The Mets blog has been cancelled for the remainder of the regular season.
Just refer to the final weeks of the 2007 season although if it does come down to the final game we’ll have Johan Santana instead of Tom Glavine.
Stay away from sharp objects!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Meet The (Red Hot) Mets
Red hot is the only way to describe the Mets who have now won 17 of their last 22 after sweeping a three-game series in Milwaukee. Who could have predicted a sweep of a Brewers team that had won 9 of their last 10 at Miller Park before the Mets came in and feasted on them like Bratwurst.
Now the Amazin’s get a day off before welcoming the Phillies into Shea Stadium for a big weekend series…the last meeting of the regular season between the teams. The Mets have had the better of it between the two National League East rivals this season but this series will be a war. Both teams got some help when the rosters expanded on September 1st and all hands will be on deck at Shea…Jerry Manuel is not afraid to use his entire pitching staff to finish a game.
Final thought….is there anyone out there you thought Carlos Delgado would turn it around in the second half and actually be an MVP candidate?
Liar….nobody did!
Now the Amazin’s get a day off before welcoming the Phillies into Shea Stadium for a big weekend series…the last meeting of the regular season between the teams. The Mets have had the better of it between the two National League East rivals this season but this series will be a war. Both teams got some help when the rosters expanded on September 1st and all hands will be on deck at Shea…Jerry Manuel is not afraid to use his entire pitching staff to finish a game.
Final thought….is there anyone out there you thought Carlos Delgado would turn it around in the second half and actually be an MVP candidate?
Liar….nobody did!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Mets Need To Make A Move
The memory of that nine game winning streak has faded and the Mets open a six-game home stand against San Diego and Florida looking very much like the team that has struggled for much of the season. The good news is they are much closer to the division and wild-card contenders then they were in June but the bad news is injuries and a shaky bullpen might be too much to overcome.
Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado are swinging hot bats but David Wright has come up short in a lot of key situations and Carlos Beltran can’t get in any kind of good groove. Despite that the Mets would probably be in first place if not for the bullpen which has failed time and time again to protect leads. Now with Billy Wagner’s and John Maine on the DL
you wonder if the relief corps can handle the job or this season will go up in smoke.
With the exception of the Marlins this weekend five the Mets next six opponents have losing records so the time to move is NOW!
Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado are swinging hot bats but David Wright has come up short in a lot of key situations and Carlos Beltran can’t get in any kind of good groove. Despite that the Mets would probably be in first place if not for the bullpen which has failed time and time again to protect leads. Now with Billy Wagner’s and John Maine on the DL
you wonder if the relief corps can handle the job or this season will go up in smoke.
With the exception of the Marlins this weekend five the Mets next six opponents have losing records so the time to move is NOW!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Meet The (Same Ol') Mets
New manager and back home after a pretty decent road trip…time for the
Mets to get on a roll. Not quite as they fall to the worst team in baseball (Seattle) and again drop below .500. David Wright commits a costly error and then our ace Johan Santana gives up a grand slam to Felix Hernandez, who becomes the first American League pitcher to hit a grand slam in 37 years. Wright’s error prolonged the inning but for $137 million you should be able to get the opposing pitcher out.
I’ll say it again….maybe all the Mets are is a .500 team because they refuse to give us anything to really get excited about.
Mets to get on a roll. Not quite as they fall to the worst team in baseball (Seattle) and again drop below .500. David Wright commits a costly error and then our ace Johan Santana gives up a grand slam to Felix Hernandez, who becomes the first American League pitcher to hit a grand slam in 37 years. Wright’s error prolonged the inning but for $137 million you should be able to get the opposing pitcher out.
I’ll say it again….maybe all the Mets are is a .500 team because they refuse to give us anything to really get excited about.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Firing WIllie Randolph
While there is really no good way to fire someone there are right and wrong ways and you’ll find almost unanimous agreement that the Mets dismissal of manager Willie Randolph was handled poorly and showed a lack of class. Randolph was finally put out of his misery at around 3 o’clock this morning our time after the Mets had beaten the Angels in the opener of a three-game series in Anaheim. Also getting “pink slips” were pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto. Bench coach Jerry Manuel takes over as interim manager for the rest of the season while Mets Triple A manager Ken Oberkfell and pitching coach Dan Warthen along with Luis Aquayo join the coaching staff.
