MODEL’S  Sporting Goods is having a contest to find the ultimate Mets fan here are the details:

 

Posted under Uncategorized

 

 

Tonight on PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL I will be joined by Bill Reynolds, author of the book “78: The Boston Red Sox, a Historic Game, and a Divided City (New American Library) as we discuss his book which covers the 1978 Pennant race and playoff game between the Red Sox and Highlanders as it intertwined with the court order school busing in the city of Boston.

I’ll also be talking Mets-Philies with a game recap tonight from 9PM to 10:30PM EDST on Blog Talk Radio. If you can’t join us live then you can listen at your leisure on our podcast either here at this site or at our PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL site.

Posted under Uncategorized

It had the makings of a wonderful evening. The Mets with a three run lead heading to the 7^th inning which has become close to automatic as the bullpen has gone from a house of horrors to as confident as one can be and still call themselves a Mets fan.

 

First there was the kicking around of Cole Hamels and then Big Pelf getting his back up on Chase Utley demanding that he “get the fuck back in the box” this game had season changer written all over it but of course it turned as it can only turn for the NY Mets.

 

First Carlos Beltran, of all people, misplayed a fly where he should not have jumped up that cost the Mets a run and got Pelfrey relived of his pitching duties. Sean Green came in and he has quietly turned his season around but gave up a hit and a run. Then Carlos Ruiz hit a ball down to D-Wright who either got caught in between or tried to rush the throw home couldn’t find a handle and Ibanez scored to make it 4-3. Rollins then hit into a fielder choice and the game was now tied at 4. Green gave up one legit hit in the inning. Hang with ‘em Sean.

 

The Mets had tons of chances after that (and before that as well as the old left the runners hanging reared it’s ugly head again in this game) in the bot of 7^th  Daniel Murphy left the bags loaded, D-Wright left two on in the 8^th, Castillo left a couple on in the 9^th , but the killer was in the 10^th.

 

Fernando Martinez got a clutch 2 out base hit as a pinch hitter and then D-Wright came thisclose to making up for his error as he drove a ball to the opposite field and Jayson Werth  made a spectacular play that was a sink or swim catch, if Werth misses that ball, F-Mart scores the game winner and the headline today would be the gritty, gutsy Mets coming back after losing a three run lead and not giving up and closing to a game of first place but no instead we talking about RISP, did Big Pelf have another melt down, Wright’s error and the comeback by the Phillies. Talk about a game of inches.    

Posted under Uncategorized

 

 

Oh you phucking Phillie fans. What a bunch of maroooons! Vince McManhon would be all over this

Posted under Uncategorized

The only thing missing at $iti Field last night was heat and humidity as last night’s game had that classic middle of the summer feel to it.  

The Mets showed the fight that we have been clamoring for out this group and the leader of the pack is the Ace Johan Santana. It’s tough for a pitcher to be the team leader but there is no question that Santana is the emotional leader of this team and I believe that his fiery way is rubbing off on Carlos Beltran as well as we’ve seen Beltran be much more vocal than ever in his Mets career.

I agreed with Ron Darling who during last night telecast made mention of J-Man taking Johan out of the game that Santana has to be careful not to show up J-Man when Manuel came to the mound. But as a Mets fan who has been screaming for someone to show a pulse and have some pluck, watching Santana fight to stay in the game was outstanding.

Santana had a weird pitching performance. He was throwing strikes all night but his pitch selection when he was ahead in the count was a bit dicey. In the 4^th after the Mets added to their lead to 3-0, Santana got two quick outs and looked to do what you have to when your teams scores and that’s shut down the opposition in their next at bat. He got ahead of Ryan Howard 0-1 but then hung the next pitch (I think it was a change up) belt high middle of the plate and Howard teed off on it. Maybe going outside with a waste pitch would have been better something down and away  that Howard may chase but at least it was a solo shot.  Same with Ibanez up next.  Santana got ahead 0-2 before giving up a HR on a breaking ball that hung up over the middle. Strange pitch selection.

