Some days you have to fish for something to write about and then there are days like today where the stories come fast and furious. Before we get to the Mets news a little bit about the Jets-Pats game last night. You all know I’m a fan of the NY Football Giants but I was very happy the Jets won last night maybe it’s a kinder sprit that Mets fans have with Jets fans as we both live by the “what can go wrong, will go wrong” mantra so when I saw Randy Moss catch that 16 yard TD to tie the game all I could think of the Mets/Jets fan out there questioning what awful deed they had done in their life that sentenced them to this form of torture. One thing the Jets have over the Mets is Brett Farve; the Mets need a Brett Farve.

No way in hell am I getting my hopes up that the Mets will (a) Make a serious pitch for C C Sabathia and (b) go higher with a contract for Sabathia than that of Johan Santana. Now that’s not to say I wouldn’t want the Mets to pursue C C I’ve gone on record at the end of the season that I’d want the Mets to go balls out for the Hefty Lefty but it’s just not the Skill Set M.O. to go toe to toe with the Highlanders in a biding war. I still don’t understand the logic that the Highlanders have more dough than the Mets as what do the Highlanders have that the Mets don’t (besides the 26 World Series flags) Both teams have new homes, their own television network, and meddlesome kid owners so to me it’s not a question of topping the Highlander offer it’s more what effect would a bigger than his contract have on Santana. If Santana says to the Mets that he’s cool with his $22+ mil a year and gives his blessing to go get C C and make the Mets the most feared team on the planet then Omar should pull out all stops. If this is just a ploy to turn Pack A Day Hank into a chain smoking fool then back off because as much fun as that sounds to me I’m tired of getting all hot and bothered and then suffering with another case of Mets fan blue balls that this team has given us over the years. Either make a solid proposal to land the big Kahuna or stay the fuck out.

The Willets Point Project has been approved by the NYC Den of Thieves so now all the back room maneuvering can begin. I’m just wondering if this Sabathia talk is a coincidence now that Willets Point will go from a rat infested shit hole to a convention/entertainment area that you know will have Sterling Equities fingerprints all over it. That’s why I laugh at idiots like Mike Francesa who downplay the money the Mets have their disposal. King Mikey better watch his ample ass that the Skill Sets don’t purchase WFAN and make Manhasset Mikey the host of Mets Extra.

Boardwalk Lee Mazzilli will be looking for work as he was bounced from the analyst chair at SNY Mets Pre/Post Game.  Maybe Lee can get some work at Brennan and Car or at Randazzo’s Clam Bar. It looks like the suits at SNY are waking up and seeing the suckitude of the on air talent they foist on Mets fans. I’m not done with my investigation but I have a strong suspicion that Matt Yallof is either a cousin or nephew of the Skill Sets/Uncle Saul Katz family as how else would he keep his job.

None of it matters because starting Jan 1 2009 the Baseball Network will be on the air and I get to see Hazel Mae again in all her beautiful glory. As part of my bucket list I have Hazel Mae, Tila Tequila and me spending a weekend in a champagne glass hot tub at the Mount Airy Lodge in the Poconos.

For a thorough analysis of the Nick Swisher to the Highlanders deal (a good pick up by Pee Wee Cashman) check out Mike Silva’s NY Baseball Digest.

A post from Curt Schilling on his 38pitches site usually gives me a stomach ache but this one taking on the case for Jason Varitek was very good, so good in fact in the Red Sox don’t want Tek I’d love to see the Mets sign him as an upgrade over Brian Schneider. Hat tip to BBTF for the link 

No blogging this weekend as I’m going on a trip with my son and his Boy Scout troop to the USS Massachusetts up in Fall River MA. It’s an overnighter so by the time I get home Sunday evening after being surrounded by 20 kids in a confined area I’m going to need a sedative. All this to make sure my kids put me in the good nursing home.

You could say with a half descent bullpen behind him, there would have been a first time press conference at $iti Field today to announce Johan Santana as the 2008 NL Cy Young Award winner but instead the award goes to the Frisco Phenom Tim Lincecum and it’s hard to argue the choice. I know it really doesn’t matter who comes in 2nd or 3rd in these awards contests but how could 9 voters not give Santana either a 2nd or 3rd place vote?

