Mets Merized Online - New York Mets Fan Site

Don't believe everything you hear this Hot Stove Season...

Especially, anything that comes from the lips of the agents, players, front office, manager, or general manager.

You have to read between the lines.

Many times what they say is the exact opposite of what they actually mean.

Here at Mets Merized Online we will put all comments through our Truth -O-Meter so you will know exactly what's going on.

I know the Truth O Meter looks a lot like an Espresso Machine, but it has been modified by the Science Department at MIT and the results have been very impressive.

Judge for yourself.

What they said

Yesterday, Omar Minaya said that Luis Castillo will be our second baseman and that he expects him to have a huge rebound season.

What that really means

Somebody, please, anybody... take this this no good, piece of crap, second baseman off of my f****ng hands before I freaking puke all over myself.

* * * * * * * * * *

What they said

Jeff Wilpon said the Mets will shakeup the team via addition by subtraction.

What that really means

If Omar doesn't get rid of that f****ng whiny ass, Aaron Heilman, I'll have him scrubbing the freaking bathroom stalls in CitiField.

* * * * * * * * * *

What they said

David Wright said that the Phillies earned the right to say anything they want.

What that really means

Damn, I wouldn't mind going a few rounds with Cole Hamel's wife, that babe is smoking.

* * * * * * * * * *

What they said

Brian Fuentes' agent, Rick Thurman said the Mets can save some money by signing his client.

What that really means

I am gonna rake your desperate asses over the coals before agreeing to anything with you. Show me the f****n money!

* * * * * * * * * *

What they said

Mets VP Tony Bernazard said, the Mets would be in great shape if they went into next season with Eddie Kunz as the closer.

What that really means

If we don't get K-Rod or Fuentes this off season, we are going to be f****d. Screw this crap, I'm faxing my resume to Kansas City and Seattle.

* * * * * * * * * *

What the hell are you doing reading this ridiculous post? Get out there and VOTE!

Posted by Joe D. at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Whether it is deserved or not, Luis Castillo has become the poster boy for last seasons failures... even though it was the bullpen that was the main culprit.

The way I see it, Luis Castillo has become to 2008, what Guillermo Mota was to the 2007 season.

It doesn't matter if we get anything in return for him...

It doesn't matter if we have to eat the remainder of his contract...

The bottom line is he has to go.

When the Mets decided to resign Luis Castillo to a huge contract for someone who was obviously injured and on the downside of his career, most Mets fans cried foul. Even those who approved of the signing, did so while holding their noses.

It was the same thing that happened when the Mets chose to resign Guillermo Mota after the 2006 season. Back then the fans objected because of the steroids controversy, last season fans objected because it was too much money, for too many years, for a player who was too banged up.

The fans were justified in their criticism of Mota as the 2007 season unfolded, just like the fans were justified of their criticism of Luis Castillo as the 2008 season unfolded.

Unless the Mets want to have Opening Day at CitiField to become a boo-fest when Luis Castillo comes to the plate after a lead-off single by Reyes, I urge Omar Minaya to get rid of Luis Castillo at all costs. The consequences of keeping him could be devastating and undermining.

I know that Luis Castillo was just a tiny part of the disappointment of last season, but that said, he has become the face of everything that was wrong. His .245 batting average was a dead out in the lineup, his 3 homeruns and 28 RBI was a suffocating blow to the offense, especially when we already decided to sacrifice offense for defense with Brian Schneider behind the plate.

You can't have three dead spots in the lineup and hope to succeed.

I never understood the point in booing our players, and I've never felt the need to do it. But, I believe I'm in the minority when it comes to that, and I want to try and avoid booing of any kind on Opening Day. I don't believe that can happen as long as Luis Castillo is on the field on that day.

The Mets now have several different options that have become fan favorites, who can play second base. None of them are stars, but each of them are well received by the fans. They include Argenis Reyes, Damion Easley who would have to be resigned, and then there is Daniel Murphy who is currently playing second base in the Arizona Fall League and is leading the league in almost every offensive category while batting .435. The Mets can even go fishing in the trade market, or sign a free agent like Orlando Hudson if they chose to do so.

The point is, that it's time to close the chapter on Luis Castillo, and begin to write a new chapter with a new storyline and with new characters at second base.

If you want to erase some of the pain of last season, getting rid of Castillo would be a good start. 

Posted by Joe D. at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

There was interesting article this morning in the Record by Bob Klapisch, who suggests that their may be full-fledged bidding war between the Mets and Yankees for the services of C.C. Sabathia,

He writes,

The Yankees and Mets worlds are about to collide over their competition for CC Sabathia.

The prize? CC Sabathia, who despite getting lit up by the Phillies on Thursday night is still the medicine both teams need to rebuild their respective pitching staffs.

