The Mets’ struggling first baseman is hitting .156 with four homers and nine RBI.  His on-base percentage is an unhealthy .238 and his .259 slugging percentage is lower than what his batting average should be.  His 2013 numbers through 40 games are very similar to what he put up last year at the same juncture (.160/.220/.298, five homers, 14 RBI).

Clearly, Ike Davis needs a change of scenery to have any hope of salvaging his season.  A demotion to AAA-Las Vegas might not be the answer, as the altitude at Cashman Field and other Pacific Coast League ballparks might give him a false sense of confidence if he hits well there like most other hitters do.  After all, hitting a few thousand feet above sea level is not the same as hitting a few thousand millimeters above Flushing Bay.

Sending Davis to AA-Binghamton might be the medicine needed to cure his ills at the plate, since his offensive numbers would not be inflated there as they would be in Las Vegas.  And if the Mets need an example to prove to them that sending a struggling first baseman to the minors could be just what the doctor ordered, they can flip through the pages of their own history books and find a similar case that occurred over forty years ago.

Ladies and gentle-Mets, I give to you the case of one Edward Emil Kranepool.

A little minor league action made Eddie steady at the plate.

In 1970, veteran first baseman Ed Kranepool got off to a start that would even have Ike Davis shaking his head.  Through his first 26 games, Kranepool was hitting .118 with no homers and one RBI.  The New York native was barely getting any playing time and as a result, his offensive production was suffering.  In late June, the Mets sent Kranepool down to AAA-Tidewater, where the 25-year-old flourished.

Playing in 47 games with the Tides, Kranepool hit .310 with eight doubles, three triples, seven homers and 45 RBI.  By mid-August, the Mets were convinced that Kranepool’s time in the minors was going to help him produce at the major league level, so they promoted him back to the big club.  However, the platoon of Donn Clendenon and Art Shamsky at first base relegated Kranepool to pinch-hitting duties, but when he did get a chance to hit, he performed well, batting .308 with a .357 on-base percentage in 14 plate appearances.

By the start of the 1971 campaign, Kranepool had won back his job as the lefty-hitting component of the first base platoon with Donn Clendenon.  Kranepool responded by putting up career highs in many offensive categories.  Although he only had 467 plate appearances in 1971 – he had already completed three seasons in which he reached 500 plate appearances – Kranepool set new career marks in RBI (58), runs scored (61), batting average (.280), on-base percentage (.340) and slugging percentage (.447).  He also recorded his second 20-double campaign and launched 14 home runs, while becoming one of the toughest hitters to strike out in the National League (33 strikeouts in 467 plate appearances).

Kranepool’s success was not limited to the 1971 season.  In 1972, the first baseman and part-time outfielder batted .269 and contributed 24 extra-base hits in 327 at-bats.  After a subpar 1973 campaign, Kranepool rebounded to hit .300 in 1974 and a career-high .323 in 1975.

Although Kranepool was now in his 30s and a veteran of 14 seasons in the big leagues, he continued to hit in 1976 and 1977, combining to hit .287 with 34 doubles, 20 homers and 89 RBI in 696 at-bats over the two seasons, all while maintaining his excellent ability to make contact (58 strikeouts in 764 plate appearances).

From the time he made his major league debut in 1962 to his career-changing demotion in 1970, Kranepool hit .246 with a .300 on-base percentage, .358 slugging percentage and a .658 OPS (on-base plus slugging).  He produced 188 extra-base hits in 2,917 at-bats (an average of 15.5 AB/XBH) and walked 227 times while striking out on 361 occasions.  After he was promoted back to the Mets in August 1970, Kranepool was a changed man.

Beginning with his first game back on August 14, 1970 and lasting through the end of the 1977 season, Kranepool hit .284 with a .340 on-base percentage, .407 slugging percentage and a .747 OPS.  Kranepool collected 168 extra-base hits in 2,270 at-bats (an average of 13.5 AB/XBH) and drew 205 walks while striking only 189 times.

Kranepool’s demotion turned him into a hitter who drove the ball more often – on average, it took him two fewer at-bats to collect an extra-base hit – and forced pitchers to throw him strikes, as evidenced by his 16 more walks than strikeouts following his demotion after striking out nearly twice per every free pass prior to his time at Tidewater.

