HYPOCRITICAL

I am not cut out of the cloth you need to be cut out of to be a coach in the NFL. I'm also not cut out of the cloth you need to be cut out of to be coached by the people who coach in the NFL.

So maybe I'm not the best person in the world to comment on this situation. But it's kind of got me riled up, so I'm going to.

In today's New York Daily News, Eric Mangini is quoted a few times criticizing Jets TE Dustin Keller. His slowdown in production has coincided with the Jets' tailspin the past month. So, yes, Keller could be in a position to be criticized...but that seems unfair to me.

At least Keller has showed up for most of this season. Jerricho Cotchery hasn't been a factor since Week 3. Laveranues Coles hasn't done much all year either. And none of those people can be any kind of a factor without production from their quarterback, Brett Favre.

So sure, criticize the rookie. Say that this isn't bowl season he's prepping for, that the NFL is 17 weeks long...longer, if you make the playoffs. But spread the criticism around to others who deserve it. And don't forget to look in the mirror. Because this entire team was not prepared to play 17 weeks - they played a 12-week season. And that begins and ends with the head coach - not a rookie tight end.

ALL TOO FAMILIAR

The optimist in me wants to just say, "It's only one game. There's two more against the Phillies, the Mets can take two out of three and be back in first place." But the reality is, this is just what happened last year - late comebacks by the Phillies finished the Mets, and they still really haven't recovered.

The pessimist in me, the one who realizes this is one of the most frustrating seasons in recent Mets history, and the one who feels like it might end in disappointment, says Tuesday night's game was the one the Mets needed to have, because it was their ace on the mound, and it was supposed to set the tone against the Phillies.

"But wait," says the optimist. "Remember the fourth of July? The first of four in Philadelphia? The Mets were supposed to win that one, too, and set the tone. They lost that Santana start, and all that did was spur them on to a 10-game winning streak...and that loss was a game the Phillies also won in their final at-bat. And the Mets are still 7-4 against Philly this year."

So I guess all is not lost - but it certainly puts the Mets in a bad spot tonight losing in the fashion they did last night. Especially since it's unknown whether Billy Wagner will be available again, and no one showed the ability to slam the door at the end of last night's game.

In part, I blame Johan Santana. Earlier this year, I wrote how it was part of what a smart pitcher Santana is that he knows his limitations as a pitcher, and isn't always pushing himself to the point of bodily harm to go that extra inning. Well, I'm starting to realize that maybe he could push himself once in a while, especially in what he called his "biggest game with the Mets", and on a night when the Mets knew they didn't have their closer (as unreliable as he is). (In this, I agree with what Tim Smith wrote in the New York Daily News - you can check it out here.)

OK, so Santana threw 105 pitches. He threw 75 of them for strikes - he probably wouldn't have thrown a ton more in the ninth, the way he was throwing, and if he got into trouble, then you turn to the bullpen.

You can also blame the defense - Jose Reyes made a bad play trying to get a force at second on a slow grounder with the bases loaded. In that situation you have to get the sure out - that's the benefit of a 3-run lead. Instead, the Phillies kept the bases loaded, and had no one out forever in the ninth inning. And of course the bullpen gets its share of the blame. (I'm not sure why Aaron Heilman wasn't the choice to start the inning, or Joe Smith - both do well against righties and lefties. Maybe because Duaner Sanchez had closed before....but I didn't like that Smith only faced one batter.)

But for a change, you couldn't blame the offense in a Johan Santana start. 5 runs isn't a ton, but it was enough last night. And they could have added more if it weren't for some good defensive plays by the Phillies, where you just have to tip your cap. Chase Utley laid out for a liner to end an inning with the bases loaded, and Endy Chavez was nailed at the plate twice - once from left, once from right - you have to take your chances with his speed on the basepaths, so I don't blame him at all.

The pressure is on John Maine tonight. The last time he faced this situation, he pitched well, and then left the game with that arm cramp. What the Mets need is a win in game two against Philadelphia. Then, and only then, will Tuesday night's game become "only one game".