Last night Toronto Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson did something that is so totally bizarre that I have no way of matching it up with a baseball term. After 60 minutes of regulation play and 5 mins of overtime the Leafs-Ducks were tied at 2-2 and headed for the skills competition a/k/a the shootout. Now Leafs first string goalie Vesa Toskala was pulled from the game in favor of 65 year old Curtis Joseph to man the goal in the shootout. I guess this would be like pulling Johan Santana with 2 out in the 9th inning and bringing in Scott Schoenwies to get the last out. Wilson claims that Toskala is bad in the shoot out and the numbers prove it but the real reason is the Maple Leafs have sucked for so long and the coach feels his team has a heir about them that their shit doesn’t stink and this pisses Coach Wilson off to no end:

 < This was about the larger picture, the nature of a Maple Leafs team that Wilson quite clearly believes has an unearned attitude of entitlement. Moreover, he can’t understand or stomach the celebrity status accorded Leaf players who have accomplished little.

Like a military boot camp, then, Wilson has clearly decided to break this team down and, eventually, build it back up again.

You don’t do that by messing with the fringe players. You go at the core and you use a sledge hammer.>

There is something about that type of thinking that intrigues me. Instead of stroking players that have come up short two years in a row and maybe J-Man and Omar need to take a page out of Wilson’ book to send a message. I know trading any of “the core” is not popular but as I said at the end of the season, Omar should dangle the names of Reyes, Wright and Beltran to send the message that no one is safe here when the results are what they have been the last two seasons.

I just feel some of the Mets are a little too comfortable thinking that the are Mets for Life and maybe seeing your name in trade rumors is the slap in the face this team needs.

It’s been called a Yacker, Yellow Hammer, Uncle Charley and it some very rare cases (see Koufax, Sandy Blyleven, Bert, Viola, Sweet Music and Gooden, Dwight) Lord Charles.  It’s the curveball. As historians tell us  was developed by a pitcher with a porn star name, Candy Cummings back in the 1870 and since been perfected by the four pitchers I mentioned and when it’s thrown correctly it’s a devastating pitch.

Last night the Mets put a year of bad luck into the hands of a soon to be 22 year old Jonathon Neise who had the unenviable task of making sure the Mets did not get swept by the pathetic Atlanta Braves, a team that looks as broken down as it’s 104 year old manager. Niese was brilliant last night as his curveball with it’s big 12 to 6 break was unhitable and gave the fans a lesson in basic baseball, throw strikes, get ahead, win game.

It also helped that the offense showed up in game 2 as it’s very easy to point the finger at the bullpen for game one loss and it would have been a huge boost  if Brain Stokes got out of the 8th inning jam but you wonder if the offense had come through in big spots with the bases loaded to break open just a drag along boring game, that J-Man manages it differently by taking a hard working Johan Santana out after 7 innings and letting Figgie, Knight or even Bobby Parnell come in to mop up. But it didn’t work out that way but this is not your 2007 Mets team as they came back rejuventized by a 21 year old leftie at his coming out party.

Jon Niese Dan Murphy, Nick Evans, Joe Smith, Bobby Parnell, Fernando Martinez, Jose Reyes, David Wright, are not a bad bunch of home grown players that the Mets farm system has produced. Add in what’s coming up next in Brad Holt, Wilmer Flores, Jefry Marte, Josh Satin and Ike Davis the State of the Mets looks very strong. Not bad for an organization that the “experts” claimed had a barren farm.

{ I wrote this post at about 9AM this morning but forgot to hit the publish button. Yes, I’m an idiot) 

The Collapse2007 is dead and buried, thanks to a couple of grave diggers named Santana and Delgado. Johan Santana did what an ace does, prevents long losing streaks and then we have Carlos Delgado who has transformed himself in mid season, the likes I don’t think has been seen in baseball ever. I don’t have the time or patience to research it but if anyone can tell me different let me know what player has gone from shit to sugar in mid-season like Delgado? I mean those were M-V-P chants I heard last night from Shea right? I wasn’t sure as my head felt like it was injected with Novocain listing to Joe Morgan’s analyisis of the game.