So what’s the point of this Ed Kranepool history lesson?  Simply stated, if at first you don’t succeed, try again in the minors.  It worked for the 25-year-old Kranepool when he was shipped off to Tidewater.  It can work for the 26-year-old Ike Davis as well, but only if he is sent to Binghamton instead of Las Vegas.

Ike Davis has never been a good contact hitter, striking out 356 times in 1,306 career at-bats.  But he did hit for a decent batting average prior to the 2012 season (Davis hit a combined .271 in 2010 and 2011) and his .357 on-base percentage and .817 OPS were better than average in his first two seasons with the Mets.

If Ike Davis closes his eyes, does he see his lofty strikeout totals?

The Mets have a history of getting good performances from their veteran players after sending them on an unexpected trip to the minors.  Steve Trachsel was a completely different pitcher after his demotion in 2001.  Trachsel was 1-6 with an 8.24 ERA before being sent down to AAA-Norfolk.  He was 10-7 with a 3.35 ERA after he was recalled from the minors.  Trachsel’s resurgence came just one year after the Mets sent veteran right-hander Bobby Jones to Norfolk after he posted a 16.20 ERA in his first three starts of the 2000 campaign.  Upon his return to the major leagues, Jones posted an 11-5 record with a more respectable 4.56 ERA.  He also threw a complete-game one-hit shutout to clinch the National League Division Series for the Mets against the Giants.

Of course, those were pitchers who fared well after their time in the minors.  But the Mets have also seen hitters do well after a short stint in the minors.  And one particular hitter who learned greatly from his time away from the parent club was Ed Kranepool.

All the Mets have to do is dust off the team’s history books and look at what happened when they sent Kranepool to the minors in 1970.  The first baseman came back from his minor league stint and turned into one of the steadiest hitters in the lineup for years following his demotion.  The same thing can happen to the Mets’ current first baseman if the team isn’t afraid to send Ike Davis to Binghamton.

Ed Kranepool wasn’t succeeding at first in 1970, so the Mets gave him a little minor league seasoning to inject some life back into his career.  The Mets must try that formula again in 2013 to help Ike Davis get back to the level he fell from after suffering a season-ending injury in 2011.  The recipe for success is right there.  The Mets just have to be willing to try it again.

How many of you are sitting at home tonight, wondering and asking yourselves how long it will be until we finally see Zack Wheeler wearing that uniform and hurling 98 mph fastballs from the mound at Citi Field?

The question is not an easy one to answer and in fact it’s a perfect paradox by virtue of the logical arguments one can make for either side. It’s a conundrum, that much is true, but it’s a wonderful dilemma to be in.

Four starts ago, I talked about his mechanical flaw that kept him from harnessing the command of his four plus-pitches. I even said that a small tweak could fix that flaw and give him a more consistent release point and enable him to spot his pitches better than he had been.

By sheer coincidence, Wheeler did make an adjustment after that start, and while it didn’t completely eliminate that inverted w, it’s certainly no longer as pronounced as it once was. More importantly, his release point is now not lagging behind his plant as drastically as it was before. He’s now throwing the ball exactly where he wants it to go, and it’s no longer the guessing game it used to be. He’s no longer crossing up his catcher. Let me interject that Juan Centeno deserves some credit for this transformation. Calling games and being a top defensive backstop is what Centeno does best.

Anyway, the results have been dramatic.

Over his last three starts, Wheeler has thrown a combined 20 innings and allowed just three earned runs. But the real news here is that Wheeler struck out 19 and walked only three batters – one in each start.

To put that into perspective, that’s three walks in his last 20 innings as compared to 15 walks in his previous 23.1 innings before he tweaked his delivery.

Four starts ago, Wheeler ranked 47th in ERA among qualified starters in the PCL, his 3.74 ERA now ranks 16th and looks so much better than the 7.67 he sported after his first five starts.

To those so-called experts and quasi-analysts who blamed the humidity or lack thereof for his woes, or that it was the altitude playing tricks on his brain, I’ll stand by what I’ve said all along. “None of that stuff matters if you’re pitching great.” The problem was mechanical and not related to all those cop-outs and excuses. Many great pitchers have made it through the PCL just fine as I pointed out last month.

We are now seeing the Zack Wheeler that we’ve all been anxiously awaiting since the middle of the 2011 season. The kid with electric stuff and four phenomenal pitches is now throwing strikes and pounding the zone. He’s hitting the corners, overpowering hitters, and sending them back to the dugout talking to themselves. He’s gone from a great thrower to a great pitcher.

