Defeat

As I type this, the Mets are losing: 6-2. I think Niese just ran into trouble; a pretty rough game for such a young pitcher--my hunch is he walked the bases full, then gave up a grand slam home run. Such is life. Rather, that is the game of baseball, at least for a Mets' fan. They crumble under pressure, like a pie crust made with too much butter and not enough flour.



Oh well, I hear Penny yelping, which is the only sound coming from the first floor where they are supposedly watching the ball game. Guess I shall take her for a leashwalk, and hope the Mets decide they are tired of being the statue and want to crap on the Cubs.

Which leads me to the question: what the hell is wrong with this team? For two months--from the end of June until the end of August, they looked like a dynamic ballclub. If the pitching was spotty, the hitting and fielding saved the day, and vice versa. Now, it's just a total mess--perhaps the injuries to Tatis, and the fact that Ryan Church is not playing at 100 percent have hurt. Of course, having a bullpen that can't save a ballgame does not help. And I have my doubts about Jerry Manuel's handling of the bullpen situation, changing pitchers the way runway models change outfits. The alternative is to leave a pitcher in until he finds himself or gives up several runs. If John McGraw came back from the dead, I don't think he could get the Mets to the post season.

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

http://www.coolmoviesounds.com/wavs/allwrong.wav

Yep, that's my feeling about the Mets' bullpen. Yosemitie Sam would have been a great sportswriter, although I don't think he would have had the patience to sit through a Mets' game. He'd probably pick up his rifle and chase the erring pitcher around the basepaths.

I know there are far more important problems in my life, and the nation. The economy has collapsed, and it looks as though John McCain may win the Presidential election. That means Sarah Palin is one septugenarian heartbeat away from the Presidency. If any politician has the raw ambition to start a military coup, it's her. God, I hate 40 year old women who are 'cute' or 'perky'.

Besides, how long would the Mets last in the postseason with only three solid starting pitchers and a wobbly bullpen? Not long.

As The Days Dwindle Down

so do the Mets. It is hard to win a division title without an effective bullpen ( the stats in today's NY Times were pretty dismal) and becomes even harder when the hitters stop hitting. It is like being on the deck of the Titanic and seeing the iceberg get closer and closer.

http://www.moviewavs.com/php/sounds/?id=bst&media=WAVS&type=Movies&movie=Titanic&quote=iceberg.txt&file=iceberg.wav

No hitting and no pitching means no division title. What a shame--the Wilpons probably blame Jerry Manuel and will deny him a full time managing jog. He's kept this team going far longer than expected, but can't get them to win the title.

My Sister was right: it's the curse of Citifield, or in the alternative, Citifield was really The Mother Ship, and the Benevolent Beings who took pity on the Mets in June have changed their minds. They brought back the old bullpen, and took the alien pitchers back to their home planet.

And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor

When you watch all the Mets' games, you get to see the same commercials over and over. So, here are a few of my thoughts:

That guy from the hair implant company scares me. He's having a bad hair life, not just a bad hair day. The implants look very weird--he reminds me of a fledgling bird--and this is supposed to be better than male pattern baldness? I think not.

As for the furniture company, I am getting sick of their 'take me out to the ballgame' pastiche. Get off my television now.

Like the Fios Flea, though.

Caption It

I see the well oiled, if not oily, Wilpon p/r machine is doing its' usual bang up job. First of all, thanks to Flushing University, I read an article where Fred Wilpon admitted that he 'messed up' Willie Randolph's firing. Oh, Fred baby, don't be so hard on yourself. Just because you treated Randolph with total contempt, and thought you could pull a fast one on the NY Media doesn't mean you messed up. It probably means that you are a fool.

A Real Estate executive, who owns a major league baseball team, in one of the premier media markets, and does not know that a 3 Am press release will annoy the NY media? Oh come on, it's like Captain Smith saying, with his last breath, 'guess I should have read those iceberg warnings'. The damage has been done, so suck it up and deal with it.

Furthermore, I sense the Mets' spin cycle is giving John Maine's injury the silent treatment. Maybe if they ignore it, the injury will go away. Perhaps if they ignore the Marlins and the Phillies, they too will go away, along with the NY Press corps, and those annoying middle class Mets fans who have the nerve to want to attend the same ballgames as their employers.

