This is Dan, Signing Off

Our baby boy is all growsed up…

Lonestar Met is Moving. Yes, Lonestar Mets is moving to its very own site. I am now writing with New York Sports Day. Same content, same Mets coverage, same smart assed remarks. Please take the time to change your bookmarks and if you have linked me to your site please make those changes as well.

It’s been fun here at Blogspot. I hope those of you who regularly read drop in and look around, maybe stay awhile- not too long, I hate overstaying houseguests.


And now, it's off to Lonestar Mets

Something for Nothing

In a spare transaction today the Mets and Brewers swapped righties.
Jeremi Gonzalez, after yesterday’s no decision against the Phillies, was DFA after the game and sent to the land of beer and bratwurst.

Jeremi, we hardly knew ye...

Mike Adams, the Mets new acquisition, is a Native Texan that hails from Corpus Christi.

The 27 year old righty has pitched in 68 2/3 innings in the bigs and was once a highly touted prospect some in the club thought would be the future closer.

With Gonzalez out of options, it seems curious that he Brewers would be willing to give up anything for a guy just DFA’d and out of minor league options. I can't imagine many teams were lining up to pick Gonzalez off the waiver wire.

Not a sexy blockbuster trade; but it is a great trade as if Professor Rick and the Mets farm can turn this guy around he may turn out to be a useful diamond in the rough. A small risk for a guy the Mets were done with as a starter.

Remind me never to buy a used car from Omar Minaya…

Mets 3 Phillies 5

Due to my need for gainful employment, I did not listen to today’s loss to Philadelphia. I did hear the 6th through 9th in my truck via XM radio.

First off, I live in Texas and while I know who Mike and the Mad Dog are, I don’t listen on a daily basis. I would like to ask a question of readers who do;

“Do these guys even like the Mets?”

I only listen to FAN when the games are on via XM. Why, even for charity are these guys even allowed on the Mets flagship. I could hear in their tones and voices that they were hoping for a loss.

In the DFW area we have 1310 The Ticket. The self proclaimed “keepers of the great game” The Hardline (3:00-7:00 Monday – Friday) are the most baseball intense hosts in a football market. They cover 50% sports and 50% everything else entertaining. The point I am laboring to make while simultaneously boring my audience is if you let those two, Greggo and Rhines, broadcast a Ranger game, you would admittedly get 9 innings of shameless cheerleading.

My second question to any NY-NJ-CT area resident is; “What gives? Why on FAN?”

Oh, and how can a professional radio broadcaster be addressed as “Dog?”

Metstradamus also weighs in on Mike and the Mad Dog broadcast and has an interesting LoDuca theory.

On to the game, Jose Reyes is hot. He missed the cycle by only a triple. I had really been impressed with his new found patience at the plate. I hope he does not alter his approach due to his new found “power stroke.” The homerun Tuesday night was shoe high at best; not that I am complaining. He still is one of the most exciting athletes to watch in sports.

As, I walked back from my lunch break, I found myself thinking, “What, no extra innings?”

I hate weekday day games.

Well off to Miami, to play a depleted Marlins team in dead last place. This should be a much less dramatic series with:

Pedro Friday
Glavine Saturday
And El Duque Sunday

I can make a prediction before we head to Miami:

Mike Jacobs will hurt us.

There, mark me down on record saying that.

Lets go Fishing

See you tomorrow.

Enter El Duque

Julio for El Duque

For those of you who don’t speak Spanish, that means… The Duque.

Actually it means The Duke, stealing it from Paul LoDuca whom I affectionately call The Duke.

Julio for El Duque, seems like a trade of two mediocre pitchers who were once respected hurlers. I give Omar credit for getting that much. Of course this will tax the pen only slightly as the Mets have been seemingly using Julio to get his numbers respectable. It’s no secret that Lonestar Met never really want him here and never trusted him near the mound.

Can Professor Rick turn this guy into a solid number 3 starter? I can’t even speculate and I hope Rick (for his sake) didn’t make some sort of time sensitive proclamation as to how soon he could repair any mechanical flaws.

So the Legacy of Mr. Ex-Anna Benson is one further player removed. Traded for a marginally talented prospect and a washed up reliever who was dealt for a-has been ex Yankee Cuban defector. Sounds about right.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not against the move. The more starting arms the better and any port in a storm and another unimaginative cliché.

Here is his split Left .376 Right .200

Hmmm

No Post Today

No Posts today, sorry folks, access to the computer is limited today as, “there are more important things than the Mets!” – Whatever the hell that means.

Tie up the computer for 5 hours and 22 minutes and some people get all upset-geez!

Anyway, I promise some extra content in the days to come and will be able to at least watch the games.

Soler vs. a short rested Lieber tonight. I am very interested to see what he’s got in his bag.

Hey, I'll tell you what. You can take a good look at a butcher's ass by sticking your head up there. But, wouldn't you rather to take his word for it?

No, I mean, you can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking your head up a butcher's ass, but then..no. It's gotta be your bull.

No wait it would have to be your cow...

Whatever, here’s a puff piece.

Mets 9 Phils 8 (16 innings)

Wow, great (if not long) game. Reyes ties it up, saves it with a grab in the hole and Beltran wins it in a little over 5 and a half hours. I have to hand it to Oliver though, I didn't think he would hold them scoreless that long.

I'm too tired to write a real post, check back tomorrow

Lonestar Met: You caught a good game for 14 innings.
Sal Fasano: I have other interests. I'm a magician.

Nancy says good night, Mets fans!

The Road not Travelled

Great series this weekend. I would have loved the sweep, but 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

I caught myself wondering about the road not traveled this off-season. As I don’t usually care what happens in the American League, much less Canada, I don’t know the events surrounding the 21.1 innings that these numbers occurred in. However by road not traveled, I speak of course of B.J. Ryan.

To be upfront, when looking at available closers I had the same mindset of Omar Minaya: Sign Wagner, whatever it takes, no exceptions, no substitutions. Some may have considered Ryan, but I was a Wagner guy. In fact, my favorite gift this year was my Wagner pinstripe home jersey.

None the less:

Billy Wagner:
20 games, 21.1 innings pitched, 12 save opportunities, 9 saves, 17 hits, 8 earned runs, 3 HR’s, 11 walks and 30 K’s- 3.38 ERA
4 years $43 Million and an option for $8 in year 5

B.J. Ryan
19 games, 21.0 innings pitched, 10 save opportunities, 10 saves, 9 hits, 8 earned runs, 0 HR’s, 5 walks and 22 K’s- 0.43 ERA
5 years $47 Million

I don’t usually play the coulda, woulda, shoulda game but it makes you think, eh?
Sorry, last bad Canadian reference.

Is Ryan’s early success a fluke? Maybe, we will see. I don’t think Omar made a mistake and I would still go with Wagner over Ryan. Maybe that will change in 07, 08, or 09 but for now I think Wagner is in his own league as a premier closer.

