Carlos Delgado... Humanitarian, scholar, and all around good guy.

Peter Gammons is a bit overdramatic at times.

Some like to blame Carlos Delgado for not being Thurman Munson. Delgado will never be a baseball evangelist, just a fair, socially responsible man who never self-promotes. Recently, he apologized to Billy Wagner for Wagner's being left in a media storm (even though a family emergency forced Delgado to leave the park), he helped Randolph and Rick Peterson guide Ramon Castro through an experience with a new pitcher, and he pulled Reyes aside on the field during a pitching change to exact his focus. But somehow Delgado's bat speed and character have become blurred lines in the case of a very decent man.

Really? People blame him for not being Thurman Munson? He never did anything redeeming for this team? No one thinks he is a decent man? Strange stuff. What I really hate is when baseball writers blur some line between humanity and baseball skills. If I had a kid, I would let Carlos Delgado babysit it and I wouldn't even call in to check.

However, what does that have to do with baseball? What does him being an all around swell guy do for him being a run product at first base and not contributing negative value? He has a .215/.298/.387 line and though May has been better, it is still pretty damn bad. An 81 OPS+ and a .3 WARP is terrible. Just terrible.

The Mets are struggling and something needs to happen. This is not about charity and respecting that Carlos Delgado was a borderline Hall of Famer for his service in Toronto and being a man who stands by his convictions. This is about keeping a $140 million team from becoming a complete disaster.

Let us not confuse why Met fans are over Carlos Delgado. When things are going bad, you look at ways to fix your team and using Delgado in different manner is a place to start or getting someone to share a significant amount of playing time would be another. Cutting him out of the picture might help, but there are a few guys who could be kicked off before he does so for now, I will not call for him to be cut. From Buster:

Scott Hatteberg was cut loose to make room for Bruce on the roster, and first baseman Joey Votto was sorry to see Hatteberg go. Heard this: The Mets would like Hatteberg, but they'll try to go after him if and when he clears waivers, so they don't have to pay him his full salary.

Scott has been bad in limited time this year, but was fairly productive in '06 and '07. Though older than Delagdo, he seems to have aged better and would be a bigger contributer to this team in 2008.

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It is early, but you have to think that Jesus Flores stands a good chance to be one of the top five catchers in the league when you factor in offense and defense in a few years. I do not blame Omar because he was an A-ball catcher, but that hardly lessens my disappointment.

Chase Utley has 1,000,000 homers this year. His home road splits are nuts, but overall, the homers numbers overall for the Phillies are basically the same home and away. 

What is that sound? Brian Bannister and his 6.00+ ERA in May coming back down to planet Earth.

Pedro Martinez looked decent again A-ballers, but he was beaten by uber prospect David Price.

Wallace Matthews trying to write something positive?

But what the Mets did Wednesday night happens about as often as Jay Horwitz wears an orange blazer to work or Luis Castillo hits a baseball out of the park. Both happened Wednesday night, and consequently, for only the second time in 25 attempts, the Mets won a game they were trailing after seven innings. For the first time all season, they won a game they were trailing after eight. And for the one of the few times all season, they actually left the field looking like a team that cares about winning and cares about each other.

He also ties in some comedic relief into his article...

The end almost, but not quite, erased the memory of what had happened so many hours before. First, the Mets announced that Ryan Church would not play again until he regains his mental focus, a casualty of his second concussion of the young season.

Unfortunately, they could not make the same announcement about Perez, the cause of whose loss of focus is as yet undiagnosed. All the Mets know is that it is a persistent, even chronic condition, immune to all known forms of treatment and liable to recur at any time.

Baseball was better off letting Cuban buy the Pirates since the Cubbies do not need a shot in the arm, but I will take it.

I agree with the Mets course of action here...

With Pedro Martinez expected to start next week in San Francisco, the Mets are considering a plan that would keep Mike Pelfrey in the rotation, shift Claudio Vargas to the bullpen and demote reliever Carlos Muniz. The front office is worried about losing Vargas if they expose him to waivers, but also reluctant to demote Pelfrey, believing it would be best if he continues to develop at the major-league level.

While on the topic of Carlos Delgado, it seems Willie is on board. Hopefully Willie can make these little tweaks to maximize this team and start turning this thing around.

The surprise teams this year are young and exciting while the disappointing Mets still look like the old recycled product sent out in the past.

If the Mets do not step it up and pay out the nose for the best prospects left on the board during this upcoming draft, I will be angry. Not that me being angry matters or will help anything, but I will be angry.