Poof

...And watch everything disappear. Two-thirds of it, at least. It being the Mets lead in the National League East, which stood as high as 7 as recently as Sunday afternoon.

No more. We fans may have preferred a September cakewalk to a high-stress pennant race, but on August 31, 2007 we're officially poised for the ladder. After an absolutely vile 4-game sweep at the hands of the Phillies, we've gone from 6 up on Monday to just 2 up heading into a three game series in - where else - Turner Field.

Turner Field? More like, Citizens Bank Park. Aye...

How ironic, how fitting. Give the Phillies credit - they achieved their sudden 4 game bump in the standings by doing exactly what the Mets haven't been able to do all season, completing a key sweep rather than calling it a series at 3/4. 3/4 for the Phillies this week would have meant a still-comfortable 4 game lead for the Mets on August 31. Instead the Phillies took care of business, and a sweep blew the NL East race back up. None of this even keel, winning series bs; the 'Fightins went in for the kill.

How fitting because with the Mets season at least hanging pretty close to in the balance, the next stop is Turner Field. The Mets' personal house of wax. And this weekend's pitching matchups don't exactly favor New York. John Maine - 4-4 with a 5.43 ERA in his last 10 starts - faces off against Tim Hudson - 15-6 on the year - tonight. Mike Pelfrey goes for his first win of the season against 7 losses tomorrow. Glavine pitches Sunday, but it's opposite Smoltz, so you're still worried. And of course, the bullpen, where after another disaster yesterday the number of reliable Met relievers has officially hit rock bottom.

Country Time blew it again yesterday

What a terrible week. The Mets get swept, the Yankees sweep...against the Red Sox, no less. They're probably going to make the playoffs - it's rough.

In sickness and in health, or something like that. Hopefully this weekend will be penicillin, or some sort of other equivalent antidote, to the ear infection that was this week. We're about to see what the 2007 Mets are made of, and while I didn't want it to have to happen this way, I'm kind of excited...

(Photos courtesy ennex.com, atlantaphotos.com, prosportsmemorabilia.com)

A Case Of The Motas

Case of the Motas (n)
- A rare term used only to describe a condition grappled with by pitchers who have reached the pinnacle of ineffectivity. A case of the Motas can strike anyone at any time; the most dependable of relievers can suffer - even only briefly - from one. Cases can be caused by a number of factors, including steroid withdrawal, and general resemblance to Armando Benitez, Mel Rojas, Braden Looper, or Guillermo Mota himself. Some cases, however, are outside of the realm of explanation and can only be considered lamentably open mysteries. Cases are treatable, but due to general unpredictability can never be fully cured. The only way to resist a case of the Motas is to suppress the ailment with simple, quality relief pitching.

****

Feliciano, Heilman, (Wagner?)...even Joe Smith fell prey

Has the entire Mets bullpen suffered a gypsy's curse, infecting innocent and normally/formerly reliable relief pitchers with a sustained "case of the Motas"? Did Duaner Sanchez do something to that cab driver? Aside from put Aaran Heilman on the mound in game 7 last year, did that cab driver do something else to Duaner Sanchez? Has anyone else seen the movie "Thinner"? (Alright that last one might have been a stretch)


I dunno, but I sure wish Willie'd quit leaving Guillermo in for two innings.

A case of the Motas has been enough to spoil many an October dream...


(Photos courtesy stltoday.com, metslifer.blogspot.com, wizznutzz.com...what?!?)

A Tale Of Two Alomars

During the Mets' 4-3 victory over the Dodgers yesterday, catcher Sandy Alomar, Jr., threw out two Dodger baserunners, while also making a nice catch in foul territory on a pop-up near the screen behind home plate. Alomar, who is now 41 years old and in the twilight of his major league career, of course was once an all-star catcher with the Cleveland Indians. This year, he's spent most of his time in triple-A New Orleans, but has teamed up with Mike DiFelice in the past two weeks to form the Mets' replacement catching tandem for the injured Paul Lo Duca and Ramon Castro.

Of course, the last time the surname "Alomar" appeared on the back of a Mets jersey, by the time all was said and done there was not much love for Sandy's younger brother Roberto. Though he managed not to spit on anyone in his year-and-a-half tenure with the Mets, Roberto's gross underachievement could be considered an old puddle of spilled milk next to the refrigerator in the greater mess that was the 2002-2003 New York Mets.

