Last of the Met-hicans

In case you haven’t read, and according to my counter you haven’t, I pondered the Mets rotation and my hopes of getting Zito. No Zito deal coming and what you see is what you get. This CAN’T be true. I guess I should start clinging to a move of less magnitude. I can’t take another year of watching a Mets team that is almost good and then sit helplessly as Willie “your not helping” Randolph makes the wrong move over and over again. At least Gerald Williams and Jose Offerman won’t be around for Willie to shoe horn in the game every night. I guess I have to start thinking about the possibility that our rotation will be Zito-less. Sigh! If Omar doesn’t have a plan and there is no other trades coming not only are we in for another mediocre season but its time to start worrying about who’s driving the bus. I really hope Omar is the genius we think he is and not making moves like the Benson trade just to make them. I’m not a big Benson fan but I was comfortable enough with him in the 3 spot. Is anyone else skeptical if Hielman can make a flawless transition to the rotation? That is a big if.

Marty Noble addresses the Mets Lineup today on www.MLB.com http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060211&content_id=1310004&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym
Marty speculates that Reyes and Delgado are set in the 1 and 4 hole respectively and all others are up for grabs. I would love to see the Mets put Beltran in the 2 Wright in the 3, and Floyd in the 5 despite the possibility of putting the lefties back to back allowing the LOOGY to face them both. I speculate that Beltran anywhere else beside the 3 hole would be like asking Puff Daddy to stop singing songs about Notorious BIG.
And what kind of Jackass does something over and over again refusing to look at his mistakes refusing to change because somebody is a 3 hole guy. Incredible. Hey Omar, fire this guy already! Yeah I know, nice guy, good for morale, atmosphere, blah, blah, blah. Daniel Day Lewis is a nice guy but it doesn’t mean I want him running my baseball team. Of course it could be funny.
Last of the Met-hicans:

Lewis, dressed in American Indian garb that has cursive Mets written in war paint across the chest, grabs Reyes by the jersey pulls him close and demands, “Get on base, no matter what occurs. I will move you over, I will bring you home!”
(not sure how many will get a Last of the Mohicans reference but no one really reads this site what the hell)

So while Gary Carter is being groomed for an MLB gig (hopefully Willie’s job) I think we have to live with Beltran in the 3. That being said I would be intrigued to give Kaz one more shot at the 2 hole. He seemed to be improving toward the final months of the season and if he finally comes around to the player the Mets thought he was in 2004 that could be a formidable lineup. Now, I’m not saying Kaz will be a .350 Olerud-esque hitter with speed but I think he may be the second part of the “table setters” we thought he was when we signed him. The guy was touted as a defensive wiz with a cannon arm, lightning speed and power to the gaps and so far the only thing he brought from Japan was his speed. With Kaz's work ethic and desire to be a sucess I think he can improve defensively and improve his plate discipline and pitch recognition. And if Beltran does not make the bounce back (I think he will regain Stros form) they will need speed for Beltran's grounders to second on an inning ending double play. I may be the only Met fan that thinks Kaz can be a contributing factor but I can’t help pulling for him. Better late than never.

By the way, Brokeback Mountain has been a huge hit at the box office. I haven’t seen the movie and probably won’t as it doesn't appeal to me. But it got me thinking and I think I have a come up with a can't miss blockbuster.
The film tells the story of two young men who meet in the summer of 2004, and unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection, one whose complications, joys, and tragedies provide a testament to the endurance and power of love. Both young men seem certain of their set places in the heartland – obtaining steady work, marrying, and handling the pressure of the spotlight– and yet hunger for something beyond what they can articulate. Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez make their film debut in Spike Lee's:

Brokeback Infield

"Brokeback Infield is a groundbreaking film because It's a deeply felt, emotional love story that deals with the uncharted, mysterious ways of the human heart just as so many mainstream films have before it. The two lovers here just happen to be Yankee infielders." – LA Post

“When Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez wrestle their way into the sack together for the first time in Spike Lee's Brokeback Infield, they are ripping away at much more than their dirt-caked uniforms. With one tumultuous lovemaking scene - it's more like love-attacking, actually - the two intrepid young infielders manage to bust up several mythologies at once.
The most obvious is the myth of the New York Yankees greats. The two strangers are, conventionally speaking, made for each other. Jeter is personable, playful, a talker. A-Rod is stoic and repressed, parceling out the gift of speech mostly to express how tired he is of playing on the Rangers” - New York Sun Shopper Tribune

Come on- it’s more believable than cowboys