Setting the Bar Low

It has recently come to my attention that some Yankee fans are just in a tizzy about being in first place after yesterday's 11-10 win over Texas. If people are excited about a team that just took first place for the first time since April 10th that costs over $200,000,000 that just acquired Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano, and Jaret Wright in the off-season, then they have really set the bar low. Sure the Yankees have been hot, but they should instead focus on the fact that Kevin Brown did not make it through five innings and gave up more runs than innings pitched and is sniffing an ERA of 6.00 after many fans have begun to place entirely too much faith in Al Leiter being a savior of sorts.

Yankee fans have really learned to take what they can get. They uncharacteristically got excited over a 20 year old outfielder that has no place being in the Majors or arguably even AAA after one good game and have been forced to take whatever small victories they can get this season after being officially labeled the worst team money can buy by myself. Instead of getting giddy over pounding other teams heads in, they better fixate their attention to their favorite team’s starting rotation and center field situation. Most of what has been going on in centerfield has looked like a comedy routine and their rotation could not match up against any team's rotation that will make it to the playoffs this season. The Orioles are getting Erik Bedard back and are on the verge of acquiring AJ Burnett to bolster their rotation so the Yankees are far from being out of the woods. As quickly as their witless smiles have returned, they could slip back away. This season is the most quiet I have seen Yankee fans and they have rarely emerged to spew out the same Met jokes I've heard over the last ten years and I would love to keep it that way. The way things are right now, the Yankees will not win with Bernie in center and their rotation pitching the way it has. The Yankees have been very streaky all year and are just on a hot streak right now with the bats.

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Minor update:

• Brian Bannister was the big story on Monday winning his first game at AAA despite trying really, really hard to beat himself. He went 5.2 innings, giving up two hits, one earned run, five walks, and struck out five. He is now 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA. Victor Diaz continues his hot hitting and went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and his seventh homer at Norfolk in only 21 games. I think he has found his homer stroke.
  
• New Britain beat Binghamton 11-5. Lastings Milledge went 0 for 4 with a walk and a strikeout.
  
• St. Lucie continues to play hot and beat Clearwater 9-0. Wilson Batista went 2 for 5 with two runs scored, Andy Wilson went 2 for 5 with one run scored, one double, and three RBIs, and Jamar Hill went 2 for 5 with two runs scored, a double, and two RBIs. Vincent Cordova went the distance and gave up seven hits, no earned runs, one walk, and struck out five. St. Lucie is 10-3 in their last thirteen games.
  
• Hagerstown beat West Virginia 8-2. Ambiorix Concepcion went 3 for 5 with one run scored, a triple, and one RBI. Mike Carp went 1 for 5 with his 19th homer and two RBIs. The Brewers shiny new draft pick Ryan Braun went 3 for 4 with a double and a homer.
  
• Auburn beat Brooklyn 4-2.
  
• Kingsport beat Greensville 7-2. Gregory Gonzalez went 3 for 4 with two runs scored and one double.
  
• The GCL Mets downed the GCL Marlins 6-0. For anyone who is a closet Jerrod Riggan fan, he made an appearance for the GCL Mets and has now thrown six scoreless innings this year against teenagers.

Kelly Shoppach has absolutely been on a tear. He went 3 for 4 last night with three runs scored, his eighteenth and nineteenth homers, and five RBIs to bring his season total to 53 in only 66 games. He has brought his average up to .269 and was batting .252 back on the 10th.

The Yankees are back in first place, and they certainly did not get there by pitching and Scott Kazmir helped them get there. He went six innings and gave up three hits, no earned run, SIX walks, and struck out seven to help down the Red Sox.

The AJ Burnett to Baltimore deal has added another team into the equation.

Sources close to the talks indicate a deal, likely with Baltimore, is nearing completion, although a three-way trade between the Marlins, Orioles and Pirates surfaced late Monday.

In the three-way deal, the Marlins would acquire pitcher Mark Redman from Pittsburgh, along with Orioles pitchers Hayden Penn and Jorge Julio and outfielder Larry Bigbie. In return, the Marlins would send Burnett to Baltimore and Mike Lowell to Pittsburgh.

Burnett was asked Monday if he thought he'd be a member of the Marlins tonight.

"Do I think? No," he said. "But I'll be ready if I am."

Lee Jenkins sums up what has been predominantly the Mets' story over the two years.

Entering their three-game series against the San Diego Padres, the Mets are 46-46, so average that they have become uncommon. Twenty-three times this season the Mets' winning percentage has been at .500, setting a franchise record and a precedent for equality in baseball.

The Mets bench has been good.

Danny Graves is still surprisingly optimistic.

"I know the results aren't as good as we would like them to be, but I think I am making progress," Graves said. "I just hope that things start turning around real soon than later. But I'm starting to get the feel. I'm just not getting the results, but I feel like I'm getting close."

According to the NYPost, Steve Trachsel will make a rehab start in the next few days.

David Lennon has a great look at just how good the pitching staff has been.