The ammunition? Dollars. Millions. Nothing short of a blank check to the pitcher who led the majors in innings pitched (253) and complete games (10).

Cashman and Minaya figure to empty the tank in their pursuit of the free-agent-to-be. Most baseball people believe Sabathia, a native of Vallejo, Calif., is likely to remain on the West Coast. But there's nothing like a seven-year, $150 million contract offer to change one's thinking. The bidding war is indeed headed for nuclear territory - money, after all, it's all the Yankees and Mets really have to offer.

Posted by Joe D. at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Say what you want about last night's stinker against the Nats, but I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet.

It's become quite clear to me that this Mets team plays a heck of a lot better when they are doing the chasing rather than being chased. While last night's loss represented a big blow to the confidence of a team that was already lacking the killer instinct, all is not lost.

It was a shame to squander such a superbly pitched game from Mike Pelfrey. It was an even bigger shame to lose Fernando Tatis who was one of the few Mets that could actually get a clutch hit when the Mets needed one. The loss of Tatis will certainly open the door for more of Daniel Murphy though, and that could prove to be a nice surprise for the Mets.

Let's face it... This team lacks the swagger to protect what is clearly their division. They know how to get to first place, but they lack the means to stay there.

We can worry about why this team shrinks in the face of adversity after the season. I'll tell you my plan for breaking up this team then. But, for now... we have a division to win.

Jerry Manuel said last night, "It doesn't matter how we get into the post season, only that we get in."

Of course, he's right. We have only 12 games left to play. I figure that if we go 8-4 we are a lock to get in. It all begins tonight with Brandon Knight on the mound. <stop snickering>

Call me crazy, but this team has shown a remarkable ability to bounce back, and that's exactly what they are going to do. Let Philadelphia fret and stress about keeping their lead on first place for now. Let Philadelphia take the big red bullseye and wear it for the next week or so. Let Philadelphia find out just how hard it is to stay in first place as opposed to chasing first place.

As for the Mets, chill out, get your heads straight, start breathing again, and do what you need to do. You need to win eight of the last twelve games. You've done it before, and you can do it again.

Lets Go Mets! 

Posted by Joe D. at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

After last night's heroics, Carlos Delgado testified to the feeling around the clubhouse this September as opposed to last.

"We think we're as good as anybody," Delgado said. "We think we're the team to beat. We think what happened last year is not going to happen again. There's a different feeling around here."

Dan Graziano of the Star Ledger explains why he feels the mood is different around Shea this September.

This September is not last September, no matter how much familiar noise the Phillies may have made in the first two games of this series. Last September, the Mets had no pitching - no one, in the rotation or the bullpen - who was capable of getting a single big out. This year, they have Ollie Perez and Mike Pelfrey. They have a stunningly tough Luis Ayala and about 83 other relievers with whom their manager can play late-inning matchups. And they have Johan Santana.

Santana is the cure to any prolonged losing streak. He has continually performed in almost every single pressure situation he has been asked to pitch in. He has been our ace, our stopper, and a big reason why the Mets continually have bounced back from a loss or two this season.

As Jon Miller said during last night's ESPN broadcast, "This is the game that the Mets went out and got Johan Santana for."

Jerry Manuel also hits the nail on the head.

"Any time his turn comes about, we feel very confident that he can keep us going or get us headed back in the right direction."

Santana has earned every penny of this years salary. The prospects everyone worried about giving up for him, are still just prospects. Santana, on the other hand is the reason we will prevail and win the division.

Posted by Joe D. at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Omar Minaya was a guest this afternoon on WFAN with Evan Roberts. Here is what Omar had to say on the following issues.

First Place - I like being chased rather than being the one doing the chasing.

John Maine - John Maine was placed on the 15 day disabled list with bone spurs in his right shoulder. He is not done for the year, we just wanted to give him some rest to alleviate some of the pain. Maine is part of our long term future. We expect to shut him down for two weeks and then we will see how he feels after that. We are gonna look internally to fill his spot both in the minor leagues and also the guys we already have on the Major League roster.

Jon Niese - We are concerned about not burning options on a guy like Jon Niese. I'm not interested in bringing a guy up and then sending him back down after a spot. I'm not a big fan of that. It's not fair to the organization or the player.

Billy Wagner - I expect to see Billy back in a couple of weeks. Hopefully some of those guys in the bullpen will step up while he's gone so that when Wagner does comes back we will be better and stronger than before. If for some reason he can't come back this season, I think we can win a championship without Billy Wagner.

The Bullpen - I'd like to trade for someone that I feel is better than the guys we have, but unfortunately there are no guys like that currently available. For the time being all Jerry Manuel can do is play the hot hand, so if that means Ayala is the closer than that's how it's gonna be.

