It has got to be tough for the main streamers who cover baseball as this is a limbo period of the hot stove where it’s rumor after rumor (some of them made up just to fill up media space and time) because it will be one more week before teams can make contract offers to free agents. So while we wait the baseball owners to stimulate the economy there are some very interesting article on the web such as:

Paul Greco at Gotham Baseball has a great overview of Mets and Highlander prospect playing in the AFL. Reading the scouting reports on some of our prospects in the league there it looks more and more that the demise of the Mets farm system has been greatly exaggerated. I was upset over the thumbs down from the scouts that Eddie Kunz received as he has had an uneven performance so far in the AFL. I watch Kunz pitch in Brooklyn and his pedigree as a top collegiate closer made me think he’d emerge a lot faster as a viable pitcher in the bullpen especially with the fact that he throws a good sinking fastball that you’d think would translate into ground ball outs. I’m not ready to give up on Kunz yet and hopefully neither are the Mets. As we learn with Big Pelf, you need patients sometimes with young arms.

So far the Highlander will sign every single free agent on the market and will go into the season with a 1.4 trillion dollar payroll. Not only will they sign CC Sabathia to 10yr/$200mil contract but they will give Manny Ramirez 4 yr/$190 mil deal and then sign Derek Lowe, AJ Burnett and Ryan Dempster to $100 mil deals each. Then Pack A Day Hank will buy the San Diego Padres franchise just to get Jake Peavy. He will then sell the Padres to Mark Cuban (because he can’t buy the Cubs) at discount as Cuban agrees to let the YES Network televise  Dallas Mavericks  games so this way the NY/NJ/Brooklyn Nets can go to public access TV. Hank will then remove all of brother Hal’s vital organs to sell to pay for Mark Texiera’s 20 yr/$500 mil deal. And with all that the Highlander will finish no higher than third place in 2009.

Daniel Murphy is REAL and he is SPECTACULAR.

Murray Chass is a cranky old bastard who hates bloggers but I am trying to follow President-Elect Obama’s message of reaching over the aisle for unity (just like when I saw the Pope and had a feeling of calm and patients and understanding like I do now with the Obama Presidency this won’t last long because people will continue to piss me off like the assholes who walk along the subway platform with those ridiculous fucking backpacks on wheels that people trip over daily. What the fuck are you carrying around that you need a backpack on wheels? There’s something wrong with you mentally if you are toting around some much unwanted shit that you can’t carry it on your shoulder but have to wheel it around and to the woman who took exception to me kicking her wheelie-backpack this morning at the Staten Island Ferry terminal, I’ll be on that 7AM boat again on Monday so bring your husband, son, grand son and other person you like and make sure they bring their wheelie backpacks too so I can kick them all the way to Whitehall Terminal. Man did I take the long way to link this Murray Chass column sorry for that marathon rant.)    Chass writes about George W Bush wanting the Baseball Commissioners job badly but The Used Car Salesman, while denying it while he relocated the office from Manhattan to Milwaukee grab the job. One more reason to despise Bud.

I like that Omar is headstrong on adding pitching which is where his priority should be but do you get the same feeling I get that Omar is lying in the weeds when it comes to Manny Ramirez? I could see a scenario where Omar waits to see what the offers are and goes to the Skill Sets asking permission to match or better the offer. If its 4years or more Omar will pass but it it’s 3 yrs I could see him offering up 3yr/ close to 90mil with incentives and some creative bookkeeping. 

You can add any vile and nasty words you want to that slogan as well. If Warlord Jerry and Omar Minaya have any motivational brains they will use the hatred that seems to be universal around baseball to help bond the ‘09 team.

I totally confess to be the world’s biggest sore loser. As much as I hate the NY Islanders I always admired Isles goalie Billy Smith who never joined the hand shake line during the Stanley Cup playoffs as he said “why shake hands with a guy who is trying to take bread off my table”? Well said. 

This “We Hate You” mantra that has been vented toward the Mets needs to be embraced by the owner, the GM, the Manager, the fans, and most importantly the players. What all this “hate” tells me is the NL has no respect for the Mets because the see them as a “me” and not a “we” team. J-Man touched on that when he was given the total reigns of the clubhouse and it’s up to him to drive this Bring the Hate message to his players. It’s is up to Omar to bring in players who take offense to being hated. This team of 2008 took the hate in stride. Remember the Elijah Dukes incident with Mike Pelfrey? It was good that Brian Schiender stepped between Dukes and Big Pelf but being that there is a history of disrespect between the Nats and Mets, Schiender should have Varetek-ed Dukes. By Vartek-ed I mean how Jason Vartek smacked the shit out of A-Rod as he was tired of his bullshit. That’s what a team does. Is this neanderthal macho dumb ass thinking?  Of course it is.  But this turn the other cheek bullshit ain’t working in Flushing.