I'd like the Mets to win the NL East, but I wish the Wilpons would behave like adults. Hey, I wish Prince Albert of Monaco would marry me, or Calgon would take me away, but it ain't gonna happen--not in this universe.

Like the lady in this print, I agree that "Hope Deferred maketh the heart sick".

Que Sera, Sera

Phillies 8-Mets 6. It was 6-2 in the top of the ninth inning, and the Mets bullpen chose to roll over and play dead. There are more important things than baseball, but there are few things that give me more pleasure and pain than the NY Mets. The gallbladder does cause some discomfort, but not as much as the Mets.

So, what am I going to do tonight? Watch the game, and suffer like any other well educated Mets fan. Grit my teeth when Gary Keith and Ron say nice things about the Phillies, and negative things about the Mets. Just because they tell the truth doesn't mean I am ready willing and able to accept it.

Love Wagner saying that if it was September he might have pitched in the game. Two more games like this and there won't be any important games in September.

I think I may fly away, perhaps to the Moon, because my body weight will be less, and I won't have to watch the Mets.

May I Have the Reality Check, Please?

The Mets' winning streak is finished. The odd thing is I feel a slight sense of relief. Why? Because the longer the streak lasted, the greater my disappointment would have been when it ended. That just shows you that some Mets' fans like myself have very warped minds when it comes to 'root, root, root for the home team". Hey, I remember when Mr. Met had a pointy nose, and Casey Stengel wanted to put one of Mrs. Payson's horses in the outfield, because they'd reach the ball before his outfielders did. When I went to college in Massachusetts in 1976 ( College of the Holy Cross) the MA students looked at me as though I was from Mars when they asked 'are you a Yankee fan?" and I replied 'No, I'm a Mets fan. I survived the Nolan Ryan for Jim Fergosi trade, which was much more difficult than making it through open heart surgery in 1962.

Yes, like the horseshoe crabs on Plum Beach, I am moved by primeval forces far beyond my understanding. Too much success too soon makes me nervous. Of all the Mets bloggers, I think Metstradamus would understand my feelings. Mets' fans who are 50 and older are like horseshoe crabs. They have developed very hard shells, try to dig themselves into the sand when something nasty happens during a game, and usually wind up stuck on their back, helpless against the Met Hostile universe.

On A Clear Day You Can See Alcatraz

I wonder what will happen to the Mets during the second half of the 2008 season? Will our magic coach turn back into a pumpkin, or remain a coach? Are players like Tatis capable remaining hot, and is Ryan Church healthy enough to play baseball? My, there are more questions than answers.

Today's article in the NY Times, by William C. Rhoden raised some more troubling questions. The notion that The Two Carloses ( Delgado and Beltran) took against Willie Randolph because he was more of a Yankee than a Met would be amusing if it wasn't so foolish. Both players spent the better part of their careers with other teams, so where their sense of Metness came from is mystery.

Suppose these two guardians of the Met organization turn against Jerry Manuel? At this point, the team is winning. so everybody loves the manager and he loves them. Should the team go on a prolonged losing streak, the love fest will be over, and who knows what turmoil will invade the clubhouse. If Rhoden's implied theory is correct--that the lackluster play of both Carloses was deliberate, and a factor in Willie Randolph's firing, what's to stop these two to try it again, if their relationship with the 'Interim Manager' goes sour?

Read the article and make your own decision: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/sports/baseball/16rhoden.html?_r=1&ref=baseball&oref=slogin

Believe It or Not

The 2008 Mets are going to be 1/2 game behind the Phillies at the All Star Break. This really makes me nervous. Why has this team made such a dramatic improvement? My Sister has a theory--Citifield is really a portal to another universe. Invaders from another galaxy took pity on long suffering Mets' fans, and abducted theentire NY Mets organization, gave them superhuman powers and released them back into the National League.



Yes, that's why Omar Minaya has been doing his job; why the Wilpons have not organized any coups against Jerry Manuel. The Interim Manager title is a clever space invader trick, to throw off any 'Men in Black".



I just hope the Benificent Alien Beings do not change their minds and return the old 2008 Mets.

