Archive for August, 2010

No other team would pull something off like this: Jeff Francouer has been traded to the Rangers for Joaquin Arias. Arias was designated for assignment when the Rangers decided to bring up Jeff Cora, who had been designated for assignment by the Mets.

This is getting very old. Mets win one, and lose one. The same sickening, depressing and stale pattern has been going on since June. The promise of wonderful season left a long time ago. The only thing left was the scent in the air of a 10 – 1 stretch.

Even after they went from first to last in a matter of two weeks, they somehow managed to gain some relevance. A 2-9 streak came in, leaving a smell of pig farts, wet horses covered in dog shit and decaying body parts. Winning one game is simply a feeble attempt to cover the stench, like spraying dollar store air freshener in the bathroom after a meal of pork and beans, cabbage and asparagus.

Some one needs to open a window on the 2010 season, the smell is becoming intolerable..

Another great pitched game by R.A. Dickey. And once again, a game in which the starting pitcher not only had to pitch a great game, he had to hit in order to win. This has happened a few times for Santana, and at least once for Niese as well.

In three days the Mets will know whether to fish or cut bait. If they can sweep the Braves it could be a whole new ball game. Based on the recent past, chances the Mets win more than one game in a row are quite slim. Although, the Mets do have a habit of winning the first game of a series, they are the ultimate tease. They flash us a little cleavage on the first date, and make us believe we are getting some action, so we sign on for that second date.  The opportunity for action never arrives, but we remember how inviting things looked on the first date, so we are in for a third. On the third date, you are expecting Anne Hathaway, instead you get Jane.

Another lifeless game by  the Mets. They give up a run early, and you can see it on their faces and in their body language that they know that they will not score.

They had a a runner on in almost every inning. They left ten guys on base. Pick the stinking lineup out of a hat Jerry, because nothing you are doing is working.

The pitching was great last night, as was the defense, the bats were silenced, nothing new about that. The best Mets teams were built on pitching and defense and  getting a few well timed and placed hits. The Mets got one run on a walk, and another on a sac fly that barely made it out of the infield.

Pelfrey looked great, and Jerry let him stay in the game after the one hundred pitch count. Parnell came in, struck out the first guy he faced, and then could not get an out. Takahashi came in and got the save.

David is looking better at the plate, and so is Beltran. Finally some of the announcers addressed what is pretty obvious, don’t judge Beltran until the brace is off!

Jose missed less than two dozen games in four years. Last year he was hurt, and this year he had a few issues with the oblique. It is amazing how many people thing he is always hurt. Wake up and take a good look at his baseball card. There is no one available to give as much to a team as Reyes does for the Mets. Trading Wright and Reyes makes no sense, you are not going to find any one available that will fill their positions. The problem with these two, and with Beltran is mis-management. They have had Art Howe, who was a bore and out of his element in NYC; a rookie in Willie; and now Jerry by the Manuel, the play for one run king.

Put these guys in a well constructed line up, and they will flourish. They built a stadium around Jose, and Wright is getting back to his opposite field approach. Lets see what happens.

I support Backman as the next manager, and I know, like Willie, he is a rookie. Backman has won everywhere he has been. Willie did not want to manage in the minors, he wanted the top job right from the start. His best move would have been to take the Cincy job when it was offered, he would still be a major league manager if he did. Backman has extensive minor league stats, and has proven to be a motivator, his in game approach certainly would have to be at worst on part with Jerry. If he manages a game the same way he played it,that should lead to some exciting games, especially in the Citi Field, the triple and double capitol of the free world.

I have been following this team for as long as I can remember. No matter how far down the scale they fallen, I have always held on to hope and optimism.

Whenever the Mets allow a hitter to get on base, with no one out, they will surely score. If the Mets get a man on with no one out, he will almost certainly wind up stranded on the base paths. More often than not still standing on first base.

If the opposing pitcher strikes out eight Mets, he will surely win, if a Met pitcher strikes out eight, he will lose by seven runs.

How the hell can the manager stand up in front of the same microphones every night telling some of the most knowledgeable and devoted fans that their team still has a shot is beyond me. If this team wins two in a row, it is a newsworthy event. They expect them to come back from ten games behind? Well, if it was the other way around, an almost sure bet would be that this current chapter in Mets history would find a way to blow the lead.

Thursday’s game started off with such promise. Niese had great stuff the first few innings. No sooner did the words come out of Gary Cohen’s mouth that Niese had yet to give up a hit, a fish flopped  into left field.

How long will Jose be out of action? Again, in this chapter of Mets history, we wont see him until May, 2011, and they will deem him ready to play, back brace and all.

Maybe this season will wind up like that crazy episode of Dallas. Perhaps,with Jerry poking his head out of  the shower welcoming everyone to spring training 2010.

Everybody has been begging Frenchy to take more pitches. He now leads the team in pitches seen for the month of August. However, his pathetic average has dropped twenty points.

Now that Wright is hot again, Reyes is cold. What a crazy up and down season this has been. My hope is that they do not trade Wright, Reyes or Beltran over the off season. You would get nothing for Beltran. If he needs a brace, he is not ready to play. If he is not ready to play, than you certainly can not make an honest evaluation of his playing level until he is able to go on without the brace. If he is unable to play without a knee brace, then you can pull a Mo Vaughn and collect insurance on the contract. A team already playing a man short, can not have  a .220 hitter bat third.

Reyes is the spark plug on the team. When he scores, the team wins almost thirty percent more games. How in the hell can you even think of getting rid of him. Wright is the type of player any organization would want. He has been mismanaged for the last two years, and needs adequate protection and someone to get in his face when he stands with one foot out of the box.

Pitching last night was not bad, but not good either. The Marlins kept weakening the Mets game plan. One day they beat a great pitcher, and as they always do, they simply can not beat a rookie. Is it the scouting, or their attitude?

We should know by Sunday whether there is a chance for some type of post season play. If there is no post season hope, it should be bye bye Jerry.

Tuesday’s game against the Marlins was one of the best games of the year. The Mets surprised me by playing like the Mets should, hustling, moving runners along, good pitching and taking advantage of the other guy’s mistakes.

If the Mets manage to sweep the Marlins, it would alter the wild card standings, and at least get them back in the conversation.

Poor Luis, he just can’t get anyone to like him. He gets a game winning hit and gets ripped for not showing any emotions.  I doubt that you will ever see a Castillo jersey in the stands, unless it has a Ghostbuster’s red line through it.

After going the whole season managing pitchers by pitch count only, Jerry by the Manuel has discovered the complete game. How many games did he throw out the window by taking a pitcher who is clearly hurling a gem out of the game because he had thrown one hundred pitches. Although I do not have the exact games, and at the moment I am too tired to research them, I can think of at least three, two of them with Santana on the mound, and one fairly recent game with Niese on the hill.

Take your head out of the book Jerry and watch the game, while you still have a seat with a good view.

R.A. Dickey pitched a great game, he left one fat pitch in the ninth and sent the game into extra innings.

I thought that David was slow going up the line when he grounded out early in the game, Jerry says that he noticed him moving a bit slow in the twelfth.

Like Keith always mentions, game six of the 86 playoffs was the best game that I can remember. Thought last night may have gone longer they way these two teams score runs.

Feel bad for F Mart. Team made a decision to play youth, gave the guy three starts and changed their mind. How many starts did they give Castillo or Perez? Looks like Fernando will go down when the Maja Baraja comes back up.

Will have limited time to spend this weekend watching and writing about the Mets, so catch you all in a few days.