SLOWLY DEVELOPING

Do you feel, like I do, that things are slow to develop this baseball season?

I understand that it's only two weeks in, but I don't feel like we know very much after seeing two weeks of ballgames played.

The Mets are an example...two full weeks into the season, and they're .500. Perhaps it's indicative of how they'll be all season, and in 23 weeks they'll be sitting at 81-81 (though I doubt it). I wish they had jumped out of the gate, a la the Marlins, and set a tone. But that just doesn't seem to be the way this year is going to go. And not just with the Mets.

Some pitchers' performances this year have been out-of-character. For every Johan Santana or Zack Greinke, there is a Cole Hamels or Tim Lincecum. I don't mind hitters being slow the first couple of weeks, but pitchers are supposed to be ahead of the batters at this point, and I feel like we're not seeing that much.

Perhaps it's too much of a 'fantasy baseball' view on the sport, because with many of these players I focus on their stats for fantasy reasons, and what I thought would be a good fantasy team is having a terrible start...but I feel like it's an overall trend to start 2009.

Speaking of trends...I think now's a good time to stop and look at the starts of 2009 and figure out what's legit and who will fade:

FOR REAL:

-You read it here first, the Florida Marlins will be a threat all year long. This 11-2 start is no fluke - they have the pitching to hang in the East and in the National League Wild Card races all season.

-Speaking of pitching, the Kansas City Royals have it too. Gil Meche and Zack Greinke shut down the high-powered Texas Rangers offense last weekend. Their 7-5 start is pretty legit - I stand by my pre-season prediction of a better-than-.500 record for K.C. this year. Greinke, by the way, hasn't given up a run in 20+ innings so far this year (he has a 34-inning scoreless streak dating back to last season).

NOT FOR REAL:

-The San Diego Padres will fade. It may be sooner, it may be much later in the season (my prediction is early July), but they are not as good as their 9-4 start might lead you to believe. I do love that they got off to such a good start after everyone predicted them to be the worst team in baseball (a bold prediction in a league in which the Nationals exist), but I think they'll sink towards the bottom of the National League fairly soon. (I'm not even going to waste a paragraph going into how "For Real" Washington's 2-10 start is...the Mets have no excuse losing to them at all this year.)

-Baltimore has already begun their fade from the top of the AL East, and Toronto will follow soon after. They're 10-4, and good for them...but too many injuries to an already-thin pitching staff has them playing with smoke and mirrors (and Roy Halladay) right now. Likewise, the Rays' basement-dwelling days, with their 5-8 start, are bound to end soon.

And I just hope everything normalizes pretty soon...because I'm feeling right now like this is shaping up to be a very abnormal baseball season.

GOOD IDEA

I have to hand it to the New York Daily News - great move getting Willie Randolph to write his account of how his firing went down for Friday's paper. Just a great idea, and Randolph handled it well, coming across very classy in the article. Although, he did include this, which makes you think he was leaving some things unsaid:

I stood up and shook his [Omar Minaya's] hand, told him I wished him and the team well. Then he handed me an envelope, a little parting gift, and told me to make sure I reviewed it with my agent, Ron Shapiro.

It was a copy of my Met contract that basically says I better not say anything detrimental about the team, or I might jeopardize the rest of the money I have coming to me.

So I guess that brings an eventful week off-the-field for the Mets to an end. Maybe things will start turning around on the field now. I will say this - last year, things went downhill for the Mets after they played the Rockies...and the Rockies went on a tear (a tear that didn't end until the World Series). The Rockies swept the Mets in Colorado July 2, 3, and 4 last year by scores of 6-2, 11-3, and 17-7. So maybe this year a trip to Colorado will do wonders for the Mets. Who knows...I guess I'm still clinging to some optimism.

-And why shouldn't I - so far I'm having a great summer vacation. I decided this is the summer I'm going to take pre-emptive steps against Alzheimer's and do the crossword everyday. One week in, and today, Friday, June 20th, I completed my first crossword puzzle in recent memory. So that's exciting.