Luis Castillo - Castillo was activated today and will be in the starting lineup tonight. Luis Castillo was in line to hit .270 and steal 30 bases and play gold glove defense. If we can get him to come back like he was before he got hurt, it's a big plus for this team. Don't forget he has two World Series rings... Wheteher or not he is the starter is Jerry's decision. We are going to play the guy that gives us the best chance to win. It's September... Jerry is gonna play the best players.

The Kids - We feel we got very good talent in our system... I always said that. I'm not surprised at the success of our recent callups. Nick Evans took a little bit longer to develop when he first came up, but now he's doing fine, Murphy came right up just started doing well from the start and he continues to get better. Argenis Reyes has shown how special he can be. I give a ton of credit to our staff and all of our developmental people.

Posted by Joe D. at 8:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

As Joel Sherman of the NY Post stated in his article this morning...

There are many categories you want your players to be among the league leaders. This is not one of them. The New York Mets have four relievers in the top nine in the NL in appearances.

Pedro Feliciano and Aaron Heilman (68 games) are tied for third. Luis Ayala (66) was really pushed in Washington's pen before joining the Mets, and that overuse is often used as an explanation for his poor season with the Nationals. Joe Smith (64) is eighth in the league.

In other words, the Mets have four of the eight most overworked relievers in the National League.

It gives one pause to consider whether the Mets can survive another five weeks with an overworked and unpredictable bullpen. It is without question the most spent bullpen in the majors.

When you consider that Mike Pelfrey is now going to have his innings capped, and that John Maine faces the prospect of season ending surgery, the situation becomes even more painfully clear.

The acquisition of Luis Ayala seems to have provided a nice lift so far, and Brian Stokes has looked effective as well.

The volatility however of guys like Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis, Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano remain a huge concern. One day you love them, the next day your throwing your remote at the TV. Somethings gotta give...

Posted by Joe D. at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This has been one heck of a season. It has taken me from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs. The agony and ecstasy of the 2008 season has been just that.

For now, the Mets hold on to a slim 1 1/2 game lead over last seasons defending N.L. East champs, the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Mets can ill afford to play what amounts to Russian roulette with the 32 games remaining in their season. And yet, that is exactly what they are prepared to do.

With a cloud of doubt already hanging over their rotation in the name of John Maine, the Mets have decided to tempt faith even further by limiting the few remaining starts of Mike Pelfrey in an attempt to keep him from harm's way.

With yesterdays loss and the revelation after the game that John Maine is pitching with a bone spur in his right shoulder that will require offseason surgery, can the Mets really afford to start pulling starts away from one of their best performing pitchers of the year in Mike Pelfrey?

Mike Pelfrey will not make his August 31st start next week against the Marlins. Instead he will close out the roadtrip with a start against the Brewers on September 3rd.

This decision means that Mike Pelfrey will miss what is now the biggest and most critical series of the year against the Phillies at Shea. While the Phillies make sure that their best pitchers are lined up for that final showdown, the Mets are taking their foot off of the accelerator at a time when they should be gunning it.

The Mets better pray this strategy doesn't backfire on them... I don't think Mets fans can take another September heartbreak.

Posted by Joe D. at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Here is an odd one for you...

Luis Castillo has told the Mets that he will need a few more days before he can be activated from the disabled list today.

The Mets had no choice but to activate him as he had reached the maximum number of 20 days on his rehab assignment. The only way the Mets can get around not having to activate him is Castillo himself declares himself unfit.

Was this a selfless act by Luis Castillo who felt bad about having to see Argenis Reyes go down to the minors?

Was this the Mets putting heavy pressure on Luis Castillo to do the right thing?

I guess we will never know all of the facts relating to this matter, but it certainly will raise a few eyebrows if you ask me...

Thanks to one of our readers Dom DiFucci, for alerting us to this late breaking story.

Posted by Joe D. at 5:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Mets had three of the first 33 picks in this years Annual Baseball Draft. And while the first two picks have yet to impress, Brad Holt who chosen at number 33 overall, has opened eyes all over the baseball world.

He first burst onto the scene when he made his professional debut with Brooklyn Cyclones and fired five no-hit innings. Since then he has continued to impress and just keeps getting better as he gains more experience.

In his last two starts, including his brilliant ten strikeout performance last night, Brad Holt has pitched 14 innings while allowing just one earned run and fanning 18 while walking just three batters. (Hell yeah!) 

Check out the following stats.

While Jon Niese seems to be the overall consensus for the Mets top pitching prospect, Holt is quickly emerging and may overtake Niese for the honor as soon as next season.

What impresses me most about Holt right now is his numbers against right handed hitters. In 37 innings pitched he has allowed just 37 batters to reach base, and he has a whopping 46 strikeouts against them. His strikeout to walk ratio is almost 5:1 which puts him in the lights out category!

