Usually, it isn’t until after the All Star break, when we need to combine series to come up with 3 Ups and 3 Downs. This week was an exception with the Mets winning 2 out of 6 games against the Chicago White Sox & the Pittsburgh Pirates. Unless the Met offense wakes up real soon, we’re going to be in for a long season. Sorry to say, a first baseman batting .190 in the middle of May does not belong on the big club. Anyway here are this week’s 3 & 3.

Harvey Winless Twice: On Tuesday night Matt Harvey pitched a gem. It’s pretty safe to say we will probably never again see another nine inning, one-hit shutout, with the starter leaving the game getting a no decision. It was a darn shame the Met offense couldn’t squeeze out a run for Matt on Tuesday. On Sunday, Matt was once again very masterful. At this point it appears that young Mr. Harvey may be lone Met to make the All Star Game at Citi Field.

Robin Returned: One of my all time favorite Mets, Robin Ventura returned to Flushing. It was great to see Robin, who was one of the great Met leaders from 1999-2000. All the best to Ventura and the White Sox.

Baxter’s Big Hit: Mike Baxter is starting to remind me of Rusty Staub, with his pitch-hitting skills. It was Baxter who had the game-winning hit in Tuesday night’s game, driving in Marlon Byrd in the bottom of the tenth inning, and not totally wasting Harvey’s one hitter.

Offense Is AWOL: Where was the Mets offense this week? 28 strikeouts in the last two games alone? Outscored 21-7 in their last three losses to the Bucs? This team is in huge trouble here. Other than Wright, who are the established hitters? Buck and Murphy are in horrendous slumps, Ike Davis should be in Area 51, and not Flushing… I could give a rat’s behind what he did last season, he’s done squat this year and his team is losing. I don’t even want to get into the “who will replace him argument.”

Niese Not Nice: For the second start in a row Jon Niese looked horrible. Niese’s role this season is to be a front of the rotation pitcher and the Mets were banking on that. It hasn’t been happening so far in May. Niese needs to get his act together. They tell me the Met’s farm is ripe with good, young arms (I’ve heard this before). If the hype is to be believed, Niese may find himself as a back end guy.

Talk Of Change: Naturally, as the team struggles, people want to see Terry Collins replaced. In my 40 years of watching baseball, other than a handful of player-managers, I’ve never seen a manger, swing the bat in a game. I like Terry Collins, but this disaster isn’t on Terry. Does the GM even go to the games? Does he see the garbage he’s assembled? First base is a black hole. The outfield is a disaster, the bullpen has been better, but still stinks. I’ve said it before, Sandy needs to get some bats in here. He needs to stop the skid, and stop it now. Firing Terry isn’t the answer, whoever the new guy is will still be stuck with the same awful hand.

Old NL East rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, will be hosting the Mets for a four game set beginning tonight. The Cardinals are a true example of how an MLB franchise should be run. Sandy and the Wilpons should take notes. As usual, Lets Go Mets!!

Today, I’m going to stray from my usual 3 Up & 3 Down to write an entry that has been kicking around in my head for quite sometime now. This entry is about the first owner of the New York Mets, Mrs. Joan Whitney Payson.

One SNY feature, the only one I consider to be worth watching, is Mets Yearbook. In one particular episode, the year was 1963, they showed the final game at the old Polo Grounds, with Mrs. Payson and Casey Stengel on the field. As I watched, I thought of how remarkable a woman Mrs. Payson was – a woman clearly ahead of her time – and how the Mets will never have another owner as good and as wonderful as she was. Just watching all the video clips of her it was so apparent that Mrs. Payson truly loved her Mets, and it was just as apparent that Met fans loved her back.

When was the last time we saw a Mets owner sitting in the stands with the fans, rooting for our team? Whether eating a hotdog or enjoying a box of Cracker Jacks, there she was sitting with the rest of us and rooting for the team. She wasn’t isolated in an “owners box”, but instead enjoyed being with her people, Mets fans, and enjoying the game with them.

Before taking ownership of the Mets, Mrs. Payson was a shareholder of the New York Giants. In fact, Mrs. Payson tried all she could to talk Horace Stoneham out of moving the Giants to San Francisco. Mrs. Payson, and M. Donald Grant both voted against the Giant’s move. When the National League finally agreed to expansion and awarded a baseball team to New York, Mrs.Payson become the first woman ever to own a baseball team, and they couldn’t have made a better choice.

Mrs. Payson then went about the business of hiring the best baseball people available at the time. She also didn’t meddle and always allowed all of them to do their job. With 50 years of hindsight, the early Mets were a stroke of genius. New York was starving for National League baseball and Mrs. Payson and some other key people brought it back to us.

The Mets also brought back as many former Giants and Dodgers as they could to bring a hometown feel and familiarity to the team. They scooped up the most successful manager in the game in Casey Stengel. They then let the stars of the past play, while beginning the work of assembling an awesome farm system.

The 1969 Mets were amazing for several reasons. First off, before 1969 they never finished in the top of the standings and in fact were perennial cellar dwellars. Second, and even more amazing is that seven years after inception, the Mets were champions. In the pre free agency era, this truly was a miracle.

I became a Met fan in 1973. Sadly Mrs. Payson died in October of 1975, so I have very few memories of her. But to me, the thing that was so striking about her was her genuine, heartfelt love for all the Mets players, coaches and fans. I doubt we’ll ever see anything like it, or anyone like her, ever again. That my friends, is too bad.

Happy Mothers Day to all the remarkable women in your lives.

Two teams that are undergoing a rebuilding process, the Mets and Marlins, hooked up for a three game series in Miami with Fish winning two and the Mets salvaging the finale. Most Met fans realize (I think) we’re looking at 2015 and beyond. While Marlins fans remain shellshocked by the stripping down of their team in only their second season in a new ballpark, Mets fans may need seven years or more before we can begin to talk about things like championships and pennants. Here are the 3 & 3 from this series, with a unique 3 Down, all occurring in a single inning.

Jordany Juices One: Jordany Valdespin gets the top slot with his pinch-hit three-run homer on Wednesday afternoon. JV1l is an exciting ballplayer who brings both speed and power to the plate. You have to wonder, with the Mets offense struggling the way it is, why Valdy isn’t getting more playing time.

A Gem By Jeremy: On Tuesday night, Jeremy Hefner took a shutout into the ninth inning before being undone by poor umpiring and poor catching (more on that below). Big question here is why did Terry even take Hefner out in the ninth inning?

