Take THAT, JRo........

...a lovely sight at Wrigley Field in Chicago, where the Cubs stage a dramatic late-innings comeback to beat the Phillies, a/k/a "Jimmy Rollins & The Whiners."

So, take THAT, JRo. Am I going to hear you spouting off about the Chicago Cubs and their "celebrations?" And as CoreyNYC so eloquently put it on his blog yesterday... take THAT, and THAT... and even THAT!

And as for the Yankee win yesterday, well, I think the kitty picture says it all!

And one more thing, in this whole anti-New York prejudice vein thingy, and that's this: the other evening at Citizens Bank Ballpark in The City of Brotherly Love, when the young Philly fan fell out of the stands onto the field during batting practice, notice, my friends, that he was comforted by none other than the New York Mets players. About four or five of 'em. Now, I know the Mets were on the field at the time, but interestingly, the Today show played a tape of the incident in question, which showed the aftermath of the fall, and nowhere during the approximate minute or so after the fall did anything remotely resembling a Philadelphia policeman, team trainer, manager or player appear. What, they all have broken legs? They can't see?

As The Coop says... just sayin', just sayin'. This is stuff for some reason you never see in many media outlets; sometimes, it seems the only stuff you see in the media regarding New York, New Yorkers, New York sports, and the like is the negative stuff. It's as if New Yorkers aren't capable of any good, and everyone outside New York is remarkably wonderful. Now, we all know that neither of these two extremes is accurate, but there ya go.

This Is Del-Bugging Me.....

...I'll TELL YOU what's Del-bugging me... Mets fans and their recent lovefest with Carlos Delgado.

Look, I'm as happy as the next guy/gal that Carlos has suddenly found it within him to turn things around this half, and make a huge impact upon the fortunes of the Mets. Sure, he looks rejuvinated, energetic, focused, whatever you want to call it. Without him in the second half, unarguably the Mets would not be where they are; I certainly agree with that.

But I cannot forget the dog years of 2007 and the first half of 2008. Maybe one can chalk up Carlos Del-Dogging it in 2007 due to lingering affects of an injury; MAYBE, but there is the first half of 2008, and Carlos' known dislike of Willie Randolph, which many speculate had at least some bearing upon Carlos' poor performance in 2007/2008. So let me get this straight -- we're just supposed to forget that Del-Doggo basically phoned it in for a year and a half? And now we're all supposed to jump on the Bring Delgado Back Bandwagon?

You know, fans have very short memories. And while I'm thrilled at the resurgence of Delgado, the bad taste I have in my mouth for him lingers, and because of it, I'm very cautious about singing his praises too loudly. Or making a premature commitment to him for next year. Not just yet.

Friends, Bloggers, Countrymen....

....lend me your eyes.
For I come here to BURY the Yankees, not to praise them.
Certainly not to praise them.
For the evil that the Yankees have done lives after them;
The good is interred with their bones.
So let it be with the Yankees.
The noble Mets fans hath told you the Yankees were ambitious;
If it is so, it is a grievous fault,
And grievously hath the Yankees answered for it.
Here, under leave of Mets fans and the rest --
For Mets fans are honorable folks;
So are they all, all honorable folks --
Come I to speak at the Yankees' funeral.
While they may have been friends to some,
Faithful and just to some,
But Mets fans say they were ambitious;
And Mets fans are honorable men and women.
They hath brought many fans to baseball;
Whose ransoms did the MLB coffers fill:
Did this in the Yankees seem ambitious?
When that the other teams have cried, the Yankees hath laughed:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Mets fans say they were ambitious;
And Mets Fans are honorable folks.
You all did see that in the 1990s,
Many times they were presented a World Series ring,
Which they took as their due: oh, that ambition!
Mets fans say they were ambitious,
And, sure, Mets fans are honorable folks (and smart, too).
I speak to prove what Mets fans spoke,
I am here to speak what I do know.
Many did love them once, without cause:
But what cause holds you then, as Mets fans, to mourn for them?
(What, are you NUTS?)
O judgment! Thou art fled to the beasts of Yankee Stadium;
And Mets fans have not lost their reason. Bear with me;
Yankees fans hearts are in the coffin there with the Yankees,
And they must till it come back to them.

R.I.P. New York Yankees 8/27/08

About Last Night (Schneider and J Ro)....

...so, did any of you listen to Brian Schneider's regular Tuesday lunchtime spot on WFAN today, with Steve Somers subbing for Joe and Evan? I gotta give Steve credit, he hit Schneider pretty hard with his comments about the long hop/short hop ball from Easley he missed. Now, I usually have no problem with Schneider, but he really seemed to get his balls in kind of an uproar over Steve's remarks, and stated that the play was by no means an easy or routine one, and although he didn't offer an excuse, per se, he didn't really take responsibility for it either.

