Take 'Em To Chuuuuurchhh

Okay, it's official - Ryan Church and Brian Schneider for Lastings Milledge was a good move. No, let me rephrase that... it was a GREAT move.

It's no secret how I felt about the trade when it first went down. My initial question was "Why trade away a young guy with a high ceiling and room to grow for an older guy with essentially the same stats AND who would cost you more money?" I couldn't rationalize it at first.

And while I still think L-Millz has the goods to be an exceptional ballplayer, this year, Omar Minaya is making this deal look like a steal.

Mets fans ask yourself - who has been the most consistent offensive performer on the team this year? Beltran? No. Reyes? No. Wright? No. Delgado? Well, yes if what you mean by "consistent" is consistently bad lol.

Okay, seriously, who has been their most consistent offensive player all year? Without a doubt, Ryan Church.

Last night's line for Church: 2-4, 4 rbi, 1 run scored in the Mets 6-3 victory over the Nationals.

His stats for the season? .324 batting average, 8 HR, 30 rbi, 29 runs scored and a .561 slugging pct.

That's more runs scored than Jose Reyes, more home runs than David Wright, more rbi than Carlos Beltran, a better slugging pct. than Carlos Delgado... the list goes on and on.

And the best move Slick Willie has made all year is batting Church in the two hole.

Why is that? Well it's very simple. Church is a dead red fastball hitter. And hitting before the always dangerous David Wright almost assures that Church will see a ton more fastballs. Pitchers fear Wright so they'll rather take their chances with Church. And Chuuuuuurch has been taking full advantage.

Is it a fluke? Will he come back to reality? Who knows. But for now, Mets fans, let's just enjoy the ride.

As Jay-Z would say... "Take 'em to Church"

Holla Back.

Carlos Gomez > Jose Reyes (so far this year)

I always liked Carlos Go-go-gomez. Last night, Gomez hit for the cycle and showed the Twins fans exactly what us Mets fans had been wondering about the guy since he was called up from the minors. Did he have legit power? How fast is he? Can he dominate at the plate and on the basebaths? Last night he answered with a resounding YES.

What amazes me most about Gomez is how fast he gets out of the box and down to first from the right side of the plate. He doesn't look particularly fast but the kid has jets.

Now Reyes - he LOOKS fast. Like the roadrunner... cloud of dust, spinning feet, escaping Wile E. Coyote fast.

At this point in the season, however, it LOOKS like Carlos Gomez > Jose Reyes.

For those of you who skipped math class in elementary school, Gomez is greater than Reyes this season. It's close, but Gomez edges Hovito in a few categories. Let's check the stats:

Carlos Gomez: .282 BA, 2 HRs, 11 RBIs, .306 OBP, .427 SLG 13 SBs, 1 CS

Jose Reyes: .254 BA, 2 HRs, 13 RBIs, .324 OBP, .429 SLG, 10 SBs, 3 CS

These are the stats. Almost equal but Gomez has a better batting average and has been a more efficient base stealer.

Now don't get me wrong - I think Reyes is the better player. When hitting on all cylinders, Jose Jose Jose can look like the best player in all of baseball. But he hasn't been hitting on all cylinders since June of '07. Right now, Carlos Gomez is playing better.

You have to give up something to get something. So don't get me wrong, the Santana trade was the best deal the Mets have made in ages. But i must admit, Gomez looks like the real deal. Image Go Go as the leadoff man and Reyes hitting #2 in the Mets lineup this year. Damn that's some sick speed at the top of the lineup. Ahhh what if...

Holla Back

Glavine's Legacy

After the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, they let some key free agents sign elsewhere. They let Pedro come over to our Mets. They allowed Derek Lowe to sign with the Dodgers and Orlando Cabrera sign with the Angels. In returned they gained payroll flexibility and more importantly draft picks. This helped the Red Sox restock their farm system and help win the 2007 World Series. 

While the Mets are not in the same position, they will benefit from the same free agent rules. In return for not retaining Tom Glavine, the Mets will receive the Braves' first round draft pick (18th overall) and a sandwich pick in between the 1st and 2nd round (33rd overall). There is an added bonus for getting draft picks from a division rival. This along with their own pick, which is the 20th overall, give the Mets an opportunity to restock a farm system that many believe was decimated by the Santana trade. While Glavine did some good things for the Mets during his tenure, his most significant contribution could be turning a 40-plus pitcher into two young players with high potential. Lets hope Omar makes some good choices with those picks.

PATHETIC!!!

We take time from our daily DelgadoGate boo watch to bring you this breaking news. Guess what people? The Mets are a flawed team. Seriously flawed.

