Will the real Mike Pelfrey please stand up?

Remember how I said Mike Pelfrey needed to make a statement last night? Well, I wish he'd retract it. Pelfrey was awful, throwing 74 pitches and allowing 6 runs over 1.1 innings. Needless to say, this outing combined with the currently anemic offense lead to a 13-2 rout in the desert. I have no idea what's going on with him right now, but he seems to have regressed into Crazy Pelf. The quick, efficient pace at which he was working to start the season has completely disappeared, and despite what Jerry Manuel says, I think his confidence has too. Ron Darling made some interesting comments regarding Pelfrey last night. He said that Pelfrey seemed to be aiming the ball rather than picking a quadrant of the strike zone and attacking it. Darling believes Pelfrey has been taking a passive approach to pitching, saying, "You gotta go out and win the games - the wins won't come to you."

I like this theory and attitude. When we talk about pitchers being frustrating, we're saying the same things for the most part: he's not throwing strikes, seems to be afraid to go after hitters, and doesn't have the right mindset on the mound. Right now, Mike Pelfrey is the embodiment of all these things. I'm not sure where or how exactly he lost his way, but he has to get back on track because there are enough tenuous pieces in the rotation as it is - we don't need Big Pelf having a breakdown.

As for the offense... it's just getting depressing. It seems like we can't string together hits OR come through with runners in scoring position. Jason Bay always seems to be slumping - even when he's hitting - and at this point, I'm not holding out hope for any big offensive resurgence. I'm going to consider any production we get from Bay a bonus, even though we signed him to be a major part of the offense. The poor showing in San Francisco didn't worry me as much because at least the Giants are competitive. The Diamondbacks are a last place team - the kind of team GOOD teams beat.

I'll be looking for R.A. Dickey to right the ship tonight. I don't think we could have possibly asked for anything more out of Dickey, but at the same time, I can't shake the feeling that we're rolling the dice too many times by continuing to send both Dickey and Takahashi out as starters.

Post All-Star Break Blues

Things have not been very happy in Mets-land following the All-Star Break. While fans and the team had been counting down the days until Carlos Beltran's return to the line up (which I refused to acknowledge until it actually happened), losing Jose Reyes due to an oblique strain was not a welcomed development. I have no idea why Reyes wasn't shut down leading up to the Break, but I was also in California so maybe there was some phenomenal explanation I just haven't heard since returning to the east coast.

Anyway, four games into the second half the Mets are reeling just a tad. After dropping the first 3 games, they salvaged the series in San Francisco... but only after K-Rod made things horrifically interesting (read: blew his fifth save of the season then recovered for the win in 10 innings). K-Rod - or K-Fraud as he is being referred to in some circles - has just been riding a roller coaster this season. He's also dragging Mets fans along for the ride. As much as I recognize the glaring need for another starting pitcher, the closer situation is going to continue to be a problem unless Rodriguez can figure himself out.

This brings me to my next point: Oliver Perez is reportedly meeting the team in Arizona but will not be activated for tonight's game. It depresses me that the Mets are seemingly unable to grasp the concept of a sunk cost. You know how everyone is always saying that the Mets can't just release Perez because so many teams would jump at the chance to acquire him and then they'd have to watch him be successful somewhere else? Where the hell are all these teams NOW, when the Mets have been trying to trade Perez according to reports? We need to find a starting pitcher so that Hisanori Takahashi can move back to the bullpen and stop pitching like Ken Takahashi. Don't get me wrong, Taka was a shot in the arm at first, but now we're lucky if he survives his second time through a batting order. If that's the case, we might as well start Perez... and Lord knows I don't want to do that.

Big Pelf is looking for a bounce back start tonight after a rough end to the first half followed by skipping a start due to a stiff neck after the flight to California. Having recently completed some cross-country flights myself, I actually sympathize with this, as ridiculous as it may sound. A lot of the Mets' first half success was due to Pelfrey, and if we're going to continue to be successful and consider a playoff run, we need him to return to pitching like an ace once again.

Catching up: K-Rod, Beltran, and Interleague Play

I find it fairly interesting that being unemployed has given me fewer opportunities to post over the past week or so. I guess there was something about being forced to sit at a computer all day long that enabled me to write more. Anyway, a few interesting scenarios have presented themselves concerning the Mets. Let's jump right in.

First, my dad wants the Mets to cut K-Rod (along with Jerry and Dan Warthen). His logic behind this is that he is tired of the attitude surrounding him and the bullpen by association. Dad used the weekend Yankees series to justify his point of view: up 4-0 on Friday night, the Mets started the ninth inning with Raul Valdes. I guess I understand trying to get K-Rod a day off if at all possible since he throws a ton of pitches every outing... but isn't it more important to secure the win in the first game of the series at Yankee Stadium? Then on Sunday, with the Yankees leading 4-0, was there ever even a question about who was pitching the 9th? The Yankees just want to close out the game, and that was my dad's point. Sadly, I could not really come up with a coherent argument - other than that Mariano is a robot and so it's unfair to compare other closers to him.

Next, we've actually got some positive news on the Carlos Beltran front. With Beltran set to start a rehab assignment, we're looking at having him back just after the All-Star Break. The thing I'm having the most trouble understanding is why this automatically means Angel Pagan will be relegated to a bench player. First of all, we have no idea if Beltran is even physically capable of playing center field at Citi on a regular basis. Secondly, has anyone been watching the games this season? I like Jeff Francouer and I respect/appreciate that his arm in right field has an effect on runners trying to tag up - but Pagan is absolutely blowing him away in terms of offensive numbers AND he plays solid defense. Jose Reyes and Pagan have been SO successful at the top of the order, I just can't wrap my head around breaking them up. This will definitely lead to some interesting debates in the upcoming weeks, and I never thought I'd say this, but I'm pulling for Pagan to remain in the lineup.

Finally, I am so tired of listening to people talk about how the American league is "superior" to the National League. Why can't we accept the fact that they are different, with teams constructed differently out of necessity - and that this does not necessarily make one league better than the other. And somehow, the fact that the AL has more completely inept teams than the NL always gets lost in these arguments. I'll admit to a bias here because I (obviously) follow the NL and I despise interleague play - I think it's an outdated post-strike fix - but the comparisons are just ridiculous. So far in interleague, the Mets have split the season series with the Yankees, swept the Orioles and Indians, and taken the first game of their series with the Tigers. I'm not seeing this superiority everyone keeps talking about.

WOW - 6 game winning streak with FIVE on the road?!

The Indians and Orioles might be playing beginning-of-a-Disney-movie brand of baseball right now, but they are good for something: getting struggling teams back on the right track. I think it's unfortunate that these teams are this terrible, but the Mets needed a road confidence boost, and I'll take that in any form I can get it.

The Mets haven't exactly been playing flawless baseball themselves, but the Orioles and Indians have just been dying to give games away with errors and poor all around fundamentals. The pitching for the Mets continues to be strong and they have been embracing small ball (have you ever seen 7 infield hits in one game?!) with the occasional home run to spice things up now and then. I like watching this team play baseball, and they are finally finding ways to win rather than finding ways to lose.

Also, Johan's last start has made me think it's time to stop using the phrase "Santana didn't have his best stuff but..." because I think at this point, this IS Santana's best stuff. He still has the ability to dominate a line up, but he is not the same pitcher he was a few years ago. Time for everyone - Santana included -to come to terms with that. He is a fighter and he will make in-game adjustments to get the most out of his pitches, but he's simply not the same pitcher as the one we traded for. There's nothing wrong with that, because he'll still get the job done extremely well, and I'm looking forward to see how he makes the changes at this point in his career.

Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey takes the mound against Cleveland tonight looking to go 5-0 on the season as the Mets try to finish off a sweep of the Indians. Let's go Mets!

Mets split DH with Padres, take series

The day and night segments of the Mets double header against the Padres yesterday could not have been more different.

On a day where Johan Santana actually got some run support (ok, it was only 2 runs, but that's more than he's gotten in his last two starts combined) he had no command. Santana struggled and gave back the lead and then some almost instantly. Mat Latos completely shut down the Mets, with the exception of Henry Blanco's two-run home run in the second inning. And of course, David Eckstein was right in the middle of everything the Padres put together. Once Latos was taken out, the Padres' bullpen took care of the rest. I'm not buying into the Padres for the entire season - but if their bullpen holds up, they might make me look foolish.

But last night, the story was Jon Niese. That kid was absolutely cruising, hurling a complete game one hitter. Niese did not walk a batter, retired the last 21 hitters he faced, and only a third-inning double by Chris Denorfia kept him from a perfect game (or no-hitter. Mets fans aren't picky there since we're still waiting for our first one). He was just completely locked in from the first inning and it was incredible to watch.

Games like that give me hope for the upcoming road trip. If there was ever a time to start winning on the road, it's against the Orioles and Indians. In order for the Mets to make the jump from a .500 team to serious contenders, they need to get a nice little streak going on the road to get their confidence levels up. At Citi Field, this team looks like they could win the World Series. It's every other major league ball park that's presenting a problem at the moment. R.A. Dickey takes the mound against the Orioles tonight (I think the logic there was that a knuckleballer can mess up a team for an entire series). The Orioles have just 17 wins on the season and it's time for the Mets to take advantage of their ineptitude.