Harvey Hangs In: Matt Harvey did not look sharp in Monday night’s series opener. Much to Matt’s credit though, he hung in there, bore down, and gave the Mets a quality start. That’s what front of the rotation pitchers do.

Where Was Bobby: Going back to the Hefner start on Tuesday night, if I’m the manager Bobby Parnell pitches in that ninth inning. I don’t care what he did the night before, he’s my closer. He’s a young guy who doesn’t need to be babied and he needed to be out there. End of story.

Time To Retire Tim: In the ninth inning Tuesday night, third base umpire Tim McClelland clearly missed the call. The base runner’s foot was clearly off the bag and Wright tagged him out. The SNY replay even went so far to show that McClelland was out of position to make the call. Let’s also give a thumbs down to Keith & Gary who at first thought McClelland got the call right and quickly reversed themselves. McClelland has been an ump for 30 years, and it may be time to say good bye.

What A Reck: The ninth inning yet again on Tuesday night!! Recker was charged with a passed ball, then was unable to block the game winning wild pitch. Recker hasn’t had too much playing time this season, so it’s somewhat understandable. Here’s what I don’t understand… Why didn’t Terry change the battery in the ninth? According to Josh Lewin on WFAN, John Buck wanted to play, and was doing leg exercises in the clubhouse before the game. Maybe it’s me, but when the team is struggling and taking a lead into the ninth inning, I want my best guys out there.

Well, the fun is just starting as the Mets head to the house of horrors known as Turner Field on Friday, and a smoking hot Atlanta Braves team. Lets hope for the best, but expect the worse, and oh yeah, Let’s Go Mets!!

In last weekend’s edition of 3&3, I cautioned to watch out for a Dodger’s team that was struggling. That warning should have been extended to this weekend’s series with the Phillies as well. Against two teams that have been struggling, our Mets finished 1-5. Looks like our team is fast becoming a cure to another team’s slump.

3 UP

• Kyle’s Complete Game: We don’t like giving and “Ups” to the opposition, especially the Phillies, but let’s be fair, Kyle Kendrick pitched a heck of a game on Friday night (complete game, three hitter). Kendrick was so good, every Met at-bat looked as if the Mets had 10PM dinner reservations.
• Jon & Gee Deserved Better: Dillon Gee looked pretty good on Friday until he hit a bump in the road in the sixth inning. Aside from that he pitched well. That’s two consecutive good outings for Gee. On Sunday, Jon Niese also deserved a better fate, but sloppy play and a lack of offense did him in. That’s too bad, both Niese and Gee pitched good enough to win.
• We Lost Our Edge: Josh Edgin, who in my opinion needed to go, was sent to Binghamton. Mets’ brass say they wanted to keep him close, but I’m betting they wanted him to avoid the heavy hitting in the PCL. Terry Collins was quoted as saying he wants Edgin to be able to get here fast. Okay. I can’t think of a good reason the Mets would need a pitcher so quickly that they couldn’t wait for him to fly in from Vegas. Then again, it’s kind of messed up to have your AAA team on the other side of the country.

3 Down

• Diddley From Davis: Seems like a series doesn’t go by that we don’t mention the lack of productivity from Ike Davis. We gave him a break last year, what with the broken ankle, and the Rocky Mountain Fever, but come on, through the first month of the season Davis has done nothing. The Mets tell us 2014 err 2015 is supposed to be the year, but will, or should Davis still be here? The Mets may not be saying anything in public, but privately, they have to be worried. You can’t have your first baseman sleepwalking through April and May year after year.
• Busted Bullpen: In Metland they talk about how the Mets lead the league in runs scored. Then they say how bad the bullpen has been, which is why we are now three games under .500. Is it expecting too much for a guy to come into the game for one inning, or one batter, and be effective?! This bullpen is beyond a joke, and a complete disaster. It’s a reality horror show.
• Two Games, Six Hits: This weekend series featured two games in which the Mets mustered only three hits. In all fairness, the Phillies have some good pitching, but come on already. The Mets need to amp it up and stop relying on John Buck every night. Ike has been horrible, Murph’s bat has cooled off, Wright has just two home runs, and there has been terrible production from the outfield save Jordany Valdespin. The Mets need to produce every day, and everyone needs to start contributing.

The Mets now head south to visit fellow doormats, the Miami Marlins. Matt Harvey will pitch the opener tonight, but after that who know’s what to expect.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were in town this week, taking 2 out of 3 games against the Mets. This was a fun series, that pictured two well pitched games on Wednesday and Thursday. I’ll even go so far as to say Wednesday night’s game was one of the most enjoyable ball games I’ve watched in a while.

Where’s The Spin: No doubt about who would lead of this edition. Jordany Valdespin wins the only game the Mets took in the series and then tells reporters afterward that the team won the game because of Mike Baxter‘s hustle. Nice. But, how come he was not in the lineup after hitting a dramatic game winning grand slam home run in the tenth inning the previous night?

Wright On: Wright gets a nod for his game tying hit in the ninth inning on Wednesday night. Wright did exactly what a captain should do. The Dodgers had some mojo going after Jerry Hairston‘s great catch on Daniel Murphy. Wright stepped up, two out Baxter on third and promptly laces a single to center. So much for the non-clutch label.

Heff Deserved Better: Jeremy Hefner pitched a gem on Thursday afternoon, going seven innings, giving up one run, three hits, and four strikeouts. Job well done, Jeremy. Unfortunately, he got no run support. Let’s hope he can string some back to back quality starts together.

Mattingly’s Moves: In the ninth inning of Wednesday night’s game, Donny Baseball decide to use an extra infielder, and play with only two outfielders. The problem I have with this, is it took way too long for the Dodgers to get set on defense. As Ron Darling mentioned on SNY, Terry should be out complaining about the delay. Second head-scratcher from Mattingly was using his ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw as a pinch hitter to bunt. I get it, Kershaw is a very good bunter. But, the Dodgers pitching staff has been hit hard with injuries, so why risk getting your ace injured on a bunt play? Is Donny that desperate to save his job?

Post Game Celebrations: Joe D. had a post here on Thursday about the pie in Valdespin’s face on Wednesday night being a cheap shot. Looking at it live, I didn’t realize it, but then saw Joe was 100% correct upon further review. There was more behind the pie incident than we fans will ever know about. Joe called for an apology, was criticized for it, but that’s exactly what Valdespin and the team got. Buck assembled them all before yesterday’s game and apologized to the team and then turned to Valdespin and said he was sorry in Spanish. Valdespin accepted, shook hands with Buck, and the matter is over. I don’t like the pie in the face, and I also don’t like the entire team crowding around home plate after a walk off home run like a bunch of little leaguers.

