Unacceptable

Three things that are unacceptable are getting ten hits and only one damn run, not giving your ace more run support, and not getting a runner at third base home with one out in the ninth when you could have tied the game. Martinez pitched his heart out yet again and took another senseless loss. Five outs away from a no hitter, he gave up a two run homer and finished with a line of eight innings, one hit allowed, one walk, and struck out five and took home the loss. The Mets were fortunate enough to have the Astros lose to keep their hopes of a wildcard alive, but the team is just running on fumes. Their lineup is incredibly weak offensively and has Gerald Williams playing centerfield.

Usually, having Gerald Williams starting in centerfield is the equivalent of waving the white flag, but the Mets do not quite see it that way. They are just using him there until they figure out what they are doing with Beltran. I ask, what is the point? DFA Williams and bring up Angel Pagan. He is already on the forty man roster, so no moves need to be made in tandem to make it happen and Gerald will no doubt go unclaimed and can play in AAA since the Mets enjoy having him in their organization so much. Angel Pagan would be an upgrade in every way and the Mets need to start acting like they want to win this Wild Card race. Keeping Seo in the rotation is a good step towards that and taking Williams out of the starting lineup is another one.

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Ken Griffey Jr. to the White Sox rumors will not go away, but a trade is unlikely to materialize. In my opinion, the White Sox have a real shot at winning the World Series and they need to go for it. Acquiring Ken Griffey Jr. will certainly help an offense that needs some punch.

Paul Konerko is not enamored with the East Coast, but money does talk.

'It's good for a couple days," he said yesterday. ''I don't know if I'd want to come here all the time. It's fun to come to Fenway, it's fun to come to Yankee Stadium, places where I used to go [as a kid]. [But] the East Coast is hectic."

"All options are open," said Konerko. ''The good thing about this team [Chicago] this year is we're doing so well that personally, you don't think about your whole situation. If I was on a bad team right now, I might be sitting back, already preparing for what's going to happen. This clubhouse doesn't allow that, because we're a winning team, going to the playoffs."

"I don't know what's going to happen with all that. I don't rule out any places I could play. I haven't even thought about it, other than I love Chicago and I'd love to stay here."

Jon Heyman has the waiver news covered.

Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Piazza and Tom Glavine are among high-salaried veterans who have gone unclaimed, cleared waivers and remain eligible to be traded, baseball officials have told Newsday.

Hey, maybe Piazza to the White Sox to be a DH would work. Mikey would get a chance to win a ring, which might make it more palatable for Piazza to accept a trade there.

Also clearing . . .

Newsday has learned that Mets who have cleared waivers, in addition to Piazza and Glavine, are Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, Kris Benson, Doug Mientkiewicz, Victor Zambrano, Danny Graves, Miguel Cairo and Ramon Castro.

Mets who have been blocked on waivers and are thus ineligible to be dealt are Mike Cameron, Aaron Heilman, Jose Reyes, David Wright, Roberto Hernandez, Chris Woodward and Marlon Anderson.

I understand that GMs try and get the best deals they can get, but what ever happened to being realistic? Is there no GM out there that is fair to deal with and is willing to actually trade equal value for equal value? I understand desperation drives up the price, but sometimes it is just taken too far.

Of all the unrealistic trade requests (three top prospects for Jeremy Affeldt, two top prospects for Kent Mercker, two established top starters and a top reliever for Billy Wagner), the worst might have been Seattle requesting top White Sox prospect Brandon McCarthy for journeyman reliever Ron Villone. Get a grip.

Peter Abraham has a nice article on Mike Piazza.

"I look at what Edgar Martinez did at the end of his career," Piazza said. "I can see myself in a role like that."

He also pointed out that Mike Piazza has never been a free agent.

Not new news, but Sweet Lou wants out. The article names the Yankees if they miss the playoffs and the Marlins if they fire Jack McKeon as two possible destinations should he moved.

Minor Update:

• Indianapolis beat Norfolk 6-5. Kaz Ishii pitched well in his first AAA start and went six innings, giving up seven hits, one earned run, two walks, one homer, and struck out nine. Tim Lavigne gave up five runs in one inning of relief work on five hits and two walks. Blake McGinley continues to put up solid numbers with an 84 mph fastball and went one inning, giving up one hit, and striking out one to bring his ERA down to 3.16. Angel Pagan went 2 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI, Eric Valent went 1 for 3 with two walks and a run scored, and Brian Daubach went 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI. Ty Wigginton was in the lineup for Indianapolis and went 0 for 4 with a run scored and a walk. He is currently batting .267/.367/.458 with eleven homers, forty-four RBIs, forty walks, and fifteen doubles.
  