This feels so good, and the timing is beginning to feel right.

In Spring Training, Terry Collins challenged Wheeler and told him, “If you want to be a major leaguer, go to Triple-A and pitch great.”

Guess what, Terry? Zack Wheeler is pitching great.

The Mets sure could use a jolt of enthusiasm and energy on this team right now…

Matt Harvey sure could use somebody to help him shoulder the load in the Mets rotation…

Met fans could use another reason to keep watching…

I couldn’t give a rat’s ass if bringing Wheeler up now will cost the Wilpons a few million dollars over the first seven years of team control. My regular readers know my feelings about Met fans who like to play team accountants. This is New York not Oakland or San Diego.

If Wheeler is ready than he should be called up and to make room for him, I’ll drive Shaun Marcum to the airport myself.

If Wheeler’s dominance continues in his next start, I see no reason why he shouldn’t be able to join the Mets rotation during the next homestand when the Cincinnati Reds come to Citi Field. Or better yet give him a couple of extra days of rest and have him make his Major League Debut against the New York Yankees on May 27 at Citi Field. I just love the sound of that, don’t you?.

As you know, MMO has been covering every Zack Wheeler start like white on rice. Our reports and analysis are based on our own observations, discussions with scouts, and of course what we learn from Wally and Randy.

The following are some thoughts from Rob and Mitch from last night. But before that I just want to thank the incredible Jay Horwitz for bailing me out yesterday. If you’re reading this Jay, that was awesome, thanks a lot.

Thoughts from Rob

Last night I was at Cashman Field to witness the ace of the Las Vegas 51s and prized prospect Zack Wheeler on the mound. In many ways Wheeler lived up to the hype and pitched as expected. However, what I did NOT expect was the competitive spirit he displayed. His poise is more like what one would expect from a seasoned veteran and not a kid three weeks shy of turning 23.

Wheeler pitched well, keeping Albuquerque batters on their toes all evening long. He tossed 7 1/3 innings, the longest of any 51s pitcher this season, allowing just two runs on six hits and fanned seven while walking just one and throwing 61 of his 91 pitches for strikes, his best ratio this season. No opposing batter reached second base again until the seventh.

It was good to see how Wheeler responded when some pressure and adversity came his way. After Alburquerque outfielder Matt Angle launched a first pitch fastball from Wheeler high into the Vegas night he was unfazed. His manager  Wally Backman showed faith in him and didn’t even come out to settle him down. He didn’t wave to the bullpen either. Instead he gave his young ace a chance to show what he was made of and Wheeler answered the call by striking out the next batter on a knee-buckling curveball. Nasty.

After watching him tonight, it’s clear—as we’ve all been reading and hearing—that Wheeler has “the stuff.” What I learned, however, is that he also has the make-up. He did not get rattled. He did not get flustered. When he had to reach back for something extra, he succeeded.

Another interesting observation about Wheeler was the efficiency he pitches with. He keeps the game moving at a quick clip. He doesn’t take a lot of time between pitches. This obviously keeps the fielder’s sharp. Steve Trachsel he’s not.

It seems like every few years we Mets fans hear about ‘the next’ Tom Seaver or Jerry Koosman. We hear it so much we’be become numb to it. Am I saying Zack Wheeler will be the next Koosman to Matt Harvey’s Seaver? No.

However, after seeing Harvey pitch over the last month and personally witnessing Zack Wheeler last night, maybe, just maybe, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Thoughts from Mitch

Wheeler was locked into cruise control for the majority of the night. He threw 99 pitches, 61 for strikes, and only allowed one walk to his final batter. He gave up a run early in the first inning, but settled down after that and took control of the game.

Wheeler showed poise after he gave up a leadoff home run to Matt Angle in the seventh, but he stuck out the next batter and retired the side in order, looking unphased in the process. He continues to build on his previous performances, and it appears that fixing the mechanical glitch has made the difference. Since the fix, he has only walked three batters, one in each of his past three starts. One more thing, late in the game when he fanned his last batter, he was still hitting 96 mph on the radar gun…wow.