You want proof? Check out the stats from yesterday's game:

Oliver Perez: 1.2 IP, 7 runs, 5 walks
Jorge Sosa: 1.0 IP, 5 runs

Jose Reyes: 0-4, K (.250 BA)
Luis Castillo: 0-5, K (.259 BA), 2 errors
Carlos Beltran: 0-2 (.211 BA)
Carlos Delgado: 1-3 (.198 BA)
Gustavo Molina: 0-4, 7 LOB

Mets as a team: 4 errors and 2 hits total off of an anemic Pirates pitching staff. They made Tom Gorzelanny look like Sandy Koufax. It was embarassing.

The stats don't lie folks. And what the stats from yesterday's game are trying to tell us is that this team was unprepared, lacked focus and flat out gave up. Maybe Billy Wagner was right when he threw Ollie P. under the bus and called out the team. Someone had to do it.

And as much as I like Willie Randolph, something is just not clicking right now. I'm not one of those wacko fans who wants Willie tossed to the wolves everytime the Mets have a bad game, but I do expect the team to be prepared and ready. To quote Barack Obama, the Mets were far from being "fired up and ready to go" yesterday.

Honestly, what the Mets need is an authoratative veteran figure (not named Billy Wagner) who will keep them on their toes, but who will also keep things fun and lively in the clubhouse. The Mets are a much better team when they are having fun.

So Pedro Martinez, if you are listening, hurry up. Right now you may be the Pepto-Bismol for this stomach-ache known as the Mets. For real.

Holla back.

I Come Back... To This???

So I was away on a much-deserved vacation last week and in my attempt to forget the world and clear my thoughts, I was unable to follow the Mets. Other than the game scores, I didn't have much to go by in terms of how the team was performing.

So I was pleased to see that the Mets handled the Braves this weekend and that the team seems to be gettin their act together.

I WAS pleased. Until I saw this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/sports/baseball/29shea.html?ref=baseball

and this...

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/ny-spmets295667293apr29,0,1444171.story

and this...

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-spjim0428,0,5079737.column

I just got back so I'll give my thoughts on this shortly. But damn. DelgadoGate? Oh boy...

Holla back.

Beltran The Leader... Who Knew?

Mets fans have been knocking Carlos Beltran's leadership abilities (or lack thereof) ever since he first arrived at Shea 3 years ago. Soft, unemotional, lazy... fairly or unfairly, these are adjectives that are frequently thrown around when discussing Beltran. And who can ever forget Carlos frozen at the plate like a stale TV dinner after a nasty hook from Adam Wainwright sent the underdog Cards to the World Series over the favored Mets? That's not what you want to see from a leader.

What you do want to see, however, is this:

Beltran's biggest assist might have happened before the 6-0 Mets' win in Tuesday's series opener. Beltran noticed a moping, more quiet Reyes. And that, to Beltran, needed to be fixed.

"I had a conversation with Reyes. I said, 'Don't change.' When he's doing that, jumping around, we like it. We're happy," Beltran said at his locker last night. "He's a fun guy."

Maybe it wasn't a coincidence that after Reyes celebrated his homer to start the fifth, Beltran followed with a three-run shot to left off losing pitcher Matt Chico (0-3). Beltran knocked in Ryan Church and David Wright, who hit consecutive singles after the Reyes blast. Beltran finished 1-for-3 with a walk and three RBI. As soon as Beltran's drive cleared the left field fence, Reyes was sprinting across the dugout to be the first to meet Beltran at the railing.

"Carlos Beltran, he's the guy, kind of quiet in the dugout," Reyes said. "He needs that, he needs the thing I do in the dugout. That's why he come to me and talk to me." Asked if he would help Beltran learn how to be more of an extrovert, Reyes smiled.

"He's not going to jump at all. He's not like that," said Reyes.

There are two things that stand out about this exchange. One is that Beltran, a noted intravert, took it upon himself to tell Reyes to loosen up and be true to himself. Beltran recognizes that when Jose "The Most Electrifying Player In Baseball" Reyes is doing his thing, it lifts up the entire club. Jose is the $3.43 per gallon unleaded gasolina for the carro better known as Los Mets. As long as the tank stays closer to full than empty the Mets will be fine. Don't believe me? Since Beltran's pep talk, Reyes has been absolutely insane at the plate.

The second thing that stands out is a noticable change in Carlos Beltran himself. I don't know what happened over the summer, but Bel-Train has come into the season looking to be more vocal and looking to take some responsibility on his $18,622,809 shoulders. The most obvious example of this is his channeling of Jimmy Rollins and proclaiming that the Mets are the team to beat this year. This is simply something the old Carlos would not have said and if you ask me, it's a welcomed sign that Beltran is focused this year and that last year really really bothered the guy... which is good since Beltran's demeanor would sometimes make it seem as if he didn't care.

I know, I know... hitting .241 with only 7 RBI isn't anything to write home about. But right now, I'm not worried about the stats with Beltran. I like his attitude and approach to the season. Now if he could just change his approach at the plate...

