"Being a Mets fan really sucks"

Those words did not come from my mouth, but came to me from my friend's fingers via a text message during the 9th inning of last night's game. For three consecutive innings, the Mets had a prime scoring opportunity only to come away with one run during those three innings. Keep in mind, it was a known fact the Phillies were opening the door for the Mets to close the gap during those chances and that this game was a golden opportunity to even up the loss column.

Of course, we are plagued Met fans damned to never to derive any sort of enjoyment from our favorite professional baseball team. Not us, we are doomed for a lifetime of let downs and not just any old let down. Let downs of enormous proportions. What will it take to reverse these misfortunes? If had those answers, I would certainly present them. However, there is nothing else we can do but grin and bear it.

Missed opportunities were abundant and now the Mets are in a Wild Card tie with the Brewers and in second place. They came into the game with a 72%+ chance of making the playoffs and had a 5-1 lead only to lose by three runs and end up with a 54%+ chance of making the playoffs.

Ticklish? Yeah, I think it would be safe to say things are ticklish and I think it is safe to say I watching the Mets last night was another poor allocation of my time. With Pedro up tonight and the Mets holding an open audition for Saturday's 2nd game, it is not exactly a a rosy outlook with a team that no one really wants to play coming to town this weekend and the team that knocked the Mets out of the playoffs last season.

* * *

The Mets will stay on WFAN and I guess that is good. There are no other stations with any sort of Met fan broadcasters in prominent roles.

Why must the Met fans not be allowed to boo? I am not a big boo person and have only booed for Roger Cedeno, but seriously. Last night I can forgive anyone with a temptation to boo.

"As everyone knows, this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately town and lately we haven't gotten the job done," David Wright said. "There's a lot of frustration. There's frustration with the fans, there's frustration in the stands, there's frustration in the dugout.

I am mostly frustrated because this is the second year in a row I might be giving the Mets a micro-loan for the payment of my playoff tickets that may never get used. If they refunded the money automatically, which they should do, it wouldn't be an issue, but they make it a process to get any money back. Typically that would not be an issue as I just put it towards my next season tickets, but we know that there will probably not be any partial season packages and frankly if they fail to make the playoffs again after a terrible collapse, I probably would not want to get them again.

Short rest for Johan? They don't need it. Some clutch hitting would have be fine and Johan cannot do that. This is on the offense to help this team make the playoffs and not Johan.

Evan Weiner is wrong. The Mets downsized and should have no problems filling their stadium and the Yankees will not have any issues whatsoever.

Ironic that the Twins might actually make the playoffs and the Mets might get left out, no?

Things Are Getting Kind of 'Ticklish'

So the Mets have 29 blown saves this season. That is a very troubling number as they move towards a potential playoff birth, but I need to take a step back for a moment and think a bit more positively about this situation. For one, Jerry Manuel is not Willie Randolph. He believes in the dynamic nature of human beings and that sometimes you have to stray from some notion that you may have had at a previous point in time. Amazing.

While it was clear some of the guys that were supposed to be depended on in 2007 out the bullpen were not getting it done, Willie thought nothing of it. According to him, the sky was not falling. In September of this season, the top four relievers in innings pitched are Brian Stokes, Joe Smith, Luis Ayala, and Nelson Figueroa. Shit, Manuel is not a afraid to get Bobby Parnell into the mix late in the game if it means Ws in his pocket.

The Mets will have to take eight relievers into the playoffs if they squeak in to compliment their four starting pitchers and there really is no choice. Stokes has been striking a lot of people out while not walking many, Schoeneweis has been death on lefties, Figueroa has been surprisingly effective out of the bullpen and has been looking great doing it, Bobby Parnell throws gas, Smitty has humiliated righties, Feliciano has made lefties look like Andruw Jones, Heilman has been rather effective against righties, and Ayala has been effective in a Joe Borowski circa 2007 kind of way. John Maine might even make it back in time to be thrown into the bullpen, which I am not counting on.

Too many guys who are effective against only one side of the plate? Yes. But figure on Jerry managing his games in the playoffs like this one. If it takes the entire bullpen throwing five pitches each to make it through the game, who cares? It may not be pretty, but they are competant enough.

* * *

Yes....Duaner Sanchez was left off of the above list and I know he will probably make the playoff roster, but it should not be a foregone conclusion and I would love to see Parnell get a legit look. At least he is different...

The other day when Manuel had Bobby in for two innings, he said that he needed to get a good look at him on the mound at Shea. I take that to mean he is pretty open minded and with the Mets having enough injured players, they can get whoever they want on the playoff roster.

Four years to fix the bullpen? Am I the only one who looks around and thinks things are not as bad as they seem in the bullpen...at least beyond 2008? Stokes and Parnell look like good bets, Heilman is better than he has shown, Kunz (his GB% is tasty!) and Smith will be useful even if they won't be stellar against lefties, Nelly Figs might have found a home out there, and the Mets have cash.

I remain optimistic long term as additions get made and some guys come into their own, but I just hope they can sort things out sooner.

Reyes is good. He is having his best year yet and anyone that has ever had bad thoughts about Reyes (trade him for Johan!) should be ashamed.

Minaya gets four more years and that is a good thing. If you take a look at his worst three moves, are they really that terrible? Also, take note on how Brian Bannister and his 76 ERA+ are now off the list as one of his worst moves. I was never a believer in Bannister and things finally caught up to him.

I like Daniel Murphy, but Keith LOVES Daniel Murphy. Going so far as to call him the future #3 hitter with David Wright on the team seems a bit ambitious for me, but I'll take Keith's word for it since I believe whatever the man says.

Today's action...

-> Reyes vs Myers (Biiiig edge Phillies. Hitters are batting .353 against Reyes in the 2nd half)
-> Maholm vs Sabathia (Ummm...biiiiig edge Brewers.)
-> Zambrano vs Perez (5.51 post-all star ERA....slight edge Mets.)

It is go time. The Mets need to man-up.

The Anit-Mets

Grant (NYC): Steve, Can you explain how the "playoff share" system works? Since I have no real stake in the game when it comes to the NLCS, I am pulling for the Rockies because they voted to give a share to Michael Coolbaugh's widow.

SportsNation Buzzmaster: The players on each team get a percentage based on where their team finished. The players vote as to which players and staff get shares of the allocation. Some get 100 percent, while players who came in at the trade deadline, for instance, get voted a percentage by their peers. The Rockies made an extraordinary gesture that speaks volumes as to their character,

The Rockies keep on rolling and I think it is ridiculous that a large majority of baseball fans are disinterested in this team's story. They are the feel good story of the year out of any sports team and they continue to earn some of the worst ratings. Baseball, more than any sport, loses the interest of the fan of the teams that did not make it. You would have to think that the rich history of baseball would mean that there would be more true fans of the sport. Where is the disconnect?

Of course there has always been a problem keeping people interested in this sport as it runs into October because it is so long. Once people's teams are out of it, there just is not much incentive to care anymore, but here is thought. For anyone that actually cares about baseball and has the ability to spread the word (like every sports radio show in New York), why not spread it instead of bad mouthing this series and calling it pointless? Regardless if your team is in it, there is still some amazing baseball to be played and people should be encouraged to tune in.

I have to admit that I have been a big offender in the past of tuning out of the playoffs when the Mets were out. This year has been a complete 180 for me and I have been tuning in as much and as often as I can whether it be for the AL or the NL games. It is a shame that baseball generates so little interest this time of year when the Yankees are out of it or when two small market teams go at it. Typically society loves to root for underdogs except when it comes to baseball and that is certainly confusing to me. Three small to mid market teams remain and have slaughtered all the giants but the Red Sox. Surely that would be of some interest, no?

* * *

Again, the Mets are sending not so subtle messages to Willie.

Jaramillo was a finalist for the Mets' managerial job that went to Randolph. That would raise eyebrows considering the organization let Randolph squirm for 48 hours before confirming he'd return for a fourth season as skipper. But those who know Jaramillo believe he's content as a hitting coach and doesn't have managerial ambitions now. Jaramillo is taking his hitting-coach responsibilities with Texas seriously, too. With his contract not set to expire until Oct. 31, Jaramillo just flew to Arizona to work with Rangers minor leaguers.

