Yankee writers must always find a way to beat down the Mets

Usually, I love stuff Peter Abraham writes. It's usually well thought out and supported by facts. Usually. Here's his latest, entitled "Cashman made the right move with Santana":

There is no question, none whatsoever, that Johan Santana would have helped the Yankees this season. There is little question that Melky Cabrera and Ian Kennedy were probably overvalued during the winter. Maybe Phil Hughes, too.

But does anybody still think it would have been smart for the Yankees to trade the farm for Santana then give him the six-year, $137.5 million deal the Mets did?

The Mets are 11-9 in the games Santana has started and he has allowed 16 home runs in 130.2 innings. That’s 49 dingers in the last 349.2 innings if you’re keeping track at home. The guy still has brilliant moments, but he’s getting to a point where you can see a slide coming.

Much like Pedro Martinez, you have to wonder what this deal will look like in a few years. Brian Cashman, it would seem, made a smart play last winter.

Notice how he leaves out Santana's 3.10 ERA (up nearly .30 after last night's start). That's good enough for 8th in the league.

Surprised he leaves out his 116 strikeouts (only 21 off the league lead)? He's in sixth in that catergory for the NL.

What about his 1.22 WHIP, which ranks below the league average? He's statistically 11th in the league in that catergory.

How about that in his last four losses, he's surrendered only one, four, one, and three runs in the respective games, lasting six innings or longer in each?

Nope, won't find that in his article. The facts a writer provides tells the story for you, but it's really the facts that he leaves out that show the true argument.

Early Morning Madness: Tied for first place edition

Absolutely no one saw this coming. If you told me the Mets would rattle of 10 straight wins, and the tenth would see Johan Santana only last four innings, I would have told you to get away from me, you crazy human being.

Amazin'.

I've been wondering what the reaction is going to be once the Mets lose that fateful game. I'm sure, even though they will have won 10 or more in a row, fans will whine and complain about something and start demanding trades, cuts, and firings.

Just wait.

** * **

Yesterday, the Phillies traded for Joe Blanton from the A's.

I think Blanton will help them a bit, but it seems like a small patch to a much bigger hole. He is 5-12 on the year, with an ERA just below five (4.96). He is a good innings eater, going for 230 last season, but I think the Phillies are going to need more than that to hang tough.

** * **

It's time to put Luis Castillo, Orlando Hernandez, and Moises Alou in an air conditioned bus, send them down the coast, and have them placed into Del Boca Vista Retirement Facility.

Maybe the Mets could even buy them a Cadillac, a tip calculator, and one of those fancy pens that can write upside down.

And when they get there, each would have a card on the kitchen table of his new condo, signed "Love, Jerry...Manuel."

Welcome to first place, Mets fans; Mets win 10-8

This game deserves more that just a sentence...

Johna Santana has his worst start in blue and orange, lasting a mere four innings and allowing five runs to score before getting chased. The Mets didn't seem to care. The bullpen faltered, for the first time in 22 innings. The Mets didn't seem to care. Billy Wagner blew the save in the All Star game. The Mets didn't seem to care.

After handing away a lead, twice, the Mets faced watching their nine game win streak go up in smoke. The Mets wanted none of that. The team stormed back, tying the game at 8-8 with a two run home run to right field off the bat of David Wright, scoring Argenis Reyes.

After two more singles, Carlos Delgado served the game breaker into left field, plating the go ahead run. Fernando Tatis didn't feel comfortable with just the one run lead, so he singled and drove in one more, bringing the score to it's final of 10-8.

Oh, and Wagner shut down the Reds 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning. No heart attacks tonight.

The winning streak has reached double digits. Possibly the best win of the year for the Mets, as they keep on rolling after the break.

With the Phillies taking a night off, the Mets move into a tie for first place with a record of 52-44.

Are the New York Mets giving me heart problems??

For the past six weeks, my heart has been sporadically pounding in my chest as I sit on the couch and do nothing. Honestly, I'm just lounging around, browsing the web, petting my dog, and watching the New York Mets play baseball...

That's it!

The Mets are causing my heart problems! I've been to the doctor, so there's no reason to worry about me, and everything checked out fine, so it's nothing structural with my heart. It must be something mental, something deep down inside me that comes to a head and boils over. That "thing" is my passion for the Mets, and their roller coaster season.

