Tonights Lineup
1. J Reyes, SS
2. L Castillo, 2B
3. D Wright, 3B
4. C Delgado, 1B
5. M Alou, LF
6. S Green, RF
7. R Castro, C 
8. L Milledge, CF
9. T Glavine, P 

I cant believe Paul Lo Duca is not catching Tommy tonight.

Lastings Milledge is batting number eight and Shawn Green is hitting ahead of Ramon Castro?? Not exactly how I would have written it out tonight. 

Pitching matchup
NYM: LHP Tom Glavine (9-6, 4.51 ERA)
Glavine's been hot and cold throughout the summer months, interspersing strong outings with the intermittent clunker. He has won two straight decisions, but if history's any guide, No. 300 may have to wait -- he's won back-to-back starts just twice this year. Yet Milwaukee proved to be no obstacle last season, when Glavine struck out 11 Brewers over the first six innings of a 4-3 win.

MIL: RHP Jeff Suppan (8-9, 5.08 ERA)
Suppan has just one quality start in his last five outings and hasn't pitched seven full innings since June 1. Left-handers have been the problem, blasting Suppan at a .346 clip. He lost to the Mets in May, allowing four runs -- and two home runs -- in six innings.

Player to watch
Luis Castillo makes his Mets debut as Tom Glavine chases number 300!

Some content courtesy of mets.com.

Posted by Joe D. at 07:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Tonight, there is a possibility that 3 huge milestones will be reached. Barry Bonds looks to tie Hank Aaron with 755 home runs, Alex Rodriguez looks to get his 500th career home run, and our very own Tom Glavine looks to get his 300th career win, only the 5th ever lefty to do so.

I personally do not want Glavine to get his 300th tonight, as I am going on the road trip for the next 5 games (Milwaukee and Chicago) to watch the Mets. Hopefully he gets a no-decision in a Mets victory tonight and then gets the win in Chicago

By the way, it came to my attention that on the website of ESPN, a poll is currently running asking fans what milestone they are most looking forward to seeing. Glavine is leading the polling with 36% of the votes.

Posted by at 06:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

TRADE DEADLINE IS OVER!

Any late trades will be followed up. 

Trades

3:48PM
The Phillies have acquired Julio Mateo from the Mariners, ESPN's Jayson Stark reports.

3:43PM
Red Sox have finalized the deal for Eric Gagne. Gagne is now a Red Sox. 

2:50PM
Braves finalize deal for Octavio Dotel for Kyle Davies.

12:15PM
The Dodgers and Yankees have agreed in principle on a trade that would send reliever Scott Proctor to the Dodgers for infielder Wilson Betemit, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

Yankees to get infielder Betemit from L.A. for reliever Proctor

Posted by Ryan Punzalan at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (51) | TrackBacks (0)

With the trade deadline at 4 pm - rumors are heating up... here's a few rumblings I'm sure you've heard about before... so far Joel Pineiro being traded to the Cardinals is all that's happened (as of 11:30 am EST) - but it's early...

Mets, BoSox, and Yanks hot for Gagne, but I think another team could slip right in there...

Lastings is off the market - right where he belongs...

Yanks willing to trade Farnsworth to anybody, and I don't blame them...

Braves closing in on Arroyo and Dotel, which is bad news...

Mets have interest in Twins' Carlos Silva...

Dback's Quentin on the block...

Look for Dye to head to Boston...

Proctor to Dodgers for Betemit is a strong possibility...

Mets still looking at Conine, which is cool, but where's that leave Gotay?

What have you guys heard?

Posted by Jon Chattman at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

Now this is in no way to combat or take issue with Joe D's piece. I liked Joe's article,I thought it was well written and he had good points. But here are 4 reasons for me why I thought the Luis Castillo deal was not very well thought out.

 1. Ruben Gotay-Meet the bench. Luis Castillo will now take over the everyday role of the second base position. Meaning also, that 24 year old Ruben Gotay will be limited to pinch hitting duties. Also if the Mets want him to play on a more regular basis, he could be optioned to Triple A New Orleans, despite his .350 batting average 4 home runs and 19 RBI's.

2. Strange Choice For 2 Hole In Lineup. This entire year in Minnesota Castillo has hit lead off every time he's been in the lineup. He'll have to learn how to take pitches and let Jose Reyes get a read on pitchers. Also Castillo has been hitting fast in at-bats, 59 of his 106 hits have come in a 0-0 or 0-1 count.

3. Bench's Depth Is Lacking. With Castillo starting everyday on second base, that means that the Mets will have Gotay, Damion Easley, Marlon Anderson, and Jose Valentin when he comes off of the 15 day DL. Almost definitely will one of these players be either dealt tomorrow or released in the near future, despite their production off the Bench or in less prominent roles for the Mets (Anderson had a .321 batting average as a pinch hitter for the Mets in 2005, and Easley has four home runs this year batting eighth in the lineup).

