That's Four In A Row, Just In Case You're Not Counting...

...and what Mets fan among us would NOT be counting, anyway, I ask you?

Before I get to the good stuff, and lately, there's plenty of it, I first want to address what I consider to be a semi-crisis in baseball, and that's the umpiring. And that's just what I'm seeing from only the Mets games, which if it is even a small statistical sampling representative of what's going on in the entire baseball world, is a disgrace. Umpires getting overruled by umpires with the least best vantage point, or no vantage point at all; umpires getting overruled by managers and players; umpires who clearly have not even a working familiarity with the baseball rule book; umpires who provoke confrontations with players and managers; and basically just bad and inconsistent umpiring all over the place.

Take, for example, last night's first inning play, you know the one. Where the opposing player CLEARLY ran out of the baseline trying to avoid Easley's tag near second base... and he was called... SAFE? If somebody out there in blogreadersland knows under what baseball rule the safe call was a good one, please feel free, in fact, I URGE you to enter the information in the Comments section of this entry, thank you! And how about the home run that wasn't a home run over the weekend in the Phillies series...you know, the "fan interference that wasn't interference, but judged by the umpires to be a home run" ball?

I'm telling you, if MLB doesn't do something about the lousy and inconsistent umpiring soon, it's going to get out of hand. I remember the good old days when the umpires just did their jobs, and did not try to become part of the circus that is sometimes a major league baseball game. Fahcrissakes, these days, it's as if the umpires actually believe their active participation in The Show is part of The Show. Do your jobs, do 'em right, and that's all she wrote. On that subject, at least.

Now, uh, where was I? Oh yes, the Magnificent Pelfrey Show which was yesterday evening, complemented by the Mets Showing Off Their Offense Show. All of which resulted in a 7-0 win over the sadly Ungigantic Offense Show. And The Tim Lincecum Show was preemptorily cancelled....

Gotta say, I was as down on this particular Mets team as I've ever been prior to the Phillies series. I'm still not a believer in this team as presently constructed; at least, not right now, and probably not for the forseeable future. Still, I think J Man is doing as much and as good a job with the players he has as is possible, and for that, I am very thankful. It's such a pleasure to tune in a game where the players haven't tuned out after, say, five innings or so. Win or lose, the Mets are at the very least entertaining these days, and are making a real race of it.

And lastly, go and vote for David Wright for the All Star Game, already! I just did, and many times. I have to confess, I did not vote before today, because frankly, I just couldn't work up the enthusiasm to do so. But since the Mets have rewarded us with four straight wins, and some very positive signs, I figured, what the hey, lemme return the favor.

Oh, and I also voted for The Big G (Jason Giambi's third person rendering, a la Rickey Henderson), because, well...since the Little Rod bowed out, and The Big G has expressed his desire to be in the home run hitting contest, I'd like to see him and his mustache compete in the last All Star Game ever to be played at the Old Yankee Stadium. As opposed to the New Yankee Stadium, which is pretty much a replica of the Old Yankee Stadium, but that's for another post.