Fernando Martinez is 22, still young enough in the sport where he’s graded most on potential. However, the past few years have been rough on his body and he’s lost more games due to injury than anybody his age should have the right to. At one time Martinez was part of a group of three Mets outfielders who were going to race their way to stardom. Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez and Martinez were three raw [...]

You’ll be hearing a lot of trade rumors from now until the July 31 deadline. Some will be true, some not, but most entertaining. This isn’t all that hard to figure out. If a player gets hurt or goes into a deep slump, figure his team might make inquiries. In fact, most teams are making calls all the time. Every team’s front office goes over players on other teams with its scouts on a continuous [...]

Considering how it began, you have to be satisfied with the Mets’ six-game homestand against the Giants and Dodgers. A split was about as good as could be expected, and that’s what the Mets got. Perhaps the most significant development coming out of the homestand was Chris Young’s second appointment to the disabled list. He was a gamble signing to begin with, so this really can’t be looked at as a surprise. The Mets are [...]

Enough is enough. Major League Baseball has long had an umpire problem. There’s never going to be perfection, and missed calls are part of the game and always will be, but it seems they are happening with more regularity. Bad calls are one thing, but couple that with arrogance and it is an untenable situation, such as the one last night at Fenway Park, which figured a meltdown by Red Sox manager Terry Francona clearly [...]

I am not a big stats guy. They can be telling, but also misleading. With some numbers, you can twist them into meaning anything you want. That’s not the case with Jason Bay, whose numbers have been fundamentally telling and just plain bad. He hit six homers with 47 RBI while batting .259 last season. I am aware of the injuries and having a slow start, but he had enough of a window – 401 [...]

We saw what the Mets could do a week ago. They were proficient in tacking on runs, scoring late and getting hits with two outs, and – surprise – with runners in scoring position. However, they were also doing that against Houston, Arizona and Washington. Teams not much better than them. Now we are seeing what they can, or should I say, can’t do against the National League’s elite arms. They were taken down last [...]

I woke up around 6 , turned on the TV and he was still dead. Osama bin Laden is dead, and it will be one of those moments that  you’ll always remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news. For those who learned on ESPN last night, it was reminiscent of hearing John Lennon was murdered while watching Monday Football. I was home channel surfing when I heard. I [...]

Like you I saw the play involving Jose Reyes at third base last night. Umpire Marvin Hudson blew it on all levels, from not seeing the play, to falling for the acting of Washington’s third baseman Jerry Hairston, to making a bad call, to not asking for help. I don’t think he was in proper position to make the call in the first place. Reyes was clearly safe, and his animated protest illustrates to me [...]

R.A. Dickey throws a knuckleball, and last night he pitched well, but not good enough to win against the Houston Astros. After the game, Dickey threw high heat, not only at himself, but his teammates. “We have to find a way to be honest with ourselves about what kind of team we are. We can’t just keep telling ourselves, ‘Oh, we’re a better team than this.’ We may not be.’’ There has not been a [...]

My title is one of Casey Stengel’s most memorable quotes and is applicable to how this season has started for the Mets. Yesterday’s doubleheader loss, coming hours after Terry Collins’ closed doors meeting, was a study in bad baseball. It made me wonder what would have happened had the Mets not focused on fundamentals during spring training. From the outfield defense – what were you thinking Scott Hairston? – to Brad Emaus butchering a  ball [...]

In most circles, the Mets are pegged for fourth place in the NL East with roughly 77 victories. Considering their offseason and the issues around the team that seems about right. I’ll throw out a number and you tell me if you’ll take the over/under. Mets victories: 78 Phillies victories: 98 Mike Pelfrey wins: 16 R.A. Dickey wins: 11 Jon Niese wins: 12 Different Mets pitchers to make a start: 11 Francisco Rodriguez game-ending appearances: [...]