4. Mets will likely keep Castillo for 2008. It was already rumored before the 2007 season that Luis Castillo would be a Met in 2008. One rumor: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Castillo-to-join-Mets-in-08-?urn=mlb,26406 predicted that Castillo would be on the Mets in 08. And if Omar Minaya wouldn't trust Ruben Gotay this year, why would he trust him next year enough to deal an established major leaguer like Castillo? If the Mets keep Luis Castillo, they no longer get a first round pick when Castillo goes to another team.

There are my opinions on the trade. I'm not overreacting on this trade and saying that its this horrible thing that's happened...I just wish that so many other players wouldn't lose playing time as a result of it.  Please leave comments if you agree or disagree with me, and thanks for reading.

Posted by Milo Taibi at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (19) | TrackBacks (0)

As you all know by now, the Mets acquired second baseman Luis Castillo from the Twins, for Minor League catcher Drew Butera and Minor League outfielder Dustin Martin. I think it's a great deal for the Mets and here are four reasons why.

1. The Number Two Spot - The acquisition of Luis Castillo finally solves the never ending game of musical chairs that begun in Spring Training with David Wright and has since featured a dozen different players during the course of the season. Castillo has the ability to prolong the count and rarely swings at anything outside of the strike zone. He has no power to speak of, but is fast enough to leg out many an infield hit, and is quite adept at hitting them where they ain't. The stability will do both Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran some good.

2. Defense - The addition of Castillo at second base will give Jose Reyes a more consistent double play partner with steady hands. He has above average range with a strong accurate throwing arm. He is a no-holds barred defender who will dive for anything he feels he can get to and he'll make some dazzling plays in the field. He is a tremendous upgrade to the defense.

3.  Speed - His presence at the top of the lineup with Jose Reyes will give anxiety attacks to opposing pitchers. Castillo may not be able to steal 40 bases a season like he used to, but you can certainly put him down for 25 stolen bases this year. His speed also puts him among the league leaders in infield hits, year after year.

4. No Brainer - In essence the Mets gave up relatively nothing for his services. The prospects we gave up had little or no chance of ever making the team. Sure Castillo is a free agent at the end of the year, but because he is an A Type player, the Mets get a first round draft pick if he signs with another team. Bottom line... the first round draft pick is probably more valuable than what we gave up. It's a win-win situation all around!

Another reason, though not as tangible as the ones I've mentioned, is that the Mets really needed to do something. A trade such as this creates a little bit excitement and brings some positive vibes to the clubhouse. All in all, a great trade for the Mets, and hopefully a prelude to another trade for a desperately needed arm in the bullpen. 

Posted by Joe D. at 08:07 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

May 27, 1990

A young girl and her father spend an afternoon at Shea, rooting for their favorite baseball team.

I remember that day like it was yesterday. There I was, 13 years old, scanning the yearbook for the cutest player to be my favorite. (C’mon folks, I was THIRTEEN!!) And while I know that wasn’t the first time I had ever been to Shea, it was the first game I really remember being at. It was beach towel day, yet particularly cool for late May.

Now here I am, 17 years later and my goodness, what has happened??? I went from being an only child to having 25 brothers from other mothers (and they vary from year to year!) I really do feel sometimes that the Mets are my family. When they hurt, I hurt. When they celebrate, I celebrate. The passion that runs through my veins for them is like nothing else I have ever experienced. I can’t even put it into words. All I know is for those of you who bleed orange and blue, I breathe it. I smell it and I taste it too. (Victory, that is.) And hopefully soon enough I will witness a World Championship, because I was too young and not yet enthusiastic in ‘86.

When I am feeling down or had a bad day at work (like today), I look forward to coming home and unwinding with my Mets. (Too bad it’s an off day.) Granted, they make me want to pull my hair out too sometimes, but it’s all worth it. What I would do just to spend even five minutes with the team - what a blast!!

In closing, I’d like to know if we have heard any updates on LoDuca’s injury??

PS…Looking at Luis Castillo’s numbers, I must say, I’m not impressed. BUT, since the deadline is finally here and the Mets need more help than what may be available, I guess I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed and hope for a strong remaining third of the season.

Posted by MetsWrighter at 07:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

According to FOXSports, Mets acquired second baseman Luis Castillo from the Twins for Class AA catcher Drew Butera and Class A outfielder Dustin Martin.

Castillo will replace Jose Valentin as the starting second basemen. With the Twins, Luis Castillo is batting .304 with 18 RBIs and a .356 on-base percentage.

In my opinion, a great trade for the Mets. They didn't give up any important players and we got a good second baseman.

Posted by Ryan Punzalan at 03:16 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

from www.bleedorangeandblue.blogspot.com

Mark Teixeira will be serving as the Braves' new starting first baseman on Tuesday night coming to the Braves along with left-handed reliever Ron Mahay.

The Braves send Jarod Saltalamacchia, a top catching prospect in major league baseball along with shortstop prospect Elvis Andrus and two players to be named later. MLB.com says "One of those two players could be left-handed pitcher Matt Harrison, who came to Atlanta on Monday to have his sore left shoulder evaluated by Braves doctors."

So now we can really get worried. As the Braves and Phillies get hot and land some big names in the trade market, the Mets are losing their everyday players very quickly and not making any moves.