And no I don’t think the malnourished cross town closer is as good or better.

I don’t know if you can say Wagner has pitched poorly but as far as expectations thus far he has fallen short of them.

All that said, is there some kind of curse surrounding Mets closers? If Sanchez was promoted to closer, would he get lit up? What about if it were Ryan instead of Wagner? Did Franco’s alleged mob ties give him some sort of old world curse that was passed to Shea stadium?

I offer no proof or explanation to back up my answers to any of those questions, but all four answers are yes.

Maybe I am knee-jerking but the Phillies and Braves are getting pretty big in the rearview mirror and not going away anytime soon.

What’s my solution? I would like to start a collection to pay the tuition for the class: Managing your bullpen 101.

If this pen, for all the accolades thrown to it, becomes vulnerable, (or gulp, injury ridden) the Mets have the wrong man to try and counterbalance any relief shortcomings. Ever since he came to town, or cross town I should say, Willie has been making strange and illogical decisions with his lineup, particularly the man on the mound. I know it’s not the American League and requires a little more strategy to get the most out of the 9 slot in the order, but come on- this is the Majors. It seems that he does not know his players strengths and weaknesses. From everything I have read on Filthy, he is a rubber arm that is at his best with regular innings. Wagner and the Mets may lead us to believe the injury fairy came and cured Wagner’s finger.

Make model airplanes says the fairy, well I’m not buyin it. Pretty soon there’s money missing and your daughters knocked up. I’ve seen it a hundred times…


The use of Wagner in the ninth was a judgment call and not indefensible but the latest in a long line of suspect decisions. I know Wagner should be able to get 3 outs every night but have to pitch him in every 9th inning lead situation.

I wonder how much it would take before we se this man in the dugout at Shea.



Take solace in one thing Mets fans; the nowhere on the bullpen roster does it read Mike Stanton or Ricky Bottalico. That alone makes this pen better than recent Mets teams.

Speaking of Omar’s decisions, Soler is scheduled to make his MLB debut Wednesday. Again, I think Pelfrey should get all the time he needs in the minors. Soler had velocity troubles in spring training and I don’t know how ready he is for minor league pitching or if he will be anything but a back of the rotation guy but he is older, he has played for the Cuban team and his name isn’t Jose Lima. As always expect the worst and hope for the best.

The very last reason is probably warrants a start the most.

On a final note, I utilized my day off from Mets baseball to spend time wisely. I was watching an old re-run of Married with Children. It was an episode from the 94 season and contained cameos from players as themselves working in everyday jobs as they had no baseball to play. The Cameo’s included Bret Saberhagen, Dave Winfield, Frank Thomas, and Mike Piazza. Piazza played a camera operator that was supposed to be filming an interview with Al Bundy as he had just taken led NO’MAAM group in jumping the fence at Wrigley to play baseball. Mike instead chose to divert the camera's attention to Kelly while Al was speaking. Kinda funny.

I love that show, I should right a blog about it.

But I probably won’t.

Anywho, tonight Steve Trachsel leads the Mets at Shea as they attempt to put some distance between themselves and the Phillies.

My lovely wife has agreed to give up her time with the Laptop so that Nancy the Mets Dog Blogger and I can enjoy the game on MLB TV.

Let’s go Mets!

A Quick Note

Greetings all Mets fans, I wasn’t planning to post this afternoon, but this caught my attention on ESPN.com.

Warning- clicking the following link may lead to uncontrollable fits of anger, spouts of profanity and anal leakage. Read at your own risk.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

Nonsensical elitist condescending drivel

To Mr. Heylar:
You know nothing, you get nothing, you lose, good day sir!

Mets 4 Yankees 5 (11 innings)

That was certainly depressing. What a waste of a brilliant start. The opposite feeling from last night.

For the life of me I can’t figure bringing in your closer to protect a 4 run lead when he pitched 18 hours prior, especially with his finger in questionable shape. Wagner gets paid to get the last 3 outs and should be able to close out the game in that situation, no doubt but with Filthy Sanchez cruising through the 8th, his spot not up in the bottom half, why pull him? Not to mention both pitchers were used today giving neither a day off if needed for Sunday's game.

Sanchez is a pitcher that thrives on work; Wagner is a different story. These are the things that make me worry if Willie can handle the pen during a crucial late season run when the arms are tired.

On a personal note, I accept a portion of the blame for the blown lead. Although Wagner’s insertion into the game puzzled me, I dutifully put on my Wagner jersey to hope he closed out the game. Every time I’ve done that Wagner has either blown a save or a lead- the first series against Washington started this ugly trend. Sorry Mets fans, my bad. I immediately took my Wagner jersey to the dry cleaners and hopefully the stain of this game will be washed out of said jersey.

Sign of a real fan: When you wash your dress close in the laundry machine but you take your Mets stuff to the dry cleaners.

Before i get started on my rant, Way to go Cliffy, hope you hit many more.

I was happy to be able to view the Mets-Yankee game on the Fox station in Texas, but a few things got under my skin:

On a fly out to Floyd, they made sure to mention that Floyd had made an error in a prior inning and then that by catching the ball he took the ball from a Yankee fan.

The nerve of a left fielder making a play and not deferring to the Yankee fan. Floyd should be suspended.

But, make sure to point out the guy with the paper in the stands, nice snarky comment too- Thanks fellas!

Oh, I guess every one has been saying the 47 year olds name for the past 3 decades. Sorry about that, Julio Fronco.

While the Mets were winning, every chance to mention that the Yankees were missing Matsui, Posada and Sheffield was utilized.

“its one thing to be injured and banged up…”

Yeah, we got it; the Yankees have a few guys on the DL. They are the only ones I guess; I can’t wait to see Bannister, Zambrano, and Maine’s next starts. Maybe Padilla will get to set up the closer.

Boy, I just couldn’t choose if I liked Johnny Damon better with long hair or short, he’s so dreamy. I voted twice.

What was that nonsense one of the Fox guys was carrying on about “the best team money can buy?” He droned on for half an inning at the mystery of the Mets not being labeled as a team that purchases free agents. His partner finally mentioned that they Yankees have a payroll that is near double of what the Mets spend. What kind of Jackass can criticize Minaya for the way the club is put together?

Fox came back from commercial and made a point to show Wagner run in from right to “Enter Sandman.” {I believe it was} Judas McCarver said, “Isn’t that baseball’s form of plagiarism?” as Wagner ran in to warm up for the 9th. I don’t care about the whole Wagner-Riveria warm up song “controversy” but did they show that replay just so they could throw the extra slam at the Mets. Until that point the Mets seemed primed to win that game handily and the Fox guys just seemed like sore losers.

Finally, when Wagner was removed a batter too late, the comment was made that, “Even if the Mets win, the damage has been done. It may take Wagner 2 weeks to recover.” Did Riveria need 2 weeks after the first game? It was a bad outing where Wagner didn’t have his control. If anything I chalk it up to a day appearance following a night appearance.