There is no argument that Randolph was on thin ice and his firing has been talked about for weeks with rumors really heating up over the weekend. However why would the organization make him fly cross-country after a Sunday game in New York to fire him on the left coast after a victory? The answer is pretty obvious….to avoid the media circus that would have taken place back home and to give Manuel time to get things together before the team returns to Shea Stadium next week. While one can argue the validity of that the Mets treated Randolph like a second-class citizen when he has shown nothing but dedication to the organization. He was allowed to twist in the wind with luke-warm votes of confidence from General Manager Omar Minaya with Minaya finally pulling the plug on New York’s first black baseball manager in a west coast version of a “midnight massacre.”
Whether Randolph was a good manager is not the issue because he did provide plenty of fodder for second guessers. However he has been a beloved figure in New York for the way he conducted himself as a player and coach during his Yankee career and most recently as manager of the Mets. Unfortunately the Mets did not conduct themselves very well here and the organization takes a big step backwards. They and Minaya showed a lack of class and character which of course will be completely forgotten by fans if the team starts winning because at the end of the day…I guess that’s the only thing that counts.
There is no argument that Randolph was on thin ice and his firing has been talked about for weeks with rumors really heating up over the weekend. However why would the organization make him fly cross-country after a Sunday game in New York to fire him on the left coast after a victory? The answer is pretty obvious….to avoid the media circus that would have taken place back home and to give Manuel time to get things together before the team returns to Shea Stadium next week. While one can argue the validity of that the Mets treated Randolph like a second-class citizen when he has shown nothing but dedication to the organization. He was allowed to twist in the wind with luke-warm votes of confidence from General Manager Omar Minaya with Minaya finally pulling the plug on New York’s first black baseball manager in a west coast version of a “midnight massacre.”
Whether Randolph was a good manager is not the issue because he did provide plenty of fodder for second guessers. However he has been a beloved figure in New York for the way he conducted himself as a player and coach during his Yankee career and most recently as manager of the Mets. Unfortunately the Mets did not conduct themselves very well here and the organization takes a big step backwards. They and Minaya showed a lack of class and character which of course will be completely forgotten by fans if the team starts winning because at the end of the day…I guess that’s the only thing that counts.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Willie Survive The Season?
For now the status of Willie Randolph as Mets manager is not the lead story but rather the uninspired and inconsistent play of a team with the highest payroll in the National League. If Memorial Day weekend is a time in the season to begin getting a feel for teams than you can’t have a good one for the Mets. Under .500 and 6 ½ games out of first place in the NL East they show no sign of snapping out of the lethargy that’s plagued them for the better part of a year.
While many assume the Mets decline began in September it was really well before that because over the last 162 games (covering two seasons) they are
79-83. For the first time even loyal fans have to admit this may be a summer filled with discontent and the final season at Shea Stadium may be remembered for disappointment and plenty of empty seats.
While many assume the Mets decline began in September it was really well before that because over the last 162 games (covering two seasons) they are
79-83. For the first time even loyal fans have to admit this may be a summer filled with discontent and the final season at Shea Stadium may be remembered for disappointment and plenty of empty seats.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Opening Day!
It’s finally here…opening day of the 2008 season for my beloved Mets.
Sure there are a host of questions surrounding this team but you can say
the same for the other National League contenders. To me it all comes down to one player….Carlos Delgado. If he can put up good, not even great numbers then I think we will the NL East. Give me 25-30 homers and 100+ RBI’s from him and we will 93-95 games and that should be good enough to take the division. Wright and Reyes will be terrific but Delgado has to drive in runs and play 140 games.
Santana, Pedro and Maine will win at least 50 games between them and Wagner will save 50 as the anchors of the pitching staff. Everyone has concerns about middle relief and it’s a crap shoot because many of these guys are good one year and bad the next.
Hey the Phillies will be very tough but mark it down. Santana pitches a
great game in Florida today and might finally become the first Met to throw a no-hitter this season.
World Series…here we come.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Feeling Good About The Mets
Spring has officially arrived and opening day is just around the corner.
I feel pretty good about our team with one BIG exception and that is the
Injuries that have kept too many of our key players sidelined. Sure most of them are getting better and by opening day should be in the starting lineup but it’s scary to know that our trainer might have to be the MVP this season.
Pitching has looked very good of late with Pedro, Santana, Perez very sharp in their most recent spring outings. Along with Maine and either Pelfrey or El Duque you have to like this group….again if they stay healthy. Hamstring Injuries have been a problem with catchers Brian Schneider and Ramon Castro and plenty of other players have spent a lot of their Florida
time rehabbing injuries rather than playing every day, especially Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran.
As we get ready to start the season I still think the Mets are the team to beat in the National League East but only if they can count on their regulars to be in the lineup every day. The Phillies and Braves will be tough enough with out best “9”….if we’re forced to use bench players too much then the final season in Shea Stadium will be one of disappointment.
However let’s put the negative thoughts aside….spring brings excitement and optimism so let’s play ball!