Mike and Ike!

Anyone else remember that candy? That was the only thing I could think of following the Mets' 2-1 extra innings win over the Padres last night. Mike Pelfrey continued his brilliant 2010 campaign, throwing 103 pitches over 9 innings (78 of them for strikes!) and allowing 1 earned run. My favorite stat of the night: he didn't go to a 3-ball count once in 9 innings. I absolutely love watching him pitch right now. He doesn't get derailed by things that sent him off the deep end just one year ago. He works quickly, throws strikes, keeps the defenders in the game, and gives them a chance to win every single time he's on the mound.

It's really too bad Mets couldn't get more than a Jose Reyes home run off of the Padres' pitching staff during the game, because Big Pelf deserved the win last night. But at the same time, I'm happy Jose was able to hit one out, because a no decision is better than a loss - especially with a performance like the one Pelfrey had last night. AND of course the team won, so personal stats really shouldn't matter as much.

And then Ike Davis - man, I love this kid - gave the Mets the win with a no-doubter in the bottom of the 11th, erasing what had been a disappointing night at the plate with one swing. Davis has really impressed me with his maturity and poise so far. He says and does all the right things and just seems normal. He's the kind of guy I would buy a drink if I met him in a bar, regardless of the fact that he's a professional baseball player.

Johan Santana gets the start tonight - hopefully the Mets can have a break out game offensively and get him - and the team - a win. We're really cruising at Citi Field this year, which makes at least half of the games exciting and fun. Plus, it's Johan and his starts are always awesome. He's the original "gives the Mets a chance to win every time" guy... now we just need to show some spark and get him some run support!!

Odds and Ends

I don't really have a theme here but it's been a few days and there are some random things on my mind. Including the fact that the Mets swept the Fish over the weekend! I love beating the Marlins because 9 years out of 10 they are just ankle biters who screw up the standings in the NL East (particularly when it comes to the Mets). And then there's always that one year they randomly win the World Series, immediately followed by a panicked fire sale because they are a small market team with no fans and therefore can not afford to keep their players. But I'm sure a new stadium will fix that problem.

Next up, I owe someone on the Mets an apology.... Angel Pagan, please stand up. As I'm sure most of you remember, I was sippin' a TON of Pagan Hater-ade last year and during spring training. I have to give Angel credit though: his base-running instincts have improved by leaps and bounds, his defense is MUCH better (occasional bad fly ball route aside), and he has been one of the only offensive constants in the everyday line up. And I learned that he takes the young Hispanic guys under his wing and helps them learn English - which has nothing to do with his ability to play baseball, but sways my opinion of him nonetheless.

Also, seemingly overnight, the Mets made some rosters moves that fans have been screaming about for WEEKS. Gary Matthews, Jr. was designated for assignment and Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez were placed on the DL. Of course, since this is the Mets, there is an official inquiry regarding Perez - the timing was just too perfect with Jon Niese eligible to come off the DL, plus it's not exactly a secret that the Mets have been begging Perez to go to the minors. To be honest, I really don't care at this point because, as previously stated here, I'm done with Ollie P. All these roster moves and improvements by certain players add up to the Metsies having a little fight in them this year, which means it's actually fun to watch baseball again!

Finally, I realized that on the heels of Armando Galarraga's not-perfect game, I let something very, very important fall to the back burner: Ken Griffey, Jr. announced his retirement. That announcement hit me hard. Back in the day, I wasn't a huge Junior fan... something about his home run pimping act bothered me. But as I got older, I began to appreciate him more and more. Seeing highlights of his time in Seattle makes me realize now how much I missed out on by being indifferent for all those years. I was happy when Junior went back to Seattle for the 2010 season because I like to see things go full circle. I'm sad and disappointed that retirement was the right choice for him, in the midst of a bad season on an even worse team. Ken Griffey, Jr. was an icon, and this is truly the end of a baseball era.

The Mets host the Padres tonight at Citi Field - let's keep up the home hot streak and pay back the Pads for taking that series last week!

Dear Johan - I'm sorry.

I don't quite understand why the Mets are seemingly unable to shut the door on the opposition after Johan Santana leaves the game. In his past two starts, Santana has thrown a total of 15 scoreless innings - and has received two no decisions for his trouble. The bullpen appears to have run into a wall, and to be fair, a lot of people anticipated that with the way they were (ab)used for the first month of the season. That's not entirely Jerry Manuel's fault because there is only so much you can do when two-fifths of your starting rotation is lucky to make it through the fifth inning. However, we're beginning to see the ill effects of this and it is only June 3rd.

Last night, Santana turned in seven scoreless innings... and then it got interesting. K-Rod came in during the 8th inning looking for a four-out save. Except we forgot about David Eckstein. This guy never goes away. EVER. I'd love to have him on my team, but as long as he's playing against me, I hate him (just not in the way I hate Chipper Jones, Jorge Cantu, or Willie Harris - this is respectful hate. And yes, there is such a thing in sports). Anyway, Eckstein turned in yet another terrific at bat and singled up the middle to bring home the tying run. Since K-Rod essentially screws himself into the ground and/or flies off the mound after he throws, he was absolutely nowhere near a ball that a pitcher with less freakish mechanics probably would have fielded. Before we knew it, we were in extra innings, and the 2010 New York Mets don't ever want to be in extra innings.

Sure enough, Adrian Gonzalez hit a walk-off grand slam off of Raul Valdes. Valdes hasn't looked right since he tossed those five innings in relief of John Maine. I don't know what the problem is, but he doesn't seem to be as aggressive going after hitters. Or maybe he just can't throw strikes. Either way, the bullpen needs a shot in the arm.

It's frustrating for me to watch Santana continually turn in quality starts - real quality starts, not that 3 runs in 6 innings crap - only to watch the bullpen blow the game. In 12 starts this year, Santana is 4-2 with a 2.76 ERA. The scary thing is, even his ERA is being affected by one outlier because of that awful start he had against the Phillies. WHY CAN'T THE METS WIN FOR SANTANA? I'm going to refer to him as the Zen Master from now on because that is the only possible explanation for how he hasn't killed anyone in the bullpen yet.

One last thing - Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers should have pitched a perfect game last night... except first base umpire Jim Joyce blew the call on the 27th out. After watching the replay following the game, Joyce sought Galarraga out specifically to apologize for the mistake. According to many players, Joyce is considered one of the best umpires in the game today. This might honestly be the worst blown call we've seen this season, and it's a shame it had to cost Galarraga a perfect game and a no hitter - and that Joyce will be remembered for it.

A tale of two teams

Have you ever seen a baseball team with multiple personalities? Look no further than the 2010 New York Mets. I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a team take 5 out of 6 from the defending National AND American League champions... to then go on the road and drop 2 out of 3 to a Brewers team that is just pathetic at home. Do the Mets have some sort of identity crisis? I mean, they go through these stretches where they play good, fundamentally sound baseball and look like they can compete. As soon as the fans become cautiously optimistic, they have a road trip and erase all their good will. Last year, everyone said that Citi Field was in their heads (in a bad way) and now it seems like that is the only place in which they can win. Their saving grace right now is that no one in the National League East has been able to run away with the division because everyone is having problems.

When the Mets started a three game series with the Padres last night, I was borderline optimistic. If there is another ball park where the Mets can play "Citi Ball" successfully, it would be Petco Park. Except for the fact that someone forgot to tell Hisanori Takahashi. I never expected Takahashi to be a starting rotation savior. I was hoping to ride his hot streak a little longer just to bridge the gap until Jon Niese can return to the rotation. But Takahashi and the bullpen had a meltdown last night en route to an 18-6 beat down by the Pads (by the way, the Padres and Nationals are tied for first place on my "Surprise teams in the NL" list. Did anyone see EITHER of these teams coming? I know I didn't).

There were some highlights - down 6-1, the Mets battled back in the fifth inning, helped by a Jose Reyes triple that scored two runs. And Jerry found a situation to use Oliver Perez, the stubborn SOB who apparently would rather be used irregularly as a mop up man than accept an assignment to Triple A and be able to actually HELP the team.

I'm done with Perez and his antics. I wish the Mets weren't on the hook for so much money from that damn contract, because I would send this guy packing in a heartbeat. Apparently Ollie is one of those guys that just wants to collect his paycheck regardless of performance. I guess that's ok... but for the love of everything that is good and holy, WHY does he have to put the rest of his team and the fans through this? Doesn't this guy have any sense of professional pride? He's an embarrassment right now and I can only hope he is committing career suicide by refusing to go to Triple A and work out his issues.

The Mets send Big Pelf to the mound tonight, which automatically gives me hope for the game. With a win tonight, the Mets will still have a chance to take the series - and might actually win back to back road games for the first time this year in the process.

Sometimes it's hard to believe

I love off days following an exciting series win. For an extra 24 hours, you get to be on top of the world. So the real question for me is this: why didn't I feel that way?