Not a game that I will always remember, and a hell of a way to waste Pedro’s great performance but its only one game. To disrespectfully disagree with the Fox broadcast booth, (I say disrespectfully as that’s what Fox gave the Mets fans today; nothing but disrespect) win tomorrow and it will be smooth sailing. I would love another sweep of the Yanks but it is a long season and you can’t win them all.

If anything, the Yankee "fans" are nervous.

Tommy is up tomorrow for what should be a national game. Make sure to tune in Mets fans. You don’t want to miss ESPN's Jeter worship in Hi-Def. Maybe Tommy can finish what Pedro started.

Shut em out, shut em up.

Lets Go Mets!

Here we go...

So it's that time again, is it? Mets-Yanks for braggin rights.

Before I get into that the rotation status is horrendous. Bannister is not coming back anytime soon. The wait and see game is over. A move needs to be made and soon. The East is very winnable for the Mets and a move needs to be made.

A trade of a a minor prospect for a serviceable starter that has potential? We are in the race and what are the odds our cant miss prospect misses? Make the trade, damn the future, right?

That is what we all thought near the trading deadline way back when in 2004. Kazmir for Zambrano? Done deal.

I don’t know the answer, but I issue the warning: be careful what you wish for.

Don’t get me wrong; Jose Lima has no place on the big league rotation. I know he was stashed in the minors for just this situation; in case disaster strikes. But we are looking at a lot more 3-6 stretches if all stays the same.

I have not seen Soler pitch but I only hope he proves better than Lima Time. It seems to me that the Mets never had much faith in Soler and he has never really been penciled in to future plans. It almost like the team took a flyer on a relatively unknown Cuban defector. If my suspicions are true, fine. Is he really worse than Lima? I can’t see how he could be. My guess would be that if he is not being propped up for trade bait than give him a start. He is not a young guy by prospect standards, time to see what he has in his bag.

*Note: I will never again use the phrase Lima Time from this moment forward.

That said, the absence of a Soler call up leads me to think that the Mets brass is scheming from an undisclosed location as we speak. Cerrone reports that Pelfrey is not near Major League ready, and the nearest possible call up date is the end of July. Who will it be? I haven’t the slightest, and a move at this time of year means that the Mets overpay for what they get. Cerrone also relays a story via the Star-Tribune that Kyle Lohse is now on the radar. Seems like it would be worth a shot if cost effective, but I don’t figure it will be a vast improvement over what we have.

I hate to seem like a knee-jerk reactionist and a hate going on record with this. If a deal is there to bolster the staff in exchange for highly touted, unproven prospects, pull the trigger. I am sure I willget bashed for this, but I say:

In for a penny, in for a pound.

Pedro, Tommy, Cliffy and Wagner aren’t getting any younger. If a run is to be made, it needs to be now. I know it would be nice for all the prospects to be home grown superstars, but would you trade a playoff run or dare I say series for Greg Jeffries, D.J. Dozier, Bill Pulsipher. you just have to live with the morbid hope that Pelfrey of Milledge don't live up to expectations.

I submit to you that answer is yes.

On to tonight’s game.

Lonestar Met will partake of the subway series opener at a public venue at the risk of sharing space with Yankee fans. I can say that the Mavericks try to close out their playoff series with the Spurs so the supposed Yankee fans that inhabit Texas probably have no clue that the Yankees are even playing, much less opening inner-league with the Mets.

I hope I get Kate the rally waitress, therefore insuring a win.

Johnson against Gonzales. Johnson may be done at the ripe old age of 42 and Gonzales figures to be a wild card. He may pitch well or get clobbered.

Paging Dave Mlicki, Mr. Mlicki, white courtesy phone please.

Who knows about any of these games, but at least Pedro and Glavine get their shots against the Yankees.

I know that a lot of my contemporaries disdain interleague play and Met-Yankee weekend, but I love it. It seems larger than a regular season game and it adds a playoff like feel that is rarely seen on May 19, 2006.

Tonight I will patronize a local drinking establishment that features a satellite dish, ignore the Mavericks fans, try to forget pitching woes, and enjoy top notch competition in May. It has no significance to the NL East but an important game to me none the less.

Kate the rally waitress, another round please…

Well I wouldn't Say I've been Missing it Bob...

Looks like that 24 hour Hiatus stretched a few days longer than I anticipated. Sorry folks, but I have been busy with a non-related Mets event, whatever that is. If any loyal readers would never like to experience such a gap again, visit my sponsors. Until then I have to make a living somehow you cheap bastards. Anyway, I will try to get back on my 4:30 EST and Post game wrap up schedule.

Before I get started, Make sure you read of an account of what Yankee homers Mike and the Mad Dog would sound like in the booth for May 25th’s game with the Phillies in the event a no-hitter is thrown.

On that same tip, also read Mets Guy in Michigan as Dave again points out the Yankee bias that we all know exists as it relates to the Delmon Young imbolio:

Seems to me that Delmon is getting penalized for A) having better aim, and B) not being a Yankee.

It’s the typical Yankee double standard! Heck, I’m surprised Reliford, the umpire, didn’t get suspended! How dare he call Bernie out on strikes. If Bernie didn’t swing at it, it was a ball, darn it! Doesn’t he know about the 26 championships? Gehrig? Mantle? Yankee pride?

Seriously, are Dave and I the only ones bothered by the double standard? To all you Yankee fans out there as well as you Yankee apologists (you know who you are) this weekend should be a focal point of the sporting world, (for those that don’t find horse racing captivating) and should show who the best team is in the Big Apple. Have your excuses ready, Yankee Fans.

I can predict that if the Mets win the subway series, it will be nothing more than three box scores. If Jeter makes a routine play look near impossible, he is hailed as a hero for young and old to admire and the game will be elevated to mythical proportions. A record number of infants will be named Jeter.

And honestly, who wouldn’t want to be like a marginal middle infielder with a pretty boy mystique?

But first recent events. So what did I miss? Well, the series loss to the Brewers, Floyd goes 2-4 against the Cards, Pujols looking like a mortal human being, rain not causing a loss…

Enough said, as others have already said it better than I could have anyway. Don’t believe me? Pick a site on the right. Not yet, wait until you read the whole thing first.

Back to the present as there are still 2 games left with St. Louis.

Tonight’s game would seem to be in favor of the cards, with the southpaw Mark Mulder, 4-1 4.27 ERA on the mound for the birds. Since Lefties are hitting .182 off of him, Cliffy and Delgado figure to have relatively quiet nights. Is it me or do the Mets always have a somewhat “easy” time beating St. Louis as opposed to a team like say Atlanta?