So the Mets are in the same spot as they were before Friday’s game two games up on the Phellatios instead of being even. If you’re the Phellatios, even with two of three weekend you’ve got to be somewhat verklempt after last nights game because you are banking on the Mets folding up like a home mortgage lender and you find out that will not happen again for two reasons, the Mets strong starting pitching and new leadership in the managers office. Now that the Mets held serve they must, MUST beat the ever loving shit out the Nats and Braves this week, as if any lesson was learned from last year it’s take no opponent for granted as these two teams hate the Mets and will be at their best to try and beat them.

Pardon me for not panicking about Billy Wags being done for the season. Of more concern is  the up and down starts by Petey as the bullpen looks to be in descent shape but the starting rotation can not have another member go down. The pressure is on Santana, OP and Big Pelf to keep up their stellar starts but if Petey is not going to give the Mets effective starts then J-Man will have to act and from what we’ve seen so far if you perform you play is the Warlord Jerry’s Golden Rule.

Now if Wags is gone for the year then I don’t want to here a word about him or out of him until spring. Now I know I’m prick for saying that but I’m of the mindset if you’re injured and can’t play then get out of the way. Cold hearted yes but it’s the only way to go. Losers make excuses for poor play due to injury (see Highlander, New York, Girardi, Joe, Clueless) Wags is out. No problem.  Luis Ayala is doing fine and I also think Al Reyes will see some significant innings as will Ricardo Rincon. The Mets have the arms what is needed is the execution.

Do you get the idea that Warlord Jerry looks at Aaron Heilman like the Jets looked at Baby John in West Side Story? What is J-Man quote? “Gangsta’s take the field, ladies take the bus”? Looks like J-Man gave Heilman an unlimited Metro Card.

Same with Gimp Castillo, by playing Damien Easley in both games it shows J-Man was true to his word that he doesn’t care about contracts he is playing his best guys.

According to ESPN MLB Schedule the match ups the next four games, the Mets will see four LH starters (Jon Lanan-Odalis Perez for the Nats Denver School Superintendent Mike Hampton and Jo-Jo Reyes of the Braves) so my question How does J-Man get Danny Boy Murphy at bats? Out of the next four Murphy has to get at least one start and if a righty comes in, then Murphy should be put in for either Tatis or Evans which ever gets the start.

The Mets are rolling. Since July 1 to today the boys in Orange and Blue are 32-15 and winners of 14 of their last 18. With a 2 ½ game lead over the Phillies and a macho performance by Johan Santana last night Metsdom should be as giddy as Jeffey Skill Sets when he’s opening up the season ticket renewals. But of course there always has to be a turd in the punch bowl.

Gimp Castillo who has been a way from the team for what seems like three months has bogarted his way back into the starting lineup in what looks to be the first power struggle loss under the rule of Warlord Jerry. This is Omar Minaya pulling th “I’m the boss” card out on J-Man as Manuel knows he’ got a good thing going here and doesn’t want it disturbed. It’s not so much that Gimp is back in action, it’s more who gets the furlough to NOLA that is disturbing.

Look we can all read and the number that Gimp has over both Argenis Reyes and Damien Easley is his OBP of .365 which is superior to Reyes (.297) and Easley (.312) so if it were a question of the Mets needing an offensive shot in the arm then Gimp coming back would be greatly anticipated. But offense has not been a problem for the team since Gimp went out in fact the resurgence of Carlos Delgado and the LF platoon of the Gold Dust Twins added to the resurgence of Fernando Tatis makes the Mets offense one of the deepest and most productive in baseball. Sure the offense has helped the Mets-troliner get back on track but the biggest ingredient to the surge has been starting pitching and defense which always go hand in hand.

When you have a strong up the middle defense like the Mets have now with the Reyes-Reyes/Easley-Beltran tag team, it gives your pitching staff a little more confidence to pitch to contact because of the great faith they have in their fielders. That’s what Argenis and Easley have brought to the table that Gimp hasn’t. Gimp is shell of himself in the field and like the Visa commercial where everyone on line has a Visa check card and then one guy stops the line by writing a check that’s what Gimp will bring when he comes back. The baseball term on offense is when your down by a lot runs and you need a big inning when guys get on base you will hear from the bench”Just keep the line moving” and that’s what J-Man wants for his defense to keep the outs coming and he knows with Gimp out there that could be a problem.