Yes, we took two out of three from the Yankees and got three fantastic starting efforts in a row. K-Rod gave everyone a heart attack, but came through in the end - which he will do more often than not. Jason Bay remembered how to hit, David Wright came up with some big RBIs, and Jose Reyes seems to be playing like his old self.

But I don't trust this team. I'm fairly certain this is just a defense mechanism. In 2006, we were built to dominate the NL East for years. Somehow, one curve ball changed all that... and things really haven't been the same since. I've said before that I didn't have the same kind of confidence in the 2007 team, even though they held first place for most of the season before ultimately leading to an epic collapse. There was even less faith in 2008, and last year's Mets will always be remembered as a AAA squad masquerading as a major league team.

I just feel like we're constantly living on a dime and a dream, something that is perpetuated by statements that both Omar and Jerry have made in the past. I was never convinced that John Maine and Oliver Perez would return to the form they once had under Rick Peterson, but Omar literally shoved those guys into the starting rotation and guess what - the former landed on the DL and the latter has been banished to the bullpen. Quite honestly, Omar is lucky that Mike Pelfrey has seemingly undergone a complete transformation as a pitcher. Without Pelfrey in this rotation, Jerry Manuel would have already been fired and Omar would be taking even more criticism than usual for not exploring starting pitching options in the off season.

Maybe this is just the calm before the storm. Change is coming - whether or not it's just for change's sake remains to be seen. The more I think about it, I realize it's a difficult position for the team to be in because Jerry is the obvious scapegoat here... but should he really be blamed for a roster that he did not construct? I really believe this series with the Phillies is critical - as critical as a series can be in the last week of May. The Mets need to make a statement over the next three games. It doesn't have to be "we're the team to beat".... but a reminder of "we're here and we're not going anywhere" would be nice to see, especially since they are only five games out of first place. It's time to make a move, heat up, and just play good baseball. Hopefully, the rest will just fall into place.

There's no place like home

That goes for me and the Mets. After a quick vacation, I'm back in action. According to my dad, I didn't miss much during the week I spent in Mexico - one win and other than that, a lot of mediocrity. Seems to be a growing trend these days. But now the Mets are coming back to Citi Field after that horrific road trip and I'm hoping things will turn around.

Since I've been back, the Mets have split a two game series with the Nationals. Even in their win last night, I never really felt good about the game. Why is it that no lead feels safe with this team? You can't tell me you weren't freaking out when the Nationals were suddenly back in the game at 10-6 with the bases loaded and Adam Dunn at bat. Why does it feel like the Mets are constantly playing with house money?

Last night was a strange enough game right from the start. John Maine inexplicably left after facing just one batter. According to Ron Darling's update, Maine was not hurt but will see a doctor today (I have no idea what he's seeing the doctor for but I guess that's a different issue). Raul Valdes was fantastic in long relief, which was great because the bull pen had to cover nine innings. That's really unfortunate, because now I don't see how Valdes could possibly be available for any games this weekend and with Hisanori Takahashi getting the start tonight, where exactly is our long relief coming from? I guess Jerry will just have to piece the puzzle together as the situations come up.

Aside from the offensive explosion, (obviously much needed, since the Mets gave back most of their 10-1 lead) I think the thing that made me feel the best last night was seeing Jerry's reaction to John Maine needing to leave the game after throwing 5 pitches. I don't actually know what was wrong or what was said, but Jerry was visibly angry with the situation and seemed to let Maine know it in the dugout. That's the kind of thing I like to see. I'm not saying that managers should publicly rake their guys over the coals, but it's nice to know that there was some accountability for last night's failure. John Maine might be even more frustrating than Oliver Perez at this point. At least with Ollie, you know what you are getting: expensive mediocrity with flashes of brilliance.

The Mets and Yankees open a three game Subway Series at Citi Field tonight with Takahashi facing Javy Vazquez. As much as I despise inter-league play, I'm excited for this weekend. We'll either win and make everyone feel better or lose and turn up the heat on Jerry's hot seat. Seems like a win-win scenario to me.

Walk-off weekend, Ollie P., the Nationals,and the Bench

All right - I'm officially retracting my complaints regarding the signings of Rod Barajas and Henry Blanco to fix the catching situation. Apparently Brian Schneider just made me forget how important having a competent catcher is to a team's success. It's kind of impressive/scary that he erased memories of Mike Piazza and Paul LoDuca. Anyway, Barajas and Blanco each provided the Mets with a walk-off win over the Giants this weekend. I was at the Friday night game and it was incredible - the ball park went from completely flat (thanks, K-Rod..) to absolutely insane with one swing of the bat. (And that's not even taking Ike Davis's circus catch into account. Also, for whatever reason, "We Like Ike!" chants have no power at Citi Field... I'm hoping this changes soon).

So of course, after riding high on two walk off wins, we sent Oliver Perez to the mound on Sunday. Unfortunately for us, Bad Ollie showed up to play. I really don't even know what to say about him anymore. I'm going to chalk him up to a horrifically overpriced 5th starter and just leave it at that. Now my concerns are about how he just crushes the bullpen. He lasted only 3.1 innings on Sunday, during which he threw 98 pitches, walked 7, and hit a batter for good measure. It also didn't help that the Mets weren't able to get to Tim Lincecum early because he had a shaky start. But, it's a series win and obviously I'll take that every time.

And now the Nationals are in town. I'm not too happy with the Nationals imitating the Marlins at this point in the season. I suppose it's still too early to make decisive comments about what a team is or isn't - but it seems like the Nationals are much better than anyone gave them credit for, myself included. After dropping last night's game, I'd like for the Mets to come out and make a statement tonight - one that does NOT include getting ejected for arguing balls and strikes. The players are obviously frustrated, and I understand that, but getting thrown out of a game doesn't make you productive... it forces Jerry to use one of his not-so-stellar bench players.

Speaking of bench players! Frank Catalanotto was designated for assignment - and Chris Carter has been called up to replace him. Hopefully Carter can breathe a little life into this offense, like Ike Davis did immediately following his promotion to Queens. We certainly could use the help.

Mythbusters: Fans Love the All-Star Game

Ok, I made that one up. I don't think that fans like the All-Star Game at all anymore - and if you do, I'm about to change your mind. The current All-Star Game is a shadow of its former self and it frustrates me. The issues I have with the All-Star Game are all connected: fan voting, representing each team, deciding home field advantage in the World Series, using the DH in all future ASGs, and Hall of Fame implications.

Let's jump right in - if you want to have the fans voting for a starting line up, that is fine. However, the game then has to be an exhibition. How are you going to tell me that the ASG determines home field advantage in the World Series.... but we're not going to field our best team to try and win (also, the idea of this game deciding home field is absurd in and of itself - there is no earthly reason why home field shouldn't go to the team with the best record, other than that Bud Selig is a moron). This ties into the fact that each team needs to be represented by at least one player. The people who made this rule are the same ones who don't think we should keep score in Little League because God forbid there are losers! Why should someone who is deserving of an All-Star selection be left off the roster because (for example) the Pirates don't have a representative yet? It's ridiculous. I think the selection that angered me the most in the past few years was Kosuke Fukodome - although a friend of mine has a theory that drunk Chicago frat boys overtook that vote just because of his name. Fukodome had no business being anywhere near the All-Star Game that year - but with the fans given free reign, anything can happen.

This ties in nicely with the fact that ASG selections carry far too much weight in Hall of Fame voting. If you're going to point to the number of games a player was selected to appear in, then there needs to be an actual process to make the selections. I think the Hall of Fame is already becoming watered down - for example, there should be no such thing as a "borderline" Hall of Famer. If you want the selections to mean something and lend weight to an argument about a player's Hall of Fame credentials, then stop it with the fan vote and team representation. Again, MLB wants to have the game be an exhibition while simultaneously being important to not only the playoffs but individual players' careers. Sounds like a classic "have your cake and eat it too" scenario to me.

Now, onto my newest ASG annoyance: the decision to use a DH in all future games, even ones that take place in National League parks. First of all, if you don't think that this is a sign of things to come for the NL, you're not paying attention (remember, chicks and Bud Selig dig the long ball). Major League Baseball has this ridiculous obsession with the need to keep aging former stars hanging around the game through the DH position. The fact that baseball keeps trying to force this rule down the NL's throat bothers me. I'll admit to a bias here because I follow NL baseball and I love the strategy behind double switches. But I think the fact that the leagues are different is a good thing, and I like watching my pitchers help themselves out with sacrifices or hits.

At this point, the reason I watch the All-Star Game is because it's really the only time I get to see players from the American League (because you all know I don't watch Yankees games). But I can't take it seriously, because it's become a joke. I think that's sad because an All-Star selection should be something to take pride in - for the players, but also for the fans of those players. Instead, all I can think about are the idiots in Chicago mass-voting for Fukodome.

The woes of the bench

With another extra innings loss yesterday afternoon, the Mets fell to 2-4 on their road trip. I suppose it could have been worse - we could have been swept in Philadelphia. Or in Cincinnati. Anyway, I noticed yesterday that different Mets blogs were FULL of people complaining about the line up Jerry was starting. Now, while I do agree that he falls back on a "day game after a night game on get away day" B-lineup (which is frustrating, because it just feels like giving up on the last game of a series), I don't think the issue is really that he's giving the starters a day off. I think the problem is who is replacing them.