We've all been there: the heart wrenching losses, the jubilant wins, and the anticipation of both. Maybe I need to take time off from the Mets, but if you know me, you already know that is not happening. It takes a lot to pry me away from the television, nad if I'm not at the TV, it's even harder to get me away from the radio. My computer is then next in line, as I grasp that until my knuckles are white, dumbly watching Gameday and waiting for it to refresh with the next pitch.

Last, and definitely least, I text Google on my phone for the score. I hate missing games. I don't know why, but if I miss a game, I just feel so out of the loop.

Anyway, these Mets, who have been harrowing on the edge of "firesale" and now are merely a half game out of first, have taken me on the roller coaster season of my life, and I don't think my heart, or anyones for that matter, was prepared for what has already transpired. So many ups, so many downs. They had been fairly equivalent before July, but this is a new month, a new team, with a new fervor amongst them.

One could only imagine what the rest of the season has in store...

Early Morning Madness: Baseball, come back! edition

Three days of suffering is over. Baseball will return to all of our lives tonight, and the world is a better place.

I missed baseball. I get home from work around 6:00 p.m. every night. That usually gives me ample time to decompress, eat, check my e-mail and whatnot and have enough time to gear up for the Mets game.

The Mets are my escape. It's great to come home after a long day of commuting and sit back, hopefully relax, and enjoy three hours of baseball. I love everything about the game.

I love Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez or Ron Darling in the booth, breaking down players, plays, situations. I also love when they don't talk about the game at all, but reminisce on the past or just completely digress away from the topic into something that has nothing to do with baseball.

I love the singularity of the game. One player vs. another. Pitcher vs. batter. The pitcher is at the advantage, as he has eight other guys on the field waiting to help him, but for the batter, it's like David versus Goliath. This one person must break down the power of nine to attempt to get a hit, move a runner over, score a run.

I love the strategy. The double switch, something foreign to most American League fans, as I've had to explain it on more than a few occasions. Bunting a runner over. The elusive suicide squeeze. All these plays, plays that each and every player knows about, but can't truly tell when they're going to come, or if they're going to come. The anticipation of every play, every pitch, is truly wonderful. You're on the edge of your seat, practically from the first pitch to the last. Any game could turn with the swing of the bat, a ball out of the strike zone, or an errant throw.

Today, baseball will return, with my hunger and passion for it renewed. Sometimes game after game gets a little repetitive and tedious, but with a few days off from true competition, I'm chomping at the bit to see some New York Mets baseball again.

Early Morning Madness: Sweeeeeeeeeeeep edition

How great does it feel to sweep a team? I know all my Mets friends have been saying all season "The team really needs to put together a five or six game win streak before I start to believe."

Well, ya gotta believe now!

The Mets are looking hot, with players picking each other up. John Maine only lasted 4 2-3 of an inning, but the bullpen came on and threw 4 1-3 innings of one hit baseball.

The only thing I'm worried about is if this team really gets on a roll, say either sweeping or taking two of three from Colorado, they're going to stall with these three games off for the All Star break. It would be terrible if just when the team starts to get hot, they fizzle out from their extended break.

** * **

Is it F-Mart time?

Fernando Martinez is playing baseball again, so is it time to give the kid a shot at the major leagues with the injury to Moises Alou? I'm not too sure the Mets want to rush another outfielder, a la Carlos Gomez.

It'd be great to get the kid up and see what he can do. I mean, heck, if Nick Evans is "ready" to come up and play, why not Martinez? He's been injured often in the minors, and is recently coming back from a hamstring injury. You don't want to bring up a young kid who is used to playing every day and plop him on the bench to play every few days.

It's plausible, but I doubt it will happen.

** * **

Argenis Reyes is looking good. He's batting .308 in seven games so far, going 4-13, scoring three times and driving in one run.

Under the new "Jerry Manuel play well and you'll get playing time" system, Reyes should continue to see time at second, spelling a 38 year old Damion Easley.

As I said on Mets Lounge: As much, or more, than everyone else here, I want this kid to be great. But let's slow down a bit before we make any rash judgments.