But J-Man like most of us has a boss and his boss is Omar Minaya and not only is J-Man limited in his taking on the boss as he still has the”interim” tag next to his name he also has to know the burden Omar has with the albatross contract around his neck that is Gimps ridiculous deal. As bad as that signing has been for Omar and the Mets it’s unfair to kill him on it as so far Minaya has made many more positives moves than bad during his rein as Mets boss. If he could have just found a way to keep Gimp away from the team until September 1, that would have been another check maker in the positive column for him.

Meanwhile with all the bloviating I just got finished doing I will still be cheering for Gimp tonight as he is a Met and we have something very special going on here at Shea, that’s why I leave all my “hatein’” here and not at the ball park.

I guess for most of Metsfandom the turning point of last nights game was Carlos Delgado lost in the lights game winning single that scored a head first diving David Wright to give the Mets a come from behind win. But for me the turning point was the top of the 7th inning and the show of cajones by Petey. After giving up a first pitch home run to Yunel Escobar, the next five innings Petey was in control making pitch after pitch in the strike zone with marksman persicion. But then in the 6th, he got in trouble and let three runs score for the Braves to take a 4-3 lead. But Petey came out for the 7^th and this is where his cajones came into play. You can work on mechanics and arm slots and pitch selection but either you‘ve got balls or you don’t and what we know about Petey is he’s got platinum nuts. He got the Braves three up three down and the Mets in the bottom of the inning tied the score on Nick Evans double and Carlos Delgado infield single and some help from a suddenly inept Atlanta defense. At 100 pitches Petey should have been done as he did his job but he came out for the 8^th inning and after a lead off single was done for the night as Pedro Feliciano and Luis Ayala providing solid relief work. But as I say that top of 7 stands out to me as Petey being Petey and that should make all fans smile today.

Great move by SNY to put a camera in the tunnel leading to the Mets clubhouse. Just watching Fernando Tatis jump up and down like a kid greeting his teammates as they were coming off the field lends you to believe that there something special happening here. That and the site of Mets players led by Johan Santana wearing inside out rally caps shows that the fun is back in Flushing.

I love Tom Seaver like he was a member of my family but I really don’t need to hear him in the booth with Gary, Keith and Ron during a game while we are in a pennant run. If SNY wants to do an hour long interview with The Franchise I’d watched until my eye balls bled but while there is a game going on I don’t need to any convoluted bullshit in the booth .I also can do without Seaver belittling the Mets pitchers for not kissing his ring when he was talking to them about pitching, maybe if you came around more often Tom, they’d listen more closely. SNY mane up for though when they sent Mex and Darling to seats behind home plate for up close and personal analysis.

I kind of feel sad for Gimp Castillo as the Mets are hoping they can stash him away for  more 12 more days when the rosters can be expanded as J-Man really wants no part of him on the team. Even when he does come back it looks like just cameo appearances for Gimp.

Ryan Church on the other hand will be welcome back tonight with open arms and will most likely platoon (though not a strict platoon) with Fernando Tatis and the Gold Dust Twins keep their gig in LF.

I just knew that MLB and ESPN would do this to us. They have switched the September 7 Mets-Phillies game to 8:05PM Great. The next day is the first full day of school for my kids and its Johan Santana Bobble head Day (Night?) and it was supposed to be a Dyna-Mets Dash day. So thank you Skill Sets, Used Car Salesman, and the assholes in Bristol CT for fucking up a nice Sunday afternoon for me and other Mets fans.  

Yes I feel like a horse’s ass today after going after D-Wright yesterday and he made me pay and if that’s what it takes for the Mets to win I’ll wear a big KICK ME sign on my back for the rest of the season. But give some credit to Warlord Jerry for lighting a fire under Wright by playing a little head game with him with the “you look tired take a day off” ploy that sparked Wright yesterday. Now deduct that credit slip Ieft to Warlord Jerry for his mishandling of the bullpen. I have no problem with Johan Santana getting lifted when he did yesterday as he is reaching uncharted territory with the number of pitches per start and he has been not good but great this year so no more questioning of Johan but the question still remains someone has to be designated as the closer until Wags gets back and at this point just give the job to Eddie Kunz already. We have seen enough of the $1.98 Beauty Pageant contestants and J-Man has to know that he can not keep bring in four or five relievers per game so just give the job to Kunz and stick with him and let him learn under fire. Why did you bring him up if your not going to use him? Makes no sense but then again this is the Mets.