METS KILLERS: It dawned on me last night that the Phillies have definitely built their team a bit around players who do well against the Mets. They have Pat Burrell, who has been killing the Mets on a Chipper Jones-like pace his whole career. Then they traded for Joe Blanton, partly because of his career record against the Mets (in limited starts, granted) - in two previous starts he hadn't allowed a run to New York. And then there's So Taguchi, who was one of the reasons the Mets lost to St. Louis in 2006, and he had a huge pinch-hit in the 9th inning last night. Perhaps this was common knowledge to others, but I just realized it last night watching Blanton and later Saguchi.

TRADE UPDATE: Great move for Arizona picking up Jon Rauch. I'm not sure what their setup situation has been, but if they move Rauch in to the setup position for Brandon Lyon, that's where he's most comfortable. And if they need him to close, for whatever reason, he's proven he's more than capable of doing that. Now that they're back to .500 the Diamondbacks might as well be the team to come out of the NL West...and Rauch will certainly help. (Although this young second baseman they traded away seems like a good pickup for Washington - apparently he's very fast, with a good batting average and on-base percentage. Seems like he'll be a good leadoff hitter, and could be a big part of their future...worth keeping an eye on. He was sent to Triple-A.)

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!

BEST WEEK OF THE YEAR

I've decided to postpone my baseball season picks until Sunday. It's not that I haven't finished them...they're done, just waiting to be put out there. It's just that there's something else that's occupying my mind this week.
As far as anticipation goes, nothing beats the first week of the NCAA Tournament. I love it. Tomorrow I'll get into just how much I love it. This week also comes with a warning/pleading: Please don't lose respect for me. You already know I'm a little bit crazy.

The first thing you need to understand is that I'm a creature of habit. And one of my habits is filling out the NCAA bracket in the New York Daily News. So every year at this time, the race is on to find a Daily News near here (in Framingham, Massachusetts) to fill out my bracket. Tonight, on my way home from work (en route to the best corned beef and cabbage in the world courtesy of The Wife - Happy St. Patrick's Day, incidentally), I stopped at a supermarket with lots of different newspapers (no dice), a CVS in Sudbury (no dice), and the CVS right here in Framingham. There, buried beneath about five New York Posts, was Monday's Daily News. Fantastic.

I have one more mission before Thursday (and in recent years this has carried over into Friday and sometimes Saturday) - I need to get my hands on a Sports Illustrated for this week. Ever since I cancelled my subscription, this has been a problem. Used to be I'd get this SI in the mail on Tuesday, well in advance of Thursday's noon tip-off. Now, I have to hunt down the tournament edition. Why, you ask? So I can keep track of the tournament winners and losers, and then I fold the SI pullout section around my picks. (In addition to the original bracket from the Daily News, I usually make myself a shrunken copy of my picks to carry around in my pocket.)

I will join a pool or two - but it's always the same bracket, just in case you were wondering. I'd drive myself nuts if I tried to keep track of more than one.

Now, believe it or not, I don't have a system for picking games. I just pick based on gut instinct. And as you'll see tomorrow, that hasn't brought me a lot of success in the past. So this year, I'm going to develop a system. As soon as I finish this, it's off to the papers to try to figure out a formula for success. And on Wednesday, I'll let you know what we're rooting for, and why.

Tomorrow, you'll lose any remaining respect you have for me.

WHY I PLAY FANTASY SPORTS: As you know, I play fantasy NASCAR (this is my 2nd year), and now fantasy golf (in my first year). I'm not doing very well in either right now, but the reason I'm playing has been accomplished. The NASCAR reason was twofold - to learn more about the sport, and to while away the Sundays between football and baseball. Both have been accomplished.

For golf, it was something I thought I'd be good at (not yet), but it has also allowed me to follow the sport closer than I ever have. And as a result, I witnessed one of the most outstanding sporting events I've ever seen on Sunday. Not unbelievable or the greatest ever, mind you, but just an outstanding performance.

