Through the use of the scorecard, let’s take a look at how David Wright did this week:

Wright continues to impress everyone this year, and his batting average for the entire year sits at .412. His strikeout count has decreased quite a bit this year, he is not chasing many pitches out of the zone and thus is also getting more walks this year.

Honorable Mentions

These players, although not winning the Player of the Week award, had a very strong showing this week and deserve to be recognized. We will also show how strong a showing they had through the use of the scorecard.

Mike Baxter

Lucas Duda

Miguel Batista (Now on DL)

Tim Byrdak

Rob Johnson (Catcher in Relief)

Not So Hot

The Not So Hot area mentions a few players who did not have a good week this week.

Manny Acosta

Jon Niese

Jon Rauch

Dillon Gee

Mike Nickeas

Andres Torres

Ike Davis

Kirk Nieuwenhuis

Player Of The Week Scoreboard

This area shows the scoreboard of the Players of the Week, and who has won already this season and how many times.

1. David Wright – 3

T2. Kirk Nieuwenhuis – 1

T2. Johan Santana – 1

T2. Andres Torres – 1

Trivia

To finish off the Player of the Week announcement each week, I’ll be asking you a trivia question. The answer will be announced during the next Player of the Week announcement, as well as the first person who answered correctly. Another question will then be asked. Last Week’s Answer is: 16 wins for Tom Seaver in 1967. Adam was the first person to correctly answer the question. So here is this week’s question:

When did David Wright make his Major League debut and against what team?

It sure has been a while since the Mets were playing for the division lead this late in the season.  And this time it feels different, not only because we’re battling the Braves for supremacy, but because this team was not expected by most people to contend.  I was one of those folks, and even suggested they might be a last place team.  And I have no problem admitting I was wrong and being quite happy about being wrong.  This is a team that has played above its collective head, or at least played up to its potential.  And even when we lose a couple games, we win a few more.  There is just something special about the roster as it’s constructed right now.

There are questions, yes.  Will Mike Pelfrey get it back together after his Monday night implosion?  Will K-Rod also stop imploding?  How will Carlos Beltran be able to contribute after major surgery?  And was Johan’s gem last night the shape of things to come or not? And of course, will Cliff Lee or Roy Oswalt be wearing Mets’ blue any time soon?

I don’t know the answers to those questions, but I sure do like that we’re asking them in mid-July.  Let’s go beat the Reds tonight, and then let’s sweep the Braves and really make a statement heading into the all-star break.

So sometimes I feel disconnected and rely on friends or my dad to fill me in on things.  I also noticed that anyone outside of New York thinks of the Yankees first and the Mets as an after-thought.  I realize it’s been this way for decades, but I don’t think I realized it as much until I left New York.

Lately, too, it’s been worse than ever.  Since the Mets’ two collapses in 2007 and 2008, respectively, and since the injury plague of 2009, it’s almost like the Mets have become a joke to everyone else’s fans.

I remember going to my gym here in Nashville last year, and my trainer introducing me to another member and former Cincinnati Reds pitcher.  At that point it was like May and the Mets were not looking good (before all the injuries hit).  So I asked this guy if he could tell me what was wrong with the Mets.  Instead of offering an answer, he just kind of chuckled.  I don’t know if that’s because he didn’t know the answer, or because, well, the Mets have become the Phillies’ and Yankees’ punching bag.

This week I was e-mailing with a fellow colleague in the music business, and we were talking about the NL East.  I’m a Mets fan, he’s a Braves fan.  But the first thing he says when I tell him I’m a Mets fan is this…”Ha, Jeff Francouer.”  That’s right, “ha.” Of course, I can counter with “Ha, Ryan Church.”

On the other hand, another music writer I know who is an avid baseball fan said he thinks the Mets have a “scary” lineup, and he meant that in a positive way.

Still, the Mets seem to get no love in the national press, and with the Yankees winning it all and the Phillies winning it all the year before, we continue to wallow in red-headed-step-child-edness.  Or something.  Boy, do we ever need to start winning again and reverse this trend.  I hope it’s before my two year old boy starts rooting for the team with me.