Teixeira is hitting .297 with a .397 on-base percentage and .524 slugging percentage this year. He will be a giant boost to the Braves lineup. They have so many good hitters and I am starting to cherish every moment the Mets have in first place.

Hopefully by the end of tomorrow I will be writing about how great a move Omar made and how much it will benefit the team, but I am not sure if I am counting on that very much.

Posted by at 01:18 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Emerging from the depths of mediocrity midway through the Mets historical 2006 run to the NLCS was 26 year old John Maine. He arrived to the “big show” early in May after now former Met hurler Brian Bannister went down with a severe hamstring injury.

At that moment, not one single Met fan could tell you who he was, or where he came from. He yielded four runs and fell short of going a respectable six innings in his Mets debut against the Nationals, days later he was summoned to the disabled list due to blister issues. To say Met fans were not overwhelmed with excitement after his appearance would be a severe understatement

Maine was an under the radar throw in, along with since departed Jorge Julio, in the deal that sent Kris and Anna Benson to Baltimore last winter. Upon his initial call up with the Amazin's, he seemed to be nothing less, and nothing more, just a throw in who could make the occasional spot-start.

There is no situation that seems to effectively shake the confident poise of the Virginia native. Much like teammate Oliver Perez, Maine seems to take the field every time out with a chip on his shoulder. Both were foolishly given up and cast away by their original clubs, who are currently starved for pitching. Likewise, each started their Mets tenures un-heralded and under the radar in Triple-A.

A magical electricity runs ramped whenever Maine gets the ball. His heart and emotion is evidently left out on the field, and he delivers with a passion that makes it clear why Mets fanatics claim to bleed blue and orange

His twelve victories in 2007 have all come in nothing short of dominant fashion. He posts a 2.92 earned run average after his start against Washington earlier today in which he did not allow a run and surrendered only a first inning hit before retiring 14 Nationals in a row.

Its been reported on a couple of blogs now that a deal of Lastings Milledge and a minor league pitcher would be exchanged for Carl Crawford of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

All of these rumors are purely just fun to read and usually have no validity to them except for the fact that it was reported in the St. Petersburg Times that a Mets scout was spotted at Tropicana Field on Saturday.

Interesting...

Posted by Milo Taibi at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

The Mets received some very discouraging news today when the results of Carlos Beltran's MRI came back.

Mets.com is reporting that the MRI taken Sunday morning on Beltran's strained left oblique revealed small amounts of fluid, signaling an abdominal tear. The Mets will continue to monitor Beltran's situation before their next game on Tuesday, at which point they could place their center fielder on the DL.

"I feel sore, I feel tight, I can't swing, I can't run," Beltran said. "That's the way I feel, so I'm not able to play. I’m not close to playing.’’

So far this season, the Mets have had everyone of their starting outfielders and backup outfielders, spend time on the DL. That includes Shawn Green, Moises Alou, Endy Chavez, Carlos Gomez, and now Carlos Beltran.

For now, Beltran will wait for further instructions from team doctors, and hope that the pain subsides. He should have a better idea on his status on Monday.

Get used to seeing a lot more of Lastings Milledge in center field.

The Mets did have some good news on the results of another MRI on catcher, Paul Lo Duca. Lo Duca may have strained a hamstring running the bases on Saturday. The MRI showed that he tore previous scar tissue in the leg, but not so badly that he should miss any more time.

"It feels pretty good today, I was pretty surprised," Lo Duca said. "I really feel Tuesday is reachable."

I can't say that I can recall another season where the Mets have suffered as many injuries as this season.

It's for that reason I have suggested that the Mets make some moves to get some younger players on the team. As we enter the final turn in the race for the division, I am absolutely fearful of having our season derailed due to injuries. With a team that is counting heavily on  El Duque, Tom Glavine, Moises Alou, Shawn Green, and even Pedro if he ever returns, the Mets should cover their bets, before we end up covering our eyes.

Posted by Joe D. at 07:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

from www.bleedorangeandblue.blogspot.com

A good game today... Although it was only 5 innings our bats exploded and John Maine had another great start.

Here's the Summary:

John Maine
Maine was lights out, pitching a complete game (5 innings) 1 hitter striking out 5. The 1 hit came in the first inning and he retired everybody else. Great game for him picking up his 12th win of the season.

Mets Offense
They scored 5 runs off former Mets first round pick Billy Traber getting 10 hits.
Ramon Castro was 2-2 with a home run.
Lastings Milledge went 1-2 with a walk and and RBI.
Jose Reyes was 2-3 scoring wo of the Mets five runs.
A few other players also had good games...

Ronnie Belliard
Belliard picked up the only hit of the game for the Nats in the first inning with 1 out. Without that it would have been the first no-hitter in Mets history (I think it would have counted).

Summary
Another good win for the Mets. The Game Ball goes to John Maine for pitching 5 1-hit innings.

Posted by at 05:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

The Atlanta - Journal Constitution is reporting that the Atlanta Braves are close to announcing that a trade for Texas Rangers first baseman, Mark Teixeira has been completed.  It could be announced as early as today.

The switch hitting, 27 year old, slugger will immediately take over as the cleanup hitter in a lineup that might look like this...

