Hey, Can I Take That Award Back And Give It To...

...Billy Wagner? You know which award I'm talking about...just look down!

Anyway, for the sixth time this season, with each time seemingly coming in a very important game/situation, Billy "The Choke" Wagner blew the save yet again, leading me to wonder, and seriously, whether or not any closer not named Mariano Rivera is truly worth the price paid. I don't know folks; the more I watch today's game, and the more closers I see, the more I think that closers are the most overpaid and overrated players in the game today. And considering some of the paid and rated players in the game today, that's saying a lot.

But hey, the Mets have won the first two of three from the Phillies, leaving them with the ability, at least theoretically, to take the series tonight with a win.

And just an observation or two or three about J Man, our new manager. First, he certainly is no Willie, which is a very good thing. How anyone could have advertised him as similar to Willie is beyond me, but that's for another post and time. He actually seems to equate performance with playing time... imagine that. A blast from the baseball past, when guys actually had to eaaaaaaarrrrrrn their money and their playing time. He has added some needed stability and drive to the team; he seems to be a straight shooter, candid and honest and open; he doesn't hesitate to go out there and fight for his players, but also doesn't hesitate to correct his players when he thinks they need correcting.

In short, if J Man had a few less players (Delgado) and a few more players (anybody under 30 with a pulse), he just might have something. As good as he's been so far, anyone who's watched the Mets for the last few years knows that the current franchise malaise isn't because of Willie, although heaven knows, Willie wasn't the greatest baseball mind, and certainly didn't help the situation, but the problem with the Mets is their overly old roster, their personality mix (if you can call what this team has "personality"), and the fact that in Metsland, just winning enough is acceptable; winning everything or anything is just optional.

And in other news, Mrs. A-Rod is apparently initiating divorce proceedings this morning, citing Madonna as the final straw in the drink of her marriage. Of course, Mrs. A-Rod says this while in France with rocker Lenny Kravitz, so.... you want my opinion? Of course you do, that's why you're reading this! My opinion is, they're both fucked up, and are probably pretty equally responsible for the decline of the marriage, as is the case in most every marriage that fails.

So, fuck Billy Wagner, let's go Mets and J Man, and the thought of A-Rod and Madonna together, and I mean, together in the most biblical sense is... well, revolting.