Posted by Joe D. at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The baseball gods must be smiling down upon the New York Mets this season. While most of us complained about the four west coast trips in April and May, the good thing about that grueling ordeal is that it's smooth sailing from here on in.

The only ones that can keep the Mets from winning the division are the Mets themselves.

The schedule by all accounts was unfair in that of all the NL East teams were spending lots of time on the east coast, while the Mets labored out west during the first couple of months of the season.

The Mets now get some payback in the next 34 games. Dayn Perry of FOX Sports breaks it down for us.

Remaining Opponents' Avg. Win%: 0.488
Home Games Left/Road Games Left: 19/15
Biggest Series: 9/5-9/7 Phillies

They've got a remaining schedule that's similar to Philly's, albeit slightly easier. Throw in their slim lead in the East, and you've got the makings of a critical-mass series between those two teams. It may come down to that three-game set in Shea.

The way the starting pitching has performed and the energetic enthusiasm brought on by the new kids on the block have completely rejuvenated this team. Throw in Jerry Manuel's managerial philosophy of playing the hot hand, and you got yourself the makings of a champioship caliber team. The Mets are firing on all cylinders. With a new manager, an infusion of youth, a rotation that is going deeper into games, and a schedule that is in their favor...

It's now or never for the Metsies... It's put up or shut up time! 

Posted by Joe D. at 8:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

David Lennon of Newsday writes...

Jerry Manuel just announced that Luis Castillo will be activated tomorrow and will get his second base job back.

Candidates to go down: Argenis Reyes, Nick Evans, Brian Stokes. With Ryan Church back, Fernando Tatis could eat up Evans' at-bats.

Manuel called it "kind of touchy and dicey."

Mets fans can't be happy that Castillo is getting his job back. But the Mets have 25 million reasons to see him do well.

This smells a lot like Omar Minaya overruling Jerry Manuel to me.

Castillo went 5-35 while playing in rehab. I don't like the smell of this.

I don't think the Mets will carry three second basemen so say goodbye to Argenis Reyes,

Terrible.

Posted by Joe D. at 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

It may be too early to start considering whether or not the Mets should pick up the team option for 2009 on Carlos Delgado for next season... or maybe not...

The post Willie Randolph era has proved to be a lift for many of the current Mets, but nobody has lifted their production more than first baseman Carlos Delgado. All he has managed to do is hit .325 since Jerry Manuel has taken over, and all of a sudden he has once again become one of the most feared sluggers in the Mets lineup.

After this season, the Mets must decide if they are willing to roll the dice one more time on Delgado by picking up the team option and letting him play one more season for the Mets in 2009 for a very reasonable $12 million dollars. (The option could be worth as much as $16 million if he wins the MVP) The alternative would be to pay him a $4 million dollars buyout sum and give Carlos Delgado his shot at one more free agent contract.

The bottom line is that it would cost the Mets only $8 million to have Delgado back at first base.

The only internal options for the Mets at first base would be promoting Mike Carp who is mired in a prolonged slump after a hot start to the season. Another option would be to play Nick Evans at first base everyday and hope for 20 homeruns. The best option expected to hit the free agent market would be Mark Teixeira. Of course that would also mean doling out $20 million dollars a year for 8-9 years for a total contract worth $160-$180 million dollars for a powerful slugger with no speed and average range at first base.

Some say that eventually Nick Evans may become a 30+ homerun guy, but that is at least two years away.

I say, pick up that option, or better yet, offer Carlos Delgado a new $12 million dollar contract with another $12 million dollar option for 2010. It would cover our bets at first base and still keep Delgado in contract-push mode for at least another season. By then Nick Evans will be able to resume his rightful place as the everyday first baseman for the New York Mets.

Full Name: Carlos Juan Delgado Born: 06/25/1972 Birthplace: Aguadilla, Puerto Rico Height: 6' 3"     Weight: 265 Bats: Left Throws: Right College: N/A MLB Debut: 10/01/1993   .262 26 84 1

What do you think the Mets should do when the time comes? Here is an omen... The Mets are having Johan Santana Bobblehead Day on September 7th. I think it's pretty odd that the bobblehead looks more like Carlos Delgado than it does Santana. Don't you think?? Maybe the Mets originally planned to use these for Carlos Delgado Bobblehead Day and then decided to use them for Santana instead after we traded for him... I think this is further proof that the Mets better pick up that option on Carlos Delgado so that CitiField doesn't get cursed or something... If we don't sign Delgado, people will be referring to the "Curse of Delgado" for years and years to come. Don't let it happen Omar!

