Flushing the Garden

It's Physics

2010-03-05T16:12:00.002-05:00

That's how Dave Maloney described it on the radio shortly after the buzzer sounded. The Rangers were outshot like 70-10 and eventually fell in overtime.

That's Three

2010-03-04T17:25:00.001-05:00

Did they really win that game in Pittsburgh before the break? I find that hard to believe.

Olympic Points

2010-02-23T09:11:00.003-05:00

I like to rant about the NHL point system. Hopefully the Olympics point system can get some NHL minds thinking about altering this. What's the point of playing 82 games if you know you are going to have these tight races down to the end because you keep giving loser points. There's no difference between the 3 seed and the 8 seed according to their points, when in fact there really is a gap. Regulation victories have to be rewarded.

While last season the Rangers were benefiting from this with all their shootout wins, this season they are losing out. Check out the standings if the NHL was using Olympic points, courtesy of Die By The Blade. The Rangers would be in playoff position, and it would take two wins to overtake them at this point.

Everyone talks about three points for a win and then say while they would like it, they would be concerned about altering the standings from a historical perspective (good teams would have about 150 points in the season). I have a solution for that as well.

Prior to the loser point, you used to award two points in any given game. If there was a tie, it was one point each, and for a win (regulation or OT) it was two points for the winner and none for the loser. Why don't you simply keep it at awarding two points a game- if you win in regulation, you get 2, your opponent 0- if you win in the OT/SO you get 1.5, the opponent 0.5. 100 points would be a magical number again. Since the shootout, you are seeing 4-5 seeds easily obtain 100 points, which should not be the case.

Reyes Third and Santos Out

2010-02-22T13:37:00.003-05:00

It looks like Jerry is serious in having Jose Reyes bat third until Carlos Beltran returns from injury. Everyone is in an uproar over this. If Jose can't mentally handle batting third, then he should not be in the big leagues, plain and simple.

Does Reyes lead off an inning all the time? No. The leadoff batter in a lineup leads off the 1st inning, and in some cases, that's it. Think of the flip side to this. Half the time, Reyes will come up in the first inning with two out and no one on. If he reaches first base, you have a good situation to go for the stolen base- two out, bases empty. On the other hand if someone ahead of him reaches base, then he can actually drive them in with one of his league leading (and assuming he stays healthy in Citi it will be league leading) triples.

As for Omir Santos, yes, he provided us with some bright spots last season- well, I count only two. However, his constant swinging at the first pitch and on base percentage of below .300 will not be missed. Barajas is not much better, but at this point the more mediocre catchers there are competing for a spot the better.

See Ya Marty

2010-02-22T09:58:00.003-05:00

The most overrated goaltender in NHL history should finally be taking a seat on the bench starting with Canada's next game. What the hell are the Canadian braintrust thinking? He's Martin Brodeur, he of the most shutouts (product of a stifling defensive system), he of the most regular season wins (product of a stifling defensive system, shrewd GM, shootout, etc...), so he has to get the nod? I'm team USA all the way, so I'm loving the boneheaded decision by the Canucks here. They will take a step in the right direction once they get Roberto Luongo back in net the rest of the way- then you can start to worry about Team Canada.

How about those team USA jerseys? You can almost picture every American star as a Ranger. Now they just need to substitute the blue pants for red.

Let The Games Begin

2010-02-16T10:25:00.002-05:00

Be thankful for the complete hockey coverage available on USA, CNBC, and MSNBC. Can you imagine if they put any of these games on NBC (aside from the gold medal game)? We'd be lucky if we get to take in a full period of action. Have you seen NBC's coverage? I think I've seen more ads for that Dragon animated flick than actual competition.

I'm also thankful for streaming online coverage. Productivity at work will go down come 3pm.

On a side note, MSG got what they wanted in creating a buzz with the fake marriage proposal on Sunday. Pretty sad that it had to come down to that.

That's a Winning Streak

2010-02-15T08:57:00.003-05:00

Game Summary

For the first time in almost a month, the Rangers have a two-game winning streak. Just when things were looking up, now they have to sit around for two weeks while we watch the Olympics.

Hopefully the Rangers won't follow this two-gamer with another stretch like the one after their last winning streak, the second win also coming against Tampa at home. Remember all those goals the Rangers scored at that time and how we finally snapped out of our drought?

I like being able to put the highlights of each game in a post. MLB.com sucks.

Go USA go as we wait for the Olympics to get interesting starting with the hockey on Tuesday.

And Then There Was One

2010-02-13T13:43:00.002-05:00

Pretty sad considering this took place less than six months ago. It tells you something about our GM.

An Igloo Win

2010-02-13T11:24:00.004-05:00

Game Summary

That headline is something I thought I'd never type again. Last night was the last regular season game at the recent house of horrors for the Rangers. Goodbye and good riddance. See you in the playoffs? Probably not.

Last night I saw Rangers 3, Penguins 0. It's what happens when you have a 1-month old who is in the same room as the television showing the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics. Daddy was bumped to the other room to watch Rangers hockey, but was still on diaper duty. Pretty frustrating to come back to the room and see 0-0 turn into 1-0 Pittsburgh, then later on 2-1 Rangers becoming 2-2.

Good to see Ryan Callahan come back after looking like he injured his arm in the first period. Would've felt bad for him if the injury was serious enough to cause him to miss the Olympics. Came back he did, and he played great.

I'd love to see someone knock Matt Cooke the hell out. Perfectly clean hit by Drury there and he cries like a baby, then is still throwing fists while the guy is down. It's too bad that took place late in the second and the game was close, eliminating the possibility of retribution in the third.

How many fights has Crosby had in his career, two or three? You can bet the next one is happening vs Brandon Dubinsky.

So Much for Brashear

2010-02-12T15:21:00.003-05:00

The Rangers have replaced him with Jody Shelley. Although it cost them a draft pick, something the Rangers should value these days. At least we're armed and ready for Philly!

I guess Sather liked what he did to Colton Orr:

Inches from 50K

2010-02-12T14:29:00.002-05:00

Like I said, the highlight the Nashville game:

Good try brother!

Brashear on Waivers

2010-02-12T09:12:00.004-05:00

This has already been mentioned in the previous post. I ridiculed the signing, but only because he was put on waivers after signing a 2 year deal for 1.4 million per just this past offseason.

I'm probably the only one who wants him in the lineup at this point. I don't like big hockey players who don't play with an edge. The Rangers have that in a center now turned left wing Brian Boyle. All he does is kill penalties. We have plenty of guys who can do that. I would rather have the physical presence of Brashear in the lineup. Sure, he's lost most of his fights this season. But you tell me who would you rather have in the lineup for those three remaining games vs. Philly?

When the Rangers acquired Brandon Prust from the Flames, I actually liked the idea of having Avery, Prust, Voros, and Brashear in the lineup just for Philly. After all they have Hartnell, Asham, Laperriere, and Carcillo, just to name a few. You would not see anything like what happened to Gaborik that last game. The Rangers would actually be- is it possible?- tough.

Two of those three games vs. Philly are the final two of the season. For all we know the team could be out of it by then. Might has well have the goons to go down with a fight.

Fading Away

2010-02-11T12:09:00.004-05:00

Game Summary

That's the state of the Rangers right now after last night's loss to Nashville, yet another loss on the Garden ice. They sit four points out of the 8th spot, but are really about six if you adjust for games played. Will this be the wake up call to ownership to do something about management?

This just in- Donald Brashear was put on waivers, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. How did that signing work out?

We traded Gomez after two seasons. How did that signing work out?

Higgins and Kotalik were new just this past summer and were traded mid-season. How did those signings/trades work out?

Highlight of the night was my younger brother just missing a chance at $50,000 and watching the last half of the second period iceside between the penalty boxes.

There was also 25% off on all food and drink last night. OK, so that cuts prices to about what they were maybe last season, as in still exorbitant, just not as much.

Gaborik hurt?

2010-02-09T12:03:00.002-05:00

This just in from Andrew Gross.

Perhaps this will be the final nail in the coffin for the Rangers and we can have a lottery pick for a change instead of being stuck in neutral being pretenders like we have for the past few seasons. Then again, what would the Rangers do with that pick, select another Hugh Jessiman over Zach Parise?

Amen, Matt Cerrone

2010-02-08T10:12:00.002-05:00

Well said.

For all the pessimists out there, I hope to not hear from you if the team is in a pennant race come September.

For all of you who dropped out of the full season ticket plan you shared with me, don't bother asking for playoff tickets.

I'll be going to plenty of games this season, and no matter how the team fares I will enjoy every minute of it.

Mike Rupp??

2009-12-02T07:48:00.001-05:00

Does it get any worse?

So much for the home ice domination that is the Penguins-Rangers series.

Season Subscriber Benefits

2009-11-11T06:43:00.004-05:00

Mets season ticket holders are getting their season ticket renewals in the mail. Got mine yesterday.

Inside, a copy of the 2010 schedule. Ticket prices of each tier of games have not changed much, but you notice there are less gold games, automatically decreasing the total cost of the season. The overall decrease? 2.9%. My seats are in the Promenade Reserved Infield. I can't complain about the prices. I was shocked at how low the cost was last season for the inaugural season at the park.

Here's my issue with the Mets in general. Their benefits fall a bit short. Just last season their started a split payment plan. A nice start compared to what they had before 2009, when they hit you with one big charge. However, in the days where credit card interest rates are skyrocketing, the least they could do was offer a six-month pay plan. The Rangers play half the games the Mets so, yet they offer an eight-month pay plan.

In the 'New for 2010' page, there is "Expanded Club Access." Sweet! Finally, if I'm freezing my ass off in April I can finally escape into the Promenade Club at the very least to warm up for a few innings. Wrong. On the other side of the page is list of every seating category (37 of them!!) on the left side with list of clubs along the top, and checkmarks underneath for which club each tier has access to. The only ones without a checkmark? Promenade Reserved and Promenade Reserved Infield. They are allowing Promenade Club holders to go to the Caesar's Club. How about just allowing everyone access to the Promenade Club, or at least those with a season ticket??

In the final game last season, they allowed us to participate in the DynaMets Dash, which was cool. Anytime you get on a major league field (or skate on the Garden ice, which the Rangers allow once a year), it's an experience. This season the Mets are offering tours of the field, dugout and clubhouse, which will take place in December. The Dash was great, as it got you on the infield dirt. This time, it will be nice to see how big that Met clubhouse really is.

There are also '"Take the Field With the Mets" Days', Mets Yearbook, and Mets Magazine opener edition giveaways in addition to the customary gift and media guide you get each year. These are all improvements and steps in the right direction, but the Mets can give us more, and if there ever was a time to do it, the time was for this season. Despite their efforts, they might have dropped the ball. That being said, will I renew? Probably. It would take a super f- you for me to drop.

Speaking of benefits, the Rangers had their annual fan forum last night, as reported nicely by Mrs. Hurley. I don't ask questions at these things, but if I were to ask one last night, it would be something like she suggested: Henrik needs to just snap at the next guy who runs him in his crease and use that stick.

The end of the evening featured a trivia quiz, with each of the five players in attendance giving away their Rangers jersey for those who get the correct answer. This contest in previous fan forums featured crappy questions which fans lucky enough to be next to the host got called on to provide the correct answer. They improved on that with some doozies last night. Which current Ranger was picked a few picks after Enver Lisin was picked in the second round of the 2004 draft? Getting that one is deserving of a $300 Ranger jersey. The answer was Dane Byers.

Lisin, by the way, is my new favorite player. The kid is hilarious, and you really see why the guys get a kick out of him.

It's Been a While

2009-11-05T12:36:00.004-05:00

Since we last posted, the hockey season is back in full swing and we just witnessed what we all feared- a Phillies-Yankees World Series. Let's try to sum up the month of October and hope we do not have to do this again a month from now.

The Yankees are the World Series champions. Congrats to them. You should be the champs when you outspend the team behind you in annual player salaries by $60+ million. That team behind them is the Mets, but we won't go there. I hope the Mets were watching what the Yankees did to the Phillies. That means Oliver Perez has to return to 2007 form and another lefty is needed in the bullpen. Lefties, lefties, lefties.

As long as the small market teams keep pocketing their luxury tax money and never bitch about it, this will go on forever. The Yankees will be there every year. They will never see the dark ages like they did in the 80s. Major League Baseball needs to put something in place to limit free agent spending, while allowing teams to pay as much as they want for homegrown talent or players acquired in trades. Think about it- owners won't go throwing money around because they can't and roster turnover will not be as frequent as it is now. Teams will be good because of drafting and trading and not because they have the money to splurge on each and every all-star available in the winter. It's not a team salary cap, but a new-player-acquisition cap.