The World Turned Upside Down

I just can't believe the Mets. Yes, I believe in them, but do not believe them. If you had told me a month ago that they'd be a half game out of first before the All Star Break, I have said 'please pass the crack pipe'. OK, the bullpen is performing beautifully because the starting pitching is strong. The team is hitting, getting results from former bench warmers such as Tatis, Easley and the Second Mr. Reyes. To me, the most important stat is the lack of fielding errors. There was a time when Mets' errors were routine: now they are infrequent.

Can Jerry Manuel get some of the credit? As my Dad used to say 'to a certain extent yes, to a certain extent, no. Yes, he does seem to do a better job of using all his players, and lets the contract players know that performance trumps contract price. However, I don't think it's quite fair to give him all the credit for the team's relaxed, confident, outlook. Much of the doubt and anxiety was manufactured by a media frenzy: when will Willie Randolph be fired? That frenzy was stoked by certain members of the Mets' front office, who used it to orchestrate one of the most inept firings in Major League Baseball.

After the Monday Night Massacre, the tension around the clubhouse eased, and their play gradually improved. Would Willie Randolph have gotten the same results if there had not been a media circus around the club? Guess we'll never know.

I Accept the Universe

which was a remark made by Margaret Fuller, a 19th Century transcendentalist. Upon hearing that statement, Ralph Waldo Emerson replied "By God, she better". Which is kind of how I feel about the new and improved 2008 Mets. I accept them, even when media pundits are saying 'By God, she better' .

OK, the other day, Gary Keith and Ron, the Mets broadcasters, are talking about the Mets, all the great plays they make, timely hitting, and how fans were expecting too much earlier in the season. Now, be fair guys. You were the first ones to point how few runs the Mets scored with two outs and runners on base. You brought up soaring ERA's and slumping batting averages. And combine all the negative reporting with the Willie Randolph deathwatch. Of course the fans were depressed and angry. Only the fans in Bellevue were happy.

So, I accept the Mets being 1.5 games out of first place in the NL East. I accept the 6 game winning streak, unlikely heroes, but a small voice asks 'how long can it last'?.

It's Only a Paper Moon...

Are these the real Mets, or are they just waiting to lull Mets fans into a false sense of security? It's terrible: a 4 game winning streak, 1 game over .500, closing in on the Phillies, and yet, it could all vanish. Maybe it was just a mistake or a dream.

Pelfrey pitched a great game, Beltran hit a home run, and the Mets played good solid baseball. Nobody made any stupid base running errors, and no gloves were thrown by shortstops. Broadcasters, reporters and players had friendly conversations. Most unusual.

Like the following story. A man in Wales called 911, complaining there was a bright stationary object over the mountain. The operator phoned the police, who responded 'it's the Moon, over".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7489457.stm

So, are they the Moon or the Mets? Over

They're Mean, They're Evil and They do it on Purpose

The Mets--they are going to kill me or put me in Bellevue. There are two choices: death or insanity. A lead of 10-1, which gradually faded into a one run ballgame against the Phillies. It's like a bad dream, or the photograph on the left.

Yes, poor unsuspecting Bette, watching the Mets game. She thinks her team will beat the Phillies without any problem, but behind her is Billy Wagner, ready to blow yet another save opportunity. To add to her horror, Gary, Keith and Ron are reciting a litinay of negative statistics. No wonder the poor old lady is about to set her scorecard on fire with her cigarette.

At least Bette was saved from that dismal fate when Billy Wagner finally got three outs in the bottom of the 9th. Let us now be thankful

"It is the Lord's Doing, and is marvelous in our eyes"

That's what Elizabeth I said upon learning she was Queen of England. I'm afraid I did not quote scripture last night when Tatis hit his home run, giving the Mets a 4-2 lead, and ultimate victory over the Phillies. It was amazing--to have Wagner come within one strike of a save, then give up a two run homer to let the Phillies tie the game. At that point, I nearly quit watching, but decided to torture myself and build character. Glad I did.

Now, can Pedro put it all together?--he's had several good innings, amidst the poor starts, and the 7 point something ERA . Ora pro nobis

"Success is Counted Sweetest

by those who ne'er succeed". Ain't it the truth. I can't believe the Mets defeated the Phillies last night. Once Maine left the game with a muscle cramp, I figured 'here we go again'. It's over, the game is lost, the season is lost, etc. Instead, they fought back and won.