Las Vegas 4, Albuquerque 3

Last night I was at Cashman Field to witness the ace of the Las Vegas 51s and prized prospect Zack Wheeler on the mound. In many ways Wheeler lived up to the hype and pitched as expected. However, what I did NOT expect was the competitive spirit he displayed. His poise is more expected of a crafty veteran than a kid three weeks shy of turning 23.

Wheeler pitched well, keeping Albuquerque batters on their toes all evening. He tossed 7 1/3 innings, the longest of any 51s pitcher this season, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits. He fanned 7 while walking just 1. 61 of his 99 pitches went for strikes.

Albuquerque scored in the first. With Elian Herrera on 2nd and two outs Rusty Ryal singled hard to right. Eric Campbell fired a rocket to the plate. Herrera was out by ten feet. However, he avoided the swipe tag by Las Vegas catcher Juan Centeno. Ryal took second on the throw home. Wheeler, however, was unfazed. He turned it up a notch and fanned the next batter. No opposing batter reached second base again until the seventh inning.

In the seventh, with Wheeler and the 51s leading 2-1, he delivered a first pitch fastball that Matt Angle promptly sent high into the Vegas night. Wally Backman showed faith in Wheeler. He didn’t come out to settle him down. He didn’t wave to the bullpen. He gave Wheeler a chance to show what he’s made of and the young pitcher answered the call by striking out the next batter on a knee-buckling curveball.

Eric Campbell’s home run to lead off the home seventh put Vegas back on top, 3-2. Wheeler gave way to Justin Hampson in the eighth after allowing his one and only walk of the night. In the ninth, Hampson squandered the lead and Albuquerque tied the game at 3-3, therefore giving Wheeler a N/D.

The 51s won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a lead-off single by third baseman Zach Lutz followed by a walk to Eric Campbell. A fielder’s choice moved the runners to 2^nd and 3^rd. Omar Quintanilla was intentionally walked to load the bases. Backman had Reese Havens pinch hit. He fell behind quickly in the count, 1-2, but managed to work out a walk. A walk-off walk.

After watching him tonight, it’s clear—as we’ve all been reading and hearing—that Wheeler has “the stuff.” What I learned, however, is that he also has the make-up. He did not get rattled. He did not get flustered. When he had to reach back for something extra, he succeeded.

Another interesting observation about Zack Wheeler is the efficiency he pitches with. He keeps the game moving at a quick clip. He doesn’t take a lot of time between pitches. This obviously keeps the fielder’s sharp. Steve Trachsel he’s not.

2bman Wilmer Flores hit his 3^rd HR of the season in the 4^th and almost hit another in the 6^th, sending the OF to the wall. He also flashed some leather, making a nice diving catch in the hole in the 7th.

It seems like every few years we Mets fans hear about ‘the next’ Tom Seaver or Jerry Koosman. We hear it so much we become numb. Am I saying Zack Wheeler will be the next Koosman to Matt Harvey’s Seaver? No.

However, after seeing Harvey pitch over the last month and personally witnessing Zack Wheeler last night, maybe, just maybe, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Key Stats

Wilmer Flores: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB

Eric Campbell: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB

Zach Lutz: 1-for-4, 1 R

Zack Wheeler: 7.1 IP, 6 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 2 ER, 7 K

Justin Hampson: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 K

Danny Frisella and Tug McGraw were in heated competition for fame and fortune from the outset of the 1972 season. The late Gil Hodges remembers both pitchers begging for their manager to pick them when he signaled to the bullpen. If Frisella was selected, and won the game, McGraw would give Frisella the “cold shoulder.” If McGraw got the nod (and won) Frisella would mimic the gesture.

There is no evidence whether or not the Mets clubhouse manager made an intentional effort to put Frisella and McGraw side-by-side in the locker room, but their adjoining lockers created more fun and competition. The two Mets pitchers would sometimes switch the locker nameplates to appear that the other won the game.

While Frisella and McGraw jockeyed for their manager’s affection, that same season a rookie named Jon Matlack was granted locker space between Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman. Matlack was named 1972 Rookie of the Year, winning 15 of his 32 starts. He compiled 244 innings pitched, eight complete games and a skinny 2.32 ERA. Coincidence? Possibly. Seaver will tell you, for certain, it meant nothing then and means nothing now.

“Where you lockered really wasn’t that important,” Seaver told the New York Times in 2008. “It didn’t make any difference. Just your own little space; it could have been anywhere.”