Really, the guy has one opening and the Mets still will not let him name anyone to his staff. Throw on top of it all that Rudy was seemingly their top pick for the managerial opening over Willie himself. Regardless if Rudy wants to coach, it seems like an awful big distraction and it seems like the Mets front office has a lack of respect for Willie.

Not that I have a problem with the Mets doing what they see fit, but I just think that these types of things speak volumes of their faith in Willie and how sedentary he actually is.

For once, I agree with Steve Phillips. A-Rod makes any team better, but moving Wright would seem a bit silly. He profiles best a third baseman and would probably fit nicely at first, but he would have to man second or shift to the outfield for a year. Also, offense truly is not the Mets problem and especially not if they let Milledge start from day #1 and get more of Alou next season.

They should concentrate on their pitching more than anything and allocating that much to one player at this point is probably not the best course of action.

Randy Miller know how to fix the Phillies.

Transaction No. 1: Sign Curt Schilling to a one-year, $13 million deal with a $15 million club option or $2 million buyout for 2009.

Not a bad idea.

Transaction No. 2: Re-sign lefty reliever J.C. Romero to a 3-year, $9 million deal that includes a $2.5 million 2008 salary.

Ouch. Not sure I do that, but how does that fix the Phillies anyway? They had him and went to the playoffs. That is more keeping the status quo than fixing.

Transaction No. 3: Sign reliever David Riske to a three-year, $10 million deal that includes a $3 million 2008 salary.

Hmm...two big contracts to relievers? It seems like we've seen this somewhere. There is certainly a lot of risk throwing a lot of years at relievers these days since very few of them seem to do it year in and year out.

Transaction No. 4: Sign infielder Mark Loretta to a 2-year, $6.5 million deal that includes a $3 million base salary for 2008.

A light hitting 36 year old for third base? Not really sure how that makes anyone better. He is best utilized as a utility player at this point in this career.

Transaction No. 5: Sign center fielder Mike Cameron to a 3-year, $27 million deal that includes an $8 million salary for 2008.

Great peripheral player, but losing Rowand and picking up Loretta and while getting Cameron only is not exactly a step in the right direction.

Transaction No. 6: Trade left fielder Pat Burrell and reliever Geoff Geary to Anaheim for two decent minor leaguers.

So let me get this straight. Bill Stoneman is hesitant to trade his youth away for you....know....talented players and he will give two decent minor leaguers away for one year of Burrell and then only Geary?

2007 dollars spent: $23 million; Free dollars: $0.

There you have it, a championship team in place.

Truly perplexing how that makes one iota of sense to any rational human being.

Luis Castillo returning would not exactly be a horrible thing and he certainly is a capable bat, but one with zero power.

Joba is in the rotation.

Joe Torre to the front office? The Yankees seem to do that for a lot of ex-Yankee players and I guess that would be there way of quelling the negative press they would get for letting Torre go. It really is a smart move if they plan to ditch him as it keeps the natives from being restless.

Dusty Baker is back in the bigs and it seems like a weird call by the Reds. It is clear they wanted a name and though Dusty has a good rep for getting along with this players, he also has a very bad rep of ruining arms.

Filip Bondy lays it down.

But you know what? Most managers make the same mistakes. And if they don't, then they commit others. This mythology of the genius manager is just that. It's nonsense. Lou Piniella and Tony La Russa look pretty dumb a lot, too. They are all great thinkers when they are in the World Series, and then they are all screwy when they are knocked out in the first round.

Mattingly or Joe Girardi would fare just fine. Managing isn't that complicated. This is baseball. American League baseball. A coach tells you when the pitch count reaches 90. The data sheet tells you how a certain batter has done against a certain pitcher. You inform the first baseman why you're benching him, before you tell the media.

This is no big deal. It's hilarious to read all the concerns out there now about Mattingly's alleged inexperience. The guy played with the Yankees for 14 years. He's coached with them for four years. He's smart. He's steady. You really think he doesn't know when to flash a steal sign, or when to hold a team meeting?

Losing Torre should be a minor blip on the radar, but it matters to the players. Keeping them happy may be worth the retirement package of giving him a few million, letting him sit in on some high level meetings, and shake some hands in the clubhouse.

Is Being A Met Fan More Fun?

I have to tell you, this is making a lot of sense to me.

"Back then, you never knew whether the Yanks would make the World Series or finish third," he says. "Sure, I wanted them to win every game. But the truth is, I love not knowing what's going to happen in baseball. There's something fun about entering a season and not being sure how your team will do."

Would it be better for the Mets to be in the playoffs for the next ten years or to have years like '07 only to come back in '08 and '09 and be treated to trips to the playoffs and even the World Series perhaps. If the Mets made it in this year and continued to do so over the next five years, it would be nice for sure, but would it be as exciting as true pennant races and the unknown?

One of the early economic principles I learned in college was the theory of marginal utility.

UTILITY: Economist-speak for a good thing; a measure of satisfaction. Underlying most economic theory is the assumption that people do things because doing so gives them utility. People want as much utility as they can get. However, the more they have, the less difference an additional unit of utility will make – there is diminishing MARGINAL utility. Utility is not the same as utilitarianism, a political philosophy based on achieving the greatest happiness of the greatest number.

One triple cheesebuger is great, but two? If one was good, two should be twice as good, right? Not so much. Your stomach, your significant other, and possibly your ass would have something to say about that. Could this be applicable to baseball? It sure seems like Braves fans had become indifferent after not even selling out playoff games. Of course, there has to be some reward at some point. Us Met fans endure a lot, but if the Mets can win something in the next few years, the disaster that was 2007 will be distant memory and it will taste that much sweeter.

When did a baseball season in New York become solely about the finish line, and not about the journey? How can a team that clawed its way out of a 14½-game hole be deemed a failure for falling to a team -- the Cleveland Indians -- that features two of the league's top five starting pitchers? Do the memories of Alex Rodriguez's 54 home runs and Chien-Ming Wang's 19 wins and Derek Jeter's steely determination and Joba Chamberlain's meteoric rise fade to ashes without a diamond-studded ring?

So buck up...if the Mets were the Yankees, you wouldn't even care right now. At least the Mets have something to look forward to while the Yankees are destined for another season of 'failure' in 2008.

* * *

Schuerholz is stepping down as the GM and moving up to second in command of the Braves with Frank Wren sliding into his spot. Will it matter? Who cares. This next decade is all about the Mets and they are their own worst enemy.

Prediction....Frank Wren's big first move? Tom Glavine back to Atlanta and what a joyful occasion that will be. Also, how does Tom feel about Atlanta even though his child and wife were unable to attend his first games as a Met in Atlanta?

Is A-Rod bluffing? I hope not. He is the lynchpin for me in regards to the Yankees having a shot at the playoffs next season. If he returns, they are in. If he skips town, they are out.

The Phillies are willing to spend more money on next year's club. That is all well and fine if there was something to spend it on. Also, with a team that has so many holes in the bullpen and the rotation, they would not have enough to band-aid those ouchies. I know I'm probably jinxing the Mets, but they should run away with the division with a few smart moves. In reality, the '06 season covered up some of their blemishes and the '07 season put them to the forefront. The '08 season should be the reality.

The Rockies kick ass. Everyone should be fearful of the machine that is the Rockies.

Sufficient Amounts of Ass Kicking

Three series and four sweeps. What an amazing first week of playoffs and the Rockies just keep on laying waste to whomever is in their way and you can be sure that a Troy Tulowitzki t-shirt jersey will be ordered and be on my body when I head to Shea next year. I'm officially on the Colorado bandwagon and they have been ridiculously fun to watch so far in the playoffs. As for the Indians, they will forever own a little piece of real estate in my heart if they can dispatch the New York Yankees so I can turn on the radio and not hear about their greatness any more.

Speaking of the Yankees, George's comments about Torre were hysterical.

"His job is on the line," the Yankees' owner said in a phone interview. "I think we're paying him a lot of money. He's the highest-paid manager in baseball, so I don't think we'd take him back if we don't win this series."