I've been following tournaments closely through the weekend these days - from Thursday all the way through to Sunday. Usually I'm lucky enough to have a rooting interest. Well, this week my rooting interest was to root against Tiger Woods - it was a calculated gamble that I won't get into right now. (And obviously, it didn't pay off.) Woods trailed by nine shots after Thursday (I think), cut into that on Friday, and was a co-leader after Saturday. He took the lead, and was tied on the final hole on Sunday. A par would force a playoff, and a birdie would win the tournament - keeping him undefeated for the season. You just look at Tiger, on a course where people haven't hit their putts all weekend, and you knew he was going to sink it. And it was a tough putt. And sure enough, he sinks it. There is no other athlete in any other sport right now who is that clutch. No one. It was a signature moment. And last year I wouldn't even have noticed it.

RATTLING THE CAGE

If you're a Patriots fan, or a casual observer of the NFL, perhaps you're thinking anxiously about Tom Brady spending his time away from the team with his girlfriend Gisele in New York City. 'Of all places!' you might say. 'New York City!? Why, isn't that where the Giants are from?!" Well, yes it is.

And if you're a Giants fan, you probably love the fact that Tom Brady spends his off days in New York City. 'He's away from his team,' you say. 'He's distracted, and he has to hear the New York media constantly badgering him....' Wait. Stop right there. He hears it, and I don't think that's a good thing. Because I'm sure he's going to use it against you.

Exhibit A: Tuesday's New York Post:

Not only does the newspaper put Brady and his foot cast (air boot, whatever....it's a precaution that will be long gone by game time in two weeks) on the cover with the headline "Who's Afraid of Tom Brady Now?", but the accompanying article has the headline "Flowery Tom A Posy Patsie". Good work, New York Post. Your Giants press credentials should be revoked.

Exhibit B: Q104.3's promotion:

A classic rock radio station in New York City is encouraging fans to print out and cut out a mask of Bridget Moynahan, a la the Jessica Simpson face masks in Dallas to taunt Tony Romo, or the bimbo masks at Fenway Park to taunt A-Rod. You may remember, or need reminding, that Bridget Moynahan is Tom Brady's former girlfriend who he impregnated, then broke up with, and has spent all of his free time in New York City instead of, as The Wife points out, in LA to see his child. So this might actually be an effective taunt (masks of the baby might haunt him more, to be quite honest), but that's the second thing happening so far this week that is bound to piss off Tom Brady.

Exhibit C: Because I'm sure Brady is reading the New York papers, getting himself psyched for the week and a half off - Gary Myers in the New York Daily News on Tuesday, predicting Giants 31, Patriots 28 in the Super Bowl. I'm sure that'll tick him off, too.

And Brady's got a front-row seat, spending his time in New York. Don't think the man who can motivate a 16-0, 3-time Super Bowl champion team can't turn this stuff into an outrage that will psyche his team up. Don't rattle the cage.

Tom Brady doesn't often have two bad games in a row. Heck, he doesn't often have one bad game in a row. But he's coming off a bad game in the AFC Championship against San Diego. That means he's NOT going to play poorly in the Super Bowl...in fact, he'll be above the top of his game. And this all is just playing with fire.

MITCHELL REPORT REACTION II

WHO DO YOU BELIEVE?


I hate that I've become so cynical - but part of that (or a lot of it, to be honest), is that I've become more honest with myself. I don't believe everything anyone connected with sports says anymore - and it's almost to the point where I don't believe anything anyone connected with sports says anymore.


So it's hard for me to know who to believe in the Mitchell Report. But I'm leaning towards the trainers, and less towards the players.


The trainers really had nothing to lose - well, I guess they had everything to lose - and that's why I believe they were honest. The ballplayers have a lot to lose (hard to say they have everything to lose) - and I think that's why they're not being honest.

