As far as Mets beat writers go I’ve always been fond of Adam Rubin in the Daily News but today reading his blog I have to say Rubin is as totally lost as the team he covers.

 

Rubin takes Mets fans to task for having the balls to boo David Wright after his woeful performance yesterday. As I’ve stated numerous times I’m not a boo-er as venting and cursing on the internet is my choice of expression but when the focus of yesterdays game and all of this lousy month of baseball is the fan reaction then more than the Mets organization is totally lost.

 

I’ ve said it time and time again where o’ where are the reporters who chase a story and give us, the fans what we want to know. The story so far this season is not the fans expressing their displeasure with not just Wright but with everyone not named Johan Santana. Why is it the fans know that this is just not in response to a lousy month of baseball but an under achieving two years and a month of baseball.

 

For some reason the press in this town is as soft as the Mets players they cover. Where is the baseball writer  with the balls of Larry Brooks of the NY Post who stood toe to toe with Rangers coach John Tortorella to get him to explain his melt down in DC in Game 5? Instead of Rubin chastising the Mets fans for booing how about chastising Omar Minaya and Jeffey Skill Sets for not have the cajones to sign both Manny Ramirez and Orlando Hudson. The Mets franchise is worth close to a billion dollars yet its run like a Job-Lot. Yeah yeah I know the Skill Sets are not cheap they have the second highest payroll in baseball yada, yada, yada but its misspent money. If there ever was a sure thing in baseball it’s Manny hitting and being a lighting rod and not giving a fuck about what people say about him. Ahhhhh what the fuck I’ve beat this issued to death, let’s just do like Rubin wants, give all the little Metsies a pat on the head and have Jerry Manuel give out orange slices to the boys in the 5th inning and have Jay Horowitz stand on the top step of the dugout yelling “YOU”RE ALL WINNERS”!!!!!!!!!! UGH!!!!

 

 

As much as I  hate the way J- Man has been managing this team lately especially the Santos for Shrek embarrassment yesterday, I have to give him credit on one count, he is setting up a showdown between him and Omar over personnel on this team. It’s about time someone challenged management around here. Manuel was no fan of Gimp Castillo’s but Omar couldn’t move Castillo any place so Manuel was stuck with him. But now that Santos has been better than both Shrek and Brain Schnieder, Manuel is flexing his muscle a bit and looks to be forcing Minaya to either deal Shrek or release him. This will be fun to watch.

 

So neither Carlos Delgado or Gimp were available to pinch hit yesterday so the Mets played with a depleated bench (which made the Santos pinch hitting adventure even more curious) and of course both players will be day to day for the next week until they go on the DL, oh and you know both will play a game so it will negate the retro active date.

 

If you want to here a grown man scream and yell then tune in to Pro Baseball Central tonight at 9PM EDST on Blog Talk Radio. Our guest tonight will be Bill Bear of the Phillies site Crash Burn Alley and we will preview the Mets-Phillies series this weekend. If you can’t listen live then check out the podcast by clicking on the link on the upper right of this page.

 

     

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Jerry Manuel did his best Daniel Murphy imitation last night by breaking wrong and falling down as it pertained with how he managed last nights Mets loss. The question that all Mets fans seem to be asking this morning is “why was Livan Hernandez pulled in the 6th inning”? It can’t be pitch count as the bill of goods we have been sold on L Hern is he is a work horse innings eater so why didn’t Manuel let the old plow horse continue?

L Hern is experienced enough to get out of trouble and if he can’t do it then get rid of him. The only reason Hernandez is here is to give the bullpen a break if he can’t go at least 6 or 7 innings then he’s useless. 

I’m starting to think collars are getting a bit tight in Flushing and they better loosen up fast as the head to Philly this weekend.

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Here is all you need to know about the state of pitching in the Mets organization. The Mets released Freddy Garcia today as his fastball couldn’t break a pane of glass. Taking his start tonight for the woeful Bisons will be The People’s Cherce ,Nelly Figs who stood in the corner holding his breath and shaking his fist at Mets management for releasing him but then realized he’s not not as sexy as he thinks and came back home for two hots and a cot in Buffalo.

