Seven Come Eleven?.....

...and last night, the Mets won their seventh in a row.... as they say in Vegas, and in AC, and in Connecticut, and Monte Carlo, and Reno, and, well, you know the rest -- give us the big "yo", and c'monnnnnn eleven!

This afternoon at Shea, in a game which the Mets are currently leading by a score of 3-0 against the Rockies, Pedro Martinez had to leave the game early with shoulder tightness, and that's certainly not good news. I guess we'll find out more during the All-Star Break, but it would appear that the Mets' Old Man Brigade certainly isn't faring too well these days.

Speaking of the All-Star Break, happily for David Wright, he won't get one, having been selected by NL manager Clint Hurdle to fill the spot vacated by injured Alfonso Soriano. Nice going, David; you deserve it!

Mets Get A Six Pack......

...as they win their sixth straight game yesterday afternoon at Shea against the hapless and pretty hopeless-looking San Francisco Giants.

Considering the present state of the Giants, my buddies at the Mets Police, who have been seen to be criping lately about the Giants being memoralized and recognized at Citifield, shouldn't wonder why they're not.

The Mets seem to be firing on all cylinders, which leads me to my next subject -- Billy Wagner's mouth, and his recent comments when asked about the difference in the team under J Man and The Big W. According to Dan Graziano of The Star Ledger, Billy lays the credit for the resurgence of the Mets upon the new, relaxed atmosphere in the clubhouse and on the field under new manager Jerry Manuel. While saying he didn't want to speak badly of Willie, he gave high points to J Man, saying this about J Man: "I think he's kind of loosened the reins a little bit and allowed us to relax and play...His first meeting with us, the message was 'Play fearless. Don't worry about one bad game or one bad at-bat.'"

Apparently, Willie's businesslike non-facial hair Yankee ways didn't sit too well with the blue collar side of town a/k/a The Mets, and now that the team is free from the shackles of Yankeeitis... well, we're apparently seeing the results. I'm not yet convinced, but as each day comes and goes, it is becoming more and more apparent that there is a huge change in attitude, maybe due to the change in lattitude vis a vis J Man.

And a Jimmy Buffet image thrown in here for good measure, case any of you missed the reference.

Of course, the news came down yesterday that Moises Alou has torn a hamstring, which may require surgery, but will at the very least finish him for the year. Shocked, huh? Yeah, me too. Not. VERY not.

So the question is, where will the Mets look for outfield help, now that Moises is down and out, and Church is, well, who knows? Sex For The Mets (look below)?

Sex For The Mets?....

....relax, relax.... I'm talking, of course, about the brandidy-new released Richie Sexon, he late of the Mariners.

And before we talk hither and fro about whether or not the Mets ought to take a flyer on him, perhaps a review of his statistics would be in order, and I have thus provided the info necessary, or at least, a piece of it.

OK, now that THAT'S done, let's talk. I remember the Richie of a scant few years ago as being the only legitimate player the Milwaukee Brewers possessed. I remember his power and his star quality, and I remember wondering what the hell he was doing hiding out in Milwaukee of all places... Then of course, Richie signed the big contract with Seattle in 2004, and actually did okay for a few years, and then rapidly declined last year, which decline continued, and mightily, into this year, leading to his release. Have we heard this story before, folks? Another victim of the lack of Juice in the clubhouse coffee?

Anyway, there are other Richie Sexson issues, involving brawling, character issues, and the like, but none of these, in my opinion, are really relevant, since a lot of major leaguers have found themselves in similar situations, and short of having a criminal record, a myriad of incidents, a couple of arrests and hitting the women in their lives, I have to kind of discount this type of stuff.

So back to the main issue -- should the Mets consider signing him?

Well, he is a right handed bat, and a legitimate power threat. Heaven knows we need one of those in our lineup. He might benefit from coming out from under the relative obscurity of many of the places where he's played, and who knows, he might bloom in New York. Some guys just cannot properly toil relegated to obscurity, and an underachieving team. He has had some good years.

Of course, in my opinion, the most pressing need the Mets have right now is another outfielder, but that still wouldn't preclude the Sexson signing....