Why should any manager get $7 million? While some think a manager's salary should be comeasurate with the team's salary, I think it is a colossal waste of money. Unless the manager is reinventing the game of baseball, you are better advised to spend that elsewhere or just keep building up a warchest. Of course the door is open since he said he does not 'think' he will taking him back, you would have to wonder if both sides would really want to continue a relationship after this season.

Even more ridiculous, Mike Francesa was speaking about Steinbrenner's statements and said it is OK when he does something like that because it is expected, but it is not OK when Jeff Wilpon does it because he is not Steinbrenner. While one is surely known for it, it certainly does not give him carte blanche to continually act like an ass. It could have been a motivational tactic to get Torre's players to step up, but I am not sure that is the point. What if Jeff was just trying to serve up a healthy plate of motivation? It was plain to see they needed it.

So if you are keeping score at home, the Mets cannot do anything without getting criticized because they 'haven't done anything' and the Yankees can do whatever they want which includes Joba 'showing up' the other team every time he is mound. Chalk up the Mets celebratory habits in the column of something they are not allowed to do because they have not done anything. It was also said that Tom Glavine would sit in the dugout and shake his head when the Mets youthful exuberance would be on display.

To that I say my Tom Glavine jersey will be getting torched this week. Hopefully by Wednesday I will be able light it up, but I have to borrow a camera. Mine conveniently broke while I was in Africa and I need to send it in. But once I get one, goodbye Glavine jersey and hello extra space for one more shirt in my closet.

* * *

Would getting rid of Torre have anything to do with Mariano and Jorge returning the Yankees? I would say no and it does not matter how much they publicly might allude to it mattering. In the end, they will probably be in the Bronx next season and I would assume two year contracts would be the contract length of choice in each for the Yankees with maybe a third option year.

Joel Sherman is huffing more than his fair share of spray paint. Here is what he believes the Mets need:

1. More Passion
So the Mets should look seriously at free agents Aaron Rowand to play center field and David Eckstein to play second base, and/or see if they could pry someone such as the Angels' jack-in-the-box Chone Figgins to be their jack-of-all-trades.

Eckstein is cute in all, but I might rip my eyes out if I had to see him in a Mets uniform everyday. I would not mind Figgins for what he could bring to this team, but the Angels would be hard pressed to part with a guy who can basically fill in anywhere for them and steals a ton of bases. Also, I doubt Eckstein is the missing piece of the puzzle in terms of chemistry for this team.

If you buy all of that, Eckstein's peskiness and seriousness about winning would enliven the Mets.

Seriousness about winning? Who does not need more of that?

By signing Rowand, the Mets would rob the NL East champ Phillies of a big piece. Putting Carlos Beltran in right field might diminish his leg injuries. Having Rowand and Beltran would allow the Mets to more comfortably play the limited range of Moises Alou (yes, pick up his option) in left field and also liberate the Mets to more aggressively use one or two pieces of their strength, high-end, young outfielders (Carlos Gomez, Lastings Milledge, Fernando Martinez), to pursue pitching.

More grinders? Yes! If the Mets can get Rowand and Eckstein that will have the grinding-est bunch of grinders who have every grinded...or ground. Really though, I think the Mets already played that game of moving gold glove caliber center fielders to right field. The Mets have a wealth of outfield talent and they should use it balance out a high payroll and help them maintain some flexibility.

2. EVERYONE WANTS JOHAN SANTANA, BUT ...
And anyone who suggests the Mets should trade Jose Reyes for Santana is a fool. You might not like how the season ended, but Reyes is 24 and one of the majors' 25 best players. You build around that, you do not trade that. Better to keep Reyes and be the high bidder for Santana a year from now if the lefty gets to the free-agent market.

Nothing to add here. I agree that Santana is nice, but it will not happen. I also like the fact he called Buster Olney a fool.

3. SO HOW DO YOU FIND PITCHING?
I would seriously consider giving Aaron Heilman another rotation shot. He has the stuff for it and it is where his heart is. And if St. Louis' Braden Looper can win 12 games and throw 175 innings in his first year converted from the 'pen, Heilman can do at least that.

I like thinking outside of the box, but I think that would be a bad idea. I think the Mets will roll with The Duque again and Humber and Pelfrey will battle it out for the fifth spot. Really, The Duque's disappearance at the end of '06 and '07 was horrible, but he will be counted on less if the Mets can have a full year of Pedro and get decent starts from Humber or Pelfrey. There might not be much depth, but you need to get those young guys going at some point and the Mets are deep enough with veterans to let them take some lumps and get up to speed. They need to be an integral part of the plan next season and whomever is not in the rotation needs to get shifted into the bullpen.

So if the White Sox want to get rid of the $20 million left on Jose Contreras' pact enough that they would take the steroid twins, Guillermo Mota and Scott Schoeneweis, the Mets should seriously consider it. Workhorse types including Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo, Oakland's Joe Blanton, the White Sox's Jon Garland, Texas' Kevin Millwood, Detroit's Nate Robertson and Florida's Dontrelle Willis are likely to be on the trade market. The Mets should determine the one or two they like the best and see if there is a deal to be made.

I would condone this with the exception of Dontrelle. I would also only condone this if The Duque was going to be headed to the bullpen as I truly believe that the Mets need to start working in their top pitching prospects in some fashion. They can never become veterans unless you give them some chances to actually pitch.

The Mets believe in their scouting acumen and in Peterson. Therefore, they should be very active in the Rule 5 draft, minor league free agency, and the Japanese market to provide as many 'pen possibilities to churn through next year as possible, because spending big on marginal guys such as Mota and Schoeneweis is foolhardy.

Getting a hard thrower in the Rule 5 or some foreign import is a great low risk/high rewark move that I fully support.

Genetically altered gnats that were trained to only attack players wearing Yankee uniforms? While bugs are annoying, I do believe suspending play would have been a ridiculous decision to make in the playoffs.

But with his team teetering on the brink of a knockout, the old Steinbrenner came out swinging on Saturday night, putting Torre on immediate notice and ripping into umpire Bruce Froemming, the veteran crew chief from Friday night's Game 2 who declined to stop play despite an infestation of Lake Erie gnats.

"The umpire was full of [expletive]," Steinbrenner said of the retiring Froemming. "He won't umpire our games anymore."

In the wake of that Game 2 defeat, Steinbrenner said the Yankees had complained to baseball commissioner Bud Selig about the decision to play on. "[Selig] just said, 'That's in the umpires' hands,' " Steinbrenner said. "But Jesus Christ, it was terrible. It messed up the whole team, [Derek] Jeter, all of them."

Oh, Jeter as well? Then the game 110% (coincidently the effort Jeter is magically able to give while other mere mortals can give only 100%) should have been called. I had no idea Captain Jetes was adversely affected as well. Either way, both teams had to deal with it and champions persevere, right?

Billy Beane lays down some common sense on the topic.

"I have, but I'm trying to remember where it happened. That situation was not unlike cold weather or wind -- part of the elements that both teams deal with. I've actually seen bugs much worse than that; remember I spent too much time in minor leagues. Unless you forgot, I was not a good player! Remember, the bugs were bothering hitters, too. A zero sum situation."

John Delcos is kind enough to offer up some free advice.

1. Fix Jose Reyes:
I wholeheartedly agree that Jose Reyes' perceived attitude issues need to get dealt with, but how do you do that exactly? If Willie was also a contributing factor, it would be of paramount concern and other players should be gauged as to their feelings about the skipper.

2. Re-sign Tom Glavine:
I realize he has been pretty good over the years and did give the Mets 200 innings, but it is clear he has nothing left in the tank. Without the homeplate umps help, he is exposed and likely to get rocked. I would rather use the season to see if some youth can step up and help this rotation. If you need anything else to help sway your mind, check this out. Sure it was a team effort, but Glavine just needs to move on and his perceived indifference about his last start was just one more reason I did not need to formulate my opinion on the topic.

3. Release Guillermo Mota:
I would wait until the spring. However, if he is flat in the spring again and someone steps up, then release him before Willie has the chance to call his number daily.

4. Go after Chad Cordero:
I would love Cordero, but not at the expense of Humber which is to say he will not be available. No way the Nats let him go for nothing and I think Humber could contribute to the bullpen positively if given the chance making any deal for Cordero nebulous.