Lance Barksdale blew the call at the plate against Fernando Tatis in the 6th as Tatis was safe at the plate by not only sliding under the glove of Carlos Ruiz but Ruiz never had possession of the ball. But Tatis never argued the call and J-Man said he didn’t come out because he can’t see it from his spot in the dugout and Tatis didn’t fight it either. But SNY showed D-Wright (must have seen the reply) telling Manuel that Tatis was safe.  J-Man should have gone out between innings to let Barksdale know that when the highlights are shown that night that he will be embarrassed.

Faith and Fear in Flushing is hosting a METSTOCK night at Two Boots restaurant in Manhattan next Thursday night. The evening in which the Mets will be playing the Orioles will commemorate the 40^th anniversary of the 1969 World Championship and the 40^th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival.  Click here for all the details and a list of writers who will be on hand.

The Mets Police has more ideas for a better Mets alternate uni.  I would love to see something where they keep the snow whites and instead of METS across the front have an orange NY on the left side and no name on the back. I do like the hat that the Mets po-po suggests but the suggestion of putting QUEENS on the roadie uhhhhhhhhhhh NO WAY! .

Alex Nelson at Mets Geek has an outstanding  in depth scouting report on LHP Steve Matz and SS Robbie Shields.  In the comments section of this post is story that Matz is looking for a $1mil signing bonus or he will go to college instead. If the Mets believe this kid is worth keeping then I’d say give him the mil and get him in the system. The Skill Sets make more than that on the nickel deposits from the beer bottles at $iti Field.

It seems that Larry Jones regrets he was never a Met. The guy has an unhealthy envy problem with the Mets and NYC.

   

Posted under Uncategorized

 

 

 

Guess what? It’s raining again. That’s all it does around here lately but it doesn’t look like it will be an all day rain just thunderstorms this morning and afternoon but foggy and overall shitty tonight as Johan Santana takes his perfect 3-0 mark on the line against the Phucking Phillies at $iti Field.

 

Santana will go up against J.A. Happ who is helping the Phillies forget Brett Myers by stepping up and going 3-0 in his lat 7 outings and in his 4 no decisions Happ was very effective.

 

It wil be interesting to see the lineup J-Man puts out there tonight. You would hope he goes with his best 8 guys:

 

Castillo 2b

Cora SS

Beltran CF

Wright 3B

Sheffield LF

Church RF

Murphy 1B

Santos C

Santana P

 

What a contest they have over at Oh Murph. As much as the thought of “getting with” Julia Alexandria would be on my bucket list, the price is much too steep.

 

Today is the MLB Draft and I really should have looked at the landscape of players out there to be taken. I’ll have to take out my Baseball America at lunch time to brush up on what amateurs that are out there. The Mets first pick is a number 72 and unlike other sports, the first round picks in baseball are usually overrated. In fact I feel sorry for the Washington Nationals as they have no choice but to pick Stephen Strasburg because of all the hype and then they have to go through holy hell with Scott Boras to get him signed and hope he lives up to his advanced billing and pray to God he’s not another first round flop.

 

 

Posted under Uncategorized

 

 

 

 

Maybe it’s that phenomena of the Mets playing down to the competition as they come off a 2-4 abbreviated road trip against the Bucs and Nats the suck and suck more teams of baseball and now the biggest three weeks of the Mets 2009 season starts tomorrow here in the Greatest City on the Planet against the Phucking Phillies in the biggest series of the season.

 

To start off this series I sat with an enemy correspondent , Bill Bear of Crashburn Alley who has been a guest on PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL and a guy I like to e mail back and forth during the season as I like to be an annoying ball breaker but even though Bill has a major character flaw being a Phucking Phillies fan he’s a good guy and is always great when he comes on PBC and I like his in depth stat work on Crashburn Alley so click here to read the Q & A I did with Bill .

 

Over at Jorge Says No they have a very good interview with Wally Backman who is now managing in the Northern League for the Joilet Jackhamers. Backman of course would love to get a shot at a big league managerial job and the hard work as a player and perseverance as a manager at the most obscure outposts of baseball only make his resolve stronger. Maybe some day he will be back in Flushing where his work ethic and passion for the game would be a boost for the organization and the fans.