Don't get me wrong, credit the Yankees for spending wisely, even if they did break the bank. All the moves paid off. Who had a bad year on that team?

The NHL could use this different cap as well. A hard cap as it is in place now, creates what is now a free agent frenzy on July 1. Sure it bring a buzz, but it also brings a completely different team come training camp. What happens when your 4th round draft pick turns out to be a gem and his contract is up, but you're up against the cap? So long buddy.

The Rangers are nothing without Marian Gaborik. Hopefully they can adjust to the gameplan Vancouver had for them, which shut him down big time. Dubinsky and Callahan are the guys that have to get going. They've been around for a few seasons now- it's time for them to approach the peak in their development.

Like last season, you can thank the good start to the season. Unlike last season, hopefully we don't limp into the playoffs and have another early exit.

The last three champions in MLB and the NHL have been the Phillies, Penguins and Yankees. Ugh.

Just Do It Already

2009-09-30T14:55:00.002-04:00

Word has it that Jose Reyes is finally considering surgery after experiencing more pain running, as reported by Adam Rubin.

I suggested this in a post back in early August. They just realized this now?

I see the Nats have a lefty, Mr. Lannan, starting for them this afternoon and Fernando Tatis is in the lineup, with Nick Evans continuing to ride the pine. Cerrone hit it right on the head with his post earlier today.

We Suck

2009-09-29T22:00:00.003-04:00

You know, I didn't even have to watch that whole game in Washington tonight to realize what the hell was going on. The Mets are brutal. It's sad, they probably won't even reach 70 wins on the year.

What did Wilson Valdez do wrong to get taken out of that game? Anderson Hernandez is not a shortstop, and proves it by committing the big error in the 8th that led to the go-ahead run.

Friday night is almost here. Opening night- in Pittsburgh of all places. How long before we rip on Crosby and pig-face Kennedy?

It's Hockey Season

2009-09-27T11:10:00.002-04:00

Yikes, almost two weeks since the last update here. Judging by the hits on the site and comments, you didn't miss me too much.

Since the last update, the Mets continue to play out the string, and the Rangers have actually reeled off a few wins in a row, although it's only preseason. The play of the youngsters is definitely something to get excited about, but be warned: how many times have we seen this, whether its with the Mets or the Rangers? Preseason does not mean a thing.

Add another chapter to the horror show that is the 2009 Mets. David Wright lolligagging to home plate as Jeff Francoeur gets thrown out at second. The run does not count. Word has it that Razor Shines encouraged David to take it easy towards home. Let's find another third base coach for next season.

Vintage

2009-09-14T07:41:00.005-04:00

Pedro had all of his good stuff last night. 8 shutout innings with 130 pitches. Getting out of a couple of late jams. Too bad I'm not typing this at this time in 2008, 07, or even 06. It's 2009 and Pedro Martinez is a Phillie. And he was doing this against the Mets. For what it's worth he did it in a game that officially eliminated the Mets from playoff contention.

Daniel Murphy bailed him out in the eight inning and continues to prove why the Mets should look to find another first baseman until Ike Davis is ready if they plan on contending. Youth is no excuse for his aggressiveness in trying to go to third on a pitch that barely bounced away. You're down a run in the 8th. You are already in scoring position. Ground ball specialist Jeremy Reed maybe just maybe finds a hole that can drive you home. As Torts said about the Dubi situation, "It's stupid." Murph can work as hard as he wants in the cage, on the field, and in the video room, but he's not the answer at first base.

It was nice to see John Maine in action in the first game of the doubleheader, albeit for only three innings. How about Josh Thole going 4-for4? Could he be the answer at catcher next season? Keep it up kid- if Omir Santos and his sub .300 on base percentage is our starting catcher next season, we're in trouble.

Both games saw the Mets not go quietly in the 9th against first Brad Lidge, then Ryan Madson in the second. Lidge was a bit shakier and Madson gave up a hit to Brian Schneider in what was an impressive at bat by him considering his situation. Angel Pagan unfortunately made the final out in both, more unlucky the second time, roping one down the line right where Pedro Feliz was standing.

Bullpen, You Have a Problem

2009-09-13T11:19:00.003-04:00

The Mets probably got their most satisfying victory of the season late yesterday afternoon. Considering it's September and they are about 19 out, that's saying a lot.

We saw David Wright hit not one, but two homeruns, including one that put the Mets ahead over the Phillies in the top of the 9th, after being down to their last out with nobody on and trailing 9-8. Tatis single, Wright homerun. Phillie fans stunned.

The Phillies can compete with the Yankees (I can't believe I'm saying this) if they have Ryan Madson doing his thing in the 8th and if they had the Brad Lidge of last season. The problem is they don't Frankly I couldn't care less if they choke away the division to the Marlins (I can't believe I'm saying that).

A doubleheader sweep today would be nice, but I'm afraid it will be not the way we want it. At least we had one day to enjoy a sweet victory in this crap season.

*****

On Dubinsky: they give Callahan a decent raise and why shouldn't Dubi feel he deserves something similar? Sure, he did not have the season of growth we expected of him last season, but we see a worse season from Jagr in his last year without Dubi. The team put themselves in this position. They were shelling out millions to fourth liners the last couple of years and just a portion of that money could've been used to satisfy Dubi's demands. If this kid gets away, it will be a real shame.

How Fitting

2009-09-12T07:44:00.004-04:00

Training camp opens today, and not a moment to soon. In a mere few days, there will be hockey played at Madison Square Garden, albeit the preseason variety. The way the Mets are going through the motions, just the sight of the Garden ice is something to look forward to.

I was not at Citi on Tuesday/Wednesday, but had the pleasure to be there Thursday, the most miserable of the three value dates. That place was dead (yet somehow in the middle of the game, the Shake Shack line was still wrapping around, just not outside the line barriers). If you wanted to go to the field seats late in the game, you could have. The staff almost felt sorry for us and were not checking tickets. Ah, the one benefit for your team stinking it up- good seats and small crowds. Still a few more home games to attend- is there anything to look forward to?

We can see Angel Pagan trotting out to the outfield day by day, with Jerry showing absolutely no discipline for each and every boneheaded mental mistake. I don't care if he's taking care of it in-house. Don't put him out there in the next inning. That's what we want to see. Are you worried about his confidence or that of Bobby Parnell, who continues to take a beating in his Bad Bobby starts. There were two Good Bobby starts, but a lot more the other way. He's making Oliver Perez look consistent.

Last night, you knew Cole Hamels would eventually shut down the Mets. The Mets knocked him around twice already this season. An outing like last night was bound to happen.

It's time someone just drills Chase Utley, making it count. This guy has been leaning over the plate forever and enjoys getting nicked on the elbow. What's there to lose? A pitcher getting thrown out? We have a deep (number of people, not talent) bullpen. Suspension? Who cares? Philly baserunners? We're going to lose anyway.

Are we done with the red hats already? Seriously. How about next season we bring back those navy blues and teams have options to wear the red or the blue.

It Would Be Nice If...

2009-09-10T07:24:00.004-04:00

...Carlos Beltran hit that grand slam homerun on Tuesday night in his first game back to give the Mets the lead.

...the Mets won the first two against the Marlins to basically knock them out instead of losing them both.

...someone brushed back Hanley Ramirez ("f- the Mets"- remember that? When the team that had nothing to play for knocked us out? Twice?)

...someone hit Cody Ross with a pitch. Just to see him get all bent out of shape and cry like he did when he got hit by Pelfrey last season.

...all those guys we saw in the Met dugout were healthy and playing since June.

...the Mets did not give out free hot dogs last night in feeling sorry for us, which would have meant that the team was doing well.

...hockey season started next week. It's close enough, with training camp opening up and the first game back at the Garden on Tuesday.

Murphy's...

2009-09-07T17:44:00.004-04:00

I'm not going to say it. I'm sure you have seen enough references to the law I'm referring to in other game recaps.

Did not watch a single bit of the action yesterday, but it was all about Daniel Murphy and Mike Pelfrey. Murphy drove in all four runs and Pelfrey went eight innings in giving up only a run.

Checking out the game highlights on mlb.com, I see another fine play by Cory Sullivan in left. At the same time we hear that Gary Sheffield is unlikely to come back this season. Addition by subtraction?

I know a lot of people don't care that the Marlins are coming to town, but I would like to see a three game sweep to knock the Fish out of the playoff hunt. They are still alive, barely, and remember the endings of the last two seasons?

Isn't This a Pitcher's Park?

2009-09-06T07:26:00.003-04:00

That makes 5 homeruns in the last 7.1 innings of Nelson Figueroa as a starter in Citi Field. Good thing his next start is to open up the next road trip.

Elmer Dessens was given the 8th inning yesterday, albeit trailing by a run and not in a setup man role, but sure enough served one up to Derrek Lee on his first pitch, a second-decker.

I know there's absolutely no other way to the get the crowd going these days, but I can't stand the noise meters on Citivision. They were seemingly appearing at some point of every Met at-bat in the last few innings.

Feast or Famine

2009-09-04T22:20:00.005-04:00

This is what you get with Bobby Parnell. Lately, it's been a lot of famine, but here now are a couple of scoreless outings sprinkled in. He's been more up and down than Oliver Perez in his heyday.

Brian Stokes put up a crooked number for the third time in the last four outings. Crooked numbers are good for batters, not pitchers. Give a Mets pitcher the eighth inning and he wilts under the pressure. Elmer Dessens, anyone? In defense of Stokes, this outing was not completely his fault despite giving up two. Angel Pagan continues to prove he is not deserving of a starting position in the major leagues by not calling a popup that Jeff Francoeur and Luis Castillo were waiting for him to catch. There's more to a player than the numbers. Perfect example.

Watching Alex Cora talking to Mike Pelfrey in the dugout continues to show why the Mets have to bring this guy back. Intangibles. Alex needs to spend more time with Angel.

How can we forget about the player of the game, Cory Sullivan? A homerun to start the scoring, a beautiful catch in left, an intentional walk (forget for a moment Omir Santos was following him in the lineup), and another single in the inning that broke the game open.

Pat Misch?

2009-09-03T21:57:00.005-04:00

Who says we need another pitcher behind Johan? We have Figueroa and Misch. Even Redding is pitching well lately. What is going on?

Congrats to Misch for getting his first big league win, after threatening Anthony's Young consecutive losing streak by going almost a third of the way towards it.

Congrats also goes to Josh Thole, who started at catcher for the Mets and got his first big league hit.

Congrats to David Wright, for ditching the space helmet. Make the damn things mandatory prior to a season and we can then laugh at everybody.

Angel Pagan went 3-for-5, but I'm still not sold. Carlos Beltran is on a rehab assignment. I sure hope he's not feeling any lingering pain- I got a bad feeling about this one.

The 40-man roster rule is September is a joke and needs to be abolished, tradition or not.

Giambino

2009-09-03T16:23:00.003-04:00

I'm sorry, I had to post another picture of David Wright in the helmet.

Jason Giambi, of all people, breaks the game open last night. That's all I can make out after breezing through the DVR this morning, choosing not to watch the live action.

Did not watch much of this game last night due to Rangers season subscriber event. Donald Brashear is a big dude, and just a few months after cursing him out, you didn't want to do so given the opportunity. He's on our side now, after all.

The third game of the series is streaming via the Gameday audio at work. Almost forgot about this one like that Arizona game last month, but only remembered because I needed to post a game 2 recap. 5-0 Mets halfway through. Pat Misch!

Bobblehead Night

2009-09-02T15:51:00.004-04:00

The Mets lost, but all anyone wants to talk about is David Wright's helmet. If you missed it, it looks a little something like this:

He will indeed be the butt of all jokes until this new gear is mandatory everywhere. Aside from the bobblehead, it was nice to see David back.

Mike Pelfrey was awful. Sean Green was his usual awful self in a short stint later in the game. Angel Pagan continues to prove he is not a starting player. Stop thinking about him for left field next season. He's a fourth or fifth outfielder at best, and always will be with his baseball instincts. There's a reason why there's a mental side of the game.

Well Deserved

2009-08-30T18:44:00.004-04:00

Nelson Figueroa is getting his opportunity and is taking advantage. Of course, performing well in meaningless games for a 35-year old journeyman is nothing to get excited about, but it's nice to see someone continue to work at it and get rewarded. Jerry must have read my post last week about letting them pitch 'till they drop: who thought Figgy was coming back for that eight inning, already having thrown well over 100 pitches?