Steve further went on to question Schneider about whether he and Pedro had trouble communicating, to which Schneider replied that "Pedro took full responsibility" or was it, "blame," for whatever happened.

It seemed to me as if Schneider wanted to say a lot more about last night, and almost did...but ultimately didn't.

Honestly, for whatever reason, Schneider's tone really annoyed me today. I felt as if he were reluctant to take his share of responsibility for last night's...debaucle, and I got the distinct feeling that some people in the Mets clubhouse are not very happy with others about last night...

Something also tells me that Schneider might not continue to be a regular on WFAN every Tuesday afternoon were the regular host a guy named Steve Somers.

As for J Ro, according to Mets Blog, he's mouthing off again about the Mets, and how they motivate him.... Honestly, between Schneider on the FAN today and J Ro's comments, I'm not sure whom I want to give a nice, swift kick to more.

Perhaps, as the image suggests, we should just leave the whole thing up to the Met pitchers.

MoFo, MoFo, MoFo....

.... no mojo, just MoFo. The MoFo Mets continue giving their fans the rollercoaster ride of their lives by blowing a perfectly good seven-run lead last night in Philadelphia, with Pedro Martinez in the lead car, followed by the "Offense Has Done Quite Enough It Its Own Opinion, Thank You" car, and the "Bullpen Sucks Almost As Much As The Yankees Do" car bringing up the rear.

Honestly, this year is as head-scratching and frustrating in a way that last year wasn't. Face it, folks... compared to the agony and the ecstasy that is the up and down of this year, last year we had it easy, having to suffer only in the last month of the season... well, okay, maybe we DID have to agonize over The Collapse in the off-season... but there has been NOTHING like the frustration and bewilderment experienced by most of us during the 2008 Mets season.

But, bottom line: I'm not really upset that they lost last night, I'm upset at HOW they lost. In thinking about it though, there is a "but" here, and that's this: while last night's loss was certainly disappointing and aggravating on so many levels, it was truly a TEAM loss, and for some reason, that comforts me. Win as a team, lose as a team. Hey, at least they're PLAYING like a team! Which is something we maybe couldn't say earlier this year.

And Santana goes tonight, and that has to comfort you if you're a Mets fan. The guy has just been as solid, if not spectacular, as one could wish his or her ace to be, and you have to like the Mets' chances of recapturing the division lead.

And pardon me if today's Yankees suck image du jour is rather mundane.... it's just so fitting, so appropriate, so much a symbol of what's wrong with the Yankees that it speaks for itself. Res ipsa loquitur. Look it up. Hee hee hee.

And The Big Pussy's Pick of the SEASON Goes To...

...none other than...

The Mets Bullpen. The Coop came out of semi-BPP retirement for this truly special event.

So, I got a note from a friend last night -- I was in bed early, because honestly, I saw the writing on the wall, the minute the score was 7-5, I didn't need to stay up to watch what I knew was going to go down, so I didn't get the note till this morning -- that the team showed a lot of heart, but they really need Billy Wagner back.

Hmmm, but even with Billy Wagner, the bullpen was still blowing leads.

And I mean, substantial leads. Yes, the Mets bullpen has given credence to the old saying that it aint over till its over.

Apparently, someone forgot to tell the Mets about that, and clued the Phils into it.

So riddle me this -- why is it that when the Mets are already out of it (take for instance, last Saturday's game, at 8-1), the bullpen seems to keep it together. I'd like to point out this was evident in the last game of 2007 (do I even need to go there?), after Tom Glavine gave up 7 earned runs in the first inning, the bullpen came and was magic.

While the BP (bullpen, not BIG Pussy) was hardly the problem last year, when Carlos Delgado is on my good side again, that says A LOT about the games this team has been losing all season.

So not having Billy Wagner may be a part of the problem, I can tell you that Duaner Sanchez forgetting how to throw a strike, Joe Smith regressing to the mean, and Aaron Heilman, well I mean, he's the Charter Member of the BPP. I mean, I know that Luis Ayala is the new "official" closer, but it was about time he'd blow it.

I mean, why bother pitching in the bullpen if you can't get an out?

After all, isn't that what you get paid for, gentleman?

So tonight, we got Johan going, but of course, he's the Poster Boy for Bullpen Suckage, since the team has managed to blow like 20 of his starts this year.

I do have to say though, my anger is subsided a bit this year. I'm over 2007. I've been over since, well, basically since September 30, 2007, and when Johan Santana was officially traded. But I can look at this game and say, this is a gimme game -- to the Phils.

Hell, you know its bad when Johan, Pedro AND Big Pelf are all begging for the ball when they are obviously tired. Complete Games are the new black for the Mets.

So thanks Bullpen, thanks so much. Even if this pathetic team does make the playoffs, no one, and I mean no one is going to be threatened by this pussy wimp of a bullpen.

THE COOP HAS SPOKEN.

The Incredible Mike Pelfrey....