Holla back.

Ace High

I'm not a big fan of Jason Stark. Especially after his nonsensical defense of Roger Clemens. What a sellout.

But I must admit, in his latest column he makes a great point in regards to the Mets and Johan Santana. Simply put, Santana takes a team that won 185 games the last 2 years to an EVEN HIGHER level:

As you watched Johan Santana overmatch the Phillies on Friday in his first visit to Philadelphia as a Met, it was hard to resist asking this question:

What if he'd been a Met last year?

Suppose the Mets could have sent Santana out there to save the season on the last Sunday of regular play. Or to prevent one of those seven straight losses to the Phillies down the stretch.

How different could things have been?

Unfortunately, Jason, we were stuck with another lefty named Tom "I still love Atlanta" Glavine. And we see what happened.

He continues by stating:

How much of a difference might Santana make this season in the life of the NL East? Well, it's still about five months too soon to answer that one. But Santana gave quite the spectacular sneak preview Friday in the 6-4 Mets victory. The score -- and his final pitching line -- bore no relationship to how dominating he actually was. For seven innings, Santana carved up the Phillies, dialing up a 10-strikeout, zero-walk two-hitter that was ridiculously efficient.

No Philly hitter went to the plate with a runner in scoring position. The only three-ball count was against the first hitter of the game. And among the 24 hitters who arrived at home plate and the 96 pitches they saw whooshing their way, it was hard to count more than five good swings.

Exactly. Every 5th day the Mets will send someone to the mound who can win the game all by himself. A true stopper.

And that's all this team needs. There will be no epic collapses as long as Santana is in the rotation. He neutralizes the lefty-heavy Phillies lineup. He stops the Braves in there tracks. That's all the team needs. A true ace.

How stupid do those Mets fans that booed him look now. Idiots. Holla back.

Tragic...

From ESPN.com:

A fan died at Shea Stadium on Tuesday night when he plunged from the railing of an escalator, the New York Post reported for Wednesday's editions.

Antonio Narainasami, 36, of Brooklyn was sliding down the railing when he lost his balance and fell two stories to the concrete on the loge level, sources told the Post. His two daughters were with him at the time of the accident.

Narainasami was taken to New York Hospital Queens, where he was pronounced dead.

"We have been advised of a tragic accident that resulted in the death of a fan attending tonight's game," said a statement from the Mets, according to the Post. "The Mets, the City Parks Department and the New York Police Department are investigating the incident. Our deepest and heartfelt condolences go out to the fan's family."

The accident reportedly happened at 10 p.m., after the Mets beat the Nationals.

A cousin, Vinnie Narainasami, told the newspaper that Antonio Narainasami was a huge Mets fan.

"Even his kids were into them -- they all went to see the game," he said, according to the newspaper. "He was really excited. It's his favorite team, basically."

Just sad.

Big Mike

Great game for the Mets. I think we are in for a roller coaster of a year. Today we saw a lot of good. The return of Jose Reyes (in terms of being a spark plug) , the flashes from Wright's ability to carry a team, the return from Sanchez for the first time in 21 months, and the encouraging start from Big Mike Pelfrey.

He had possibly his best game to date. Granted it was against one of the weakest teams in baseball, but lets hope that this will be a sign of things to come. He looked like he was much more relaxed and seemed to trust his stuff. He has the goods to be in the mold of a Roy Halladay, Brandon Webb or even Chien-Ming Wang, which is the type of pitcher that gets outs by generating weak contact from batters. He will never be a big strikeout pitcher. But he can definitely be the kind the pitcher that pounds the strikezone and creates groundball contact. Lets hope he continues his growth this year, especially with the news that Pedro may be out until mid-June. You can navigate the season with one weak 5th starter, but you can't with two. Big Mike may hold the key to a successful season.

Jackie Robinson Day

On this day 61 years ago, Jackie Robinson stepped on the field and forever changed to face of baseball and the face of a nation. It took a lot of courage on the part of Branch Rickey, the Dodgers and Jackie Robinson to defy the collective conscious of the country and bring to a crashing fall the color barrier that divided a sport and a country.

Click here for coverage of Jackie Robinson Day.

Jackie Robinson became a symbol of all that was right and wrong with America at that time in history. He gave black people like my uncle and grandfather a reason to cheer for a team and a renewed hope that things would change. It is no coincidence that most of the elders in my family are/were Dodger fans. It is also no coincidence they they all hate the Red Sox (last team with a black player) and the Yankees (who thought black players could not meet the high "Yankee standard").

I asked my grandmother a while back why she became a Mets fan. And her answer was, "Well there's no way in hell I can be a Yankees with their racism against black players. The Giants and the Dodgers moved. Then the Mets came and I used to go to the games at the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field and the Mets were so bad. But I liked them anyway. So I kept following them after that."