The Mets actually got Milton Bradley out today, a popout in the 3rd inning.

11 hits in the fourth inning, but only one the rest of the way- that's the way the offense has been lately. Score a run a game or explode for an 18 hit game.

Wind or no wind, Luis Castillo is shaky on those popups. Bad memories.

Work In Progress

2009-08-29T20:37:00.003-04:00

All right, kid. Bases loaded, two out. Tie game in the fifth inning. You're past 100 pitches and running on fumes. Let's see what you're made of. Swing and miss strike one. Swing and a miss strike two. Looking good. Finish him off.

Grand slam. On an 0-2 pitch.

Such is the growing pains we are experiencing with Bobby Parnell. That makes at least 8 runs allowed in two of the last three starts. Yikes. The ERA has skyrocketed to 5.80.

At least we got to see the debut of Lance Broadway. Exciting stuff. Gotta show something for that Ramon Castro trade. Between Brian Schneider's .188 average (boosted with a 2-for-4 performance) and Omir Santos' .300 OBP I miss big Ramon, no matter how much time he missed due to injury.

Boneheaded move by Fernando Tatis for even thinking about scoring on that bases loaded hit by Schneider in the 4th. To make matters worse later in that inning, Jerry has Parnell sac bunting with runners on the corners and one out. Are you that afraid of the double play?

Aaron Heilman needs to lay off the burgers and fries, either that or those socks make him look Heath Bell-like. We don't miss you.

8th Inning Help Wanted

2009-08-28T21:22:00.003-04:00

OK, maybe that's not fair to Brian Stokes, who has been very consistent all season and really has had only a couple of stinkers, today included. However, you have to think Elmer Dessens (Elmer Dessens!) is knocking on the door to take over the 8th when the Mets have a lead. After all, he probably has been in more high-leverage situations, being the closer in Buffalo. Eh, the Bison's record stinks, maybe there were not that many high-pressure situations for him.

How about Pat Misch? Seven innings of one-run ball. Ollie, so far we don't miss you. It could be a while if we ever do.

I thought the Mets were coming back for sure in the 9th when Omir Santos led off with a walk. If Santos is walking, you know things are going your way. Unfortunately, Carlos Marmol, Chicago's Wild Thing, found the strike zone and quickly dispatched the Mets after that.

Funny Game

2009-08-28T12:01:00.003-04:00

Annibal Sanchez can throw a no-hitter, get rocked by this group of Mets, and Tim Redding can go seven innings. Everyone in the lineup had at least two hits, except for Redding. What can you say, things were clicking on all cylinders for a day. Maybe the Mets like it when the temperature is in the 90s and humidity is pushing 100%.

The more I follow games at work, the more I love this live look-in feature of the mlb.com scoreboard. With all the afternoon games yesterday I noticed that they always cut in for the top of the 9th, which does not always make much sense, especially when the visiting team is ahead. They will go live for the close games at the end though, which is good, as I was entertained watching the Dodgers almost lose another one to the Rockies, but Jonathan Broxton was dealing, clocking 102 m.p.h on the gun.

The Ace?

2009-08-27T08:14:00.004-04:00

With a pitching performance like that he is not, but when the rest of your rotation consists of Tim Redding, Bobby Parnell, Nelson Figueroa, and Pat Misch/Lance Broadway, he is. And there we were back in March complaining and speculating who was going to win the 5th starter job as if it mattered.

The Mets have lost five in row. Better get used to it if you're still watching games in the next month.

Just Pitch 'Em 'Till They Drop

2009-08-26T13:01:00.003-04:00

Nelson Figueroa had a pitch limit of about 80. I wonder if anybody bothered to ask him how he was feeling after the 5th inning and giving up only four hits and one earned run. I'm sure he could have gone out there. Why hold him back? A Parnell or a Niese I can understand. But Figgy? Just let him pitch.

One person Jerry did let pitch was Sean Green. He said it was a positive sign that he pitched two scoreless innings. Excuse me, but what the hell is positive about a guy throwing 50 pitches in two innings with runners in scoring position each inning?

Gary Sheffield was taken out of the game because of injury. Just give this guy his release already so he can sign with whatever team he wants and still be eligible for the postseason. I would rather watch Nick Evans play left field the rest of the way.

Santana Bites the Dust

2009-08-25T17:07:00.004-04:00

Season ending surgery for Johan. Memo to Carlos and Jose: if your problems require surgery, just get it done. Get it done now and just be healthy come March 2010.

J.J. Putz was scheduled to have a rehab start tonight, but was scratched. Heck, shut him down too. Just be healthy for 2010.

Is there anyone else that should be shut down that is not already? Luis Castillo? Frankie Rodriguez? Eh, those guys can keep on playing, not sure I'd be too worried about their inevitable injuries. We can simply go after Orlando Hudson and offer Wags a chance to come back and close, since that's what he wants. Come to think of it, can you imagine K-Rod getting hurt, expected to miss the first few months of 2010, and the Mets sign Wagner to close? Yeah I'm still dreaming about that three-closer bullpen that was not to be.

Wagner, of course, was traded to Boston. I know they've won enough recently, but go Sox. Give us something to cheer about if the LCS and WS goes through the Bronx and Philly.

Curses

2009-08-24T16:57:00.004-04:00

Seriously what did it? Was it really demolishing Shea Stadium? How could it be? It was the site of failure in recent seasons. Firing Willie Randolph after a win? Mishandling the health of a human being with his concussion by sticking him on a plane to Colorado? Something, something has cursed this franchise. Somebody please find me a team with more bad luck this season than this bunch in the history of team sports.

Why the agony after another expected loss against the Phillies, where Ryan Howard proved no park can hold him? Soon after the game it was revealed that Jeff Francoeur tore a ligament in his thumb. Several minutes later, Johan, the final major piece (we thought David's injury was the capper, but why stop at the hitters) of this team that was injury free now has to miss his next scheduled start to have his elbow examined. Seriously, this is a joke, right? Because you can't joke around like this.

The topping today was MLB's live look-in feature, a very nice addition I must say, which cut-in to the action for the bottom of the 9th. It's nice to see some of the afternoon action when you're stuck at the office. Problem is they were airing the Philly feed. The sound was muted, as I still had Howie and Wayne on Gameday Audio, but the video was enough to make me sick. Philly fans have taken over Citi Field and they were whooping it up for the final outs and CSN, whatever their network is, was showing you red in the stands between every pitch.

Ranger tickets will be ready for pickup next week for subscribers. We are counting down the days to training camp. This baseball season has to end.

Triple Play

2009-08-24T06:53:00.004-04:00

Just when you thought you have seen it all with the 2009 Mets. For all the pain this season was, if you were watching that meaningless ninth inning and saw Eric Bruntlett boot one ball after another, you knew the Mets were coming back in this game. No fightin' Phillies here- it was role reversal. You got excited for that split second the ball rocketed off Jeff Francoeur's bat- then it landed right in Bruntlett's glove. Playing up the middle to cover second because the runners were on the move, the unassisted triple play he turned lasted a couple of seconds. Stunned.

You would think at this point nothing can hurt anymore. You actually laugh at the performance Oliver Perez put in and actually don't mind a decent outing from Pedro Martinez in his return. But that one stung. I don't know what the Mets or Mets fans did to deserve this, but it was something pretty bad.

All About 1969

2009-08-23T11:03:00.004-04:00

A nice pregame ceremony celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Mets championship overshadowed a pretty insignificant game. After the pregame festivities, get a Shack burger, taco, or whatever the hell you want to eat, watch a few innings and go home.

It was Tim Redding vs J.A. Happ. What did you expect was going to happen? What we did not expect was Redding pitching great, five innings of one-hit ball, but his start was cut short because he's been in the bullpen. Would he have been pulled if he did not give up that cheap bloop hit to Utley the second time around in the order? Probably not.

Utley's next hit was anything but a cheap bloop. It was still more like a Citizen's Park special, as he once again manages to hit one over the wall in right field. Not quite the Utley's corner special, but a bridge shot it was not. And it was off Pat Misch, fresh up from Buffalo, pulling a Jon Switzer. Apparently any lefty other than Feliciano that the Mets throw at these guys get hammered.

Ah, Philadelphia. So classy, they even replay fights in the stands on their broadcast. Nice job, jerkoffs. I actually just might root for the Yankees if these two meet in the World Series. Perish the thought.

Same Start, Different Result

2009-08-22T07:27:00.003-04:00

I'm watching this game from the Promenade last night and I got this feeling of deja vu. I flip back in the scorebook of games I attended this season to look at 6/10. Mike Pelfrey vs Cole Hamels- yep. Mets knocking around Hamels at a rate of two hits per inning, knocking him out after five- yep. 4-1 lead- yep. Blown save in the late innings- NO.

Pelfrey got hit by Hamels and it seemed to ignite the Mets. The team needs more of the response Pelfrey displayed. Just a little passion. You don't have to charge the mound. Just make sure the other team knows you're ticked off. Jerry went nuts too, arguing another pathetic call by an umpire this season. You gotta love it.

The Mets held on, and it was good that they did, considering how many Phillies fans were in the ballpark. There was even a strong "Let's Go Phillies" chant early on that had to be drowned out by boos. It helped the atmosphere though, big time. This was the most life Citi Field had all season and the Mets are pretty much out of it.

Jayson Werth has a smug look for his face shot that appears on the big screen for his at-bats. Jayson, it's ok to crack a smile. We'll settle for you going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts.

I'm done with Anderson Hernandez. Unfortunately it's either him or Wilson Valdez the rest of the season. Joy.

We have now learned that the out-of-town scoreboard does not support anyone that scores 20. The Yankee 16-7 lead over Boston, suddenly was cut down to a 10-7 lead, then Boston had an 11-10 lead. WTF? The game was removed from the scoreboard shortly thereafter to prevent any further confusion. Of course, anyone who had been taking a peek at the scoreboard throughout the game knew exactly what happened. A 20-spot? It could be a long winter for Yankee haters in New York.

One Step Forward, One Back

2009-08-21T07:07:00.004-04:00

The Mets made a shocking, although proper move in releasing Livan Hernandez to make room for Billy Wagner. Apparently Livan was not very happy about it. Look at your performance over the past couple of months.

Then there is the story of Gary Sheffield. Apparently the Mets had a taker, but they pulled him back. So Sheff requests an extension of all things, gets denied, cries about it and decides to have a seat on the bench. That's the Sheff we all knew and feared when he was signed back in the spring. Sheff, go follow Livan out of town please. You sure fooled us being the good soldier all season.

Nice to see Billy Wagner back. Although SNY showed the replay when they returned from break, it was a poor job by them going to commercial just as he was coming out of the bullpen. You can't make up for that ad space somewhere else in the broadcast? Speaking of ads, why is it we have to hear that "your family is safe and secure" insurance spot MULTIPLE times in one half inning on the radio broadcast.

Wags looked vintage and put K-Rod, who pitched the next inning, to shame. A run was not given up, but oh those walks. Watching the 8th inning really made you had to wonder what if- what if Putz, K-Rod and Wagner were all healthy and the Mets were in contention? Hmm, let's see lefties coming up in the 7th? Call Wags. A few righties instead? Call J.J. and we'll have the other one pitch the 8th. As it is, hopefully Wagner gets enough chances to prove his worth to a contender in the next few days and we can get as much as we can for him.

Oh yeah, the Mets lost the game.

Right Back at Ya

2009-08-20T10:11:00.000-04:00

Eight runs in an inning? The Braves had an answer with an 8-run inning of their own the next night. Jeff Francoeur got three hits? Ryan Church had an answer of his own with a three-hit game the next night.

I pity those who were there for this one. Thank goodness I wasn't there as I would've gone nuts scoring this game. Anderson Hernandez started at short, moved to second, back to short, then finally back at second. Wilson Valdez was all over the place. It was spring training.

Did we warn you about Bobby Parnell's performance against the Giants last week? It was the Giants. OK, so they ended up whipping us the last game, but come on, Benji Molina is their cleanup hitter. It can only get better for Parnell after this one.

Hit Parade

2009-08-19T07:31:00.003-04:00

I could not believe what I was watching in that fourth inning last night. The Mets pounded out 10 hits- 7 singles and 3 doubles- en route to scoring 8 runs in turning a 4-0 deficit into an 8-4 lead. Ollie Perez once again was the beneficiary, giving up 4 runs in 5 innings, albeit those four runs were produced from two swings of the bat. He only walked one batter! You still can't depend on him.

Still want Derek Lowe? I know a lot of people still do, but I think the Mets made the right move at the time. He's going to be Livan in the fourth year of that contract, the one that eventually made him choose Atlanta over New York.