I'm on Team Argenis right now...but he has to keep his play up to par before I'm ready to anoint him the second coming.

(get it...second coming...second base?)

Maybe we shouldn't vote David Wright into the final All Star spot

David Wright is on the ballot for the final spot on the National League All Star roster. There are posts out the wazoo extolling all of Wright's accomplishments and achievements.

Yes, I'd like to see Wright get the recognition he deserves (he is tied for third in the league with 70 RBI). But I'd also like to see the Mets win.

We all saw what a day off does to this kid. Since he took a seat June 24 against Seattle, Wright is 19-53, a .358 batting average over that span. He's hit five home runs, scored 13 times, and driven in 14. His average has jumped 12 points, rising from .276 to .288, and his OBP has risen 10 points from .373 to .383.

In an even more drastic change, Wright has worked his slugging percentage up from .488 to .510 and improved his OPS from .861 to .893.

Now sit back, imagine what three days free of the grind of baseball could do, and see if you can still click your mouse around and vote for Wright. I've already cast three votes for Corey Hart as you are reading this.

Is Mike Pelfrey the Ace of the Mets?

Ace?

Mike Pelfrey jumped out of the gates of 2008 with two wins, completing a task that took him 12 starts to complete in 2007. With those two wins, he picked up 2/3 of his '07 season midway through April.

In his third start, he received a no decision. His next six appearances all resulted in losses, even though he carried a no hitter into the top of the seventh inning on May 15 against the Nationals. He was tagged for 23 earned runs in 32 innings over that span.

On May 31, he pitched seven innings, allowing two earned runs, but did not earn a decision. His next start, he pitched six innings, allowed only one earned run, and again did not factor in the decision. On June 11, he pitched eight innings of five hit ball, allowing only one earned run to score, and once more, did not earn a decision.

Since June 16, Pelfrey has pitched in five games. On that day he allowed six earned runs through six innings, but earned the win. Since then, he's allowed five earned runs in 24 2-3 innings of baseball. He has won his last five starts, and hasn't lost since May 26.

Pelfrey turned in his second seven inning performance in a row, allowing only nine hits and one earned run over those 14 innings. He's only walked two while striking out 11 in that span.

He is currently 7-6 on the season, but has looked positively brilliant for a while now. In only his third season of professional baseball, things are looking up for Mike Pelfrey, and I, like any Mets fan out there, couldn't be more pleased. Sure, we had to wait a few years, but this guy seems like the real deal, and the ace of the 2008 Mets as of late.

Where are all the Mets detractors now?

For weeks and weeks I've been reading newspaper articles, blogs, forums and all that jazz clamoring for the Mets to make a move, fire people, spark a fire sale and the like.

Now that the Mets have gone on to win four in a row and pull within 1.5 games of first place, that seems to have died down significantly, which makes sense. But where is the praise for this team?

The team that has been playing without a healthy corner outfielder for the entire season? The team that seems to wins starts from every other starter but their bona-fide ace? The team that has a gimpy, old man as their second baseman? The team that as of now, looks to only have one player representing them in the All Star Game?

All those are true, but the Mets still manage to keep winning. The Mets are only two games over .500, but they're a different team than they once were. They're 46-44 heading into Wednesday's games, and with the teams they are playing, could easily go 4-1 or even 5-0 over the next five games heading into the All Star break.

This team has turned a corner, and though I'm not going to lay all the praise on Jerry Manuel, I think he deserved a heaping load of it. It's not that he's magically made talent come back to some players, but everyone in the dugout seems simply happy to be playing baseball. They smile, they joke, and they grow facial hair. It's much more relaxed, though Manuel seems like he'd rip your head off if you cross him (he's already been ejected three times this year).

The Mets are looking good, and the only thing I worry about right now is if the Mets get hot, will the three days off cool them down too much? This is a brand new season, ladies and gentlemen, and the Mets are right in the thick of it.

Enemy Territory: Philly phans react

Yes, I read Phillies blogs. I also read Braves, Marlins, Nationals, and Yankee blogs. It's a keep your friends close and enemies closer type of thing. Here's some reaction after last nights game...