It just plays to the Ollie to the bushes talk that is utter nonsense (same something funny Mike) as there is no one to replace him from the upper reached of New York State.

If Tim Redding can come in a be decent (is it too much to ask to be league average?) then OP could be sent to remedial pitching school if not then OP stays because there is nothing better to replace him and that’s scarier than a fly ball to left field.

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A blog called Phillies Nation (how original? a better name should have been “We Have A MLB Team in Philly? Who Knew?) is trying to organize a trip to $iti Field for the Aug 21-23 Amazin’s and the Scrapple eaters. They have hit a bit of a stumbling block as the tickets are hard to come by and it seems the citizens of Philadelphia are upset that they can’t use their WIC cards to make the purchase:

In talking with Mets ticket representatives, it appears that they will be unlikely to accommodate most group ticket requests because there are so many. The only tickets that are definitely available are about $100 (bottom bowl, along foul line) and renting a bus to NYC is more expensive than to DC; therefore if we run a trip, it will be close $140 per person.

Since that is more expensive than our previous trips, I wanted to see if fans are interested in shelling out that kind of money to see the Phillies humiliate the Mets. There are only enough tickets for one bus, so only about 50 people could attend. If you or your friends are interested in going, please fill out the form below and when the details are finalized, you will be among the first contacted to reserve spots.

$140 bucks is expensive? Bunch of fucking brokesters. I spend more than that on bottled water. Keep your busted ass’ home besides if you all go out a rob a couple of convenience stores  to make money and you do make the trip don’t come through Staten Island as I’ll have the Kranepool Society posse on high alert as every port of entry will be covered you Tasty Kake eating blow hards

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Sorry I’m late here but between the panic of Swine Flu and jet planes buzzing Lower Manhattan and Jayson Williams asking me to join him on vacation I was debating whether to leave the house today or not but I decided why miss the floor show on the SI Ferry that the very flamboyant students of La Guardia High (it’s the La Gage aux Folles of the city high schools) put on every morning so let’s look at the Mets news:

 

You know either Gimp Castillo or Carlos Delgado is going on the 15 day DL and this spells reprieve to Omir Grote Santos to stay on as either way Fernando Tatis ,Alex Cora Daniel Murphy and Gary Sheffield have the right side of the infield covered.

 

If I were Shrek or Brain Schneider I’d be asking the manager if he needed more coffee or his dry cleaning picked up just to curry some kind of favor with him as J- Man is smitten by Santos as are his teammates. When you get a post game shaving cream pie in the face that’s considered love in baseball.

 

Maybe we should give D- Wright a break eh Mets fans?. Sure he is not driving in runs at a pace we’d like and his extra base hits have been few and far between but back in 2007 he had the same kind of start and ended up with 73 xbh (30HR, 42 2B  1 3B) along with 34 stolen bases. As we saw last night on SNY pre game show no ones works harder than Wright so think about that the next time you asshats boo him.

 

Not only am distracted by the flu epidemic and low flying planes but the Rangers are getting ready for a Game 7 tonight in DC. Hopefully Coach Torts can control himself tonight and he plays both Sean Avery and Colton Orr and guys like Nik Antropov and Nik Zeredev step up like men. I have a very shaky feeling about tonight  as the coach looks a bit unstable and I’m one more Markus Naslund penalty in the offensive zone from throwing the remote through the TV,  but I’ll be glued to the tube for this one with my Walt Tkaczuk poster by my side.  

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Who turned up the heat?  WHEW!!!! It was a hot one at $iti Field today but leave it to Ollie Perez to turn a beautiful day to shit.

Today had to be Omar Minaya’s worst nightmare.  A guy he could have been rid of in O.P.  whose contract is ready to bypass Luis Castillo’ as the worst deal signed in the Minaya Era. Daniel Murphy played LF again without a clue and it’s not all the kids fault as he has never played there so in Mets logic he’s the perfect candidate for the outfield job. Then Jesus Flores the former Mets famer who was stolen in the Rule 5 draft smacked Mets pitching around.  Then after the game Casey Fosum was DFA’s and 40 year old (Omar is a cougar chaser) LHP Ken Takahashi. Oh yeah and now there is talk that OP will be skipped in his next start (vs. Philly) and banished to the pen when Tim Redding decides it’s time to earn a paycheck. But the good news is Carlos Beltran saved the Mets some money on bleach again as he pulled up at 2^nd base on a steal attempt. Quite the gentleman that Beltran.