1. Johnson/Escobar, 2. Renteria, 3. Chipper, 4. Teixeira, 5. McCann, 6. Francouer, 7. Andruw, 8. Diaz/Harris

"Getting a guy like him, a switch-hitter, middle-of-the-lineup guy, a Gold-Glover, would give us as formidable an NL lineup as you can get," Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones said in San Francisco.

He has averaged 38 homeruns and 117 RBI in the last three seasons with a .289 average in that span.

It automatically launches the Braves back into the fight for the NL East with a lineup that's arguably the best in the National League.

The Braves are also trying to land All Star closer Eric Gagne, and it appears that they are now considered the odds on favorites to land his services. Gagne is 16-for-17 in saves, with a 2.16 ERA and .192 opponents’ average against.

While the Mets twiddle their thumbs on deciding whether to trade their top prospects, neither of whom are on Baseball America's top 25, the Braves traded baseball's top catching prospect, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and their top outfiled prospect, Elvis Andrus to help them win a pennant and build a new dynasty.

Meanwhile back at Shea, the Mets ponder the virtues of Mark Grudzielanek and Luis Castillo.

The 2007 NL East race has just got a little more interesting.

Posted by Joe D. at 10:50 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

It is looking like there will be no dominanting lead in the NL East in 2007 for the Mets.

I thought the Phillies might fall out of it when Chase Utley broke his hand, but then they added Tadahito Iguchi to fill in until he returns. We have a 4 game lead on both the Braves and the Phils. Not bad, but not great.

Last season, we finished 12 games over the Phils in the NL East standings. I would say that the second place team this season will finish within single digits games back.

Jose Valentin is probably out for the year for the Mets. Gotay is there now, but hopefully we'll be able to get a second baseman by the deadline. Rumors on ESPN are pointing to Luis Castillo coming to the Big Apple. He is not a power hitter, but he hits for average and is a scrappy player that would fit right in. I wouldn't mind him at all.

The Braves look like they are most likely to get Mark Teixeira from the Rangers, which wouldn't bode well for the Mets.

Our batters really need to step up. Our offense has been better, but it needs to be consistent. You can't go score 7-9 runs one game, and then 1-3 runs in the next game. That's not going to get you very far.

The Mets need pitching, the Mets could really use an extra bat in the line-up. Omar Minaya should do something about this.

We are the Mets. This is New York. Lets get something done. 

LET'S GO METS!

Contributed by Joey Bealey

Posted by Joe D. at 01:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Talk about a game that was so frustrating on so many levels... The Mets lost a heart-breaker tonight 6-5, to the Nationals in the second game of their day/night doubleheader.

The game started with only three available batters on the bench after the Mets optioned Anderson Hernandez to AAA when they activated the games starter, Mike Pelfrey.

>>>Knowing the Carlos Beltran was not going to be available, was optioning Hernandez the logical choice for Omar Minaya? (I guess he's never heard of Murphy's Law)

Mike Pelfrey took the mound hoping to get his first win of the season, but it was not meant to be. He allowed 3 runs on 8 hits and a walk. In his defense, he did settle down after a disastrous third inning, and went on to pitch through the sixth.

The Mets bats were stymied by a relative unknown rookie who was an emergency call up for the Nationals. Joel Hanrahan was impressive, but the Mets batters were equally unimpressive.

>>>By the way, after a huge week by Lastings Milledge that has him leading the Mets in RBI since the All Star Break, why did Willie choose to bat him number eight??

Eventually the Mets bats came alive in the sixth inning and they tied the game and took Pelfrey off the hook for what would have been his eight loss of the season. Wagner had an RBI and Delgado launched a two-run homer to tie the game at three.

Mota pitched a solid seventh, but Feliciano got into a jam and left the eight inning with the bases loaded after giving up the go ahead run. Enter Aaron Heilman. Ron Belliard quickly drove in two more runs to put the Nationals up 6-3.

In the bottom of the eight inning the Mets mounted a comeback and scored two runs, but the the rally ended on a run scoring double play by Moises Alou, after clutch hits by Gotay, Wright and Delgado.

The Mets went down meekly in a 1-2-3 ninth inning featuring a pinch hitting appearance by Tom Glavine after the Mets ran out of healthy position players.

A questionable move by Willie in a game that was full of questionable moves. In the seventh inning, Lo Duca got hurt pulling up to second base and came out of the game with an undisclosed leg injury. El Duque came in to pinch run for him. Willie Randolph then elected to let Marlon Anderson pinch hit, when he already knew that Ramon Castro was going to come into the game anyway.

>>>Anderson was the last guy left on the bench, why didn't Willie let Castro hit, especially after how clutch he has been with the bat lately? Castro is hitting over .300 and Anderson is hitting .237... Terrible call!

This team needs help, but so far the Mets are reluctant to do anything because they have become gun-shy since the Kazmir/Zambrano trade. The Phillies can smell blood and are pulling out all the stops to improve the team for a run at the Mets. The last thing the Mets need is another injury prone thirty-something player, and yet that is all they seem to be looking at.

