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After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Mets came right back and held on to beat the Giants 4-2 tonight at Shea. With the win the Mets take series two games to one.

Orlando Hernandez was masterful after the first inning and pitched 7 solid innings giving up only 2 hits and 2 runs while striking out 3 batters. El Duque has been spectacular since returning from the DL and his ERA now stands at an impressive 2.20 to lead the all Mets starters.

David Wright, Jose Reyes, Damion Easley and Endy Chavez each had 2 hits to lead the attack.

Alex Rodriguez is a punk!

Joe Smith pitched a scoreless inning after giving up a lead off double.

Billy Wagner closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth inning and stranded Barry Bonds on deck. Hopefully, it was the last time Bonds steps foot at Shea Stadium. It was Wagner's 13th save of the season and his 31st consecutive save in 31 opportunities dating back to last season.

Alex Rodriguez is a bush leaguer!

The Mets had a huge scare in the first inning when Carlos Beltran collided with first baseman Rich Aurilia legging out a single. He stayed in the game at the time and came around to score a run but it was clear he was hurting. Beltran didn't come out for the second inning and the Mets are calling him day to day with a bruised knee.

Incidentally, Carlos Beltran is the leading National League vote getter for the 2007 All Star Game.

Alex Rodriguez has no class!

Tonight's game ball goes to El Duque who continues to go out there and dominate game after game for the New York Mets.

Next up for the Mets is Randy Johnson (ugh) and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Lets Go Mets

Posted by Joe D. at 08:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

Don't count on Lastings Milledge high-fiving hometown fans at Shea any time soon. It's literally been one bad break after another for the highly-touted prospect since October of last year. First, he's put in his place by veteran players (and rightfully so) for disrespecting them. Then, he's left off the post-season roster. (Choosing Anderson Hernandez over him remains a mystery). And, after an off-season where his name was mentioned daily as trade bait, the outfielder headed to spring training, and hit a ton. More importantly, he shed his ultra-confident and thug-like ways (he was also the first Met to shave his head- lest we forget that). Even so, he failed to stick with the team in April because Shawn Green, a player expected to fail, hit far better than expected.

While Milledge graciously went to Triple-A to work on his game, he fell to injury. Adding salt to his wounds, the player has had to watch from the sidelines as Carlos Gomez and Ben Johnson got the call when Moises Alou and Green went on the DL. Milledge was supposed to be the crown jewel of the Mets farm system. Omar refused to part with the player for Manny or Barry Z. because he believed in his ability so much. Nowadays, however, Milledge is a blip on the screen. We don't hear anything about him... when he'll be ready to play, and where he fits in the Mets plans. All we hear is that with the emergence of Gomez and rising star Martinez, he's nothing more than trade bait for the team.

It's a mighty fall for Milledge, and it's unfair. The player, whose only getting press these days for inappropriate lyrics in one of his rap songs, is getting a raw deal. It's no one's fault, but it stinks. The Mets could really use a personality like him on the team. Sure, he rubbed some  the wrong way, but he's confident, fearless, and quirky enough to really take flight in the Big Apple. Here's hoping he gets another chance at Shea. To trade him now would be a cop out. Omar needs to play it by ear with his injured future star - let him regain form in Triple-A, and call him up for the bench if he does. It's pretty clear Milledge could contribute more than David Newhan or Julio Franco. Lord knows he can run faster than both of them.  

Posted by Jon Chattman at 09:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Adam Rubin, Mets beat writer for the Daily News and a favorite here at Mets Merized Online, wrote an interesting article on yet another exciting outfield prospect in the Mets organization. His name is Caleb Stewart and here is just a few lines from that column...

Stewart, who turns 25 on June 11, has a .341 average with seven homers and 30 RBI in 37 games for Double-A Binghamton. The outfielder was named Eastern League Player of the Week for the period ending last Sunday. He’s currently on a 16-game hitting streak, with five multi-hit games in the past week.

It sounds to me like Lastings Milledge picked the wrong time to get injured as he has seen his stock fall as others pass him by on the organizational depth chart. Carlos Gomez, Fernando Martinez, and now Caleb Stewart are shining bright for the Mets right now, while Milledge looks more and more like trade bait everyday.

Stay tuned for our 2007 Mets Merized Top 10 Prospects list which comes out on Thursday!

Make a wish everybody, the Mets Magic Number is 111!

Posted by Joe D. at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Over the last two seasons, no Mets player has been more consistent than our catcher, Paul LoDuca.

Last season,Lo Duca batted .318 (4th in the NL)  with 80 runs scored and was elected to his fifth All Star game.  He was the third hardest to strike out in the National League, fanning once every 14.5 plate appearances, and has had one of the games best batting eyes throughout his career. He was responsible for starting or extending many a Mets rally last season with his timely hitting and clutch bat.

So far this season, he is batting .329 (5th in the NL) with a .376 on-base percentage and is one of the teams hottest hitters. His ability to hit in the clutch has prompted the manager to bat him in the number five spot of the order. 

He has also become more proficient at throwing out runners this season after working all off-season long with the teams catching instructor, Tom Nieto. Even at age 35, LoDuca is still willing to learn and become better at what he does. He currently leads all catchers with 11 runners caught stealing in 24 attempts including 3 double-plays.

His play behind the plate is one of his best attributes and nobody researches opposing batters more than Lo Duca. His value to our pitching staff is understated and he had a profound way of connecting with each of his pitchers. He is the perfect catcher for a team depending on so many young and inexperienced pitchers to repeat as division champs, but he is also savvy enough to get the most out of veterans like Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez.