Sure, I want to believe Andy Pettitte used HGH for only two days, and his conscience bothered him so much he stopped. Sure, I want to believe Brian Roberts took steroids ONCE, four years ago, and never since. I don't want to believe Roger Clemens never took steroids...but that's fine, because I don't believe any of them.

I am no longer surprised when a (usually football) coach walks out of a contract to take the next best attractive offer that comes along. (Thanks for that, Herman Edwards.) And I am no longer surprised when a player's name is linked to steroids. If Roger Clemens thinks I'm going to believe him any more than a guy named Brian McNamee, he's in the wrong profession. Athletes are no more believable than politicians. They say as little as possible, then hide behind the union. I don't blame them for it - but it damages their credibility. And the Mitchell Report is an instance when the players would have benefitted from having a little credibility left in their corner.

As it is, I'll take the Mitchell Report at its word, and I'll continue to be skeptical about whatever else I hear - especially when the source is a professional athlete.

I'll continue to throw my thoughts about the Mitchell Report out when time allows - I'm on winter vacation now, so there might be some time these next couple of weeks...although I do have some report cards to write. I do intend to write about all of the Mets connections to the report.


CONGRATS TO MY BROTHER: I'm very proud to say that Friday morning, my brother appeared on 'Imus in the Morning', playing with his company band. My brother plays lead guitar and sings, and was the star of the show - Imus raved about him all morning. My brother was also in the New York Daily News on Thursday in a profile of the founder of the band, the manager of a couple of New York City radio stations. After four years of johnnymets.blogspot.com, I think I'm no longer the most famous person in my family.

BOOK REVIEW

Heat
By Mike Lupica

I've been a casual Mike Lupica fan for a bunch of years. As a teen, I was a big fan - even though I prefer the Daily News sports, my 1994 Rangers Stanley Cup Championship saved newspapers are Newsday, because I asked my parents to switch so that I could continue to read Mike Lupica. (He has since come back to the Daily News.)

Anyway, as he became more of a talking head, as so many writers do, he started to wear on me a little...and also as the Yankees won more and more, his Yankee fandom shone through, and that started to wear thin on me.

Regardless, I still read his columns occasionally...I'm by no means a diehard fan, but I think he's a fine writer.

Now, onto the book. I was taken by surprise when I saw a Mike Lupica book on the Scholastic book order I had at school. I had worked up some classroom points (you earn points as a teacher by the books the kids order), so I decided to get the book to see how it was. (Little did I know he had already written a book about basketball.) This was about a year and a half ago. I finally read the book last week...and I really liked it.

It's a story about a little leaguer from the Bronx who gets caught in a Danny Almonte situation...but he's the correct age. It takes place in the shadows of Yankee Stadium, and it's a feel-good little league story. I've been meaning to read it for a long time just because I wanted to put it in my classroom library, and I wanted to read it before I did, just so I knew what the content was. I never expected it would be good enough that I would write a review, but here we are.

The book was good throughout, but the ending was what I thought made it great. A really nice story. I know only adults are reading this, but if you're looking for a quick, enjoyable baseball read, I recommend you pick this up from the library. (I've spent most of the past three or four years reading children's books - there are a ton of good ones out there...so it's not as embarrassing as you might think.)

ROCKIES, DIAMONDBACKS, RED SOX ADVANCE: I expect the Indians will beat the Yankees Monday night as well. That would clinch for me a new matchup in the World Series.

Also, the segment that AIG sponsors is called 'Then and Now'. Waiting for it to pop up in the National League games was torture. It never showed up. Then Sunday, switching back and forth between football and the American League games, I saw both the one in the Angels-Red Sox game and the Yankees-Indians game (by the way - how about a sense of urgency, Angels? If I had just landed on planet Earth and watched that game, I would have thought it was a regular season game that meant nothing. The Angels did not look like a team facing elimination. I know you don't want to be too tense...but come on.). Rod Carew was featured, and I forget who they highlighted in the other game. But I'm thinking that maybe it was only sponsored for the ALDS, not the NLDS. Either way, the ones on Sunday were a little more dressed up than the previous ones. Thanks for reading the blog, TBS!

