Double Standard

I love double standards as much as the next person when it helps me out, but I find the way the media treats the Mets and the Yankees is ridiculous. The Yankees signed Randy Johnson to a two year, $32 million dollar extension for 2006 and 2007 when he will be 42 and 43 respectively. Randy Johnson is currently posting his highest ERA since 1998, posting his lowest K/9 since 1990, his highest BAA ever, his second highest SLGA ever, second highest OPSA ever, his lowest P/GS since 1989, and should easily eclipse his career high of homeruns allowed of 30 as he is on track for 36. Moving the AL everyone expected some of those numbers to take a hit, but not quite like this.

What headlines do you see in lieu of all this? Johnson can't make his pitch and Unit Looks Blue. Nothing referring to the Yankees bad decision making. Jayson Stark wrote and article about Carlos Beltran's Un-Met Expectations, but everyone has been relatively quiet about Randy Johnson's struggles this year. You can argue that if Randy was the Randy of the past, the Yankees could easily be in first place as they sit only 3.5 games out as you can make a somewhat similar argument for Beltran and the Mets in terms of the Mets leading the Wild Card. Bob Klapisch came the closest to in the direction of negativity in an article for ESPN.com earlier his year, but he still had pretty good peripherals and while he said he was not the star the Yankees needed, he was still and asset. That is about as bad as it gets.

Talk radio has pretty much stayed away from ripping him and the Yankees inexplicably even after the grisly lefty blew up at reporters for simply asking post-game questions. The guy has pretty much been a prick since coming here and basically a bust as he was the ace that was supposed to make the Yankees the team to beat and Buster Olney said was the move that would have the biggest impact for a team. The Mets are basically where people expected them to be with Beltran actually producing. The Yankees are playing well under expectations and in danger of missing it the playoffs for the first time since I was still high school and the fact that trading for Randy Johnson has basically blown up in their face has gotten absolutely no play and they continue to receive a free pass for putting together an atrocious team is simply crazy. They were heralded for building their rotation this off season and infusing some youth with two established starters under 30 and it has been an unmitigated disaster. Is it too much to ask for some balanced reporting in this city?

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Minor update:

• Norfolk beat Lousiville 3-2. Anderson Hernandez went 1 for 4 with a run scored, a walk, an RBI, and his eighteenth stolen base since being called up to AAA. Jason Scobie went an impressive eight innings and gave up six hits, two earned runs, one walk, one homer, and struck out eight.
  
• Binghamton beat Portland 4-1. Yusmeiro Petit was dominant in seven innings allowing only three hits and one walk while striking out seven. He gave up one run, and it was a homerun. He is now 7-3 with a 3.28 ERA. Kaz went 2 for 4 with a double and two stolen bases.
  
• St. Lucie was being beaten by Brevard County 1-0 before it was suspended due to rain. Gabby Hernandez had started the game and went 2.2 innings giving up four hits, one earned run, and struck out two. Now it all gets thrown out.
  
• Lexington beat Hagerstown 5-2. Carlos Gomez went 1 for 4 with a walk, Ambiorix Concepcion went 2 for 5, and Jesus Flores went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and a double. Matt Durkin went three innings and gave up two homers, two total hits, two total earned runs, one walk, and struck out three.
  
• Mahoning Valley beat Brooklyn 5-4. Drew Butera went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.
  
• Kingsport beat Burlington 5-2. Gregory Gonzalez went 2 for 4 with a walk, two runs scored, and a stolen base.

"He's going to just be a part of the team," Randolph said before last night's game. "I'm not going to throw him right into the lineup and have it just be his job. Miguel (Cairo) is playing well, and I believe in being loyal to guys who have busted it for me and who have played every day for me."

If Seo pitches another gem, does he get the job? I have no problem if Willie has this sort of mindset, but be consistent. Jae has done what has been asked of him and done it well. Besides, with Mienky getting injured, why not move Cairo to first and let Kaz get some games batting eighth? The guy is going to be paid a lot of money and be around next year. He is better than he has shown. Let him have a chance against these lesser NL West teams.

Steve Trachsel will make a rehab start in Norfolk before returning to the Mets.

"It was a normal, standard, boring bullpen [session],'' Trachsel said with a wan smile. When asked if he is on schedule to return, he said: "I've heard 15 different schedules. I've got my own schedule." That would be ASAP.
- J.P Pelzman

Doug Mientkiewicz may go to the DL to make room for Kaz Matsui, not because he really needs to, but because he cannot play right now. If he really, really needs to be fine. However, if it is being done to make room for Matsui and he could be ready in five days while Ice hangs out and never sniffs a game outside of a pinch running performance, the absurdity will just continue.

Not that 99% of you care about steroids and testing, Buster Olney and Mark Madden from ESPN the Magazine said that there are rumors of another big star being outted for 'roids. Olney did say he has heard this stuff before and it never materializes, but that is the steroid rumor de jour.

Last night, Beltran made Nomar Garciaparra hurry a throw into a first-inning error then, running on 3-2, scored from first on Cliff Floyd's soft single to right-center. Next two times up, Beltran walked, singled and scored twice more.

Three runs hot enough for you, for $119 million? Nope, Beltran got booed for hitting into a double play in the seventh, when he failed to drive in his 60th run of the season to go with his 13 home runs.

"That's the way [the fans] are, nothing I can do about it," Beltran said, looking more wounded than defiant.

Booing Beltran when the Mets are on the verge of a sweep in which he had a decent game is pretty ridiculous. He grounded into a double play to earn the boos but he scalded the ball. I think people need to relax. Booing him when he harmlessly grounds out down two with two runners in scoring position on the first pitch is OK to boo on, but riding him like this is sure not helping.

Out of players 22 and younger of age, Reyes has one of the longest hit streaks in history.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, a 21-year old Edgar Renteria hit safely in 22 straight and 21-year old Alex Rodriguez went 21 straight games, both during the 1996 season.

Floyd had a 20-game hit streak earlier in the year and I would be surprised if the Mets had two players in one season have 20-game hit streaks before.

"I thought he jinxed himself [Saturday] when he told me I had to look out," Floyd said.

The Mets record for hit streaks is 24 games.