Where’s His Edge: On Tuesday, sophomore reliever Josh Edgin worked 1/3 of an inning, giving up four hits and two runs. On the season Edgin is 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA. Not good enough. His fastball has no life, his slider is flat, and it may be time to consider a trip to Vegas because he is not helping the team right now.

The Phillies are in town this weekend. Chase, Ryan, Cole, J-Roll….all our old friends enemies . Lets hope for the best, and Let’s Go Mets.

Baseball is such a great sport. There is something for everyone, offense, defense, strategy, statistics, history and pitching. I’ll take a well pitched game over a slugfest any day. When you look at the Washington Nationals starting rotation, you just got to love what you see: Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez (one of my favorites), Jordan Zimmermann, and Dan Haren. This is a team with the potential go on a super long winning streak. Looking at this series, we knew Friday night’s Stephen Strasburg vs. Matt Harvey game was going to memorable, then looking at Saturday & Sunday, the Nats had the edge in the pitching match-up. But the Mets were better, taking two of three which is why you have to play the games. Nobody ever wins anything on paper. Here are the 3 & 3 from the series.

Matt-tastic: On Friday night Matt Harvey was yet again spot on, raising his record to 4-0. Harvey gave up one run, and struck out seven, in 7.0 innings of work, besting Stephen Strasburg. The atmosphere at Citi Field was electric on Friday with the fans chanting “Harvey’s Better!” You got to love it. I said it before and it bears repeating – Matt Harvey’s starts are Must See TV.

Duda & Davis Duplicate Dingers: Lucas Duda and Ike Davis both went yard in Friday night’s win not once, but twice! It makes you want to dream about how awesome life would be if they just did that on a more regular basis. Especially Davis who is still struggling and whiffed three times the very next day.

Gee Gets An “A”: In the last 3&3 we got on Dillon Gee, so we’re more than happy to bump him up here, for his great start on Sunday afternoon. When the Mets needed a guy step up, Dillon did just that, tossing 5.2 shutout innings in the Mets 2-0 win over the Nats. Keep up the good work Dillon.

Another Laff-able Outing: Aaron Laffey, we hardly knew ye  After blowing the Mets lead on Saturday afternoon after coming out of the bullpen, the Mets finally had enough of Laffey and designated him for assignment. The Mets recalled Robert Carson to replace him and we hope he proves to be an upgrade. As we mentioned last time out, Laffey has looked overmatched during his short tenure with the Mets. Good luck to him.

No Washington Leadership: Not our elected officials, but on the field for the Nats. Watching Gio Gonzalez struggle Saturday afternoon, I kept waiting for one of the infielders to talk to him, and try to calm him down. It didn’t happen. The great 1986 team that Davey Johnson managed had two on-field leaders with Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter. In recent times we’ve seen David Wright go to the mound and get on big Mike Pelfrey and even Jon Niese. I just don’t understand why Adam LaRoche didn’t try to break the funk Gonzales was in. It worked out great for the Mets though.

Dodger Danger: A struggling L.A. Dodger team comes into Citi Field this week. It seems to me that struggling teams get healthy fast against the Mets. Let’s hope that’s not the case this time. Here’s to seeing the Mets kick the Dodgers while they are down.

It was a great weekend series for the Mets, taking two of three, especially after being swept in Denver. Until next time, Lets Go Mets!!!

As the great Bob Murphy once uttered, “The damned thing is over.” That describes the sentiment as the Mets wrapped up this seemingly never-ending road trip with a four day, three game debacle at the frozen tundra known as Coors Field. I give you a very rare 6 Down and 0 Up edition of this series’ 3 & 3.

THREE DOWN

Gee Whiz: Dillon Gee was ineffective in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader going 4.2 innings and letting up five runs to the hot-hitting Rockies. On the season Gee is now 0-3 with a whopping 8.36 ERA in 14 innings pitched. He’s averaging less than 5 innings per outing and that’s just not good enough.

No Laffey Matter: Aaron Laffey pitched the nightcap on Tuesday, and while he wasn’t as bad as Gee, he does not look like a major league ready pitcher to me. In three starts he now has a 4.52 ERA with just 9.1 innings pitched, averaging about three innings per start. The Mets need to get more out of Laffey, he’s taxing the bullpen for five-plus innings in each of his starts.

Ruben On Awry: What’s going on with Ruben Tejada? Last season Ruben was so good, he had me saying “Jose who?”. Tejada is now producing very little at the plate, and he’s made way too many errors this season and has the worst UZR and fielding percentage among all qualified shortstops as well as leading the majors in errors with six through 14 games. Hey, I get it, it’s cold. But it’s cold for both teams,.

THREE MORE DOWN? (This is madness!)

Oh No, Not D’Arnaud: The official report is a broken first metatarsal of the left foot, in other words his big toe. That’s a tough break for Travis and the Mets and even if he does get back behind the plate before July, we may not see d’Arnaud until the September call ups, and that’s a shame.

Crashed Davis: Ike Davis and his slow starts are starting to get on my nerves. So far this season Ike is batting a smooth .136 with just one homerun, and two RBI. Not exactly what you expect to see from your cleanup hitter after three weeks. Ike was supposed to be the big run producer, but instead has become a big rally killer. And with John Buck now coming back back to earth, 2-for-16, how much longer will the Mets put up with Ike?

This Pen Is Mightier Than Nothing: It was the first time the Mets blew a lead of at least six runs in a loss since August 26, 2008, when they were up 7-0 against the Phillies and lost 8-7 in 13 innings. The Mets’ bullpen had a 13.09 ERA during the three games in Denver compared to 0.77 for the Rockies. Might be time for a big shakeup.

The season gets a lot tougher on this homestand as the Washington Nationals roll into are in this weekend, then the Dodgers come to town. Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets took both games of a weather shortened series against the Minnesota Twins this weekend, with a pair of games that offered something for everyone. If you prefer watching the Met’s offense, Friday night’s game was the game for you as the Mets trounced the Twins 16-5, highlighted by scoring five runs in both the first and second innings. If pitching is more your preference, then Matt Harvey delivered in a big way delivering a stellar performance on Saturday afternoon. Here are the 3 & 3 from this series…

Matt-Tastic: Taking a cue from Joe D., how else can we describe Harvey’s outing on Saturday. He carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and got two outs before giving up a home run to Justin Morneau. Harvey also pitched a personal best eight innings. We are quickly running out of superlatives to use on Matt… He truly is Matt-tastic.