So what's the bottom line? If I were the Mets, and I wanted to spend, say, $7 million dollars (half of what's left on his 2008 contract of $14 million) to get a legitimate power threat from the right side, I'd consider him. Hell, there are worse options out there, but far cheaper ones. If I thought Sexson would make a significant difference, maybe I'd do it. But I just don't think he will, and with the recent resurgence (not to mention the money we're paying him) of Carlos Delgado, I just don't see that Sexson fits here overly well.

Still, it is an intriguing possibility.... opinions?

New York's New "Take Five" Game.....

...or the Mets' version of it, anyway, by extending their winning streak to five in a row by blanking the Giants at Shea.

And the burning question is... is .500 or sub-.500 ball for the Mets finally in the rear view mirror, permanently? We shall see...right now, it looks as if the team is finally clicking on all cylinders; pitching, defense, offense. I still don't believe that the Mets can go too far with this current roster, as I said yesterday, but, hey, let's take it one game, one series at a time. Hopefully, Omar (more about him later in this post) will pick up a bat or two, Ollie and Pelfrey will continue pitching the way they've been pitching, and the bullpen (with the exception of Billy Wagner, who is doing his absolute best to make Mets fans look back wistfully and nostalgically at The Reign of Benitez) will continue performing well in its newly-defined roles.

And it certainly looks as if the Willie firing has made a difference in the team. But more importantly, it looks as if the PETERSON firing has been huge for the pitching staff, or at least for Ollie and Pelfrey. I guess some guys just don't respond to such famous zen chantings as the Moring Bell Chant; the Evening Bell Chant; the Homage to the Three Jewels Chant; the Heart Sutra in Korean or English; The Great Dharani Chant; the Kwanseum Bosal Chant; or finally (and mercifully) the Thousand Hands and Eyes Sutra Chant.

Om.... Om..... OK, then, moving on....

Hey, did any of you hear Omar on WFAN this morning with Boomer and Carton? I have to tell y'all, I'm less and less impressed with Omar every time I hear him speak. For example, this morning, between his use of double negatives, his ad nauseum uttering of "you know what I'm saying," when he was asked about D.W. and the All-Star Game, and what he wants to tell Mets fans, he says that Wright is batting "about .270, .280, and has about 70 RBI" only some of which is correct. Last I looked yesterday evening, ol' D.W.'s average was closer to .290 than it was to .270 or even .280; I don't know, to me, you would think that especially in view of the fact that D.W. is in the news as a potential All-Star, you would think that Omar would have a better working knowledge of the guy's stats, fcol... sometimes I wonder if Omar even watches the games. Because if he had watched last night, well, you know... he would have been more accurate and would have sounded a lot less like the fairly illiterate uninformed boob he might be turning out to be.

Just an opinion, of course. But I'm thinking that Omar should be the next thing on this team to take the proverbial hike.

Hopefully, the winning at Shea will continue this afternoon.

Om..... Om..... Om.....

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.

Was Last Night Crazy Nuts, Or What?....

...and of course, yrs truly, having figured out in my own mind (no comments, please!) that 10-1 lead surely meant a notch in the ol' Mets win colum, went to bed...only to find out later that the game got wild and crazy, with the bullpen combo of Armas/Heilman/Wagner (whom I'm starting to truly hate, that last guy, the W one) giving up eight runs, including home runs, helped by a bad throw from Beltran, bringing the Phillies to within one run of tying the game. Only this time, the Mets did not fold; they held the lead, albeit barely, and won the game.

Lately, I've heard rumblings in Metsland that Billy Wagner is really Armando Benitez in full costume. I don't believe that's true -- as much as I truly disliked Armando, he looks good by comparison to Wagner.

And you know what? I may hate Wagner, but this guy really is hating on Beltran today, and rightfully so, in this blogger's opinion. So here's to you, Mr. Janish... you've laid out your case far better than I certainly could have, so I'll leave it at that.

No Church On Sunday....

...or Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, either. For the rest of the year, or at least until further notice, I'm thinking.

Now before some of you fine churchgoing people starting a-bitching, of course, I'm talking about RYAN Church, who complained of a migraine headache during Saturday's game, causing J Man to rest him yesterday, as a precaution. As you all further now realize, the Mets totally botched the handling of the Church Concussion #2, failing to DL him when they should have, and basically allowing him to call the shots, which turned out to be a very bad call on the Mets' part.