I feel pretty good about our team with one BIG exception and that is the
Injuries that have kept too many of our key players sidelined. Sure most of them are getting better and by opening day should be in the starting lineup but it’s scary to know that our trainer might have to be the MVP this season.
Pitching has looked very good of late with Pedro, Santana, Perez very sharp in their most recent spring outings. Along with Maine and either Pelfrey or El Duque you have to like this group….again if they stay healthy. Hamstring Injuries have been a problem with catchers Brian Schneider and Ramon Castro and plenty of other players have spent a lot of their Florida
time rehabbing injuries rather than playing every day, especially Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran.
As we get ready to start the season I still think the Mets are the team to beat in the National League East but only if they can count on their regulars to be in the lineup every day. The Phillies and Braves will be tough enough with out best “9”….if we’re forced to use bench players too much then the final season in Shea Stadium will be one of disappointment.
However let’s put the negative thoughts aside….spring brings excitement and optimism so let’s play ball!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Mets Sick Bay
I want to get excited about the start of the season but I’m really concerned about the growing list of injuries with Moises Alou headed to surgery to repair a hernia. The 41-year old leftfielder will miss the start of the season and under normal circumstances should be back by mid to late April but with Alou you never know. He was out half of last season with a quadriceps injury and does not seem to recover quickly.
Besides Alou the Mets are missing starters Carlos Delgado (hip injury), Ryan Church (concussion) and Brian Schneider (hamstring). In addition Carlos Beltran and Luis Castillo have yet to play a spring game while recovering from off-season knee surgery and pitcher Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez has not pitched in an exhibition game while he rehabs from toe surgery.
It’s only March and there’s no reason to panic yet but this is clearly not the start fans were hoping for. The Mets are not a young club and many of the injured players are on the back end of their careers which makes the situation all that more concerning.
Let’s hope that some of the walking wounded get back on the field and begin producing.
Besides Alou the Mets are missing starters Carlos Delgado (hip injury), Ryan Church (concussion) and Brian Schneider (hamstring). In addition Carlos Beltran and Luis Castillo have yet to play a spring game while recovering from off-season knee surgery and pitcher Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez has not pitched in an exhibition game while he rehabs from toe surgery.
It’s only March and there’s no reason to panic yet but this is clearly not the start fans were hoping for. The Mets are not a young club and many of the injured players are on the back end of their careers which makes the situation all that more concerning.
Let’s hope that some of the walking wounded get back on the field and begin producing.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
A Positive Spring
The Mets opened Grapefruit League play Wednesday against the Tigers with Mike Pelfrey getting the start. Pelfrey and all the other pitchers are expected to throw just an inning in their first spring appearances and then add an inning each time they go out.
Since acquiring and signing Johan Santana everything with the Mets has changed and it seems like the collapse of last September is officially old news. While Mets fans were probably alarmed when Santana appeared on the cover of “Sports Illustrated” last week (there is a so-called jinx associated with this) the article itself was very revealing. Even ownership was having a tough time getting over what happened late last season but with Santana in the mix it’s officially “out with the old and in with the new.”
I don’t get really excited over spring training games and even performances because often what takes place in Florida in March is meaningless in Flushing come April. However there will be a lot of attention focused on Jose Reyes, who was an MVP early last season and a disaster down the stretch. Reyes is the igniter of the offense and when he’s on base good things happen but for the final six weeks of 2007 he was popping-up far too often. A return to form by Jose and Carlos Delgado are the keys for the Mets this season.
Since acquiring and signing Johan Santana everything with the Mets has changed and it seems like the collapse of last September is officially old news. While Mets fans were probably alarmed when Santana appeared on the cover of “Sports Illustrated” last week (there is a so-called jinx associated with this) the article itself was very revealing. Even ownership was having a tough time getting over what happened late last season but with Santana in the mix it’s officially “out with the old and in with the new.”
I don’t get really excited over spring training games and even performances because often what takes place in Florida in March is meaningless in Flushing come April. However there will be a lot of attention focused on Jose Reyes, who was an MVP early last season and a disaster down the stretch. Reyes is the igniter of the offense and when he’s on base good things happen but for the final six weeks of 2007 he was popping-up far too often. A return to form by Jose and Carlos Delgado are the keys for the Mets this season.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The Answer To Pitching Questions
The Super Bowl has come and passed, the NCAA Basketball Championships are still weeks away, the Nets aren’t good, the Knicks are awful and everybody makes the hockey playoffs. So with that said what’s the only thing that will get me excited this month? The Mets open spring training on February 15 in Port St. Lucie and Johan Santana will be in OUR uniform. Hard to believe but a pitching staff that was full of question marks now has the answer for the Phillies….Johan!