Posted by Joe D. at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

John Maine has pitched in two games since returning from the disabled list. He has totaled ten scoreless innings allowing just three hits and striking out nine batters. Rather than giving him props for returning as strong as he has, many are concerned about the number of pitches he is throwing during both those outings. It has led SNY and MetsBlog to start speculating a potential move to the bullpen for Maine and even taking over the role of closer if Billy Wagner misses an extended amount of time.

That's just plain crazy talk if you ask me. The Mets would be shooting themselves in the foot if they allowed Maine to go from the starting rotation to the bullpen. It's a desperate move and the Mets would be risking even more peril if they were to attempt such a thing.

The good thing is that none of this rabid speculation comes from the Mets... it's just a slow news day at SNY and rather than talk about how fantastic Pedro and Maine have looked since returning from their most recent arm woes, they would rather take potshots at them and relegate them to just average bullpen fodder.

Does the bullpen need help? Absolutely. But you don't dig yourself one hole, just so you can fill another. Running in place never gets you anywhere.

Have a great day!

Posted by Joe D. at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Oh yeah... Here come the Mets!

Johan Santana pitched a three-hit shutout as the Mets beat the Pirates 4-0 on Sunday. 

It was the fifth career shutout of Santana's career, and it extended the Mets winning streak to six straight games, and 10 of their last 13.

Santana started the game by retiring the first ten hitters and completely dominated the Pirates all day. He improved his record to 11-7.

It's interesting to note that the last time Santana pitched a shutout it was on June 19, 2007, when he pitched one against the Mets in interleague play.

Offensively, the Mets got home runs from Brian Schneider and Carlos Beltran, and rookie Argenis Reyes had three hits for the Mets. Schneider drove in all but one of the Mets runs.

Luckily, the Mets were able to rest their weary bullpen after learning that Billy Wagner may be out a lot longer than first thought. In an attempt to bolster the bullpen they acquired Washington Nationals reliever Luis Ayala before the game. Ayala, was always highly regarded, but has had a tough season this year. Hopefully the change of scenery will do him good. It was a low risk/high reward move for Minaya who always seems to come out on top with these types of deals.

David Wright got a day off today, with Damion Easley playing third and batting third.

John Maine takes the mound tomorrow as the Mets go for the four game sweep of the Bucs in an afternoon affair. Lets Go Mets!

Posted by Joe D. at 5:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Mets easily beat the Pirates today by a score of 7-4 on the strength of another solid performance by Pedro Martinez. It was the fifth straight win for the Mets and the game featured homeruns from shortstop Jose Reyes, and catcher Ramon Castro.

However, the jubilation was short-lived when the Mets learned that closer Billy Wagner who was expected to return from the disabled list on Monday, was still complaining about pain.

What started out as a strained forearm that would need a couple of weeks of rest has now led to a sore elbow.

The Star-Ledger reports. that the injured closer revealed that he's still in considerable pain after a simulated game here at PNC Park this afternoon. So forget about a return to the team on Monday. When questioned about the status of his injury, Wagner said it was "discouraging." The issue is not so much Wagner's left forearm, the injury that put him the 15-day disabled list, but his elbow. The pain is not allowing him to finish off pitches, which saps a lot of life off them.

Soon after Wagner spoke with reporters, Mets coaches and executives huddled in the office of interim manager Jerry Manuel. After about half an hour, Mets vice president of player development Tony Bernazard emerged and confirmed Wagner would not come off the disabled list on Monday, as the team had expected.

The new plan - subject to change - is for Wagner to fly back home to New York today and confer with the Mets' medical staff.

"We have to talk to the doctors about which way to proceed," Bernazard.

Will the Mets be able to survive the loss of their closer for at least another two weeks?

Eddie Kunz is clearly not the answer. How many more tricks can Jerry Manuel pull out of his hat?

Posted by Joe D. at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Ahhh... The sweet smell of first place. I bet there are a bunch of us who would have never expected six weeks ago that the Mets would be in first place on August 14th. I love it!

John Maine was looking absolutely fantastic in his return to the mound last night.  Maine hurled five innings of one-hit ball and if he pitches like this for the rest of the season, clinching the NL East will be a cakewalk.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if we keep outscoring our opponents by ten or more runs heading into the eight inning, it will cure our bullpen problems. Ha ha... On a more serious note, Brian Stokes was simply fantastic in relief of Maine throwing four scoreless innings and allowing just three hits. NICE!

Who needs Raul Ibanez or Gary Sheffield when we have the amazing Daniel Murphy making a huge splash in left field? Murphy was once the biggest bat in the lineup, continuing his phenomenal start by going 3-for-6, hitting his second career homerun, and driving home three runs. Murphy is now hitting .467 in his first two weeks in the majors. And, he can do the Hustle just like you can!

I'm feeling good today, so make mine a double caramel cappuccino with extra whipped cream and shaved chocolate on top!