In some strange way I think my grandmother's hatred for the Yankees was genetically passed down to me. Made me into Mets Brotha. And while I don't HATE the Yankees, I do have issues with this whole idea of "Yankee standards" and the "Yankee way of doing things." The higher the horse, the harder the fall I guess. I can't wait for that fall, it's going to be a doozy lol.

Holla back

They're Not Focused Mannnnnnnn!!!!

Right now the Mets are like a cloudy lense on a 10-year old Canon camera. Out of focus and the picture ain't too pretty.

Case in point. With a 6-2 lead in the fourth inning of Sunday's game against the Brew Crew, my main man (not to be confused with Maine, man lol) Ollie P. heads to the mound and promptly implodes. He's only able to go 4 and 1/3 innings and gives up 6 runs.

Here's my thing... if he had been throwing strikes and the Brewers were just giving him the bidness, I can deal with that. But he wasn't throwing strikes. He was trying to be cute on the field like Madonna in League of Their Own. There's no crying in baseball, Ollie!

The funny thing is the Mets can survive a blowup from Ollie P. every once in a while. I mean it's sorta inevitable with the guy.

What they can't survive, however, is their total lack of cojones in clutch situations. As I noted before, the only player who has shown any ability to hit in the clutch this year is Angel Pagan. And when a guy who wasn't even projected to make the club out of spring training is your best clutch hitter... well... in the immortal words of the Apollo 13 crew - "Houston, we have a problem."

Same game that Ollie blows up, the Mets hit into 5 double plays. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

No. New York, WE have a problem. Jose, Jose Jose Jose is on the mend and wasn't showing too much life anyway. Beltran, as good as he is, still baffles me with some of the pitches he lets whiz past him. Delgado, while looking better than he did last year, is still showing signs of slowing down. D. Wright has been OK but nothing special.

So in comes the Nats. Lo Duca has been spitting off at the mouth. Milledge is motivated to play against his former team. Looks like a couple of babies are just asking for a good old-fashioned spanking. It's time for the Mets to pump it up and get focused.

Tell 'em Joey:



Holla back.

Send Me An Angel

I swear, being a Mets fans is a 24-hour roller coaster ride. One minute you're up, next minute you're down. One minute the Mets have a 2-run lead in the 8th, the next minute Aaron Heilman is giving up a bomb to Ryan Howard. One minute "Beat Me Up" Scotty Schoeneweis is getting booed back to Anaheim, the next minute he's getting a standing ovation after serving up a tailor-made double play. It's enough to make you motion sick.

In fact, maybe that's why people pray sometimes before they get on a roller coaster. You never know when you may need the help of an angel.

So that's what the Mets have done these first few series. They've relied on help from an angel. Angel Pagan

Let's check the stats - .370 BA, a team-high 9 rbi, a .519 slugging pct., numerous big hits, I mean what else can you say about the guy. He's literally been a godsend for a struggling Mets squad.

So here's the deal - last night after Reyes hits a double, Angel Pagan steps up to the plate and coolly lines one back up the middle. Reyes comes racing home and you'd think with Reyes' speed he'd have no trouble at all scoring, right?

Well we all know Reyes likes to make things dramatic... Phillies CF Jason Werth throws a bee-bee to the plate and catcher Chris Coste blocks the plate perfectly, keeping Reyes' foot from ever reaching the bag. He goes to apply the tag at the same time Reyes tries to sneak his hand onto the plate. Bang-bang play. Reyes is called safe. But I'll let you look at the video and decide for yourself lol.

So while Beltran, Reyes, Wright and Delgado all search for their inner "clutch", little-ole Angel Pagan keeps on delivering in their absence.

But we all know what's going to happen. Pagan could be hitting .500 and Willie would still take his bat out of the lineup in favor of Moises "creeky-legs" Alou. You know, Alou is a "proven vet" and in Willie's mind, there's nothing better than a proven vet. It's why Shawn Green got all of the burn over Lastings Milledge (who's playing not-too-shabby himself at the moment). It's why El Duque will get the 5 spot over Pelfrey even if he is ineffective and on his last leg. It's why the team is the second oldest in the league... better to have "vets" than new, young blood.

But I digress. Keep it up Angel. You've already answered my prayers.

Holla back.

Bye Bye Shea....

Today, of course, is the final Opening Day at Shea Stadium. Ahhh the memories. Well, for me, it's ahhhh 1986 and Bill Buckner. I don't think I ever screamed so much in my life.

So bye, bye Shea - we're gonna miss ya...







Here's a nice little farewell to Shea, courtesy of Mets.com.

...and here's what we can look forward to next season:

It's a Marathon, People!

