It Ain't Easy Being Green

The Mets have in interest in acquiring Shawn Green and it really is not a bad idea. First and foremost is Cliff Floyd's inability to stay healthy. They simply cannot chance heading into the playoffs with an amalgamation of Endy Chavez, Lastings Milledge, or Michael Tucker starting in the outfield. It especially gets dicey if you add in the possibility of a DH and you have a team that is significantly weaker than it's possible American League opponents.

Second, the Mets are short one outfielder in 2007 and it is becoming clearer by the day Cliff Floyd is not a great option even on a one year deal. Acquiring Shawn Green gives them options. Should they choose to hold onto Lastings Milledge and let him blossom into the player a lot of people think he can be, it might not make sense for the Mets to chase a high priced outfield option that would lock up an outfield spot for years to come with Fernando Martinez and Carlos Gomez on the horizon. Conversely, if they choose to deal Milledge for pitching, they would need to find two outfielders instead of one to plug up a hole.

There also is the matter of Green's contract, which includes a limited no-trade provision and guarantees him a 2007 salary of $9.5 million and has a $2 million buyout for the following season. The Mets "don't see Green as an $11 million player," the person said. They would want the D-Backs to assume some responsibility for the remaining obligation. Moreover, Green is understood to have an aversion to playing in New York.

Of course, it boils down to money. Though the Mets have plenty of it, they are expected to be a big player for some top notch starting pitching and Omar will assuredly be chasing some bullpen arms. Green would cost them $9.5 million in 2007 with a $2 million buyout for the following season. Green's salary might impact the way they approach the off season especially if they pick up Tom Glavine's contract. Xavier Nady and Lastings Milledge provided some salary relief at the corners and that is no longer a luxury for Omar. Let's not forget, the Mets still need to plug second base with an able body.

Will the Diamondbacks throw in some cash? Absolutely. With Chris Young on the way in 2007, Carlos Quentin already finding it hard to get playing time between Luis Gonzalez and Shawn Green, Eric Byrnes having one more arbitration year, and the money they still save after throwing in a few million, it makes sense to dish him off and get him off the books. While Shawn Green might not like the East Coast, he still has not won a championship and the Mets give him a great chance to do that. Are his numbers down while hitting in a hitter's park? Yes, but he still a decent hitter. He has a .281/.345/.425 line and will get close to 50 extra base hits. His home/away splits are not that drastic and he adds a professional bat into a very good lineup. If the Mets can get away with that deal while giving up a nominal prospect or two, it is a brainer. It has to be done.

* * *

Yesterday’s game was one of those games in which you are done watching after the first. Simply brutal. After Delgado lost the bat twice and hit Hamels once in the leg, you had a feeling that the Mets were going to have trouble getting anything going against Cole. Turned out they had lots of trouble. Hamels was dealing and showed us all first hand why Met fans should not look forward to seeing him in the NL East for years to come. Rough game for Pedro and a rough game for the Mets as he is now listed day to day after feeling a twinge in his right calf. Hopefully the Mets will put up a strong showing as my friends and I are heading down to Philly to see The Duque (2.57 ERA in his last three starts) take on Rady Wolf (frumpy white guy).

If I drive all the way down there to see them get lit up, I will not be a happy guy. Although, pulled pork and Geno's cheesesteaks are a nice consolation prize.

The understatement of the year goes too.......

Tom Glavine! Congratulations Tom, you win nothing. I'd give you my self respect, but I lost that long time ago.

"I think it's fair to say his hitting has been moderately surprising because of last year," Tom Glavine said.

Moderately surprising? It would have been less surprising to find out Hillary Clinton is a post-op transexual than to see Valentin hit the way he has. Actually, I don't think I would be too surprised at all to find that out about Hillary.

I love it.

It takes a lot to out-Yankee the Yanks, but after two big signings last week (Jose Reyes and David Wright) and a juicy back-page gambling and teenage sex-kitten scandal (oh, Paul Lo Duca), the Mets are the talk of the town. Remember when a juicy Mets story was questioning Mike Piazza's sexuality? Welcome to the new Queens Zoo.

"Out-Yankee the Yankees" is pure genius.

Marty Noble states his case for Keith Hernandez's number to be retired.

Hernandez was the most critical figure in the Mets' run of success from 1984 through 1989 -- all first or second-place finishes. He changed the team's sense of self in 1983 when the Mets acquired him from the Cardinals and led the National League in MVP points -- without winning the award -- from '84 through '88.

All good points Marty, but I can't do it.

Oliver Perez didn't get the win, but he turned in a solid performance. Perez went six innings and gave up five hits, one run on one homerun, and one walk while striking out seven. Edgardo Alfonso went 2 for 4 with his second homerun as a Tide.

Fernando Martinez went 1 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI as Mike Carp went 2 for 3 with two RBIs in St. Lucie's loss.

Knuckle-baller Zac Clements was a hard luck loser on Sunday as he went six innings and gave up five hits, one earned run, and two walks while striking out four.

Brahiam Maldonado continues to hit well for the K-Mets and went 1 for 3 with his fifth homer and a walk in Kingsport's 3-1 win.

Henry Owens will be representing the best country in the world in the Olympic qualifier.

"At first, I was reluctant to say yes right away," Owens said Monday night. "At the time (he was asked), we had a nice winning streak and obviously we're contending for the playoffs, and I feel obligated to this team.

Do us proud Henry.

Carlos Delgado is hurting.

Yes, we already went over this, but it sounds better the second time after it set in.

Here are some interesting accolades to consider regarding Jose Reyes: Baseball America polled MLB managers and the result had Reyes ranked as the most exciting player in the National League, the fastest baserunner, the best baserunner, the second-best bunter and the second-best defensive shortstop, trailing Omar Vizquel.

Credit the San Francisco Chronicle for crunching these numbers: If Reyes steals one more base and lifts his average to .300 (he was at .295 entering Monday's game), he would finish with better than 50 stolen bases, 20 doubles, 15 triples, 10 homers and a .300 average -- making him only the third player in history to do that, joining Honus Wagner (1908) and Willie McGee (1985).

Excuse me while I go grab some tissues and some lotion.

No twenty game winners? I would have not believed it a quarter of the way through the season, but now? It might happen.

It's up to you and a small handful of others to get on a roll -- pronto -- or the major leagues will go without a 20-game winner this season.

That hasn't happened since . . . um . . . ever. In every non-strike season since the Modern Era began in 1900, at least one pitcher has reached the 20-win plateau.

But entering play tonight, smack in the middle of August, no one had even reached victory No. 15.

It doesn't take 20-20 vision to see that the streak is in trouble.

``It's too early to start making projections like that,'' said the A's Barry Zito, a 23-game winner in 2002. ``But for the pitchers who have a chance, it's going to come down to run support.''

Glavine looked like a sure fire 20-game winner early on in the season, but that is not happening anymore.