Paul Lo Duca is the only player in the clubhouse who is ready to get in someone's face to defend his pitchers or any of the younger players. He has a fiery temper and a very short fuse, who takes no bull from anybody, and I do mean anybody. Nobody messes with "Big Paulie" and even Sports Illustrated last season referred to him as Captain Red Ass. He has become a leader in that sense.

Paul LoDuca is in his walk year and is unsigned beyond this season. There are currently no ongoing negotiations between the team and him.

The Mets do not have anyone in the minors who can step in and replace him. Prospects such as Francisco Pena and company are still a long way from being major league ready. Ramon Castro has had many opportunities to start in his career but seems better suited to be a reserve.

Last night after Lo Duca came out of the game with an injury, I wondered what a huge blow it would be if we were to lose him for an extended stretch like Jose Valentin. We've managed to keep on winning without Valentin and Moises Alou in the lineup. I don't think winning would be as easy without Lo Duca.

Only time will tell if Paul Lo Duca will still be in a Mets uniform a year from today. I'm hoping that he still will be.

Posted by Joe D. at 09:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (21) | TrackBacks (0)

5/21 - The Mets fell behind early against the Clearwater Treshers and lost 9-6. Despite back-to-back HR's in the 6th, the Mets couldn't push another rally. Ryan Coultas (1B) and Jamar Hill (DH) went back-to-back in the 6th inning. Jonathan Niese (3-3) got roughed up in his start. He only went 1.2 innings giving up five runs on seven hits. Those runs raised his ERA to 5.30 for the season.

5/22 - Another tough night for the Mets as they lost to the Treshers 4-2. Dustin Martin (CF) went 2-for-2 during the game. Jamar Hill (DH) went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Eric Brown (3-3) got the start but got the loss. Brown went 5.2 innings allowing seven hits and four runs. A good relief appearance by Nick Abel as he pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three batters.

5/23 - After losing the previous two games to the Treshers, the Mets came back in a very strong way, 12-9. The Mets were down early in this game 9-2 in the fourth inning, but scored 10 unanswered runs, including a 7 run 7th inning. Ryan Coultas (1B), Sean Henry (LF), and Jose Castro (SS) all had three RBIs on the day. Castro and Daniel Murphy (3B) each hit their second home run of the season. Nicholas Waechter got his first start of the season, but failed to impress. He only went three innings in his no decision and allowed five runs on seven hits. Alexis Beras (1-0) got his first win of the season in a good two innings of work.

5/24 - The Mets came out of the series fire hot, but were shutout by the Dunedin Blue Jays, 12-0. Nobody on the Mets had a multi-hit game. However, Daniel Murphy (3B) and Jamar Hill (DH) each had a double. The pitching was horrible. All the runs scored were earned. Jacob Ruckle (2-3) got roughed up in only 3.1 innings of work. He surrendered six runs on four hits. He also walked three. The bullpen wasn't any better. Combined, the bullpen surrendered six additional runs on nine hits.

5/25 - Many Mets players were disappointed at the performance on Thursday. However, they bounced back against the Blue Jays winning big, 11-3. Sean Henry (LF) went 3-for-6. He hit two triples and drove in four runs. Henry also stole his seventh base of the season. Daniel Murphy (3B) went 2-for-6 with three RBIs. Rafael Arroyo (C) went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. The Mets got a strong pitching performance from Robert Parnell (3-2). Parnell pitched five innings and allowed one run on five hits. Parnell also struck out three.

5/21 - Another losing streak appeared for the Sand Gnats as they lost to the Rome Braves, 5-2. Leivi Ventura (3B) went 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI. Tobi Stoner was strong in his 5.1 innings of pitching. Stoner allowed two runs on six hits. He had some control problems, he did walk four but struck out four. David Koons (1-2) got the lost in relief giving up three runs, all unearned.

5/22 - The losses continue to pile up for the Sand Gnats as they lose again to the Braves, 9-5. Sean McCraw (RF) went 1-for-5 but drove in two runs. Leivi Ventura (3B) continues to heat up as he goes 2-for-4 with a double. Francisco Pena (C) also drove in a run. Tim Stronarch got the start and was solid. He went six innings giving up three runs on eight hits. He wasn't the reason for the loss, the bullpen was. Julio Polanco (0-3) gave up four runs, on four hits, and did not get an out. His current ERA is 9.64.

5/23 - The Sand Gnats tried to come back from a couple tough losses, but this game was a heartbreaker. The fell to the Braves in 11 innings, 3-2. Leivi Ventura (3B) and Sean McCraw (C) drove in a run, the only runs for the Sand Gnats. Joe Holden (CF) went 2-for-5 with a double. Matt Durkin got the start was good. He allowed two runs on three hits in six innings of work. Jonathan Castillo (0-2) got the loss giving up the run on three hits.

5/24 - Loss after loss, the Sand Gnats wanted to recover and avoid the sweep. However, their pitching fell short to the Braves, 10-8. The offensive production was spread throughout the line-up. Six Sand Gnats had a multi-hit game including Greg Veloz (2B) who went 3-for-6 with two RBIs. Daniel Stegall (CF) went 2-for-4 with one RBI and a triple. Greg Mullens wasn't sharp in his start. He went five innings but gave up six runs on eleven hits and two walks. David Koons (1-3) pitched in relief and gave up the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the 8th to lock the victory for the Braves.

Posted by Ryan Punzalan at 03:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Each week I will recap the Mets Minor Leagues and give you a rundown on their games, highlights, and any significant player news, injuries or promotions. It will be posted in two parts with the first part encompassing the high minors and the second part, the low minors.