1985 aside, the Mets better win tonight as tomorrow afternoon is Lima Time Again?
Thursday: Mets (RHP Jose Lima, 0-2, 9.31 ERA) at Cardinals (RHP Jason Marquis, 4-4, 5.33 ERA

Fortunately it looks to be Lima Time one last time as Bannister is going to make a rehab start.

I think the Mets have what it takes to compete against the Cards, though I would be lying if I said the front of the lineup with Eckstien, Pujols, Rolen, Encarnacion and Edmonds didn’t scare the hell out of me. I don’t think there is a tougher out in pressure situations than David Eckstien. The Mets have a great offense but any Met offense of recent years seemed to go through hot and cold streaks. I wouldn’t call the recent play cold but Delgado seems to be the only one that is a consistent hitter, thus far.

I must admit LoDuca is starting to win me over. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Iron Mike P. but LoDuca’s attitude and the way he carries himself is something that seemed to be lacking from Mikey. Again just an observation, no disrespect to Mike; just different than LoDuca.

In the mean time here is a useless story about how overrated Tony LaRussa is. Or it may be about left-handed platoons against Glavine, I can’t tell. It's probably both.

24 Hour Leave

Today is Mothers Day, and to all you mothers out there I’d like to say: Happy Birthday!

I will be out of pocket today and unable to watch the Mets-Brewers rubber match as today is Mother’s day.

I will be spending the day with the same woman who made me go to bed during game 7 of the 86 World Series and the last game of the NLCS (I listened to HOJO’s last at bat on the radio.)

She doesn’t want to go to the sports bar to watch the Mets, I’ve already tried.

See you for the 4:30 post Monday.

Let’s Go Mets!

Mets 9 Brewers 8

What a strange game. Sanchez gets lit up and Valentin has 4 RBI counting the homerun? Unbelievable.

I guess sometimes the sun shines even on a dog's ass.

Gonzalez looked mediocre, which is about all I expected.

Filthy getting tossed was unbelievable. I think my buddy Dave, from Mets Guy in Michigan, would agree that if Filthy was a Yankee, he stays in the game.

The most baffling thing was Gonzalez hitting for himself. 2 runners on and he hits for himself in the 6th, then he faces one batter in the bottom half?

Game ball to Duke, who soloed in the 9th.

I was one of the guys that hated the Piazza trade because of Hundley. I took me a while to accept Piazza. Duke is getting there pretty quick. I love the way he argued for Filthy Sanchez after the bogus ejection.

Willie was even tossed again- I am even starting to like Willie.

Duke bailed you out Willie; you owe him a free 6 inch cold cut combo.

Ugly win, Petey up tomorrow.

Lets go Mets!

Lazy Saturday Post

It’s Game 2 tonight with the long awaited arrival of Jeremi Gonzales against the Brewer’s Dana Eveland; both making their Major League debut.

I don’t have a clue what Eveland’s history is and its Saturday so I am not in the mood for research. At least I post on Saturday, especially with Antonio Alfonseca apparently making veiled threats and menacing gestures toward yours truly.

What I am sure about is the 2 game lead looks mighty small with the Phillies staying hot again last night. After Sunday’s game it’s the Cardinals and Yankees. I would love to take these last two.

A few things:

Is Rosenthal mocking us?

Missing Anna
The reality for the Mets is that they don't need Willis or A's left-hander Barry Zito; given that Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine are a combined 10-2 with a 2.50 ERA, a middle-of-the-rotation innings-eater would suffice.
The Mets had such a pitcher — right-hander Kris Benson — but traded him to the Orioles for reliever Jorge Julio. Nationals right-hander Livan Hernandez would be a logical fit. Other possibilities: the Royals' Scott Elarton, Mariners' Gil Meche and Orioles' Rodrigo Lopez — and maybe Indians right-hander Paul Byrd, if the Tribe falls out of contention.

I don’t know about you, but none of those guys seem very attractive.

On that note, Brian Bannister is scheduled for a simulated game today.

In Tides news, Ahern went 2-4 in last nights game against the Columbus Clippers. Ahern was driven in by Lonestar Met favorite and Willie Randolph whipping boy Jeff Keppinger, and the win was picked up by sideburn enthusiast and fellow Lonestar Met favorite, Royce Ring.

I have no baseball point, just wanted to give those two props.

That’s all for today; tune in and hope for the best.

Two games up, for now

Lets go Mets!

Brewers 9 Mets 6- Is Lima Time! over yet?

Why am I not suprised? I think I'm gonna have a heart attack and die of not suprise

I can't totally blame the game on Lima, but he didn't help.

I had to watch tonight’s game on FSN North tonight. I miss SNY.

On to this mess.

Lima on the hill, bases loaded 5th, 3-1 count to Geoff Jenkins, did you even have to watch what came next?

After that Oliver on the hill, again, no surprise.

7-3 Brewers. Floyd on and Endy gets a gift. Time to get back in the game, right? Nope. The Jose Valenitn Experience is sent to the plate. Sure, a useful force out scored a run, but it was the second out and a rally killer. When will this end? Can we get a real lefty bench guy?

Heath Bell was disappointing. I hope he finds his stuff.

Why Wagner in the 9th? Must have needed to throw after a few days off. He looked good.

Too little, too late in the 9th just an ugly game. Told ya the would need 10 runs tonight.

I miss SNY and the car commercial with the hottie in the yellow. I can't remember the company; advertising the wrong thing I guess.

Good night, Mets fans. See you tomorrow.

Schlemiel, schlimazel, hasenpfeffer incorporated!

Lonestar Met: So, do you come to Milwaukee often?

Willie Randolph: Well, I'm a regular visitor here, but Milwaukee has certainly had its share of visitors. The French missionaries and explorers began visiting here in the late 16th century.

David Wright: Hey, isn't "Milwaukee" an Indian name?

Willie Randolph: Yes, David, it is. In fact, it's pronounced "mill-e-wah-que" which is Algonquin for "the good land."

Lonestar Met: I was not aware of that.

So on to the land of beer and brats for a 3-game stand against the recently cooled off Brewers. Some say the Mets have cooled down but I maintain we would have won that game if not for Rain.

Since we are in the town of Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney-Meaney this weekend, here is a related baseball fact. David L. Lander, better known as Andrew 'Squiggy' Squiggmann, holds the position of Associate Scout for the Seattle Mariners.

Back to the Mets, I like the move of Floyd to the two hole. I have been harping on Willie’s static lineup since spring training started. I am glad to see he can actually try new things. Maybe tonight he can try leaving Valentin on the bench ALL game.

Over at Metropolitans is a piece providing a good argument to Platoon Floyd and Chavez. Metropolitans points out that he is hitting .100 against Lefties, while Endy’s numbers are .276/.312/.384.

It all makes sense numbers wise and don’t get me wrong, I love Endy, but I have to believe Floyd will get out that god awful slump he’s in soon; it’s only a matter of time and luck. Besides, he is hitting .204 against righties and I get the feeling that when Cliffy finds the groove it will be a long season for National League pitching.