Beerleaguer:

Offensively, I’ve never been less impressed with an eight-run comeback. Sorry to spoil what little cheer you have this morning, campers. They let Pedro Martinez off the hook a couple times, particularly in the fourth. The offense keeps peppering in just enough poor at bats to spoil their momentum against halfway decent pitching, which is all Pedro was last night.

True. Pedro wasn't spectacular, but it was a boost to Mets fans to see him not flat-out struggle through his start. Two solo home runs allowed, in that park, doesn't seem too bad.

Phillies Nation:

They gave it their all when the chips were completely off the table. Come to think, maybe that was why they gave it their all — without much pressure to mount a huge comeback, they mounted a huge comeback. They just didn’t do enough.
---
With the loss and a Marlins win, the Phils are now 1.5 games in front. The Mets are only 2.5 back now, and coming on strong.

Again, I must tip my hat to the Phillies, who were down by nine runs at one point and were able to battle back to within one. It was a great game that should have never been.

Oh man, it's great to see that in writing. The Mets are coming on strong. That has to make you smile.

A comment from OZ on Phillies Nation:

not feeling good ladies & gents…we were supposed to remind folks that we were a high end NL team - losing 3 of 4 to the Muts?! ugghhh.
Sell! Sell! Sell!

I seriously hope he's kidding.

Sort of.

Who woulda thunk it? The Mets are only 2.5 games out of first

This is why you have to play the games.

With all the talk of how much the Mets stink and how bad they play at times, the Mets now sit one game above .500 and are only 2.5 games behind the Phillies (2 in loss column).

The Mets have six games left before the All Star Break, three each against Colorado and San Francisco at home. The Phillies will welcome St. Louis and Arizona into Citizen's Bank Park for their final six games.

New York has a definite shot at playing their way closer, or even possibly into first place by the time the All Star Game rolls along.

Time will tell, but things may be looking up for this team.

TSTDIA: Mets 10 -- Phillies 9

What looked like a laugher, quickly became a nail-biter, as the Mets bullpen surrendered seven runs in 3 2-3 of an inning, but managed to barely hold on for a win to move above .500 and move within 2.5 games of first place.

Hear that blowing sound? That's a collective sigh of relief from Mets fans everywhere.

Only the Mets...

TSTDIA: Mets 9 -- Philles 4

The Mets took the lead early, fell behind late, but rallied against the Phillies bullpen to score and keep scoring en route to a victory.

Are these the Mets?

Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez's dream lineup

During the 4th inning of the Mets and Phillies game on July 5, Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez were discussing some lineup adjustments for the Mets.

Rumor has it that Jerry Manuel is strongly considering moving Carlos Beltran to the two hole, allowing him to "see more fastballs." Here's how Gary and Keith had the top six of the lineup shaking out:

Jose Reyes
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Moises Alou
David Wright
Carlos Delgado

I'd finish that lineup with Brian Schneider and Luis Castillo, either of which could be placed in the seventh or eighth spots.

I like that lineup, a lot. It is assuming Alou stays healthy, and Delgado can keep up what he's put together in the last few games.

It puts a lot of pop and speed at the top of the order, with a much better #4 hitter. Delgado rightfully shifts lower in the lineup, and will get Wright on base a whole lot more with less pitches to hit.

I like it.

A tale of two seasons

Last week I brought you "A Tale of Two Stadiums," this week, it's "A Tale of Two Seasons."

J.A. Happ has made two major league starts in his career, both against the New York Mets.

In 2007, the Mets pounded Happ for five runs in four innings. He surrendered three home runs to Carlos Beltran, Paul LoDuca and David Wright. Happ allowed seven hits, while striking out five and walking two. Jorge Sosa earned the win for the Mets, who upped their record to 46-33.

Beltran ended up going 4-5, hitting two home runs and picking up 10 total bases.

This time around, it was an entirely different story. Happ went 4 2-3 of an inning, allowing only three hits, striking out three and walking four. He surrendered only two runs, the only ones the Mets managed to put across.

On the flip side, Johan Santana pitched 8 innings, allowing only six hits and two runs. He took the loss as the Mets fell to 42-44. Beltran went 0-4 and struck out twice.

Two different teams, two different seasons, and two vastly different outcomes.

The Mets bats stink

Another excellent Johan Santana start wasted.