AAA - New Orleans Zephyrs (23-26)

5/22 - Despite a late comeback effort by the Zephyrs, they fell to the Isotopes 4-3. Jason Alfano (2B) went 2-for-3 for the day including a double. Alfano also knocked in two runs in the game. Anderson Hernandez (SS) went 1-for-4 with a triple. Chan Ho Park (3-3) went 6.1 innings allowing four runs on seven hits. Park did strikeout nine Isotopes while walking three. Guillermo Mota pitched one inning and struck out a batter.

5/23 -  It was an extremely long game for the Zephyrs. This game was played until the 14th inning as the Zephyrs dropped the third game of the four game series against the Isotopes, 2-1. The only offense for the Zephyrs was Andy Tracy's 10th HR in the 4th inning. Mike Pelfrey got the start and was superb, not to mention he went 1-for-2 at the plate. Pelfrey went six innings allowing only four hits and a run. Pelfrey did strike out four batters. Jon Adkins (0-2) pitched in relief and got the loss.

5/24 - After a short three game losing streak, the Zephyrs fought back in a big way defeating the Isotopes 8-5. Andy Tracy (1B) hit, yet, another HR in the 7th inning to bring his season total to eleven home runs. Fernando Tatis (3B) had a productive day at the plate. Tatis went 2-for-4 with a double while driving in three men. Philip Humber (4-4) had a so-so outing on Thursday. Although he did surrender four runs, three earned, Humber did get the win. Humber walked three, but struck out six in his five innings of work.

5/23 - After a good win against the Defenders, the Mets defeated them again, 5-2. Caleb Stewart (RF) hit a tie-breaking grand slam in the 7th inning. This grand slam was Stewart's sixth home run. Corey Coles (LF) was almost unstoppable. Coles went 4-for-5, including a double, and scored two runs. Fernando Martinez (CF) helped the Mets both hitting and fielding. Martinez went 3-for-5 and had an outfield assist to gun down a runner at home plate, preventing the run from scoring. Marcos Carvajal pitched six shutout innings, but could not get the win. He allowed eight hits, and struck out six batters. Joseph Serfass (1-0) pitched the 7th inning to get the win.

5/25 - Folks, they just keep on winning. The Mets defeated the New Hampshire FisherCats, 5-2. Caleb Stewart (RF) went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Brett Harper (1B) went 1-for-4 with a 2-RBI double. Fernando Martinez (CF) went 1-for-3 with a RBI. Kevin Mulvey (4-4) bounced back from a bad performance as he got the win. Mulvey went six innings allowing two runs and giving up five hits. Mulvey struck out five Tim McNab got his second save of the season.

Posted by Ryan Punzalan at 11:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Is it okay to dispense with all the crap about how amazing Julio Franco is and what great condition his body is in for a 49 year old?

Quite frankly, I couldn't care less about how he is the oldest player to hit a homerun, or drive in a run, or get a double, or anything else for that matter.

I am tired of seeing Willie Randolph calling on Julio Franco whenever we are at a critical point in the game and need a big base hit.

Franco is now batting .172 in 29 at-bats with just one extra-base hit on the year. For crying out loud, the guy can't even turn on an 85 mph fastball anymore. He has absolutely no value to this team in my opinion.

Down in New Orleans, the Mets have former major leaguer and one time prospect, Andy Tracy who can play first base and third base. Now 33 years old, Tracy has toiled in the minors with only a couple of cups of coffee in the majors. He is currently batting .260 with a league leading 11 home runs and a slugging percentage of .506. He leads the team in RBI's with 34 and has drawn 23 walks in 154 at-bats. He certainly looks like he deserves a chance to be a utility player on the Mets. Maybe he's the answer, maybe he's not, but I would think he'd be a heck of a lot better than Franco.

Julio Franco needs to retire or the Mets need to release him. He has become an insignificant contributor who occupies a very significant role on the team.

Why is it that the Mets feel some sense of obligation to bestow all this loyalty to him?

We've compensated him very well when no other team would even give Julio a second look. The Mets did the right thing by him, and now it's time for Franco to do the right thing for the Mets. 

You had a great run Julio, now why don't you hang them up already.

Posted by Joe D. at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (43) | TrackBacks (0)

John Delcos from The Journal reports that Orlando Hernandez will be activated from the Disabled List tomorrow and will start at Florida against the Marlins. He suspects that lefty Jason Vargas will be going back down to New Orleans.

He also added that Willie Randolph said Hernandez will not be on any pitch count restrictions.

“The big thing will be his control,’’ Randolph said. “If he’s on he will pick up where he left off.’’

I don't about you, but seeing El Duque back on the mound will be a sight for sore eyes!

Posted by Joe D. at 08:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Recently a couple of the other bloggers on this site, Dave(nySPORTSguy) and Tessa(MetsGal) wrote about their love (or lack of it) regarding the Yankees. I'm sure by now most of you know my treacherous feelings about our crosstown rivals as well.

It's still hard for me to believe that there are some of you Mets fans out there that feel it's OK to tolerate the Yankees and even (God forbid) root for them as well. Two positions that I never will be able to fully comprehend.

However, is it safe to say that all Mets fans have a common ground when it comes to the Braves?

I absolutely loathe the Yankees, but when it comes to the Atlanta Braves, my urge to yell out expletives when we lose is multiplied two-fold.

I am sick and tired of letting the Braves get the best of us.

I am very sick and tired of hearing about how close Glavine and Smoltz are.

I am also unbelievably sick and tired of seeing Bobby Cox act like an idiot when a call doesn't go his way or seeing that smirk on his face when the Braves win.

I am completely sick and tired of seeing Andruw Jones and Edgar Renteria get to every ball hit in their direction.