Jeff Francoeur is just one percentage point away from that .300 on-base percentage.

Do you still think Jerry was simply tough on Ryan Church earlier in the season?

Forget Billy Wagner, can we get something in return for Elmer Dessens?

Only for Die Hards

2009-08-18T07:27:00.003-04:00

Livan is pretty lucky these games don't matter much anymore. He got zero reaction as he was pulled from the game last night. The crowd does not care. They were busy doing the wave in the late innings before they all left en masse in the 8th.

It takes great patience to stick around in game like last night. Got a seat upgrade for last night's stellar affair thanks to a friend who could not attend, and sitting in left-center you really appreciate that new video board in the right field corner. Indeed, that would be something I would complain about had those been my seats. So at least you could say it was sort of a good time. Although that's tough to say when you look at the product on the field.

I hope Alex Cora is back next season. For him to continue playing on two bad thumbs since back in May- that's all about the team right there. The Mets need more guys like that.

Last Men Standing

2009-08-16T22:31:00.004-04:00

David Wright hit the disabled list. A fitting end to a movie with a sad ending where the bad guys manage to kill all the heroes with the final blow coming in painful fashion.

However, there were still some characters alive and active, albeit not the stars with names like Reyes, Delgado, Beltran and Wright. Not including our catcher, they were the remaining starting three from opening day and they all came through this afternoon. Luis Castillo hit a 420 foot homerun- more on that in a sec. Jeff Francoeur (not on our opening day roster but you get the point) with the leadoff single in the 9th. And Daniel Murphy, who finally comes through vs. a lefty to win the game. That's all we have left.

Castillo was hell bent on hitting a homerun today. Did you see the swing and miss in the first inning? He wanted to hit one in the left field landing section. To those unfamiliar with Citi Field, the left field landing section is the second deck in left field, a poor choice of a name, considering that only a couple balls have gone in there all season. He didn't do it in the first, but sure did in the fifth to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. I think Castillo should permanently bat right-handed. Would you take .300 and and OBP of .380 with 1 HR or a .270/.350 with a much higher slugging percentage? The guy's got power from that right side and is a completely different hitter who can drive the ball with authority.

This is a small but noticeable thing: why does Anderson Hernandez not dive for that ball in the hole that gave the Giants the 1-0 lead? If he stops it, the run does not score. It's says a lot and shows you why a team like the Nationals would be fine with handing him back to the Mets.

Is there anyone else who by the third inning thought that Mike Pelfrey was going to throw nine no-hit innings, but the Mets were going to lose 1-0 in 10?

Some more Citi Field notes from a hot Sunday: Please get rid of that Jon Stewart "Let's Go Mets" clip. Also just when I thought I'd have a nice relaxing lunch in the shade of the bullpen plaza I see that it was blocked off for some private party. I hope this is not an every game occurrence.

Story of the Season

2009-08-15T19:58:00.003-04:00

David Wright gets nailed in the head. After weeks of waiting for it to happen, the final member of "the core" goes down. Early in the season, the Mets didn't get angry enough to retaliate when they had the chance. This time they do- do you really think Matt Cain was trying to hit David Wright on an 0-2 pitch? First Johan misses fat Pablo, Shawn Estes-style (another Giants-Mets connection). Pablo answers with a homerun. The next batter, fat Benji, gets hit. He goes on to hit the game-winning homerun in the 10th. Oh, and the Yankees keep on winning. What does that have to do with it? Absolutely nothing, but you get the point- this is one of the low points in the history of being a Met fan.

I also would like to apologize for my last post:

Bengie Molina's not hitting homeruns here and his groundballs are automatic outs as long as an infielder manages to stop it from going into the outfield.

Sorry. Did someone pass this post to the elder Molina? Jeez, hasn't Yadier done enough damage to us in the past couple of years? I take it back, please, do any of you guys want to play for us next year? We could really use a catcher.

Let's Not Get Too Excited

2009-08-15T09:27:00.004-04:00

These were the Giants we're talking about, an offense that's worse than that of our depleted Mets. However, the start by Bobby Parnell last night was very encouraging. A pitch limit of around 80 and he still manages to go six? That's efficient, but it helps with a free swinging team who's only threat is a guy by the name of Pablo. Bengie Molina's not hitting homeruns here and his groundballs are automatic outs as long as an infielder manages to stop it from going into the outfield.

Very impressed by the improvements at Citi Field last night. The giant screens in the right field corner and the Promenade food court were now working. Here's to being able to eat there an watch the game. Not too be too picky, but another one in the bullpen plaza would be the icing on the cake.

Although I am not a Promenade row 1 ticket holder you have to feel good for them now that they are starting to lower those LED ribbon boards, which previously obstruct your view if you sit comfortably in your seat. Only left field is done, but they'll get to the rest.

How can we forget about the presence of the championship banners on the big wall in the outfield? There is so much space there you would think this would have been a no brainer in the initial design. I guess they were saving the space for advertising but thought better of it.

Finally, I have to get to games earlier so I can finish eating before the first pitch. The Omir Santos grand slam, David Wright's first opposite field homer of the season, and Angel Pagan's leadoff shot last night, all homeruns missed. I guess it's nice that the Mets like to jump on the board early.

Game? What Game?

2009-08-13T10:17:00.003-04:00

You know things are bad when at the 1pm hour you get all the reports of what the Mets lineup is going to be for their afternoon game, continue on at your job, get to your car at around 6pm, turn on the radio to listen to some sports talk and be surprised that you are listening to Wayne Hagin calling the 7th inning at Arizona- I completely forgot about this one.

The Mets won and Ollie pitched like crap once again. Yet, he gets the win, so he will get a pass from Mets brass.

I did manage to record the game but only got through an inning. What I did see was Oejaka or whatever his name is make yet another amazing play. What I also saw was Gary Sheffield typically hitting a groundball that he had to hustle to beat out in his first at bat back from a hamstring injury. I'm surprised he didn't tear the thing.

The boxscore shows Cory Sullivan sparking things from the leadoff spot and hitting a Jose Reyes-like two triples. Before we get too excited let's not forget how we were going ga-ga over Angel Pagan just a couple of weeks ago and now he finds himself on the bench.

If David Wright had to be pulled from this one because of that apparent leg injury that would've been icing on the cake. Carlos Delgado injures himself while he's still injured. You can't make this stuff up.

Five Months Too Late

2009-08-12T15:43:00.003-04:00

As per Adam Rubin, the Mets are wearing throwbacks this weekend and there were be some additions to Citi Field. Championship Banners that be viewed from the field? What a concept!

As for the "throwbacks"- proceeds going to charity my foot. The Mets are getting a cut somewhere and are doing anything they can to get some additional revenue. If you want to wear throwback jerseys, bring back the home look from the 60s. Cream color, Blue and Orange with pinstripes, no black. I love Mr. Met, but he does not belong on the team jersey, even if it's a small patch. Come to think, is there any team out there that features their mascot on the jersey? I could think of one hideous example from the 1995-96 NHL season.

Oe- who?

2009-08-12T13:43:00.003-04:00

That would be Trent Oeltjen, who is one-upping what Mike Jacobs did to the Diamondbacks back in 2005. Sure, this guy has not hit as many homeruns, but he's doing just about everything else. At least Mark Reynolds isn't hitting any bombs off us like he did in Flushing last week.

The season continues to go down the toilet. Who are we kidding, it already has. 11 game homestand coming up after a get-me-out-of-the-west matinee later this afternoon. Should be good times at Citi.

I'm tired of watching Livan Hernandez throw bp. Give the job to Nelson Figueroa in the meantime. He has deserved a chance, despite that awful start in his return vs these same Diamondbacks. Guess what? The Mets are done with the Snakes the next time Livan's turn is up in the rotation. Give Figgy the few starts he deserves.

Aside from Luis Castillo (who's having a fine Castillo season minus a stumble down some stairs, a dropped popup and some lazy throws to first), the highest on base percentage in last night's lineup was Alex Cora's .325. Pathetic.

Dad or no Dad, No Difference

2009-08-11T10:16:00.004-04:00

Mike Pelfrey, fresh off the birth of his first kid, was below average once again, as he has been for seemingly every start the past month. Coming off a nice season he was our #2 going into this season. That about explains the way things have been going for this team. If you can make a case for Livan Hernandez being out second best starter behind Johan this season, especially the way Livan has thrown BP in some games, things are not going to be good.

Who the hell are these guys on the Diamondbacks, fresh off getting swept by the Nationals? One would think that's bad, but it's actually not a surprise. Look out now, but our cushion in the N.L. Least is now down to 12 games. I think people don't realize what the addition of Nyjer Morgan did to the Nats, who were basically playing with Dynasty League Baseball D's and F's in center before acquiring him. They are a better team than the Mets right now, as most teams are. Don't be surprised if they give us a run for the basement before the season ends.

Watching the game on DVR FFwd2 this morning was enough to see how bad things were going. It was not until I read after the fact that the Mets tried to turn a double play with no one covering first! No wonder they kept showing shots of Anderson Hernandez after the play. It was not worth the time to stop and hit play to see what was going on. Is Jerry Manuel bald yet? You lose hair if you're managing the team that was on display lsat night.

Finally, A Petco Win

2009-08-09T19:06:00.006-04:00

Not before the Mets lost two more.

Friday:
Up by a score of 2-1 in the 9th, K-Rod arrives in a save situation, promptly walks the leadoff batter and all hell breaks loose. Some questionable balls and missed home plate calls aside, he still gave up the walks and the hits that made this one a 6-2 loss. If you can't throw strikes, you have no excuse.

Oliver Perez actually looked dominant through six, but it started to fall apart in the seventh. Encouraging signs? Maybe. That hesitation in his delivery could be just the thing he needs mentally, sort of like that change he made last season when Peterson was let go.

Why are both Cory Sullivan and Jeremy Reed on this team? They are two of exactly the same type of player. Good defense, a lefty bat, can play all three outfield positions. Move one of them for something.

Saturday:
Ah, this is the type of snoozer you are looking for from a team that's out of it following a crushing defeat. Alex Cora pulls a homerun into Julio Franco territory and that's that.

It was positive to watch Bobby Parnell get the start, but he was throwing way too many pitches, thus reaching his limit for the evening in the third inning. Perhaps he can get a little deeper next week. Nelson Figueroa and Tim Redding were okay, but how screwed up is the staff right now with a short guy starting and two long men pitching in relief? I think we're all done with Sean Green, who had no control on this day once again.

We get a blown call at the plate go in our favor this time, but to no avail. How bad have the umpires been this season?

Sunday:
Johan was just what the doctor ordered. Luis Castillo actually returned to the lineup. Anderson Hernandez had two hits. You know things have to be turning the corner when that happens.

Who was that guy pitching the ninth for the Mets? I like his stuff, and he can bring it up to the mid-90s- we haven't had a guy like that in the ninth since Billy Wagner last season.

Why Watch?

2009-08-07T09:47:00.004-04:00

You know things are bad when you let the lowest scoring team in the league score 8 runs in their cavernous ballpark. The Mets, if they haven't already, have become irrelevant. It was like the perfect storm: the Mets go out West and the Yankees are playing the Red Sox. The Mets might get as much airtime as the Rangers do during the winter in the next few days.

Livan Hernandez continues to be what we expected him to be out of spring training. The occasional decent start with the occasional clunker.

I like the move to put Bobby Parnell in the rotation. Why the hell not at this point? The starting pitching beyond Johan could use any possible contributors they can, especially those with potential. I just about done with Ollie and resigned to the fact that Maine is done, and not just for this season.

Angel Berroa being designated for assignment was a long time coming, and he was not here that long. No wonder Livan was offended when they pinch hit Angel for him back in that Arizona series. Unfortunately Anderson Hernandez will probably not be much better.

David Eckstein is still a pain in the ass.

Camp Day Fun

2009-08-06T17:16:00.004-04:00

Too bad that was the last one. The Mets seem inspired to play in front of such vibrant colors representing the various camps in the stands. However, they are still brittle as they are any game this season. Down goes Jon Niese, down goes Gary Sheffield. There's no comment on this right now. It was past ridiculous when Luis Castillo went down the stairs.

David Wright is just not going to charge the mound. At least he could've said something to the pitcher who just missed his head, a retaliation for Pujols getting hit earlier in the game. Maybe it was the presence of so many kids. Doubt it. David is Mr. Nice Guy. He'll make friends with everyone who reaches third base, and against the Mets, that's a lot of players who reach third base.