Robbie's tenure in Queens wasn't exactly memorable

Since Roberto's departure in early July '03, the Met relationship with the Alomar family had at least been partially repaired. Sandy Jr.'s father, Sandy Sr., was brought in during the off-season to replace the departed Manny Acta as third base coach, and has hugged and waved his way into Willie Randolph's inner circle.

Now, though, an Alomar actually playing baseball for the Mets has found his way into the hearts of the Shea faithful. Between an excellent block of the plate on Wednesday night and his play behind the plate yesterday afternoon, Sandy Jr. is walking on a solid platform of good graces, where Roberto, through his underwhelming on-field performance, found nothing but empty spaces in the ground, disguised as hard earth only by the ageless leaves-on-top-of-the-hole trick.

Sandy Jr., on the other hand, has brought the Alomar name great honor

Lo Duca and Castro will soon be back, while Alomar and DiFelice will probably return to their day jobs as battery mates to Mets up-and-comers in the big easy. In the meantime, though, see Sandy catch as he continues to atone for the sins of his brother and return the good name of the Alomar clan to a well-received spot in the hearts and minds of Mets fans everywhere.

****

A few other notes from the game yesterday:

-Despite Billy Wagner's recent struggles, how scared were you to see Aaron Heilman come in to close out a one-run game. I guess in Willie's mind he's the next-best option, but he's still pouty Aaron Heilman and he's still given up eight homers this season. A nice double play by Ruben Gotay and Jose Reyes helped close it out for Aaron, but hopefully Billy'll be just fine and I'll never have to hold my breath that long again.

-David Wright is hot like fire. And I don't mean that in the same sense that has probably sent David home with one to many a Staten Island girl in his brief Major League career; he's legitimately scorching at the dish right now. Driving in runs, being at the center of rallies, add in two fine defensive plays on Friday night and that rough April's quickly becoming ancient history. I'm even coming around to the leg kick.

-How about Jeff Conine? We got the guy because he's proven himself to be gritty, clutch, and battle-tested in his long MLB career, and in his first start he hits a clutch double to deep left in the seventh to drive in Wright (who had singled) and give the Mets a 4-2 lead and an insurance run that they would end up needing. I would advocate for Conine's use at first base in a more extended role over Carlos Delgado except for the fact that...

-Delgado, after hitting a typically weak groundball and pathetic pop-up in his first two at-bats on Saturday (both with men on base) and hearing the boo-birds from 50,000 angry Mets fans, responded to a standing ovation of solidarity and came through with a clutch two-run single with two outs in the 5th yesterday, which put the Amazins up 3-0 and sent them rolling toward victory. Carlos is probably relieved he came through; there's a good chance he would have been verbally castrated if his standing O had led to nothing else but the usual weak grounder. It remains to be seen whether fans who had counted on the opportunity to verbally castrate will get their fix; Delgado's still got a few more hits to collect on the road to .250.

It's John Maine vs. the LA zoo's newest polar bear tonight as Maine and the recently-acquired David Wells duke it out on Sunday night baseball. Sadly I'll miss Jon Miller, Joe Morgan, and the rest of the upstanding ESPN Sunday night crew as I'll be singing along to Sweet Home Alabama, Free Bird, and a slew of other masterpieces with Lynyrd Skynyrd and a few others at the Bethel Woods Performing Arts Center.


Despite the reddening of my neck tonight, I'll be thinking thoughts of orange and blue. Hopefully Johnny Maine can catch whatever Oliver Perez had the other night and turn in a strong start to right his post-all star break ship.

(Photos courtesy queenstribune.com, wikimedia.com, lynyrdskynyrddixie.com)

Flushing Willie

Remember "Baghdad Bob"? Also known as Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf, "Baghdad Bob" was the colorful name the American media gave to al-Sahhaf, the former Iraqi Information Minister under Saddam Hussein, when during the early stages of the Iraq war al-Sahhaf could be seen daily on Iraqi television proclaiming that American forces were suffering heavy casualties and soldiers were committing suicide at the gates of Baghdad. Said al-Sahhaf during his last television appearance: "The Americans are going to surrender or be burned in their tanks. They will surrender, it is they who will surrender."