• New Hampshire beat Binghamton 9-2. Lastings Milledge went 2 for 4 with a run scored to bring his average up to .326. As much as we all would like to see more power from Lastings, he has a .432 SLG %, which is an improvement from his .418 SLG % in St. Lucie and one that could be expected moving up to an offensive league, and is doing just fine in my opinion. Mike Jacobs went 1 for 4 and drove in both RBIs and has ninety on the year. Jacobs is well on his way to earning his second Sterling Award and has hit .319/.372/.595 with twenty five homers, thirty-two walks, thirty-six doubles, and twenty-five homers so far this season. When all is said and done he will have had set career highs in homer, RBIs, doubles, and walks. Evan MacLane has been getting knocked around of late and went 4.1 innings, giving up eleven hits, eight earned runs, one walk, and struck out three. MacLane's ERA has ballooned to 6.07. Jerrod Riggan continues his comeback from surgery and pitched one inning and gave up no earned runs.
  
• Port St. Lucie beat Brevard County 5-0 in a rain shortened game. Dante Brinkley went 2 for 3 with a run scored, Grant Psomas went 2 for 2 with a walk, an RBI, a run scored, and a double, Jamar Hill went 1 for 3 with his fourteenth homer of the year and drove in three runs, and Andy Wilson went 0-1 with run scored and two walks. Psomas, Brinkley, and Wilson are three guys that I am high on that really do not get much play. They have done nothing but hit this year and have 67, 55, and 59 walks respectively in and organization that is in dire need of plate discipline in their organization. Tim Worthington, who has pitched well for the Mets in Hagerstown and St. Lucie this year, went five innings giving up three hits, no earned runs, no walks, and struck out five to bring his record up to 5-3 and lower his ERA to 1.93.
  
• Brooklyn lost to Williamsport 8-2. Nick Evans went 1 for 3 with a walk batting out of the three spot in the order and Jesus Gamero was the only other Cyclone to get a hit. He went 1 for 3 with an RBI, a double, a walk, and an RBI. Kevin Tomasiewicz had a forgettable game and did not make it through two innings and gave up ten hits, five earned runs, no walk, and struck out five.
  
• Kingsport beat Princeton 7-5. Gregory Gonzalez went 2 for 3 with a run scored, a double, two walks, and two RBIs, Sean Henry went 2 for 5 with a run scored and a walk, and David Wabick went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Daniel Arizmendi got the win and is now 3-2 after going five innings giving up four hits, one earned run, three walks, and struck out two.

Kris Benson is tabbed to face his old teammates and his relationship with ex manager Lloyd McClendon has not been so rosy.

"(Benson) had great stuff for us," McClendon told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a story published yesterday. "But he didn't have the heart of a lion. They'll find that out in New York."

"They're misinterpreting what I said," Benson said. "It was more talking about the positives with the Mets than anything negative about the Pirates. But that's typical. There's nothing else to talk about there."

The Mets don't play Pittsburgh until July 8. Benson doesn't plan to speak to McClendon until then — if then.

"Maybe he'll finally be fired before that," Benson said.

Hopefully they will pass pleasantries back and forth during this series.

Cammy had surgery, but he is not allowed to talk or smile.

"I just want him to know I haven't forgotten about him," Floyd said. "When he can talk, he will. But for now, I think all he's allowed to say is 'emm, umm and ugh-ugh.'"

Beltran was back with the team, but it is still up in the air when he will return.

Beltran still requires surgery to repair a bone near his left eye and, therefore, still could be placed on the disabled list. But he felt well enough Sunday to slip into his uniform and dugout, play decoy and accompany his team on its post game charter flight east.

Back in New York, Beltran will learn whether surgery is necessary to repair a minor displacement on a bone -- about six millimeters. He probably will undergo the procedure immediately if it is deemed necessary. Surgery or not, Beltran and the Mets probably will know significantly more about his return to active duty by Monday night. And then, plans can be made.

If Beltran is placed on the DL, the Mets will promote an outfielder -- likely Angel Pagan, the 24-year-old already on the 40-man roster who made a positive impression in Spring Training, or Eric Valent, the left-handed-hitting veteran who played in 130 games for the Major League team last season and 28 more this year before being removed from the roster on May 28. The Mets had discussed promoting Lastings Milledge, the club's primary prospect among position players, according to assistant general manager Jim Duquette. But Duquette said that move was unlikely.

Lastings? Good to hear they at least threw it out there.

In other good news, Veteran Wil Cordero was released by the Mets on Sunday.

Seo has stated his case and Trachsel is a man without a role right now.

The Mets still haven't decided how Steve Trachsel will fit into the pitching staff. Senior vice president of baseball operations Jim Duquette said Trachsel would be in uniform on Tuesday but probably wouldn't be activated until later in the week. The options, Duquette said, are using a six-man rotation, putting Trachsel in the bullpen or trading one of the starters.