So line up you fucking haters and takes us on. BRING THE HATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When Warlord Jerry addressed his shell shocked warriors yesterday I hope he let them know that every team in the division hopes they fail again. I hope he let them no that every team in the NL East just doesn’t find then unpleasing I hope he told how much they hate them. I  hope he told them that the Nationals, Marlins and Braves want the Phillies to represent the NL East in the post season. I hope he told them that the also rans sit in their clubhouses and say “yeah we’re out of it but at least we didn’t choke like the Mets” and then laugh their ass’ off.  Seriously, nothing the opposition does or says angers the Mets.. Sure David Wright has been slamming hats and bats the last couple of days but don’t they see how the Braves, Nats, Marlins and of course the Phillies all turn into  Shaq serenading Kobe with “tell me how my ass taste” every time they play against them? With every loss and every blown opportunity to put the Phillies in the rear view mirror the Mets grab the bats a little tighter and overthrow their fastballs a little more out of the strike zone and fail to come through in clutch situations. It easy to throw all the blame on the bullpen but you have to question the entire character of the organization if they fail to make the post season for the second straight season. If that happens the Skill Sets will have some major decision to make here and not just how many olives to put in the martinis at the $iti field luxury suites.

The Braves came into Shea for their last series there and after beating the Mets two of three they are led by Larry Jones with cameras in hand to take pictures of the Shea Stadium scoreboard and no one on the Mets seemed to mind. Same with the Nats. First Elijah Dukes heckles Nelson Figurora and all he can do is call the Nats a girls softball team. Then Dukes goes nuts over a Mike Pelfrey ball inside. To Big Pelf’s credit he walked right toward Dukes and if not for Manny Acta coming out of the dugout there might have been an altercation. Willie Harris has been beating the Mets ass for a couple of years now maybe someone on the pitching staff will make him eat dirt.

Not only do I feel bad for Fernando Tatis for his injury and the fact that he was writing one of the great stories of the season but with him and Damien Easley out the Mets lose two of their best clutch hitters, Tatis was hitting .392 with RISP and .286 with 2 out/RISP and Easley was hitting a robust .314 with 2 out/RISP. Two guys who are killing the Mets in that department are Ryan Church (.179 2 out/RISP) and Carlos Beltran (.183 2 out/RISP) As I said it’s very easy to kill the Aaron Heilman’s and Scott Schoenweies of the world but when you lack the killer instinct to step on your opponents necks and snuff them out this is what you get, doubt, second guessing and Mets fans holding a puke bucket while watching their team fade down the stretch for the second year in a row.

{ 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.

Tough to get too upset over last nights loss as Big Pelf was again stellar but The Wife Beater was a bit better. The Mets hitters were baffled by the Wife Beaters curve ball that was filthy and again the one area that has crept into this hot second half, the inability of the offense to get a big hit in a big spot (that means you D-Wright) was on display last night.

As I write this post it’s 10:27 AM and every reoprt on TV says that Hurricane Hannah will hit the area by 2 PM so why haven’t the Mets called off today’s game and announced a day/nighter for tomorrow? Why make the fans risk a trip to Shea espically on a Staurday when a lot of LI and Connecticut fans go to the game? For one once close the ledger book and do right by your supporters Skill Sets.

I can’t get too mad at Michael Jack Schmidt for sending an e mail to his former team as a little pick me up in fact I’m jealous that no former Met would do the same. No team treats it’s former players in this town like shit the way the Mets do. No wonder I’m not asked to go on Mets Weekly anymore LOL

Warlord Jerry has laid the law down to Billy Wags welcome back but prove you can still do the job before you get it back. When you look over the numbers and the performances and listen to J-Man the team really didn’t miss Wags all that much.

J-Man, Gimp Castillo in the 7 hole? What were you thinking?

Only in baseball can you be called “filthy: and be highly complemented. Last night Warlord Jerry sat at his post game presser and said the Pelfrey had “Filthy stuff” and proud to say it. The progression from rags to riches continued for Big Pelf with another turn back the clock performance with a complete game win. As the ninth inning rolled around according to the SNY radar gun Pelf was hitting 92-94 mph with his fastball. Now that’s nasty. With John Maine as sure as gone for the season Big Pelf has told J-Man to cancel any plans to give him a leave of absence as we got a pennant to win. Old time baseball I love it.