Of course, these things were completely untrue. Baghdad Bob made these claims as American military forces were patrolling the streets only a few hundred yards away from where he was being filmed. Shortly after his last appearance on April 8, 2003, Baghdad fell officially and al-Sahhaf achieved his immortal status as an international joke.

Last night after the Mets 10-inning, 9-8 loss to the Padres, in which Billy Wagner blew a 7-6 lead in the ninth before Aaron Heilman came on to give up a game-winning gopher ball to Adrian Gonzalez in the 10th, Willie Randolph spoke of an "uncharacteristically bad outing" for the Mets 'pen, adding that he "couldn't be too frustrated" by what he apparently took as an abberation.


Despite hitting something of a bump in the road lately, (Wagner gave up the go-ahead run on Tuesday night, as well, before the Mets bailed him out) Billy's been great this season. At this stage, a bad outing from Wagner is uncharacteristic. But right now, him and maybe Pedro Feliciano are the only Met relievers who you feel like you can place any trust in in a close, late-inning situation.

And Willie didn't mention Wagner specifically. After a gut-wrenching loss, he referred to the entire bullpen and spoke of an "uncharacteristically bad outing." Aaron Heilman, the Mets best excuse for an 8th inning setup man, has six losses and has given up 8 home runs. One night after defending Guillermo Mota and saying he'll continue to call on Mota and his 6.28 ERA in crunch time, Willie had the gall to talk about an "uncharacteristically bad outing" for the bullpen.

I don't mean to cross Willie Randolph with a former government operative in one of the more brutish political regimes of the last 20 years, but he's quickly turning into "Flushing Willie." This guy either lives in a fantasy land, or his propaganda-spewing skills really do rival those of Baghdad Bob. I tend to think it's a little of both, because this is ridiculous. The myth about the Mets having a good bullpen needs to be put to bed.

I understand the need, as a manager, to stand by your players; let fans be fans and the media be the media as far as criticism is concerned. But following a painful loss such as last night's for the Mets, it's both insulting and incredibly frustrating to have your team's manager talk about rainbows and butterflies.

It's been clear since the beginning of the season that the Met bullpen isn't what it was last year. We got by in the beginning of the season, largely because Aaron Heilman to that point had only given up 1 or 2 home runs, and because Joe Smith was so lights out. But ever since the league caught on to Smith, Guillermo Mota came back from his steroid suspension, and Heilman's faltered a few more times, the 'pen has been sailing on stormy seas. Some acknowledgement from Willie Randolph that things aren't necessarily all well and good - an admission, for instance, that Mota has sucked it up all season instead of a vow to give him more chances; a slight insinuation, perhaps, that the bullpen needs to step up, instead of a flat out statement that there's absolutely nothing wrong - would be nice.

It's up to the manager to keep a nice lid on things - to keep minor failures from becoming catastrophes, to keep internal club business from becoming back page headlines. But it's also up to the manager to challenge his players, and while I'm sure Willie does a certain amount of that in private, clearly when it comes to the Mets bullpen a few people aren't feeling quite the swift kick to the behind that they should be.

The Mets had no business losing last night's game. It was encouraging to see them twice battle back in the latter half of the game, but when your top starting pitcher puts you in a 6-1 hole and your lineup somehow manages to bail him out with an exciting, 6-run rally capped by a pinch-hit, three-run homer, YOU HAVE TO WIN. Especially after your closer then blows a save and you still manage to come back and tie the game against the all-time major league saves leader.

Blame the bullpen, blame the bullpen. Willie Randolph doesn't have to scream fire and brimstone, but it would be nice to at least see some brutal honesty where it's necessary. The Mets don't have to be run like a totalitarian regime in war time just because their manager knows how to make that happen.

(Photos courtesy cnn.net, writingcompany.blogs.com)

That Sucked

...the part, that is, about me missing last night's see-saw, walk-off Mets victory, to which I had tickets, because my boy burnsie fresh and I decided that there was no way the game wasn't going to be rained out. Whoops. 7:00 came, the skies were clear, the game was on, and we weren't there.

I should have been there last night, but I wasn't

What were we going to do? When 3:00 rolled around and I got off work, it was still raining steadily in Poughkeepsie, as it had been all day. Looking at the New York City weather report, the forecast called for a 70% chance of rain through the evening and pretty much the rest of last night. Curse you, weather.com. I should have trusted the doppler radar.