I hate to burst anyone's bubble, here, but this team isn't going anywhere this year. If I were the Mets, I would seriously consider shutting Ryan down for at least the entire month of July, and then re-evaluate him after that. Maybe he ought to be shut down for the entire season, but we can take it one DL stint at a time.

I know Church is once again making noise that the migraine was not a concussion-related issue, but I would submit: how the hell does he know? Is he a doctor? I know he's suffered from migraines before, but hells bells, people, isn't that even a better reason to sit his ass down for awhile?

I mean... yikes!

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.

The Friday Go Fuck Yourself Award For This Week Goes To....

...Jose Reyes, for this, and this and this, and, oh yeah, for this, too.

I really hate giving this award to Jose, because I think he's one of the most exciting and talented players out there. But his seeming lapses of concentration on and off the field, his steadfast refusal to understand the type of hitter he is and to maximize the use of his speed totally leave me scratching my....uh, head, more often than not.

And this off-the-field stuff is, well... concerning, because it just seems as if Jose is a little confused at what constitutes appropriate behavior, and doesn't seem to understand that everyone connected to the Mets is NOT his enemy.

I just don't know what goes on, or doesn't go on, in Jose's head sometimes, and I suspect neither does he.

So here's to you, Jose; hopefully, you will not be a repeat winner!

SNY's Next New Reality Series: Friday Night Fights...With Keith Hernandez and Jose Reyes!

On the heels of its successful inaugural reality series, Knife Fight, with Jerry Manuel and Jose Reyes, SNY has announced its spinoff reality series, Friday Night Fights, with Keith Hernandez and Jose Reyes.

Notice the common theme there? That's right, Jose Reyes.

The incident apparently occured on the team charters, when it seems that Mr. Reyes got a liiiiiitle upset with Mr. Hernandez, and the two almost came to blows before the intervention of a few guys kept it from really getting wild. We hear that Mr. Reyes just did not like some of the things Mr. Hernandez had been saying about him on the air, or it seems, and decided to take matters into his own hands...literally. It's funny, though; the remark that really set Reyes off was the one Keith made about Reyes being "babied" by the team, so how does Reyes deal with that? Well, by fighting wike a w'il baby, of course. Insert big eye roll here. Yikes...

Still, it seems that neither of the two are any the worse for wear, and life on the Mets bus goes on...

...and anyway, what did you expect from a bunch of gangstas, rubber biscuits?

And now the Mets and the Friday Night Fighters move on to Philadelphia to play a series that is as important as any the Mets have played since last year. This weekend could well determine if the Mets will be players or watchers.

This Just In....Mets Open Carousel Ride in Queens

Flushing, N.Y. - Today, Omar Minaya and the New York Mets have announced the Grand Opening of the New York Mets Carousel Ride in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Mr. Minaya, speaking for the Mets, told this reporter: "Hey, we've been practicing for the opening of this ride for some time now. What do you think the Nelson Figueroa, Andy Phillips and Trot Nixon moves were all about, huh? I mean, you couldn't have really thought they were to help the team, now, could you have? Any thinking person would have realized that OF COURSE these moves were practice for today's opening."

Noticing the stunned but resigned look on this reporter's face, Mr. Minaya continued on: "And how about the Carlos Muniz thing, huh? We brought him up from New Orleans, pitched him in one inning, and promptly sent him back down. Now if that's not the king of carousel moves, I don't know what is."

The Mets have announced that the carousel, now in full swing, will be unveiled when the Mets return home next week. By that time, Mr. Minaya says, "we should have a couple more practice moves in place, and by the time we formally open the carousel, it'll be a ride envied by all other clubs."

An anonymous fan commented, "So they're finally announcing it formally, huh? Sheesh, the fucking Shea Carousel's been going on for years now; nice of them to finally make it a formality. My only question is -- how much is it going to cost to ride the damn thing? I'm already throwing away enough of my money going over to Shea, so I hope they keep the cost down."

Mr. Minaya, having heard the question, was seen snickering and singing a few skewed verses of "here we go round the mulberry bush..." as he exited the room.

And Another Thing...

...you know what I really HATE? I hate having others define for me, you or anyone the manner of our fandom.

For example, I'm on a message board today talking about why I am so down on this current Mets team, and what I get is (from someone I'm not even talking to, mind you), anyway, what I get is "those are not good reasons."