The DVR will be in full swing this week as the team goes West. It's not worth staying up. Hell, they should be honored I'm recording the rest of the game to watch it the next morning.

David Wright Just Broke His Ankle Getting Out of a Cab

2009-08-05T10:33:00.004-04:00

OK, just kidding. But would you be surprised? This season is very similar to the 1992-93 Ranger hockey season, when Brian Leetch did just that. Everything went wrong.

Last night was the lowest of the low. It started with Jose Reyes suffering what was called a major setback as he had to come back to New York and be examined the crack New York Met medical staff. After going back and forth in a pretty entertaining ballgame where they actually knocked around Joel Pineiro (I probably misspelled the name in previous posts, whatever), Luis Castillo out of nowhere slips down the dugout steps and turns his ankle. He's done for the season, I don't care if they're going to call it a cramp later today. After the fall, the rest of the team fell on the field. A 7-4 lead turned into a 12-7 defeat in 10 innings, with the go-ahead run coming in on a Sean Green hit batsman. We might as well trade this guy for Aaron Heilman, the deal would be a wash.

Yadier Molina has not stopped smiling in Flushing since October of 2006. What the hell are the Mets thinking running on this guy?

As for Reyes, this guy needs to determine right now if surgery fixes his problem and if it does, get it done.

We can only hope that next season follows the pattern of the season following the 92-93 Ranger debacle. One in which we will have our own "one more hill to climb, baby" moment if we reach the World Series.

Off to Citi to see what thrills await me on another Camp Day game.

Crack

2009-08-04T10:13:00.003-04:00

Nelson Figueroa was getting hammered. The oohs and aahs off every crack of the bat in the first and second inning gave you an idea of what was happening if you were not paying attention to the field. I felt really bad for the guy. Here he was, his final shot, deserving of the start (I don't care what you're hearing on talk radio, his AAA performance says otherwise), friends and family in attendance and he gets shellacked.

Not the kind of game you want to take your old man to, which looked to be over early when it was 6-0 after two. My Dad went to another game with my brother earlier this season. That one was 5-0 after four and ended up an 8-0 loss. Poor guy. Had a good time though.

At least there was some fight in this one as the bullpen kept things in check, highlighted by 3 1/3 scoreless from Tim Redding of all people. The Mets chipped away, but the attitude from the Citi Field faithful spelled defeat from the beginning. It's really sad how many times the scoreboard has to display the "get loud" meter to get the crowd amped up.

Mark Reynolds is an absolute freak. This guy mashes balls like he's playing in a slow-pitch softball league.

Joel Pinero faces the Mets tonight. Should be interesting considering his last couple of starts in Flushing, where he has been dominant.

Fading

2009-08-03T07:29:00.003-04:00

The Mets are now 7 1/2 behind the Wild Card after waiting 2:28 in a rain delay before falling late in the afternoon. The Diamondbacks have Dan Haren on the mound for the series closer later today. At least we have Nelson Figueroa instead of Tim Redding.

Mike Pelfrey threw 107 pitches in five innings. Jon Garland threw 106 in nine. Can you tell how this game went? Big Pelf has declined this season, and if you are a young pitcher that's not they way it's supposed to be.

Yesterday was one of those days where it would've sucked to be at Shea. Those unfamiliar with Citi Field and who were likely there for the 1pm start time at least had plenty of time to explore. I'm sure those who have gone to many games and live relatively close patiently listened to the FAN for updates before heading out to the ballpark.

Six in a Row! (vs. Righties)

2009-08-02T08:05:00.004-04:00

Keep throwing the righties at us, we'll keep scoring runs and hitting eighth inning-tie game-grand slams. Yes, the damage in the eight was in fact done off a lefty. It's amazing though what this lineup, with Daniel Murphy as the cleanup hitter, has produced.

I'm loving the look of this Zavada character. Hope the grand slam he served up doesn't encourage him to shave or get a haircut.

Speaking of shave, I like what some of the Mets are doing with the beards. Hopefully they will be cleancut soon, meaning the team has gone over the .500 mark.

Mark Reynolds hit one that could have landed on the Van Wyck Expressway.

That's all I got, gotta run.

Was That Really Worth It?

2009-08-01T09:23:00.002-04:00

The latest I have ever arrived for a game was last night. The sixth inning.

It was pouring after work, so why go to Citi Field and spend cash when you can eat dinner at home. So that's what me and my wife (who was supposed to go with me) did. Thinking there could be a long delay with a start time of 8:30 or worse, 9:00, I told her to stay home despite her cravings for Box Frites. I called a buddy of mine a little after 7:30. See you there in about 45 minutes? Easy enough. He's coming from Astoria, the place where we hear about that steakhouse on the radio all the time, just a short drive over the left field fence.

I'm out the door with the radio and I hear Steve Somers saying they are throwing it back to Howie and Wayne at 7:55. Damn, that grounds crew means business. When I got a radio signal on the 7 train when I transferred at Roosevelt avenue, they were ready for the first pitch. OK, so I miss an inning or so.

At the foot of the train steps I wait as the Mets are due up in their half of the first. Ten minutes later, a phone call, it's my buddy.

"Man, this bus is really bad."
"Oh, you are stuck in traffic somewhere? How close are you?"
"No, I'm still waiting."
"Waiting? Where?"
"In Astoria, on 21st and Astoria Blvd."

My "buddy" managed to go further out, closer to Manahattan, just to wait for a bus that was probably going to crawl after the rain and whatever traffic there was, instead of simply hopping on the N and maybe catching one of the last 7 express trains at Queensboro Plaza.

Despite the encouragement from him to just go in and not wait, I waited. That's what buddies do. Thank goodness for the Mets team store adjacent to the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. Perfect view of SNY broadcast while you wait outside the stadium.

Of course the game flew as I waited. Three solo homeruns and nothing else and before you knew it we finally passed through the turnstiles during the top of the sixth. Even at 9:15 there is still a steady flow of people coming down the steps with every arrival of a 7 train. I wonder just how late people arrive. Anyway, we got a nice field level view of David Wright's solo blast to tie the game.

I thought it would be fitting if we get nine innings in anyway via a 15 inning affair, seeing the way the game was going. But Sean Green threw a wild pitch after inducing a bases loaded double play with no one out in the eight. Oh well. Was it worth it? Yes.

Can't Have It All

2009-07-30T22:18:00.004-04:00

A six game winning streak. A four game sweep of a team in front of us in the Wild Card hunt. A gem by Jon Niese. All pretty much extinguished with a David Wright strikeout followed by yet another botched delayed steal of home in the first inning.

That was the chance for the Mets. It was a chance to jump out in front early and give the sagging Rockie confidence another Flushing blow. They've lost like 20 of their last 22 here. Put them down early and they stay down. If Pagan somehow scores, maybe the Mets squeak out another run and have a bigger lead than the 1-0 lead they held for a little over an inning later on.

As it is, you have to be happy to take three out of four. Now comes yet another four gamer, vs. Arizona. Winning these series is tough. Winning them back to back is tougher. I'd like to be confident coming off Livan's last start in Houston, but the prospects of Livan-Ollie-Pelfrey-Redding? in the next four makes me think we are not winning three of four again.

See what happens when you give Castillo a day off? 0-for-3.

I kid.

Sweet Sunburn

2009-07-30T16:28:00.004-04:00

The streak is over. The Mets won a workday afternoon game with me in attendance.

All it took was one big inning, where there was hit after hit, the highlight coming from Angel Berroa (Angel Berroa!) knocking a double into right center field. With Johan being Johan, that's all the team needed.

The weekdays matinees have been memorable for all the wrong reasons in the last couple of seasons. Up 7-0, with Tim Redding pitching the 9th, and then Alex Cora dropping a toss from David Wright for a force out creating runners on 1st and 2nd with one out, of course I was thinking the worst. Blowing a 7-0 lead with be the cherry on top. A double play by the next batter put all those fears aside.

If you sit on the third base side, it does not take long for the shade to come over you and allow you to enjoy the rest of the game in comfortable fashion. Not quite as fortunate for the noon start time. No sunscreen today. Ouch. And to think I watched the first couple of innings in shaded standing room areas to kill some time to allow the sun to move some. Didn't wait long enough.

The Shake Shake line was just as bad at 11:35am as it is at 6:45pm.

Five in a row, with game 2 of the day-night double dip underway in just a little over two hours.

Phillies get Cliff Lee

2009-07-29T15:10:00.003-04:00

One step closer to the dreaded Yankees-Phillies World Series. It would be like 1999 all over again.

Scoreboard Watching

2009-07-29T07:00:00.005-04:00

When you're hot, you're hot- all things go your way. I could've called Luis Castillo out from the Promenade Level. What was Razor Shines thinking when you are up 3-0 with no one out in the 8th inning? Sure enough, Francoeur struck out and Tatis popped up in the following at bats, so maybe Razor knew something we all didn't.

It didn't matter in the end. Sean Green did his best to prevent us from catching the 10:17 out of Woodside, but failed. You gotta love that 7 express with 61st as the next stop. If you can get from your seat in the Promenade at 10:00 and be on a train at 10:17 (in addition to having a little luck on your side), you know traffic flow leaving the park has greatly improved at Citi.

One thing that was not an improvement was the second scoreboard in right field. Gone were the lineups and pitch count. At least the pitch count could be found on one of the auxiliary scoreboards. If you didn't keep a scorecard, your only hope for knowing the lineup was memory or checking who's in the on-deck circle. Instead they made the second scoreboard in right a stretched out copy of the left. I know they are trying to satisfy the fans with obstructed views down in the left field reserved, but having two giant scoreboards almost side by side showing the exact same thing is a waste of resources.

Thankfully, the second board went out in the third inning. Zap. It was gone. Not sure if it was intentional, or a malfunction, but I'm glad it happened. I'm sure many others in the park would appreciate the return of the lineups. Don't you miss that giant Shea board now?

In order to please those who can't see Citivision is it too much to ask for that feed to be piped into all those TVs down there instead of the SNY broadcast? I'm sure they can make that happen. Leave the SNY broadcast on the TVs in all of the concessions, and have Citivision run on all the screens for the audience in the lower levels. Now everyone can watch the Kiss Cam. And we can have our lineups back.

Four in a row with Johan up next. Maybe there's some hope.

A Winning Streak

2009-07-28T07:29:00.003-04:00

Oh, and there was a baseball game last night. After the soap opera that was the afternoon, it was good to just watch a game for a change. Good for the Mets that they did it in dramatic fashion.

Fernando Tatis came up with the bases loaded and one out in a tie game in the 8th, double play city. But the Rockies forgot that Tatis was also Mr. GrandSlam. He hit his eight career slam, and it was on an 0-2 pitch.

The bullpen was solid. Four shutout innings, two by Brian Stokes and one each by Pedro Feliciano (who faced righties, and got them out!) and K-Rod (who threw only 11 pitches!) shut the door.

The ball was flying out of the big ballpark today. We have not really had many of those nasty, humid days in the city. Maybe some power numbers creep back up as the dog days descend upon us and 2/3 of the next month is played at Citi.

In one second the Mets have three runs in a game, the next they have seven. I'm still amazed. Word of warning: my 1-5 record this season is in play tonight as the Mets go for four straight. And the dreaded weekday afternoon game, which the Mets are winless when I attend the last couple of seasons? That's scheduled for this Thursday.

Flushing Circus

2009-07-28T07:16:00.003-04:00

The Mets finally got it right on Monday afternoon, announcing that they had fired Tony Bernazard. Then, they managed to screw it up.

This is how I interpreted Omar's comments:

Tony was a good friend of ours and we had to make a decision. The negative press gave us no choice. The fans were ripping us apart and asking for this guy's head. I feel so bad I had to do this to my good friend Tony. But you know what? We're not going to take this quietly. It was Adam Rubin- Adam, who lobbied for Tony's job. Adam- your stories gave us no choice but to do what we had to do. You wanted a man's job and you know what, you're not going to get it you son of a bitch! You still want to cover our team? We'll make your life a living hell.

Mission accomplished? Yet to be determined. I can tell you I will be reading the Daily News the rest of the season, so if anything, Omar did the paper a favor.

Return of the Triple

2009-07-28T07:04:00.004-04:00

And the game was not even played at Citi Field.

This one was over in the first inning. Houston was up 3-0, Livan Hernandez was being battered around and then it was the Astros who shot themselves in the foot. A boneheaded play by the third base coach sending the slow-footed Geoff Blum on a base hit short-circuited a bigger inning. Then Underpants got caught stealing second. The Mets had life and they actually took advantage. Livan went from one step out of the rotation, not making it out of the first inning, to a solid 7 inning effort for the win. Aside from that bottom of the first inning (before the last two outs), the Mets actually looked good in this game.