But you know that if we had chosen to make the 2 hour trip down to the game, by train or car, it would have been rained out. That's just the way it goes. The last time I tried to go to a game with rain clouds in the sky and iffy weather, 3 other friends and I ended up completing a very unsatisfying round trip to Shea after sitting out about 45 minutes of cold mid-April wind and rain in the back rows of the Mezzanine section.

To the game, though. Not a minute after Marlon Anderson's foot crossed home plate and I shot my fist high into the air in celebration of the Mets' 71st victory of 2007, the powerful hook of Boston's "More Than A Feeling" filled my vacant living room with sound, indicating that I had a cellphone call. I knew who it was, but I checked the caller ID on the front anyway. Burnsie fresh.

"Looks like we screwed that one up."

"Yeeeep."

Oh well. I'll take a victory on my couch over a loss in a Shea Stadium seat any day. And this victory was particularly good because it ran counter to just about everything we've come to expect from the '07 Mets, good and bad.

After taking a 4-1 lead, only to watch John Maine (in another shaky outing) and the bullpen give it back, the Padres, already with a 5-4 lead, put runners on 1st and 3rd with nobody out in the 8th, and Aaron Heilman on the mound for the Mets. As I sat down to watch, I feared the worst.

But no. Heilman gets 1 out. Mike DiFelice, Jose Reyes, and Termel Sledge team up to get him a second. Then Carlos Delgado fields a hot smash at 1st on the shorthop and the inning is over. Really? I have a hunch that the bottom of the 8th is going to be special.

Former Met and breakout season having-reliever Heath Bell comes on for the Pads. Ron Darling points out that he's pumped up for his return to Shea, which could go in either of two directions.

It looks like it might go into the one favoring the Mets, as Reyes leads off with an infield single. After stealing second, Luis Castillo moves him to third with a slow chopper, putting the tying run at third with less than 2 outs. In the case of this Mets season, you might as well have declare the inning over and the game lost.

But once again, no. David Wright walks, Beltran's up. He's been on fire lately, but he's still earning my confidence back.

He swings through a slider. Clearly he's trying not to duplicate his ill-fated matchup with Adam Wainwright. A ball, a called strike, and a few foul balls later, the count stands at 1-2, and I can visualize Beltran's at-bat going in either of two directions. Beltran singles sharply to left, Reyes scores, and my confidence is back. That was so...easy. Where has that been...all...season?

It's a good thing Beltran didn't hit a home run, because Julio Franco is no longer around to have made him give a curtain call. That could have gotten ugly.

Who knows. All I know is that one thing stayed true to form last night, and that was Carlos Delgado's inability to hit a high fastball. A Delgado strikeout and a Moises Alou groundout later, the game remains tied and we're going to the ninth.

Once again conventional wisdom proves foolish as Billy Wagner is very lights on, losing all control and loading the bases with one out on a single, a four pitch walk, and a hit batsman. Billy escapes the inning allowing only one run on a Kevin Kouzmanoff sac fly, but the damage is done. Trevor Hoffman looms, and the Mets need another rally.

5 batters later Marlon Anderson's foot has crossed home plate and the Mets have won a wild one. My phone's ringing and I'm realizing that, as our President has proven, making decisions on "the best available evidence" can sometimes get you into trouble.

There are more WMDs in Iraq than there were raindrops at Shea last night

This was such a vintage 2006 victory, though, that it had to make any Mets fan smile, even one who should have witnessed it in person and didn't. Resiliency. Clutch hitting. The team "picking each other up," as Willie Randolph would have it.

Big ups once again to L Millz, who started the rally off of Hoffman with a sharp single to left. And to Luis Castillo, who with the single to drive in Anderson's winning run continued his role as the 776th living example of why Omar Minaya is God. Lest we forget Anderson, (the 775th living example) who before running across home plate to a jumping mob of black jerseys drove in a clapping L Millz with the tying run.

So close to that elusive 5th victory in a row...

(Photos courtesy allposters.com, cnnsi.com, wisconsinchristiannews.com)

Meet The Ex-Marlins

The Mets yesterday acquired corner infielder/outfielder Jeff Conine from the Cincinnatti Reds, in exchange for single-A shortstop Jose Castro and single-A outfielder Sean Henry.