So the Mets lose 2 games to the Braves over the weekend, with Maine getting hammered on Saturday and Texeira hitting a pop-fly homerun to seal the deal for the Braves on Sunday (where's Endy Chavez and his hops when you need them?). By all accounts, it was pretty bad for the Mets.

But guess what Mets fans? THE SKY IS NOT FALLING!!! SO CALM DOWN!!!!

I seriously don't get the logic of some "fans". We're only 5 games into the season and I've heard everything from "Willie needs to get fired" and "Maine is a joke," to "Reyes parties too much," and "Beltran can't take the bat off his shoulder." (OK I agree with that last one).

Don't believe me? Turn on WFAN today and listen to some of the silliness both Mets and Yankees fans spew on air. Must we forget that there are still 157 games left to be played. Seriously, get some perspective people!

So for the last time, IT'S A MARATHON NOT A SPRINT!!! The Mets will be fine people.

I think....

Holla back.

Best Baseball Video Game I've Ever Played

For you baseball fans with Playstation 3s, I strongly suggest walking down to your nearest Best Buy, Gamestop, Walmart or wherever you buy your video games from - and do yourselves a favor and pick up MLB '08 The Show. Simply put, this game is the most realistic baseball game I have ever played. It's sick.

For starters, the graphics are amazing. The stadium recreations are top notch and the player movements are as real as they come. For example, if you play a game at Shea, there are cranes working on a half-done CitiField in the background. Sick.

It actually really FEELS like you are playing a baseball game, which is why I like it so much. Not since Baseball Stars on NES have I enjoyed playing a video baseball game.

Check out the YouTube video below and you'll see what I'm talking about. I apologize in advance as the vid shows Pedro and the Mets losing to the Braves (which we all know will never happen lol). Notice how Pedro's windup and pitching style is recreated EXACTLY in the game. Sick.

For a collection of reviews for the game, check out MetaCritic. Holla back.

Ollie P. In The Place To Be

Ollie P. in the place to be. Which is number 3 in the rotation. Last night's line? 6 IP, 5 hits, 0 runs, 8 K's, and most importantly - 1 walk. You can pretty much look at the walk column in the box score everytime Perez pitches and find out how that game went. 2 or less walks, great day for Perez. Anything over that and well... let's just say the shower got some early use that night.

So the Mets win 13-0 over the Marlins who are looking more and more like a AAAA ball club. No starting pitching whatsoever and only 1 real threat in their lineup - Hanley Ramirez. So while we should all be encouraged by the showing the Metropolitans have put up so far, you still have to put it in perspective.

Big nights last night from the entire lineup, with both the Golden Boy David Wright and Ryan Chuuuuurch going 3-5 with a homerun. Carlos Beltran had a monster night with 3 doubles and Angel Pagan continues to impress, going 2-4. Great performances all around.

Click here for the postgame wrapup, courtesy of SNY.

So Ollie P. did his thing. Which is a good sign coming off the heels of the hamstring injury from hell. Holla back.

Ripple Effect

Well, one of my worst fears has come true. Pedro is on the DL for at least a month. The question I have been asking myself is what is the ripple effect of Pedro's injury. 

• Rotation Depth - I mentioned before the lack of rotation depth the Mets have and how that may be an issue for the team. While I am ok with Pelfrey as a fifth starter since that starter does not pitch in the postseason, I am not crazy about him as the number four. Also, El Duque is not someone we can rely on to be healthy. And with the trade for Santana, the Mets do not arms that can step in from the higher levels. No we have question 4th and 5th starters.
  
• Possible Impact on the farm system. How will Omar address this issue?  Will he can go out and trade another young player for a fifth starter. That may be a bit costly considering the lack of talent at the higher levels of the farm system. I am not crazy about trading the young arms at AA. 
• Attitude - I have said it before. Martinez brings a certain level of nastiness that this team really needs. It was missing last year and was a big factor in the collapse. The Mets will need this if they expect to be contenders. 

We will not see the full effect of this injury until we know how Pelfrey will respond and how El Duque bounces back. Hopefully the lineup will pick up the slack and score some runs. But this is not how I wanted the season to start.

Pedr-Ohhhh Noooo!!!!!

Most sane Mets fans knew this would eventually happen. But second game of the season?

After tossing a curveball to Marlins catcher Matt Treanor, Pedro Martinez immediately grabbed his left hamstring and began pacing around the mound.

Preliminary reports have it as a strained hamstring and he is listed as day-to-day. I suspect, however, that after the MRI his status will be changed and not for the better. Even Pedro himself said he heard a pop. Not good.

Well Mets fans, nothing is perfect. We knew going into the season that avoiding injuries would be an important factor in the overall success of the club. Unfortunately, the Mets are the 2nd oldest team in the majors and right now, it really shows.