Our bench right now contains the following people: Henry Blanco, Alex Cora, Gary Matthews, Jr., Fernando Tatis, and Frank Catalanatto. I don't take issue with Blanco and Cora. Although Omar misjudged the market slightly when resigning Cora, I applauded him at the time and I still support it. Cora is not an everyday player and, through no fault of his own, was completely overused last year. Now, don't get me wrong, he's not a super utility guy like Mark DeRosa, but he does a fine job as a back up. While Blanco hasn't been playing much or really producing a lot, I'm beginning to appreciate the way he works with pitchers (particularly Mike Pelfrey). And Tatis is here for better or worse, so there's no point in even discussing how he shouldn't have been resigned this season.

As far as the other two... I'm trying to have patience. I recognize that GMJ needs to stay on the roster as a back-up center fielder. With Carlos Beltran out, the Mets simply don't have other options at this point. However, he is currently an automatic out in a line up that isn't exactly striking fear into the opposing pitchers in the first place. GMJ has just been awful. I think I understand now why the Angels are paying $20 million to not have him on the team. I feel the same about Catalanatto. He isn't producing during his limited playing time (and yes, I do understand that it is difficult to be a pinch hitter). So why keep him around??

Chris Carter (part of the Billy Wagner exodus/debacle) is tearing up AAA at the moment. In 102 plate appearances, he's batting .344 with a .402 on base percentage. In a much smaller sample (23 at bats), Catalanatto is currently batting .174 with a .208 on base percentage. He's not even batting his weight right now. We saw Ike Davis give this team a shot in the arm a few weeks ago - who's to say that Carter wouldn't be capable of the same? There is some speculation that Chris Carter is a AAAA player - someone who tears up the minors, but is not good enough for the majors. This could absolutely be true, but I think the Mets need to ask themselves this: could he really be THAT much worse than the bench players we're currently carrying? Shouldn't we at least see what he can do at the major league level? Without any depth on the bench, we're going to be in for a long season. Anyone else miss Joe McEwing and Matt Franco? I know I do.

What happened...

After continuing to roll with a feel good win on Friday night, the Mets imploded over the next two days. We all knew that Mike Pelfrey would eventually come back down to earth, but did it have to happen against the Phillies and Doc Halladay?? The Mets could not do anything against the Phillies ace... but then again, not many teams can. That loss was difficult, but at the same time, we'd stuck it to the Phillies so badly the night before I just sort of chalked it up to baseball karma. And then, Sunday came.

Have you ever seen Johan Santana completely lose it like he did last night? I mean, we're talking 2009 Mike Pelfrey meltdown status. Thankfully, I happened to be driving a friend home during Johan's meltdown, so I had Wayne Hagan and Howie Rose to talk me through it rather than Jon Miller and Joe Morgan. My favorite moment from last night's broadcast, courtesy of Jon Miller in about the fifth inning: "If Jamie Moyer hits a home run here, the Mets should just pack their bags." Thank you, Jon. Because Mets fans across the nation couldn't figure out that things were bad enough, you're actually encouraging a team that had already mailed it in to give up. And you read that correctly - the Mets completely mailed it in last night.

The game started off wonderfully... David Wright hit a home run in the first inning to give the Mets a 3-0 lead. Santana immediately gave back 2 of those runs in the form of homers. We picked up another 2 runs to make the score 5-2 - and then all hell broke loose. And the second that Johan left the game, the Mets had given up. That's a bigger problem for me than the fact that Johan got shelled. It's going to happen to everyone at some point - but again, did it really have to be against the Phillies? Against Jamie-freakin-Moyer? With ESPN doing the broadcast?! (ok, that last one is just me. I'm really bitter we had to deal with 3 ESPN Sunday games in a row PLUS 2 Fox Saturday games during that stretch).

The Mets will get a chance to start a new streak tonight in Cincinnati. They need to show us that they can rebound from brutal losses and get back on track. Having Ike Davis and Angel Pagan (who were inexplicably given the day off yesterday) back in the line up should help. Show us some fight, boys.... we really do want to believe, you just make it so damn hard sometimes.

It's time for...

Mets vs. Phillies! I love a good baseball rivalry and this weekend, we're finally going to get Mets/Phillies baseball like it was meant to be played. I've said before that I don't hate the Phillies nearly as much as I still hate the Braves - even though they've been irrelevant recently - but that doesn't mean I don't want to go for the jugular here. I believe that this series is much more important for the Mets than the Phillies. Sure, the Phils have some bullpen problems (ok, maybe a lot of bullpen problems..) but they're the defending NL champs until someone dethrones them. It also seems like they make the right moves when necessary, so I have no doubt that they will magically find some relief pitchers to help them out and all will be right in the City of Brotherly Love. Again. ugh.

The Mets, on the other hand, have some convincing to do. I know, I know - we just finished a 10 game home stand at 9-1. I like Ike, and so does everyone else. Jose Reyes is being Jose Reyes. David Wright and Jason Bay finally remembered how to hit a baseball. The starting and relief pitching has been absolutely incredible, with John Maine and Oliver Perez being the exceptions. (That's right - unlike the rest of New York, I'm not letting John Maine off the hook because he had one solid start where 30 MPH winds aided the natural movement on his 87-MPH fastball).

But here's the thing about being a Mets fan: we're still not convinced. Believe me, I wish I wasn't conditioned to wait for the other shoe to drop. It's stressful to constantly wait for bad news. The term I've seen being used the most on Mets blogs is "cautiously optimistic" - as in, we love what is happening right now.... but we know all too well how tenuous this success can be. Realistically, the Mets can take two out of three this weekend:

Friday - LHP Jon Niese (0-1, 3.68) vs. RHP Kyle Kendrick (0-0, 7.71)
Saturday - RHP Mike Pelfrey (4-0, 0.69) vs. RHP Roy Halladay (4-1, 1.80)
Sunday - LHP Johan Santana (3-1, 2.08) vs. LHP Jaime Moyer (2-2, 5.25)

I'd like to think we can beat Kendrick - Jon Niese has pitched fairly well so far this year, but he is also still developing as a pitcher so there are bound to be some bumps in the road and Kendrick has not been on form. As phenomenal as Mike Pelfrey has been, the edge goes to the Phillies in game 2. We can also beat Jaime Moyer as long as we don't beat ourselves (translation: Santana needs run support). All in all, I'm excited for this weekend. Baseball hasn't had this much meaning for Mets fans in nearly a year and I'm enjoying every second of it.

Since yesterday's game was rained out...

I don't have any recaps. Instead, I'll be playing around with a new gimmick: Mythbusters. Today's myth - Chicks dig the long ball.

Now, don't get me wrong - home runs are great. They are exciting, give you instant runs, and generally get the crowd even more pumped up or bring them back to the game. But where the hell did this urban legend COME from?!? I don't understand how the art of the infield hit and scratching out runs got lost in the baseball shuffle. It is clearly more stressful when your team relies on such things to score runs, but isn't it also more exciting in its own way? I appreciate the hustle and determination needed to piece together runs. Shouldn't we expect (or even demand) these things from every player on our teams? I know I do. Nothing makes me happier than Jose Reyes beating out a throw for an infield single... and then watching him wreak havoc on the bases. You're trying to tell me Jose "stealing" a run against the Braves on Sunday wasn't exciting?? (Side note here - I'm aware that Jose is not always playing alertly when he makes these plays... I've said before that he really just has the ability to outrun his mental mistakes, which is fairly impressive considering he seems to make a lot of them.)

I'll leave you with this quote from Ichiro, probably the coolest (or at least most quotable) player in the majors today:
Chicks who dig home runs aren't the ones who appeal to me. I think there's sexiness in infield hits because they require technique. I'd rather impress the chicks with my technique than with my brute strength. Then, every now and then, just to show I can do that, too, I might flirt a little by hitting one out.

The chicks who dig infield hits are out there, Ichiro. I promise.

Get the brooms out!

I can't think of many things that make me happier than the Mets sweeping the Braves. Sure, the Braves got themselves into trouble committing a ton of errors and not coming through with runners in scoring position throughout the series. And yes, last night's game was called due to rain after 5 innings and one pitch. But you know what? I'm a Mets fan and I'll take those breaks any day of the week and twice on Sunday. We're one game over .500 and on a four game winning streak. Given the way April started, that's exciting. Some things to consider:

• The Mets haven't lost a game since Jose Reyes started hitting third. If I learned one thing in college, it's that correlation does not imply causation - but Jason Bay is finally starting to hit so I'd like to think it's a combination of seeing some better pitches because of Reyes and Bay just finding a groove.
• Mike Pelfrey didn't have the best stuff last night... but it was good enough to improve to 4-0 on the year, extend his scoreless innings streak to 24, and lower his ERA to 0.69.
• Memo to David Wright - sometimes you'd rather be lucky than good. DW needs some breaks in the worst possible way.