How could Omar say no to that face?

In addition to giving the Mets a playoff-tested veteran with two World Series rings, the move pushes the number of former Florida Marlins on the team to 8.

Carlos Delgado, Paul Lo Duca, Guillermo Mota, Luis Castillo, Ramon Castro, Moises Alou, Damion Easley and Conine all played for the Marlins at some point between 1997 and 2005. Let me know if I'm leaving anyone out.

Conine is 41 and will probably retire after this season, but in the meantime gives the Amazins a much-needed righty bat off the bench to replace the most-likely-out-for-the-season-with-a-gnarly-high-ankle-sprain Easley. Conine's aforementioned playoff experience should be a tremendous asset, and it appears that he'll take over the Julio Franco role - the savvy and sagely veteran reserve/clubhouse leader - except you might be able to count on him to actually do these things and hit the ball, too.

When Paul Lo Duca and Ramon Castro return from their respective injuries, the Mets will have a bench of Conine, Marlon Anderson, Castro, Ruben Gotay, and either Lastings Milledge or Shawn Green, depending on who starts in right field. Disabled supersub Endy Chavez, who is expected back by the end of the week, will soon be thrown into that mix as well, presumably forcing the Mets into a decison on what to do with Green. Marlon Anderson is clearly a much better reserve, and given the play of Milledge, (.306 with 19 RBI in a not-quite full time role since the all-star break) contrasted with the lackluster productivity of Green (Green has 19 RBIs since May 1) Willie Randolph might be forced to say goodbye to another beloved, underperforming veteran.

Sayonara, Hebrew Hammer?

At the very least the bench will be a far cry from the late June/early July crop of Mets reserves, headlined by Ricky Ledee and the venerable old man Franco. Despite the absence of any blockbuster moves and the lack of reasonably-priced bullpen arms available at the trading deadline, I think it's safe to say that Omar Minaya's done some effective mid-season tinkering.

And despite my negative premonitions, the Mets did actually manage to close out a sweep of Washington this weekend, scoring 6 times in the 8th and 9th on Sunday en route to an 8-2, player of the week honors for Carlos Beltran-earning victory. I'll be at the game tonight if it's not rained out.

(Photos courtesy allposters.com, sfgate.com)

Mets Take 2nd Straight From Washington, Prepare To Pack It In For Meaningless Series Finale

The Mets defeated the Nationals again last night, this time by a score of 7-4 as Luis Castillo's first home run in 674 at-bats and David Wright's two-run double provided solid support for the still so-so Oliver Perez.

Perez gave up 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings pitched, but also surrendered 7 hits and 3 walks, loading the bases in the sixth inning before being pulled. He's been a little iffy since coming off the DL, going 4-2 in 7 starts but giving up 4 or more runs four times. His only truly dominating performance was on July 20 in LA, when he gave up just one run in 7 1/3 innings.

I'm going to be in attendance at Shea for John Maine's start on Tuesday; him and Perez do look worn out, with Maine in the month of August giving up 6 runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Cubbies, 6 in 5 1/3 against the Braves, and a shaky 3 runs in 5 innings against the Pirates last week. Not exactly very becoming from the pitcher whose all-star snub most Mets fans strongly denounced.

Looks now like it's good he got the extra rest. Willie Randolph should really look into finding a way to get Perez and Maine rejuvenated for the stretch run/playoffs - this is really the first serious season for both of them and they're each showing some mileage. (Even when Perez went 12-10 in 2004, he didn't exactly have to pitch in any pressure-packed games late in the season for the Pirates)

After what was possibly the Mets' worst loss of the season (with Guillermo Mota and Aaron Heilman sparking the blowing of a 5-run lead) cost them a sweep against Pittsburgh, the Mets will try again to sweep an opponent for just the fourth time this year today at 1:00. If past history is any indication, expect the Amazins to show up only in body this afternoon, and prepare to force yourself to be okay with just winning 2/3 this weekend. Finishing off an opponent and stringing together more than four wins in a row isn't important and the only thing that matters is winning series. Right Willie?