....struck again last night, pitching another complete game in spectacularly dominating fashion.

Is there anything this guy can't do?

And hey, is he eligible for ROY, or maybe...even...dare I say... MVP?????? This guy might actually be the most valuable Met player this year, and now with Maine going down and the stretch run coming, is it, well, a stretch to think he might not get a few votes here and there?

The Mets move on to Philadelphia tonight for a two-game series which while not crucial, is definitely important, and at least a split would be very, very nice. The Phillies have been hot, coming off a recent sweep of the Dodgers, and anything could happen, and usually does.

Maybe I'll write more later, but right now, I'm just going to give y'all the obligatory Yankees suck image du jour....

The Houston Factor....

...is it my imagination, or do the Astros seem to have the Mets' late-season number? First, the three-game sweep of a few weekends ago out in Houston, and now, two tough losses to the very same Astros over this past weekend at Shea.

And not even one of the pitchers that beat us was named "Oswalt."

They may be the "Almost Last-ros," but they sure have played the Mets tough this year. They're tough, scrappy, aggressive, head-scratching (see: Hunter Pence), gritty and stubborn, and if worse comes to worse, we will certainly look to the Astros' series as a reason why worse did, in fact, come to worse.

Even worse news than the two losses to the Astros this weekend is the medical condition of John Maine, who, to me, hasn't looked comfortable out there for quite some time now. First, there were back issues. Now, arm and shoulder issues. Whatever the issues, it is undeniable that John simply hasn't had it, and may need to be shut down for the remainder of the year.

The problem with this isn't so much the postseason, since we could get by very easily with the remaining four starters due to the scheduling of the games and the off-days. The problem lies in the stretch run against the very pesky Phillies, who continue to prove the old baseball Yogiom that, truly, "it ain't over 'til it's over." The Phillies pulled out a win last night against the Dodgers in spectacular fashion, and are now a half game behind the Mets in the division. It's going to be a race all the way until the end, and we'll need as many horses as we can get to run it well and to achieve the desired result.

And in other news, El Duque is now strongly considering what may be career-ending surgery to his foot....

The Magic Is Back... but is it enough?

And now, the obligatory Yankees suck image du jour....

The Friday Go Fuck Yourself And Good Riddance Award...

....goes to the Atlanta Braves. And I renamed the Award just for them, just for this week... heh heh heh.

And why, you ask, the Atlanta Braves? Well, because they're the Atlanta Braves, formerly relevant, now irrelevant, and deserve a good, hearty "Go Fuck Yourself," probably supplemented with "Go Fuck Yourself, We No Longer Care About Your Irrelevant Also-Ran Team With Your Old Tired Roster, And By The Way, Take Your Mike Fucking Hampton And Shove Him Up Your Old Irrelevant Ass."

That type of thing... hahahahaha ha!

And why good riddance? Well, because after how many years of the Braves' having been our strongest competition in the division, I think a good, hearty "Good Riddance" is in order, don't you?

And while I'm at it, a good, hearty "Good Riddance" to one Chipper Jones, who had the audacity to name one of his children "Shea," the smarmy fucker that he is.

And that's it for this week, folks. Stay tuned....

The Magic Is Back....

...it really IS back, you know. How do I know this? Well.... based upon observation, of course, silly! Alas, I know you sabermetricians out there will say nay, and scoff at my powers of observation, but despite your naysaying and scoffing, there is an air of electricity and power surrounding Shea and the Mets that simply has not been there in the past few years. David Wright is focused, the ball finding its way into his hand, and glove, seemingly effortlessly. Carlos Delgado is getting FIVE HITS, including a game-winning hit, in a game. The bullpen is actually getting outs, and -- get this -- WITHOUT GIVING UP RUNS IN BETWEEN THOSE OUTS! The starters have found new and improved pitch counts. The boys can be found on the top steps of the dugout most nights, cheering each other on, joking, rally capping, and the whole kit and kaboodle.

Yes, indeed; instead of the tragic, the MAGIC is back at Shea! And how fitting is that for the wrap-up of Shea as the home of the Mets... it's a karma of a sort, serendipitous and cosmic and right, just somehow...right.

And we were treated to another wonderful Keith Hernandez Moment At The Mike last evening. Those of you who were watching undoubtedly know the moment about which I'm writing. Yes, it was that moment -- the moment when Tom Seaver, having been invited into the booth by Gary, Keith and Ron, had his career statistics flashed on the screen. Among those statitics was Tom The Great's career W/L record, which was, I believe, 311-205. And Keith, without missing a beat, in the way only Keith can, turns to Tom The Great and asks him "how'd you manage to lose all those games?"

When the laughing stopped, and Tom The Great recovered, you just had to realize the brilliance of the moment. Why, what Keith said to Tom is something like saying to Jesus Christ, upon his rising from the dead: "so, how'd you manage to die on that cross?" Yikes!