Finally - and this really has nothing to do with the weekend series - I absolutely love it when Ralph Kiner makes guest appearances in the booth. He has great stories from his playing days, isn't afraid to call out today's players for anything, and is at a point in his life where he can say whatever he wants. It's amazing and highly entertaining. I wish ESPN and FOX would let him visit.

A win streak?! No way!!

That's right, our Mets actually have a win streak going! Mike Pelfrey showed no ill effects from his stint as a reliever, tossing seven scoreless innings against the Cubs last night and lowering his ERA to 0.86. He has now thrown 19 consecutive scoreless innings. He looks like an entirely different person from last year and I love it. Did anyone see this coming??

For the first time last night, Jose Reyes appeared to be ready to play baseball again. After a day off on Monday, Reyes picked up 4 hits including a 2 RBI triple. It was good to see Jose running without looking like he was afraid of tweaking something. Other than that, it's a good thing Pelfrey was able to dominate the Cubs because the middle of the batting order - David Wright, Jason Bay, Jeff Francoeur, and Ike Davis - combined to go 0-13 with seven strikeouts. Francoeur seems to have lost some of the plate discipline we saw him exhibit over the first week and a half of the season, which would explain his recent cold streak. And as nice as it would have been, Davis was not going to continue to hit .500 at this level. But oh man, what is going on with Wright and Bay?? I said yesterday I felt there was something just off about David's swing and whole approach, but it's really standing out at this point. I know Bay is a streaky hitter, and he did have a couple of hits on Monday, so I'm just waiting for things to click with him. We really need him to step up and be the power hitter Omar signed.

For now, I'm adopting a "glass half full" mentality and giving the line up some time to click. I mean, the construction really only started making sense within the last two games. And quite honestly, while we're winning games I don't see the need to harp on the negatives (key words - "while we're winning games"...).

Funny how things change...

I know that in this day and age of constant media coverage and outlets for fans to spew venom/sing praises, things change quickly. But it seems like there are some positives surrounding the Mets for the first time this season.

Over the past 5 days, the pitching - both starting and relief - has been phenomenal. Well, with the exception of John Maine anyway. The Mets came away with a hard fought, 20-inning win in St. Louis (sure, they went on to lose the series, but hey a win's a win). Mike Pelfrey showed me he has the potential to be a serious big timer when he told Jerry "I can do this. I want the ball" and picked up a save in that ridiculous game. Pelfrey is 2-0, with 1 save and a 1.29 ERA. I'm curious to see if/how his relief appearance affects his performance tonight... but for the first time in about 1.5 years, I have some faith in Big Pelf.

Ike Davis gave the anemic offense a much needed boost last night, going 2-4 with an RBI in his major league debut. I'm praying Davis is the real deal - partly because we're in desperate need of a true first basemen, but mostly because I just want to see the Mets launch an "I Like Ike" campaign complete with pins and t-shirts.

Jason Bay showed signs of breaking out of his slump which is great to see. Hopefully Bay's production will increase and take some pressure off of David Wright, who seems to be struggling at the plate again. I feel like his swing has changed... I can't pinpoint exactly what it is, but David used to be his own version of a hitting tutorial video, and I'm not seeing that same muscle memory-type swing with him anymore. Fans seem to be getting frustrated with him, which I don't think is fair because Wright has been one of the most consistently good players in our line up. His defense has never been perfect and throws to first are an adventure sometimes... but I think this makes Davis's impact even more important because good defensive first basemen make the other infielders better.

All in all, I'm happy we're showing signs of life. Even though pitching was the big question mark going into this season, it's turned out that the offense has been the bigger problem. It's tough when the guys you pay to be your big bats are slumping simultaneously. And Jose Reyes looks like he's half a step behind everything that's happening on the field. I think these things will work themselves out, but really only time will tell. Another win tonight would certainly go a long way in lifting spirits - particularly those of the fan base. Let's Go Mets!

New and Improved Mike Pelfrey?

If I didn't know it was Mike Pelfrey pitching yesterday afternoon, I might not have believed it. Not only did Big Pelf become the first starter to get an out in the 7th inning, he looked great. I mean, really great. He didn't allow a run - bringing his ERA to a team-low 1.38 - and even though he committed a balk, he didn't let it derail his concentration. On top of that, he also helped himself out with an RBI single.

This is almost a complete turn around from last year and I'm thrilled with it. Who would have thought Mike Pelfrey would turn into a stopper? The Mets desperately needed a pitching performance like that (you know that the bullpen and Jerry Manuel breathed a collective sigh of relief when Pelfrey actually completed seven innings) and it seemed to spark the team a bit. I said that I considered Mike Pelfrey to be the X factor of the starting five... and if he continues to put together outings like that, it will be everything I could have possibly hoped for coming from him. I don't know if the fact that he was dropped to the number 4 starter in the rotation took some pressure off of him or created a challenge to prove himself, but regardless he seems to be in a really good place.

Last thing - I know I complained about signing 5 different catchers this off season, but Pelfrey gave Henry Blanco a ton of credit yesterday:

“He’s pretty unbelievable back there. I’m probably not as good as he made it look, but, he did a good job. Another thing about him that was huge is he came over to me between innings… we communicated, and I think that’s huge for learning.” (excerpt posted by Matthew Cerrone and taken from metsblog.com).

I still don't believe there was a coherent plan in place this off season, but it seems like the Mets did at least one thing right.

Armchair GM - Session 1

Another tough loss last night... I don't have the energy to rehash, so instead I'm going to focus on something else. Yesterday on WFAN, Jerry Manuel had his weekly spot with Mike Francesa. I'm not a Francesa fan - I think he's arrogant and a borderline bully. But Jerry made some comments last night that I thought were interesting and sparked a little Armchair GM in me.

Comment #1: "We haven't gelled as an offense yet."
Well, maybe that's because the line up that Jerry has opted to put on the field has not been maximizing the talent that we have. I'm tired of "splitting up the righties" with Mike Jacobs - what good is splitting up the righties when you have a lefty like Jacobs in between? Who would pitch to Wright or Bay when they know that Jacobs is a strike out machine? Additionally, Gary Matthews has been awful. I don't think Angel Pagan is a starter... but he not only outplayed Matthews in spring training, he has outplayed him in what little playing time he has had since the season started. And with Beltran out, shouldn't we really be doing everything we can to compensate?

Comment #2 (RE: John Maine and his awful starts): "I don't think two starts is enough time to make a decision like that."
Ok, fine... but it hasn't been two starts. The writing has been on the wall with Maine for the past two years. He's been able to escape some criticism because of injuries, but now he's healthy for the first time in awhile. He got lit up during spring training, and like I said - it's not as if Opening Day flips a switch and turns these guys into something special. Jerry made it clear that Maine will get his next start. After that, I suppose some decisions will have to be made.

Comment #3 (on Minaya's decision to leave Ike Davis at AAA): "I'm gonna leave that one alone."
I'm taking this to mean that Manuel disagrees with the decision. Who can blame him... Davis is producing more by himself at AAA than both of the guys currently platooning at first at the major league level. Also, I know you can't always cater to the fan base, but Davis is someone we can at least get excited about. Did you see the attendance at the Nationals weekend series? Citi Field is going to be empty if they don't do something to inspire some confidence or at least hope in the fans.

So here is my Armchair GM analysis. If you want to leave Ike Davis at AAA, fine. Cut Jacobs and give Chris Carter, who killed the ball all spring, a shot. If Jerry is really sold on Jacobs, and he seems to be, then put Kelvim Escobar on the 60 day DL (retroactive to March) and open up the roster spot that way. Give Ruben Tejada more starts at second base, because I don't care that Luis Castillo is making $6 million this year, I'm tired of seeing him bunt and hit slap shots to the middle infielders. See what Fernando Nieve can do in the rotation because 1. he can't be worse than anything we have right now and 2. If Maine gets shelled in his next start, he should be put on the 30 day DL to buy some time to work things out in the minors. (as a side note - did anyone else see Nelson Figueroa's line from last night's Phillies/Nationals game? He is not necessarily a game changer, but I bet Jerry Manuel is missing him in the bullpen right about now given that his starters are lucky to get to the sixth inning.) That's my take on the first 8 games. Notice how that number keeps going up... pretty soon we won't be able to say "it's still early."

Rox have their way with Maine

The Rockies knocked John Maine around last night en route to an 11-3 victory. Maine left the game after just 3 innings during which the Rockies scored 8 runs (helped along the way by a throwing error committed by Maine). Now there were a few bright spots - David Wright went 2-2 with two walks and a home run, Jeff Francoeur has hit safely in all seven games this season, and there was even a hit with men in scoring position last night. Considering the bullpen was used for 6 innings, they technically combined for a "quality start", giving up only three additional runs.

I have to say that I can not complain about our bullpen. They have been consistently solid. However... I am very concerned about overuse. There is something wrong with the Mets starters. I don't know if there is such a thing as a "mental toughness" gene - but if there is, these guys don't have it, with Johan Santana being the exception. Our starters can not get it together if one thing goes wrong. You can actually see the meltdowns progress as the starters continue to walk batters, give up hits, miss the strike zone, and perpetuate the cycle. Santana is the only starter who can settle himself down, as evidenced by his last start, and even that was too little too late. (Side note - this isn't even just about the starters. It's about the fact that if the Mets get down early they seem to be incapable of making a comeback. That is demoralizing to a baseball fan, but it is also a topic for another day.)