We have now lost 2 of 3 to the Nationals and with 58 games left to play, the Mets have nothing but mostly playoff contending teams left to play including six games with the Cubs and Brewers on the next road trip, six games with the Dodgers and Padres, and sixteen games with the Braves and Phillies.

The best we can hope for now is a split of the series with the Nats.

Posted by Joe D. at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBacks (0)

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays traded second baseman Ty Wigginton, to the Houston Astros in exchange for reliever Dan Wheeler.

Another nice second baseman option bites the dust...

The 29 year old, right handed hitter originally broke in with the Mets in 2002.

Earlier in the day, the Reds acquired second baseman Jorge Cantu, outfielder Shaun Cumberland and cash from the Devil Rays for LHP Brian Shackelford, RHP Calvin Medlock and future considerations.

Yesterday the Phillies landed Tadahito Iguchi from the White Sox.

It's safe to assume that Ruben Gotay is definitely the second baseman of the present and the future for the New York Mets.

Posted by Joe D. at 08:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Anderson Hernandez' reward for a pinch hit single today was a one way trip back to New Orleans. To make space for the recently activated Mike Pelfrey, tonight's starting pitcher, the Mets optioned Hernandez back to Triple A.

This news means that the Mets are one man short on the bench tonight, but also it means that Beltran must have made some sort of progress and may be available to play Tuesday. Or if not, then Beltran will go on the 15 day disabled list and Hernandez or another minor leaguer will be recalled from Triple A.

Mike Pelfrey will battle pitcher Joel Hanrahan (Who's making his Major League debut) tonight with a 7:10 start.

Posted by Milo Taibi at 04:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is not good news for Mets fans. Yesterday the discussion was whether Beltran could participate in the day night doubleheader, now Beltran has been labeled as being out indefinitely. Beltran said that he is doing basic exercises today (Riding a stationary bike etc...) Beltran said that he was hopeful of doing exercises tomorrow that his strain prevented him from doing before.

There is no time line for his return, but you can be certain that he will be put on the 15 day disabled list today. At the moment he remains day to day.

Carlos please hurry back after your stint on the DL... we need your bat in the lineup and your glove in Center Field.

Posted by Milo Taibi at 03:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

As Kevin James would say, "LETS GO METS! LETS GO METS! Lets go Mets! LETSGOMETS." The Mets properly picked their spots for big hits, and they took game one of this day night doubleheader from the Nats, 3-1. El Duque Orlando Hernandez was terrific. He went 7 innings to earn the victory, gave up just 3 hits and struck out 8 batters of the befuddled Washington lineup. Ryan Church, Jesus Flores, Nook Logan, and starting pitcher Tim Redding all struck out twice. Aaron Heilman has been returning to last year's form as of late, he worked a flawless 8th inning. And Billy Wagner, continuing his bid for team MVP, notched his 24th save, despite shaky defense in the 9th inning. Jose Reyes and Ruben Gotay made throwing errors letting Ryan Zimmerman and Dmitri Young on base.

The Mets outhit the Nats in this one, 9 hits to 3. However, the trend of leaving runners on base continued in this game. In an even bigger way than the last game. the Mets stranded 18 base runners today. If the Nationals didn't have such a weak offense this game could have been had by a different opposing team. It is a victory though, a victory that has to be had against a team like the Washington Nationals. The RBI's today belong to Lastings Milledge, Carlos Delgado, and Ruben Gotay, who worked a terrific at-bat against reliever Saul Rivera, who has been pretty much lights out for the Nationals this year.

With Mike Pelfrey scheduled to start tonight, it is still uncertain who will be taken off the roster to clear up a spot for him. It will be either Anderson Hernandez being sent down to AAA, or Carlos Beltran being placed on the 15 day disabled list. I believe Beltran will go on the DL for two reasons: Hernandez actually got a hit today, which is a good sign for a player who's knock has always been a lack of hitting ability. Also, with a game tomorrow, and then an off day on Monday, Beltran will not be missing too much action, and will not be of much use if he plays hurt. He'd be playing fresher for more important games in mid-August and September.

I hope you enjoyed reading my recap. I won't be doing one tonight as I will be at the Mets game. Hopefully they can sweep the day night doubleheader and get some momentum going for the dog days of August. Lets go Mets!

Posted by Milo Taibi at 02:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

The Chicago Tribune is reporting...

[Jon Garland and Jermaine Dye gave potential suitors a good showing Friday night in the White Sox's 4-3 victory over Toronto.

In what may have been his last White Sox start, Garland lasted 7 1/3 innings and allowed three runs. Dye contributed three hits and an RBI.Among the scouts in attendance was one from the Mets, who have interest in Garland.]

If the Mets are to land Jon Garland, you can be sure that either Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber, Fernando Martinez or Lastings Milledge will go. Carlos Gomez can't be traded while he is on the DL.

Garland is only 27 years old and is signed through 2008. He was won 18 games for two straight seasons and his best years are still ahead of him. He has a career won loss of 90-75 with an ERA of 4.41.

I've always liked Garland and when the Mets were looking at Contreras and Vasquez, I was wondering why they weren't looking at Jon Garland instead.