Right now, it just doesn't get any better than Gary, Keith and Ron, nor any better than The New York Mets. Yessirreeee, The Magic Is Back....and I'm loving it.

And NOW, for those of you who are waiting, the obligatory Yankee image du jour for your enjoyment and perusal....

And The Mets Continue To Roll...

...and Mike Pelfrey pitches the first complete game of his career last night at Shea. By the reaction of the crowd in the bottom of the ninth inning, you'd have thought you were at a World Series game.

In the post-game interview, Pelfrey seemed kind of shell shocked and stunned by the reaction of the Shea Stadium crowd. I got news for ya, Mikey -- if you continue on this way, you had better get used to that. Much like the encores some of the offense are goaded to give by the wildly enthusiastic Shea fans, so the pitchers get the ninth inning on-yer-feet treatment by the crowd. Shea is like nothing else when the going's good, and last night, the going was VERY good, indeed.

I think I'm at the point where I'm finally able to call the Mets a TEAM. They are playing like one, celebrating like one, supporting each other like one, and if walks like a duck... well, you know the rest. This Mets duck is quacking fiercely, and if the bullpen holds up, and the offense does enough, and the starters continue to perform the way they have, well then, duck soup is certainly very possible.

They don't call 'em The Amazins for nuttin!

And now, for the piece de resistance, the Yankees suck image du jour. And make sure you say that as im-azzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzhhhhhhhhe, with the zzzzzzzzzzzzzzhhhhhhhhhe very, very, stressed -- JUST LIKE THE YANKEES! Yuck yuck yuck....

Before I Even Get Started Today...

....behold the ubiquitous Yankees suck image du jour.

I'm sure that by now, you all know where that image came from. It's none other than Johnny Damon, of course, muffing one of two fly balls in center field last night in Toronto, a game the Yankees lost, and a game which now has made Yankees hopes for a postseason berth very, very dim, indeed.

How sweeeeeeeet it is!

Now I'm not one to ordinarly exult in the misfortunes of others, but when those others are the Yankees... well, they are the exception that proves the rule, as it goes.

As for the Mets, a spectacular bottom of the eighth inning comeback against the Braves bullpen, which makes the Mets bullpen look like it's full of Mariano Riveras, resulted in a big W against the Braves, and a hold of the Mets' 1.5 game lead in the NL East, the Phillies having won last night as well.

Of course, the ubiquitous Billy Wagner had some strange comments after the game last night, rambling on about "focus," and "today's society," and "Hall of Fame," and "criticism," in a way that only Billy Wagner can. Of course, little of it made any sense; it was more a nonsensical no point to it rambling rose of a rant that left me scratching my head and wondering what mind-altering drugs Billy might have been consuming.

That's right, Billy...I'm talking about you.

The Mets series against the Braves continues this evening at Shea Stadium.

Maddux Returns To The Dodgers....

...Mad Dog gets not only his own SHOW, but his own CHANNEL on Sirius, and Matt La Porta gets plunked by the Chinese in Olympic baseball.

America...what a country!

So Greg Maddux is back with the Dodgers. This is a move which I think will help the Dodgers tremendously down the stretch. He's a buck solid veteran, a stabilizing force on any pitching staff, and his re-acquisition is, in this blogger's humble opinion, as good a move as any team has made down the stretch this year.

And here's something really, reallllllly sweet to contemplate: Joe Torre making the post-season in his first year as Dodger manager, and Joe Girardi & Company watching from the comfort of their homes. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet! I meant to mention this the other day, but I guess I forgot. Man, what a lovely comeuppance that would be for Joe, who was treated, again in this blogger's humble opinion, very badly by the Yankees last year, swines that they are.

And oh, yeah, before I forget, the Yankees suck image du jour... heh heh heh....

As for Mad Dog Russo, the Sirius announcement was of course not unexpected. The monster deal he got ($3 million for five years) was rumored last week when he left the Mike & The Mad Dog Show in between the crocodile tears he shed, and frankly, I think the nut job that is Chris Russo will do very well indeed, and will earn every penny of that three million bucks he's getting. And then some.

And I'm thinking that, after yesterday's USA v. China game, Olympic baseball might actually have some oomph and pizzazz, as tempers flared, players got plunked, and the game actually resembled something resembling a real baseball game. Imagine that. Perhaps there's hope for the sport in the Olympics.

Tonight, the Mets begin a three-game series against the hapless Braves. The Braves are in as bad a shape as I've ever seen, and if the other GMs out there aren't paying attention to all the problems the Braves are having because of their (ahem) "veteran" roster, then my name isn't Deb, and yours isn't, either.

If that makes any sense, you're either brighter, dumber, or simply more confused than I.