Well la de da, like I care. Look, I don't mean to be rude or mean or anything, but you know what? I don't need or want anyone's approval or disapproval or whatever when it comes to how I will exercise my fandom, thank you very much. I've been a Mets fan for 38+ years now, and you know what? I think I am entitled to be whatever kind of fan I want to be, whether or not anyone likes it.

And you know what, folks? I think you are too.

I'm sick and tired of seeing, on blogs and message boards all over, people being told by others that if they don't rah rah rah root root root for their team at all costs, avoiding negative comments or negative expressions, booyah booyah sis boom bah let's go team rah rah rah, that that person is somehow deficient in his or her fandom. May I ask, politely, who died and left them boss, huh?

You know what I think? I think blindly rooting for a team that has shown pretty consistently over the past year that it's fairly disinterested, lackadaisical, lazy, has umpteen clubhouse issues, is as interesting to watch as is grass growing, is not entertaining and otherwise pretty much says "fuck you" to the fan on a daily basis is, well....illustrated in the picture opposite this post.

THAT'S what I think.

Look, you wanna be a rah rah sis boom bah go team go blindly manic positive fan, that's fine, you go for it. That's your right. But it's my right, and anybody's right, to go the other way, so to speak.

So can it, willya?

That's all. Carry on.....

I Don't Even Know What To Say Anymore....

...and if any of you out there has an answer or knows what to say about this team, please feel free to submit your entry to me via email...

You know what struck me watching the game last night against the Cardinals? What struck me was how intelligently and thoughtfully Cardinal management and coaches seem to approach the game. And you could feel that confidence in the approach extend down to the ballplayers. The Cardinals are nothing if not a well coached bunch, with the great Albert Pujols right smack in the middle of everything.

And look at the Rick Ankiel thing. I mean, a couple of years ago, this guy was A PITCHER in the major leagues. A PITCHER. Think about that for a moment; the Cardinals organization was able to convert A PITCHER to A PRODUCTIVE AND GOLD-GLOVE CALIBER outfielder. Just think about that, and I submit, you know all you need to know about the Cardinal organization.

And then think about Braden Looper, and his conversion by the Cardinals into a successful starting pitcher. And think about the other Dave Duncan success stories...

And tell me the last time anything remotely of the caliber of the things I've described above has ever happened in the Mets organization.

I'll betcha if Aaron Heilman became a Cardinal, he'd be converted into a successful starter by Dave Duncan & Co.

Kinda makes you think, and wonder, what is really going on in the Mets organization. There's just so much wrong, I can't even begin to begin talking about it.

Since Coop Stole My Title For Today....

....here, I guess I'd just better lick my wounds and move on to a discussion of some things I've noticed about the Mets over the past few weeks.

The first thing is, of course, the management style of J-Man, a/k/a Snoop Manuel (with a nod out to the great Mestradamus on that one), a/k/a Jerry Blade... a guy whom we were almost promised would be "a lot like Willie," who is turning out to be anything BUT. He's defined bullpen roles, which seems to have brought a certain stability to the pen which was previously much lacking; he's exhibited a fire and a fight unlike anything we've seen at Shea from a Mets manager since The Great Bobby V Disguise Incident; he's an interesting an non-cliche-filled interview, not hesitating to take the team to task when he feels he has to.

The next is, well, the pitching.... I'm not sure if this is a combination of Dan Warthen's non-alien-zen-guru approach to pitching and/or J-Man's return to the simplicity of defining bullpen roles, but it seems as if despite a shaky Pedro performance or two (which might be because he's tipping his pitches, or so I hear), the pitching staff seems to be more cohesive, focused and aggressive, exhibiting a more intelligent selection of pitches and simply just a better game plan.

Now, if only J-Man and D-War could make some of these guys a couple of years younger, maybe we'd have something here. The problem is, of course, they can't, and with the exclusion of drugs from baseball, it's becoming painfully apparent that the old guys can't cut the mustard anymore.

I sure hope Omar and the Mets are paying attention to that.

As for Ollie, he looked like a different pitcher yesterday. He seemed to undergo sort of a Pelfrey-like transformation, turning from a guy who had little or no clue to a determined competitor who had a mission, and the greatest desire to fulfill that mission. He came out throwing hard, challenging hitters, showing a slight alteration of his pitching motion, and boy, at least for yesterday, it surely worked. It surely did.