5. Figure out a temporary plan for Pelfrey and Humber:
As stated above, one should get a rotation spot and another a legit spot in the bullpen.

6. Be prepared to lose Aaron Heilman:
I am not against dealing him for someone that will help the team, but he was the Mets second best reliever in the second half and I hardly think now is the time to start dealing away whatever useful bullpen arms the Mets have. He can buck up and wait for his chance to leave the Mets when his six years of service time is up.

7. Re-sign catcher Paul Lo Duca:
I've stated my opinion on this one time and time again so I will not repeat it.

8. Bring back Moises Alou:
No brainer. He needs to come back.

9. Bring back Luis Castillo and Damion Easley:
I am OK with this as long it is not for longer than two years and not much more than he made in 2007, but I would like to see Gotay get groomed to be a super sub that gets a sizeable amount of at-bats. As for Easley, he is welcome back in 2008.

10. Sign Adam Dunn:
Only if he is on first base and Delgado is magically traded, but I want Lastings to start in right field because I think he could be a true impact player next year.

Thanks to John for sending this one to me.....

Baseball Is Alive and Well

I have to say, I derived a lot of enjoyment from Wednesday's games. Watching Big Z. take on Brandon Webb was really fun to see. It was especially nice to watch games in which had Ted Robinson and Ron Darling doing commentary because it definitely made things more familiar. Of course it would have been amazing to see the Mets on the big stage, but it is what it is and I'm still going to enjoy as much baseball as I can before the darkness is upon us.

In the first game, the Phillies lost with Cole Hamels on the mound. They lost with their true ace on the mound and you would have to think the Rockies have a serious advantage here. Though their starters are nothing great, it certainly not a scenario that any Phillies are to enthused about. And yes, I know no one wants to lose game one, but you especially do not when you have the best pitcher of the series from either side on the mound.

Beckett just continued to add to his postseason lore and just annihilated the Angels with a complete game shut out. He dropped eight strikeouts and allowed four hits while throwing only 108 pitches. Has any trade worked out as well as the Beckett deal did for both sides? Two teams got exactly what they were looking for and you can safely say neither side would want a do over.

Brandon Webb is just one of my favorite pitchers to watch. When all is said and done, he is going to be one special player. It is easy to forget that Webb is not just a one trick pony and he has a nasty curveball and a pretty fucking good change-up. He will not get the CY Young award this year, but actually fared better than last year in many categories.

As for today's games, one question stands out in my mind. How much does a manager get caught up in numbers? Wang's home and away splits might not be of Ervin Santana proportions, but his 2.75 ERA at home and .235 BAA versus his 4.91 ERA on the road with a .300 BAA are big enough to open some eyes. In fact, you can see a pretty large disparity between his home and away numbers in 2005 and 2006 as well.

Would Joe be better off holding him back until the Yankees third game and try and hope for at least one win or do you just go with your best pitcher no matter what the numbers suggest? I would tend to throw numbers out the window in a case like this when you have a clear cut ace of the staff and shortage of quality starters, but it bears noting because you know the media will be all over this one if the Yankees go down.

* * *

The Mets and Glavine's relationship has seemingly come to an end.

Tom Glavine is likely to decline his $13 million option with the New York Mets by Friday's deadline, giving the pitcher time to think about his future.

Glavine's contract said he must make a decision on the option by the fifth day after the Mets concluded their season.

"Tom and I have been having discussions since Sunday. As he has indicated on prior occasions, he's going to take time with his wife and his family and consider all of his options and then make his decision," Glavine's agent, Gregg Clifton, said Wednesday. "It is doubtful he'll be able to conclude that process prior to Friday."

I would have to believe that if the Mets wanted him back, he would be back. I am sure this was all contingent upon some gentleman's agreement that it had to be mutual, but I am certainly glad the Mets are moving on. I hold no ill will towards him, but I will be torching my Glavine jersey and filming the goodness that will ensue.

Also from the above link:

In other news, All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran had arthroscopic surgery on both knees Wednesday, and an MRI exam on pitcher John Maine's left hip revealed he doesn't have a sports hernia.

Left-hander Jason Vargas also had a bone spur removed from his pitching elbow. Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek performed the operations on Beltran and Vargas at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

Yikes. Who knew Carlos was going under the knife?

Zach (Orlando, FL): You say Hughes and Kennedy over Clemens and Moose. I agree with you from where I am sitting, but is there a manager in baseball who would go that route?

SportsNation Jim Callis: Probably not. Too difficult to defend the moves if they don't work out. Though why anyone would expect Mussina to do anything is beyond me.

And there it is. The veteran vs. rookie problem. You would rather get burned with the vet because of media pressure. Wouldn't it be nice if Torre stepped up and made the correct decision? Of course now that I say this, they will probably throw back to back no-no's.

Limp

Asked if his team smells that finish line now, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel replied: "Yeah. Of course we smell it. And we want it. Matter of fact, we might want it bad enough where we've got to take it easy, just relax and just play."

And there you have it. The tail of two teams. You have a team that needed to do spectacular things to make it happen in the Phillies and a team that just need to be a notch below mediocre to solidify things up.

The fans have been criticized about their non-participation in the games, but last night they showed up and guess what? The Mets fell flat again. Can we please dispel any notion the fans are somehow tied to this slide or are not doing their part? They want to cheer, but have been given little reason to lately.

This rest squarely on the Mets shoulders and now instead of controlling their own destiny, they are relying (ironically enough) on the Nationals. The Wild Card is seemingly unlikely being the Padres magic number is now one. This utterly collapse by the Mets is mind boggling and though it is not over, these Met games are starting to feel strikingly similar to a funeral.

With the Mets playing before the Phillies today, let us see if they can step up and put some pressure on Philadelphia to win tonight.

Back In Business

I'm back, but I have not had time to chime in about the Mets. And really though, why would I? I leave for a bit and have to come back to this putrid display of baseball? To recap, the Yankees have three more wins than the Mets will in all likelihood clinch before the Mets do. The Nationals, who are not horrible, but certainly should be a team the Mets are capable of beating are absolutely owning the Mets. I did mention previously that this Nationals team is nothing to sneeze at and have not played all that much worse than the Mets since June 1st, but this is silly.

The Mets were at about 99.4% certain to make the playoffs when I left. Now, they are down to 97.9% which is still good, but not the right direction. Sure the Cardinals stumbled last year only to win it all and the Yankees had stumbled relatively recently at the end of the season only to win it all as well, but the Mets have big issues. The Duque's foot problem is persisting, Pedro needs extra rest, Maine's ERA is now comfortably north of 4.00, and Glavine still scares me.

No team is afraid of facing the New York Mets at this point. They still might have the most talent, but they are not the best team.

* * *

The Mets need for pitching help was plain to see way before I left.

It's madness, really, asking someone with no experience to reverse one of the worst finishes in recent team history. What's worse, selecting Humber tonight exposes the flaw of using Brian Lawrence last Monday in D.C.

Why wasn't Humber chosen then? The answer is as obvious as it is damning: the Mets are operating without a late-September blueprint. No one saw this collapse coming, and no one has a way to end it. Randolph's closed-door speeches haven't worked. Players-only meetings have accomplished nothing. Coming off the road hasn't made a difference in the Mets' play, either.

Now it's down to guesswork, Humber and tightly crossed fingers. Not even the eternally optimistic Minaya could muster a strong defense of the rookie's enlistment.

"He's the best option available," is how the GM put it. "In a perfect world, you'd rather have a proven guy out there."

The Mets handling of their talent down the stretch is reprehensible. While it was clear they had a need, they failed to try some guys out and now it is probably too late. Nothing short of back to back no hitters would get Humber a serious look at contributing to this team but he should have been playing a large factor in the bullpen weeks ago. Now, he has three big league innings and has not pitched since the 11th and today is obviously the 26th. The last time he started a game was on August 27th. To me, that is not setting your guys up for success.

The Duque is inching his way back.

After throwing "50, 60" pitches in a bullpen session Tuesday to test how the bunion on his right foot has healed, Orlando Hernandez said if no problems arise today, he expects to throw a simulated game Thursday.

What can reasonably be expect from him health wise? His first start back might be in the playoffs and that certainly does not give me the warm and fuzzies.

