits, two walks, no earned runs, and struck out six to bring his record to 9-1 and lower his ERA to 1.73.
  
• St. Lucie beat Jupiter 6-0. Lastings Milledge went 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs to bring his average up to .308. Evan MacLane got the win and went 8.1 innings, gave up six hits, one walk, and struck out ten. He is now 6-3 with a 2.86 ERA.
  
• Lakewood beat Hagerstown 7-5. Sean Coultas went 3 for 4 with two runs scored and a double and Aaron Hathaway went 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.
  
• After the offensive explosion yesterday, Kingsport only scored one run against Johnson City and lost 2-1. Jusef Frias took the loss and went five innings, giving up seven hits, two earned runs, and struck out four.
  
• The Staten Island Yankees beat the Brooklyn Cyclones 5-2 and the Cyclones took their first loss of the season.
  
• The 2005 Futures Game rosters are set and Lastings Milledge and Yumeiro Petit will represent the Mets. Brian Bannister may seem like he got snubbed and his numbers are very deserving, but at 24, he would be older than most of the prospects in the game and is not a top prospect anyway. This game is usually reserved for rather young players that are all top tier, blue chip prospects and it is not simply an All-Star game with whomever is putting up great numbers on the year.

I heard this one on the radio yesterday. The Yankees have not won a game when they scored three or less runs. Every win they had, at least four runs were scored by the Yankees. Yesterday, they only scored three runs so they obviously lost. Carl Pavano had another outing to reinforce that he was the 2nd most overpaid player signed this past off season behind Eric Milton. Pavano gave up five runs in 6.2 innings.

From the NYTimes.com:

After the ticky-tacky Shea Stadium, which opened in 1964, the Mets' new place will have to conform to some needs of a potential Olympic stadium, at least until the International Olympic Committee picks the 2012 host on July 6.

Wilpon once had ambitious blueprints for a retro stadium that recalled the Ebbets Field of his Brooklyn childhood (with a rotunda, no less), but they were stalled for years because of negotiations with the city. Wilpon has my permission to make the Mets' new ballpark as architecturally quirky as he dares. Pay homage to the auto chop shops that fester behind right field. Bring back the late and lamented Serval Zippers sign behind center field. Or go for graceful arching stands like the ones at new soccer stadiums around the world. Go for it. It's bound to be an improvement, even though Wilpon has said he will sell out and take a corporate name for the stadium.

Great. I seriously hope this 'conforming' to the needs of a potential Olympic stadium die quickly after July 6th.

Anyone care to guess on the corporate sponsor who is going to open up their wallet and purchase naming rights?