DR. RHONDA SCHROEDER HAS OBVIOUSLY NEVER SEEN PEDRO MARTINEZ

While we all await Pedro*'s return from the disabled list, here's a little nugget about the Mets pitcher that doesn't really even involve him.

Above you see two men. One is Pedro Martinez*, rehabbing pitcher for the New York Mets. The other is obviously not Pedro Martinez*. He is Kenneth Day, who passed himself off as Pedro Martinez* on a date with a chiropractor in January, 2005, in Florida. The chiropractor, Rhonda Schroeder, continued the relationship via the internet with another man, who continued to let Schroeder think she was dating Martinez.

This was all set up by Shirley Gordon, who apparently is a con woman. (Not that she really had to use her 'A' material here.) Now, the kicker is, the chiropractor, Schroeder, apparently spent about $1 million in order to keep "Pedro" happy. And she bought engagement rings for herself and "Pedro". (Thanks to the New York Daily News for all this information....although Dave Goldiner, the writer, actually says, "Day, who has not been charged in the case, bears a resemblance to the eight-time All Star pitcher, although he has a scar above his left eye [according to the St. Petersburg Times]. Martinez has no such mark." Yeah. It's the scar that really sets them apart. Otherwise I could understand the confusion.)

I understand Schroeder's desire to get her million dollars back. But I have a few issues with Schroeder here, and needless to say, I don't want her chiropractoring on me or anyone I care about...she doesn't seem like the swiftest bat in the bat rack, if you catch my drift.

Let's set aside, for a moment, that the guy she went on a date with looks nothing like Pedro Martinez*. Let's instead focus on why Schroeder would pay a million dollars to a guy who was a multi-millionaire.

The article isn't 100% clear on how this worked, but the con woman had her ex-boyfriend carrying on the internet relationship...and I guess Schroeder sent him money, which went to the con woman. So the things Schroeder paid for were:

• $20,000 for jewelry and a tummy tuck (!)
  
• $45,000 lease on a Cadillac Escalade


• $150,000 on furnishings, including a fountain


• a waterfront mansion worth $449,000 in Tampa

It's really not clear if Schroeder bought these things for the con woman in gratitude for setting her up with "Pedro", or if she bought them directly for "Pedro". Either way, what the heck was this woman thinking? What does a professional ballplayer who plays in New York City need a waterfront mansion for? A tummy tuck?! If it impressed this woman so much that she was dating Pedro Martinez, you'd think she'd know a little more about the situation she was getting herself into. Bottom line - the con woman certainly picked a good target to swindle.

And Rhonda, if you're reading this...I should let you know, Pedro* has a brother that I could probably set you up with....and he likes cash. His name is Ramon, and you can ontact him at johnnymetsmail@yahoo.com.

RADIO SHOW: Tune in live Tuesday morning at 11am for a recap of the Mets-Cardinals game.

ASTROS 3, METS 2

Not that it matters, but the Mets lost to the Astros. I wish I could come up with something better to put as a headline certain days, but there's not much to write about other than the spring training games. Nothing worth mentioning out of this game.

FLOYD'S HEALTH: Apparently Kirby Puckett's death was a wake-up call for Cliff Floyd. Floyd's father suffered from kidney problems as a young man, so Floyd is getting his kidneys checked out. I don't think there are any immediate concerns, but Floyd says kidney problems are such that you could have a problem and not know about it far in advance. Floyd says he hopes others follow his lead and have any potential problems checked out.

MORE ON WYLIE: The day after I write about Rule 5 pick Mitch Wylie, the Mets' website has a feature on him....hmmm. I got a couple of things wrong - well, just one thing wrong, and a couple of more facts to add to the story. The wrong thing is that I said as a Rule 5 draftee, Wylie would have to stay on the Mets' 40-man roster...it's actually the 25-man roster, so he'd have to break camp with the team. Unless he mysteriously comes up with an injury around final cut time, ends up on the DL, and that injury lingers until there's an open bullpen spot or September call-up time. The other info is that Wylie started out in the Chicago White Sox organization and then went to the Giants. At one point, Wylie was 15-4 in AA with the White Sox. He pitched OK in AAA with the Giants last year. He's 28 years old.