Second game of the season and I already need 2 aspirin and a shot of whiskey. Sheesh. Holla back.

What A Debut!

Mets fans, this is why we got Johan Santana. The guy is straight up nasty!

In case you've been hiding under a rock the last few days, the Mets won their opening game for the 30th time in team history. In fact, the Mets have the best opening day record in the history of baseball, posting a 30-17 record in these games.

Click here to watch the SNY postgame wrapup of the game

Here's another interesting fact - Johan Santana is the first pitcher that the Mets acquired who made their first start in a Mets uniform on opening day and then went on to win that start. Hope I didn't confuse you with that one.

And what a debut it was! 7 innings pitched, 8 strikeouts, 2 runs (on a homerun by Josh Willingham after a horrible non strike call), about 50 silly-looking swings... I mean what more could you ask for?

Who else had a good debut? Well kudos to Ryan Church and Angel Pagan who both made major contributions yesterday. Church provided a clutch RBI hit off left-handed starter Mark Hendrickson, which is a welcomed sign for Mets fans. If Church is going to be the everyday right-fielder he HAS to hit left-handed pitching. So far so good.

Luis Castillo played the table-setter role to a tee yesterday with a hit and a couple of walks. D. Wright was well... D. Wright. 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, yada yada yada. So all in all, it was a promising evening for Mets fans and hopefully a sign of what's to come.

I heart Johan Santana. Holla back.

Mets vs. Braves - Who Has Better Pitching?

Ok so I've been listening to all of the "analysts" do their best Ms. Cleo impersonations over the past few days and something struck me as odd. It seems like everyone over at ESPN has a crush for Larry and the Braves and most are citing their lineup and "deep" pitching staff. Ummmmmm unless I'm on a different planet, I just don't see this pitching depth that they all speak about. Let's examine the Mets pitching staff vs. the Braves pitchers:



Starters:

Mets - Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey/El Duque

Braves - Tim Hudson, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Mike Hampton, Jair Jurrjens/Jeff Bennett

Johan vs. Tim Hudson? Ok we all know that Johan is the best pitcher on the planet. So a check goes to the Mets immediately.

Pedro vs. Smoltz? Smoltz is good when healthy... as is Pedro. And if Pedro pitches like he did in spring training then watch out. They're both aging future hall of famers who know how to pitch and still have the stuff to back it up. I'll call this a wash.

John Maine vs. Tom Glavine? Tommy is a savvy vet but Mets fans got a chance to watch both of these guys pitch all of the time last year and right now, Maine is the better pitcher no question. Check goes to the Mets.

Ollie P. vs. Mike Hampton? You're kidding right? I know Ollie P. can be erratic but even so, he still won 15 games, was 9th in the NL in ERA with a 3.56 mark and struck out a batter an inning. Plus he totally pwns the Braves. Another check to the Mets.

Mike Pelfrey/El Duque vs. Jair Jurrjens/Jeff Bennett? I'm going to give this one to the Braves by default. Jurrjens has shown a lot of promise. And admit it Mets fans, Pelfrey has been a bit of a disappointment and El Duque will probably be injured for half of the season. That alone gives the Braves an edge.

Let's tally the score:

Mets 3, Braves 1. So the only thing the Braves has on the Mets when it comes to starting pitcher is that their 5th guy may be a little better than the Mets' 5th guy. Ooooooooh I'm scared lol.

Ok so the Mets win with starters hands-down. But what about the relieving core? Let's take a look:

Relievers:

Braves: Peter Moylan (R), Manny Acosta (R), Will Ohman (L), Chris Resop (R), Blaine Boyer (R),

Closer: Rafael Soriano (R)

Mets: Aaron Heilman (R), Pedro Feliciano (L), Scott Schoeneweis (L), Jorge Sosa (R), Joe Smith (R)

Closer: Billy Wagner (L)

I know the Mets relief pitching was horrible last year, especially during the infamous collapse. But for a good portion of the season, Pedro Feliciano was one of the better middle relievers in all of baseball. Aaron Heilman is certainly serviceable and if Schoeneweis getrs on the HGH again he may be able to regain his form. And say what you will about Wagner, he's still one of the better closers in baseball. As for the Braves, their closer Soriano is good but he doesn't have a track record yet as a bonafide closer. So Wagner gets the edge there. Point to the Mets.

Now i admit, I don't know much about the Braves middle relievers, but from what I have seen so far, they should be at least on par with the Mets middle relievers. And since the Mets middle staff performed so horribly during the end of last season (I'm still traumatized), I'm inclined to give the Braves the edge. Check to the Braves.

So that makes it Mets 4, Braves 2. The only places where the Braves outperform the Mets are at the 5th starter position and with their middle relievers. Oooooh I'm scared lol.