Santana gave up only two runs, and the Mets lost again. This reminds me of when Roger Clemens pitched with the Astros. He would dominate the other team, but the 'Stros simply did not score for him.

I sort of feel bad for Santana, because he's doing pretty much all that he can do, and his team still can't manage to win. He may not be the best pitcher in the league anymore, but he's pitching very, very well and the Mets are now 0-6 in his last six starts.

This team always seems to fail horribly with timely hitting. The Mets had the bases loaded and nobody out, and managed to score only two runs. Luckily, at that. Thanks to the speed of Jose Reyes, who beat out a double play ball, and a good eye by David Wright to walk a run in, otherwise the inning could have ended without the Mets pushing any runs across.

I'm not sure if the Mets need to add a bat from elsewhere, but this team needs a jolt. In big games like last night's, the team should be fired up and aggressive, but they still looked flat. Is the team dynamic that different without Ryan Church? Without Moises Alou? Maybe a lineup shakeup will do the trick, but who knows.

Maybe this team really is just a mediocre, .500 team.

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

And Happy Birthday to my mom!

Always interesting

I must hand it to the Mets, they almost always make the game interesting.

Rarely do the Mets runaway with the game and truly put the other team in the rearview mirror. It's always close, or tied, for these Mets.

They always have to make it interesting.

Early Morning Madness: Fatigued arm edition

Each morning, I wake up way too early, sit down in front of my computer, and rattle off the top three (or so) Mets related things that are swimming around in my head. All without coffee:

John Maine may have a dead arm.

Well that's just dandy, ain't it? Maine has struggled mightily for most of this year and while a dead arm can't be the cause of it all, it certainly could be a new wrinkle. Maine has only gone past the seventh inning once this season, and that was when he pitched into the ninth against the Dodgers on May 7.

Hopefully everything is all right. Losing him would be rough.

** * **

I wonder if he'll get paid minimum wage? Luis Castillo has apparently been tabbed as Jose Reyes' babysitter.

For a grown man to have someone around to keep his emotions in check is pretty sad. In the case of Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton, it makes sense, because he's struggled with addictions and it almost cost him his career. With Reyes, it's just that he's still very immature.

As I said before, I like the emotion from him, but instead of him using it to move forward and make the next play, he sulks and mopes around the field.

Castillo is expensive for the caliber of player he is now, but if he can keep Reyes in check and get him to perform at the top of his potential, he'll be worth every penny.

** * **

This article is just bad.

It's attempts at humor and wit are poor, to say the least. It doesn't even read like it was written in New York, for New York.

And for the record, I agree with Jerry Manuel that the Mets are the second team. It's common sense people. Not to get down on my knees and bow to the almighty Yankees, but they're a storied franchise. You can't deny what the Yanks have accomplished. Heck, I've watched them since I was a little kid at my grandma's house.

Some of their fans on the other hand...well, that's a completely different story.

Halfway there: 40-41

With yesterday's win over the Yankees, the Mets completed the first half of their 2008 season exactly one game under .500.

The first 81 games were interesting. You never know what you're going to get with these Mets. One day you can get a pitching meltdown coupled with an offensive explosion. Other days it's dominant performances on the mound and a sub par effort at the plate.

The Mets will keep you guessing. So far their play has been decent, as shown by their record of 40-41. It doesn't seem new manager Jerry Manuel has done enough to light a fire under some of the players, but they do seem to be smiling and enjoying the game more.

The Mets really need to turn it on for the next eight games. They'll face the St. Louis Cardinals and their NL east rivals Philadelphia Phillies, both on the road, before coming home for a home stand before t he All Star break.

Their division is wide open and ripe for the taking. The Phillies, Marlins, Mets and Braves are all have a very good shot at winning the division. All four teams are within four games of first place. The last 10 games have seen the Phillies go 2-8, the Marlins go 4-6, the Mets go 5-5, and the Braves go 4-6.

With the Mets taking on St. Louis, the Phillies and Braves will face each other in the "I don't know who to root for" series. Still, I feel the Marlins are playing way over their heads and won't hold on for the whole season.

I'll come right out and say it: the Mets have a definite shot at winning this division. With tighter play over the next 82 games, the Mets can make the playoffs, and I think they will.