Finally, I am unequivocally and undoubtedly sick and tired of the tomahawk chop.

I need to see the Mets win this game tonight and take this series.

Anything less will not only be a disappointment, but it could come back to haunt us later on.

Lets Go Mets and hey Bobby... chop this!

Posted by Joe D. at 05:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

Don't get me wrong - I love Willie Randolph as a manager. I think he could quite possibly go down in history as the best skipper the organization has ever had. I love how Randolph is respected by his players, gets the most of out of them, and demands professionalism across the board. Having said that, one thing that constantly irks me about Willie is that he never seems to get riled up. Take Tuesday night's game for example. Kelly Johnson clearly dropped the ball, LoDuca's called out, and Willie comes out to argue. At that point in the game, the Mets were down 5-to-zip. While Willie was quite adamant that LoDuca was safe (he was), I would've loved to see him get thrown out of the game. Sometimes nothing motivates a team more than to see their manager get up in an ump's face and get booted to the locker room. Down five runs, it would've been the perfect opportunity to liven up a team that seemed lifeless last night, and often times this season.

Willie's the man, but sometimes he gets into this Torre mode. I'm convinced Torre has his pants glued to the bench.  On a related note, I think it's also time for Willie to bat Delgado sixth. Carlos is in quite a slump, and no disrespect to all that he's done in the past, he's killing the team this year. Sure, he's come up big in two key spots to win a game (one was a walk mind you) - but it's time for the sizzling Wright or the cooled-off Beltran to assume the duties of the team's clean-up hitter. Delgado has struggled all year. He's probably playing injured. If he is, he should say so. He's a quiet leader on the team, and his pride will take a hit, but he needs to take one for the team here. Come out of your slump, and work your way back to the clean-up spot. Better for Delgado's pride to take a hit, then for him to not actually actually get a hit in another key spot.

Posted by Jon Chattman at 08:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Either Willie Randolph read yesterday's post on this site, or he actually came to his senses. Whatever the case may be, Carlos Delgado has been removed from the clean-up spot and dropped to the number six spot in the order for today's lineup against the Braves.

It was a long time coming and hopefully the move will help the team offensively and give Delgado some time TO find his power stroke without hurting the team.

I applaud Willie Randolph for making the move. I'm sure it wasn't an easy job to tell a veteran like Delgado that he was being moved out of his familiar role, but being a manager means making the tough decisions.

Tonight's lineup goes like this...

1. Jose Reyes
2. Shawn Green
3. Carlos Beltran
4. David Wright
5. Paul Lo Duca
6. Carlos Delgado
7. Damion Easley
8. Carlos Gomez
9. Oliver Perez

Now that's more like it!

As for Carlos Delgado... Start whacking the ball and get back soon big guy, we can't do this without you!

Posted by Joe D. at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

The title of this article may be a little much for some people to handle.

Let me specify

The Mets got a day off to shake off the dust of the Subway Series and move on to the business at hand.

Sure, everyone including myself loves the Subway series and we really get a charge out of beating the Yankees, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not the Yankees who we need to beat, it's the Braves.

As a team the Mets have made a name for themselves right from the get go by pounding the World Series Champs to start the season and serving notice to the rest of the National League that they are the team to beat.

Since that opening series, the season has gone according to plan with series wins against every team except one, that's right, the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta is the only team with a winning record against the Mets. In two meetings so far this season, we have lost 4 out of 6 games to them.

Call me crazy, but I think this upcoming series is probably the most important series of the season right now. The Mets need to prove to themselves that they can beat anyone in the National League including the Braves. If the Mets are going to repeat as division champs they must do it by beating the Braves. The Mets have won five straight series, and if they can make it six straight series, they will have established themselves as the true dominant force in the National League and secure another division title.

It will fall on Jorge Sosa to get things started. The former Brave may have more than one reason to beat the Braves as he looks to exact some revenge on the team that gave up on him. A win tonight will be a great opening salvo for the Mets at Turner Field. However, it will take more than Jorge Sosa alone to beat the Braves. It's going to take a team effort with contributions from every hitter in the lineup and every pitcher in the bullpen. In the next three days we will find out who the real "Beast of the East" is.

Posted by Joe D. at 09:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

John Delcos of the Journal News had an interesting post today on his blog regarding Carlos Delgado.

Willie Randolph was asked last night if he could see if Carlos Delgado was turning a corner. There was a long pause and then he said, “it’s a wide turn.’’ He just doesn’t look good. He says nothing is wrong with his elbow, but I wouldn’t expect him to admit it anyway.

If a player lets it known he’s hurting, then pitchers adjust and pound his weak spot. They’ll find it eventually, but no sense letting them know. This has gone on longer than anybody thought. Maybe we’re just seeing a bad, bad year.

Delgado was huge for us last season, and I think the Mets need him to find his stroke again real soon. Letting Delgado work his way out of this slump while batting cleanup may not be the best thing for the Mets, but as long as the Mets continue to win, why upset the apple cart?

Despite his troubles, Carlos Delgado has provided some clutch hits when it really mattered and just last week alone he had a couple of walk-off RBI's. He sort of went through the same thing his first year with the Florida Marlins and came back to finish strong.

On Tuesday the Mets are in Atlanta to begin a critical 3 game series with the Braves. I say critical because the Mets have yet to figure out a way to beat the Braves. So far after two series, the Braves have won 4 of 6 contests. The Mets need Carlos Delgado to start producing now. We have given him plenty of time to ease his way out of this slump. We need him to power us over the Braves the way he did last season.

In the next 3 days we have a good chance to put some distance between us and the Braves. We need our cleanup hitter to start cleaning up and he can start by ripping the cover off the ball in Atlanta.