FANTASY BASEBALL NEWS: Here's what I'm doing for fantasy baseball this year. First of all, my friends and I (basically, the entire readership of this site) are doing a 4-team league, using only players from the American League East and National League East. The categories are different too:
Offensive: RBI, SB, K, AVG.
Pitching: Saves, Walks, K, ERA
There are 6 total positive categories, and 2 negatives (Walks for pitchers, K's for hitters). It should be a fun league, and it should be interesting. One of the players thinks he has a "blockbuster" strategy - he will use just one pitcher, in one game, all year, and try to win all of the offensive categories, plus ERA. I'm not worried.

Secondly, the same four are also doing a "Favorite Teams" fantasy league, with a bunch of statistical categories. We draft our favorite teams (I have all of the Mets, obviously), and see which is the best fantasy team. It's the Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, and White Sox. I'll keep you posted on the progress of that.

I'm not doing any serious NL and AL fantasy teams this year...I'm taking a year away from that. I'll see if I miss it, and if I need to get back to it next year. I certainly haven't missed all the usual prep work I put into the draft, which is usually this time of year. I am, though, working on some sort of baseball pool, similar to a season-long NFL pool, with weekly, or monthly, payouts. I'll let you know if I come up with anything.

Finally, here's where you get invited to play along with me. Probably my favorite of all of these baseball fantasy games is "Beat The Streak" on mlb.com. You pick baseball players everyday, and all you have to do is pick who you think will get a hit (it can be the same person everyday, if you wish). The goal is to beat Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. There are also prizes for 30, 40, and 50-game streaks, I think. I usually just play by myself, but this year, I'm inviting all of my readers, and whoever else wants to join a league, to play against each other. The person with the longest streak at the end of the year wins a johnnymets.blogspot.com hat. (If such a thing exists by then....boy, I really hope I win - I should be the one to get the only johnnymets.blogspot.com hat in existence.) It's a really fun game, and I get addicted to it every year. Unfortunately, I think my longest hitting streak is only about 15 games. I will let you know as soon as I set up a Beat The Streak League. It's awesome for nights the Mets aren't playing too - it really gives you something to root for in the other games you're watching.

BLAH BLOGS: The New York Daily News has an awful thing going online - a blog between a man and a woman, one being a Mets fan and one being a Yankees fan. They just insult each other and write crappy things. Seeing that, I realize I MUST become the official blogging partner of SNY - they need me and I need them. Still no e-mail link on their website, though - looks like regular mail is the way to go. (Also, still no word on DirecTV in the Massachusetts area....I guess I'll have to settle for Mets games, not necessarily Mets programming.)

I'm taking the weekend off - I'll be back possibly Sunday, possibly Monday.

WBC FEARS

Yesterday I wrote how I was getting pretty excited to see some baseball, in the form of the World Baseball Classic - of course if there is high quality baseball on, I'm going to watch it (I need to check my listings to see if I get ESPN Deportes). But lately, I've been thinking about the wrench it could throw into my dream Mets 2006 season.

I've talked many times about Pedro* and his toe, and how I think the toe problem is a good thing as far as Pedro*'s participation in the WBC is concerned. The likes of the WBC is the whole reason Pedro* has an asterisk next to his name - and I don't want to jinx anything, but last year made me believe we could have dropped the asterisk this year.

Not so with Carlos Beltran*. He proved he was very worthy of an asterisk...but a successful season this year could result in dropping the mark. But what if Beltran* gets hurt while playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic? That's on the Mets' dime...and it would be quite fitting, with their history of free agent signings.