El Duque, fresh off a ballsy 130 pitch outing against the Bucs, matches up against Shawn Hill in just over an hour at RFK. Peace

(Photo couresty of gettyimages)

Giambi Gets Let Off The Hook

This really has nothing to do with the Mets, but sadly steroids in baseball has become an issue that transcends fan allegiances. Besides, Jason Giambi could have gotten his steroids from Kirk Radomski. Who knows.

Jason Giambi, in a rarely seen 2002 file photo

Bud Selig today effectively pardoned Giambi, as the onetime Yankee first baseman/currently injured Yankee DH was told that in return for being nice to George Mitchell, he'd face no disciplinary action from Major League Baseball in its ongoing steroid investigation.

Bud's message? Tell us who else did steroids, and you won't get in trouble for doing steroids. Sounds simple enough. Giambi, who once waded through a dirty creek because his canoe got stuck in its far reaches without a paddle, has gone from facing potentially serious disciplinary action (wasn't there a legal component, as well?) to being a free man. Whenever that BALCO guy gets out of prison he might even be able to hook Jason up with some HGH.

More accurately I think this is a subtle and reluctant admission by Selig that the whole steroid business is his fault too. Although he seems like a proud yet fragile, self-righteous yet hush-hush kind of guy, and has thus far displayed terrible leadership in the midst of a sticky situation for baseball by accepting absolutely no responsibility for the steroid mess, as much as he'd like to throw the players under the bus here he knows that he can't punish anyone for doing something that was a) legal at the time it was done, b) turned a total blind-eye to by Major League Baseball's owners and administrators, and c) effectively encouraged by those same owners and administrators for as long as baseball was able to get away with it.

Bud's backed into a corner

Jason Giambi did steroids while everyone did steroids because they could and it made them richer, all while they were conveniently left alone to make their own decisions, because their own decisions were making their bosses richer too. Bud wasn't so pouty about steroids when they were filling seats and raising revenues.

I'm no Giambi fan. I think he's a sellout who, 'roids aside, in 2001 could have gotten much richer, but instead got much much richer and went from being a long-haired, cool, tatted-up rebel in Oakland who did steroids to yet another plain, cookie-cutter Yankee conformist who did steroids.

Daaamn homey. In Oak-town you was the maaan homey. The f#$@ happened to you?

But he deserves to be left alone here. Bud Selig would go after every guilty roider if he could, but he knows he can't. He had to "pardon" Giambi. And he should probably realize that if the investigations ever end and everyone else who played Major League Baseball in the late 90s is publicly indicted for using steroids, after he's forced to pardon many more Giambis for only doing what all the other cool kids were doing, people might shift their anger over tainted records and a fake home run boom from Major League Baseball's players to its power structure. At which point he'll be the one stuck up a dirty creek without a paddle.

Selig's a worm. Never liked him. He made the right decision today, but only because he had to.

(Photos courtesy thediamondangle.com, karendecoster.com, cnn.net)

More Chinks In A Very Dented Piece Of Armor

Who feels good about the chances that the 2007 Mets will win the World Series? Who feels good about the chances the 2007 Mets make it to the World Series? Who thinks the 2007 Mets can win the National League East? Who's confident that the 2007 Mets will make the playoffs? Where's the Zogby Poll when you need it?

Well, fans, has our season come? Stupid, over-confident marketing slogans aside, what are we supposed to think after our team for the fourth time this year drops 2 of 3 to one of two teams currently within 3 games of us in the division, then promptly loses another series to the second-worst team in the division to complete a 2-4 homestand? Quick: what's the Mets longest winning streak this season?

That's right, 4 games. Which, first of all, is outdone by the Mets' longest losing streak (5). Then there's the part about how the team that certainly prances around like the class of the National League hasn't been able to string together a winning stretch longer than 4 games.

Willie Randolph is a wuss. Jose Reyes loves himself. The number of truly reliable relievers in the bullpen has dwindled to two (Wagner and Feliciano). John Maine actually does look like the 1997 version of Bobby Jones. Shawn Green still starts sometimes in right field. Running down the list of problems with the Mets right now, I feel like Scarface in Half-Baked in that scene when he quits his job at the fast food restaurant.

He didn't look as happy in the scene I'm talking about

F*$% you, f*$% you, f*$% you, f*$% you - you're cool David Wright - f*$% you Guillermo Mota, f*$% you and I'm out. What's up and why does this team seem to have a chronic inability to rise to the occasion?