Offense Returns: After looking lackluster in Philadelphia, the Mets offense returned with a vengeance on Friday night. The Mets scored sixteen runs, highlighted by who else, but catcher John Buck who hit a grand slam in the second inning. On Saturday, Marlon Byrd got the offense started with a home run, part of seven consecutive base hits that plated four runs. A good sign here is the Mets are scoring lots of runs despite getting pretty much nothing from Ike Davis.

Murph’s No Smurf: I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Daniel Murphy is a big-time major league hitter. He’s also a pretty decent second baseman now too. On Friday night Murphy had four hits to go with four RBI. Then on Saturday, Murphy was two-for-four with another RBI.

Baby It’s Cold Outside: The snow was flying prior to the start of Friday’s game, and we did see some flurries all during the game. I believe Saturday’s game time temperature was 34 degrees which broke long-standing MLB record. Keith and Gary said that Minnesota baseball fans voted for an open stadium. Be careful what you wish for. The Twins also gave the fans free coffee and hot chocolate on Friday night. Maybe I’m getting old, but I don’t even go to Met games in April because it’s too cold, I can’t imagine watching baseball during a snowstorm.

The Silly Overhang: What’s the deal with that overhang in right field? It’s just like a little shelf hanging over the playing field. It doesn’t provide extra seating, and it just looks dumb. It’s almost as dumb as that silly hill the Astros have in centerfield.

The Reyes Injury: Last week we reported that former Met starter R.A. Dickey was off to a rough start in Toronto. Well, it got even worse for the Blue Jays on Friday night when Jose Reyes injured his ankle sliding into second base. The Jays expect Reyes to be out at least until the All-Star break, and that’s a shame. Get well soon Jose, and Met fans take heart, we aren’t the only team to have trades and free agent signings backfire.

It’s off to the frozen tundra that is Colorado for a four-game set with the Rockies, before the Mets return back home next weekend. As usual, Let’s Go Mets!

Amazing Matt: Matt Harvey pitched the series opener on Monday night, and was spectacular once again. Harvey went seven innings giving up only one run. So far this season Matt is 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA and 19 (yes 19), strikeouts. Truth be told, I missed Monday night’s game in favor of a Fleetwood Mac concert, but it’s becoming pretty apparent that any Matt Harvey start has got to be Must See TV for Met fans.

What The Buck? The John Buck home run parade continued this week, with Buck going yard in all three games. Who would have expected it? It’s the great thing about baseball, expect the unexpected.

What Up Dude? Lucas Duda hit two home runs on Wednesday night, and although Citizens Bank Park is a bandbox, it looked like Duda clobbered the ball both times. This is supposed to be the make it or break season for Duda. Let’s hope he makes it.

Gee Gets an F: Dillon Gee took the mound Tuesday night. Watching him pitch reminded me of the old Bugs Bunny cartoon with the Gas House Gorillas. Gee couldn’t get anyone out, going only three innings and giving up seven runs. It looked even worse than that… Not a good outing at all.

What The Heff? According to our guys on SNY, in his last outing against the Phillies last season, Jeremy Hefner gave up seven runs without retiring a better. In that context, last night’s outing was an improvement. Hefner, like Gee went three innings giving up five runs. The first inning was a horror, but things did get slightly better for Hefner.

Reality Check: After winning two series against the Padres and Marlins, Met fans were riding high. But when the level of competition increased, we got a nasty reality check. Looking at the National League, the “elite” teams are the Nationals, Braves, Reds, Giants, and Dodgers. The weakest teams are our Mets (sorry), the Marlins, Cubs, Padres and Rockies. For the Mets to turn the corner, they have to start winning series from the better teams. As Met fans, this is what we have signed up for. We have to be patient and watch this team evolve. A big thing to watch for is how both Hefner and Gee do in their next outings (Colorado?). Stay tuned.

Off to Minnesota with an 8:00 PM start on Friday, 4:00 PM on Saturday, and 2:00 PM on Sunday.

BUY METS TICKETS!

The Mets concluded the weekend series against the stripped down Miami Marlins with a big walk-off win on Sunday afternoon. The opening homestand ends with the Mets going 4-2 winning both series! Here are this weekend’s 3 Ups and 3 Downs.

Byrd’s Big Hit: Marlon Byrd was the hero Sunday afternoon with a walk-off base hit scoring Ruben Tejada and Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Tejeda was hit by a pitch, Nieuwenhuis then laced a single. Good aggressive baserunning by both Ruben and Kirk gave the Mets runners on second and third with Byrd at the plate. The Marlins pulled the infield in and Byrd laced a hit down the third base line. A nice win for the Mets.

The Jeremy & Jon Show: Jeremy Hefner was the hard luck loser on Friday night, going six innings and giving up only one run ( a Greg Dobbs homer), and Jon Niese received a no-decision on Saturday afternoon, after going six innings and giving up one earned run. As a consolation for their hard work, Hefner and Niese get the number two slot here on 3 & 3. The Mets starting pitching has been pretty decent these first six games, lets hope it continues.

Fishy Phenom: Rarely do we put any opposing players as an “Up”, but the story surrounding Jose Fernandez is absolutely amazing. If I understand it correctly, Fernandez and his family tried to leave Cuba a couple of times, before eventually succeeding. Fernandez also spent some time in prison for his actions. He saved a woman who fell into the ocean during their escape – the woman he fearlessly dive into the water to save turns out being his mother. He arrives to America, is drafted by the Marlins in the first round of the 2011 Draft and makes the jump to the majors from Single-A ball to debut against the Mets. Amazing. He also pitched a pretty good game on Sunday going five innings giving up one run and striking out eight.

A Leaky Pen: After Hefner left the game on Friday the Mets bullpen came in a gave up a bunch of runs. As the Mets drew closer, the pen surrendered even more runs. Thankfully it was just a Friday night hiccup, as the pen was strong on both Saturday and Sunday.

Ike’s Slow Start: Let’s hope that Ike Davis getting off to a slow start is not a perennial thing. Last season Ike was coming back from his ankle injury, and the Arizona fever and whatnot, and he had an awful start. Through the first six Ike is batting a woeful .136. On the plus side though, Ike did hit a home run to the Shea bridge during the Padre series.