But the question is, Mets fans, does any of this really change anything? Well, right now, I'm afraid the answer is no -- the team is as solidly mediocre as it's been at any other time. But it certainly is getting more interesting at Shea, and things are starting to at least fall into a certain order, and if we can bring order out of the chaos that's been the Mets for the last year, well... it's a start.

The First Friday Go Fuck Yourself Award: Whiny, Baby Yankees Act Like Whiny Babies...

....this just in: The Yankees have been heard to be whining and criping about having to play a double header today, having had to fly into New York after playing an afternoon game yesterday.

Boo hoo hoo. Not for anything, Yankees, but have you taken a look at the Mets schedule for the past month or so? You wanna talk about grueling? Flying back and forth to California, Colorado, no off days, ridiculous Sunday night ESPN games before long flights out to Cali and then playing the next (really, the same) evening? Jeeze...Not that I'm excusing the Mets play, or anything...or blaming it even remotely on the schedule...I'm merely pointing out the ridiculousness (is that even a word, ridiculousness?) of the Yankee complaints.

And I have news for you, Yankee Babies -- I'm almost certain that most if not all MLB teams have the same scheduling issues. And one of the main reasons these issues exist is to help fund the gigundo salaries most of you receive. What, did you think the money was for nothing? As they say, those who marry for money invariably end up earning it. The same applies here.

Just so I have this straight, before I bestow the award, formally...The Yankees play an AFTERNOON game, in the SAME TIME ZONE, in PITTSBURGH, which is what, maybe an hour and a half flight into New York? And they're complaining about having to play two the next day? Give me a fucky wucky break, as Don Imus used to say.

So for that, folks, the entire Yankee team gets the inaugural Friday Go Fuck Yourself Award.

Yet another reason to hate the Yankees, as if we needed one, thank you very much.

Now, Yankees, go fuck yourselves. Oh, and lose two today, willya?

Gotta Go, Gotta Go, Gotta Go... Right Now!

I'm referring, of course, to one Carlos Delgado -- attention, K Mart Shoppers - do not, I repeat, DO NOT give him any of stuff advertised in the pictured commercial, because, well, he's gotta go, right now!

In case there's some Mets fan out there who still has a semblance of hope for Mr. Carlos Delgado, I would say to you -- HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND, OR DID YOU EVER HAVE ONE? Or more civilly put - what has he done for YOU lately? Not much, and he's been doing not much for some time now. The guy is killing the middle of the lineup, he's almost an automatic out at this point; he's batting a whopping .130 over his last seven games, and his offensive production has so steadily declined in the past several years that combined with his rather ordinary defensive skills and his rumored clubhouse issues, it's time for him to fly...

And in a curious move yesterday, the Mets acquired former Yankee first baseman Andy Phillips from the Cincinnati Reds. Now, Andy is apparently a good glove with a fair right hand bat, and you can read all about it here. So, you can see, folks, I'm using the term "fair" when it comes to Andy's offense quite liberally. If you don't look further than on its face, the move would appear to be one designed to, uh, spell, yeah, that's it, "spell," Carlos Delgado at first base... but according to Mets Blog, Mets manager Jerry Manuel denies that the move was made vis a vis first base. "Outfield inventory," huh? I gotta give the J-Man Gangsta' points for that one, that's a good one, very creative indeed, Jerry. "Outfield inventory." Gotta love it. Not sure I believe it, but, whatever.

I have to agree with Mets Blog that I'm not really sure I understand what the Mets think they're doing with these Andy Phillips types of acquisitions. Like Jeff Conine last year, and Trot Nixon this year, who is actually rumored to be on the chopping block when Ryan Church returns to the lineup. To me, these types of moves seem much ado about nothing, as the great William Shakespeare once penned. It just seems as if the Mets are a whirling dervish with little or no direction, striking here, there and everywhere, but landing few solid punches.

Apparently, there are many closed door meetings going on at Shea, and many more changes in the air. I'm all for change, heaven knows, this team needs it, but more changes like Andy Phillips I could live without. What Mets fans want is real change, a real philosophy, a real emphasis put on acquiring or promoting the right types of players, not changing the roster simply by acquiring the castoffs of other teams, hoping either to placate the fans or catch lightning in a bottle, I'm not sure which, and maybe a little of both. But a real significant shift in the atmosphere and attitude of the organization would be most welcome.