There was some talk on the radio on with Joe Beningo on the Mike and the Mad Dog show about Willie feeling underappreciated. I'm sorry, but did I miss where he proved himself to be a manager who deftly navigates his way through the game and makes great decisions all the time? He is appreciated too much in this town in my opinion and a detriment to this team.

They also spoke about Willie not being allowed to pick one of his coaches. Sure, Omar might be giving him praise now, but nothing speaks more volumes than that. They fired the only guy he was allowed to hire and replaced the open spot on the staff with Ricky Henderson. If this Mets front office truly though Willie was cats meow, he would have some semblance of control and he is far from having control.

Moises continues to do what he always does. Just hit the shit out of the ball.

Some Africa pics to wet your whistles. I have not had the chance to go through them all and can post more later, but here are a few.

We were lucky enough to see two lionesses with seven cubs. Our guide said he has never seen more than three at a time so we were definitely fortunate. The best part was after the mothers did this woofing typing thing in a territorial manner, the little cubs would proceed to do what sounded a notch above a house cat's loudest meow in an attempt to be tough.


Nothing to add about the warthog except they look tasty. Bush bacon anyone?


It never gets old seeing one of these goofy bastards running around looking ridiculous.


Sweet.


Definitely not a common occurrence to see a cheetah this close. We saw one a few times under a tree in the distance, but seeing one sitting on the side of the road was rather fortunate. None of the big cats gave a shit about anything. If they were chilling out, you could get really close since they have nothing to worry about.


Baby elephant? Awesome.


The Serengeti had flat out the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. I have way more pictures than any man should own. I'll go put my mini skirt on now.


They vote for the creepiest animal had to be the hyena. They oozed creepiness with little effort. For two nights, we actually camped on the Serengeti and it was just my friend an I with some beers and a bottle of Jamison. We were continually checking for eyes staring back at us with head lamps. One time, while checking our back, I saw two eyes staring back.

I called my friend over to confirm what I was seeing and once he did, I ran to the tent. unable to get the zipper open more than five inches, I tried shove myself through. I couldn't fit and got shoved in with some help from behind. Feeling like girls, we went back out to check the scene and another pair was there. At that point, we called it a night. The camp people said it was most likely hyenas, but that was not exactly a gamble I was willing to take.


This was one of the lionesses with the seven cubs. Check her neck out as she has some gnarly looking wound on it.

All in all, it was an amazing, albeit very dusty and dirty, trip. We saw every animal but the Rhino and ate plenty of unidentifiable meats. I'll try and get some more complete pictures up in the next week or so for those of you who are interested in seeing more pics.

Recipe for Success

Jonah Keri was speaking about a book Baseball Between the Numbers a little bit ago in a chat. He had mentioned that Nate Silver, from Baseball Prospectus, wrote a chapter that looked at the past 25 years of playoff teams and the areas at which each team excelled. The conclusion was that teams with 1) two top starters, 2) great defense and 3) a great closer tend to be the best in the playoffs. Also according to the study, regular season offensive prowess had to post-season wins. Of course, we could have looked at the Yankees 2001 through 2006 seasons to see that but that is neither here nor there.

What is the point is that the Mets are pretty close to that recipe along with Anaheim, San Diego, and Boston. Of course the Mets have a better defense than either of those teams, but those two are no slouches. While the Padres stock is falling and their outlook for the playoffs is not all that favorable, the Mets, the Angels, and the Sox should march right in barring any disasters. Would we be shocked to see a World Series with some configuration of those teams? Not really.

While they satisfy the above criteria, they are obviously not bereft of offensive ability and could cause some trouble once they get into the playoffs. A lot of this is dependent upon the Mets two top starters pitching like top starters at that time. They have quite a few candidates that could be considered as such but a few have been inconsistent of late and one is pitching against A-ballers.

The x-factor here is the Mets offense has the ability to go from above average to American League-esque. With Alou back and adding such a consistent force in the lineup and the other shuffles, they could be dangerous on all fronts. Add that to the possibility of solid starting pitching, the top defense, a decent bullpen, and a dominant closer, this team could start firing on all cylinders and blast through the rest of the regular season and continue into the playoffs.

Of course that is easier said than done but the possibility of that happening is certainly there.

* * *

The Mets sweep of better than people think Nationals team was just what everyone need to assauge the negative feelings from Thursday night's disaster. Now things get really interesting as the Mets head out to face the San Diego Padres with Chris Young who pitches like Pedro Martinez circa 1998 when he is at home, the Dodgers, the Philly, and then Atlanta. After that, the schedule is very favorable for the Mets so this is basically the division. If they can emerge from that part of the schedule unscathed and have a four game lead or better in hand, it's over Johnny.

Lastings for the most part will get a free pass on not taking enough walks this season. He only has three walks so far and has been plunked three times as well. He is never going to be a big walk guy, but he certainly is not 2007's version of Pudge Rodriguez.

Jake Peavy says it is not about getting a big payday, but it is about getting something fair. Which is a big payday. That is all well and fine, but the fact it is hitting the papers in 2007 when he is inked through 2009 is a bit silly. I am not sure I see the reasoning for him saying the Padres are not showing a big financial commitment to winning and that he envisions a new address for himself in the near future.

The Duque was spectacular yet again and the Mets have won 10 of his last 11 starts. He is third in the league in WHIP and 7th in ERA but only has 8 wins to show for this amazing season. He is also absolutely murdering righties to the tune of a .155 BAA and lefties are not getting much against him either and have a .235 BAA.

How he is doing this I will never know, but he has not been this good since 1998.

It is really hard to complain about Castillo and what he was brought to this team.

It certainly looks like Beltran is on one of his pattented hot streaks and was named NL Player of the Week. He went 9 for 24 with four homers and ten RBIs in six games.

"It is about feeling good," Beltran told reporters after Sunday's game. "I am seeing the ball, and I feel balanced, and I am staying back."

All this is precisely why he can be frustrating at times. He can do it all and should be able to put it all together on a consistent basis, but he doesn't.

"When he gets hot, he gets ridiculously hot," teammate David Wright said after Sunday's game. "He has the ability to put the team on his shoulders."

I do not know if it is mental, his injuries that seem to be nagging him at times, or him getting out of synch physically, but if he can figure out how to bottle up his highs and minimize the lows, he can put up some cartoonish numbers.

The Mets acquired Jeff Conine for Sean Henry and Jose Castro. I liked Henry and I thought he was having a nice follow up season to his 2006, but it's hard to get upset about a guy who was a bit old for A ball.

However, you have to believe that the Reds got a pretty decent bounty for Conine and clearly more than the Twins got for Castillo which is inexplicable.

It looks like Michael Vick is going to jail for a year to a year and a half.

Brandon Webb is a stud. In the days of six inning pitchers, three consecutive complete games shut outs is as fun as it gets. It should be noted that he went seven innings in the three starts previously before that which averages out to eight innings per start in his last six starts. Yes...I'm good at maff....But that's not my point, my point is that few people can that these days and he only topped 111 pitches once in that streak and topped 110 pitches twice.

He just pounds the strike zone with his many variations of his sinker and srip players of their manhood.

Have the Mets even had one player crack the top 20 on BA's Prospect Hot Sheet?

Tough Decisions On The Horizon

Peterson is never at a loss for an analogy and this article really brings up some interesting questions.

Fitting him into the September rotation is easy. Assuming the Mets make the playoffs, then does Martinez automatically get a first-round start? And if so, what does the rotation look like for the Division Series, when the Mets really only need three starters?

Based strictly on performance, Orlando Hernandez deserves to pitch Game 1 - the Mets haven't lost since July 4 with him on the mound - and Glavine would likely go in Game 2. That leaves the difficult decision of choosing between Martinez and two starters who helped get the Mets to the playoffs in John Maine and Oliver Perez. Both have cooled down in the second half. Maine has a 6.31 ERA after the All-Star break, Perez a 4.33, and Martinez could make it easier simply by outperforming them. If the competition is close, however, should Martinez definitely get the nod?

Glavine's 2nd half ERA is 3.89 and he obviously has the most extensive track record out of everyone. However, he is also the only starting pitcher who has pitched below league average this summer that would be considered for a playoff rotation spot. He also profiles least as a reliever which means he would basically have to be included in the post season rotation since he would not have value elsewhere.