Posted by Joe D. at 8:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Dan Uggla may have had the worst All Star performance that I have ever seen for a position player. He was absolutely horrid and was just as big a factor in the National League's loss as Billy Wagner was. (If you can believe that!)

In the field, he commited three errors, and he didn’t even start the game.  At the plate, he went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts, including one with the bases loaded. When he didn't strike out, he hit into an inning ending double play.

He stranded six runners on base.

The three errors are a new All-Star record. He entered Tuesday's game in the sixth inning and tallied two straight errors in the 10th and one in the 13th.

U-G-L-Y!

Posted by Joe D. at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Some called last night's All Star marathon a great game and an exciting game... whatever... For me it was a star-studded bore... So what else is new for National League fans who have been waiting 12 years for a win.

Of course, as fate would have it, a New York Met figured prominently in the game's outcome; Billy Wagner. What other expletives can I use to describe Wagner's performance that I haven't used a thousand times already this season? In a two words... excruciatingly agonizing.

For all the fans who were outraged that Billy Wagner was chosen to represent the Mets over more worthy candidates like Jose Reyes, Johan Santana and David Wright... your outrage was justified.

Wagner held the National League's only shot at winning the game and ending their 11 game winless streak, in the palm of his hand... his left hand... the one that blew the one-run lead in the eight inning and launched the game into a 15-inning episode of the Twilight Zone. Ugh...

Wagner pitched just a third of an inning, but quickly allowed two hits and one run to blow the 3-2 lead he was handed. It's the second straight year he has flopped... last year he served up a two-run homer to Victor Martinez to seal the deal for the American League. His career ERA in All Star games is 10.20.

I firmly believe the Mets will be going to the World Series... and I'm expecting another Mets/Red Sox showdown. You could blame Billy Wagner for allowing the Mets to fly to Boston to play the first two games of the series in October, as well as a game seven if it goes that far.

Wagner definitely blew the save in the Mid Summer Classic, hopefully it doesn't hurt the Mets in the Fall Classic.

LGM

Posted by Joe D. at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (27)

Steven Kersey of Knuckle Curve picked his first half award winners. Looks like he did a great job on them too...

AL MVP - Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
Ian Kinsler and Milton Bradley are playing very well for the Rangers. However, I believe that it is Hamilton who is the backbone of that team’s lineup. Take him away and the Rangers wouldn’t be nearly as deadly.

NL MVP - Lance Berkman, Houston Astros
Sure, the Astros are a bad team and chances are slim that they will make the playoffs. That said, Berkman is having a career year and is the best hitter in the NL to date this season.

AL Cy Young - Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians
Mariano Rivera might be having his best season in his career but Lee has been amazing. His 12-2 record is very impressive, as is his 2.31 ERA. Lee was nothing special until this year but now the Cleveland ace is making a name for himself.

NL Cy Young - Edinson Volquez, Cincinnati Reds
Josh Hamilton is playing amazing baseball for the Texas Rangers, however the Reds have to be happy with their offseason move. The Reds got Volquez from the Rangers and he has consistently been the best pitcher in the NL this season.

AL Rookie of the Year - Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
One day soon, Evan Longoria might become more famous than Eva Longoria. He’s the clear cut rookie of the year in the AL — and it’s not even close. He has exceeded all the hype he had coming into the season.

NL Rookie of the Year - Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs
A lot of players on the Cubs are getting notoriety this season but one can argue that Soto is the most valuable player on Chicago’s roster. He has stepped in as a rookie and is playing great baseball.

Posted by Joe D. at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

If some of you are waiting to see what players the Mets might be targeting at the trade deadline, don't hold your breath. According to Joel Sherman of the NY Post, Omar Minaya has no master plan to fill the left field or bullpen vacancy via a trade. Instead, Omar feels the Mets can fill any needs by promoting from within.

Sherman gives three great reasons for why Omar may be reluctant to pull off another big trade.

1) The organization is cautiously optimistic Ryan Church will soon return, making a righty-hitting left fielder to replace out-for-the-season Moises Alou the main priority. Minaya has been unable to identify a player significantly better than a Fernando Tatis/Endy Chavez platoon to make it worthwhile to sacrifice prospect chips.

2) The Mets are finding the asking prices for relievers they have interest in, such as Colorado's Brian Fuentes, to be too steep.

3) To reach the level of contender, the Mets have expended a lot of prospect artillery the past three years, and Minaya recognizes he must protect the farm system and let it rebuild.

"We can't keep doing four-for-one deals," Minaya said.

Minaya said he expects super-prospects Fernando Martinez and Jon Niese to possibly be ready to contribute in August, and also high praise for Nick Evans and Carlos Muniz who are already on the team.