Remember “MVP, MVP, MVP?”

Metstradamus Weighs in on Rowand’s catch and injury last night:

"Can you imagine if Derek Jeter made a catch like that? (And just so we're clear, the first Yankee fan that tells me that Jeter's catch in '04 was better than this one is getting a bat to the head.)"

Indeed, I still have to hear about that stupid catch and subsequent jump into the stands. Then of course his chin band-aid for the Mets series. Drama queen.

If it only started raining sooner, it would not be Lima Time! tonight. Maybe the Bats can come up with the 10 runs to best Lima’s ERA. I really have to believe that if Lima stinks up the place tonight Omar makes a tough decision with the starting five. From various reports I have read, it would seem that Solay is the logical choice over Pelfrey with age and experience on the former’s side.

Well, well my dear readers, it seems you’re in my timezone now.

Take some extra BP tonight boys; it looks to be a barnburner.

And we’ll do it our way, yes our way.

Make all our dreams come true,

For me and you.

What a Rip-Off

I always hated the rain delay rule. I really thought the Mets would get in that game. That 4th was agonizing to watch. The Phillies snuck out of this series with a series win.

I would like to mention my two newest Mets links:

Eddie Kranepool Society- He is an old school guy. Check it out for what usually is a complete opposite of my view, but any fan of Heath Bell is a friend of mine

Mets Walkoffs probably needs no introduction. The guy is a walking encyclopdia of Mets knowlegde.

Be sure to check out their sites often.

Sorry I don't have more, but I blame Millie Vanilli, and they insist that I blame it on the rain. What ever that means.

See you tomorrow at 4:30

Mets-Light, Slow Mets News Thursday, Post (sorry)

Joe at Yes Joe Its Toasted had the genius idea to use Glavine off the bench to be a lefty bat. I’m sold. Joe writes:

My idea of Glavine as a lefty bat off the bench instead of Jose Valentin is becoming less and less crazy by the day. He's hitting .500 people. .500!

If you haven't visited Joe's site yet, be sure to make it a daily read. Very funny site.

In a house keeping note, the Worst Fan Poll to your rights final selection is Whoever is Winning Fans. To clarify, that means the guys who are always riping you for being a good fan during the bad times while always seeming to root for that years team. They are last years White Sox fans who you could swear a year before were self proclaimed “die hard” Red Sox fans. I realize this fan may find safety in Yankee fandom and the occurrence might be rare, but it happens quite a bit in Texas. Guess who I voted for.

Not much regarding Mets news today. Rubber game tonight with Trachsel V Gavin Floyd. Should be a fun game to watch. Sorry for the non baseball point but:

I hate reality TV and I hate Game shows. Jim Rome once said, “If you watch reality television you are not very smart and you are probably not a very good person.” I dislike Rome but love the quote. Rack me. I also loathe American Idol; not so much the show itself as I simply don’t watch it. I hate having to listen to people make conversation about it. Simon, Paula, blah, blah, blah. What is worse is having to listen to morning DJ’s give their opinion about the nights events. Before you point out that I do the same thing only I talk about the Mets. I say to that, “David Wright would beat the tar out of Clay Aiken.”

Never the less I got to thinking that American Idol, and other reality style wastes of shows get great ratings, meaning they generate ratings from their useless shows. So my friends, I came to the conclusion that:

A. The Networks have useless shows that make a large revenue

B. The Mets have their own network and the most useless guy ever in Jose “the plunger” Valentin.

How could the Mets use the two in order to:

C. Generate revenue to sign big name free agents in the off season.

Well the answer is SNY reality programming

Jose Valentin hosts:
Strike out or No Base Hit- The Premise is that contestants watch Jose step into the batters box moments before an at bat and guess “strike out or No Base Hit.” If you guess strike out you win Jose’s salary for that game. If you guess No Base Hit you can choose to double that amount on wagering if it will be a ground out or Pop out.

Jose Valentin hosts:
Who wants to Marry my Mustache; I don’t know the premise but I never got the premise of “Who Wants to Marry My Dad” either.

Of course some made for SNY TV movies such as:
Don’t Tell Willie Jose’s Bat is Dead
Throw Jose from the Train
Drugs are Bad; Jose Hit Something (for the kids)

Maybe a buddy flick staring Chris Woodward (he never gets to play anyway) and Jose Valentin called “Mustached Utility Men Can’t Hit”

Sorry for the silly post but it’s a slow Mets news day. See you tonight after the game for some actual Mets content.

Mets 13 Phils 4 Thoughts on the game

Great game tonight, Happy 280 Tommy!

Wright’s grab off the bag should make a highlight reel or two.

Glad to see Heath Bell get some work in, although Id hoped it would have gone better. At least Julio didn’t fair much better. I hope he gets more than a cup of coffee.

As a former catcher I winced when LoDuca took a foul off his inner thigh. He should be ok, just sore tomorrow.

Way to go Woody shows what can happen if you actually get an at bat every month or so.

As a side note did anyone catch a glimpse of the guy in the circa 1992 road jersey? Ugly jersey but props to whomever you are. It takes a lot of therapy to be able to unblock those awful memories of those awful, awful years.

Great, stress free game tonight!

Nancy the Mets fan dog blogger says

I agree Nancy, Lets go for the series win; Trax is up tomorrow. Just win 2 of 3 on the road. Repeat

Sorry for the short post. See you tomorrow around 4. This is a fun season.

And J. Mark, I would have loved to been in Philly

All things being equal, I'd rather be in Philly

I have taken down the “Waste of Space” poll as I think we all agree that there is no bigger waste of space that Jose Valentin. Thank you for your participation.

According to the reports from Miracle Mets there is plenty o venom in the city of brotherly love. Wow. I guess it really is more than hype from sports writers. Anyway, it got me pondering the question to your left. Take a second to vote.

There is not much on the news front today regarding the most pressing of issues the Mets face, the starting rotation. Here’s what’s new:

The Los Angeles Times has reported what I had speculated to be the case days ago. The Dodgers are trying to sell us Odalis Perez to the Mets. With several sources reporting that the Mets are actively shopping Kaz Matsui, I maintain that the only possible trade that may occur is Perez for Kaz even up. We will see what unfolds.

In the meantime the club has announced the call up of Jeremi Gonzalez to start Friday’s game against the Milwaukee:

Gonzalez, 31, had pitched well enough for Norfolk. He had 1-2 record and 3.03 ERA in six starts with the Mets' Triple-A affiliate, allowing 34 base runners -- three walks and one home run -- and striking out 20. He will have to be added to the 40-man roster on Friday.