And note to Mets fans: take a good look at last night's game. John Maine on the mound, getting the win and Jose Reyes and David Wright supplying 90% of the offense. Young, up and coming, and keepers, all. Take note, Mr. Wilpon. These are the types of players we want to see at Shea.

Some Mets Get Hot, But Most Do Not....

...and so much for showing emotion on the field making a difference. The Mets lost 11-0 last night, anyway, in a team performance worthy of the boos the team has been earning at Shea this season.

And speaking of boos, it's hard to criticize the booing at Shea at this point. Considering the money people spend to go to a game, not to mention the money people spend on season ticket packages, and the poor level of play they're seeing on the field, it's really really hard to ask the fans to "stifle themselves," as the great Queens native Archie Bunker used to always say. When the most exciting part of a game is watching your manager and star player get thrown out of the game for arguing with an umpire whose behavior last night can only be described as "bullying," well, there is something rotten in Queens.

And as I've said before, there's so much wrong with this organization, a mere change in managers and coaches isn't going to fix even one small percentage of it. And as I said yesterday, you have to start wondering if you have any intelligence at all whether or not spending big money on free agent acquisitions as pretty much the sole manner in which you build your team is really the way to go. Like most Mets fans, I'm at the point (I was actually at the point a long time ago, but no matter) where I would almost rather see the up and coming youngsters playing at Shea.

And I almost hate to say this, but I will: it looks to me for all the world as if this team has little interest in winning at home, and it seems as if the divide between the team and the fans is at or near the point of no return.

And in other news, Mr. Hanky, he of the Steinbrenner clan, of course, has been heard to have offered Willie, he late of the Mets, of course, a job in the Yankee organization if he wants it. So Willie might actually be back in Yankee pinstripes before long... which would be the final irony in this situation of the eminently ridiculous goings on at Shea Stadium.

I guess if you're a Mets fan, you have to step back and kind of disengage yourself from this current team for awhile, if you want to survive your fandom. You have to learn to be somewhat dispassionate, detached and place yourself more in the shoes of the observer rather than the shoes of the rabidly frothing Mets fan screaming his or her head off at every turn. You just have to survive right now.

Money Sure Doesn't Go Very Far These Days....

....not even in baseball, and maybe ESPECIALLY not in baseball, as in our very own New York Mets.

I mean, take a look at who's making what, and tell me that any one of them is worth the money they're getting paid.

Let's start with our (quote, unquote) ace, Johan Santana, who's making a cool $137.5 million for six years, which roughly breaks down to $22,916,666.66 per year as a Met. Let's see, what's his record right now? 7-6, including last night's disgraceful performance in giving up a grand slam to the opposing PITCHER, fcol! The first time in 37 YEARS an AL pitcher has hit a grand slam in major league baseball. And of course, it happens against the Mets, with the (ahem) "ace" on the mound.

I know Santana's a "second half pitcher," or so they say. But you know what? For that kind of money, he has to find a way to be a FIRST HALF PITCHER as well. He certainly hasn't pitched like the guy we thought we were getting, at the very least. Sure, he's had some tough luck in a couple of starts, and very easily could have had another win or two. And sure, David Wright SHOULD have caught that ball properly last night. But pitchers who make what Santana makes have little or no excuse for failing to perform.

Now let's move on to Carlos Delgado. Early in 2005, he signed a four-year, $52 million contract with an option for 2009. This year, he makes $16 million. All this for giving the Mets lackluster defense 95% of the time, for failing to execute with runners on base even half the time, and for stirring up the shit in the clubhouse, if rumors are to be believed. And those rumors are far too numerous to discount.

And let's not forget the option for 2009, and the buyout figure of $4 million.

It's enough to make you slightly ill, if not violently sick.

And how about Moises Alou's two-year deal signed before the 2007 season, under which he gets $7.5 million this year, the Mets having exercised his option. And so far, he's spent at least half the time on the DL, if not more than half, and it's questionable whether he'll return at all. Fragile doesn't even begin to describe this guy, and it's not as if this fragility was something new with Moises.