*****

Texas still loves a former Met who was on our opening day roster:

Darren O'Day. He continues to impress. Amazing the club got him off waivers earlier this season. The Mets have to be regretting that.

Flash in the Pan

2009-07-26T12:18:00.003-04:00

No, I'm not talking about Jon Niese, who pitched well last night. Niese had been on a roll in his last several triple A starts and was ready for a promotion to the big leagues this time around. This kind of pitching could be something we should get used to seeing, unlike that of remove-the-S-and-place-a-V Nieve. I'm talking about the Mets offense.

10 runs? Three homers? David Wright finally has come to the realization that Omir Santos passed him in the homerun department and does something about it. Can we see more of that please? Also that play late in the game where he made a nice pickup on the backhand- and then actually fired the ball to first with authority instead of lazily flinging it over. More of that, please.

Despite pitching in a non-save situation, an issue with most closers, K-Rod's ERA has now climbed over 2.00. It's only going to get higher folks.

A win overshadowed the decision to put Gary Sheffield on the DL, when he insisted he was fine. The Mets now have 13 pitchers to 12 batters on their roster. The insanity continues.

It's Why He Left in the First Place

2009-07-25T15:10:00.005-04:00

A decision that should have been made because of his bat. Mike Hampton hit a homerun vs the Mets last night. It's nothing new for the pitcher/slugger. A poor decision by Bobby Valentine back in 2000 helped seal Hampton's ticket out of the town the following winter.

Hampton came off an NLCS in which he went 2-0 with a ERA of 0.00 in 16 innings pitched, giving up only 9 hits and 4 walks. That's a WHIP of 0.81. It got him MVP of the series. Hitting-wise, on the season he hit .274 and drove in 8 in 34 at bats (a pace of 129 RBI in 550 ABs). Al Leiter went 3 for 58.

Yet it was Al Leiter who was tabbed to start game 1 of the World Series when it was clear Hampton was the ace of the staff at the moment and was on top of his game. The clincher of the LCS was a Monday night. Game 1 of the series vs that other team in the city was on Saturday, giving Hampton the normal four days of rest. Leiter had a very good season and was fine in his only LCS start giving up 3 runs in 7 innings, striking out 9. However, the game 1 starter would be slated to pitch in game 5, the final game under National League rules where the pitcher hits. The game 2 starter does not have that benefit.

Al Leiter went 0 for 3 in that game 5, despite a valiant pitching effort that led him to be on fumes in that fateful ninth inning. All three of his plate appearances came with runners on base. I think we all would have rather had Mike Hampton up in those spots. Also, if Mike Hampton pitches game 1, maybe he isn't interviewed after game 2, the one which he did start- you know, the Clemens bat-throw game. Maybe he isn't asked the question in which he responds the following:

"Different people react in different ways," he said. "Somebody throws a bat at me, I'm gonna fight. But some people aren't that way. Me, I'm a hot-tempered guy."

He didn't exactly endear himself to his teammates with the comments. He came off an MVP performance, was on full rest and yet was not given the ball in game 1. Plus, Colorado has a great school system for his children. Why should he have stayed? The Mets offered a boatload of money for him to stay. Maybe, just maybe if he had started game 1, the school thing would not have been enough for him to leave.

The Yankees Also Lost Two of Three to the Nats

2009-07-23T22:00:00.005-04:00

So we should not feel so bad. By the way, have the Yankees lost a home game since that series?

Late post on this one as I took the drive back home from Montreal today. A GPS is a must for anyone driving. Make a wrong turn, no problem. "Recalculating," says the handy device, and an alternate route is computed for you. Keep making wrong turns. Explore the countryside. You'll always be headed where you need to go. Just avoid starting the car while it's plugged into the cigarette charger. Had a scare a few weeks ago when I thought I fried it, but it just needed a hard reset.

That's all I got on this game. Which is nothing. I got back to the room and fired up gameday audio in the 9th inning and it was not long after 9:00. Just saw a note in the boxscore that Luis Castillo was ejected in the second inning. The Mets sure know how to make these stinkers quick, which is a good thing.

Got tickets to four of the ten games on the homestand next week. Should be good times at Citi.

N.Y. Killer

2009-07-21T21:38:00.005-04:00

John Lannan has now won three straight vs teams from New York, going into the 9th each time. Two of those games he went the distance in which he gave up 0 earned runs. Can you take a guess which games were against the Mets and which were against the Yankees?

Oliver Perez was...ugh. Instead of Bad Ollie or Good Ollie, let's just say we're seeing Typical Ollie. Six innings, six more walks. He has walked 8.84 batters per nine innings this season!

Despite getting a hit, David Wright is falling into one of those slumps again. When that happens, the Mets put up zeroes. He should have had a couple of hits today though, as Nyjer Morgan made a nice play to take away an extra base hit.

Newsflash: Bobby Parnell faced three batters and retired all of them.

Ranger players report to training camp for physicals on September 12.

If you're not a fan of bacon in every meal, avoid St. Hubert's in Montreal.

It's the Nats

2009-07-21T17:14:00.004-04:00

I heard the score was 5-0 after a couple of innings. Livan was on his way out of the rotation. But no, it was the Mets who were ahead. And they held on for the win.

Biggest play of the game was the double play ball hit by Adam Dunn, who was the tying run in the 8th. Great play by Daniel Murphy, who as we see, can pick it at first. With him it's just a matter of instincts and a little more flexibility to stretch. Pedro Feliciano was stretching indeed, looking like a natural first baseman on the return throw by Alex Cora to complete the twin killing.

When ordering coffee from Tim Horton's here in Montreal, when they ask you if you want cream and sugar, you say yes, then they go 1 and 1, they mean 1 cream and 1 sugar. The cashier during the AM rush hour seemed quite annoyed at my lack of understanding. It's probably because I spoke English.

Catastrophe

2009-07-20T09:00:00.004-04:00

Yes, a Mets game was airing in Canada! And it was in French no less. Had flashbacks of watching the Montreal Expos. They were using the ESPN video feed, but play by play and analysis was done in the native language. I guess I timed the trip here pretty well, seeing that RDS airs the Sunday night game of the week.

What was there to see anyway? Fernando Nieve, yet another replacement, has been added to the walking wounded. You can't make this stuff up. Tim Redding was Tim Redding. Everyone else gave up some runs. Even Bobby Parnell brought up some agita by walking two batters after retiring the first two in a game where the outcome was set.

Now comes the series we have all been waiting for. The last time the Mets played the Washington Nationals, we said "no more softies"- the schedule was going to be tough for the next month and half, and boy was it ever. This upcoming three game series with the Nats is going to reveal a lot. It's already a hopeless situation, but this matchup could be the final nail in the coffin.

That Would've Sucked

2009-07-19T16:04:00.003-04:00

Greetings from downtown Montreal, where the only sign of sports is advertisements of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. Everyone on their hockey team played with someone else last season, so how can you expect pictures of them anywhere?

Word comes from back home that the Mets won yesterday. The score was 5-1 and the gist of it was 1. Santana was pitching and 2. the Mets did not hit any homeruns.

I only got internet access today after a mix-up with the wireless here. What they call wireless is not exactly that- you use a cable they provide. Anyway, after seeing some highlights of the game, you realize the Mets could have easily blown this one, and it would have been bad. Our lefties in the pen could not get an out, yet Sean Green and Brian Stokes someone managed to get just enough to preserve the 8th for Francisco Rodriguez in the 9th. And what a 9th that was. A nice clean 10-pitch-two-strikeout performance. Of course, by that time the score was already 5-1, thanks to some more smallball by the Mets which included a suicide squeeze.

Just looking at the highlights on mlb.com made me glad I did not have to endure the Fox telecast. Use your mute buttons when watching the ESPN feed tonight. I'll check in with the Gameday audio feed.

"Let's Go Beat the Mets"

2009-07-17T22:22:00.005-04:00

Boy, they sure did. Maddux gets what he wants just by saying something, even in a retirement ceremony.

Is this game a final yet? This post is coming with the score 11-0 in the 9th. The only question is whether it will be yet another shutout.

Mike Pelfrey was absolutely smacked around today and was left in there to suffer some more growing pains. Is there going to be any more growth? Have we seen the best of Big Pelf?

Gary Sheffield looked like he pulled a hammy in the outfield, but the Mets say it's only cramps in his leg. He'll be out four to six weeks.

Enjoy the stellar Fox and ESPN broadcasts while I get out for a few days and head up to Scott Gomez's new digs in Montreal. Is there anybody currently on that team other than Carey Price who was there last season? Assuming the wireless in my hotel works, I'll be checking in with my first blog posts from outside NYC.

Nice at bat here by Jeremy Reed, staying alive despite being down 11 runs. Never mind. Ground out. Game over.

7 1/2 With 76 to Play

2009-07-17T12:14:00.003-04:00

Hey, if 7 1/2 with 17 to play can be overcome, 76 games left is plenty of time. That's where the Mets are at after another loss, the first in the Jeff Francoeur era. What's next, Ryan Church getting a game winning hit in one of the next two games?

We got the "state of the injured" address from Omar yesterday. While it's encouraging to see Jose on the field, he's still a few weeks away and by then it could be too late. He's the one we need the most. Alex Cora has hit an absolute wall and is just about an automatic out in the bottom of that lineup.

How about that bullpen? Bobby Parnell cannot get anybody out. The batting average against is in the .300's and rising. It's not supposed to go that way. I'm not going to go crazy on Pat Misch- he actually did a nice job and the only hard hit ball he gave up was an out. Remember this fella, who was on the roster earlier this season? Here's what one Dallas news columnist had to say about him:

O'Day has been one of the best stories of the season for the Rangers, pitching 28 innings (20 H, 7 BB, 28 K, 3 HR) in a legitimate setup role, rather than as a specialist. He hasn't dominated left-handed hitters, but he's collected enough big outs against them to succeed for full inning stints late in games.

Sounds like someone we can use right now.

Oliver Perez, was, eh. Not great, not bad. Not worth the money, though. It was nice to see him get out of that first and third one out spot.

As long as we're 7 1/2 with 17 to play we have a shot.

All-Star Snooze

2009-07-15T11:30:00.002-04:00

The game lasted only 2:31 and still managed to finish well past many kid's bedtimes, as well as mine. Gotta love DVR. Although I gotta get used to this new Navigator system that Time Warner zapped me with yesterday. Breezing through the game this morning, I think it's ok. The delayed response I feared after seeing it in other systems was not there. I can now go through a game in 3x ffwd and still manage to cut back to every at-bat result after seeing the base/out state change on the scoreboard. Not an option for a crucial situation if you don't want to get spoiled, but a nice way to catch every at-bat in a reasonable amount of time.

I love how they hype the starting pitchers before the game like they have anything to do with the end result. Lincecum and Halladay gave up most of the runs in this game, so they did influence the result in some way, but it's not like they're pitching 6+ innings.

K-Rod needs only six pitches to get through one inning, his lowest output all season. In the all-star game. Go figure. Jayson Werthless helped out, making a nice catch that was sure to fall in. This guy is not so worthless- go through the Phillies lineup position by position. Scary. And Rollins is having a bad year.

***

Pedro has signed with the Phillies (if you asked why I linked the Vancouver Sun of all newspapers, it's because I googled pedro phillies and that was the most recent hit). Watch him have a solid second half of the season- should be very interesting if he's slated to pitch in one of the games at Citi later this season.

***

The Korpedo for Lisin? The kid looks like he's got some moves, but then again so did Josef Balej.

Big Apple Circus

2009-07-12T18:26:00.003-04:00

The trick is to put the apple up for the seventh inning stretch. By doing that the Mets get homerun happy and start hitting them. OK, not quite- as far as I know the apple is always up for the seventh inning stretch. Sure enough, it was the focal point on the telecast this time, and then two of the next three Mets at bat hit homeruns to bring up the apple when it counts. However, it did not go up the for the second homerun, hit by Fernando Tatis. It takes 45 seconds to "recharge." No support for back to back homeruns (and this pair was not even back to back)? What kind of contraption is this thing? The old apple probably would have went up and down with no problem. Get that thing out the bullpen plaza and bring it back where it belongs.

Enough about fruit. What looked to be a laugher was anything but. A win is a win, and all of a sudden the Mets have a two game winning streak. Daniel Murphy is even figuring out how to stretch for balls at first base. Alex Cora looks comfortable in the 8-hole. The Mets pounded out 16 hits!

David Wright looked like he wanted to rip Mike Pelfrey a new you know what when he had that conference with him in the 5th.