And one more thing - the Met bullpen. The only way this bullpen has any success, sans Wagner, is if every starter gets at least the ubiquitous 20 outs that Lee Mazzilli says every starter ought to get. And with Pedro on the starting staff, and with Maine looking the way he's been looking, you're not getting 20 outs from either of them, which means 2/5 of the starting staff ain't giving it to ya. So no Wagner = little success, which, in turn = how the fuck are we going to make the postseason, and even if we do, how the fuck are we going to compete once there?

For answers to these and other questions.... look somewhere else; I sure don't have any!

Oh, Yeah, And Before I Forget...

...here's the obligatory daily Yankee image....

Let It ROLL, Baby, Roll.....

...let it ROLL, baby roll... all month long!

The Mets have now gotten another six pack, and are in the midst of another nice win streak; not to be redundant, or anything, but it's six in a row as of today. Of course, they've played the Nationals, who don't even belong in AAA, less in MLB, and the Pirates, who ought to stick to the high seas, but hey, considering that this team has, in the past, truly played down to its competition, all things considered, I think the recent win streak is well worth noting and remembering.

In other news, the Mets acquired Luis Ayala from the aforesaid lowly Gnats for Anderson Hernandez, who, let's face it, was never going to do anything here at the major league level. Ayala hasn't had a wildly successful year, but who knows what a change of scenery may bring? And with Billy Wagner continuing to ail, the bullpen situation is still in some turmoil, despite its recent successes. The competition's going to get tougher, and we need all the help we can get.

Is anybody less excited than me about the soon-to-come return of Luis Castillo to the big team? I just can't get all worked up and excited over the old guy's return, sorry. And I'll believe it when I see it, anyway.

Game time today 12:30, LET'S GET THE SWEEP, BOYS!

But The Weirdest Fucking Shit Of All....

...is the news that broke late yesterday that Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo, longtime co-host of WFAN's "Mike and The Mad Dog" afternoon show, was leaving the station for parts unknown.

This shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone. Mike and Chris have had feuds in their 18+ years on WFAN before; in fact, more often than not, or so it seems. The announcement apparently came almost immediately following the announcement by WFAN of a new contract for Mike Francessa, and I wonder how much one had to do with the other, since I think Russo was under contract to WFAN through 2009, or at least part of it, as he himself said on the show a couple of weeks ago.

Of course, he also said he wasn't going anywhere, so there is that.

Rumors are that Russo will be off to satellite radio.

This all brings me to why I've called this the "weirdest fucking shit of all." Why, you ask? Well, because in all my years on sports message boards, blogs, fan sites, and talking to fans, Mets and Yankees, Giants and Jets, Knicks and Nets, Rangers, Islanders, Devils, Liberty, you name it -- I've never encountered a single person who's had anything positive to say about Mad Dog, and about Mike, although to a little lesser extent.

And now, this morning, all these callers on the Richard Neer show (whom I truly dislike, always have, even when he was a DJ on the old WNEW 102.7 FM, but more about him another time, the stuck up arrogant ass that HE is) are calling in and bemoaning the demise of both the M&MD show and of Christopher Russo himself.

Funny how shit happens, huh?

And since this IS, after all, a Mets blog, the best news of all today is that last night in D.C., the Mets completed a sweep of the Nationals, and now possess first place in the NL East all by their lonesome.

And you have to wonder whether it is really an option for the Mets to resign Ollie Perez. You almost have to do it if you're the Mets, no matter what it costs you.

And speaking of pitching, with Stokes in the role of the long man out of the pen, and with Billy Wagner scheduled to return to the big club on Monday, you have to feel much better about the whole state of the bullpen, if you're a Mets fan.

And the icing on the Mets cake? I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count.

Yep, that's right, you guessed it!

Now This Here Is Some Weird Fucking Shit....

...and I ain't just a-playing Dixie on yer ass!

Weird Fucking Shit #1: Julia Child, that indomitable lovable television chef that we all knew, wouldn't admit to watching, but did... the lovely lady who couldn't cook for nothin', and was in fact told by more than one cooking instructor to hang up her potholders, the same lovely lady so well and truly parodied by Dan Aykroyd on SNL for many years was apparently, of all things... a spy for the good ol' U S of A. Now, I've heard some weird fucking shit in my lifetime; in fact, I've caused more than my fair share of weird fucking shit, but when I heard this this morning, I just about peed the bed laughing.

The lovely lady apparently spied for the US in the post-WWII era, for the OSS, the forerunner of the CIA. OMG. LOL. The French Chef "cooked" for the U.S. This information, although rumored for at least ten years, was finally confirmed in a routine relase of thousands of previously classified documents.

I wonder what Dan Aykroyd could have done with his Julia Child impersonation had he known this little tidbit of info....couldja just imagine? Episodes like "Cooking Your Goose" with Joe Stalin, or maybe "Eating Crow" or "Failure To Make European Provisions" with FDR and Winston Churchill? And how about the books she could have written, like "The Art of Cooking Opium For Spies," as it was rumored she actually kept the stuff around to "pay off" her spy stoolies....