I don’t have much confidence in Gonzalez to pitch lights out against the Brewers. The design of the team set up for the starters to get a close game to the pen after 6 innings. The team had more faith in Lima than Gonzalez and we all saw how that worked out. Granted that Lima is a veteran and Gonzalez a rook, I don’t expect two much from either pitcher. This has to be a move to buy some time to acquire someone else via trade. As usual Mets fans hope a poor trade happens rather than a horrendous one involving Millegde. Say it with me Mets fans: “expect the worst and hope for the best”

I know there have been some suspect officiating lately; express your frustration but, please fellow Mets, fans lets not become the whiney fans blaming our troubles on the umpires. I get enough of that from Mark Cuban as I live in Dallas. It gets old fast.
Prediction: The blow one that goes our way sometime in the next 129 games. When that happens don’t feel guilty, just remember these games. That’s how baseball goes.

On the humor front this is really funny in a twisted way. The MP thing was uncalled for.

Tonight Tommy Glavine looks for win 280 and more importantly, to gain a game against the Cory Lidle and the red-hot Phils.

That’s the Breaks

Note to readers. I just wanted to share my posting schedule for the season. Look for my posts twice a day. I will usually post at around 4:40 PM EST and then shortly after the game is over. So check Lonestar Met right before you leave work and again when the Mets game is over.

Pedro looked in control save for one inning. Too bad to waste a pretty good outing without a W.

I am not going to go on about Heilman in the 9th. Errors happen, its just bad luck when it happens in a key situation.

Cerrone has Willie's post game comments on SNY regarding tonights loss. Not much that was shocking. One point I found interesting regarding Wagner vs. Heilman in the 9th:

“No. Aaron is just as effective against left-handers, and I don’t usually like to bring my closer in during tie games on the road, unless I have to.”…

I actually agree with Willie Randolph. There was no reason to bring your closer in to a tie game on the road.

Great game in what really felt like a playoff atmosphere. This is going to be an exciting year win or lose.

The gripe I have is with Randolph’s static lineup. I won’t go into what proposed lineups as I have time and time again. I really think that a few lineup shakeups would jumpstart this offense al a Bobby V. We should really club more teams to death with explosive hitters like Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Floyd, Nady, and even LoDuca. Just a thought.

Finally, I love to see guys get fired up and tossed. Not really a great strategy for late inning pitcher-hitter matchups but I love the passion. I’d love to see at least one brawl.

Maybe I’ve been watching too much of my 86 highlight tapes.

Anyway, tough loss in a great game. That’s the breaks.

And remember check Cerrone, Greg, Mike, Metstradamus, Metropolitans, Dave, Joe, and all the Mets guys and don't forget to bookmark your pal Dan in Texas.
To all the new readers from outside the U.S. shoot me an email and let me know what you think of my site.

Pregame: 05/09/06

Congratulations to Lonestar Met favorite Heath Bell for his Promotion to the big club. Looks like Bell will finally be given a shot by the Mets Brass.

Good luck, Heath! Make us proud.

I can’t tell if this whole Wagner vs. Philly thing is for real or an attempt to hype the series into a bad blood rivalry. I never “hated” the Phils but I have never been to Philly so who knows. Hot Foot has some fan quotes. Check it out.

On the extended Hot Stove front, I have read several different views online. I won’t post any links. Just pick a Mets blog. Everyone that posts frequently has something. I really think that Omar stands pat here and hope a viable option materializes in house. I don’t think Milledge is going anywhere and I seriously doubt Clemens signs with the Mets. On paper it could happen. Realistically, it doesn’t have a chance.

If things go badly enough, I don’t know what could happen. My faith in Omar supersedes my pessimism. Omar stood pat at the deadline last year, didn’t move Milledge in the off-season, I don’t see him losing it now.

Pedro is up tonight at 6:05 for those of us in Texas. Today is the first day of the rest of the season.

Lets go Mets!

Ghost of Kazmir Past

I am going to submit a question to “Ask the Booth” on the SNY broadcast. I figure it will go something like this:

"Keith,
Is there a worse hitter in the league than Jose Valentin? Does he suffer from some physical or mental impairment?
Thanks for snubbing me when I was in New York, all I wanted was an autograph,
Dan in Texas"

Keith:"Well, Dan I’m not the type of guy who thinks a mustached Puerto Rican utility man hitting .179’s place is working at 7-11 but…"

SNY IS EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES- PLEASE STAND BY

The Braves series was great. I had planned to write all about it. I found myself unable to write a word after I learned the extent of Zambrano’s injury.

Before the 2006 season started the majority of baseball minded people is the Mets vulnerability was in their starting pitching. Almost every preseason preview/ prediction included the caveat “if the starting pitching remained healthy”

The Bad news: A starting pitcher will miss the remainder of the season.

The Good news: His name isn’t Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine or Steve Trachsel.

I still believe the season hinges on Pedro and Tommy G’s durability. That said the Mets now need to find a temporary starter and a starter for the rest of the season. Omar has a decision to make. He can go in house and pull a pitcher out of the pen or bring up a minor leaguer, or look for a trading partner that is willing to part with a starter. The former being the cheaper, the latter is a little trickier.

I am in the camp of not touching the bullpen. Omar’s design with the team seems to be built around the pen. Since our starting pitchers are not spring chickens it is a reasonable plan to ask your starters for 6 inings and let the pen go the rest of the way. This explains the presence of an 8 man pen.

Heilman- I don’t think the Mets can afford to move Heilman. I still believe that a team on its second or third trip through will hit him very hard if he is pressed into starting duty. That said a bullpen will be needed to bail him out and that pen would then feature one less quality reliever. I think if Heilman is moved into the rotation and then fails he will never be the same stud he is in the Mets Pen. Be careful what you wish for Aaron.

Darren Oliver- I think Oliver has pitched at the top of his ability this year. He can help from the pen. That’s it. I endured this guy’s run through Texas and it’s no picnic. When I look at him now I still see him in the old red Ranger uniform (those were great by the way) standing their after giving up 4 home runs in the first inning. It seems like he started every game giving up 4 homeruns. Trust me on this, it’s not pretty.

Mike Pelfrey- I am really excited about Mike Pelfrey. I think he will be a cornerstone of the Mets; just not this year. Don’t get me wrong, if he dominates for another month or two he shouldn’t be denied a promotion solely based on age. (That seems to happen a lot around the Mets organization these days.) Other than Pelfrey pitching like the second coming of Doc circa 1985, then Pelfrey will do nothing for the Mets this year except build anticipation.

Alay Soler I don’t know enough about the guy outside of his passport problems. I have never seen him pitch. He looks promising on paper. I will have to defer to the organization on that. Your call Rick, choose wisely.

Now, where things can get interesting- the trading block. I find this issue fascinating and one of my favorite out of game topic. However I feel like the Mets will get screwed. Make one bad trade, the one that got us in this mess to begin with, and everybody comes looking to fleece you.