What’s Up With R.A.: Last year’s Cy Young Award winner, and in my opinion, last year’s Met MVP, R.A. Dickey is off to a horrible start in Toronto. Through two games he’s given up ten earned runs in 10.2 innings, and has an ERA of 8.44. Is the knuckler not knuckling north of the border? Does the dome effect the way a knuckleball behaves? Let’s hope things improve for R.A. who gave the Mets some great memories during his three year stint with the team.

The Mets hit the road for the next nine games, visiting the City of Brotherly Love, the Twin Cities and the Mile HIgh City. Be sure to check your local listings for games times in the Twin Cities and Mile City. As always Let’s Go Mets!!!

The New York Mets wind up winning two out of three games in opening series against the San Diego Padres. All three games featured excellent starting pitching for the Mets, and the first two games featured some pretty decent offense for the Amazins’ too! Here are the 3&3 for the series.

Matt Harvey: The kid was outstanding – make that brilliant – in Wednesday night’s game. Matt Harvey tossed seven shutout innings, and struck out ten batters while allowing just one hit. From the outset of the game, it was apparent that Harvey was on top of his game and even mixing in a new and very effective changeup into his arsenal. If Harvey is the future ace of this staff, the future does indeed look promising.

Jon Niese: Opening Day starter Jon Niese also turned in a stellar performance on Monday afternoon, going 6.2 innings and allowing just two earned runs. I’ve wondered in the past if Niese is a front of the rotation guy, his performance on Monday proved that he could be.

Going, Going, Gone: New Met Collin Cowgill with a grand slam on Opening Day, Duda, Buck and Ike showing off their muscles on Wednesday Night and hitting the sights (Duda the Pepsi Porch, Buck the MoZone and Ike the Shea Bridge), and Buck again on Thursday afternoon. Nice to see some longballs from this team.

No Sweep: The offense could only muster one run on Thursday, the previously mentioned John Buck home run. We’re not going to win many games if we can’t score.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside: Personally, I’ve stopped going to games in April, because it’s just too darn cold at Citi Field (it was also nippy at Shea in April). It had to be tough for players and fans alike on Wednesday night. I know we broke the record low on Long Island Wednesday night. MLB needs to consider having the cold weather teams play the opening week in the warm weather cities. The Mets next road trip features Minnesota and Colorado. At least we’ll be able to see Keith’s coat with the fur trim – and what about those crazy gloves?!

Dual Home Openers: For the first time in Mets history, they shared Opening Day home openers with the hated Yankees. Opening Day is a special day, for both New York teams. Call me a traditionalist, but each team should have a day in the sun to call their own. Of course it was great the Mets won on Opening Day, while the most expensive team in baseball lost. Hee hee hee…

Guess what? The Miami Marlins are in town this weekend, sans Jose Reyes and everyone else they loaded up with two offseasons ago. A cold Friday night game and afternoon games Saturday and Sunday.

Dress warmly and Let’s Go Mets!!

Teixeira will join Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez with longterm DL stints once the season starts. The Captain, Derek Jeter is also rehabbing a busted ankle, so who knows what the Yankees will get from him this season.

The living legend Mariano Rivera is returning from knee surgery, and announced his retirement on Saturday.

Adding insult to injury is that the Yankees really don’t have a “brand name” catcher, and the outfield is filled with question marks. Hmm… sounds like another team we may know…

Right now… I’ll take the Mets projected starting infield of Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada and David Wright, and take them over the Yankees any day. Heck I’ll stack them up against any other infield in baseball. And for the record, I Wright is one of the best all-around third basemen in the game and certainly in New York.

John Buck is a solid veteran with pop behind the plate, and it won’t be long until top catching prospect Travis d`Arnaud makes his way to the big club. I see a bright future for the Mets infield.

As far as the outfield goes, once upon a time, Mookie Wilson and Lenny Dykstra were complete unknowns. So were Jay Payton, Benny Agbayani, Timo Perez, Endy Chavez and Kevin Mitchell. Yet, all these unknown players made it to the post season with the Mets.

Who’s to say Mike Baxter isn’t the next Endy Chavez (get the great catch angle?), or that Lucas Duda won’t be the next Kevin Mitchell. Who knows? The point is nobody knows and that’s the beauty of baseball.

I have no doubt the Yankees will make some lop-sided trades this season and spend some big money for some quick damage control. But who knows how that will turn out either?

I know one thing… This season and moving forward, the Mets have hope for a brighter future built around a solid young core of players and farm system bursting with talent. I’m not so certain you can say the same thing for that other team from the Bronx.

On Saturday, February 23rd the Mets open up their spring training schedule with a game against the Washington Nationals. The game is schedule to be broadcast on SNY at 12:00 PM, and I plan on being in front of my TV and watching it…

Baseball is back, and what could be better?

For me, the 2103 season marks a personal milestone, it will be my 40th season as a Met fan. Not too bad considering I’ll be 50 in December. Mathematically, it means I will have spent 80% of my life rooting for the Mets.

People often ask me why… Why do I root for the Mets, they lose all the time? You live in New York, and you’re not a Yankee Fan? There is no simple answer, except to say the Mets are a part of me. I’d like to go into some reasons why I am, and will always continue to be a Mets fan.

First and foremost, I believe the Mets in many ways represent us. They go out and play with the best of intentions, they work hard, they try to do the right things, but more often than not they fall short of their ultimate goal – in their case, a World Series.

But, can’t the same be be said of all of us? Those of us who are lucky to have jobs, go to work day in and day out with the best of intentions. We do our best to excel and meet those expectations our employers have for us. But no matter how hard we try and despite our strongest efforts, we don’t always get that raise or promotion we strove so hard for.

The same goes for students who are still in school. They study, they work hard, but very few of them get those coveted 4.0 averages.

But isn’t it true that during those times when we do succeed… Those times when we do get that promotion… Those times when we do get that 4.0 average… Or those times when the Mets do win a World Series… There is no greater high or feeling in the universe.

I also like that the Mets are “counter culture”. In their infancy, the Mets were so unique, and so different from the Yankees, that they were embraced. We loved our Lovable Losers right from the start!

The same is true today. The Yankees are just a collection of pinstriped suits and wing tips, while the Mets wear their shorts and flip-flops. The Mets are, and should be unapologetic, in what I refer to as their Metscentric behaviors. This year the Yankees will have their annual old-timers day celebration, and all the all-time Yankee greats will show up at the Stadium and take a bow. The Mets, on the other hand will be having their annual Banner Day Parade. Fans from all over will march around Citi Field displaying their art work and love for the Mets. I participated in Banner Day back in the late 1980′s and what a thrill it was!