-The Mariners fired John McLaren, a move that comes as no surprise for a team that has done even less than the Mets this year. The Blue Jays, though, fired John Gibbons, which I didn't see coming. I have to say, though, that the Blue Jays must be a frustrating team to root for. I wrote about this recently (in one of those bi-weekly updates that I have forgotten about recently - I'll get back to that on Monday) - they just haven't been scoring runs for their pitchers, who have been great. And they see the Rays keeping pace with the Red Sox, and they must be thinking, "Why not us?". The American League East is a strong division. Anyway, Cito Gaston is back in charge in Toronto - it's like 1992 all over again!

ANALYSIS THROUGH SIX WEEKS

Hi. I'm sorry it's been a while. Busy time of year. Not sure how often I'll be updating over the next couple of weeks - but please keep checking back. Rest assured, though, that I have been watching plenty of baseball, and I am well qualified to give this summary:

MOST IMPRESSIVE: Lately, it's been Carlos Beltran. How about this past week? .381 Avg., 8 RBI, 5 runs scored in 21 at-bats. He's led an offense which qualifies this session as the.....

BIGGEST SURPRISE: It shouldn't be that the Mets' offense is listed under a "surprise" this year...but such is the case. The way they were playing, I was about to write an obituary last week on the 2008 season. Then the bats came alive in Los Angeles and against the Reds, and it looks like there may be hope yet. Again, the fact that this is even remotely "surprising" is disheartening, but let's accentuate the positive here (12 runs against Brad Penny, then 21 in 3 games versus Cincinnati).

LEAST IMPRESSIVE: David Wright has been slow to have his bat wake up, while the rest of the offense has been impressive. He's at 12 doubles, but I feel like he hasn't gotten a big hit in a long time.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Oliver Perez. Even when he's good he's making you hold his breath. How about this, though? This occurred to me on Sunday. Is it possible that he needs Brian Schneider as a steadying influence when he's on the mound? I haven't heard anyone mention this, but Perez had a great start to the year when Schneider was behind the plate, then Schneider got hurt, and Perez fell apart. Coincidence? Maybe. But Schneider's healthy...so let's see.

MOST IMPRESSIVE: How about Brandon Webb? I sang his praises during his shutout streak last year, but this has been just as impressive. 8 starts, 8 wins. He's got a 2.41 ERA, and has one complete game. He's solid.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: I was going to go with Florida Baseball, and mention the Marlins, Rays, the Florida State League, some silliness like that. But everyone is touting Florida baseball (and rightly so). So I'll say just the Rays, who are fun to root for. And you know what, I can't not mention the Marlins, even though they're the division rivals. As long as they keep it up, I'll keep mentioning them as a surprise.


LEAST IMPRESSIVE: The Blue Jays' offense ought to be ashamed of itself (themselves?). For the team to have starting pitching that great (Roy Halladay, Dustin McGowan, and Shawn Marcum have been outstanding) and be five games under .500 is ridiculous. They just can't score.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Have I mentioned Andruw Jones yet? I think it's about time. He's hitting .170 out in LA, with just one homer and 5 RBI. Even when David Ortiz was at his lowest point this year, he was still driving in runs. This is just awful.

PREVIEW: AL EAST

For the first time in I don't know how many years, I haven't bought a baseball preview magazine. I peeked through it the last time I was in the supermarket, and the one I picked up didn't even have the Johan Santana deal. So I figure, why bother? And I also figure, why don't I just write my own. So this week I'll quickly preview each of the divisions, culminating in my playoff picks and my award winners. Today we look at the American League East.

So much of what happens in the American League East depends on health. The Blue Jays haven't been healthy for the past two years - they've lost key players each of those years. The Red Sox have stayed pretty healthy during their recent run of success, and have been threatened by injuries this spring. So what follows is a prediction based on the way I see the division now - with no key injuries:

Baltimore will be last place. That's a bold statement in the division that features the Tampa Bay Rays, but I think Tampa is looking at a reprise of the 2004 season - 4th place, Baby! The Orioles are just such a mess - and their pitching looks awful without "Bedard" at the top of the rotation. The Rays have built themselves a solid young team, and may be flirting with .500 if they didn't have to play the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Red Sox so much. I also love the fact that they're going toe-to-toe with the Yankees in Spring Training - more on that in a minute.