It would be impossible to predict whether or not Pedro will have any impact, but you would have to believe that if he shows anything at all he will be included into the rotation. Quite the quandary indeed. Who is in and who is out? How could you possibly take a guy out of the post-season rotation who has been one of the best pitchers in the league in 2007? I'm not sure, but it has a strong chance of happening.

The likelihood of Pedro heading into the bullpen is slim for the simple fact that he probably would not have any part of that. It is really not something to get all worked up about yet since Pedro is still a pretty good ways away from making his '07 big league debut and he will not have many chances to prove he is back and healthy.

Personally, I would have a hard time putting Pedro in the rotation given the circumstances and I certainly believe he could be pretty tight out of the pen. You would not have to worry about stretching him out and he has pinpoint control so you would not have to worry about him walking many people, if any at all.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Let us hope a decision is made with sound reasoning rather than some logic revolving around and idealistic scenario that simply is not playing out in reality.

* * *

I'm not sure if I linked to this before, but if you have not seen it, enjoy.

Don't get Willie angry. You won't like Willie when he gets angry.

"Everything," Randolph said. "It was just a horrible game. The pitching didn't come through. Terrible situational hitting. It's a giveaway game and it can't happen. These guys play us tough here, but there's no excuse for it. To get a lead like that and not be able to put them away. Give them credit for battling back. I tip my hat to them. But there's no way we should lose a game like that."

It's good to see Willie get fired up a bit because it's a close race and it's midway through August. Every game is important at this point and you simply cannot give games away. And you cannot give them away especially when you factor into things the fragility of this team. A cushion is paramount for this to have in order to gain some level of comfort.

Interesting blurb which relates to my last post:

It's a shocker, consider Maybin has only been in double-A for a little over a week. But Jim Leyland is one manager who can make this work. He's a big believer in talent over experience. And Maybin is the most talented outfielder in that whole organization, with the possible exception of Curtis Granderson. They were looking for life and for energy, and this guy gives them those ingredients. I don't know if he's "ready," but I give the Tigers a lot of credit for having the guts to find out at a time like this - at the expense of a safe option like Monroe.

There is a guy who is not afraid to dive into the pool with a cell phone and some cold cuts (aka lunch meat to you non-tri-state area people) in his pockets. Trust the kids! You might actually get rewarded.

The Mets are #3 and the Yankees are #2 on BP's Hit List.

The dynamic duo of Perez and Maine need to step it up though and get back on track.

Marc Raimondi questions Willie's logic. Of course if they were still babying Pedro and were not interested in pushing him, I could understand why it worked out the way it did. But if they were past the babying stage and he was ready for full action, it was a mistake. I guess we'll never know...

Five years and $91.5 million. I think we all knew it was going to happen but were secretly hoping it didn't. With no other ace on the market and Curt Schilling not an exciting option, the Mets look like they will be going to battle with Perez, Maine, Pedro, The Duque, and Humber/Pelfrey.

Not that it is a horrible thing, but they might be a little thin in that area. Not that I think Omar won't be out there looking under every rock for a pitcher, but it's hard to envision him being able to snare someone that makes any sort of difference outside of being a warm body.

The Yankees are playing hard ball with A-Rod so far. If A-Rod opts out, Cashman said he's gone. I do not see how the Yankees could lose him because he is the sole reason they have any sort of shot at all this year. Hunter will not come close to replacing him and with Melky, I am not entirely sure they need to break the bank on him. If they do lose him (and I am hopeing they do), I would not be shocked if there were not playoffs for a few years.

Omar certainly should have the extra cash to make a big international signing and it looks like he just might do that.

When the international signing frenzy opened on July 2, no one thought there would be a $2 million man.

And then a Scott Boras client showed up in the Dominican Republic.

The Boras Corporation represents 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Edward Salcedo and is currently being courted by several clubs, with the Mets, Mariners and Yankees considered the frontrunners.

Negotiations for the 6-foot-2, 180-pound shortstop only began on July 30, when he turned 16 years old. According to several sources, Salcedo was seeking a signing bonus in the $4-5 million range, though he was expected to receive half that amount.

I'm shocked Boras took so long to jump into the fray.

“He projects to be the complete package,” said one international scouting director from a National League club. “He’s got plus range, arm strength and great hands at the position. He might have to move to third base at some point eventually, but he’s going to hit for average and power.”

If the Yankees reel him in, they would have had quite the haul between the draft and the international arena.

John Manuel weighs in on the Mets current draft trends:

Q: Greg from CT asks:

Why do the Mets have to be so cheap when it comes to over slotting? Second straight year they let a top talent go just because they were afraid of the commisioner’s office

A: John Manuel: I'm surprised the Mets have been so compliant. They also keep drafting relievers. It's an odd, surprising trend, no doubt. Just because the Yankees and Red Sox and Tigers spent doesn't mean the Mets should spend, but for me, teams should spend what THEY want to spend. Who should decide the value of a player--your scouts and talent evaluators, or the commissioner's office? If I owned a club, I would want the people I pay to make those determinations, not the commissioner's office.

Mediocrity Abound

While a 2-4 homestand is not exactly something you like to see, the Mets are still three games up on the Phillies and 3.5 games up on the Braves so that is a positive. However, the Mets have been middling since June 1st and after going 34-18 (.654 winning %) in their first 52 games, they have gone 31-34 (.477 winning %) in their last 64. That is worse than the Cubs, Rockies, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Brewers, Padres, Nationals, and the Braves.

Since the All Star Break, they have looked a bit better in regards to their winning % and have posted a .567 mark since the break, but they have continued their frustrating play. Also, the Diamondbacks, Phillies, Nationals, and Rockies have all posted higher winning percentages than the Mets for what it is worth so I'm not sure the Mets should really be excited to be playing the Nats who have really played pretty well since a bad start and some possible playoff opponents have been playing some good ball of late as well.

The thing that I would say mostly characterized the Mets of '06 was consistency. The thing that I would say mostly characterizes the Mets of '07 is inconsistency. The starting pitching had been the most consistent part of this team this season, but even that is starting to succumb to what has been plaguing this team this season.

What has been the cause? Well I'm not completely sure, but it is entirely possible this team is simply not as good as we thought as previously discussed. Last year the Mets got some great years out of some mediocre players and failed to significantly improve the team in '07. I thought their bullpen would again be one of the best, but that is not proving to be the case.

Last year in the playoffs, Glavine, Maine, Perez, and Trachsel started ten games. They also totaled 46.2 innings while the bullpen picked up the slack. This year, if the starters will not be able to give quality innings, this bullpen has virtually no shot of providing similar results with a similar workload and getting past the first round might be a chore.

The Mets offense has also struggled to maintain some consistency this season. They added Alou to an already potent offense, but he has been injured all season, Beltran and Delgado have not been able to replicate their '06 seasons at the plate, second base has been largely unproductive when Gotay has not played, and right field has a .273/.317/.407 line which is completely unacceptable. So to summarize, left, right, center, first, and second have performed below expectations as a whole, which is obviously not good at all.

Just as a gauge, the red hot Yankees now have better playoff odds than the Mets according to Baseball Prospectus (their ELO version which is supposed to give a an assessment of how strong the team is right now). The Mets are obviously still in a great position to make the playoffs, but they have been negatively trending for a bit and struggling to be that dominating team that we all saw last season.

I am concerned about the Mets, but that does not mean the Mets cannot win it all. We all know it is about getting hot at the right time. The Marlins and Josh Beckett got hot at the right time, the Red Sox followed that up by getting hot down 0-3 to the Yankees, the White Sox got hot in the baseball season I forgot existed, and the Cardinals got hot in the playoffs and dispatched three teams that were better than them. If the Mets can get everyone healthy and get Pedro back by mid-September, they might be poised for a run.

Of course all of that probably does not say a lot about my confidence in this team right now if I'm looking to a hot streak to propel my favorite team through the playoffs, but it is hard not to feel frustrated yet again with this team. Even with the injuries, this team should have been a lot better than they have shown to this point and on paper should be running away from a mediocre pack.