Some other great Metscentric things include: Mettle the Mule from the 1970′s, those old bullpen carts with baseball caps on them, the Home Run Apple, the Sign Man, Bob Murphy’s “Happy Recap’, Howie Rose’s ‘Put it in the Books”, the Curly Shuffle, Professor Reyes teaching Spanish between innings, Meet The Mets, Kiner’s Korner, and of course the King of all things Mets, Mr. Met! Who doesn’t smile when they see Mr. Met?

During a typical baseball season, I’ll catch between 120-130 Met games, either on SNY or WFAN. That’s a lot of baseball games, and I’ve forgotten so many of them. What I choose to remember are special moments like in 1973, when Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose slugged it out in the NLCS. The day Tom Seaver was traded. The dark days of the late 1970′s and how the magic did come back in the 1980s just as they said it would.

I’ve been to playoff games both in 1988 and 2006, what a thrill. October baseball is very nice, but Shea Stadium was a cold venue to watch a baseball game, but they never ran out of hot chocolate to keep us warm.

I still get tears in my eyes thinking about that night in September 2001 when baseball returned and truth be told, it was my proudest time of being a New Yorker and a Met fan. Last June, we received the biggest surprise of all, when after 50 years, Johan Santana threw the first ever Met’s no hitter.

As usual, the media, Yankee fans, and sadly even some Met fans are throwing in the towel on the 2013 season for the Mets. Truth be told it’s easier to be negative than be positive. But if you can’t be positive in the Spring, when you can you be?

A few years ago the Tampa Bay Rays were picked to finish last, and they shocked everyone. Last year’s Baltimore Orioles came from complete obscurity and gave the American League East a run for their money. So who says our Mets can’t do the same in the NL East? They have five very solid arms in their rotation and even Gil Hodges would tell you, “that’s where it all begins.”

The infield is set, and although it’s unpopular to say so, I think it’s a pretty damn good infield and stacks up well against our rivals. Sure there are question marks in the outfield, but what if one or two of these guys surprise us? And we didn’t exactly have a Herculean outfield in 2000, when we made it all the way to the World Series!

Why am I a Met fan? Why do I believe? Why do I have have faith in this team?

As Natalie Wood said in Miracle on 34th Street, “Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to”.

Unless the Mets are mathematically eliminated, I will always believe in them. And no matter how each season ends, every February my belief in the Mets is fully restored. For now and always; LETS GO METS!!

Wally Backman leads this morning’s workouts at Tradition Field. (Mets Twitter)

All is right with the world… Pitchers and catchers report to Port St. Lucie today and Spring Training games are right around the corner.

It’s been a tough offseason weather-wise where I live. Superstorm Sandy kicked our butts in October, and this past weekend Nemo dumped about two feet of snow on my house. But no worries, baseball is back. In this edition of 3 & 3, the first of 2013, some thoughts on the offseason and what I’ll be looking forward to this Spring.

3 Up:

Wright’s Deal Got Done: I didn’t say much when David signed, because how many different ways can I say what most Met fans feel? It’s great to have Wright staying for the next eight seasons. It’s a great story that he will most likely spend his entire career with the Mets. David wanted to be here, the Mets wanted him to be here, and we wanted him to be here. A great job all the way around.

Young Guns: The Mets starting five should be interesting to watch. We know Johan is here for the time being. Jon Niese, Dillon Gee, and Matt Harvey will all be back and Shaun Marcum was signed to fill the spot vacated by R.A. Dickey. The big question is when will the long anticipated arrival of highly regarded prospect Zack Wheeler happen? We know he won’t be here one second before he loses his super-two arbitration eligibility, but then what? We’re all hoping that Gee and Johan are both healthy and ready to go.

New Backstops: John Buck and Travis d’Arnaud are the new kids in town. Buck of course is a solid veteran with power and d’Arnaud is the top ranked catching prospect in the game. I love the sound of that! Gone are Josh Thole and company. It should be fun to watch d’Arnaud mature into the Met’s catcher of the future present. The future is here with this highly talented prospect.

3 Down:

R.A. Went Away: The story of Cy Young award winning pitcher R.A. Dickey was a heart warming, feel good story. But baseball, especially Mets baseball, isn’t a Disney movie – so Dickey was sent to Toronto in return for a nice haul. The Mets waited and traded him to the highest bidder. I don’t blame either party, it’s just part of the game. The Blue Jays should be a fun team to watch this year. Good Luck R.A. and Josh.

An Empty Outfield: Before writing this entry I looked at the Mets roster. Looking at the outfielders made my blood run cold. I don’t see an established star, or an offensive threat, or anything out there. Come on Sandy, is this truly the best you can do? Casey Stengel once said “without a catcher, you’ll have a lot of passed balls.” Without an outfield, you’ll have a lot of base hits!!!

Lame Duck Terry: This will be a recurring storyline all season long. Terry Collins is in the final year of his contract. Wally Backman is in area 51 with the Triple-A Mets. What will happen? I think Terry has done and awesome job here considering the hand he was dealt. If the Mets are saying 2015 is the year, why wouldn’t they sign Terry to a two year deal through 2015? For a lot of these kids, Terry is the only big league manager they know. There aren’t any guarantees with Backman. Sure a lifetime ago he won a World Series here, but in reality it means nothing.

Baseball is back and I am thrilled as thrilled can be. LETS GO METS!!

Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud is ready to receive some hard ones from pitchers Zack Wheeler and Matt Harvey in Port St. Lucie. (Mets Twitter)

]]> http://metsmerizedonline.com/2013/02/3-up-3-down-the-spring-has-sprung-edition.html/feed 5 http://metsmerizedonline.com/2012/11/pulling-together-is-what-makes-us-great.html http://metsmerizedonline.com/2012/11/pulling-together-is-what-makes-us-great.html#comments Sun, 11 Nov 2012 05:02:27 +0000 Gregg Hopps http://metsmerizedonline.com/?p=100484 I live in Northwest Suffolk County, on Long Island. I went twelve days without power at my house. Fortunately my house was not damaged and my friends and family were unhurt. My heart breaks and my prayers go out to everyone who is still suffering from this storm. My despise and scorn for the Long Island Power Authority will not dissipate any time soon. That said I learned a lot about myself, and I realize that their is a bit of Met fan in each and everyone of us.