He sees Evans developing into a .280 hitter with 20 homers and 80 RBI's annually, and compared Muniz to Chad Cordero.

I don't know about you guys, but I love the fact that the Mets are thinking this way. I don't want to see them trade the farm for an over-priced aging left fielder who will be a free agent in a year or two.

Check out the rest of Sherman's article which is loaded with plenty of quotes from our GM. In Omar we trust!

Posted by Joe D. at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Sometimes it's best to let sleeping dogs lay...

All the cockiness, and all the snickers, and all the back talk and wise crack remarks about the pitiful Mets have come to an end. Nobody is pointing fingers and laughing at the Mets anymore these days. Not even the folks at ESPN and Fox can explain the sudden resurgence of the New York Mets.

"The New York Mets are for real." John Kruk admitted.

The rotation that was once ridiculed despite the addition of Johan Santana, is now among the most feared in baseball.

For now, let's forget about what everyone else thinks and instead peer into the growing fears in the National League East.

Even though the Mets are still a half-game behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies, Dan Uggla of the Florida Marlins admitted the Mets are the class of the division.

“I think they’re the team to beat coming into the second half. They’re so hot right now and they’re playing good baseball. The Phillies are still on top, but a team as hot as the Mets, is scary.”

Charlie Manuel, manager of the Phillies said that his team will be battling it out with the Mets in the second half.

"It would be nice if we had a bigger lead. The team that fills their holes before the July 31 trade deadline will probably be the champions."

Posted by Joe D. at 7:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

One of the things I immediately noticed about Jerry Manuel was his willingness to reward his hot players with more playing time. Not long after he replaced Willie Randolph, he made it perfectly clear.

"I'm not here to make friends, I am here to win ballgames."

Soon after making those comments, he began inserting Ramon Castro into the lineup, his game winning blast last week helped the Mets turn the season around. Castro was rewarded with even more playing time, which has also elevated the performance of Brian Schneider as well.

He also began replacing Carlos Delgado late in games with Fernando Tatis. Tatis hit's a walk-off homerun and earned himself regular playing time, while Delgado began to go on a tear.

On Thursday when Luis Castillo is activated from the disabled list, don't expect him to just show up and brush Damion Easley aside for the second base job. Manuel loves what Easley has given the Mets in the last two weeks. Easley is a gamer.

“When the time comes, we’ll make a decision on Castillo and second base and see how it fits. We’re really playing well at that position... I mean very well. It’s going to be a tough one. I'll need to think about that during the break.”

Once a gangsta, always a gangsta!

Posted by Joe D. at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Fernando Martinez, or F-Mart as he is now called, represented the Mets in yesterday's MLB Future's Game. He played centerfield and went 1-2 at the plate.

Martinez was not having a spectacular season, and in fact he has missed a lot of time due to injures, but in 218 at-bats for the B-Mets this season, he was batting .294 with four homeruns, 12 doubles, 32 runs and 21 RBI's.

At only 19 years old, F-Mart is the prized jewel in the Mets system. he has been often compared to former Texas Ranger, Juan Gonzalez. He was signed as an undrafted free agent at the age of 16 by Mets GM Omar Minaya who said of the signing, "What we saw in Martinez was a 16-year-old kid with power, great ability and great character, above everything else.”

Yesterday, F-Mart was asked which current player he likened himself to. His answer...

"I want to hit like Alex Rodriguez... Like Manny Ramirez... .300, 30 home runs, 100 RBI."

With the recent news that Moises Alou will miss the remainder of the season, many are hoping that F-Mart will make his long anticipated debut for the Mets. In fact, on SNY's Loud Mouths, Chris Carlin was one of those trumpeting the call for his promotion during a segment on Friday's broadcast.

Omar Minaya has shot down the idea, but he did say that if F-Mart had not missed any time with the hamstring injury, we may have seen him in September. He left no door open for the possibility of seeing him in the majors before 2009.

I actually agree with Omar on this one. F-Mart may have shown some raw skills and may be loaded with potential, but let him dazzle us in the minors and put in his work before giving him a crash course in the major leagues.

Posted by Joe D. at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Highlights

The Mets beat the Colorado Rockies this afternoon by a score of 3-0 and have now extended their winning streak to eight straight games.

Pedro Martinez started and was cruising along with a shutout until he was taken out of the game in the fourth inning with what is being described as a right shoulder strain. He seemed to be in good spirits and remained in the dugout for the remainder of the game. Before he left he pitched 4 shutout innings and allowed just one hit.

The bullpen was fantastic yet again, this time shutting down the Rockies offense for five no-hit innings. Carlos Muniz led the way with two solid innings, and Scott Schoeneweis, Aaron Heilman and Billy Wagner each pitched a scoreless inning as well. For Carlos Muniz it was his first major league win!