Consider ourselves mired, in two plus months now of mediocrity. On May 31, the Mets were 34-18; 16 games over .500. On August 15, the Mets are 66-52; 14 games over .500. Speaking of .500, that means for over half the year we've been no better than a .500 team. Good thing we got off to a good start.

The Mets are teetering on a breaking point, where the optimist turns into the apologist, and negativity becomes realism. Just as the orange and blue's record since May 31 bounces back and forth over the .500 mark, so does the team itself, over this thin line.

People you love do really disappointing things sometimes, and you get angrier at them because you love them and it's all the more irritating and hurtful when they screw up. Along the same lines, the worst kind of angry frustration is usually directed at wasted potential. I'm trying to form an analogy to describe why I continue to get mad at the Mets this year.

Maybe we need Pedro. Maybe we really can't win without Endy Chavez. Maybe our season just hasn't come. I do realize that I've completely ignored an exciting, 5-4 win against the Pirates last night. But that's because they're the Pirates, and exciting, 5-4 wins against last place teams don't always make up for total failure against division rivals.

I'm mindful, too, of the fact that I've presented only the most negative things about the 2007 Mets that I could think of. Remember, though, that dogging your team endlessly until they win in spite of you worked for that fan in Major League II.

"You're all garbage, allaya! Back up the truck, back it up!"

(Photos courtesy answers.com, geocities.com/blowsgoatsfq/h-baked/scarface.jpg)

Out Of Town And Out Of Action

Sorry for the lack of postage, but I'm actually out of town right now. I'm on a remote island off the Maine coast, my access to the internet is limited, and it's been hard for me to get a chance to post anything. I will be back in New York on the 15th, at such time as I will get Bleeding Blue and Orange back up and running.

For the meantime, no matter where you are, Mets fans everywhere will be engaging tonight in a mass hair-pulling out in response to another series loss to the Atlanta Braves. I don't even hate that team that much anymore; the Mets just can't seem to not suck against them. 4 for 12. A good batting average over the course of a three game span, sure, but a terrible winning percentage - against your division rival or any other team. Aye.

Of 300 wins, congratulations Tom Glavine. You've earned it, and you might be the last pitcher to ever perform this impressive feat. Of 756 home runs, (now 757) I'm convinced that Barry Bonds intentionally tanked last week's series in LA so that he could set the record in San Francisco. Whatever the case, after my wish for Bonds to suffer a career-ending injury on homer no. 754 and be forced to pull a Bernie Mac in Mr. 3000 failed to come true, I guess I'll just have to live with baseball's new home run king* and his toxic personality. Aye. Of 500 home runs for A Rod - congratulations, Alex - maybe now you'll stop hating yourself.

I'll bother with a lengthier rant when you club no. 800

Good to see Pedro pitch last night in a real live, professional baseball game for Port St. Lucie. He struggled, but he probably could have topped Bobby Jones' - er, John Maine's - shoddy outing this afternoon at Shea. Stats aside, the real important thing for Pedro at this point is to get loose and stay on track for a major league return by the end of the month, when he'll have to come back to be eligible for the post-season.

Maybe with Pedro, the Mets will be able to win a series against the Braves in September. Maybe not. I don't think the inferiority complex is back - the Mets know they're better than Atlanta, and the same roster of players (just about) dominated the Bravos all last year. We just need to not suck. Maybe it'll happen in time for us not to get bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

Happy Thursday, everyone; I'll be back with my next post on the 15th. Don't forget about the mass hair-pulling out - tonight at 7. Cheers!

(Image courtesy allposters.com)

Dear Ryan Dempster:

Dear Ryan Dempster:

As the Mets prepare to start game 2 of their series against your Chicago Cubs, I write - on the further behalf, I'm sure, of many fans and other members of our organization - to express my sincere gratitude toward you for all you have done to contribute to another winning season this year for the New York Mets.

Without your assistance, our team's record could be at least 2 games worse, our National League East lead in the midst of a pennant race potentially 2 games smaller. Without your assistance, two dramatic Mets victories might have been two dramatic/disappointing Mets losses; the way things have turned out is undoubtedly preferable.