"Appetite For Life," indeed, Julia!

Fucking fascinating shit; I kid you not!

Weird Fucking Shit #2: The Opening Ceremony Of The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Was Apparently (Gasp!) Partially Fraudulent. I mean, can you believe that a country with such stellar morals and world standing would do such a thing as declaring a young child "too ugly" for television, thus having this child singing "behind the scenes" while another, much "cuter" young lady, lip synched for the camera? Yikes, this is some weird.fucking.shit.

But not some weird.unexpected.fucking.shit. The Chinese are, after all, not immune to the ideals and ideas of society or of The Commandments Of Television And Media, under which the First Commandment is "Thou Shalt Not Air Unattractive People If Other Options Are Readily Available."

Along with "Thou Shalt Consider Lip Synching A Readily Available Option."

Disgraceful? Nah, to be expected, but some weird fucking shit nevertheless.

Weird Fucking Shit #3: The Yankees are actually on the verge of not making the playoffs for the first time since 1993. Actually, this one should be classified as some Weird Fucking Shit That Tickles The Hell Out Of Me! Mr. Hanky even as much as came out this past week and said, publicly, something to the effect that they [the Yankees] would "win it next year."

And even weirder fucking shit within the already weird fucking shit is that nobody, but NOBODY in the Yankee Universe has dared to ask a player, manager, team official, team flunky, groupie or hanger-on what he or she thinks of this latest blabber gushing from the mouth of Mr. Hanky.

And notice, I never seem to tire of posting Yankees Suck images...

The Only Thing Worse Than The Met Bullpen....

...is apparently the entire Washington Nationals team, lock, stock, barrel, offense, defense, and pitching.

Pardon me if last night, I almost, no, check that: I DID feel sorry for the Nationals' young pitcher Jason Bergmann. At least I think that's how you spell it, and I think what I felt was sympathy. In fact, it was such a strong feeling, I had to turn the channel during the third inning; I simply could not watch it anymore.

So the Mets end up winning the game 12 to zip, Johnny Maine returned to the starting rotation with a bang, and the Mets are now tied with the Phillies, once again, for first place in the NL East.

Overall, a nice piece of work thus far this week.

The race for the division crown is probably going down to the wire, and it should prove to be an interesting seven weeks ahead.

And oh, has anybody seen the new Mets ticket prices for next season? My buddies at The Mets Police posted this about the whole thing yesterday. Pretty much looks like Joe Average Fan will be pushed to his limit monetarily, and will basically be shit out of luck getting anything approaching a field level seat.

Hey, on the bright side, at least no PSLs, and I ain't talking about Port St. Lucie, yuckyuckyuck.

Looks as if my computer is finally fixed, and things are almost back to normal. Whatever normal passes for in MY crazy life, anyway.

I Don't Know What's Worse...

...my computer problems over the past week or the Mets' bullpen.

My computer crashed last week, and although the hard drive was restorable to its virgin self, we're on a server here, and it's been and continues to be a painful, time consuming and pain in the ass process trying to get everything back up to snuff. I've been working off a remote connection, which is fine as it goes, but it has limitations, such as printing certain things, like checks and other documents from our accounting software.

Plus, I've lost all my favorites and a couple of other things that were on the C drive, but I've managed to find most everything else, since I've pretty much stored everything on the server since I've been here, and that's over three years now. Actually, going on closer to four...

And now, onto those crappy Met arms in the bullpen. Although to their credit, and perhaps due to Jerry Manuel's posturing and astute use of the media over the past few days, two of them did manage to step up last night.

The reason I say Jerry Manuel's "posturing and astute use of the media over the past few days" is because, if you recall, he basically told the media yesterday that Eddie Kunz would be his closer, and has been telling the media for several days that he would put Maine, Perez, and maybe some others in the bullpen, that it was time for drastic action.

And apparently, the bullpen guys had a meeting prior to last night's game, so whatever Jerry's motives were, they worked.

At least for last night.

I thought some of Jerry's decisions last night were curious, but he seems to march to his own drummer and usually things work out, so I have to trust him right now.

I'd still like to add or change one or two arms out there in the pen, and I'd still like to add another bat or two to the offense for the stretch, but as of right now, we are a game back of the Phillies; theoretically, at least, we have the easier schedule from now until the end of the regular season, and the Yankees continue to suck.

Man, I love the sound of that.... hee hee hee!

Just.Kill.Bullpen.

Aside from that, I have only one other thing to say concerning the state of Mets baseball:

HOW 'BOUT THEM OLYMPICS?

Monday, Monday....

...*ba da, ba da da da*...