The Mets got on the board in the fourth inning on a double by Carlos Beltran who then stole third base and scored on a Fernando Tatis RBI single. Jose Reyes drove a solo homer over the wall in the fifth inning to make it 2-0.

Every hitter in the starting lineup had exactly one hit which was pretty cool. Brian Schneider also had three walks to go with his hit.

Speed Kills! The Mets had four stolen bases in the game (none from Jose!), one each from Carlos Beltran, Argenis Reyes, Fernando Tatis and David Wright. They lead the majors in steals.

With the Phillies losing, the Mets are now only a half game out of first place. They play the last game before the All Star break tomorrow with their hottest pitcher, Mike Pelfrey on the mound. Lets Go Mets!

The Boxscore

Posted by Joe D. at 1:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I wonder if we can sign her to replace Moises Alou?

Posted by Joe D. at 9:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Pedro Martinez did not come out to pitch the fifth inning after being pinch-hit for in the bottom of the fourth inning.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX sports, when he made contact with Pedro Martinez in the dugout, he pointed to his groin and said it was precautionary.

UPDATE: After initially thinking it was a groin problem, it is now being reported that Pedro was pulled because of a right shoulder strain. Yikes!

Pedro was pitching a good game allowing no runs on just one hit. He was replaced by Carlos Muniz who pitched a scoreless inning in the fifth. The Mets are currently leading 2-0 with the latest run coming off of a Jose Reyes solo homerun.

It doesn't look like this injury is too serious as Pedro is still sitting in the dugout watching the game. We'll keep you updated as we get more information.

Posted by Joe D. at 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Mets are getting better... The Mets are getting healthier... The Mets are getting stronger...

The outlook for the Mets couldn't be any better right now. Despite the recent turn-around and the seven game winning streak, they will be able to strengthen the team further immediately after the break. The Mets are set to activate Angel Pagan as soon as Thursday and El Duque should be back by the end of July to bolster the bullpen.

Adam Rubin of the Daily News reports...

Angel Pagan and Orlando Hernandez played for Single-A St. Lucie Friday night, but there's a need for only one of those rehabbing players on the Mets' major-league roster.

Pagan, who banged his left shoulder tumbling into the Dodger Stadium stands in May, finally is batting from the right side, which had troubled him. He was 0-for-4 with a walk and scored a run in St. Lucie's 8-5, 10-inning loss to Dunedin. He's expected to rejoin the Mets in Cincinnati as soon as Thursday, after the All-Star break.

El Duque, who has reverted to his high leg kick, is working as a starter in minor-league outings, but the Mets plan to use him as a reliever once he's ready because of the strength of their rotation. With no urgency, Hernandez - whose bunion remains on his right big toe - may have at least two more starts in the minors. His fastball was regularly hitting 83-84mph and topped out at 86 mph last night against Dunedin. Hernandez allowed just three hits and a walk with five strikeouts in 5-2/3 innings.

Once Ryan Church comes off the DL as we reported earlier today, the Mets will be at full strength in the outfield. 1. Beltran, 2. Church, 3. Tatis, 4. Chavez, 5. Pagan

As I said in another post, I would be perfectly happy going to battle with those five in the outfield. In 2000 we went to the World Series with an outfield array of Jay Payton, Benny Agbayani, Timo Perez, Jason Tyner and Derek Bell.

Posted by Joe D. at 2:33 PM | Permalink

The Ryan Church saga had some good news for a change after a new doctor and further tests gave the Mets a good reason to be hopeful for a quick return from their regular right fielder.

Newsday reported that the Mets are cautiously optimistic after receiving the latest reports and even Ryan Church seemed to be in good spirits afterward.

"Yes, things went very well and we all are very happy with the news we received. I will be at the field tomorrow to answer any questions that you guys may have!"

Church, after overcoming a concussion in spring training, was enjoying a breakout season before suffering his second concussion May 20 in Atlanta. The Mets didn't put him on the disabled list until June 10, playing him intermittently and putting him on four long airplane flights in between, and they received a great deal of criticism for their management of the situation.

Church returned to action June 29, only to bow out of the July 5 game in Philadelphia with what he described as dizziness from migraine headaches that pre-dated the concussions.

... Can you imagine how much better the team will be once Church returns to rightfield?? It almost makes me wonder if the Mets really need to go make a trade for a corner outfielder and lose more prospects in the process. Personally, I wouldn't be that upset if the mets go with what they have at this point and make their run. We don't need a star at every position to win this thing. If the rotation keeps delivering and the bullpen keeps doing their job, we'll be just fine with a platoon in left that includes Fernando Tatis, Endy Chavez and Angel Pagan...

Posted by Joe D. at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Posted by Joe D. at 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)