I have to say I’m not angry or disgusted in the play of this team so far in fact I’m quite intrigued on what the front office will do to get this thing in the right direction.   The players can give quotes on how they are a good team and how they will get it together and all that but we know better that it’s just bullshit right now the story here is how does Omar Minaya save his job as Mets VP and GM and that of his staff.

Minaya won’t be axed during the season but without a post season game in the House That Jeffey Built, there will be a second demolition in two years at 126^th and Roosevelt Ave.     

 

Couple of things from $iti Field today. I love the Jackie Robinson Rotunda but why does everyone think it’s the only entrance to the ball park? We entered at the Right Field Gate and there was no one on line to get in.

When it got to 8-1 we went to get something to eat and of course the lines at the Shake Shack were ridiculous. But we hung in there and got some burgers and found refuge down by the visiting bullpen where the old Apple resides. Its’ a great spot with tables and shade but one little problem, you can’t see the game from there and there are no TV’s either. Now the Field Level where you can see the game from any place you stand has more TV’s on display than P.C. Richards showroom. I think it would be wise to move a TV or two to that little picnic area by the pens.

I was very happy to see the Mets Yearbook and Media Guide was finally available. Last week they were selling neither  so there is some progress.

If today’s game was played at Shea there would have been a mass exodus to the exits by the 6^th inning. The Mets were losing, the game was lousy and it was hot as hell but a game like this gives you a chance to enjoy the amenities of $iti Field. I would not be off base if I said there were more fans in the center field food court than in the seats by the 7^th inning.  

  

 

  

 

    

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I’ve been following the Mets so long I forgot that there are still some teams with a ball sack. The Cubs Alphonso Soriano was hit with a pitch in the back of the head and thankfully he was ok and took first base. When Albert Pujols came up to bat Cubs pitcher Rich Harden plunked him right on the hip with the first pitch. Pujols stared at Harden who looked at him right back and the home plate ump walked Pujols down to first base.

WOW here I am just wishing my center-fielder would get his pants dirty and the Rich Harden shows a teammate  he’s has his back. If a Mets pitcher did that I might faint from the shock!

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Going to root for the Good Ollie today and hopefully a sweep of a team in the Nats that make the 1962 Mets look like world beaters. I thought I had a tough time drumming the “Fundies” of baseball into the head of 13 yr olds my heart goes out to Manny Acta with that group he has.

The Mets Police has done it again and exposed the Skill Sets as clueless. First he reports that he paid $25 bucks for ar $15.00 seat at the $iti Field box office (this is a Marx Brothers Night of the Races scenario as Chico sells his tuti fruty ice-a cream at the track ) and then shows the gall of the Mets to charge Ron Hunt the first All Star in Mets history $869 for two seats from Shea that he asked for.

The Clueless Skill Sets strike again.

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Mets beat the Nats last night an all is forgiven until you realize that Johan Santana can’t pitch everyday and the big boppers at bat still can’t hit with RISP and did I mention they beat the Nationals?

Mike Silva have you been reading my mind again (really Mike that is one place you DON’T want to go) ? Watching Jesus Flores block pitch after pitch last night from Scott Olsen like it was a catching drill then hitting a 2 run bomb off Frankie Rodriguez in the 9th all I could think was how could Omar lose this guy in the Rule V draft? When the shitty deals that Minaya has made during his term here you hear about Heath Bell, Brain Bannister, and Matt Lindstrom but with the dearth of catching on the Mets (and in baseball) losing Flores may be Minaya’s biggest failure.