This morning, I did some math. Out of a possible 64 innings of baseball (7 games plus one extra inning) do you know how many of those innings have been pitched by starters? 36.2. That is ridiculous. We haven't had a starter make it past the sixth inning this season. In those 36.2 innings, the average ERA is 6.2. This number is skewed because of Maine's horrific start yesterday - 8 runs in three innings pitched will do that - but even if Maine is removed from the equation, the average becomes 4.69. For a team that seems to be unable to hit with runners in scoring position, this is WAY too high.

I found it interesting that during the broadcast last night, Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez discussed the fact that Maine, Perez, and Pelfrey were essentially handed starting spots even though they were out-pitched during spring training. It makes me feel better that rabid fans are not the only ones questioning this rotation or the decisions made during spring training.

Bueller? .... Bueller?

This is how I feel about the New York Mets. They simply don't show up for games. At least Ferris Bueller was creative about it... in this case, the absence is glaring. This is a problem for a few reasons (the most obvious being the end result - we are not winning games).

Let me first confess that I did not actually see any of this past weekend's series with the Nationals. I caught up on box scores and reports late on Sunday and a little bit this morning as well. From what I can gather, it was ugly. The Mets are reverting to their 2009 habit of leaving small towns on base every night - which clearly does not translate into wins.

During the yesterday's post game interview, Jerry took the blame for the loss and made a few comments about the team being unprepared. I never understand this - these guys are professional athletes. How is it possible for them to be unprepared and/or unmotivated? I have no idea what Jerry is like in the clubhouse, but if he is anything like his interview persona, it's really not a shock. He doesn't seem to get fired up about anything. I've never really been on the "Bring back Bobby V." bandwagon, but I understand the concept. Our Mets constantly seem to need a kick in the ass to bring them back to the levels at which they should already be playing. I think there should be a 1986 resurgence - bring in Wally Backman and Tim Teufel to run the show. Gary Carter has made it clear on numerous occasions that he would accept a job. And really, would anything be more entertaining that Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter working together in any capacity??

Back to yesterday... I'm still not throwing in the metaphorical towel on this season. After all, it is only 6 games. I understand that our opponents were the Marlins and the Nationals and that Santana had two starts, but the sky isn't falling (not yet, anyway). Santana's velocity was down yesterday so his change up was not very effective and that is worrisome. But at the same time, your ace should be able to have an off day without it being a crisis. The problem is that when the remaining 4 starters are Maine, Niese, Pelfrey, and Perez... suddenly every game Santana takes the loss in becomes an issue (Side note to this - I know that Perez had a decent start this weekend, but why wouldn't we skip him in the rotation? We could have gotten away with not having him start until next week. Isn't it better for the team as a whole if Perez has as few starts as possible?).

The Mets flew to Colorado yesterday and open a three game set with the Rockies starting tomorrow. Maybe the Mets can find some magic in the Mile High City.

It's always the Marlins...

Last night was tough. I'm not sure which part was worse - watching Maine struggle through 5 innings, being down 6-1, or losing 7-6 in extra innings. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that games like last night's are going to be the norm for us this year. The Mets were lucky Maine only gave up 4 runs since he was essentially putting the ball on a tee for Jorge Cantu (aka the newest addition to my baseball shit list). Maine was frustrating to watch and labored through his 5 innings - I suppose the silver lining here is that he made it through 5 innings. Also in his defense, he only walked one batter while striking out three. Other things of note from yesterday:

• Mike Jacobs is now 1 for 8 with 4 strike outs in two games. Remind me again why he is getting more at bats than Jason Bay, who was signed to be a clean up hitter?
• Alex Cora is also 1 for 8 from the lead off spot. At least he has an RBI though, which is more than we can say for Jacobs.
• Fernando Tatis still thinks he is a rookie. If you're going to try to make it home on a passed ball with 2 outs, bases loaded, and David Wright at the plate.... you better be 150% sure you're going to be safe. Fernando was not.

Anyway, the great thing about baseball is that there is an immediate chance for redemption. I'm excited to see what Jon Niese brings to the mound tonight. I have more faith in him than I probably should, partially because he's young but mostly because he really is an unknown entity at this point. With John Maine, you know what you are going to get: 5 somewhat shaky innings, after which the team is hopefully in a position to win. I'd like to see Niese go 6 innings - this will most likely depend on his pitch count though because it's not only his first start this year, it's his first start after a season-ending injury in 2009. Maybe Mike Jacobs will even get an RBI tonight to help him out.

Back to reality?

I kind of feel like baseball season actually starts today. I think it was Joe Beningo who said on Daily News Live that managers treat Opening Day like it's game 7 of the World Series. I agree with that... I mean, really, were we expecting Jerry Manuel to experiment in the later innings of Monday's game and potentially put not only an Opening Day win but a Santana win in jeopardy? So in that way, Opening Day is kind of a fake-out.

Tonight though - that's a whole different story. With John Maine on the mound, the bullpen might get a lot of use because Maine could easily be knocked out after three innings. I really want Maine to step up tonight. There has been so much negativity surrounding the starting rotation (from myself included) that it would really help our Mets fan psyches if Maine put together a solid outing. At 29, I consider him past the point in his career where "dead arm" phases and injuries just occur constantly and can be used as excuses. It's time for Maine to show us what he's really made of - and hopefully, that means 6 innings and leaving with a chance for the team to win the game.

In other news, Jose Reyes played a full nine innings in extended spring training. I want to read into this so much and proclaim that he is absolutely ready to rejoin the team this weekend... but I can't. Extended spring training is not major league talent by any means. So for now, I'm going to content myself with being REALLY happy that his legs are still attached to his body and his thyroid levels are normal. Come back soon, Jose.. we miss you!!

The promise of a new season

"A big part of the new season is letting go of the old one - forgetting the losses, or the injuries - and focusing completely on the future." - My Boys

It's Opening Day, and I'm excited. For this one day, I don't care that our pitchers have been getting shelled or that we are missing two of our most important players. There are still questionable things going on - for instance, why is Mike Jacobs batting behind David Wright today? What pitcher in his right mind would pitch to Wright when he's got a strike out machine batting behind him in the order? But it is time to let some things go.

Everyone can agree that 2009 was a horrific season and a complete disappointment. But you know what? It's not 2009 anymore. Part of this is just an Opening Day high and part of it is that I have faith in Johan regardless of how his spring training ended. The important thing here is that I love baseball, and I'm pumped up for this. Remember - you don't mess with the Johan and let's go Mets!

Where are the pitchers

I think it's fairly obvious that I kind of gave up on March. This month has been painfully long, and I'm just happy we get to change the calendars tomorrow. And guess what? The Mets haven't helped.

I wanted to be optimistic going into spring training, and I was for about 2 weeks. Here's the thing: what the hell is going on with our pitchers? Now, I know that spring training doesn't matter, and that ERAs and wins/losses in March are irrelevant. But it's not like a switch is going to get flipped on April 5th and change everything. I still have faith because Johan is nothing if not a gamer, but at the same time he was a notoriously slow starter with Minnesota. Last year was really an anomaly for him. I hate the fact that Perez, Pelfrey, and Maine have done nothing to ease the anxiety most Mets fans feel regarding their abilities to be successful. The difference is that I know Johan will work through it and figure it out himself.

And that's still only four pitchers. What about our fifth starter? I don't even think it's worth speculating on who Jerry and Omar are going to pick, because at different points this spring hasn't everyone been the front runner at one point or another? Why does it feel like we are scrambling around at the last minute, trying to throw together a legitimate pitching staff?

This is why I always felt pitching should have been a priority this off season. Yes, the lack of home run power in 2009 was disturbing, but there are other ways to score runs and win games. Are home runs REALLY the issue when your starters only last 5 or 6 innings (at best) and probably give up 5 runs during that time? I think it's a fair to say that for the Mets to be serious contenders, we need to get between 40-43 combined wins out of Perez, Pelfrey, and Maine. Can you see that happening at this point in time? If everything - and I mean everything - breaks right, they have the potential... but if I'm honest with myself, I don't think there is any way that happens. What's a suffering fan to do....

The kids are all right

One of the few bright spots in Port St. Lucie this spring has been the fact that our prospects actually look like they might live up to the hype surrounding them this time around. Ike Davis has been hitting like crazy - although the defense he prides himself on has been a bit shaky. Fernando Martinez is showing signs that his cup of coffee last year was a poor showing and not up to his usual standard. Reuben Tejada has started some conversations about whether or not he could be moved over to second base (mostly among fans... and yes, we do remember what happened the last time the Mets tried to convert a shortstop into a second baseman). I think it's important that these guys at least start the year in AAA. Not only will they get regular playing time - something Martinez in particular definitely needs - but they will also get used to playing together.