For Seaver, locker space was irrelevant. It was a place – and space – where he took out his frustrations after a poor start. “When I make a mistake and beat myself with a bad pitch, then I get kicking mad and go after stools and water buckets,” Seaver told People Magazine.

Other times, Seaver used his locker as a prop. After getting off to a slow start in 1974, a Mets beat writer asked him if he had lost his fastball. Seaver paused, then started rummaging in his locker muttering, “Where are you, fastball? Are you in there somewhere?”

Seaver didn’t need sabermetrics to figure out the 1975 New York Mets were in for a long year. The Mets, a team renowned for their pitching stock, found themselves lacking. That spring, Seaver sat on a stool in front of his locker and looked up at the adjoining lockers. SEAVER. KOOSMAN, MATLACK.

Who are the rest of these guys? Seaver thought. “That’s Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Where are 4 and 5?” He rolled his eyes in frustration.

He knew, if something doesn’t change (and it didn’t), the Mets would not compete. The Mets were within four games of the lead in the National League East on September 1, 1975; then the bottom fell out on the season. They finished in third place 10 ½ games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Seaver’s real estate at Shea Stadium was the site where many of the organizations proudest moments were celebrated. He sprayed champagne over the heads of his teammates in 1969 from that “little space.” Seaver helped the Mets win another National League title from that hole in the wall. He encouraged and mentored Matlack, Jackson Todd, Bob Myrick, George Stone and many others within earshot.

In one respect Seaver is right; a locker isn’t important. There’s nothing glamorous about an athlete’s locker. It’s literally a hole in the wall. For the common man, a locker is a lot like an office cubicle, a place to store your personal effects while you go take care of business. But, location is valuable, sometimes educational.

“I learned an awful lot from having my locker room stuck between Koosman and Seaver,” said Matlack. “”It was a very, very good location to be in.”

Seaver’s locker was physically unique, well, maybe for its modesty. Former Mets beat writer Marty Noble described the space this way: “there was no locker to the immediate left, just a three-foot-wide panel. A trash can was placed there.” Seaver’s “little space” was nondescript. Seaver, himself, was so Seaver was so impervious to his surroundings that, to this day, he is unsure whether he had the now famous locker space his rookie year of 1967.

Over time, Seaver’s locker took on a life of its own. After he we traded in June 1977, Bud Harrelson asked if he could move in. Not happening, said Mets equipment manager Herb Norman. The locker would be assigned to Seaver’s successor, Pat Zachry.

Seaver returned home, and to his “little space” in 1983, then, Ron Darling assumed the space from 1984-1991, followed by David Cone (July 1991-August 1992), John Franco (1992-2003), Steve Trachsel (2004-2006) and Aaron Heilman (2007).

“That locker did have history; more than any other in that place,” said Franco. “Nobody made the kind of history here that Tom Seaver made. It doesn’t matter how long anyone had it, it was always Seaver’s.”

“It doesn’t matter [who preceded Seaver],” added Darling. “It’s his.”

In some ballparks, because of some professional athletes, lockers can become hallowed ground. When Lou Gehrig died, his locker was sealed and sent to Cooperstown. Before Shea Stadium was demolished after the 2008 season, Seaver’s locker was preserved and put on the block for a cool $41,000.

That’s some valuable real estate.

In 1984, the New York Mets were on the rise. Jesse Orosco and Doug Sisk anchored the Mets bullpen on the field, roommates off the field and lived out of adjoining lockers during the team’s championship run in the 80s.

“We’re just a couple of ordinary guys who get along, and have no professional jealousy,” said Sisk. “We’re both fairly serious, but we have different personalities. But we’re not rivals. You can’t be rivals. It won’t work.”

When it does work, the team benefits – at least that’s what Mets manager Terry Collins hopes will happen by placing Zack Wheeler and Matt Harvey side-by-side in Port St. Lucie. Collins told the media he intentionally put Harvey, 23, and Wheeler, 22, at adjoining lockers to give Wheeler the opportunity to ask questions and “soak up” the experience like Harvey did last season.

“Having lockers next to each other, we’re both baseball players who have the same mindset,” said Harvey. “Getting along, I don’t think, is going to be very tough.”

Wheeler has prime real estate in Port St. Lucie. Like Harvey in 2012, he will receive a valuable education a lot by watching and listening. Harvey described the experience as “eye-opening.” Last spring he watched Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey, Jonathon Niese and Dillon Gee prepare for a major league baseball season.