Barry Zito- Long time readers of my site know that Zito is the guy I want. You can get him for a price. Billy Beene knows the Mets are desperate and will be able get what few chips the Mets have left meaning Milledge or Pelfrey. Let me clarify my postions for you new readers:I love Barry Zito.
I want Zito to be a Met.
Do I think he will be a Met in 2007? Yes
Do I think Omar can get him via free agency in November? Yes
Do I want him sooner rather than later? Yes
Do I want him sooner bad enough to give up Milledge or Pelfrey? Absolutely not!
That said if Omar can get Zito for some combination of Julio, Maine, Keppinger, Matsui* (more on that in a minute) or Diaz I say go for it. He is a true ace any more but I thing Professor Rick can return him to greatness.

Note to Peterson- I don’t care if you are alone in the shower, don’t ever say you can fix him and for god sake don’t put a time frame on it.

Anyway, if Zito is attainable for anyone other than Milledge or Pelfrey, he is the best option. The trade looks more attractive if Beene can resign Zito before the trade. It still make me uneasy to send Milledge now. Patience, patience, patience. We have waited for Milledge and every indication is that he will be something special. If Milledge for a resigned Zito were to occur it made sense 5 months ago, not now. Hang on the rooks Omar, you are gonna need ‘em.

Clemens- Good Lord no! Shame on any Met fan for even thinking of it. I hate Roger. He is a great pitcher and a first ballot hall of famer. That said, I don’t want this guy anywhere near the organization. I don’t want fatty on our planet. The thought of that overweight dung pile in a Mets hat makes me sick to my stomach. I literally get sick to my stomach, yuck. Omar, if you read this PLEASE DON’T DO IT!

Odalis Perez- This guy is a big risk at 19 million. If this anyway stops the Mets from perusing Zito in the off season I say no. I have seen this guy pitch and he is very underwhelming. At 19 million over the next two years I would try to dump him too. I would think the only trade that makes sense is Matsui (more in a minute, I will get there, ) for Perez. If those of you who have had enough of Kaz and his 8 million dollar salary may want to jump all over this. Ahern is on his way back and can fill the slot. Maybe, it would make room for an Ahern Keppinger platoon. If Keppinger ever gets a fair shake I will be surprised. If a Kaz for Odalis trade does happen it would only cost the Mets 11 million for two years, which is a reasonable amount for Perez. Personally I would really like to see Kaz succeed with the Mets, but this is an urgent need that needs to be filled pretty soon. Kaz for Perez straight up? Done.

Other than that, the pickins are a-mighty slim out there. I think the Mets need to weather this storm until Bannister can come back. Throw someone out there that can pitch for two months and keep a rotation spot until Pelfrey is ready. I would also ask that the Mets start him in a day game on the road. What I think will most likely happen is the Mets move Kaz for Odalis Perez straight up and give Oliver the next Zambrano start or two until Bannister is ready. The pen stays as is with the exception Oliver. It's not sexy but with that blueprint, the big bats need to pull their weight.

That was my two sense

On to Kaz, I know everybody in the New York media have written preachy condescending columns taking Met fans to task on the Matsui and Zambrano situations. Write all you want, it doesn’t change a damn thing. In New York the fans are hypercritical; especially when it comes to non-home grown, high paid, over hyped players. That’s the fact, Jack. Don’t like it? Move to Kansas City, Atlanta or maybe Arlington*. They don’t take it so seriously, there. Lonestar Met does not look down on passionate fans that want to win because he is one of them.

I know, you don’t have to email me. I am not condescending but sometimes speak in the third person, cut me some slack- its not like you are paying for this site. By the way, visit a sponsor -come on.

Enough of that.

I am glad to see Kaz do well. He doesn’t play with that look of a newly born foal anymore. He looks confident, comfortable right now. If this is just an aberration then trade him away for what ever you can get. I like Kaz as a person. He does seem to care and does want to succeed in New York. Or he just wants to stop being booed. Whatever. The point is, if his psyche is so delicate that boos put him on a two year slump maybe it would be better for everyone if he went somewhere else. Personally I never gave that “booing just makes it worse” argument. I don’t think a professional athlete can be rattled by what the fans do.

It reminds me of the Simpson’s softball episode where Bart is calling out “DAAARRRYYYLLLL DAAAARRRRYYYYLLL to Strawberry. Bart explains to Marge that they are professional athletes while Straw cries in the outfield.

Finally, Is there not one left handed bat that can be obtained that can hit better than .179? Is Olerud available? Maybe Ventura? They are both retired but I think they could hit at least .220.

(*More on that on another post- I was in attendance for the last two games of Ranger-Yankees and had some fun at Yankee fan’s expense. I have pictures look for it in the near future).

What a win

What a game. 14 innings. Keith and Gary wearing Rally caps. That was an epic battle for the ages. What a battle. A year ago the Mets would have folded in the 7th. Two comebacks and a walk off ground rule double- unbelievable.

I don’t know who gets the gameball here. Reyes and his night? Cliffy and his clutch homerun? David Wright and the game winner? Filthy Sanchez and his filth?

Lonestar Met awards the game ball to Kaz Matsui. Solid work in the field and the sac bunts to move the runners were all great. But I think every Met fan that had a hope of redemption for Kaz had to smile when he tied the game. The look on his face was priceless.

The game was not without its ups and downs. It is a tad disturbing that a leadoff triple cant be scored by the heart of the order, but lets face it; they didn’t win the division 14 times in a row by rolling over.

Who said Delgado was a defensive liability? In this early stage of the season Delgado has saved many a wayward throw with his, soon to be patented slap tag of the runner.

Sure a lot of first basemen can do it, but none with the label of "poor fielder."

What a night for Jose Reyes. Reyes may have turned a corner as a leadoff hitter- stay tuned.

I think we all agree that Julio has had some much improved success on the hill. I think we all can agree that no one is confident with him on the hill in a close game. Not even Rick Peterson. When Larry Jones got on Peterson was immediately on the phone to the pen. Julio did a good job of getting out of the inning, but honestly; we all thought the same thing.

Did anyone else find Wagner’s two inning appearance puzzling? I understand that a pitcher needs to gain his confidence back but Billy seems to beat himself up over things like that. It almost seems like he is being coddled. I think the way to get him on track again is to give him the ball in the ninth with a run lead and not bat an eye. He came here to close, let him close.

Finally, Cliffy looked to be righting the ship. I would like to offer one possibility:

Reyes
Beltran
Floyd
Delgado
Wright
Lo Duca
Nady
KazMat
Pitcher

Yeah, yeah, I know, easy to say from my shoes but it is a good idea to ponder. Beltran seems to be where we expected him to be a year ago and logically would improve back in the two hole. Cliffy between Tran and Delgado couldn’t hurt. Not like there is a chance in Hell Willie will do it but fun to comprehend. Logic, no not on Willie’s Mets.

With Zambrano and his big bag against Hudson tomorrow it’s worth a shot.

And get a good night sleep Kaz, you deserve it buddy.

Thanks to Kate the hottie waitress and Fox and the Hound for the hospitality.

A Few Things...