Posted by Joe D. at 08:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I love John Maine, but let's face it, he's no main man.

Was he a great acquisition when the Mets got him in the Kris Benson deal? Absolutely. 

Has he shown that he can be effective when his stuff is working? No doubt.

What I'm trying to point out is that Maine is by no means a top of the rotation pitcher. I guess that the Baltimore orioles already figured that out when they decided to deal him to the Mets.

He seems to have accomplished so much in his short career with the Mets, and yet every time I see him on the mound he still looks as timid and inexperienced as the day he made his first start. The Yankees pitcher, Tyler Clippard, who was making his major league debut, looked more confident, composed and polished than Maine did last night.

With the Yankees on the ropes, Maine should have gone out there and put this game away. Instead, he was tagged for five runs in five innings and gave up eight hits, three walks, four strikeouts, and two home runs.

It was only May and yet it felt like a playoff atmosphere at Shea. Imagine if it was. Is John Maine the guy you want out there?

Maine has now lost two games in a row. After going 5-0 with a 1.35 ERA in April, he is 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA in May. In his last four starts, he has allowed 13 walks and 26 hits in 22 innings.

This is what he had to say. "If I could put my finger on it, I'd fix it. It seems the last few games, the walks have been a little high for me. And when you get down to the bottom of their lineup, it's not something I should be doing. It hurt us."

Last year Maine walked 30 batters in 90 innings pitched. This year he has already walked 33 batters in only 56 innings pitched.

I really like John Maine. I just don't think he will ever be anything more than a number 4 or 5 pitcher. In a critical game with the season on the line, which of the current Mets would you want to see on the mound?

The way I see it, Maine has been surpassed by Oliver Perez and Jorge Sosa on the depth chart.

Let me end this with a hypothetical question for all of you. Let's take a quick poll.

If it was game 7 of the NLCS right now, who would you want starting the game for you? John Maine, Jorge Sosa or Oliver Perez?

Posted by Joe D. at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by MetsGal at 08:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBacks (0)

Billy Wagner has finally gotten used to the glaring heat that comes from being under the spotlight in New York. Last year he had a couple of rough stretches and even when things were going right, he just never looked comfortable  as a New York Met. Despite that, he finished with solid numbers and racked up 40 saves.

This year, Wagner is a different pitcher. He has been of the most dominant closers in the game. He has a swagger that hasn't been seen in him since he left Houston. He has become as important to the Mets as any of their offensive stars.

Currently Wags leads the majors with a 0.50 ERA. In 18 innings he has allowed only 11 hits and 4 walks while striking out 18 batters. He has 10 saves in 10 opportunities and has only given up 1 run all year.

Last night he struck out the major league's leading hitter Jorge Posada, and Jason Giambi to pick up the save against the Yankees, while protecting a one run lead. He came up big. He's been coming up big all year long this season. I used to get nervous whenever I heard "Enter Sandman" playing at Shea. Now I just stand up and I wait for him pump his fist in the air and seal the deal for the New York Mets.

Posted by Joe D. at 01:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Look at that picture. Have you ever seen anything more sad and pathetic? The Yankees are on the ropes and the Mets are about to deliver the knockout punch.

Last night was more than just a win for the Mets and a loss for the Yankees. It was the passing of the torch that the Yankees have held for so long in this city. It was a great run for the Yanks, but they are now old, overpaid, selfish and just plain ordinary.

The Mets on the other hand, are like the shiny new sports car that zooms past you in the fast lane and makes you go ahh... They are fast, they are electrifying and you just watch them win game after game and go ahh...

They play with such an exuberance and such utter dominance that they kind of remind you of, well, the Yankees, check that... the old Yankees.

Joe Torre is desperate and manages like someone who is trying to save his job. Willie on the other hand, is a gambler. He goes against conventional wisdom and for the most part his moves pay off in big ways. Case in point, last night he opted to sit Shawn Green who is hitting .330, and replace him with defensive specialist Endy Chavez. Not only did Endy justify the move with a great defensive play to nail Johnny Damon at second base in the first inning, but he ends up hitting the game winning homer off left hander, Andy Pettite.

Randolph has infused his bench players with a bravado and a never say die attitude. In return, his confidence in each of them has been rewarded with a slew of huge hits and big wins.

The Yankees are yesterday's news. They are an organization with nothing left in the tank. No amount of money in the world is going to save their season this year. The $28 million dollars they gave to Roger Clemens will be nothing more than a fruitless attempt to buy respect. A respect that is long gone and hardly missed.

The cupboard is bare in their minor leagues. There will be no phenoms this year or next year. Years of ravaging their minor leagues for veteran players has finally taken its toll. The overwhelming amount of cash thrown at sub par or end-of-the-road players like Carl Pavano, Kyle Farnsworth, Jaret Wright, Randy Johnson and Kei Igawa only shows just how inept their general manager, Brian Cashman really is.

For years Cashman has thought of himself as being among the elite, but he was never anything more than a geek on a shopping spree at Toys R Us, buying anything and everything that he could get his grubby little hands on. Being a big time spender does not make you a big time general manager.

While Omar Minaya spent the winter signing guys like Jorge Sosa, Moises Alou and Damion Easley, Cashman spent huge money on Kei Igawa and Doug Mientkiewicz. Last night, one of them was on the bench and the other resided in AAA.

While Omar Minaya resigned guys like Endy Chavez and Ramon Castro. Brian Cashman resigned Bobby Abreu and Mike Mussina to exorbitant contracts. They both are floundering and Abreu was actually benched in last nights game.