I'm not in love with Joe Girardi managing the Yankees. I think part of his success in Florida was that he was able to get respect from a team that really had no experience/experience with any sort of leader. I don't think he's as good a fit with the Yankees. I really think there will be tension all year long, and that sideshow will result in a missed post-season, and a third place finish. I think it's already started - I think the fight with Tampa was positive on the Rays' side and just plain silly from the Yankees' point of view. You block home plate, you should expect to get hit - Girardi would demand that of his own players if the situation were reversed. He was a catcher, too - he knows what the position is like. The fact that they retaliated like they did - it's childish, really. I think that sort of thing will be happening all year long and the final year at Yankee Stadium will be a disappointment.

Now is where the injuries factor in. If they stay healthy, I think the Blue Jays are the second-place team. They have a very strong rotation, and I feel like Scott Rolen may have a rebirth in Toronto. I like the additions they made, and they have some good players from the past couple of years. Now, if these guys don't play, they're in trouble - but we're going on the assumption they'll be healthy enough to play all season.

The Red Sox are in the same boat, somewhat. Injuries could shake that team up. Curt Schilling is already gone for much of the year. Josh Beckett's injury is a little more serious than I initially thought it would be. If he has this problem (back spasms) for much of the year, that really hurts the Sox. And on the other end of the rotation - Jonathan Papelbon always seems to be dealing with something towards the end of the year - that's something to watch out for, too. Bottom line - I think Boston has enough to defend their division title - but these top three teams might finish pretty close.

MEET THE METS - CARLOS DELGADO

A preview of the 2008 Mets, presented in the expected batting order, followed by pitching rotation, followed by impact bullpen/bench players. Today we focus on first baseman Carlos Delgado.

2007: .258 avg, 24 HR, 87 RBI, 71 runs, .333 OBP, .448 SLG

A year ago, it was second base that was looking like the Mets' big weakness, and I predicted that Jose Valentin, though he was the starting second baseman at the start of the season, wouldn't end the season the same way. This year, I'm making that same prediction for the Mets' first base situation.

I don't know who might unseat Carlos Delgado, but unless he plays better than he did last year, the Mets will need to find an alternative.

There's one potential saving grace here - Delgado is in the last year of his current contract. There is an option for a fourth year, which would be next year, or a buyout. Perhaps the fourth year will be an incentive that will cause Delgado to produce Carlos Delgado-type numbers (read: about 10 more homers and 20 more RBI than what he gave the Mets last year). And if not, because it's the last year of the contract, the Mets might turn elsewhere sooner than they would have otherwise.

There's one other piece to Delgado's poor season last year. I wonder how much the steroid rumors got to him (and whether or not there is some sort of legitimacy to them....but I'm not going to go there). You look at everything Roger Clemens is going through, and what are the first years the allegations against him come around? His Toronto years, when the numbers of his teammate Delgado also spiked. There were all sorts of reports last year about how slimmed-down Delgado looked, and his numbers certainly took a nosedive in 2007....but could that just have been because he knew of things in Toronto, and didn't speak up? Or because he was involved in them, and was afraid he'd get dragged into the report? Either way, that's now free and clear, and maybe he'll play 2008 with a clear mind.

So there's a couple of ways to go with Carlos Delgado. He could continue this slump that lasted most of last season, and continue to look like his career is coming to a quiet end. Or he could have one last hurrah in a contract year. Or he could bounce back from a slumpy season with a season more indicative of the type of player he has been throughout his career. If it's option one, I think the Mets won't waste their time going with some other option at first base. If it's either of the last two, it will be nice to have a version of Carlos Delgado with the Mets closer to the more productive 2006 version than the disappointing 2007 one.

BONDS & 756 = EVERYTHING WRONG WITH PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

Barry Bonds hit career home run number 756 on Tuesday night, and in so doing, he gave us a prime example of what's wrong with the sports world.

I understand that times change, but I just wish there was less celebrating "me", and more humility (2 days in a row with humility - this is becoming a theme). And let me say up front that I realize this happens with my team and with players I like as much as it does with the players I don't like (see: Bonds)...but this one happened on the world stage, and I think it's embarrassing.

When Hank Aaron became the Home Run King, he ran around the bases like he had done it 714 times before. There was no celebrating until after the fact. Here's the moment...

You might not be able to tell, because the batter in the picture above isn't celebrating immaturely, but he just hit a ball out of the park.