The Bingo Boys had a great game yesterday and hopefully this will lead to a renewed way of doing busiiness in Flushing and building this team through scouting and minor league preperation. Having watched the Brooklyn Cyclones the last two years under Edgar Alfonzo he should be in charge of the minor league system as he is a nuts and bolts baseball guy who takes no bullshit from his players. Just this season he has disciplined Josh Satin for not running out a ground ball by benching him and having the organization send him to Kingsport for a couple of days to get the message across. I like that Alfonzo keeps pitchers in the game when they are in trouble to get them to learn how to pitch in a tough spot. With Edgardo playing for the Ducks and Eagar in Brooklyn OMar Minaya would do right by the organization to get both Alfonzo brothers locked in the Mets coaching staff.

All I know is I have tickets for the last game at Shea and I’m bringing a ratchet set with me no way I’m paying $869 for two seats. Fuck you Jeffy. They better have the National Guard ready for that last day as there has to be one last storming of the field at Shea a la 1969

The best move Omar Minaya made yesterday was standing on the sidelines and doing nothing but take phone calls. Could the Mets use a Jason Bay or Manny Ramirez, (forget Jr. Griffey) of course but Minaya felt the price was too high player wise and he has realized it’s time to let the farmhands grow up to be Mets. I think a lot of fans feel the same way. It’s funny that when a player comes up through the teams farm system the fans seem to be more tolerant of mistakes and of lesser play than they are of guys who sign here for big free agent  money like Carlos Beltran or a money driven trade like Carlos Delgado and Johan Santana. So let Jon Niese, Dan Murphy, Eddie Kunz and the Teen Aged Hitting Machine come up and make their  debut in a pennant race. It may not pay off this year but it could pay huge dividends down the road. Mets management has finally come around to the mind set of build a team that will contend for a few years instead of the one and done approach the Skill Sets have been famous for during the reign. The Phillies and Marlins did nothing to have us take notice so with two months of baseball left let the race begin.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jerry Remy yesterday in Hyannis. He was appearing at a restaurant there for a local Cape Cod radio station and I ask him about Manny being traded and he was hoping that Manny would not be delt. I asked about clubhouse reaction to the latest Manny Being Manny episode and Remy felt they have all seen this before so it’s nothing new it’s more management being disrespected than anything that fueld this deal. After Manny said that the Sox didn’t deserve him that set off the front office who felt the team has been around over 100 years and they will still be around another 100 years Manny or no Manny. I think the players were relived as well that Manny is gone even if his bat can not be replaced but his lack of hustle and desire and his disrespect for Terry Francona had become a major issue. 

Go get’em tonight Petey!!!!!!!!!!!!

As much as I love being here on vacation I MISS THE METS!!!!!!! I miss watching and listening to Gary, Keith and Ron and I almost miss Yalloff and Mazzilli (I said ALMOST)

Greetings from Yarmouth as the first full day of vacation is under way. I am in the middle of Red Sox Nation where the Manny Being Manny talk is hot and heavy. With the Old Town Team dropping 2 of 3 to the Highlanders WEEI is all atwitter over Manny asking for his walking papers. Please Omar Please make the deal get this .300 30 HR 110+Rbi hitting machine to Shea and don’t worry Jose Reyes will keep Manny on the straight and narrow.

I got to hear the Met-Cards game coming up here yesterday (in torrential rain by the way) and I have to give a big tip of my Mets cap to Johan Santana for finally stepping up and being the ACE bu going 9 fill as the bullpen was exhausted after Saturday’s game. The Mets beat the crap out of Cardinal pitching and taking two of three was fine by me. I did get to see the remarkable catch by Carlos Reyes as we went to dinner and what a catch.

Speaking of Saturday I was a the Mets-Cards game at Shea but I have to confess we left in the 8th inning as with a 6 hour drive ahead of us the game ran longer than I anticipated. There were loads of Caridnal fans  at the game most of them from a tour group and I guess as I was leaving there were cops and security running all over the lodge down the ramp where I guess the Cardinal fan fell off the escalator trying to use it as a surf board.

That’s it for now as my birthday celebration continues at the pool. I hope to find a place here that has MLB Extra Innings and maybe the proprietor will put the Mets-Marlins game on for my birthday FAT CHANCE here in Red Sox Nation.