What do you think??

Posted by Joe D. at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBacks (0)

It shouldn't take anyone by surprise that Minor League Baseball players take steroids. But with the suspension of Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Donnie Sadler this morning, it struck me as odd: only because this has happened so much recently. Yesterday San Francisco Giants prospect Thomas King was suspended for 50 games for testing positive. Four days ago Milwaukee Brewer's catcher Angel Salome was suspended 50 games for breaking the minor league drug policy. This year 20 players in the Minors have now tested positive for steroids. And we're only in July. What is going on in Minor League Baseball?

Although not a good track record, the Mets have not had rampant steroid use in their Minor League teams this year. Former Mets pitcher Lino Urdaneta was suspended for steroid use, and 22 year old pitcher Jorge Reyes tested positive for steroids. It was his second offense, so he received a 100 game suspension. This is something primarily done in the Minors, only two Major League Baseball players have failed a drug policy this year. One of which, Neifi Perez, was for Amphetamines so he only received a 25 game suspension. This is something that needs to be wiped out of Minor League Baseball. If a player is willing to cheat, be dishonest, and give baseball a bad name just to make it to the Majors, then they don't deserve to play at all.

Please leave comments and let me know if you agree with me or think i'm over-reacting.

Posted by Milo Taibi at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Mets vs. Nationals

Game 2 of 4

This really is a big game for the Mets. They have lost 2 straight, the Phils won last night, and they really just need a win. From what I see it, this pre-trade deadline team really does not have what it takes to win this championship. Last night I was listening to WFAN and the caller compared this team to Gil Hodges's 1969 Miracle Mets in how he had a plan and stuck to it. I see that in Willie but all it does is make me angry...

News:
To make room for Pelfrey, who will start today’s second game, either Anderson Hernandez will be sent down to New Orleans after game one, or Beltran will put on the disabled list, which will mean he will miss playing the Braves at shea next week…

Pitching Matchup:

Tim Redding
W- 1
L- 2
K- 5
ERA- 2.92
WHIP- 1.22

vs.

Orlando Hernandez
W-6
L-4
K-77
ERA- 3.14
WHIP- 1.12

Hopefully El Duque can continue the success he has had lately...

The Lineup:
Jose Reyes (SS) leads off, followed by Ruben Gotay (2B), David Wright (3B), Carlos Delgado (1B), Ramon Castro (C), Marlon Anderson (LF), Lastings Milledge (CF), Shawn Green (RF), and Orlando Hernandez (P)

I won't be doing tonight's pre game because I am going to the game...

Go Mets!

visit my site at www.bleedorangeandblue.blogspot.com

Posted by at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Here's your report for this week guys!

AAA - New Orleans Zephyrs (56-49)

7/24 - Jesus Feliciano belted a walk-off two-run homer in the 12th inning to lift New Orleans past Tacoma, 4-2, on Tuesday. Robinson Cancel slapped a two-out single and Feliciano followed with his second long ball of the season, giving the Zephyrs (54-49) their fourth straight win. David Newhan also crushed a two-run homer, his third, in the fourth as New Orleans took a 2-1 lead. Zephyrs reliever Willie Collazo (3-5) picked up the win after scattering two hits with two strikeouts over three innings. Starter Dave Williams allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out five and walking two in 5 1/3 innings.

7/25 - Adam Bostick pitched five scoreless innings as New Orleans defeated visiting Tacoma, 4-2, for its fifth straight win on Wednesday. Bostick (4-5) allowed a hit and a walk with four strikeouts to lower his ERA to 5.90. Ryan Cullen tossed two shutout frames, Tim McNab yielded a two-run homer in the eighth and Jon Adkins worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save. Ricky Ledee went 3-for-4 and sparked a four-run fifth with an RBI groundout. David Newhan lined a two-run triple to extend his hitting streak to 16 games and came home on a base hit by Jason Alfaro, who also collected three hits for the Zephyrs (55-49)

7/26 -Jason Alfaro went 2-for-4 with four RBIs as New Orleans held on for a 5-4 victory over visiting Tacoma on Thursday. The Zephyrs (56-49) trailed, 4-3, with two outs in the fifth inning, when Alfaro grounded a single to left field that scored Corey Coles and Fernando Tatis. The 29-year-old shortstop also delivered a two-run single during a three-run first. Ricky Ledee had two hits, including an RBI single in the first. Tatis and David Newhan also had two hits apiece as New Orleans won its sixth straight. Newhan's first-inning single extended his hitting streak to 17 games. Zephyrs starter Brian Lawrence (8-4) gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts over six innings. Steve Schmoll limited the Rainiers to two hits over three scoreless frames to earn his fourth save.

AA - Binghamton Mets (45-58)

7/24 - Mets lost against the Curve, 7-2. Brett Harper went 2-for-4 with a solo homer, his 14th, and Enrique Cruz belted an RBI double in the second for the Mets (44-57). Binghamton starter Kevin Mulvey (8-9) gave up four runs on seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts in five innings.