But man, Jenrry Mejia is something else all together. He's only 20 years old and has already been compared to Mariano Rivera and Dwight Gooden. I would love to see Mejia make the team this year... but only if the Mets actually have a plan for him. I do not want them to stick him in the bullpen as an 8th inning guy, only to change their minds next year and try to make him back into a starter etc, etc. As much as John Maine's comments earlier in the week rubbed people the wrong way, I think it's true that relievers and starters approach the game differently. If Mejia is truly as gifted as he seems to be, then he is worth the wait and deserves a solid plan. The 8th inning is a glaring hole in the bullpen right now so I understand why there has been some chatter about Mejia filling that role. Personally, I would rather see the Mets try to develop Mejia into a starter since he brings some excitement and confidence to the mound. I love Johan Santana, but he's not going to be around forever. Wouldn't it be helpful to have someone in our system capable of taking his place at some point? That being said, if the Mets see Mejia as their closer of the future, they should move forward with him in the bullpen. Just make up your mind and stick to the decision - is that really asking too much?

We Believe in....

Not much of anything anymore. Jose Reyes was diagnosed with a hyper active thyroid, and he will be "resting and changing his diet" for 2-8 weeks while he waits for his thyroid levels to stabilize. He can't elevate his heart rate until that happens. I'm confused as to how this issue (or non-issue, if you listen to the Mets) went from "there was something in his blood work we want to check out, but he'll be in uniform by the weekend" to missing anywhere from 2-8 weeks. And that's not counting getting himself back into baseball shape, because let's not forget he is still rehabbing a hamstring injury that limited him to 36 games in 2009.

To borrow a quote from "A Few Good Men" - I suppose it's way too much to hope you're making this all up just to bother me.

Of course it is, because this is the Mets we're talking about. For whatever reason, they always come off looking terrible in these situations. I'd like to think that the media is digging for issues with the Mets because of the injury-ravaged 2009 campaign... but this seems to happen once a month. You never hear about things like this with any other team.

I'm so tired of this team being the joke of the major leagues for one reason or another. They just make such dumb choices... Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel have no problem issuing statements about players that have "won" starting spots before spring training has started. And they were perfectly willing to comment on Reyes prior to today. But now, when we actually need them to say something, they have disappeared. Pay attention, boys - stand up and face the music. Issue an official statement about this because as a fan I'm at a loss and I know I'm not alone. Stop acting like the fans don't ever deserve an explanation. Sometimes we are crazy and demand far too much, but sometimes we get it right - and this is one of those times.

Jose Reyes

Well, Jerry Manuel is on record as saying that he would consider batting Jose Reyes third during the 2010 season. I found out about this on Friday, but I needed a few days to wrap my head around this concept. I do understand the point to this - with Beltran missing the first month or so of the season, Jerry wants to stretch the line up as much as possible. Reyes batting third allows him to have a threat through the fifth or sixth spot in the line up (depending on production) whereas Reyes leading off only gives depth through the clean up hitter and maybe the fifth spot.

With that being said, I really hate this idea. I'm scared that batting Reyes third is going to change his approach at the plate. I do not want Jose swinging for the fences because he's now in an RBI spot... I want him hitting sharp line drives to the gap that he can easily turn into triples at Citi Field. Not only that, one of Jose's biggest assets (if not THE biggest) is his speed. If he's batting third and gets on base that is usually going to mean one of two things - either there are men on base in front of him, or there are two outs. Neither situation is conducive to Jose Reyes doing what he does best - rattling pitchers with the threat of a steal.

In the end, it doesn't matter what I think, because it is Jerry's decision to make. And I refuse to let this kill my Spring Training buzz... at least for now.

Ptichers & Catchers and D-Wright

That's right, it's that time again - pitchers and catchers officially report to spring training TODAY! I know most people don't really care about this, but I love spring training. It's the first chance you get to really evaluate where your team stands. I'm going to be paying close attention to our starting pitchers this year, since they're all coming back from either a season-ending injury or just a terrible year. I still think Big Pelf is the X factor and rumor has it that he's dropped 25 pounds and is ready to go (this is another reason to love spring training - everyone shows up in "the best shape of [his] life"). I'm ready to see big things from all of them.

There have also been rumors lately that the Mets are "aggressively" going after Rod Barajas. Just a few weeks ago, we were told the Mets were done spending money. I don't even really know what this means, and I can't say I'm going to obsess over this. Once again, I feel like management is talking way too much. Stop commenting on who is fighting who for which starting position. Let things unfold during spring training and see who earns the spot. At this point, does it even really matter if Jerry claims one guy has an edge over another?

And finally, David Wright made a splash yesterday with his statements about "expecting" to win the NL East and World Series (by the way, David is another guy with a voice you wouldn't expect. The Mets just attract these guys apparently). I love this from David. He's a major league baseball player - he SHOULD expect to win. He didn't say that they would win or continue the asinine "we're the team to beat" fight - just that he expects to win. I don't see anything wrong with this. He's showing confidence in the team he plays for and is still acknowledging the fact that at this point in time, the goal is to beat the teams that have gotten the better of us over the past few seasons. Props to D-Wright for setting the tone early this spring... maybe this will be his year he really comes into his own as the leader everyone has expected him to be since Cliff Floyd left the team.

Mex mentors Murphy

I meant to write about this sooner, but the snow has been distracting me. Keith Hernandez has been working with Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans on defense and footwork at first base. I'm glad someone who doesn't write this blog finally came up with the idea of asking Keith to help out.

In an interview for SNY, Murphy said that it was an honor to work with Keith (as a completely random side note, the first time I heard Murphy speak, I was shocked. He does not look like his voice should be that deep). I'm hoping that their sessions were productive and that Murphy came away from them with a better understanding of what exactly he's supposed to be doing over there. Mex is a great resource for Murphy and Evans and hopefully they will continue to pick his brain on first base related issues.

Of course, I'd be a lot more optimistic if Keith had given me some hope during his appearance on Daily News Live. He was completely non-committal when asked about Murhpy's future as a first baseman, which I suppose is fine... I mean, we don't want to kill the kid's confidence before spring training even starts (note to Jerry - keep your mouth shut). I personally believe that Murphy will be fine now that he's had time to work on the position and will have some protection in the line up. He's a solid player and I'd like for him to show us why he should be a starter and not just considered a back up.

Silver Linings

"Why? Because it's spring and baseball is coming, that's why." - Sports Night

Ok, so it's not exactly spring yet... but baseball IS coming! Since there are way too many strange, illogical things going on with the Mets (JJ Putz not having a physical, Omar working with an unknown budget, etc.), I decided that with Pitchers and Catchers coming up in two weeks, I'm going to focus on some silver linings. Here are the reasons I'm still excited for baseball:

1. During the Mets' 3 day mini-camp, Dan Warthen gave an interview to SNY where he said that Oliver Perez threw "the best he's ever seen" and that Santana has a better curve and breaking ball now than he did last year (side note - I still don't trust Ollie P. but I think that's the first positive report we've had on him in about 2 years).

2. Nelson Figueroa pitched a complete game 3-hitter for the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Series yesterday. I understand that no one really cares because it's the Caribbean League, but I saw the ninth inning of the game and Figueroa looked sharp.

3. In the same game, Fernando Martinez went 2-4 with a 2-run home run. After seeing Martinez look incredibly under-prepared at the plate last year - not to mention the infamous pop up he decided not to run out - this is good news. Martinez is too young to be considered a bust, but it's time for him to stay healthy and light up AAA.

4. Jose Reyes is back. SNY's Kevin Burkhardt caught up with Reyes on Monday, and he looks great. He is reportedly running 90 feet sprints in 3.53 seconds. This is also the first time since Reyes went down with the leg injuries in May that he has sounded like he is ready to be back. To quote him, "there's going to be a show."

Maybe I'm grasping at straws... don't get me wrong, I know we still have holes and I know that a story about the front office's incompetence seems to surface every two days. But there's something about the promise of spring training that makes it all seem okay. At least for now.

Bring back '86

Last night, MLB Network was airing episodes of "Baseball's Seasons" - so of course, I set a reminder for when the 1986 season was going to be on. Watching this show actually made me sad - not because the Mets won't be winning the World Series this year, but because they are a shadow of what they used to be. You can say what you want about the 1986 team - they were arrogant and hated by all of Major League Baseball - but those guys had a grittiness and "don't mess with us" attitude that I absolutely love. Most of you know that I have a little taste for blood in baseball. For example, I'll never for the life of me understand why Mike Piazza didn't beat the hell out of Roger Clemens. I love it when pitchers send a message with a pitch that's a little too far inside, or when they utilize the retaliation hit-by-pitch. All in all, I love it when baseball gets down and dirty, with a hard-nosed style that basically says, "You can try... but you're not gonna beat us."

And that is what makes me sad. The 2009 New York Mets had none of these qualities, and I'm not very hopeful for the 2010 model. I can see why the 1986 team is loved by Mets fans. Of course, winning the World Series plays a big role, but it goes deeper than that. That team was everything that was simultaneously right and wrong about baseball. The closest we have come to recapturing that feel was in 2006, with Paul LoDuca leading the way. 2006 was a fun year in baseball because we all really believed the Mets were going to win. For me, that's the biggest difference in the last couple of years.