Last weekend, I spent a lot of time standing in line filling gas cans for my generator and automobile usage. Every person I met in line was kind, friendly, and not at all angry. It reminded me of sitting in the upper deck at Shea – strangers talking with strangers and sharing a common bond.

We can’t leave out the kindness of family and friends. There were so many people offering to open up their homes to me and my family. Dare I say, the majority of those people were Yankee fans. And they know I’m a blue and orange blooded Met fan. But that’s just it, people are pulling together and caring for one another. Whether you’re a Met fan or Yankee fan, Jet fan or Giant fan, we are all one fan base right now. We are all rooting for our city’s recovery, for our communities, and for each other.

A great portion of our country like to beat up on New Yorkers, but it’s largely unfair because nobody pulls together like we do in a time of crisis. We turn every disaster that touches New York, into a shining moment. When things look bleak, we’re all there for each other. I know our very own Joe D. suffered a lot of damage from the storm. The other contributors to this fine blog all pitched in to keep this site fresh with non-stop quality content. We were all working together and it was great to see.

I guess what I’m really trying to say is this: When tragedy strikes, and there isn’t anybody to provide direction and leadership, all we really have is one another. The lesson to take away from this is we need to be good to each other, because sometimes that’s really all we have.

Now and always may God bless you, and of course Lets Go Mets!!!

The Mets were out in Arizona for a four game set against the Diamondbacks, and they leave Arizona with a split, winning the first and last games of the series. The 3 Ups for this piece were pretty to easy determine, so here we go:

Hooray For Harvey: So many times in the past we’ve seen other teams bring young pitchers up to stymie the Mets. It was great to see the Mets do that for a change. On Thursday night, the Matt Harvey era began and he was outstanding. Harvey struck out 11 in 5.1 innings. He looked like the real deal. The Kevin Burkhardt interview with harvey’s dad was great. It was a good night for the young man, and for Met fans.

Three Cheers For Ike: How about Ike Davis on Saturday night hitting three home runs? The only thing that would have been better, would have been if Ike hit the three homers Friday night, for his fan club behind home plate. Ike did hit one on Friday night, and I give Ike credit for not laughing at those guys behind home plate!

R.A. Dickey: Dickey with yet another solid outing on Sunday afternoon, and another win. What else can we possibly say about Dickey this season? He’s having a great year.

Jon Niese: Jon did not look good this weekend. Also Jon needs to keep his head during those tough innings. Jon’s biggest mistake was that ill advised throw to first base that went into the outfield allowing three runners to score. Niese is better than that, we know it, and so does he.

Jason Bay: I was almost physically ill Saturday night listening to Keith and Gary shill for Bay. they were talking about how tough Bay is, and how hard he tries. They were at a loss to explain why Bay’s numbers have fallen off. In this series Bay was 0-14. His last base hit was on July 21. It appears to me that Bay is afflicted with Ed Whitson disease, he can perform anywhere except in NYC. Maybe Sandy can find someone willing to give Bay another chance.

Jordany Valdespin: Jordany was 1-10 this series, and he has me wondering if he’s an everyday player, or just a pinch hit specialist. We’ll keep an eye on it, and see how it plays out.

It’s off to the land of Rice-A Roni, for three night games and a matinee against the Giants. Matt Harvey goes Tuesday night, meaning I’ll be tired on Wednesday morning. Until next time, Let’s Go Mets.

The Mets were swept away by the Nationals to wrap up a homestand that saw the Mets lose all six games for the first time since 2002. In fact during the six game homestand the Mets held the lead in only one game and for only a very short period of time. Terry Collins says changes are coming, let’s just hope the changes are for the better.

It’s taken some imagination to find three “ups”, but here we go…

3 Up

• Adios Duda, Nickeas and Beato: One thing that has pretty much been a constant with Terry & Sandy’s Mets is, if you don’t perform, you won’t be here. Let’s face it, Duda hasn’t been doing anything for a few weeks now, Nickeas has done nothing all season, and Beato has been horrid. Let’s hope the new guys get the job done, and these three get their acts together in Buffalo.
• Jeremy Hefner: I put Hefner here for his solid performance on Wednesday afternoon. Hef went six innings allowing two runs and striking out seven. It was a quality start against a pretty good Washington team.
• A Beltway Rebirth: Here at 3&3 we loathe giving the opposition any credit at all. That said, you have to like the job the folks in Washington have done with the Nationals. Keep in mind, the Nationals manager quit on them midway through last season, allowing the great Davey Johnson to take over. But not only are the Nationals thriving, their geographic rivals, the Baltimore Orioles are having their best season in years. Wouldn’t a Beltway World Series be wild?! It would be something we’ve never seen!

3 Down

• Extra Inning Disaster: I have to give the fans a lot of credit for sticking around Monday night through that rain storm. I was wondering if the Mets were trying to save some money by not putting the drying agent on the field. But once again the bullpen put together a sterling effort giving up six runs in the top of the tenth inning. It’s no joking matter. This bullpen stinks. It needs to be fixed ASAP.
• Too Eager At The Plate: When the Mets were playing winning baseball, they show more patience at the plate. They made the opposing pitchers work. What happened to that? The choosiness at the plate worked for the Mets, they need to go back to it.
• More Questions Than Answers: So the Mets sent some guys to Buffalo, and brought some new guys in, but they still didn’t answer any of the questions or concerns fans have. Matt Harvey is here, but is he ready? Will Rob Johnson be more productive than Nickeas? Is Valdespin only a pinch hitting threat and nothing more? Will Ike ever have a multiple hit game at Citi Field? Will the bullpen ever hold a lead? How do we fix the pen? Will Sandy do anything, or does he have vacation plans the last week in July?

Four big games in Arizona this weekend as the Mets go off on a west coast swing. Let’s hope things get back on track, and until than LET’S GO METS!!

Thoughts from Joe D.

One of the most depressing homestands in recent memory. Just plain awful. Even the players are getting on each other and pointing fingers at each other. This is not good. “I don’t think anything can get any worse than this right now,” Josh Thole said. “I can’t wait to get out of here.”  He’s right. Get it together guys…

Extra, Extra, Grieve All About It!

The Los Angeles Dodgers were in town this weekend, and they wound up sweeping the hapless Mets, and putting the good guys under .500 for the first time this season. It was an awful start to the homestand especially after a 1-5 road trip to start the second half. Oh and by the way, here came the Nationals. Without further ado, here are the 3 Ups (be that as it may), and the 3 Downs from this series.