7/25 - Caleb Stewart and Brett Harper homered and drove in two runs apiece as Binghamton beat host Altoona, 7-2, on Wednesday. The Mets rallied for five runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by back-to-back RBI singles by Stewart and Harper. Binghamton extended its lead in the sixth when Stewart and Harper opened the frame with home runs. It was Harper's team-leading 15th roundtripper and Stewart's 14th. Mark Kiger contributed a pair of hits and an RBI and Mike Carp added a run-scoring double for the Mets (45-57). Starter Marcos Carvajal (5-7) got the win after allowing two runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out one over six innings.

7/26 - Mets fell against the Curve, 4-3. Mets starter Salvador Aguilar (5-5) surrendered four runs on eight hits and three walks while fanning four in five innings. Jamar Hill went 3-for-3 with an RBI single and Miguel Negron lifted a sacrifice fly in the third for the Mets (45-58).

A (adv.) - St. Lucie Mets (13-21)

7/24 -  Mets lost to the Manatees, 5-4. Dustin Martin launched a three-run homer in the first and Ambiorix Concepcion added an RBI single in the third for the Mets (12-20), who have dropped four straight. St. Lucie starter Eric Brown yielded one run on seven hits while striking out three in six innings.

7/25 - Dustin Martin and Nick Evans each drove in two runs and Jake Ruckle tossed seven solid innings as visiting St. Lucie cruised past Brevard County, 10-2, on Wednesday. Evans, who went 3-for-4 with two walks, doubled and scored in a three-run first, then delivered an RBI single in a three-run fourth. Martin, who was 3-for-6, ripped RBI singles in the first and second. Dan Murphy chipped in four singles and an RBI and Sean Henry added three hits and scored three times for the Mets (13-20), who snapped a four-game losing streak. Ruckle (5-6) snapped a personal three-game slide, yielding two runs on five hits with five strikeouts. The 21-year-old right-hander had not won since tossing three innings against Sarasota on June 7.

7/26 - Mets fell to the Manatees, 3-2. Hietpas (3-2) yielded the unearned run on two hits while recording two outs. Starter Blake Eager gave up two runs -- one earned -- on six hits with three strikeouts in four innings. Dustin Martin went 4-for-5 with an RBI single in the second and Chavez laced a game-tying single with two outs in the eighth for St. Lucie (44-60)

A - Savannah Sand Gnats (12-22)

7/25 - Game was postponed due to rain.

7/26 - Looking for a win, the Sand Gnats fell to Tourist, 4-2.Hector Pellot lined an RBI single in the fourth and Francisco Pena lifted a sacrifice fly in the fifth for the Sand Gnats (32-71), who dropped their fourth straight. Savannah starter Jeremy Mizell (3-10) surrendered four runs on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings for his fifth straight loss.

7/27 - The Sand Gnats cannot get a win as they fell to the Tourist again, 9-2.Elvis Cruz went 2-for-3 with a solo homer, his fifth, in the seventh for the Sand Gnats (32-72), who have dropped five straight. Savannah starter Josh Stinson (3-10) surrendered six runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking two in two-plus innings

SS (R) - Brooklyn Cyclones (25-10)

7/24 - The Cylones keep on rolling as they defeat the Muckdogs, 9-3. Four Cyclones had a double and five players had a RBI. Brandon Kawal (LF) went 2-for-5 with three RBIs. Jacob Eigsti (SS) went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and a RBI. Dylan Owens (5-0) was good on the mound. Owens went 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits.

Posted by Ryan Punzalan at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is what foulballs.net had to say:

Fifty years from now, who knows if anyone outside his family will remember rookie Marlin pitcher Rick Vanden Hurk. But thanks to last night, he'll always have a baseball story to tell his grandkids: "Your grandpa threw the pitch that Barry Bonds hit for 754." Then his grandkids will say, "Who's Barry Bonds?" and "Buy me an ice cream cone" and "You smell funny."

Although we all know that Bonds' future record will be broken most likely very soon by Alex Rodriguez, it is still angering watching him be the homerun champion.

So "Barroids" didn't do steroids, right?

visit my site at www.bleedorangeandblue.blogspot.com

Posted by at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (26) | TrackBacks (0)

Jorge Sosa's stock is falling faster than Michael Vick jerseys. He lost his third consecutive decision as the Mets fell to the Washington Nationals tonight. Sosa gave up 9 hits and 5 runs (All of which earned) in his apperance.

In a week where Joe Smith was optioned to AAA, Sosa may find himself with the same treatment after tonight. He wasn't pitching well in Spring Training during Split Squad games, but after a trip to New Orleans he was off to a 6-0 start with the big club. He may need to find his way in AAA before starting another game for the Mets.

New Met Jon Adkins pitched a perfect inning. Yes, it was just a game Vs. the Nats but hopefully Willie Randolph can find lightning in a bottle with this guy. Aaron Heilman also got through an inning unscathed.

Carlos Delgado had two hits tonight, and Moises Alou hit a double in his return to the lineup. But the Mets stranded thirteen baserunners. Even if Sosa had pitched well, it'd be hard to win a game with that many runners left on base.