It's hard to describe the feeling surrounding the last few seasons. As a fan, I know that I wasn't as confident in the 2007 team. Maybe it's because we were crushed by a called third strike to end the previous season. Or maybe it's because the Mets had lost their swagger. They were good in 2007, but it's almost as if their hearts weren't in it. That's a dangerous trend in baseball, and it's the thing I envy the most about the current Phillies team. I want to see my players care about winning and to show it. Being level headed and saying all the right things can only take you so far - sometimes, you have to get your hands dirty. For that reason, I hope the 2010 Mets can catch another airing of "Baseball's Seasons: 1986" before Opening Day.

What was this "plan" again?

Well, this has been an interesting few days. I held off writing about Gary Matthews, Jr. because I'm not entirely sure I understand what happened. We sent a young, hard throwing reliever to the Angels for... a defensively and offensively declining potential replacement for Carlos Beltran? At first I was fine with this, mainly because I don't think Angel Pagan should be in the major leagues as anything but a fourth outfielder. But as I'm hearing more and more and GMJ, doubts are beginning to surface. That, plus Jerry has already gone on the record as saying that Pagan will have the edge over GMJ in spring training. These people talk way too much. This situation is similar to what happened with Ryan Church last year - and Jerry's comments then were really the beginning of the end for Church.

Moving on - yesterday afternoon, the news broke that Ben Sheets was signed by the A's for $10 million. I wanted to take a gamble on Sheets, but not for $10 million, so even though I'm disappointed by this news, I am glad we didn't offer him that much. Sheets has a huge upside, but did not pitch at all last year. I think the A's are insane, but this is a good deal for Oakland because 1) they have the money to spend and 2) they set themselves up for a situation where they can trade Sheets for prospects in July if their season isn't going anywhere.

And now this morning I discover that Jon Garland is going to the Padres on a one year, $5.3 million signing. As with Jason Marquis, I don't believe that either Sheets or Garland would have been our saving grace... but I think they would have been an improvement, especially Garland because he will give you 190 innings every season. So now, the Mets will be offering John Smoltz some kind of deal. I have serious doubts as to his ability to start, given his age and the trouble he had last season. If anything, Smoltz can probably help out of the bullpen and I'm sure he is a valuable veteran to have around in terms of mentoring younger players. But - and this is my biggest issue - this guy is a BRAVE. The last time we tried that, it worked out REALLY well... oh wait.

Anyway, the Mets have clearly been lying to us about this so-called off season plan. Pitching and defense? Really? Mets management needs to have their own three day mini-camp in the Seattle Mariners front office. Those guys know how to build a team to fit their ball park.

Pineiro goes to the Angels

It's been a rough stretch for Omar. First, the Carlos Beltran Debacle. Then, Bengie Molina opts to go back to the Giants after being "in serious talks" with the Mets for about 6 weeks. After dodging that bullet, I was really convinced the Mets were going to focus on starters, which it appears they were doing... but now it's being reported that Joel Pineiro is going to sign with the Angels.

Earlier this week, Matthew Cerrone over at Metsblog reported that the Mets were looking to sign some combination of the following: John Smoltz, Joel Pineiro, and Ben Sheets. Sheets threw for some teams on Tuesday and, based on the limited video I saw, looked very good. However, he is such a high risk/high reward pitcher that I really can't see him being the only attempt to upgrade the starting rotation. And as much as I still hate facing John Smoltz, he's not a starter anymore. With Pineiro out of the mix, that group seems much less attractive

Maybe there is some truth to the rumors that the Mets have been in discussions with the Reds regarding Bronson Arroyo and Brandon Phillips - but that scenario seems WAY too good to be true. With a little less than a month left until pitchers and catchers, I'm curious to see how this off season ends.

Confusing turn of events

Bengie Molina signed a deal to return to the Giants yesterday. This confuses me for several reasons. 1. Molina's sticking point with New York was allegedly that he wanted a 3 year deal... but he signed with the Giants for only one. 2. Everyone wants more money... except Molina signed for less than the Mets were offering. 3. While I understand that not everyone wants to play in New York, or for the Mets (and frankly, after last year, who can blame them) WHY were the Mets so overly confident that they had this signing locked up? They were talking about Molina as if he was a sure thing as far back as the winter meetings. Congratulations, management - you guys look like idiots again. Seems to be a trend.

Don't get me wrong - I'm actually fine with this development. While I think Molina could have helped, especially with a young pitching staff, this is not the end of the world since we've signed 183 catchers this off season. I really don't see a reason why Omir Santos and Henry Blanco can't effectively platoon the starting catcher spot. And we always have Chris Coste just in case. I was never concerned with this position, and I'm still not entirely sure why management has been obsessing over it. Oh well. Time to move on to bigger and better things.

Carlos "My Knee Hurts" Beltran

As I'm sure many of you are aware, Carlos Beltran has undergone knee surgery. He's expected to be out 8-12 weeks, which translates into "Angel Pagan will be starting in center field on Opening Day". Now I have absolutely no idea what the details of this situation are - the Mets are going to release a statement later today. I'm just confused as to how this happens two months before spring training. Beltran was sidelined by this knee problem in June. That was seven months ago. I understand not wanting to rush into surgery, especially if it's unnecessary, but how did this get pushed back so far that now Beltran's going to miss most (if not all) of April? I feel like this could really only happen to the Mets. And I can't help but wonder if this is why they focused so hard on finding a power hitter rather than a starting pitcher this off season.

Quick side notes - Mike Pelfrey will be joining Boomer and Carton on WFAN this morning around 9:00 - I can't wait to hear that interview. Also, David Wright was on with Mike Francesa yesterday and I was very happy to hear from him. It sounds like David has been working hard with HoJo to get back to his pre-2009 form, which will be good for everyone involved.

The X Factor

I decided that Mike Pelfrey is the X Factor of 2010. We're all too familiar with Big Pelf's compulsive behavior on the mound - talking to himself, licking his hand, and those damn "yips". The guy was a basket case last season. He was supposed to make progress and instead it felt like he took three steps backwards. So, here is why Pelfrey is my X Factor: in 2008, he pitched 200 innings and posted a 13-11 record (and that was with a bullpen that easily blew twice as many games as it saved) with an ERA of 3.72.

Now, don't get me wrong - he's got a lot of work to do to overcome last season. His stats from last season don't tell his whole story (10-12, 5.03 ERA) because although those numbers aren't terrible, he entered into "unwatchable" territory. His antics on the mound became so ridiculous and all consuming, that I believe he really did just lose sight of what he was supposed to do. My hope is that with Reyes returning to the field, the improved defense will give Pelfrey more confidence in his sinker. It becomes much easier to pitch when you don't have one part of your mind focused on the "what ifs" of poor defense.

Pelfrey has the ability to swing this rotation. We've seen what he is capable of, and we need him to become that pitcher again. And I still think he should make an appointment with Greinke's psychiatrist, just to be safe.

Starters on the horizon?

It's been a slow off season for us in general, but the past week has been ridiculous. I ran out of speculations and, at the risk of being repetitive, I decided to just wait until there were some new names linked to the Mets before posting again. This morning, I got what I was waiting for - an article on nymets.com by Alden Gonzalez naming potential starters for the Mets to acquire.

Out of what he claims to be "the steady hands" - Joel Pineiro, Jon Garland, and Doug Davis - I'm really only interested in Garland. Pineiro wants way too much money for his talent (thanks again, Randy Wolf) and even though Davis consistently makes 30+ starts per season, the last thing we need is another starter with no control (in 2009, he walked 103 batters and posted a 4.12 ERA). Even though Garland started off shaky last season, he improved so much once he was with the Dodgers that I'd be willing to take that chance for the right price. And as much as I want to kill Omar and the Mets for their inaction, I have to admit that they've been steadfast in holding out for the right price and I do appreciate that.

I disagree with most of the "wild card" starters mentioned after that: Chien-Ming Wang, John Smoltz, Ben Sheets, Pedro, and Erik Bedard. There is no way Pedro is a good investment. Everyone wants to point to his success with Philadelphia last year, but what about the fact that he only made nine starts? He hasn't proven that he can go a whole season, and he'll be looking for at least that. Bedard was shut down for shoulder surgery in 2009 and there's a chance he won't even be ready until the second half. I'm still scared of John Smoltz, because I'm a product of the Braves' dominant NL East run... but that's hardly objective. I wouldn't sign him as a starter because I'd be concerned about his durability, but he's an intriguing option as a reliever (not something we desperately need).

The only high risk pitchers I'd show interest in are Wang and Sheets. I've mentioned before that Sheets will need to come down from $12 million for that signing to be worthwhile, and I have no idea whether or not he plans on doing that. I think that he'll quickly find himself in the "Pedro Zone" if he doesn't lower his price. Wang has been prone to injuries recently, but he has posted impressive numbers in the past. As usual, it's kind of fun to speculate... but I honestly have no idea what Omar has planned. Hopefully there will be some interesting developments between now and February 18th because I'd love to see someone new report for pitchers and catchers.