As you can see, the "analysts" rationale that the Braves have "deeper" pitching is really off-track. But it's ok, we'll see in September who has the better staff when Glavine is on the mound for the Braves with a playoff position on the line and Johan is on the hill for the Mets wrapping it up. We all know how well Glavine performed in the same spot for the Mets last year. Lol. Holla back.

Let The Santana Era Begin

Honestly, I have been waiting forever for this day to come. Ever since "C-Day" (collapse day) occured last September 30th, I have been trying to put the 2007 season behind me. And while the acquisition of Johan Santan left a smile on my face, the stench from the biggest collapse in regular season baseball history still had me holding my nose.

But now all of that is officially in the past. The Mets kick off the season today at 4:00 in Miami against the $18-million dollar payroll Florida Marlins. Think about it - Johan Santana's salary for the season ($19 million) is greater than the entire payroll for the Marlins. That's sick and I blame the Marlins more than I blame any of the other big market teams. Simply put, if you can't afford to field a team with a payroll over $18 million, you shouldn't be in the big leagues competing with the big boys. Sell the team, move or something.

Okay back to the Mets. El Duque will start the season on the DL with Moses, I mean Moises Alou. Sorry but I mistake him for Moses as both are probably the same age by now. And seriously Mets fans, did you not see this coming? Makes the Milledge trade look even more suspect now.

With Duque on the mend, Mike Pelfrey, who had a roller coaster spring training (and that's being generous), will get the nod as the 5th starter. Good luck young fella you're going to need it.

Ruben Gotay will be the backup sec.... wait a minute... ok WTF Omar!! You let Gotay go for NOTHING? To make room for Brady Clark? Gotay may not have been the best fielder in the world but in 98 games he still hit .298 and provided pop as a switch hitter off the bench. AND to make matters worst, the Braves (who every "analyst" on ESPN seems to have a crush on this year) picked the guy up off of waivers. So you just KNOW letting Gotay go will eventually come back to haunt them. Fernando Tatis? Brady Clark? Yuck.

So here's the complete roster for Opening Day. Also, make sure to check out Notre Rican's breakdown of the roster:

Pitchers

Pedro Feliciano
Aaron Heilman
John Maine
Pedro Martinez
Mike Pelfrey
Oliver Perez
Johan Santana
Scott Schoeneweis
Joe Smith
Jorge Sosa
Billy Wagner
Matt Wise

Catchers

Raul Casanova
Brian Schneider

Infielders

Luis Castillo
Carlos Delgado
Damion Easley
Jose Reyes
David Wright

Outfielders

Marlon Anderson
Carlos Beltran
Endy Chavez
Ryan Church
Brady Clark
Angel Pagan

Today we get our first glimpse of the season and what Johan Santana can provide. All I can say is... LET'S GO METS!

Opening Day is Here

The opening day roster has been been set. The Mets came into spring training with very few open spots. So there aren't many surprises. The good thing is that for an old team, they have come out of camp pretty healthy.

The Good

• Santana, the best pitcher on the planet, is our opening day starter. The September collapse does not happen with a true ace on the roster.
• Pedro is healthy and better than he has been in a couple of years. While his pitching is important to the team, its his personality that matters most. The Mets sorely needed a killer instinct last year, which Pedro provides.
  
• Beltran looks to be healthy after off season surgery.
• Maine has had a great spring and looks like he may be able to be the pitcher he was in the first half for the entire season.
• It looks like the Mets farm system is not as bare as people claim it to be. While they are short on talent at the high levels, their lower level prospects look pretty good. Lets see how they develop over the course of the year.
• Joe Smith making the team. I think he has the potential to be a good set up man and he gives the team a different look out of the bullpen.
  

The Bad

• Depth in the starting rotation. The trade for Santana has left the Mets with very little depth in the rotation. If Pelfrey does not step up and El Duque stays injured for the majority of the year, there is no one else to turn to.
• Injuries. Alou, Sanchez, Castro and El Duque all start the year on the DL. Delgado and Martinez will probably spend some time on the DL over the course of the year.
• No depth at first. With Delgado's age the Mets needed to get someone who can log at bats at 1st.
  
• Pagan as your starting left fielder. I don't understand how Endy has not earned a shot at being a regular when there is an injury. While I think he is a better player coming off the bench, he would be a better short term answer to Alou's injury with his speed and defense.
• The loss of Gotay to the rival Braves. This is one of those moves that come back to haunt us. Lets hope the Mets know something that the Braves don't.

All this being said. If Reyes returns to pre-Septmeber form and the front four in the rotation stay healthy, the Mets are the team the beat in the NL East and are a solid contender to make the World Series.

Billy, Billy, Billy...

Usually, I like athletes on my favorite teams to be intense, to be smart, and to have an authentic joy for the game. For example, Michael Jordan was the ultimate embodyment of all three of these concepts. Brett Favre and Shaq are two more that come to mind.

