If a World Series is played and no one watches, does it really happen?

Deep, I know.

Open season is almost upon us and the only thing between us and weeks of insane rumors is a World Series that is too painful to watch for us to actually care about. Get it over with already so Omar can start shaping this team and arming them for a run in 2007 that will be a tremendous disappointment without a trip to the World Series. The Hot Stove is a time that I know most of us love. It is the time for people to write up crazy ass lineups that include Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Lee with Barry Zito and Dontrelle Willis in the rotation and Sandy Koufax brought in as lefty specialist. You know what? I love all of it. There is a certain rabidness to this time of year that I love.

The future is bright and Omar is paving the road ahead with golden bricks my friends. Omar has thrown the idea of 'baby steps' out the window and has completely revamped public opinion of this team in in two off-seasons. He had the best off-season in Met history in '04/'05 and managed to have another stellar one in '05/'06. If Omar has shown us anything so far, he has shown us he is a tireless worker that is not afraid to chase someone because the Yankees might be chasing them. He is not afraid of chasing someone because their agent is Scott Boras. I am ready go so let's get this World Series over with so the real fun can start.

* * *

Phil Humber is ok.

The Mets decided to pull former top pick Phil Humber from the Arizona Fall League this weekend because the right-hander is dealing with what he called "a little tendinitis" in his shoulder.

"Everything is cool," Humber told MiLB.com. "It's just a little tendonitis, a tired arm, so they decided to send me home. I don't think it's going to be a big deal. They're just making sure nothing bad happens out of season. I wanted to stay and compete, but it's best to be safe so I came home and now I'll get ready for spring."

Keep moving...there is nothing to see here. I know teams sometimes play down bad situations, but the kid is coming of Tommy John surgery and has not been pitching that long. I was personally surprised he did not get the winter off and was put to work. We all know he needs to build arm strength, but I'm sure he also needs to be eased into things. Get him ready for Spring Training and let him report to AAA when the season starts so he can work on things and get ready for a mid-season call up if needed.

All you Apple Computer owning nerds (you know who you are) will get a nice laugh out of this one. Steve Ballmer, Microsoft Chief Executive Officer, sells Windows 1.0. I thought it was a joke at first too, but it's not. 'Tis real as the mole on the side of Carlos Beltran's head.

Mike Carp is doing OK in the Hawaii Winter League. He has a .263/.417/.421 line with five hits, one double, and one triple. However, he is 5 for 14 against righties for a .357 average and is 0 for 5 against lefties. While his stats for St. Lucie showed him to be much more adept against righties with an above .300 batting average, he was not invisible lefties, but it does warrant some watching in the 2007 season.

It is a long shot for the Braves to bring back Tom Glavine at this point, but did Tom forget how he could not bring his kids to the ballpark when he first was a Met visiting Atlanta to play them? I understand the memories and all the good things that happened, but you are Met now man. Live with it and enjoy the $14 million they will give you in 2007.

The kid should be on the block, but only for premium value in the neighborhood of a 27 year old and arbitration eligible stud. I still thought he showed flashes of game breaking ability like Jose Reyes has and will be a very good ballplayer, but I am in the Omar camp of everyone being available for the right price.

Braden, you are making a lot of enemies.

Braden Looper was among the players in the visitors' clubhouse at Shea Stadium last Thursday after the Cardinals had won the pennant, mimicking the "Ole, ole, ole!" chant Mets fans do to support Jose Reyes.

"The what?" Looper asked, pretending to be dumbfounded.

"We always do that," the ex-Met continued, tongue in cheek. "We do that in the bullpen. We do it every time we score. We do it in the clubhouse. It's just having fun, you know?"

You might win the World Series and get a nice ring and all, but you will still be ugly.

Floyd had surgery and it is hard for me to envision him back as a Met with so much uncertainty surrounding him. He has a long recovery process and the Mets need to have their outfield plan in place long before that.