You have contributed to comebacks and tie-breaking rallies, in both cases insuring that our team won important games. You have twice awoken the frequently dormant Carlos Delgado; your ability to coax 2-out hits out of the Mets as no one else can is uncanny. You have been a critical asset to our success and taught the players on our team more about clutch hitting, more about late-inning scoring, than any coach, player, or other person of influence can consider. You have performed feats no other party has managed, and even Keith Hernandez is dumbfounded.

As our teams prepare to do battle yet again this afternoon, I should once again like to say thank you, Ryan Dempster - you've done more for us than we ever could have imagined and twice taught us for once what it is like to be on the giving end of an Armando Benitez-like outing from a Major League closer. Know what I'm sayin'?

We truly appreciate your efforts, Mr. Dempster, and may God Bless America. Let's go Mets, no?

Sincerely,



Omar Minaya
General Manager
New York Mets National League Baseball Club

(Photo courtesy images.sportsnetwork.com)

Disconcerting

It's the bottom of the 8th inning at Miller Park. There's one out and 2 runners on with the Mets up by a run over the Brewers, and Bill Hall is at the bat facing Guillermo Mota. Hall rips a first-pitch changeup into the left field corner and over the fence for a game-tying, ground-rule double. The crowd at Miller Park is making some serious noise and the Brewers go on to win in 13 on a walk-off homer.

Who else just got a haunting premonition of the 2007 Division Series, Game 3?

It's been clear for quite awhile that the Mets simply are not the same squad as they were last year. 2-1 after Glavine leaves in the 7th gives you feelings of leeriness, as opposed to confidence.

Glavine gave himself a chance to win no. 300 last night, but the bullpen couldn't hold on

But what can you even do? The Mets desperately needed bullpen help at the trading deadline. Desperately. It's been clear for quite awhile that one key reason the Mets are not the same squad as last year is a shakier bullpen. I chronicled the foibles of the Met bullpen in another post last month, and after I named Joe Smith, Pedro Feliciano, and Billy Wagner as the only truly reliable arms in the Mets' pen, since then Smith has been demoted to triple-A New Orleans, Feliciano has been between shaky and unreliable, and Wagner has remained just about the only constant.

So Omar Minaya, after acquiring Luis Castillo on Monday from the Twins, was busting it trying to get a good relief pitcher before 4 pm yesterday. Chad Cordero (2.60 ERA, 22 saves) and Eric Gagne (2.16 ERA, 29 strikeouts in 33 innings) were both on the table, among others. Neither is currently wearing a Mets uniform.

You could crucify Minaya for not doing anything, but then again, how can you? The Rangers and Nats each wanted 2 of Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber, Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, and Fernando Martinez - all for a relief pitcher, and in Gagne's case all for a relief pitcher who would have walked at the end of the year because he wants to close.

Gagne hasn't forgotten his streak of 84 consecutive saves

As far as other relievers go, trading is about upgrading. How many other available lefty set-up men out there were better than Pedro Feliciano? How many righties were better than Aaron Heilman, or even Mota or Smith? Anything the Mets could have had for less than one of more of their five best prospects wouldn't even have been a significant addition.

It just sucks, and it just puts more pressure on the Mets existing 25 to realize more than 75 percent of their potential. 85 and we might be running away with the division again. But we're at about 75; less on some days. This point has been hammered home all season by Mets fans everywhere, and if anything the relative non-action of the trade deadline for the Mets just hammers it home again.

A rejuvenated Joe Smith, after he returns from New Orleans, along with a debugged Feliciano, a more consistent Heilman, and Billy Wagner should be a fine bullpen. The batting order's fine. The rotation is good, even without Pedro. The bench is solid. The 2007 Braves, plus Mark Teixiera and Octavio Dotel, are still not as good on paper as the 2007 Mets. Neither are the Phillies; picking up Kyle Lohse (6-12, 4.58 ERA) was an upgrade for their starting rotation.

As far as the Dodgers, Padres, D'Backs, Cubs, and Brewers go, should any of these teams be better than the Mets? Ask yourself.

Yes, that's right. But to strike out Bill Hall in the 8th and go on to win Game 3 of the Division Series at Miller Park, something still needs to change.

From within.

(Images courtesy chrisoleary.com, hometown.aol.de)