“That’s something that I’ve never seen,” Harvey told ESPN.com. “Watching the preparation that those guys had in order to throw 200 innings … Sometimes it’s stepping back and realizing, ‘Hey, this is a long process. Throwing until the end of September is a long time from now.’”

Let’s be honest here, Harvey is still learning too. Collins hopes the location will be the seed to a long-term successful relationship between his two future stars.

Spring Training, which officially starts today, is always an intriguing place for reporters to take stock in how and where players are positioned. The nameplates begin to disappear as February turns to March and the minor league players are dispatched for reassignment. The last days of March mark the time for final cuts. The veteran invited to spring training is playing his heart out and biting their nails in one corner of the clubhouse while the fresh-faced 20-something is bouncing off the walls hoping this will be his year.

As Opening Day creeps closer, locker room real estate values will increase.

One thing the Mets may want to try is to move him to the bullpen. Give him the long-relief role, that way he can still eat innings for the Mets. In most long relief situations, he would be entering the game with a sizable lead or with the team down. That would likely take some pressure off of him and allow him to just focus on pitching.

Another idea is to send him down to the minors, if he would accept it. Hopefully, he won’t pull an Oliver Perez.

Sending a struggling pitcher down to the minors has worked before for the Mets. Remember Steve Trachsel? He did very well after returning from that minor league assignment.

It’s definitely worth a try in my opinion. Plus, even if it doesn’t work out, during the time Pelfrey is down, that gives the Mets space on the roster to have another pitcher, one who isn’t struggling.

Of course we can simply give up on him completely, but I don’t suggest that just yet. They can try to trade him and see what teams will give up for him.

I think the Mets should at least try to explore the possibility of sending Pelfrey to Buffalo to work on things. If he’s as talented as everyone says he is, he probably won’t be there long. And it could be great for his confidence.

But inside Ollie there has always been a caged lion waiting to bust out of that cage.  The dude usually hovers around the 1 strikeout per inning mark, and even last season had 62 K’s in 66 innings.  His problem, along with those noted above, is the fact that he walks a small army.  Perez led the NL in 2008 with 105 walks, which is almost 5 per game.  You can’t do that and hope to have any consistency in the big leagues, period.

Well now that Ollie is past his knee injury and ready to face a new season with a clean slate, I ask you all: does Ollie have the potential to reach his potential this year?  Or is he going to be a consistent under-achiever?  Hey, remember Nolan Ryan was so wild that the Mets wound up trading him and then got burned and reminded of that for more than 20 years.  Ollie, of course, is more like a cross between Sid Fernandez and Steve Trachsel, but you have to believe Minaya is hoping and praying that Ollie will earn some of that scratch this year.

As for me, I am not holding out a ton of hope, but I feel like Ollie just might surprise us in 2010.  I’m not sure why, but maybe because I’ve seen him at his best, and I know he’s got it in him if he can control his own wild demons.  And if he’s actually decent, it will go a long way toward the Mets being a respectable club, or at least having a respectable rotation.

Do you ever wonder that even if the Mets make the postseason in 2010, it will be the first time they have done so since 2006?  Think about that for a minute.  All that talent and all that payroll, and the clock just keeps ticking since Carlos Beltran watched that hook from Adam Wainwright go past him.

Do you ever wonder that if Daniel Murphy does not hit a home run in the final 10 games and if David Wright or Gary Sheffield do not hit more than one, we will likely have the lowest high of 11 for a single season?  It could happen.  No, it really could happen.

Do you ever wonder if for all the crap we’ve had to endure since 2006, that the baseball gods could do us a solid and throw a no-hitter our way?  And I mean for us, not against us.

Do you ever wonder when the last time the Mets had a solid #2 starter was?  Even the 2006 team had this rotation, give or take for injuries: Tom Glavine, Steve Trachsel, John Maine, El Duque, Ollie P and Pedro Martinez.  A decent rotation, but not a true #2 or even #1 at that point in their careers.

Do you ever wonder if Mike Pelfrey would be a much different pitcher in, say, Kansas City?

Do you ever wonder that if the Yankees lose in the first round this year, that many baseball pundits will forget what a horrible season the Mets just had?  (hey, we can only hope).