The baseball season and similarly baseball teams are not static. This Met team is simply not as good as the one that played the first two months of the season and they are living off of that strong start and people seem to be turning a blind eye to the Mets situation and assume they will roll into the post season. I'm not so sure cruise control will get them where they want to be and something needs to be done. I've said it before, but Omar really needs to get creative here to get things going as what worked at other points in the season might not be the right thing now and whatever needs to happen does not have to be huge, but something different.

* * *

The Yankees are playing ridiculous baseball. Since the break, they have a .759 winning % and are now more games over .500 than the Mets and were at .500 when the All-Star break ended. I am still not giving up hope that they will miss the playoffs because the Yankees had to play some incredible ball to get to this point and to think that they will keep this up for the rest of the season is just crazy. They have to come back down to earth....right?

"In baseball, you never like to say ‘wasted,’" said Carlos Delgado, whose eighth-inning home run sealed the win. “But we did not take advantage of some opportunities. We could have been 5-1 instead of 2-4. There’s no sense crying over spilled milk."

From Larry Brooks:

The fact is Green, who has 32 RBIs in 360 at-bats on the season, has knocked in four runs in 80 at-bats over his last 21 games and merely five in 143 at-bats over his last 37 games. The fact is also that Randolph has no inclination to give Lastings Milledge a shot at the job even on a platoon basis despite the fact the Kid has hit .309 with 18 RBIs in 95 at-bats since his July 12 promotion from the minors.

I could sort of understand of not benching a Hall of Fame type player because of track record and stature, though I do not necessarily agree with it, but this is borderline lunacy.

I know there are a lot of frustrated fans out there when it comes to Moises Alou, but he is going to be play a key role with this Met team down the stretch. Four things in life are givens. Everyone has eat, everyone has to pay taxes, everyone has to shit, and Moises Alou will hit. Of course keeping him healthy is the tricky part.

As two-by-four pointed out, Willie's moving Jorge Sosa to the bullpen has provided some much needed depth. Sosa had appeared to exhausted his usefulness as a starter and worked himself out of a nice jam on Sunday and is really looking nice out of the bullpen.

An old fixture is not necessarily a good fixture. Put that baby out to pasture and if anyone is on the fence about this, just look at the picture of that apple in the article and how utterly beat up and horribly made it is. I simply cannot endorse any suggestion that involves putting that in plain site in the Mets new stadium.

The deadline is near for signing your '07 draft picks and the early returns have been favorable in regards to shrinking the signing bonuses. However, there figures to be a few that will test the wrath of the commissioner’s office soon.

Only four of the first twelve have signed and even though they all signed for slot or below, they were more or less 'safe' picks that could have been expected not to be difficult or costly signs. The Mets have been solid citizens so far and stuck to the recommended slot to the dollar through the first three rounds and kept under slot in the fourth, fifth, and sixth. They really need to go over slot and bring in Brandon Efferson and the commissioner’s office owes them a freebie anyway for being one of the better teams at falling in line.

“Do I want to take a bullet for the industry? Do I want to sit back and watch (our first-round pick) go (unsigned) for the sake of a new policy? I don’t think I can. I have mouths to feed and my area scouts and crosscheckers have mouths to feed. We have good jobs, and we’d like to keep them. The commissioner’s not paying my salary.”

Ultimately teams have to improve themselves and it seems the power still lies in the hands of the agents and players. The only way to truly work this out is with hard caps. Even if this year proves to be a resounding success in terms of keeping bonuses down, it is the first year it will have been implemented and I'm guessing teams will keep pushing the envelope.

Bobby Jenks is putting together a pretty impressive streak.

Gone Fishing

No baseball for me this weekend and that is probably a good thing. While the Braves have not exactly dominated the Mets this series, it took two nice comebacks to make it interesting. Bookied pointed out the other day that David Wright wondered if any team won a division and lost every series to the second place team?

That is a pretty damn good question and one that is of concern. While many people may not fear the Braves, there is enough games to be played between the two that continued dominance on the Braves part could lead to an unfavorable ending. Sure, the Wildcard is probably coming out of the NL East, but that surely is not a slam dunk and the only sure way of heading into the playoffs is by taking first place.

The Mets are 8-4 against the Braves so far with seven games left. The Mets are 3.5 out and if the Braves continue at this pace of kicking the Mets around, they will take 5 of the next 7 between the two thereby erasing any deficit and essentially putting this race at a tie.

I'm not sure why popular sentiment is the Mets will post a better record than the Braves in the non-Met/Brave games. Since June 1st, the Mets are 30-32 and the Braves 30-30. If you ask me, this division might not only be heavily influenced by their remaining seven games, but may be decided by those seven games.

It is inexcusable to be pushed around by them at this point and the Mets need to wake up and smoke them in their remaining seven games and absolutely have to

* * *
Craptastic.

Reporters screamed out questions, but all he managed to say was, "I'm Matt Murphy from Queens, N.Y."

And surprisingly, Bonds is the Anti-A-Rod.

"I just hope he didn't get hurt," Bonds said after the game, which the Giants lost 8-6 to the Washington Nationals. He said he had no interest in getting the ball back for himself.

"I don't want the ball," Bonds said. "I've never believed a home run ball belonged to the player. If he caught it, it's his."

Of course, A-Rod asks other Gold Glove winners for their mitts and collects them so it stands to reason he would like to have this momentous piece of history in his collection.

But back to Bonds' ball, the kid who caught it might keep it! I can only hope this is posturing trying to shake up someone who has the hots for the ball because if

I guess BP solved a problem for a lot of people. But what they are really saying is nothing is comparable like Buster said in his blog. Comparing what Aaron did to what Bonds did is like apples and oranges. Bonds is the best hitter that we have seen with our stupid little eyes and we should enjoy the ride as baseball fans and respect the man’s accomplishments. Unlike McGwire, his legacy is not just homers.

With Beltran back tomorrow, it would seem that Milledge is the odd man out. I think most of us believe there isn't much Milledge can do.

Milledge is hitting .400 since July 21, but that's not going to be enough to unseat Green, apparently. I think Willie's position is going to be that Milledge doesn't have the arm to play right. He said this last year after Milledge threw that seed to third base in one of his first few games. As if Green is Roberto Clemente in the field, wearing those cement shoes.

I did not get a chance to see today's tough loss, but my friend called me and said that Anderson playing in center attributed to the loss. He said at least one run scored that should not have with a real center fielder there, the Braves were taking extra bases on him, and his dive that injured him would have been unnecessary with a real centerfielder there.

Aside for the normal rest (which in the case of young players should not be much at all), Milledge should be in there everyday. Period. I'm not sure what is so confusing about this?

Swellicious...

The New York Mets announced today that they have signed international free agents Cesar David Puello Santana and Wilmer Alejandro Flores. Puello, 16, is an outfielder from the Dominican Republic, while Flores, a 16-year-old infielder, hails from Venezuela. Both players will report to the Mets Instructional League in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

I guess people offered Flores more, but the puberty-ridden Flores chose the Mets. I wonder if it was the Latin influence in the front office or just the all around goodness of the Mets.

Rough crowd.

How can you not love it?

By the time the latest Redneck Games ended Sunday, more than 54 arrests and citations had been issued on charges ranging from public intoxication to speeding, according to the Henderson County Sheriff's Department.

Do not fear the unknown. Embrace it and try and learn.

If you have not seen the Jake Brown exploding shoe fiasco, check it out.

Pedro got rocked, but you have to keep things in perspective. It was his first start back and he topped off at 89. He threw strikes and was working on stuff rather than trying to get kids out. If he is still getting shelled in his third or fourth start, then I would start to worry.

The scenario...

Smoltz is on the ropes.
Willie sends up Anderson, but doesn't announce him anticipating a pitching change if the lefty goes up.
Not wanting to waste his favorite pinch hitter, he pulls Anderson back and sends out Ruben Gotay.
David Newhan sits on the bench.
Pitching change occurs and Easley is sent up.
Easely walks...yada...yada...yada...Mets win.

My first thought was that Willie out Willied himself. My second thought was, "oh how cute! Willie is trying to manage". A solitary tear rolled down my face....but while Willie's thought process was correct to try and keep as many bullets in the holster as possible and not waste a good pinch hitter, why not use David Newhan? Why waste the guy who is arguably better than the one he did not want to waste. I can only think that Willie wanted to keep Anderson and was unsure of Cox's next move.