Look this guy may not be Tom Seaver (nobody ever will come close) but he is the top pitcher in all of baseball and should handle the National League very well. With that said Met fans if he turns out to be a disappointment please don’t say “I knew he wasn’t that good” because there is not one of you out there who doesn’t think we made a great deal. Actually it’s not “we” but Omar Minaya who played the waiting game to perfection…even if we did second guess him to death.
So let’s get ready for the sound of “play ball” because the Mets are once again the team to beat in the National League.
Look this guy may not be Tom Seaver (nobody ever will come close) but he is the top pitcher in all of baseball and should handle the National League very well. With that said Met fans if he turns out to be a disappointment please don’t say “I knew he wasn’t that good” because there is not one of you out there who doesn’t think we made a great deal. Actually it’s not “we” but Omar Minaya who played the waiting game to perfection…even if we did second guess him to death.
So let’s get ready for the sound of “play ball” because the Mets are once again the team to beat in the National League.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Santana's A Met
Just a couple of days after I wrote about how fans were wondering if and when pitching help would arrive it does in the biggest possible fashion. Johan Santana, among the top three pitchers in all of baseball is close to calling Flushing home. The Mets have until Friday afternoon to reach an agreement on a costly contract extension and for Santana to pass a physical and a deal with Minnesota is completed which changes the picture in the National League.
Santana has won 82 games and two Cy Young Awards over the last five seasons and his addition makes the Mets the favorite in the NL East (sorry Phillie fans) and makes up for what has been a disappointing off-season when it comes to bolstering the pitching staff.
The deal is a real winner because the Mets did not give up any regulars…remember when Minnesota was looking to get Jose Reyes? Headlining the four prospects bound for Minnesota are Carlos Gomez and Phillip Humber and while they might have bright futures there is no guarantee they will be what Santana is right now….a great player.
So for all the Met fans who criticized GM Omar Minaya, his patience paid off and Santana is coming to New York’s most exciting team…the Mets.
Of course if the deal falls apart over contract negotiations or if Santana fails the physical….well forget everything I just wrote.
Santana has won 82 games and two Cy Young Awards over the last five seasons and his addition makes the Mets the favorite in the NL East (sorry Phillie fans) and makes up for what has been a disappointing off-season when it comes to bolstering the pitching staff.
The deal is a real winner because the Mets did not give up any regulars…remember when Minnesota was looking to get Jose Reyes? Headlining the four prospects bound for Minnesota are Carlos Gomez and Phillip Humber and while they might have bright futures there is no guarantee they will be what Santana is right now….a great player.
So for all the Met fans who criticized GM Omar Minaya, his patience paid off and Santana is coming to New York’s most exciting team…the Mets.
Of course if the deal falls apart over contract negotiations or if Santana fails the physical….well forget everything I just wrote.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Ya Gotta Believe...Again.
Here we are only a month away from the first spring training games and Mets fans are wondering if and when pitching help is going to arrive. As it now stands the starting rotation on opening day would be Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez, “El Duque” Hernandez and Mike Pelfrey. Is this group good enough to win the NL East, never mind a World Series? Honestly everything would have to fall into place including a greatly improved bullpen for this starting group to be strong enough to get the Amazin’s to the Fall Classic.
There’s not a whole bunch of change right now from the team that collapsed in September. Brian Schneider replaces Paul LoDuca behind the plate, a move that I’m not thrilled over. However now that LoDuca is going to have minor knee surgery and miss 4-6 weeks it doesn’t seem as bad. Ryan Church takes over in right field for Lastings Milledge and I’m up in the air on this one….we should have traded Milledge a year earlier.
I’m not sold on the Phillies pitching but if the Mets are to win the division then a bounce-back season from Carlos Delgado is a must and Jose Reyes has to get over whatever it was that ruined him down the stretch. Of course as we know the bottom line is pitching and the Mets current staff leads to more questions than answers.
There’s not a whole bunch of change right now from the team that collapsed in September. Brian Schneider replaces Paul LoDuca behind the plate, a move that I’m not thrilled over. However now that LoDuca is going to have minor knee surgery and miss 4-6 weeks it doesn’t seem as bad. Ryan Church takes over in right field for Lastings Milledge and I’m up in the air on this one….we should have traded Milledge a year earlier.
I’m not sold on the Phillies pitching but if the Mets are to win the division then a bounce-back season from Carlos Delgado is a must and Jose Reyes has to get over whatever it was that ruined him down the stretch. Of course as we know the bottom line is pitching and the Mets current staff leads to more questions than answers.
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