Then there was Tuesday night. Barry Bonds became the "Boom King", so to speak (a little 'Flight of the Conchords' reference for you in there...I couldn't help thinking of "Boom King" every time anyone used the words "Home Run King" Wednesday morning), as he launched one to left-center off the Washington Nationals, and stood and watched it, raising his hands in glory, looking like, well, the fan in the first row:

I understand that this is a great accomplishment (all tainted aspects aside), but how big does your ego have to be to be this self-congratulatory? I really can't stand that every time they show this record-breaking home run, you'll see grandstanding to this degree. The man in the picture above deserves a baseball in the ear, not applause. I don't care how many home runs you hit - that's unacceptable.

Speaking of unacceptable, when did it become common practice for people to maul each other for these baseballs? (That's a rhetorical question - I know it was when these baseballs started fetching upwards of a million dollars.) I can't believe the pushing and shoving that goes on. There are women being knocked around, kids with crowds pushing in on them...when I see scenes like this, it makes me think I should never take my daughter to a ballgame. I've talked about how uncomfortable it sometimes makes me to go to games these days...I won't dwell on this...but I just feel like it gets worse and worse. It's just unsafe.

I can't go without saying this, though - the man who got the ball was from Queens, New York (as he told everyone in the area).

And didn't it seem like the cops were a little rough with him, too? I don't think there can be enough security at events like this.

YANKEES-BLUE JAYS: Seems like the Yankees also thought there might be a chance Roy Halladay would make it three days in a row where A-Rod got plunked. Rodriguez was not in the starting lineup for the Yankees-Blue Jays game on Wednesday night.

PEDRO*: Pedro Martinez* made his first rehab start in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday night - through 3 innings, he gave up 6 hits and 5 earned runs. That's a bit startling...but better in his first rehab start than his first major league start back.

3/4 SEASON CHECK-IN

We're almost at the three-fourths mark of the season - 11 games left until that point. Since I didn't do a mid-year check, I'll do it at the 70% mark.

This year has been strange. It seems like the Mets have been fighting an uphill battle all year, but they still have the best record in the National League (and third best in the majors). It seems like most of the offense is still trying to get it going...as they have been since April. Even David Wright, who has heated up considerably since his early part of the season, doesn't seem like he's clicking on all cylinders.

Some things you had to see coming - I said early in the year that neither Jose Valentin nor Damion Easley would be the second baseman for the Mets come October. I didn't exactly foresee Valentin going down to injury, or, for that matter, either one playing as well as they did most of the season, but the fact that Luis Castillo is now the Mets' second baseman is definitely an improvement I've been hoping for since March.

But there were other things you didn't see coming - Shawn Green is just five back of Carlos Beltran in terms of games played in the outfield this year - who would have thought he would have logged the most games in the outfield this year? And after he seemed to have turned the corner last year, Beltran is back to his struggling self as a Met - looking like he's never seen a curveball.

The pitching has been by far the biggest, and most positive, surprise. From John Maine, who is having an outstanding season, to Oliver Perez, who has been a solid starter, to consistent Tom Glavine, giving the Mets a chance to win each time he goes out, to even the contributions of Jorge Sosa, who is now pitching out of the bullpen. The pitching has saved the Mets' season, because it took the offense so long to get going. The bullpen has not been as good as last year, but the most important member of that bullpen, Billy Wagner, is having one of his best seasons.

A lot of people were down on the 2007 Mets from the beginning of the year. But so far they've proven those people wrong, hanging onto first place from the get-go (or, at least, mid-May). Now, they are poised to get some key players back (Pedro Martinez*, Carlos Beltran), while some other key players start to find their way (Delgado, even Wright and Jose Reyes). That could result in the 2007 Mets looking a lot more like the 2006 Mets heading into October.

MONTHLY RESULTS: I haven't updated this in a while, but it seems worth doing, since May seems so far away:

April: 15-9
May: 19-9
June: 12-15
July: 13-14

The Mets are off to a great start in August - 4-1 through Monday. They have a lot of ground to make up after a couple of pretty poor months there.

YANKEES-BLUE JAYS: This Alex Rodriguez thing isn't going away. The Blue Jays threw at A-Rod on Monday - retaliation for when he yelled to try to distract the third baseman on a pop up earlier this year. Then, on Tuesday, Josh Towers threw at A-Rod. I would bet that if the opportunity presents itself, Wednesday's starter will also throw at A-Rod. The Blue Jays seem to have been extremely, extremely bothered by this incident...and it looks like they've been waiting for this series to exact revenge. I just hope no one gets hurt - you know how I feel about brawls.