If the Yankees leadership of Joe Torre and Brian Cashman were so quick to take all the credit for the Yankees' success all these years, why are they not being held accountable for this atrocious team that has become too unbearable to watch?

The fact is that Joe Torre was nothing more than a push button manager who was given an all-star team all of these years. Brian Cashman is like an aimless idiot waving a fist full of dollars each off season with absolutely no clue in player and talent evaluation.

Joe Torre and Brian Cashman are not even in the same league as Willie Randolph and Omar Minaya. Did you see their body language on TV last night?

Joe Torre was sitting and slouching on the bench as he has been all year, with his legs crossed and this grumpy, sad and pathetic look on his face.

His counterpart, Willie Randolph was on his feet the whole entire game, rallying his players, his head held high with a gleam in his eyes that just exuded with confidence.

You know what, I have to end this right here. I can't go on wasting anymore of my time on the Yankees. In the next few days you will be able to read all of what I've said, plus a ton more of this crap as they completely unravel and step into a free fall of chaos and confusion.

Like I said in the title... The Yankees are toast and the Mets on the other hand, are the toast of the town.

Posted by Joe D. at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBacks (0)

Here we go Mets fans!

The first round of the 2007 Subway Series is suddenly upon us, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

The Mets are still flying high coming off of that incredible win yesterday at Shea Stadium and now boast the best record in the National League at 26-14.

The Yankees however are in utter chaos. Only 2 teams in the AL have less wins than the Yanks whose record now stands at 18-21, 3 games under .500! (That's about 12 million dollars per win!)

The Mets continue to improve with each passing day as Willie Randolph presses all the right buttons, while Joe Torre sits back and watches his team implode under the glaring eyes of George Steinbrenner. (hee hee)

As the Yankees pull into Shea, they will be facing a team that is more confident and more resilient than last years version. A team whose early season slumps from Carlos Delgado and David Wright are now behind them. A team whose questions about starting pitching have been answered with the leagues best ERA. A team who currently leads the Major Leagues with a .284 team batting average. A team who leads the Major Leagues in stolen bases by a wide margin and whose defense is among the best in baseball.

Right now the Mets are clicking on all cylinders. The Yankees certainly are not. It's a short series and anything can happen in a 3 game set, but anything less than a sweep of the Bronx Bombers, would be a disappointment for me.

Even the good people at the Empire State Building are getting caught up in the hoopla! For the next three days the north and south sides will be lit up blue and white, while the east and west sides will be lit blue and orange! Which ever team wins the series will be honored with all four sides lit up in the teams colors! If anyone can email me a picture of the Empire State Building, I will use your picture on our site and include your name on our next blog! Email me at GetMetsMerized@aol.com. 

Maybe that new slogan the Mets have this year isn't so stupid after all. So I'll end it by saying this...

Hey Mets Fans, Your Season Has Come!

One more thing...  Before I ever started blogging, I only ever visited two other blogs, of course MetsBlog and the other was and still is Mike's Mets. At MetsBlog I always used to get the short of it, while at Mike's Mets I could get more details and analysis. Anyway, I mention it because he had a great post the other day with Mets 1st Quarter Reports and I thought it was really good reading for Mets fans. I enjoyed it and I know you will too.

Later! 

Posted by Joe D. at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

They’ll be a lot written about the looming Subway Series this week. I won’t go there. I’ll simply say the entire series has lost its luster since the days of Dave Mlicki. At the very least, Major League Baseball needs to listen to Chipper Jones and cut the annual crosstown series to one time a season. But, I digress.

I’d much rather focus on a different topic that I’m sure is close to a lot of Mets’ fans hearts. If you’re like me, you’re visiting Modells – a skunk (my term for Yankees) Mecca - often lately following the release of those classic Cooperstown Collection T-Shirts. They have Seaver, Gooden, Dykstra, Carter, and Strawberry. I’m hopeful they’ll add all the historic Mets (notably Hernandez) to that list, but, doggone-it I really want to see a retro Mackey Sasser shirt.

Sure, he’s infamous for being unable to throw the ball back to the pitcher, had arguably the most awkward batting stance ever, and his mouth always looked like it was stuffed with cake, but the former Mets catcher is the most underrated New York Mets player of all-time.

Okay, that last comment was a stretch, but when you think about it, Sasser is arguably– next to Turk Wendell - the most unique ballplayer who ever donned the orange and blue. Double-pumps aside, Sasser had a lot of key hits for the Mets in the early ‘90s. Who can forget 1990, when he started 100 games and spanked out 83 hits with a whopping .307 average? Or how about when he became the first Met to throw out Vince Coleman? Or the time he slammed two dingers at The Vet?

The answers to all those questions? Everyone forgot. Yep, we’d all rather remember the guy for not throwing to the mound. Lord knows New York media had a field day with him back then as he’d throw the ball to third, second, or even roll the ball. I’m sure there were times he throw it at Mr. Met’s head by accident, but let’s not forget the guy had head problems. Give him a break. He finished his career, which spawned from 1987 to 1995, with a respectable .267 batting average and last time I checked, nobody’s retiring Randy Milligan’s number any time soon. (Mets got Sasser from the Pirates for that former top prospect).

Posted by Jon Chattman at 07:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

METS PRE-GAME NOTES
 
Chicago (18-19) at New York (24-14), 7:10 p.m. ET

Pitching Matchup

CHC: LHP Rich Hill (4-2, 2.51 ERA)
Hill has cooled off some after a start that saw him allow just one run in his first 22 innings, and the Mets are catching him at the right time. In his last outing, the lefty allowed five runs in five innings in Philadelphia, good for a loss and his worst outing of the year. Hill didn't see the Mets last season, and he's probably happy about it -- in his lone career outing against them, the lefty allowed seven runs in 1 1/3 innings.