3 Up:

Jon Niese: Jon Niese comes in at number one for a real solid performance on Sunday afternoon. Niese only gave up three runs, which most times is good enough to win. Niese also handed in the only quality outing by a starter this weekend going seven innings, lasting long enough to get a few at bats and draw a walk to improve his OBP to .343 for the season!

Daniel Murphy: Murph had a four hit game on Friday night, and another on on Sunday. I don’t understand why Terry didn’t start Murph on Saturday. I like Terry, but sometimes I think he over-manages or over-thinks things. If anything, Murphy has proven to be a big league hitter and when he’s hot he can help Wright carry the offense.

The Bullpen: The bullpen, which has pretty much stunk all season, was actually pretty good on Friday and Saturday. they held the Dodgers in check, and allowed the Mets offense to come oh so close. Except of course in the twelfth inning on Sunday.

3 Down:

Johan Santana: Johan handed in another poor performance on Friday night. Saturday morning we learned that Johan has been placed on the 15 day disabled list. His arm is tired, because he was overcompensating for a sore ankle. Okay. But come on, if Johan’s ankle was sore, he should have told Terry and missed a start or two.

Miguel Batista: Well, he was designated for assignment, so we won’t kick a guy when he’s down. My only thought is he never should have ben starting in the first place.

Lack of Key Hits: The Mets got 16 hits on Sunday afternoon, but very few of them were key. That seems to have been he theme all weekend. From my armchair view, it looks like the Mets are getting away from being patient at the plate. They need to get back to that.

All right, W.B. Mason truck give away tomorrow night, T-Shirt Tuesday, and a camper’s matinee on Wednesday wind up the home trip against the Nationals. A series win before heading out west would be awesome. Until them, LGM!!

I’m Not Going Down Without A Fight….

The Mets win a big series against the Phillies, two games to one. Pounding the Phils on Monday night, and winning a very thrilling game on Thursday night was great to see. A few words about Thursday night’s game. It featured two of the game’s best pitchers R.A. Dickey and Cole Hamels. Neither guy looked sharp, but both lasted seven innings. The Mets pulled off a great comeback in the bottom of the ninth against Jonathan Papelbon. These are the types of comebacks, or for that matter the type of games, that the Mets have not had in previous years. As I’ve said in the past, the magic is back. We can now say, the times are really changing at Citifield, and in the National League East.

3 Up:

• David Does It: A big, big night for Wright on Thursday driving in four runs including the game winning hit Thursday night in the bottom of the ninth. David has had a great first half, lets hope he does just as good in the second half.
• Daniel Murphy: It seems that not that long ago, Met fans were in a tizzy because Murph’s hitting had cooled down a bit. I said it then, and I’ll say it now, Murphy has proven to be a big league hitter. Over his last ten games Murph has been 14 for 35, a .400 average. He has also driven in 14 runs during that span. Murph’s the type of player I’ll take on my team any day, and twice on Sunday.
• Ruben Tejada: Ruben had a big at-bat in the bottom of the ninth Thursday, working out a walk with two out. But I’m putting Ruben here for the great job he’s done all season. Very quietly Tejada has made Met fans forget Jose Reyes. Tejada is solid on the field, and is currently batting .331. He’s doing a good, and it’s time to give him some props.

3 Down:

• Bullpen on the Fourth: Wednesday afternoon’s game was almost like two games in one. For the first six innings Chris Young looked great. He got into trouble late, and Terry turned to the bullpen. That’s when the game fell apart and the Phillies picked apart the Mets pen. It got so bad late in the game, I turned the radio off. Never a good thing.
• Sloppiness: The Mets are still being haunted by some sloppy play. Thursday night we saw Ike out of position on a cut-off throw. As good as the Mets have been this first half, they still need to execute every play. It’s been a recurring theme this season.
• Ty Wigginton: Is it me, or is Wigginton now a Mets killer? You really have to wonder how many times Terry is going to allow the Mets to pitch to him.

The downs are a little flimsy, but all and all the Mets are looking good these days and it’s hard to find too much to be “down” about.

The Cubs are in this weekend, and after that it’s the All-Star break. As usual, Lets Go Mets!!

The amazing quality of 2012 Mets is their ability to bounce back time and time again. It’s a team that you just can’t write off (and that’s something we haven’t seen from recent Met teams). After a wasted weekend up in the Bronx, the Mets went down to Tampa, to visit the Rays. The Mets looked pretty solid over the three game set, sweeping the Rays away and getting back to their winning ways. Here are the 3 & 3.

3 Up:

• R.A. Dickey: It seems like Dickey is here after every start, and why not, he’s now 10-1. He also holds the team lead for shutout innings. After every start this year, we’ve been wondering if he could duplicate or improve on that success in his next start, but he keeps going out there and gets better and better. On Wednesday night Dickey threw a one hitter, and faced two batters over the limit! What a season it has been so far for R.A.!
• Chris Young: Young gets this spot for another good outing Tuesday night. Young went 5.2 innings giving up 2 runs. More important, it was another quality start, and the Mets suddenly have a good starting rotation!
• The Entire Offense: It is hard to single out just one guy who contributed on offense. Whether it was Valdespien on Tuesday, Nieuwenhuis on Thursday, Bay on Thursday, or Ike, Murph, or anyone else. This sweep was a true team effort. the Mets scored 29 runs this series!! Well done.

3 Down:

• Is Johan Okay: I have to say it, I’m a little concerned about Johan. He was knocked around last Friday night at Yankee Stadium, and though he fared better on Tuesday, he still didn’t appear as sharp as he had in earlier starts. Let’s hope Johan isn’t hiding an injury.
• No No-No: The Mets are appealing David Wright’s play of B.J. Upton’s hit on Wednesday night, but don’t expect MLB to overrule the scorer. Plays that 15 or 20 years ago would have been scored as errors are no longer scored that way. Look no further than down #3.
• Catch The Ball: Early in Tuesday night’s game both Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Lucas Duda lost balls against the domed ceiling. These two missed balls prompted Keith Hernandez to wonder if the Mets even took outfield practice prior to the game. I know I’m old school, but I expect professional, highly compensated outfielder to be able to catch a flyball. If they muff it, it’s an error, not a hit. But the scorer ruled them both base hits. If that’s the case Upton’s shot to Wright was also a hit.

The Reds are at Citifield this weekend, and my all-time favorite Met, Keith Hernandez gets honored with a bobble head on Sunday! Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s at home, and as always LGM!!

I’m Keith Hernandez.