NEW FEATURE: I draw your attention to the poll on the right. I don't have many readers, so this won't be the sample size of, say, other sites, but I thought it looked neat. Please, give us your two cents.

JOHNNYJETS: I hate to toot my own horn, but I was checking out johnnyjets.blogspot.com today, and I was pretty entertained by what I wrote at the end of last year. Therefore, I have decided to give the Jets site the same revamped treatment as this here Mets site. Check it out when you get a chance...there's also an update, and there will be more periodically leading up to the season.


Also, please let me know if you have ideas for the name of either site - I'm still reconsidering a change to this site name, and the Jets one definitely needs one. I invite your feedback.

FOOTBALL H.O.F.: Speaking of football, I didn't watch the induction ceremony, but I did see the highlights of the NFL Hall of Fame inductions. I've never been a fan of Michael Irvin...but hearing the clip where he talks about how last year's NFL Hall of Famers are all great people, in addition to football players, made me almost like him. Almost. A little humility (meaning humbleness, not embarrassment, just so we're clear) goes a long way, Michael.

ODDS AND ENDS

Seeing as how I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to update will be (keep checking back - you never know when it'll be - it'll be a fun surprise!), a couple of the more time-sensitive issues that I've been meaning to get around to:

-From winter ball, some good news. Anderson Hernandez discovered his stroke. After hitting .246 in the minors last season, and .152 with the Mets, the second base prospect hit at a .287 clip during the winter ball season. He also hit .310 in 6 games of what I think is the equivalent of the winter ball post-season. We'll watch to see if he carries that type of hitting into spring training. I think that would be important because I'd much rather see Anderson Hernandez and his glove at second than Jose Valentin, who I don't feel so good about as the Mets' regular second baseman this year.

-The Mets did not tender a contract to Victor Zambrano back in December, making him a free agent. There were rumors the Mets would re-sign Zambrano at a later date, but he ended up signing with Toronto. That officially makes the Scott Kazmir trade a disaster (as though there were any doubt), and if Zambrano comes back strong from Tommy John surgery with the Blue Jays, look for lots more criticism headed Rick Peterson's way. I feel Peterson could be doing a better job for the Mets...at least, the Zambrano thing was a huge failure on his part.

-On the subject of Peterson, he was one of seven coaches the Mets locked up under contract this off-season. Peterson got a three-year deal, third base coach Sandy Alomar, bullpen coach Guy Conti, hitting coach Rick Down, and bench coach Jerry Manuel all got two-year extensions, and newcomers Howard Johnson (first base coach) and Tom Nieto (catching instructor) got one-and-two-year deals, respectively.

HoJo beat out Gary Carter (among others) for the first base coaching job. Remember, Manny Acta has left the staff to be the Nationals' manager.

-Finally, another Blue Jays connection: John Thomson also signed with the Blue Jays, after receiving overtures from the Mets as another possible arm for the pitching staff. And after he turned down the Mets because he didn't want to pitch to Paul LoDuca or for a team with Cliff Floyd in the outfield. Wow. Talk about taking shots. I don't remember LoDuca having a response to that, a little surprising, since he can be a hothead.

Floyd, though, shot back, saying from Cubs camp last week, "From what I've seen, he's not one of the greatest pitchers in the game. It didn't really affect me in terms of my pride....People who talk a lot seem to always be on the short end of the stick. I wish him the best of luck. Hopefully, his luck can change in Toronto because it didn't change in the National League." Nice job, Cliff. Well said.

Thomson did make 9 starts for the Mets, incidentally, in 2002, going 2-6 with a 4.31 ERA.

FLASHBACK: I've mentioned many times how my mom is cleaning out lots of my old stuff as my parents renovate their house. Recently, I got a bunch of stuff, and I just went through some of it today. Among the books were a few years' worth of the old Topps Sticker Yearbooks. I remember my brother and I competing over stickers to fill every page. Fun stuff. Surprisingly, the price was just 35 cents. And I was going through the 1987 edition, and came across the 1986 World Series page. Thought it was a good excuse to use the new scanner at the House sponsored by DirecTV. So here it is:

I wanted to take advantage of the Mets' off-day Monday to write a little more about the current situation, with Tom Glavine out and tests pending, and where the Mets go from here.