NYM: RHP Jorge Sosa (2-0, 2.77 ERA)
Mets fans couldn't have asked for much more out of the traditionally erratic Sosa in his first two starts. The hard-throwing right-hander lasted into the seventh in both, allowed just two runs in both, and, most importantly, earned a win in both. He saw the Cubs twice in relief last season, holding them to a combined .200 average.

Players To Watch

Shortstop Jose Reyes is perfect in two at-bats against Hill, with two singles. He hasn't been fazed by the lefty's pickoff move, either, racking up two stolen bases.

Aramis Ramirez has a career .306 average at Shea Stadium, with five homers and 16 RBIs. He's also struck out 16 times.

Todays Mets Notes

So far no word on if Moises Alou is going to the DL. My guess is that if they waited this long, he could be doing much better.

Carlos Delgado, who walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to give the Mets a 5-4 win in Monday's series opener, was hit in the left hand and left Tuesday's game. X-rays were negative and there's a good chance you'll see him in tonights lineup.

I hope this rain lets up. It's coming down pretty hard right now and the winds are really gusting.

Some of this information was provided by MLB.com and Mets.com.

Posted by Joe D. at 03:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

The purpose of this week’s column was to get people riled up. Actually that is the purpose of my column every week. I posted a “Rant” on the Rants and Raves north side Chicago section of www.Craigslist.com. For those of you who are not familiar with this particular website, it is a website that allows people in basically every community on Earth to connect with each other so they can do anything from selling a car to finding a job. If you still haven’t heard of this site then read the rest of this article, quit your job, move to Alaska, and learn to become a professional ice fisherman. You can find the Rants and Raves section right under the “Missed Connections” section. If you frequent Missed Connections then it should be a law that you are required to move to Alaska and become an ice fisherman. Regardless, if you take life too seriously then don’t ever visit Rants and Raves. It is only for people who have a strong stomach and can tolerate incoherent babble. It is also a place to communicate with random people across the country.

In this particular scenario I wanted to write a Rant for the people of Chicago to read, specifically Cubs fans.  The italic content below describes an experience that I had at the May 14th Mets Vs, Cubs game. This is what I posted.

TO CUBS FANS, LOVE METS FANS

I just wanted to let you losers know that while I was at Shea Stadium last night watching the NEW YORK METS show you guys who the best team in the NL is, I encountered a very rowdy, uneducated, ugly, horrible accented, Midwesterner who thought it was a prudent idea to start talking trash to MY fellow fans at MY stadium. Now I am not against other teams fans coming to New York to watch their home team play, but if you do happen to brave the streets here, then you should realize that it's not a great idea to start smack-talking to us. In fact it is incredibly stupid. You will get put in your place. Please believe it.

This bumble **c* started to act "hard" when the Cubby's were winning 4-0 in the 4th inning. He was screaming and yelling his head off while waiting on the sausage and pepper line about how the Cubs were the best team, blah, blah, blah. Since there was no one else around to stop him from exhibiting this inappropriate behavior, I decided to put him in his place. There are many people like me who consider Shea Stadium their second habitat. Are you going to let someone come into your home and disrespect you? I just happened to be the one who needed to stop this fallacious drunken tirade. We began to verbally spar.

After some drunken tough guy talk, He finally formed some sentences that I could comprehend, Continuing to ride his “Four to zero in the 4th inning score” horse into the sunset. I informed him that the Cubs have not been in the World Series since Eleanor Roosevelt was the first lady. This flew over his head faster than trying to explain what Myspace is to the players at your Grandmother’s Bridge game. His only slurred response was "The Bears are the bestest team, when was the last time the Jets were in the World Ser...I mean Super Bowl" I tell him to shut up and remind him that Rex Grossman is horrible and it doesn't matter cause the Bears suck and they got their ass kicked by the Colts anyway. He whispers to his friend "I think I am going to get in a fight tonight". I go "No your not" and I was right, he wasn't. He walked away without doing anything. Cause he was a little b***h ass baby.

Bottom Line Chicagolanders...

DO NOT COME TO MY STADIUM AND ACT TOUGH CAUSE YOUR TEAM IS WEAK, IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN, AND IT ALWAYS WILL BE REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH MONEY YOU SPEND!!!!!!

By the way we came back and won 5-4 on a walk off walk

good night

P.S. Bartman. Nuff said.

Now that may be a little harsh, but trust me, it is pedestrian compared to some of the other posts on Craigslist. I wanted it to be a ruthless and insensitive so it would elicit a response, and then post some of that response in this article. But to my surprise, there was no comeback of any kind. The only response I got was from a White Sox fan who agreed with me completely on everything I said and posted a rant that was even more outrageous than the one I wrote. I was surprised by some of the things he said and it was interesting to read how fans in another city with two baseball teams acted toward each other. Here is the link. Do not click if curses offend you.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/rnr/331671070.html

Just to clarify, I don’t go to Shea Stadium looking to fight fans of other teams. I do enjoy some smack talk though here and there, but I am a grown ass man and the last thing I want to do is to get arrested for fighting some drunken Midwesterner while in line waiting for the concession attendant to charge me nine dollars for a snausage and pepper hero. I’d also like to clarify that I love the city of Chicago. I have visited on numerous occasions and enjoyed myself each time. I really don’t have a problem with Chicago-landers at all. I did find it interesting that no one responded to my rant considering the amount of responses that one would get if they posted a similar anti-Mets rant in the New York section of R&R.

I’d like to ask the reader. What you would do if you were on a concession line and there was someone screaming anti-Mets obscenities? Would you react differently? Let the people speak!