 

Doug Branch at Mets Merized Online is getting drawn and quartered for a post that suggests that the Mets might look at being sellers and if they do maybe Carlos Beltran would be the guy to trade. Well if you read the comments Branch is called out for not only suggesting that the Mets become sellers but think about trading Beltran. I won’t speak for Branch but as for myself I’ll say I don’t want the Mets to be sellers and I don’t want to deal off Beltran but as I wrote in a post over the weekend maybe it’s time for the front office and ownership to take stock in what it is the team and what this franchise is looking to accomplish. The reason I think like this is that as much as I think Omar Minaya has done a pretty good job he could do much better and I never feel like there is a plan in place or a course of action for this team. Sure Omar went out and retooled the bullpen to the point it’s one of the best in baseball but he never addressed the need for a left fielder with power and seems to be more enthralled with finding players left on the side of the curb than being creative in making a deal for bona fide major league talent.

 

It is good though to see the Mets fan exuding passion like the commentators are doing on that site and of course here. Too bad that ownership is to inept to realize what a great fan base they have.

 

 

The Mets Police checked out the cuisine at Highlander Stadium and found it to be overpriced and bland just like its tenants.

 

After watching my kid’s soccer games yesterday I had to make a trip to the mall to buy a sports jacket (one that didn’t have METS or an NY on it but a sports jacket that adult men wear. The two that I own are way too big and my son is graduating from grammar school this Friday and I need to dress up like a grown up so hence the sports jacket. I guess it’s a shame that a soon to be 51 year old man owns just two pair of slacks but 12 pairs of jeans, and has more than 200 t-shirts and maybe three dress shirts, one pair of shoes but  2 pair of Cons’ 3 pair of running shoes, 2 pair of basketball shoes, and 2 pair of baseball cleats and the only neck ties I have are hand me downs from my brothers. I’d be more than happy to live everyday in shorts, a t shirt, flip flops and my Mets cap) when I returned home I relaxed by watching the Padres-D’Backs game that went to 18 innings. I picked the game up in the 10^th inning and when it ended in the 18^th I realized the D’Backs bullpen did not give up a hit from the 10^th to the 18^th inning an extra inning no hitter! The D’Backs blew a 6-0 lead and the Padres had shortstop Josh Wilson pitch the 18^th and he almost got out of jam with two on and 0-2 count on Mark Reynolds before Reynolds put one just over the right field wall. Wilson by the way was a D’Back just a month ago before he was claimed by the Padres. Even stranger was of the 27,000 plus who were in attendance for the beginning of the game morphed into empty seats by the 18^th inning.

 

I’ll leave you with this from Henry Aaron on the release of Tom Glavine and the apology from John Schuerholz:

 

“I wouldn’t have said anything if I were John Schuerholz. I think that was a mistake, because it was a no-win situation in his case, as much as [Schuerholz] tried to patch up the differences,” Aaron said. Then he laughed, adding, “This is the first time I’ve ever been on management’s side. I mean, Glavine got paid very well through the years to play here, and there’s never a good way to handle these situations. But if you’re the Braves, you’ve got to throw those kids out there and let them pitch. If you’re Glavine, you have to be gracious enough to step aside.”

 

Why don’t the Glavines of any sport do so? “The hardest thing for anybody — especially athletes — is to wake up in the morning and realize everything has stopped for them,” Aaron said. “The cheering. The booing. The traveling. All the things that you used to be doing are no longer there, and it’s hard for you to realize that, along with the idea of losing all of the money that I made. It’s just not there any more.

 

Posted under Uncategorized

I’m glad I didn’t watch last night debacle but I’ll say this as I was coming home from a day in the city I put on WFAN and Tony Page was on. Page never has a bad word for anyone but he was killing the Mets on his program. I didn’t even need to hear the score to know this was one awful loss.

So maybe we are all delusional thinking that one bat or one arm will make a difference maybe it’s time Omar, John Rico, Tony B and Little Jeffey sat down like men and make a decision to blow this team up and start over.   