Only one problem. Miss Dickinson ( who wrote the caption) was not a Mets fan. First of all, the Mets 'ne'er' succeed: they win one or two games and then lose one or two games. Secondly, my reaction wasn't to savor the sweetness, but to question my sanity. Perhaps this was all a dream, or my blood sugar was dangerously low, and I was hallucinating.

Let's see what happens this afternoon.

"And Sings the Tune--without the words,"

So, if I am going to blog about the Mets, I had better do my homework. Was rather embarrased to miss the story about the Reyes-Hernandez 'conversation'. ( I think the Yankees and Rebels had a 4 year 'conversation' about slavery and states' rights).

Anyhow, despite losing to the Phillies last night, I still have hope that Jerry Manuel can turn this team from losers into winners. Compare his 8-9 record to Willie Randloph's last 17 games as Mets' manager. The record is the same--8 wins and 9 losses, but there is one fundamental difference. From June 5-10th, the Mets had a five game losing streak. Under Jerry Manuel, they've only lost two consecutive games.

At this point, it is best to take the games one at a time.

Hey, maybe they will find the Lord God Bird

Reyes V. Hernandez

According to a story in today's NY Post, Jose Reyes and Keith Hernandez had a 'discussion' on the Sunday evening flight to St. Louis. During the game, Keith had criticized Reyes for throwing his glove after making an error, and said Mets management needed to stop babying him. Reyes confronted Hernandez during the flight, and the two gentlemen were separated when the discussion became a bit too animated.

Oh, dear--this team does have a talent for drama, if not for fundamental baseball.

That Perches in the Soul

Ok, just maybe there is a Lord God Bird. Anything seems possible after a night when the Mets score 10 runs. Of course, being an Irish American, I have to point out they scored the runs off a very young pitcher who was left far too long in the game, because La Russa ( the Cards' manager) wanted to have his bullpen rested for the weekend series against the Cubs. If the Mets and Cards were competing for a division title or wild card spot, the Cardinals would not have given their bullpen any rest.

So, do I believe in the Lord God Bird, and the Mets' rebirth? I am not sure. Let's see what happens this weekend against the Phillies. Will the Mets follow a slug fest with their usual shutout or one run loss? Did those naturalists really see the Ivory Billed Woodpecker?

http://anon.npr-mp3.speedera.net/anon.npr-mp3/atc/20050706_atc_godbird.mp3

Hope is the Thing with Feathers

but the Mets do not have feathers, and after last night's loss to Saint Louis, I doubt they have hope. For some reason, the words 'feathers' and 'hope' make me think of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker, also known as the Lord God Bird. Three years ago, some naturalists claimed that they had seen the elusive birds, thought to be extinct for almost one hundred years. Others claimed they had seen another breed of woodpecker.

The dispute reminds me of the differing analysis of the Mets' season. Some commentators claim the team is better since Willie Randolph was fired. The players are no longer distracted by the media speculation, or the rumors about 'will the manager be fired". Yes, but....they must be distracted by something else, because the team is still playing lousy baseball. Reyes makes errors, Pedro did pitch well for 4 innings after a shaky start, but he gave up a home run, and left with the threat of another loss.

Finally, the bullpen blew a lead, and the Cardinals won. I don't see how firing Willie Randolph changed anything. The Lord God Bird may be extinct and the 2008 Mets don't look much livlier.

The Hobgoblin of Small Minds

Why can't the Mets be consistent? I'd be happier if they were either a very good team or a very poor one. There is some saying that only the mediocre are always at their best, so it is not really accurate to say the Mets are mediocre--they are two games below their best record. Aaaagh.

They are more erratic than my Hg1Ac--now they are level, later they are down, then they win a game by 9-0 only to be shut out the next game.

Oh well--it won't be too hard getting good seats for Shea's last season.

There's No Crying in Baseball

There's lying, especially by Fred Wilpon and Omar Minaya. They claimed that changing managers would be better for the team. Firing Willie Randolph didn't change a thing--the team still stinks. Why fire the pitching coach when poor hitting has been the Mets' chief problem? That's like having a doctor do open heart surgery when the patient clearly has a brain tumor and no history of cardiac disease.

And all that media crap last week about how relaxed the Mets were under Jerry Manuel. Yeah, the hitters are a bit too relaxed--comatose would be a better description. They can't even hit one of the weakest bullpens in baseball. The P.A.L t-ball team would be more aggressive at the plate.