If Willie puts Newhan in as the waste bat and Cox doesn't make a move, Willie does not have a favorable match-up going on. At least with Gotay at the plate, he gets a good batter in there and then saves his new favorite pinch hitter. I guess the point is that I truly hope he did not send Gotay up there knowing he was going to be wasted and thought there was a shot Smoltz would get one more batter. If he did send him up with no thought that he was hedging his bet, his disdain for younger players is clearly clouding his decision making process to alarmingly high levels.

I'm off to Lake George for more beer and grilled meats than is fit for human consumption. I'll be back on Monday and I certainly hope the Mets will have been able to at least add a game to their lead on the field in the NL East.

It's On......

The Braves really had to decide if Saltalamacchia was a catcher or a first baseman and the early returns on him being a first baseman were not favorable. So it really boils down to whether they wanted to keep McCann or Salty and they made the right decision for their current team.

McCann is pretty damn good and he has produced at the big league level and they get a gold glove first baseman who can hit 30+ and 100+ and is under control through 2008. All in all, it was a good deal for both teams and though I really do not think Elvis Andrus (Joaquin Arias part II) will be an impact player at any point, the Rangers save a lot of cash and get a big time prospect back that they can insert into the starting lineup right away.

Does any of this make the Braves favorites? Not really, but I'm sure a lot of people will go crazy over the deal and say they are. While first base was a black hole for them, they still have starting pitching issues and bullpen issues. They did receive a reliever back as well, but I do not think Mahay is going to change the face of their bullpen even though he should improve it. Things certainly got more interesting, but the Mets are still the team to beat for me.

As for the Mets trade, Omar did not hit the panic button and trade Lastings Milledge for Mark Loretta or anything. A big concern of Willie was the second spot in the lineup and defense at second base. While I'm not all for Castillo being the second hole hitter, it is a foregone conclusion. In regards to Gotay, he provides some great bench depth and is a valuable pinch hitter. He has been so big for the Mets lately that you hate to see him not start, but Castillo is a perennial .300 hitter, though without much power.

Basically he is what they want out of Paul LoDuca but with a more speed and better bunting skills. I'm not sure if he comes close to LoDuca in regards to intangibles, but he is a good contact hitter that will put the ball in place while giving you stellar defense. The Mets got deeper today for sure even though it was not a blockbuster and it only cost Dustin Martin and Drew Butera. You have to give Omar a lot of credit for this deal as it is a very low cost/low risk move.

* * *

Pedro says he is ready for a minor league rehab game. Swellicious...

My DSL is deciding not to work so this is all that I can do without wanting to throw my laptop through the wall.

Fun With Game Scores

There comes a time in everyone's life when they have to look into the mirror and admit something. As hard as it may be to face the truth sometimes, it needs to happen. For Tom, he needs to look in the mirror and admit he has lost a little something...or maybe a lotta something.

I know I am getting ahead of myself here since there is a lot of baseball to be played, but 'tis my nature. When the playoffs hit, I cannot help but think a certain pitcher with some porcelain veneers will be toeing the rubbing in game #1. That means he is the guy most likely to start more playoff games than any other Met. Those are not odds I'm prepared to take.

I'm a proponent of putting your best foot forward as obvious as that seems. When you are running in a race, you would be ill advised to start off sitting down, facing backwards, or parcheesi. But if Glavine starts because he is the 'ace' of the staff, that could spell bad news for the Mets.

For one, if there is a game #5 in the NLDS, the least effective Met pitcher would be trying to keep the Mets season going. I know there are legions of fans out there that would say they trust him in the playoffs, but I just point back the 'no such thing as clutch hitting' theory. Is it possible that someone actually pitches better than they are normally capable of just because it is the playoffs?

I would tend to think that anyone who has outstanding stats (or conversely for guys who struggled like Bonds had in the playoffs early on) are subject to sample size. While I think people can shrink in big games, others simply pitch to their ability. Is there any logical reason that Jeff Suppan is post-season beast? I do not think he rises to the occasion per se, but he goes out and has confidence and pitches to his ability. He only has 54 innings and his nice stats are probably just a result of sample size more than anything.

I would prefer not basing the game #1 starter on the false notion of rising to the occasion or past successes. I think Maine or Perez showed they can handle the pressure of the playoffs and if Mets want their best chance of winning, Maine and Perez should be heading the playoff rotation and they should be followed by The Duque and Glavine. By setting it up that way, you can ensure your three best starters are getting the first three starts of the first two series.

You simply cannot be worried about bruised egos and you simply cannot be living in the past. Maine and Perez have been outstanding for the Mets this year whereas Glavine seems like he is running on fumes. For some proof of the gap between their performances, let us look at the current Mets five starter's games scores. Game scores are a good way to slap a number on the overall effectiveness of a pitcher whereas a quality start is a yes or no thing. This gives you more depth.

           # of GSc over 50       % of GSc over 50
John Maine         13                  65%
Tom Glavine        10                  45%
Oliver Perez       13                  76%
Jorge Sosa          7                  54%
The Duque          11                  65%

A quality start is a score of 50 or above. Glavine has put up a non-quality start in more than half of his starts. Oliver Perez has gone from Mr. Inconsistent to just being the pantheon of consistency. Also, a stunning twelve of Maine's starts have been over 60 and eleven of The Duque's have been over 60. More than half of their starts have been flat out gems. In the playoffs, pitching wins out most of the time and the Mets best shot for a shut down game does not involve Glavine. I'm not giving up on Glavine and would not mind him starting in the playoffs and believe he should, but he should get less starts than the rest. Lately when he pitches I would rather be waxing the hair from around my nipples than watch him.

* * *

Milledge got hit for hot-dogging and Willie gave him what appeared to be a stern talking to for a hustle play...what a surprise! Was Lastings supposed to shun Reyes when he came out to celebrate yesterday? It took a perfect throw to get Milledge or else he would have been safe and it was a perfect throw. Sucks, but hardly a punishable offense. I wonder if he is going to get hit tomorrow for that fancy handshake with Paul LoDuca by the mound after the game.

Lastings has a bad reputation already and I'm not quite sure what he can do. He brushed himself off after getting hit for the second time in two games and ran to first with no looks or anything and that is what he needed to do. I guess the Pirates took more offense than they should have but again, they could always show him up by...you know...winning.

"I like to use the word colorful," Milledge said. "It's kind of like if you've got two TVs, and one's in color and the other one's in black-and-white, which one do you choose? Both are kind of the same thing, but the other one is kind of more appealing to the eye."

Overall though, Willie is not against Milledge and giving him reminders is not a bad thing. Hopefully he just keeps proving that he can be a spark for this team much in the way Pence and Braun have sparked their respective teams. I am by no means suggesting he will put up crazy numbers like them, but he can make a difference.

Why is Lee Mazzilli orange?

If Beltran is injured, he needs to rest. Pulled muscles are nothing to screw around with and pushing it can make it much worse. Rest Beltran and let Milledge roam center for a few days against these weaker teams so he can be ready for the Brewers and the Cubs.

I like the sound of Ted's jib. Milledge's stock is hotter than the 2003 version of Kelly Clarkson, but Omar would probably have to be bowled over at this point to move him.

I don't think Minaya is really counting on Pedro as much him just giving obvious answers to the media's questions. However, I am starting to get a bit leery of his return. I wasn't really counting on him to start the season and I let myself get mixed up in the hype and started thinking he would be back.

No need to rush Alou. As with Beltran, why rush him back and risk further injury for the dregs of the NL and with Milledge providing some firepower?

Adam Bostick had a nice start for the Zephyrs.

Caleb Stewart and the Double-A for lifer Brett Harper each went 2 for 4 with a homer in the B-Mets win over Altoona.

Nick Carr went five innings and gave up three hits, one earned run, three runs overall, and one walk while striking out nine for the Cyclones.

I know I have not been playing nice with Tom Glavine, but it is great to see him get win #299. If he does not win #300 on the road, I will dust off my Glavine jersey and head out to the stadium to support him and watch him go for 300.