We all sit and watch with awe the reincarnation of Carlos Delgado and not one of us can figure out how he turned his season around.  I tried to figure it out after his first inning opposite field home run and then again after his majestic shot to center field and I still can’t figure out how he’s done it. It can’t just be the change in manager it has to be something else I just can’t figure out what.

Some detergent company will wise up and get Jose Reyes to endorse deal for their product. The guy has the dirtest uniform in baseball. Not a game goes by where he stays clean but it’s not just in spots but from head to toe filthy (there is that word again) he’s Nails without the tobacco.

The NY Daily News and NY Post should be ashamed of themselves for not putting Big Pelf on the back page. Instead the News puts Big Papi and Captain Craptastic for the um-teenth fucking time as this long over done Rivalry has past its expiration date. NEWSDAY got it right at least. Here is a bulletin fans of the Bronx Bastards and Old Town Team neither of your teams is going to the post season as the Rays will win the East and either the White Sox or Twins will be the Wild Card so you folks are shit out of luck. Sorry but someone had to put you out of your misery. The Post has Michael Strahan on the back cover. I love football and the G-Men but it’s the end of August and Big Pelf just pitched back to back complete games and the Mets are headed to the Land of Cheesesteaks to take on the Phucking Phillies, THAT”S the RIVALRY that should be played up.

Oh yeah, Fuck Joba, We got Pelf.

I have found the Mets new closer.

It’s up to Big Pelf to bail out the Mets today and gain a spilt with the “Stros. Speaking of Big Pelf, how come I couldn’t find a PELFREY 34 T-Shirt at Shea Stadium? I looked at the souvenir stands on the Upper Deck and outside the Stadium and not one PELFREY 34 shirt. I admit I didn’t ‘t go to the team store as I was hell bent to get my free sports bag as my other fifteen or so other Mets sports bags don’t get lonely. I have so many Mets bags from giveaway days that when we go on vacation my van looks like the Mets equipment truck. It’s not just sports bags either it’s coffee mugs, lunch bags, bobbleheads, pens, key chains, t shirts, seat cushions, baseball cards, 2000 NL Pennant flags and my prized possession a CD of Meet The Mets, original and 80’s version and an instrumental played  by Jane Jarvis.  That list doesn’t even count the blankets, drawstring bags and hats I have from filling out credit card applications.  Yes I am seeking help for my Mets tchotchke addiction.

I was ready to get on the bully pulpit on how the Mets need to shut down John Maine right now but Mike Silva at NY Baseball Digest saved me the venom (by the way while your at Mike’s site click on his link to his interviews which are fantastic), it is admirable that Maine has taken on pitching through pain and that he has put team before self but he really is not helping the team or himself if his signature pitch the late giddy up fastball has lost it late jump. As we witnessed on Saturday without that second wind his fastball is very hittable. If surgery is needed then do it now so he is ready for spring ’09. Maine is way too valuable to the Mets to mess around like this.

It’s not time to think about the off season I know but when it comes to focusing in on who the Mets need to go after in the free agent market the number one name on their list had better be C.C Sabathia. With all the money the Mets are making, money is no object they have to be major players for Sabathia. Forget about Texieira I WANT CC.

I wish I knew what is really going on with Gimp Castillo? Did he beg out of activation on Saturday? Did Warlord Jerry win his power play with Omar? Is he not ready for prime time physically and or mentally to play? Or is it that he sees the team playing winning baseball and is putting team before himself?

Tonight at Shea the Shea-Goodbye Countdown goes to 16 remaining games. Yesterday Mex took down number 17 as he should but tonight the man who should take down number 16 will not be in attendance and it breaks my heart. Dwight Gooden for what ever reason has be estranged from the organization that gave him his start and put up with a lot of bullshit along the way and has aligned himself as more of a Bronx Bastard than a a Met. Doc was never known for making good decisions. What makes it even sadder is today is the anniversary of Doc becoming the youngest pitcher in the modern era to win 20 games in a season when he did it as a 20 year old back in 1985. Yeah kids, those were the days

Great story by Bob Klapish in yesterday’s Bergen Record (tip of the Mets cap to Repoz and the Baseball Think Factory) on his journey back from his devastating injury while pitching in a semi pro game. Scary stuff. Get well soon Klapper.

I’ve been to 10 games at Shea so far this season and I’ll be back there this weekend and every time I go I look over at our new palatal playpen that is near completion and I stare at it with both eager anticipation and some sadness. I’m happy because it’s new and will have state of the art amenities that we fat cat Americans can’t live without. The sadness is, the more I hear about this Jackie Robinson Rotunda and the marble entrance and all the grandeur, I keep thinking there will be a shoe check stand at the front gate and don’t even think of putting your feet up on the new railings. Aside from the physical characteristics I worry about the “soul” of the new place. Shea has ‘soul” and last night you felt it.