Thnik about it what’s worse trading Carlos Beltran for big gotten gains or dealing Fernando Martinez for David Eckstein?

We’ll know by the end of this month but I’m ready to file for the demoltion permits

Posted under Uncategorized

  Give credit to Tim Redding last night, with most of management and Mets Fans looking to send his ass packing he rebounded with a strong performance. Sure it was against the lowly Nats  but with his job on the line he stepped up.

Of all the injuries the one that hurts the least (no pun intended) is losing J J Putz. With Bobby Parnell, a rejuvenated Sean Green, Brain Stokes and Pedro Feliciano to go with Frankie Rodriguez the bullpen is robust and is a big reason not to give up the ship.

With all the injuries the Mets will have to reinvent themselves into a team of strong pitching and they must play stellar defense and keep the mistakes at a minimum especially on the base paths.  There are good aggressive plays that sometimes bite you in the ass like David Wright taking a chance on going to third on the botched pickoff play in the 6^th that took a solid throw by A-Hern to get him. Then there are just bad base running plays like Carlos Beltran in the 1^st trying to get to third with no outs on a hit and Wright trying to steal 3^rd with no outs in the 10 th.  You can get away with mistakes against the awful Nats but with the schedule that is coming up against the top teams in baseball it helps best if your head is not up your ass.

So Adam LaRoche thinks it was “classless” of Carlos Beltran to say the Pirates are not a good team and the Mets should be embarrassed to lose three straight to them.  When your organization has not had a winning record in 17 seasons and you trade away an outfield of Jason Bay, Nate McClouth and Xavier Nady and get next to nothing of substance in return, I think your anger should be toward the management of your team and not the opposition who is just echoing what all of baseball knows that the Pittsburgh Pirates are a joke.

LaRoche may get a chance to tell Beltran what he thinks as he may get lucky and get traded to the Mets. I wouldn’t mind getting LaRoche and Jack Wilson to play first and short for the Mets and I bet it wouldn’t cost much either.

I’m a fan of Daniel Murphy but let’s face facts the Mets are dire need of a power bat and if Murphy who has looked great at first base isn’t going to hit then he needs to go to Buffalo so Omar can add a power bat at that possession. It’s not personal Danny Boy its business.

Watching and listening to Tom Glavine bitch and moan about his release by the Braves is more embarrassing than annoying although I find myself yelling “grows some balls” at the TV when MLB Network shows Glavine’ presser.

There is nothing better than MLB Extra Innings. Not only do you get to see every baseball game but when the Dodgers are home or west of the Mississippi River you get to hear Vin Scully. I’ve forgiven Scully for his bias against the Mets in the 1986 World Series and as I watched last night as the Phillies and Pedro Feliz gave the Dodgers a win it was this from Scully that made the game worth watching:

  

It’s about quarter of nine in Los Angeles. That makes it about quarter of six on the beaches at Normandy, in France. And 1944, June the sixth, tomorrow, that was the invasion of Europe.

We heard the names: Sword, Gold, Juno, Utah and Omaha. Those were the names of the beaches as the British, Canadians and the United States invaded Europe.

 Let’s go back to this one.

 At quarter of six on the beaches of Normandy sixty-five years ago, something like forty thousand fell in the invasion that was called Operation Overlord. The bloodiest beach was Omaha.

And then of course there was that area called Pointe du Hoc. You probably saw that in the movie The Guns of Navarone, where the GIs had to try and climb thirty-foot cliffs and the Germans were on top of the cliffs shooting down at them

So, do us older guys a favor. If you have children, would you please take time out tomorrow and tell them the sacrifice that was made sixty-five years ago?

 Freedom is not free. Boy, a lot of fellas gave their lives so that we could be sitting here watching a baseball game.

Please don’t forget it.

      

Thanks to Sons of Steve Garvey to this  

 

 

Posted under Uncategorized

Ari Rosen, is putting together a book on the New York Mets: Yesterday and Today and he is looking for Mets fans who have an extensive collection of Mets memorabilia to be photographed and added to the book.  If you’re interested you can e mail Ari at  arosen@pubint.com

Posted under Uncategorized