That Joey Votto ejection was just waiting to happen. He's been hosed with the strike zone and was very respectful in not showing up the umpire when making his thoughts known the previous two games. Today he had enough.

Just when Sean Green had his ERA go down to a decent 4.9 he allows the first and only three batters he faces to get on. They all eventually come around to score. ERA now up to 5.54.

Welcome Back Johan

2009-07-12T10:14:00.005-04:00

Now that was the type of outing from the Johan Santana we all know and love. He threw strikes, made it look easy right throughout, then hung in there when things were getting dicey and he was well over 100 pitches.

Jeff Francoeur contributed in his first at-bat with a 2-rbi single, not the prettiest of hits, but a hit nonetheless. The Mets are 1-0 with him in the lineup, what's not to like?

Maybe, just maybe a reserve player can step up to be a solid player who deserves to be an everyday player. Angel Pagan, can you possibly be the one?

After ragging on Omir Santos a couple of posts in a row, he comes out and gets three hits. Who should I trash today? That Pelfrey kid has been horrible, how many innings will he last today?

Churchy for Frenchie

2009-07-11T13:51:00.003-04:00

Last night's game was another typical Bronson Arroyo start in Flushing. He shut down the Mets for a complete game and the Mets were once again shut out, the third time in a week.

The story of last night was not the game itself, but a trade between divsion rivals. We get Jeff Francoeur for Ryan Church. Does anything else need to be said about the fact that Church was just not a popular guy in the clubhouse? You can listen to Omar spin it all you want. The only defense you get is a better arm- and Church's throw's from right were not too shabby, either. Hitting wise you get a free swinger who's on-base has been hovering around .300 for his career. I guess the Mets don't believe in on-base percentage. See Omir Santos.

That being said, Church might have reached his ceiling, while Francoeur might have some potential. Maybe a change of scenery will do good for him. Maybe we'll be dazzled by all the guys he throws out from the Mo-Zone and cheer for every wide turn by baserunners who's brakes come to screeching halt when he retrieves a base hit. All we do know is Church was not liked here, whether it was by Jerry or teammates, and was the one who had to go.

Batting Practice

2009-07-10T10:01:00.004-04:00

That's about what Livan has been throwing lately. More of the same early inning trouble last night.

It's a shame to see such a brutal call from an umpire cost the team two runs. And to think, the Dodgers complained about the play at third to end the inning. Do you realize the gift you got just a couple of batters prior?

I would like to see guys like Brian Schneider and Daniel Murphy get more of an opportunity vs lefties. The Omir Santos Cinderella clock has struck midnight. The guy has an on base of .290 and can't throw anybody out. Murphy only gets most of the hits in a winning effort the night before, makes an unreal play at first and gets rewarded with a seat on the bench.

Tim Redding is getting knocked around even in garbage time.

Randy Wolf was one of the free agents available in the open market this past winter in case you forgot.

What the heck is that thing on Don Mattingly's lower lip?

***

I'm liking the Rangers signing of Ales Kotalik. We have one of the best shootout goalies in the league and now one of the best shootout snipers. Those type of guys have been out the door the last few seasons but it's nice to get one back. Plus he can play the point on the power play. And he could (for 3 mill a year we hope) and should match Zherdev's production.

With the Rangers taking steps to improve their power play, you wonder how this will affect their penalty killing. Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan can't be expected to play the full two minutes- who else will be the specialists there now that Sjostrom and likely Betts are gone? I guess we'll depend on the old saying, your best penalty killer is your goaltender.

Bad Ollie

2009-07-09T11:21:00.003-04:00

Don't drink the Kool-Aid the Mets are trying to give you about Oliver Perez's performance last night. Aside from getting the "big" out, is there anything to be encouraged about? You realize the last time we see him on an active major league roster he was demoted to the bullpen. The mystery knee injury was a cover up and gave him time to clear his head. Faked another injury during a bad rehab start to give himself some more time. Was encouraged by two mediocre performances to keep on pitching. The Mets were so encouraged and desperate that they called him back up. What do we get? Seven walks in five innings, including a typical four pitch walk to start off the game!

It's not going to change. The Mets have invested too much in him. He has to pitch and has to find his 2007/second half 2008 version real soon. Otherwise we're going to see more of these 3 1/2 hour games. Ollie was lucky to get the W last night thanks to the Met ground balls finding holes during the third inning. Nothing to get encouraged about.

Sorry to harp on the negative, as a win is a win. It's going to be negative until you start seeing crisp baseball being played on the field and some balls hit with authority, not extra base hit fly balls that are hit toward Manny Ramirez and would be caught by any average outfielders.

That being said, you had to love the Daniel Murphy play at first. Like the David Wright barehand dive a few seasons ago, that's one you won't see again anytime soon. An article with the video.

Lifeless

2009-07-08T10:32:00.003-04:00

Talk about dead. Not only the team, where there was another listless performance, an 8-0 loss. How about Citi Field? The fans are frustrated, but the boos aren't as vociferous. And what is there to boo? The team simply stinks right now. It's not even about underperforming high-paid veterans, the target of such boos. There's no hope. The fans know it. Manny Ramirez barely got a reaction in just his fourth game off the suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. Mike Pelfrey struck out a Dodger in the second inning and there was NO reaction from the crowd. You usually get something even for strike 1 or strike 2. But barely a reaction for strike 3? Wow.

I want to give Citi Field time for some real meaningful games to be played there before you can judge the atmosphere. Gary Cohen made a big deal about the place being juiced up for the Phillies series a couple of weeks ago. I tend to agree with Gary on many points, but not this one. The place has not come close to Shea in the pumped-up-for-a-game environment just yet. Everyone's busy getting tacos in the first couple of innings and then the lower bowl is spending the rest of the game in the Delta/Ebbetts/Caesar's Club. It's sad, but it's the reality of today's world.

As for the latest injury report from Omar Minaya yesterday: expect Reyes, Beltran, and Maine to miss the rest of the season.

***

Chris Pronger signed a seven-year extension with the Flyers. Have fun with that contract in a couple of years when he becomes another aging Derian Hatcher.

Hopeless

2009-07-05T18:06:00.003-04:00

That about describes the Mets situation after being swept in a three game series in Philadelphia. With every runner the Mets put on base (not that there were many), you kind of waited for the rally-killer in the form of a double play or strikeout.

Johan was solid, only giving up the two solo homeruns, although he only had three strikeouts. I'll feel a lot better about him being back once the K's are back to the 5-10 per game level.

Despite being an absolute double play machine, you can't fault Tatis today. He hit that ball hard, and the Phillies defense is sucking everything up. Since when is Ryan Howard all of a sudden Keith Hernandez at first base?

If you are in a fantasy league and have unlimited transactions my advice to you is simply pick up the next starter vs the Mets. That means check for Kershaw, Kuroda and Wolf on the waiver wire this week.

Meager

2009-07-05T10:20:00.004-04:00

Yet another inning where the Mets look like little leaguers. The problem here is you have Ryan Church, a regular, making an awful throw to allow a run to score. You have David Wright, a regular, allowing a foul pop up to fall in. And you have Omir Santos, one half of a platoon (so consider that a regular), drop a pop up. All in one inning. Do you really think this stuff gets fixed with the returns of all our injured players?

Jamie Moyer looked like the Jamie Moyer who stymied us last year. This time around it's a little easier. It's not surprising that the Mets might get out of a three-game series in Citizens Bank Park without hitting a homerun. Pathetic.

At this point, even if they get swept today, they will only be four games out. Keep telling yourself that. Reality will strike us in a few weeks when we're ten games behind the Marlins and the Braves. This team is weak. It's got nothing left. We got three guys in the lineup between Murphy, Tatis and Evans that do not have a position in the field. And you wonder why there are missed cutoffs and mental fielding errors? It's on the job training and it's not going to go swimmingly.

It was announced that Oliver Perez will return to the rotation this week. Is that anything to get excited about? He had no command whatsoever in his latest rehab start. I'm not sure if the Mets had any choice in terms of how long they can leave him down there "on rehab" but if he could've he should've stayed there until he had that real quality start. When Ollie gets knocked out in the third inning against the Dodgers after walking five, you'll wonder what the hell is the difference.

A Little Dose of 5th Starter Reality

2009-07-04T15:01:00.004-04:00

Two games, two pitchers who were competing for the 5th starters job in Spring Training. The result? A lot of what we expected- not much.

Thursday:

Tim Redding was knocked out early, and the Mets were in a 5-0 hole in the third inning. This was Pittsburgh after all. However, the Mets came back with some small ball, tying the game. Fernando Tatis came back from the dead to be a star in this one. He homered to give the Mets an 8-5 lead, one they would blow in the 9th inning. Did I tell you we are going to see more K-Rod blown saves? However, Tatis took one for the team in the 10th, getting plunked, stealing second, and scoring on a Ryan Church single. K-Rod stayed in the game and almost threw as many pitches as Redding to hold on to the W. No more games during the work please. I don't know how Cub fans deal with all those afternoon starts.

Friday:

Livan Hernandez was throwing batting practice, plain and simple. Philly plays exactly like the team to beat, as proclaimed by me in their last meeting, despite the fact that they have lost just about every game since then. Rollins hits, Utley hits, Victorino drives us nuts and Werth plays like Barry Bonds in his heydey. To make matters worse, the Mets are wearing Philly-like red caps for the holiday weekend (although the don't look as bad as the Yankees do at home). Can this die next season please? Put a patch with an American flag on the caps and sleeves. Leave the team colors alone.

Big Pelf, Marian and Donald

2009-07-02T07:24:00.004-04:00

Around this time last season, Mike Pelfrey established himself as the number two starter we were expecting him to be this season. Although we would've liked to have seen it from the beginning of the season, hopefully we see a repeat performance. Yesterday was a good start.

The Mets were outhit 7-5. They struck out 12 times. Hey, a win is a win. Right now you take it.

I thought Pelf would get another batter or two in that eight inning, at least for the righties leading up to Prince Fielder, which is Feliciano time. It would've been a shame had Sean Green blown that one, but thankfully it didn't happen.

Fernando Martinez went 0-for-3. Send the kid down. The team should be fine alternating Ryan Church and Jeremy Reed in center.

The black and gold house of horrors is up next for yet another weekday afternoon game, which means more of MLB Gameday and the occasional radio call.

***

As for Day 1 of Free Agent Frenzy regarding the Rangers:

Once you lose Colton Orr, you had to get an enforcer. Donald Brashear, at two years, 1.4 mil per? Not sure about that one. Maybe Colton wanted more years, after all he did get four from Toronto. As much as you hated Brashear (my last memory of him featured one of my rare Garden cussing outbursts) you have to like a guy like that on your team. Age is a concern and you wonder if he can keep doing what he's always been doing. Sather said he's a little quicker to the puck that Orr. Really Glen, did you factor age into this at all and wonder if he might lose a step? One year fine, but two, you can only hope for the best.

Marian Gaborik is now a Ranger. Bottom line is the guy is worth it if he's healthy. But all those groin injuries is A LOT to be concerned about. Sather can talk all he wants about the hip being 100%. It's not about the hip. It's the fragile groin, which is always under stress when skating.

They needed a pure 40+ goal guy. Heatley has attitude problems. Gaborik has injury issues. Hossa wanted 12 years. That's all that was available. I guess you take the best out of your options and hope the injury bug does not strike.

Now let's pick up a mean defensive defenseman and we're ready for training camp in September.

Brewhaha

2009-07-01T06:59:00.004-04:00

Didn't that fourth inning just about sum up this losing streak, which is now at five?

Fernando Martinez hit his first career homerun. Too bad is came in the same game where he literally fell on his face in centerfield with the bases loaded, leading to a 4-run play capped by Johan throwing the ball away. Send the kid down.

Speaking of Johan, for how many starts in a row are we going to hear about him not having his best stuff? You wonder exactly how much of a pass he is going to get with every start in which he lacks his one-time pinpoint control, which are coming at an alarming rate. Walking a pitcher? Haven't we had enough of that after Sunday night? I guess some credit goes to Ryan Braun, who really went down to get that low pitch and hit it well to clear the bases.

I want my .300 hitting, 25+ HR David Wright instead of .350 slap hitter David. He hit one that was vintage David, outta here to right-center. The only positive of the night. The kid hitting the homerun in the ninth followed a double play- whoop-de-damn-doo at that point.

***

Frankly, I though Scott Gomez was untradeable, but it happened. This is a great move, even if we got a bag of peanuts in return. No disrespect to Gomer, who I didn't mind in his time here, but the salary was just way too much in this cap era.