Yeah, like the old Mamas and Papas song, it's Monday, Monday again, but honestly, it's not all I hoped it would be, as a line in the old classic song goes. It's raining cats and dogs here in beautiful Central New Jersey *snicker,* I'm wondering about the status of the game today at Shea between the Mets and the Pirates, and I really don't feel like being here today, not one bit. The dog days of August are officially here, and that feeling of being in limbo and at the end of something at the same time is upon me.

I'm finding that I'm actually enjoying watching some Olympic coverage. The Opening Ceremony on Friday night was absolutely....breathtaking, there's just no other way to describe it. The most amazing thing about it all was the amount of people involved, how imaginatively and creatively they were used, and how all of 'em managed such, well, synchronicity. It frankly astounded me and most of the world, as well, I suspect.

And the final touch, the lighting of the torch, with one of China's great former Olympians circling the stadium's membrane as if suspended in mid-air, culminating in the final whoooosh as the flame circled up the beautiful red torch...well, it's enough to give one goosebumps.

And how about that huge, as in humongous, LED screen on the floor of the stadium?

And how about the drummers?

AND HOW ABOUT THAT AMERICAN MEN'S RELAY SWIM TEAM, HUH? Beating the Eurotrash-talking Frenchmen. That moment was almost as good as.... well, as good as anything I've seen in sports for some time.

Now, back to the Mets, who are now two games out of the division lead, having won the series from the very tough Marlins this weekend. I still think the Marlins are going to prove to be the tougher competition for the division crown, and it remains to be seen how Mets pitching will hold up down the stretch, with Big Pelf appearing to be suffering the affects of throwing more innings than he has in any year thus far in his career, John Maine coming off the DL, and the bullpen still a semi-train wreck with Billy Wagner still on the DL. But hell, it's a semi-train wreck even with Billy Wagner NOT on the DL, so there is that...

The Mets' young talent is starting to blossom, or as in the case of young Daniel Murphy, continuing to blossom, and the bench guys are still doing more than anyone could have expected. Wright has broken out of his mid-season malaise, but I'm still worried about the big three combo of Beltran, Delgado and Wright; if they don't put a nice offensive run together, we're not winning anything.

But perhaps, the best news of all is that the Yankees look for all the world as if it will be a real stretch for them to make the playoffs this year. As Jackie Gleason used to say... how sweeeeeeeeeeeet it is. Look, knowing the Yankees, you can't ever count them out, but for now, it surely doesn't look good; it surely doesn't.

I Have Only One Thing To Say....

...(with apologies to my fellow blogger Ed in Westchester)...

Just.Kill.Bullpen.

Or, as The Joker would say... "kill the bullpen!"

As Favre Un-Packs....

...and unloads his gear in New York, some Jets fans are just about shitting green over the prospect of having Brett as the leader of the Jet offense.

And although I can understand their glee, Brett is, after all, 38 years old, and hardly the quarterback of the future, the man around which to plan all other things Jet.

If I really thought the Jets were going to be serious contenders this year, I'd be whooping it up and shitting green with much of Jets Nation, but I just think that he'll be nothing more than window dressing for an otherwise mediocre team.

And what if anything will this do to the development of Clemens as the quarterback of the future?

And I can't help but feel badly for Chad Pennington, whose progress has be impeded by injuries, and whom I still think has a contribution to make for some team, somewhere.

I guess it's just not going to be for the Jets.

And onto other news Mets, somebody please slap (a) David Wright; (b) Carlos Beltran and (c) Carlos Delgado????? Wright has looked as if he belongs in A ball over the past week or so, and he wasn't tearing it up offensively or defensively before that. And despite the love he's always gotten from Met fans, and maybe even because of it, he's got to bear his share of the blame for the latest episode in the series Mets Woes, 2008 Style.

As for Beltran, as much as I love him defensively, and admire what he's doing for the new outfielders, who as we all know aren't really outfielders, he still drives me nuts with his offensive approach and game, and he isn't really helping things offensively, either, and hasn't for much of this year.

As for Delgado, let me just say I was not one of those who felt the unyielding urge to apologize to him for every bad thing I ever said about him because he had one torrid month. He's back to being the Delgado many of us know and loathe, and what makes things worse is that I actually am starting to believe his option for next year will be picked up by the Mets.

Next, I'm going to find out Pedro's coming back... could the resigning of Moises Alou be far behind?

Ugh... this afternoon is the rubber game of the series between the Mets and the Padres. And last night, the Botch says to me, during the game, that based upon what she's seen of the Padres this year, she wonders how they could ever lose.

I reminded her that the only times she's actually seen the Padres this year was when they played the Mets, which of course was a very sobering thought.

One, A Closer...Two, A Closer...Three, A Closer...

...well, you get the drift.

I could comment on the closer situation with the Mets, but after a brilliant piece like this one, why bother? Toasty's done such a great job of it, that all that remains is the laughter...and the tears which are going to inevitably follow.