I think this is Joe, formerly of Nobody Cares about Joe. Anyway check him out, very funny.

I posted the Jose Valentin Experience earlier. In that style here is Willie's World and a Zambrano blog. I love this style of humor.

Great game tonight. I listened on the radio as I didn't have access to the SNY broadcast. Great game by Wright, I hope this is a hot streak. Glavine was fantastic. I can't believe I was so worried about the staff this offseason. If they stay health the future looks bright.

Sorry for the short post, but I will be providing in depth coverage this weekend as I am taking the time to watch Friday and Saturday's games in their entirety.

Sunday I will be at the Ballpark in Arlington to watched my adopted team take on the hated Evil Empire. I will be at batting practice to heckle Jeter and Arod. Sundays account of my experience and/or arrest on the Ranger Blog I co-write.

Be sure to keep checking back Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Have a great weekend.

Just a Quick Note

I found this site via The Metropolitans. As my regular readers know I loathe Jose Valentin. With that in mind check out The Jose Valentin experience. It is too funny. What’s almost as funny are the comments from people who think it is really Jose’s blog. Go check it out for a laugh.

Then get ready for Pedro

It’s About Time

It took only took Willie 188 games but he finally got Tossed. Welcome to the party Willie.

I have always thought that a more vocal Willie could better lead this team as well as help shed the image of the quiet, reserved manager that seems to be stoic, moving only to cast a disapproving scowl toward players who have made ill-advised plays. Willie may seem to skipper the team as such, but the players seem to have respect for him that would indicate animation that eluded such narcoleptic leaders such as Art Howe.

(188 games is from memory, I didn’t research- double check me)

I don’t have much to say about tonight’s game. As I stated before, I hate these 2 game series. I would love to get one more shot against the Nationals.

I know Oliver is only one of two left-handed relievers not named Wagner but this man cannot be allowed to keep taking the hill. He is a walking pitching machine. The organization has no faith in Heath Bell or Royce Ring but will let Oliver, no spring chicken, give up the long ball in middle innings on a nightly basis.

Jorge Julio seems to have gained some confidence and control but I cannot be comfortable with him until Oliver has given up a few runs and the outlook already looks bleak. It would make more sense to reverse their order of appearance regardless of the lefty-righty advantage that must be the lure of Oliver pitching in a game that is within reach.

At least Beltran looks somewhat healthy.

No Valentin tonght? What was he being rested for tomorrow’s game so he can take his three swings and sit down?

If, you haven't read Dave's latest piece regarding the Delmon Young imbroglio over at Mets Guy in Michigan, it is a great piece and a must read:

"...the fawning Yankee apologists in the media lauding Clemens’ “intensity” and implying that Piazza was a wuss for not charging the mound.

I assume that Piazza realized he was the best hitter on the team and getting tossed out during the first inning of a World Series game would hurt the Mets. That makes him smart."

It is a must read- check it out.

It's Pittsburgh at Shea tomorrow for another always exciting two game series as Petey goes for win number 6.

Dear God, cut Cliffy a break…please...

Let’s Go Mets!

(Oh, and if you are going to comment, please pick a screen name- post as anonymous if you must, but anyone offering a hot sports opinion should get the credit or defend themselves- whatever the case.)

A Nod to the Gods

Not a pretty win tonight but it does the trick. Remember when the Mets lost those games? This year does feel very different. Maybe we suffered through enough of those awful errors and the Baseball Gods have dropped what ever grudge they were holding.

On to the game.

Wagner looked the best he ever has in a Mets uniform. I take him at his word that he starts slow. If that is what Wagner brings to the mound every night then he was worth every penny. The slider was nasty and the heaters came in at a Wagner-esque velocity.

Run harder next time Jose. Enough said.

I am really happy for Kaz; better late than never.

Delgado went deep again tonight when it mattered. Wow, that was a great trade. The fire sale Marlins aside, that was a burglary.

Zambrano wasn’t great and probably good enough to keep his spot one more start.

It was a tough night to be a hitter but I will take the W. I hate these two game series. We go for the 2 game sweep tomorrow.

Jose Valentin spares everyone to death again. Noble says Woody is Willie’s favorite and is “saving” him for a more important moment. He likes him so much that Willie never puts him in the game. I think we should cut Valentin and just play with 24. Valentin is a waste of a uniform.

I really don’t see Milledge coming up for anything but a catastrophe. Save that (knock on Woodward), I really hope Omar is glued to the waiver wire. Maybe a solid player out of options could be snatched from a careless team. This bench is way too barren to compete with the elite teams of the National League. Omar must have something up his sleeve.

If Jose Valentin was the answer, the question must have been “How can we come up short when it really counts?”

Righthander John Maine has been called up from Triple A Norfolk to start in the injured Brian Bannister's place. I can’t wait to see what Maine has to offer. His 2.63 ERA over four starts seem promising. I guess we find out if he was worth Mr. Anna Benson- we know Jorge Julio wasn’t.

Two Out of Three Aint Bad

Wow, they are very beatable. Sure I would have loved to dance with a broom over my head but 2 out of 3 at Turner Field is nothing to sneeze at. They are not going to roll over but there is a chink in the armor of the unbeatable Braves.

The Braves have started out slow as usual and I am not foolish enough to think that the NL East race is over by any stretch of the imagination. It is much better to put some distance between us and the hated NL Tribe before they go on a tear rather than the last two seasons that saw us hang around with contention on the horizon only to see them take off like the Roadrunner as we implode.

A couple quick hits on this weeks series:

I hate to say I told you so about Darren Oliver but if inherited men on base are the proverbial fire consider Oliver the gasoline.

I watched Saturday night’s game broadcast on TBS. I don’t have SNY in Texas as it is available for around 90 bucks a month.

(If any Dish guys are reading this, a free set up with all the channels entitles you to an endless amount of free plugs- this is a free site not ESPN the mag.)

It was funny to listen to Sutton and Carey talk about the Mets with respect and fear in their voice. They both marveled at the team’s speed and kept saying, “these are not your father’s Mets.”-what ever that means. It was great to know those guys have to acknowledge that the East comes through us. Times have changed.

Is Valentin being played to up his trading value? I don’t think Beene is willing to swap Zito for Valentin no matter what kind of April/ May turnaround he may have. I know he got a hit in a key situation but I would have rather seen Woody or X-man in that situation.

Great throw on to second to get the Langerhans. That was a perfect throw. It’s great to have two catchers who could start on almost any team.

I am confident that those sharp liners and hard hit balls will fall for Cliffy once his luck changes. A little bit of a nod from the Baseball Gods and this guy will be on a tear.

Out of Atlanta feeling good for a change and back home to Shea to take on the Nats and Pit. Then maybe that elusive sweep on the Braves.

Let’s Go Mets!

Yes, my enthusiasm will fade at approximately 6:10 CST this evening as an Zambrano takes the mound.