Sometimes I wonder if I give Mets management too much grief. Then I read something like this, and I think maybe I don’t kill them enough. How can you object to fans posting K’s for your Ace? OK so it was obstructing your precious advertising ribbon (Forget $iti this park should have been named PennySaver Field or YellowBook Field for all the adds around it) but isn’t there anyone with the last name of Wilpon that has an once of common sense and respect for their fans? What will it take for the Skill Sets to stop acting like pompous assholes when it comes to fan relations? A few games with 12 or 13,000 people in attendance? If the Skill Sets don’t think that could happen take at look in Baltimore where the novelty of the new ball Park wore off and now it’s a ghost town. A good burger and fires will only get you so far around here.

So J-Man now says he won’t ask for an eighth reliever to join the pen. I guess he realized that if you need eight arms in the bullpen who might run the words WE SUCK on those precious ad ribbons boards at $iti Field

Nelson Figueroa took a Valium and realized he ain’t as hot as he thinks he is and is shuffling of to Buffalo. Face it all you Figgy groupies, if your boy was any good he’d be wearing an Angels uni right now.

I’m going to the game tomorrow to bask in the near 90 degree temps but I think the Skill Sets Posse is after me so I will go to the game disguised as Hilda Chester this way they will never suspect a thing. Oh and I’ll ask the Hospitality Agents if Don Newcombe is pitching today.

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The starting pitching sucks except of the Almighty Johan. The starting eight are as timid as a bunch of pussy cats. The bench players don’t really fit. The new ballpark doesn’t feel like home yet and the fan base is slowly slipping into “don’t give a fuck” mode so what are the Mets contemplating to wake up this dead team? Fire the coaching staff. UGHHHHHHHH!

 

What do the coaches have to do with any of this? It’s the old chicken shit/chicken salad refrain as much as I’ve backed Omar Minaya and still think he has done some good here if this were The Apprentice board room and I’m Donald Trump I might have to say:

 

 “Omar, you know you’re a great guy and you’ve done some really, really good work here. You’ve built up the farm system and for the most part your deals and signing have been terrific but the bottom line is this team is broken and some of the parts have been here too long and there is not sense of urgency when times are tough as there are no real alternatives for the problem areas,. The fans are looking for some one to show some leadership qualities and telling them it’s early and at the end of the day it will work out just doesn’t cut it here anymore. Omar you know I love you and you’re a great great guy but you’re the GM and the team you are in charge hasn’t shown it is making any progess,   so Omar as much as I hate to do this I have to say, YOU’RE FIRED”

 

Maybe all you Omar haters are right maybe it’s time for a new voice in this organization but who? Who would you bring in to run the Mets? Is it too early to think this way? Not really. This isn’t a three week knee jerk reaction here this is a two year and three week reaction as the Mets we see today are the same listless, uninspired lot the we lived with in September 2007 and September 2008.

 

Omar fired Willie Randolph and hired Jerry Manuel. I get a strong feeling that Omar and Manuel are not on the same page as far as personnel goes but they’re not even reading the same book.  Manuel for the most part has played the loyal employee but as the losses pile up and the bad pitching and listless play in the field mount up it won’t be long before J-Man goes Gangsta’ on the front office. What are they going to do fire him? HA!

 

Sure it would send a message to send Oliver Perez and Mike Pelfrey down to Buffalo (down to Buffalo? That makes no sense unless you’re Canadian) and moving Wright to the 5 hole is a start and I know we are not to take David Wright’s name in vain but maybe he needs to be in a less pressurized spot in the order so as to get max performance out of him? This team is very hard to figure out some days they play with passion but most days they’re as limp as overcooked linguini. It doesn’t seem like the manager is getting much help from the front office so he may have to take matters into his own hands. We are seeing some signs of that by his calling for an eighth reliever due to the incompetence of the rotation and the fact that he announced yesterday that both Gary Sheffield and Fernando Tatis will play tonight, meaning that Murphy and Church take a seat which is stunning to me. But I think this J-Man exposing the flaws of the roster he was given as he tires to mix and match a lineup.

 

When Gary Sheffield was signed I was for it as low risk move that could pay off well it’s not paying off and after further review Sheffield really doesn’t fit with the Mets. If Omar demotes Jeremy Reed in order to bring in the eighth reliever and doesn’t release Sheffield that would be a travesty.

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