I never thought Billy Wagner might be so valuable to us, frankly. Even after blowing seven saves this year, some of them in games that we really, REALLY needed to win, he might have become the Most Valuable Player On The DL this season, a position formerly held by the likes of Moises Alou and Ryan Church. Talk about an unlikely turn of events....

Last night was the Rocky Horror Picture Show in the making, or should I say, the RE-making. Imagine Jerry Manuel as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, with none other than Aaron "Thou Shalt Not Fail To Let The First Batter Pass" Heilman as Brad, and Dan Warthen as Eddie, with Howard Johnson as Riff Raff... and you've got the makings of a truly horrific remake, giving the words twisted classic a whole new meaning. The story line would go something like Brad (Aaron), after following the path which he was led to believe would lead to major league success, suddenly goes horribly astray, when he runs into Jerry "F-N-F,", who, with the assistance of Dan "Eddie," and egged on by Howard "Riff Raff," gently but firmly lead him down the path of no return. Pretty friggin' funny, if it were only a story line.

The only thing missing is a couple of women, but of course, Keith Hernandez would probably put the kibosh on that, seeing as how women shouldn't be allowed in the dugout, and all.

But back to the Mets, and to the present. With no moves having been made at the trading deadline, and with Livan Hernandez all but gone to Colorado (yeah, I know, but he IS an arm, and he IS an innings eater), the status of Church still up in the air (and literally, since God knows why the Mets have him flying all over creation with the team, fcol, he has a HEAD injury), Maine on the DL, Wagner on the DL, and most of Bingo at the ML level, with young guys playing out of position, the bullpen performing like the "crack" committee, and with Fernando Tatis currently carrying the offense on his shoulders... well, maybe you're thinking September call-ups are coming soon.

September call-ups? They've all ALREADY been called up...take a look at the roster.

Omar needs to make some moves if we're going to stay in this thing up to our rubber necks.

Stay tuned.

And on the other side of town, the Yankees' season may have ended with the injury to Joba Chamberlain. Wish I could offer some sympathy, but I'm currently too busy worrying about my own team.

At Least, I'm Not Wondering....

...why I'm in a sour ass mood today, considering the recent play of the Mets, losing five of their last six, getting swept by the lowly Houston Astros, letting the likes of Kaz Matsui and Ty Wigginton have a hand in the beating...ugh!

Normally, it takes a while to get going on a Monday morning, anyway, but with all that baggage, and all, well, it's even harder. On first glance, it might be hard to believe that a team that can reel off ten straight wins with nary a sweat being raised could revert back to its prior form so easily and so quickly.

But on second glance, we realize, once again, that you are what you are what you are, and what this team has been for close to two years now is pretty much a .500 team, no matter who the manager is.

I said before Willie was fired that Willie wasn't the problem with this team, and it's starting to look as if I might have had a clue there. Don't get me wrong, I think Willie had lost the team and needed to go at some point, but I also didn't think then, and don't think now, that his firing would make a major impact on the course of this season.

And now John Maine is on the DL, and frankly, even if he comes off as scheduled, I'm very concerned about him; Billy "I'm Forever Blowing..." Wagner has arm issues as well, Pedro is, well, Pedro (translation: he's now morphed into the role of a dilettante on the pitching staff), Carlos Beltran has become so unaggressive at the plate he's now batting second, Carlos Delgado is cooling off and David Wright is strangely blah this year. I don't hold out too much hope for the return of Church, and Alou is out for the season. We then have a bunch of rookies playing out of position, a bunch of bench guys who have performed beyond what anyone could have reasonably (or unreasonably) expected, and a bullpen that can't hold a lead or save a game for the life of 'em.

And Omar stands pat at the trading deadline.

Look, I get that we traded away a lot of our prospects for Santana. I get that. I get that Omar didn't want to "overpay" (whatever the hell THAT means anymore) for marginal talent; I get that the array of arms available out there wasn't stellar, but standing pat? I just don't get that, I'm sorry. As it turns out, many of the guys who went the way of the trade were eminently gettable; I have to wonder what the eff the Mets were thinking.

You know what they say: in for a penny, in for a pound. And if you're not, then don't play around. Hey, that rhymes. Which is about the only funny thing I can think of right now. With all the money the Mets have spent on this... this.... this... TEAM (and these days, I'm using the word loosely), you would think that with the division within their grasp, they'd pull out the stops necessary to grab the brass ring.

Which leads me to one question -- what the fuck ARE they doing, anyway? Are they really trying to win it all? Or are they just (with thanks to Blazing Saddles) "jerking off?????"

Well, jerk somebody else off, boys. The team is falling apart at the seams, and right now, I'm not in the mood to once again pick myself up, dust myself off, and have any reasonable confidence in its direction.

Because today, folks, there ain't no good, tons of bad, and it's all just ugly. Today I feel like a Yankee fan.... yes, indeed, today, I feel like the Mets suck.