First off, I feel like I need to say that when I mentioned about a month ago that Glavine needed to come up with a mysterious injury that would land him on the DL for an extended period of rest, this is NOT what I had in mind. That was written in jest, meaning a rest of two weeks would do Glavine some good as the Mets prepared for October. Now, with tests due on Glavine's shoulder, nothing is certain regarding Glavine.

This is a huge blow to the Mets. Their pitching was shaky before this happened, now it's downright trembling. The Mets will send John Maine, Steve Trachsel, and Dave Williams to the mound in the upcoming series against St. Louis (at Shea). Orlando Hernandez is in the rotation, and the question is who will fill Glavine's spot the next time that comes around. Oliver Perez is a possibility, so is Brian Bannister. Mike Pelfrey will probably be back in the majors after September 1st, but he's nursing an injury right now. You know what would have been great? If the Mets could have gotten Jamie Moyer, who went to the Phillies in a waiver wire deal over the weekend. I don't know that Moyer would have gotten all the way through to the Mets (probably not), but he would have been ideal for a team desperate for starting pitching.

As I wrote Sunday, the Mets need top-notch performances from the above-mentioned guys for the rest of the season (a la Dave Williams' [surprising] outing Saturday against Colorado, or El Duque's on Sunday). And they need Pedro Martinez* to come back healthy. A healthy Pedro* goes a long way to making up for a lack of Tom Glavine.

And the other big point is this - the Mets' lineup hasn't been affected. It will only get better when Cliff Floyd is back, and when the likes of David Wright start hitting consistently. And the pitching around the league isn't much better than the Mets' pitching, so the offense could make up for the lack of pitching.

The one last major point that I want to bring up is that despite the recent string of injuries, the Mets are lucky. They have the luxury of a 14 game lead in the National League East. Their magic number is 26. They are going to win the division, no matter what happens the rest of the way. And they're going to win the division with plenty of time to line up their pitchers, rest players, and test out some arms, to see who can help them come playoff time. That's a huge advantage. Most of September can be like it has been the past few years for the Mets - a chance to see what they have. The difference is that instead of seeing what they have for the future, the Mets will be division champions, seeing what they have for the playoffs.

I am a positive person. I like to look on the bright side of things. I am hopeful that Glavine will get good news about his arm, and be cleared to play in a couple of weeks. But I am aware that the Mets, a lock for the World Series not too long ago, are no longer a lock. There's a very good chance this season will come to a disappointing end in the National League playoffs, and they might not make the World Series. But I also feel that with the pieces the Mets have right now, they can still compete against the best in the NL in the playoffs, and with the Mets' offense, they can hold their own in the World Series against the best of the AL.

This week will show what the Mets have - they are a better team than the St. Louis Cardinals. They need to go out and prove that, and inch closer to a pressure-free September, with a pressure-packed October still looming in the not-too-distant future.

MORE ON THE 1986 METS REUNION: In the last posting I talked about how the 1986 Mets came out through the stands down to their places on the field. I wanted to show you how that looked - and where I wish I was sitting (click on the picture so you don't strain your eyes).

BLUE JAY WAY: Yikes. Manager on the hot seat: John Gibbons. The former Met is losing his team north of the border. A month or so after he challenged Shea Hillenbrand to a fight in the clubhouse, Gibbons got into an argument with Ted Lilly on the mound during a pitching change, then apparently got into a fight with Lilly in the clubhouse (this is speculation on my part - but Gibbons went down into the tunnel with Lilly, soon after a bunch of players followed them from the dugout, and Gibbons was later seen with a bloody nose). That's not the way a manager should be leading his team...actually, it's better than the guys who let the players run the show...but it probably won't keep Gibbons in charge for long.

THE KID'S KIDS: The St. Lucie Mets beat Palm Beach, 9-2 Monday night, to increase their lead to 2 games over Palm Beach. Daytona won, keeping pace with St. Lucie, to stay a game-and-a-half back.

ALFONZO'S COMEBACK: Norfolk had a doubleheader on Monday against Charlotte, and Edgardo Alfonzo started Game 1 at third base, going 0-for-3 with his 12th RBI. His average is now at .260. He also started Game 2 at third, and is 0-for-2 at this writing, with the game in the 4th inning.