And let's not forget, he's the oldest guy currently in the major leagues. But that's another subject for another post.

I'm not even going to start about the four-year $25 million deal Castillo inked with the Mets last year... or the Beltran contract for which the Mets overpaid, but which at the time was pretty understandable...

Old guys getting new money... what a concept. Sign me up, Scotty. You just have to wonder whether spending all of this money on free agent acquisitions is really paying off.

Monday Miscellany....

Whew, that was a nice break. Not intentional, really, mind you; The Botch and I had our hands full with company all weekend, cooking and serving homemade spaghetti sauce, major fruit and regular salads, an eye round dinner complete with homemade mashed potatoes and fixins', all capped off by a marathon pierogi-making session yesterday afternoon. And if any of you has ever made pierogi, from scratch, well... you know what I'm talking about here. We did cheat on the dough (don't tell anybody, though), and if you're a pierogi maker, I will pass along this helpful hint -- buy won ton skins. I kid you not, you place the filling in the middle, fold them over to form a small rectangle, seal them up, fork 'em, and boil 'em. Then you dump 'em into a mixture of slightly sauteed butter and onions, and voila... heaven on earth.

And speaking of heaven on earth, how 'bout them Mets, huh? Look, I had my share of shit to say about Willie; I certainly thought he was far from the best manager the likes of the Mets had ever seen, but with Willie, my complaints were more centered on the ennui and total lack of spiritedness exhibited by Los Mets, and his failure to address The Collapse, and motivate the players. But it did seem as after that fateful Memorial Day meeting, the Mets were playing better and turning it around. So I don't want to see Manuel getting all the credit here, because the team was in fact seemingly turning it around under the last days of the Willie tenure.

Manuel is turning out to be quite a card. He alternates between being Peterson-like with his words, as in his description of Mets fans and the atmosphere at Shea Stadium as "fertilizer," which I think is zenny/funny/hysterical, and gangsta-ing up on likes of Reyes and Wright, then reverts to referring to Jose Reyes as "she" in a recent interview. I really don't know what to make of this guy; it certainly doesn't seem as if he cares about what he says, and this could either be a very good thing or a very bad one. Stay tuned.

One thing I do like that he's done since he's been manager is assign roles to the guys in the bullpen. This seems to have had a much-needed calming affect on the pen, and the results are already beginning to show. The pen seems more settled, more focused, and more relaxed, their roles having now been defined. I used to think that a pen was a pen was a pen; a reliever was a reliever was a reliever; that these guys should be ready to go whenever wanted or needed, whenever the manager calls on them, and I still think in the most basic sense that's true; that being said, the defining of roles has, imo, a very stabilizing and positive affect.

And how about the rumors floating around the Mike & The Mad Dog Show on WFAN, that the boys are not overly thrilled with each other right now, and that the show may not make it past the summer.... Read all about it here.

Oh, and one more thing -- Kyle Farnsworth is truly and totally a piece of shit. He actually was pissed at Yankee Stadium fans for cheering during the playing of the tape of Griffey Jr's 600th home run? And he wonders why the Yankee Stadium fans cheer his injury? Jealous much, Kyle?

I always thought Farnsworth a bit of a jerk, but congratulations, Kyle, you've now regressed to being thought of as a total piece of shit. And apparently, hated by your own team's fans. And they talk about METS fans....!!

Knife Fight! (I'm Gonna Cut You): SNY's New Reality Series?

..and the Mets apparently have now gone gansta'.

I guess by now everyone has heard new Mets' manager Jerry Manuel's comments about what he told Jose Reyes after the little "hissy fit" Reyes had Monday night in the first inning of the game. Loosely paraphrased, he said he told Reyes that if he pulls that again, he's gonna pull out his blade and cut him. You hear that, Jose? He's gonna cut you up, sucka. According to Manuel, he, Reyes, Wright and some of the other "younger" players have this gangsta' thing going on, that in tough times, they gonna "gangsta' up."

Well, I don't know about you, folks, but this sure makes me feel a whole lot better about the direction of this team.

And now, SNY will have its inaugural reality series: Knife Fight (I'm Gonna Cut You), with the first panel of contestants being Jerry Manuel, Jose Reyes and David Wright, The Token White Guy. For David's benefit, I've posted the picture you see; David, you can buy the course on amazon.com.

Yikes!