The Mets treated Mike Bacsik like Cy Young in his return to Shea. He pitched 7 innings strong, without a strikeout but with only one walk allowed. He picked up the W.

Bad game to lose, as the Phillies are beating the Pirates 8-1 as we speak. They will likely pick up a game on the Mets tonight. The Braves are only in the first inning of their game.

Well thats my first piece for Metsmerized, I'll be covering breaking news and some recaps I suppose, so I hope you enjoyed reading.

Posted by Milo Taibi at 09:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)

The Associated Press is reporting that Pedro Martinez threw 65 pitches in batting practice Friday at the New York Mets' spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and could be ready for a minor league rehabilitation game next week.

"He felt fine," general manager Omar Minaya said. "Everything went very well. The reports are very encouraging. The next step will be to see how he feels. It could be a simulated game or a rehab game."

The three-time Cy Young Award winner had rotator cuff surgery last Oct. 5, and the Mets hope to have him back next month.

So far, it seems like this entire season has been nothing but bad news on the injury front for the Mets. It's about time we get some good news like this.

I know he is still a month away from returning to the team, but it's still an encouraging sign that gives us some hope that help is on the way.

If he is just 80% of the pitcher he once was, he would still be the best pitcher in the Mets rotation. He's that good!

We missed you Pedro!

Posted by Joe D. at 09:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The Phillies wasted no time in replacing the injured Chase Utley by acquiring second baseman Tadahito Iguchi from the White Sox today for a Class A reliever that was not even one of their top ten prospects.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Iguchi, 32, was batting .251 with six homers and 31 RBIs in 90 games this season. In 16 games against National League teams in 2007, he hit .311 (19-61). A native of Tokyo, Japan, Iguchi batted .281 last season with 18 home runs and 67 RBI in 138 games and appeared in 12 playoff games for the White Sox in 2005.

The Phillies actually learned that Utley wouldn't miss as much time as they had originally feared, and now believe he can return in 3 weeks or less.

Iguchi was considered the top available second baseman in the game and many thought that the Mets were targeting him after losing Jose Valentin for the season. 

Iguchi spent eight seasons with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League, where he was a four-time All-Star and won three Gold Gloves as a second baseman. With Fukuoka, Iguchi hit .271 with 149 home runs and 507 RBIs and collected 159 stolen bases.

He was making $3.25 million this season with the White Sox.

I can't believe the Phillies got a talent like Iguchi for a song, while we play tiddly winks on the sidelines.

By the way, Jorge Sosa continues to look bad out there and is getting torched in the early going of tonights game.

Ergh...

Posted by Joe D. at 07:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by at 06:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

If we are going to make a big move, I will be ok with giving up Heilman and Pelfrey, but certainly not Milledge. Milledge has came up to play with this team and seems like he really learned his lesson about being stupid. He tries as hard as he can every game and is coming up in the clutch almost every game. I was not angry at all when he got thrown out the other day trying to stretch a single into a double. It shows that he is really putting his heart into what he is doing and wants to show a Lasting imprssion to the New York Mets fans and organization not as a thug who doesn't care but as a player who gives 110% every game.

Comment this post if you agree or disagree with me

from www.bleedorangeandblue.blogspot.com

Posted by at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

If you were to ask me two weeks ago how I felt about our young outfielder Lastings Milledge I would have responded, “Trade him.”  Now, I am split.  Most of us are familiar with the economic term buy low, sell high and Milledge’s play has certainly raised his value.  But will the Mets sell?  That we cannot answer, so the better question to ask is should they?  This is where I split like a fork in the road.  Part of me is saying trade him for pitching, pitching, and more pitching, while the other part wonders who else will play outfield.  Marlon Anderson and Damion Easley are terrific role players, but as everyday outfielders they will struggle; and Moses Alou, well, he could get hurt while sleeping.  Well then, you say, keep him right?  Maybe.  The starting pitching is terribly inconsistent, and the only pitchers in the bullpen who have been reliable are Wagner, Feliciano, and (dare I say it) Aaron Heilman.  However, many more fans will say that a big need is a middle of the order bat, adding another position to the laundry list of needs. 

The market for starting pitching being extremely weak this year, combined with the best reliever (Scott Linebrink, formerly of the Padres) already traded, my thought is that the Mets should keep young Lastings and allow him to hit in the 2 spot where he sees plenty of fastballs.  I mean the kid already has almost half of Shawn Green’s homeruns (3 for Milledge, 7 for Green) and RBIs (12 to 29) in one sixth of the at bats (50 opposed to 315).  Let’s keep our homegrown players instead of allowing them to be great on another team while we take a rental for less than half of a season.  You never know, he might be pretty good. 

I hope you all enjoyed my first blog as a part of Mets Merized, let me know how you feel about young Milledge.

YA GOTTA BELIEVE!

Posted by at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

It don't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Mets are having some difficulties in a bullpen that was one of the best in baseball last season.

About the only pitcher the Mets can count on this season is their closer, Billy Wagner. He has been lights out this season and is clearly having one of his best seasons in close to a decade.

Pedro Feliciano is not too far behind Wagner as far as being a sure thing. The problem with Pedro is that he is mostly th