NEW METS STADIUM ON THE WAY: As you know, the Mets will begin construction soon on their new stadium, which will be opening for the 2009 season. I'm very excited about that, and Saturday night I had visual proof that the pieces are in place for the groundbreaking. Here is that proof:

The scene behind center field - where construction will soon begin on the Mets' new stadium.

THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED

Mets 7, Blue Jays 4 (NYM: 47-28, TOR: 41-34)

I was actually looking forward to this Mets-Blue Jays series. I was thinking it would be some great baseball, and I was looking forward to watching some of it. I saw none of it, other than highlights. Friday night, I went out to celebrate the last day of school, so I didn't catch that game...a Mets win, 6-1. Saturday, the game was blacked out here because of the Red Sox' national telecast on FOX, but it's just as well - the Blue Jays won that one 7-4. Rough start for El Duque. Sunday, it was all Mets (apparently)...an early Sunday start - 12:00 - Jose Reyes set the tone a little after noon, and the Mets followed suit.

Reyes led off the game with a home run, his eighth of the year, he went 4-for-5, and stole his 34th base. Reyes is on a 32-for-57 tear, raising his average from .246 all the way to .302. This is the third time in five games Reyes has had a 4-hit game, and the second straight. He's on a 13-game hitting streak, and one of those games - the first of the 4-hit games - Reyes hit for the cycle.

Steve Trachsel had a good (not great) outing, giving up 4 ER in 5 innings, with 6 hits, and 3 walks. He won his fourth straight decision. Billy Wagner did the ol' walk-the-tightrope in the 9th, giving up 2 walks, but he did close it out for the save.

Carlos Beltran* hit his 20th homer of the season, and Jose Valentin added a solo shot. I'm very happy with the Mets taking two out of three against Toronto - they're a very good team. The Mets are one win from 16 in the month of June - hopefully they'll get a few wins this week. Next up is the big Red Sox- Mets series, at Fenway Park. I'll be at the game Tuesday night - should be Alay Soler against Jon Lester.

PEDRO*: I was wrong on one of my early-season predictions - it doesn't look like Pedro Martinez* will back out of a start in Boston. I was surprised how little the Boston media talked about Pedro* coming back...it only really started the past couple of days up here. But Pedro* is really playing it up in the papers that he expects a nice welcome when he takes the mound at Fenway. So I guess that's his angle - if he's going to start here, he'd better make the fans out to be idiots if they boo him. And really, he's right. It should be a good series.

2 PIECES OF MAIL: These have been sitting in the mailbox since Thursday and Friday - about time I got to them:

"Dear JohnnyMets,

While the Red Sox were playing the Nationals this week, I heard the Boston broadcasters talking about how Alfonso Soriano could become trade bait as the July 31 trading deadline approaches. So what do you think -- is there room for a $10 million error machine in the infield of the 2006 World Series Champion New York Mets?

Signed,
Dave"

Dave - The Alfonso Soriano thing is interesting. First of all, I think he'll be traded - and I think he might just be the biggest name that gets traded at the deadline (I don't think John Smoltz will end up going anywhere). I do not, however, think the Mets will be players. While they do have a hole of sorts at second base (Jose Valentin is filling the gap quite nicely, and Chris Woodward will be seeing time there), I think that hole will be filled by Anderson Hernandez or Jeff Keppinger, making a mostly homegrown infield in the coming years. The Mets just got rid of a big-contract block at second base, preventing the infusion of youth at the position - I don't think they'll get involved with Soriano and create that type of situation again (albeit, a productive big-contract guy, instead of Kaz Matsui). The other interesting thing about Soriano is that he's increased his value a little bit because he has played pretty well in the outfield. While he wants to play second base at heart, a team could probably get away with acquiring him and using him in the outfield for the rest of this season. Makes you wonder if a deal back to the Bronx is possible, with the outfield holes the Yankees have right now.

Also, this e-mail:

"Johnnymets -

I cannot be happier with the play of our National League leading NY Mets. However, I am very concerned about Wagner. He is being paid millions to get 3 outs a game, and not even in every game, yet he is not living up to his big pay check. What happens down the stretch, or more importantly, in the World Series? Do we give Sanchez a shot if Wagner continues to get in trouble and can't find the plate? Let me know what you think.