The last three innings last night when Big Pelf took the mound was classic Shea. All I needed was for Gary Cohen to put on a multi color sports coat and morph into Lindsay Nelson. I though of Nelson last night during the game because he knew how to give you the feel of the crowd. I could just here him say “and “Michael Pelfrey will be out on the mound for the 9^th inning, Michael Pelfrey” . Last night’s game proved a few points. First, when Shea is packed and the Mets are rolling there is no better place in the world to be. Second,  Mets fans know pitching and love pitching as we have been a pitching first organization since Roger Craig took on the St Louis Cardinals on April 11, 1962 and when we see a guy like Big Pelf who was drafted and nurtured by the Mets and face more downs than ups and then finally finds the formula to be a big time big league pitcher we show our approval by making the stadium’s foundation rock like it was last night.  The team is rolling right now and while it’s way to early to think about October, for one night at least the team and Mike Pelfrey gave us a night that during the dead of winter you think about and anticipate spring.

No surprise that the Mets signed Al (Don’t tase me Bro) Reyes and according to Omar Minaya, Reyes passed up a chance to go right to the majors with another team to sign with the Mets and work out of Bingo for a while. Hopefully Bing pitching coach Ricky Bones can get Reyes ready for big league action soon.

The casualties of the baseball season are coming back to Flushing little by little. First it looks like Ryan Church will be back this weekend and from what Warlord Jerry is saying he will be part of a right field platoon with Fernando Tatis. They will join the left field platoon of the Gold Dust Twins Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans. Then you have the platoon at second base of Easley Reyes which J-Man is standing his ground on that Argenis does not go back to NOLA for Gimp Castillo. In fact it looks like J-Man will get his way as the Mets are ready to send Gimp back to St Lonesome to work on his bat in other words sit tight until September 1 there Gimp.

Titan Tom Glavine will have surgery on his left elbow but don’t worry he’s not devastated.

Even though the 12-0 and 9-3 games that the Mets have won this week are a welcome respite from the nail biters and “Please God Let Aaron Heilman Turn Into Dennis Eckersley” games we have been subjected to this season nothing is a better gauge of what your team is made of than when it gets down and dirty in a one run game and last night even with it’s scary moments the Mets had a (gulp!) Championship look to them. The Reyes Boys (Memo to Mark Malusis: When it comes to breaking down baseball personnel you’re clueless if you think Gimp Castillo at this point is better on the Mets than the A. Reyes/Damien Easley platoon then you’ve watch way too much of Robinson Cano) and Carlos Beltran flashed leather and arm in big D plays and Big Pelf had a bounce back game. Yes I know it was the Pirates and I swore I wouldn’t let myself get all pumped again about this team but when they do the little things that you need to win, I just can’t help myself.

I’ve thrown some stones at Billy Wagner here but you have admire the guy for saying screw minor league rehab and is forcing his way back as the closer. Wags knows the team needs him and as long as the medical staff clears him and Old School Dean Warthen gives the seal of approval then Wags will be activated on Monday. Then it looks like Eddie Kunz will go down for a couple of weeks but would come back on Sept 1.

Speaking of coming back, Ryan Church is playing in the GCL as a DH and hopefully by tomorrow will be in the outfield, same with Gimp Castillo who the rumor mill has it has been dealing with some medical issues with his wife.  I’m sure there is some kind of rule that both players have to be activated at a certain time but as it stands now there is no rush for either guy to come back before Sept. 1. As vital as Church’s bat has been early in the year with Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis both swinging potent bats (and don’t forget Nick Evans who has platooned with Murphy and started to hit) and Carlos Delgado’s deal with the devil still paying off, the Mets have the luxuary to let Church and Castillo take their time getting back. Depth it’s a good thing.

That’s it for John Maine. 5 IP 1 h 0 R 0 ER 4 BB 6K 90 pitches 53K Great night for Maine and I agree with Mex leave Maine in the rotation if I were to move a starter to the pen it would be Big Pelf as he throws hard and is nearing a point where you have to watch his innings pitched but hopefully with the new found sacks the Pen Men will overcome.

Stokes is in and promptly gives up a base hit to Zimmerman Thank you Austin Kern’s for that DP WHEW! Mets are out of the inning.

Gary and Mex will be taking calls (212) BUZZ-SNY is the number I’m tempted to call and ask Mex to reminisce about the nights he spent at Rusty’s Restaurant I don’t think the stuffed suits at SNY would appreciate it

Did they give the AFLAC answer yet? I still didn’t look it up so I’ll stick with Lance Johnson