However, it's July 1. The worst day of the year. Who will the Rangers overpay this year now that they have a little cap room?

A Game Of Redeeming Features

2009-06-30T07:26:00.003-04:00

After seeing this McGehee fellow, one had to wonder, "who the hell is this guy?" We got to know Mr McGehee very well last night. First he one-upped Luis Castillo on a dropped pop up- it was easier than Luis' attempt, although did not happen with two out in the ninth inning. Too bad Castillo's miscue did not happen in the top of the ninth a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps he would have had the chance to redeem himself with a grand slam in the bottom half. Sure. Luis Castillo? Never mind Luis, how about a MET homerun?

Granted, the Mets did come up with a nice little ninth inning rally last night. That was quickly snuffed by one pitch from Trevor Hoffman, who induced Brian Schneider (who seems to get juiced up when he finds two men on base) into a game ending double play.

Then there's news like this on Beltran. The Mets are overly optimistic when it comes to injuries, and the Post is doom and gloom. Can we find any middle ground here?!?

On a side note, while the Mets were being knocked around in Milwaukee, I was running the old Shea bases at Citi. I was at the Mets new home for a company party in the Caesars club, and I must say, if you have a special occasion and want to hold an event, the place works. How much it costs to rent for a few hours I have no idea. However, if you are in charge of ordering the food for your party, please do not pick Flan for dessert.

Painful

2009-06-29T06:37:00.004-04:00

The inflatable raft that's been holding us up has a hole. We are not going to be able to stay afloat much longer. This weekend has brought us a reality check. You can only go so far with a bunch of backups comprising your starting lineup every night. Talk about a weak end to the homestand.

The thing to be worried about all of this is the mental errors. Backups or not, some of the stuff we have seen recently just should not happen. I know Daniel Murphy is learning a new position. But I believe his situation is hopeless. He is a third baseman. We have one. Trade him. Ike Davis is making his move in the minors and could be ready to play here in 2011. Get something for Murph now while he is young. The window to deal him might have passed, if it has not already.

Have I asked to send Fernando Martinez down? It's painful to watch him fall behind 0 and 2. You know what's going to happen. Swing and a miss at ball 1. Send the kid down. I don't care if he hits the occasional double and looks good in centerfield. Send him down.

Do you think K-Rod wanted to pitch to Jeter because he knew he was at risk of walking Mariano Rivera? As lights out as he's been as our closer this season, you have to look at that walk rate and wonder how much longer he can keep it up. There will be more blown saves in the near future.

Chien-Ming Wang gets his first win of the season. Of course that was going to happen. Although how funny would it have been to see him get injured running to first? Steinbrenner would not have the team play another game unless the DH was mandatory in the National League.

Our savior, Fernando Nieve, is pitching tonight. When are we going to get the reality check on that one?

Gutless, part II

2009-06-27T21:03:00.002-04:00

You are being outscored 29-1 in the last three games vs a team. You get a hit to break up a no-hitter in the sixth inning. Will anyone throw at somebody now? I'm still waiting. We'll be waiting for a while.

And why the hell is Argenis Reyes hitting second??

David Wright should have smacked that Yankee photographer in the front row in the first inning after missing a chance at that popup. He wouldn't. He's David Wright. Mr. Nice Guy. Mr. I pat everybody's behind when they join me at third base.

Jorge Posada needs to just age and retire already. Enough is enough. And to think, in this series, we would have been better off had Derek Jeter been playing instead of Ramiro Pena.

To the person who bought my tickets for last night's game at 200% above face value, I quote the great Mark Messier at his retirement ceremony: "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!"

A Yankee Islander Night

2009-06-27T08:09:00.003-04:00

Two Fridays ago we had an unimaginable loss against the Yankees and the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup. Last night we had a Yankee blowout against the Mets and the Islanders taking significant steps to rebuild their franchise, while the Rangers continue to swim in mediocreville.

Aside from some walks here and there this game was not on Mike Pelfrey. You had to feel bad for him in that second inning when bloop after bloop followed error after error.

This game was so in the bag that I feel asleep at 4-1 in the 7th. The eyes opened at 9-1 in the 9th; what a surprise. Early in the game at 4-0 all you wanted was a hit off C.C. Sabtathia, who was perfect through four.

Brett Gardner is slowly ascending the hate list.

As for the NHL Draft (another night of channel flipping during a Met-Yankee game), this was the first time in years you saw some joy from Islander fans. I like it- it's good for the rivalry. If the Islanders move to Kansas City, where's the fun in that? What would become of Ranger-Island- rather, Rangers-Chiefs games then? It would be no different than Rangers-Nashville.

Stay away from Dany Heatley. The guy run himself out of two cities AND has a bonus payment of four million due in addition to his seven million salary this season? Leave Ottawa with that headache unless they want Wade Redden back.

Guaranteed

2009-06-26T07:12:00.004-04:00

If my ass was in the Promenade yesterday, that ball hit by Yadier Molina goes over Jeremy Reed's head for a two-run double and a 4-3 Cardinal lead. Ryan Franklin comes in and gets the Mets 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9th. If that happened it was only fitting that Pujols got clearly picked off at second base (how can the third base umpire not overrule that play- you could be leaving the bathrooms on the third base side of the Promenade and see that he was clearly out). However, the blown save did not happen. 7/10/08, 7/24/08, 8/7/08, and now 6/25/09. Four weekday matinees I missed or sold, 4-0 record. When I go, 0-6. As of now, I am scheduled to go to camp days 7/30 and 8/5. Anyone want tickets?

How about Fernando Martinez's play in centerfield? Unfortunately he went 0-for-3 to drop his average to .167. Bite the bullet with Jeremy Reed in center for the next week or so (besides, let's see what he can do when given a string of consistent at bats) and send the kid down before his confidence goes down the toilet.

K-Rod just refuses to throw strikes if he does not have to. Sure, he made it scary, putting two men on after striking out the first two batters in the 9th, but it's all part of the master plan. Worked great against the Yankees, until- let's forget about that one- wait, we can't. They're next on the schedule. Can someone please drill Robinson Cano at some point this weekend?

Finally An Easy One

2009-06-25T10:33:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since the Mets had a laugher in their favor. Laugher was the appropriate term, because the Cardinals looked like a little league team the entire second half of the game.

Fernando Nieve continues to throw zeroes and now there should not be any question about him leaving the team or moving to the bullpen once John Maine or Oliver Perez return. He's bought himself at least a few more starts.

Nick Evans looked very comfortable in Citi Field. After all, he was one of the few players invited to take batting practice in the park when it was still a construction site. It's fitting that he hit a homerun in his first start there.

Brian Schneider just missed yet another three-run homerun. Anywhere else that ball would have probably been out. Speaking of robbed by the park, that shot by Pujols late in the game in garbage time- that's outta here anyplace else.

As for more good news, I have sold my tickets to today's workday game. My record in attending these has been less than stellar. I'd have to double-check, but in the last two seasons I believe the Mets have won any weekday home game I missed to complement the 0-fer in those I attended. No blowout or blown saves today, just a good old fashioned victory, guaranteed.

Look, It's Another Met Grounding Out

2009-06-24T07:13:00.002-04:00

Change the backdrop of the game to a splash of orange and blue and last night you have a clone of a game from that fateful final week in September 2007. Being out of the country, I did not know that was Joel Pinero who started that makeup game at Shea. Hell, the only thing I knew about him was the fact that he throws strikes, which is why I picked him up for my fantasy team a few weeks back. The strikeouts were not there, but the sinker was out in full force and the Mets did nothing with it.

The game featured a one-hour rain delay and still ended before most other 7pm starts around the league. Maybe we'll get by tonight without a delay. It has rained in parts of every day this month of June. The Mets have been relatively lucky. This homestand, not so much- we have gotten to know the Citi Field Grounds Crew very well, enough to see them fail to cover the entire field on first attempt last night. That's a tough job.

Elmer Dessens was very efficient in his Met debut, pitching the final two innings as the main guys in the bullpen were able to get a much needed couple of days. That's about the only positive in this one.

Series Opener Killers

2009-06-23T07:06:00.004-04:00

The Mets won their fourth- what should have been sixth- straight series opener last night. With news of Carlos Beltran off to the DL, hope seems lost. However, this is the National League East. After the win, the Mets are only a game and half out.

Fernando Tatis was told before the game he would be the man and get more playing time. Too bad his first two at bats were ground ball double plays. He just needs some confidence after being put on the back burner with the arrival of Sheffield and playing only against lefties.

Daniel Murphy has been hitting. Yesterday, he showed some power, another good sign.

Omir Santos and Luis Castillo went 7 for 7 combined. Castillo showed some pop- from the left side, a sight you never see. He even looked like his Florida Marlin self with a sparkling defensive play up the middle.

Chris Duncan looked like some scary dude when he was waiting to hit. Good thing Jerry left Switzer in there to face the righty pinch hitter in the 8th. And how can we forget about the following at bat? Brian Stokes inducing a huge 1-6-3 doubplle play from Albert Pujols, who put on a show in BP, but did nothing in the game. There are still three more games though.

The goal is to stay afloat. Asking the rest of the teams in the division to stay mediocre would help. Stay within striking distance, hope the injured return, and get ready for a crazy September.

Excruciating

2009-06-21T18:55:00.004-04:00

The game itself was a 3:55 affair, add to that an umpire and rain delay which gives you a very long Father's Day at Shea- I mean, Citi. Pick a random at bat in the game and there's a good chance the batter had a three ball count.

The downfall of Bobby Parnell continues. The very next inning after Brian Schneider hits his second three-run homerun of the series to give the Mets a lead, Parnell gives it right up, failing to retire a batter. Remember that stellar ERA he had just a few weeks ago? It's now up to 5.00 on the season. The Mets were fortunate the inning did not turn out to be worse had it not been for the boneheaded move by Carl Crawford trying to steal third with nobody out.

Sean Green also looked like the Sean Green of April/May, giving up two runs without getting a batter out. The bullpen has imploded. It seems as though the loss of Putz was indeed significant despite the way he pitched before the injury. Losing him has put everyone else in unfamiliar roles and with the exception of everyday Pedro and a temporary Green revival, everyone else has sucked.

Between the two teams, 13 pitchers threw in this one.

Pretty scary moment with the home plate umpire not feeling well out of nowhere early in the game, and it was actually good news that it was just a back injury. Thoughts of Eric Gregg and John McSherry were on many minds when that happened.

When the top of your lineup goes 11 for 16 like Upton, Crawford, and Longoria did today, you should not lose, period. Now that you are out of town, we would like to see more of that the next time you arrive via LaGuardia- in the Bronx.

Fernando Nieve, our #2 starter? After today's effort by Mike Pelfrey, that seems to be the case.

And So It Goes

2009-06-21T11:44:00.002-04:00

For the second straight series, the Mets win the first game, but lose the second and now face yet another two out of three series loss.

What's there to say about this one? Four hits on the day, with a sleepwalk from the third inning on. Beltran singled in the 9th to give us hope that maybe, just maybe, David Wright would come up with a dramatic game tying 9th inning homerun when you least expect it. Instead he flails away at two pitches in the dirt to end the game. Sigh.

Pedro Feliciano made an appearance yet again. The guy does not get sore. It helps when you throw only a few pitches a day, but damn.

At least Johan was Johan again. However it was the same story with him as earlier in the season. Locked into a pitcher's duel, and coming out on the short side.

John Who?

2009-06-20T07:57:00.003-04:00

Fernando Nieve continues to roll. John Maine, take your time coming back. Fine, I've been a little hard on Maine the past few days, but he spoiled us in 2007 with that good season. Our expectations were for him to at least repeat or better that season. He simply has not been doing that the last year and a half. Right now, he's just another 5th starter. Until he starts popping high fastballs in the 90s again, there no sense to get excited about a possible return anytime soon.

Brian Schneider just might be getting hot at the right time. He needs to take the catcher job and run with it. Leave Omir on the bench for that big pinch hit late in the game. It seems like it's the only time he gets hits on a consistent basis.

Good move in calling up Nick Evans for Fernando Martinez. Evans could have easily made the team out of spring training, but struggled mightily when sent down. He was not even an option earlier in the season. In the last month, he's been tearing up AA, so it was finally time. In addition, unlike with F-Mart, he does not have to play every day.

Sean Green, your new 8th inning man. Although you can't help but wonder if Putz and Wagner can find their pre-surgery selves and return to action for September. Another lefty in the pen would be nice. Can we win a game without stress so we don't have to run Feliciano out there for the 15th straight game?