Posted by Dave Ponte at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

This blog illustrates exactly what can happen when bloggers have too much time on their hands.

As most of you know we have a companion site on Myspace. One of the most frequently asked questions I get is if I know what song is playing when a particular Mets player comes up to bat at Shea Stadium. So after a little bit of research I saw that the Mets actually had this list posted on their site.

Jose Reyes - This Is Why I'm Hot - Mims
Paul Lo Duca - No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys
Carlos Beltran - He Is Here - David & Abraham
David Wright - Fame - David Bowie
Carlos Delgado - Rompe - Daddy Yankee
Shawn Green - Song 2 - Blur
Jose Valentin - Reggae ton - Don Omar
Ramon Castro - Imperial March - Star Wars
David Newhan - We Fly High - Jim Jones
Damion Easley - Smack That - Akon

It’s really kind of sad that my favorite Mets have such bad taste in music. I mean the only song on this list that I like is Ramon Castro’s because like most nerds, I love Star Wars. I would even go as far as saying that David Wright’s song from David Bowie isn’t that bad, mostly because I have a fascination with people who have two different colored eyes.

Now here are some of the pitcher’s songs. Most of you have heard the stories of how pitchers think they are cooler than the rest of the guys in the clubhouse, so lets see if their songs really bear that out.

Tom Glavine - Sweet Child of Mine - Guns & Roses
Oliver Perez - Can You Feel It - The Jackson's
John Maine - Seek and Destroy - Metallica
Billy Wagner - Enter Sandman – Metallica

Heck yeah! I mean come on, 3 out of 4 songs on this list are awesome! However, someone needs to keep a real close eye on Oliver Perez… The Jackson 5? Is he kidding me???

If I was running this show I would definitely have come up with a better selection of songs. Here are just some of them…

Pedro Martinez – Miss You – Rolling Stones
Jose Reyes – Speed Kills – Bush
Aaron Heilman – Take This Job And Shove It – Johnny Paycheck
Billy Wagner – Don’t Bring Me Down – ELO
Carlos Beltran – Some Kind Of Wonderful – Grand Funk Railroad
Chan Ho Park – Please Release Me – Engelbert Humperdink
Mike Pelfrey – Rock Me Gently – Andy Kim
Paul Lo Duca – Little Sister – Elvis Presley
Julio Franco - Rock Of Ages - Def Leppard
Oliver Perez - Jumping Jack Flash - Rolling Stones

OK, I already warned you about having too much time on my hands, but what do you think?

Think you can do better? Let's see some of your song choices! 

Posted by Joe D. at 06:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (17) | TrackBacks (0)

Mets optioned RHP Lino Urdaneta to Triple-A New Orleans. and recalled RHP Ambiorix Burgos. Urdaneta was only up for quick look because Willie Randolph wanted to see what the kid had in the tank. It turned out that it wasn’t much, so Burgos is back and should stick around for the rest of the season barring a significant step backward in progress. Burgos is one of those guys who can be dominating when his stuff is working or brutal when it’s not. If Willie Randolph and Rick Peterson figure out how to tame him, he can be a real asset for the Mets the rest of the way.

Jason Vargas is likely to start for the Mets on Thursday after having his turn skipped for Triple-A New Orleans on Monday. It wouldn’t be for more than one start unless El Duque suffers a setback in rehab. I look forward to seeing what Vargas brings to the table. It wasn’t long ago that he was considered one of the Marlins’ best pitching prospects.

Not for nothing, but isn't it about time we give Billy Wagner his props? I mean when the guy blows a game he won't stop hearing about it for a month, but here he is with 9 saves in 9 chances and not one word about how great he's doing in any of the local papers. Wagner had a huge April and has continued his dominance half way through May and is on the verge of his best season in the last 10 years.

In 16 innings pitched he has allowed only 1 run on 10 hits, and has 16 strike outs to go with only 4 walks.  His ERA is almost invisible at 0.56 and his WHIP is 0.88. These numbers are not just great, they are absolutely dominating!

Posted by Joe D. at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Tonight is a big night for Tom Glavine as he tries to get one more win closer to the coveted 300 milestone. He will start the series opener for the Mets against the Chicago Cubs.

His last time out, he allowed just one run in seven innings to earn a 4-1 win over the San Francisco Giants, after not receiving a decision in his previous three starts. The victory left the him just six wins shy of 300 for his career. Currently Glavine is 4-1 with a 2.98 ERA.

Glavine lost both of his starts against the Cubs last season and is looking forward to some sweet revenge tonight.

I think Glavine is going to have a great start tonight and I look forward to seeing him face Cliff Floyd and Alfonso Soriano. The Cubs will be have Jason Marquis (5-1, 1.70 ERA) on the mound, so it could be a low scoring affair.

Enjoy the game everybody!

By the way, thanks to Kelly who took some time to redesign the site today. It looks great!

Posted by Joe D. at 03:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

As the Mets get set to open up a 4 game series with the Chicago Cubs, Cliff Floyd makes his return to Shea Stadium for the first time since the last game of the last year's NLCS.

When we think about Cliff, most of us can only remember the vision of him being helped of the field with his myriad of injuries. However, he did have many big games for the Mets and a fair share of clutch hits when he was healthy.

Cliffy was always a popular Met during his time here, but he alienated himself from some by the comments he made about Willie Randolph since signing with the Chicago Cubs.

He pretty much asserted that Willie was indecisive during his pinch hit appearance in game 7.

It will be interesting to see if those comments will lead to a cool reception tonight or if he will still get what would have been a short standing ovation.

We will soon find