Billy Wagner, unfortunately, is not. Simply put, Wagner is an idiot. How in the world can you get upset at a college kid who went to lay a bunt down in a spring training scrimmage.

From Newsday:

Forget the Phillies. Billy Wagner nearly started a beanball war with the University of Michigan after one overzealous Wolverine tried to bunt on him in the fourth inning. With a runner on second and one out, centerfielder Kevin Cislo pushed his bunt foul.

Wagner, clearly annoyed, shook his head a number of times, and Cislo wisely swung away, grounding out. Wagner said he couldn't believe that Cislo, a junior, bunted.

"If he got that bunt down, I would have drilled the next guy," Wagner said. "Play to win against Villanova."

So Billy let me get this straight... you would have drilled a college kid in spring training simply because he went to lay down a bunt? A bunt from a college kid got you all riled up? Puhhhhlease. Where were you in August and September when the team needed a pitching pick-me-up? Oh I know, you and your ever-decreasing 95 mph fastball were getting rocked left and right by the Marlins and Phillies.

I know he's our closer but Wagner is confirming how much of a jerk he is. Just shut up and pitch Billy

Let The Games Begin...

Well it's finally here. The baseball season for the New York Metroplolitans is under way and things have definitely changed since the debacle that was last season. So what's changed? Let's take a look:

• Lastings Milledge and Paul Lo Duca are now with the Nationals. Anyone familiar with this blog knows how much I went to bat for Lasto. I still think he was blamed for the pettiest things and generally misunderstood by the Wilpons. So maybe a change of scenery was needed for both parties. Paul Lo Duca? Well something tells me Omar had a hunch that Do Luca (as Chris "Mad Dog" Russo called him) may have been a "La Juicer." Ryan Church and Brian Schneider should fill in fine for Milledge and Lo Duca.


• Rafael Santana is now officially the SECOND most popular Santana in Mets history. In comes Johan Santana in what has to be the biggest (and best) move that Omar Minaya has made during his tenure. Out goes speedy Carlos Gomez and a few pitching prospects but in comes the most dominate pitcher of the last 5 years. Johan Santana instantly fortifies the pitching and makes everyone else's lives just that much easier. And if early reports on Pedro Martinez are true, look for the Mets pitching staff to have one hell of a year.


• Carlos Beltran has a (gulp) fire inside him? Sure seems so. Looks like the bad taste from not making the playoffs is still on Beltran's mind. How else do you explain him going all Jimmy Rollins on us and basically guaranteeing that the Mets would win the division this year. You know what? If it takes a season like last year's to light a fire under Beltran's tush i'm all for it. Something positive has to come from the W.C.E. (worst collapse ever).


• Questions still remain. Namely with the bullpen and with a few aging bats in the lineup. Will the bullpen be effective with the return of Duaner Sanchez? Is El Duque headed to the pen? Was Delgado's horrible season last year a fluke? Will Alou play more than a 100 games? (seriously the guy is more frail than a sandcastle in a hurricane). What will Pedro have left in the tank? Can the bottom of the lineup produce? Can Willie effectively manage the high expectations placed on this team with the arrival of Santana? Guess we'll find out soon


• And finally... Roger Clemens is a bold-faced liar. I tried to tell you guys last year that Roger Clemens was a suspect juicer and low-and-behold, we find out that the Rocket was fueled by Winstrol and HGH. Throw in Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch and we see that the Yankees had some serious problems with performance enhancing drugs. But in all fairness, so have most teams... they just weren't caught. But finding out Clemens used 'roids really puts the infamous Piazza bat-throwing incedent into perspective don't ya think?

So Spring Training is here and us Mets fans can finally put the W.C.E. behind us. I'm pumped up, or as Barack Obama would say, "I'm fired up... and ready to go!" Or for you Hillary Clinton fans, I'm ready to cheer the Mets from "Day one!" Let the season begin.

JACKPOT!!!!

METS LAND JOHAN SANTANA

This is truly a great day to be a Mets fan. Not only does Omar Minaya and the Mets land THE premier pitcher in all of baseball, they do so without giving up any starting players OR their top prospect, Fernando Martinez. For Omar to pull this trade off is remarkable when you think about where the Mets were 2 months ago... which was behind the Red Sox, Yankees and Angels in terms of best deals on the table. Omar, all is forgiven after that horrible Milledge trade!

For the Twins, you have to feel a bit sorry for their fanbase. Again, the economics of baseball deprive them of an opportunity to hold on to a future hall of famer... wait what am I saying, screw that WE JUST GOT THE BEST PITCHER IN BASEBALL FOR DIRT CHEAP!!! WOOHOOOOOOOOO!!! WOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Let's Go Mets!

Getting Close