Steve from Queens"

Steve - you bring up Sanchez, which I forgot to mention - he pitched on Friday night, and threw just two pitches before leaving with a pinched nerve in his neck. He's listed as day-to-day - but he's been so effective, it was unsettling to see him get hurt. Hopefully he'll come back feeling fine. That said, as good as Sanchez has been - there's no way the job's going to be taken away from Wagner. I've said this before, I think that finger thing that bothered Wagner during spring training is still bothering him. There's no other reason I could think of, besides the Mets uniform, as to why Wagner is so ineffective. I really thought he was the type of guy who blows a couple of saves early, then is consistent the rest of the year. He has not been consistent at all so far this year. But he's the guy who's going to get the ball at the end of games. Hopefully he'll come through in the clutch for the Mets through the post-season. (P.S. - you know the Mets are doing good when Steve from Queens 'couldn't be happier' with their play...those of you who read often know he's about as negative as Mets fans come.)

BOOF: It's been a while since a Boof Bonser update - but he pitched 6 shutout innings against the Cubs on Saturday, outdueling Mark Prior. Thought that was worth mentioning. Boof's ERA is still up there - about 4.68, but he's contributing to a very hot Twins team right now, and I bet he has a spot in their rotation for a while to come. The win was his second big-league win, so he's now 2-1.

**I'm having some trouble putting pictures on here...might be related to the recent spate of computer troubles we've had here....hope I can get that working again soon. Just wanted to let you know about the lack of pics lately.****

THE KID'S KIDS: What with all the end-of-the-school-year commotion, I stopped paying much attention to the St. Lucie Mets and the entire Florida State League season. It's broken up into two halves, which I'm not sure I realized (I think last year's Gulf Coast League was done the same way), and the Mets needed to win on Wednesday to clinch the first half title. They did, beating Brevard County, 5-2, finishing the first half 40-30. "I told the players before the game that our destiny was in our own hands," said St. Lucie manager Gary Carter, who didn't know the Cardinals' result during his team's game. "I'm not going to take any credit [for the title]. It was the kids, we can only motivate them. We try to pound into their heads good, sound, fundamental baseball."

You'll remember that the Kid's Kids in Rookie League qualified for the post-season last year as well. The Kid is going places. He'll also be managing the U.S. squad in the Futures Game, the All-Star Game for the best of the minor leagues, in a World vs. U.S. format. It takes place the Sunday before the Major League All-Star Game, in Pittsburgh's PNC Park, the site of this year's All-Star Game. So on Wednesday, Hall of Famer Gary Carter was on ESPNEWS' "The Hot List" with Brian Kenney to talk about that, and other things. Carter still loves to hear himself talk. There's no such thing as a short answer with him....and his goal now is to manage a Major League team, and take them to a World Series championship. Of course, I'll root for him...but it depends on the Mets' situation when he ends up taking over a team. Obviously, with Willie Randolph's success, he's not going anywhere for a long time, and with Gary Carter's minor-league success, he's going places fast. So he won't be managing the Mets. I can only hope it's a team whose success doesn't effect the Mets.

On Sunday, the St. Lucie Mets were winning 8-1 in the sixth when I decided to post this, so let's assume they go on to win, shall we? That makes the Mets 3-1 on the young second half of the season.

FANTASY UPDATE: I'm getting my rear end kicked lately, so it's not worth mentioning how the What If Mets are doing in the season's final week. But for the sake of the Southern Bureau, we'll update the What If Nationals (also with a catcher named Gary Carter, so that's a bonus), who are about to wrap up the Wild Card - a 4-game lead with 4 to play....coincidentally, all against me. I was actually considering starting Dwight Gooden every game down the stretch, to see how awesome his numbers would come out to be, but I won't do that now against Washington, lest I win all four. I'm rooting for you, Nationals!

It's a shame this season is just ending when school ends, when I could actually devote a little time to it....but then again, it wouldn't make a lick of difference if I did devote some time to it, anyway.

BEAT THE STREAK: I may have partied a little too hard after the final day of school, so Saturday I forgot to make a Beat the Streak pick, so I had to start all over on Sunday. I took Jose Reyes, and he's got me started on another streak. Monday, I'll go with Bobby Abreu against the knuckleball of Tim Wakefield (if he still starts Monday...I think he will).