I haven't touched much on the Carlos Delgado signing. I'll get more into it down the road, but I'm not expecting huge things out of Delgado this year. That's why he hasn't even merited getting an asterisk to this point. Delgado will put up good numbers, I think, but they won't be typical Delgado numbers. I expect a dip in his batting average, and I'd be very surprised to see more than 30 homers out of him this year. All that said, it would be just the Mets' luck if Delgado got hurt in the WBC and wasn't effective for the duration of his contract.

Those are some big names - but what about the youngsters? THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED, Jose Reyes, has already dealt with his share of injuries. Last season was a joy to see what it would be like with Reyes playing healthy. We all wanted to see more of that. But isn't his participation in the WBC (for the Dominican Republic) playing with fire? Seems that way to me.

And David Wright plays every game hard. You better believe, if he ends up replacing Chipper Jones on the U.S. squad, he's going all out for his country, if he gets to play behind A-Rod. We don't need him risking his body in any games but the Mets' games.

I guess I agree with all the WBC naysayers - the tournament is a cool concept...but the timing is poor. The ideal time for the tournament would be after the season - not instead of spring training. By the way, there are more Mets than the ones I mentioned above participating in the WBC - among them, pitchers Juan Padilla, and closer Billy Wagner (see free-agent signing Delgado, above). And as for the players I mentioned above, I'm not entirely sure what their playing status is with their countries (whether or not they're starting, etc.) The information around all that is vague...and perhaps it's because some of these players still haven't given their official commitment. I just hope everyone gets out healthy.

PERSONAL THOUGHT: I am so glad I write this thing. It really keeps my excitement for the baseball season in check. I had a conversation with a friend the other day about how the Winter Olympics really did a nice job of helping us get through the down time of winter - after football season and before baseball season starts up. This year, the New York Rangers are doing very well, so there will be some meaningful hockey to watch down the stretch, as well as some meaningful college hockey, with my B.U. Terriers hoping to do well in the post-season. There's also the NCAA Tournament. But none of that can quell my excitement for the baseball season. Writing this helps a lot, though. After each posting, I know I'm one day closer to Opening Day, and all the great things that come with it.

SNY NEWS: The New York Daily News is reporting SNY is very close to a deal with Cablevision, so it doesn't seem like SNY is heading towards the same impasse that the YES Network dealt with. Every time I read about SNY, though, I never hear about DirecTV. I'm still hoping there's no problem there. Also, I wish I could break the big news of an SNY deal - as the official blogging partner of the Mets' new network. I suppose there's still hope - I've gotta get in touch with them somehow!

COMING THIS WEEK: There are a few interesting fantasy baseball-related events/topics that I want to address with my readership. I will try to post those sometime this week.

DAY TWO OF CAMP

I guess the most important thing to note from Day Two of camp was the lack of Pedro Martinez*. He had some "personal business" to attend to, and left camp, but will be back on Saturday. Willie Randolph said Martinez* was still in Florida, within two or three hours of Tradition Field. Martinez* has been a good soldier so far, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that this was something important, and not Pedro* up to his old tricks (read: pulling a Manny).

Speaking of Pedro*, and Manny, the big news in the Friday papers was that Manny would not be participating in the World Baseball Classic, and it looked "very doubtful" that Pedro* would be participating too. Well, I don't know what's up with Manny, but I said here on Thursday that Pedro* would probably play, just not in the first round (based on what I could glean from various reports). On Friday, a date was set for Pedro*'s participation - he's scheduled to pitch in a second-round game in the Classic on March 13th. I like getting one over on the papers.

There's some good stuff in the Friday papers too. It might be too late by the time many of you read this, but John Harper had an excellent article in Friday's New York Daily News basically outlining why it's impossible not to like David Wright. In case you can't get to it in the Daily News archives, Harper told how there was a photo shoot on Thursday for ESPN The Magazine, on which Wright is supposed to be the baseball cover boy in a couple of weeks, and how Wright also has an endorsement deal with Wilson, the glove manufacturer. He quoted Wright as saying these types of things bring attention to him, which means he only has to perform better. The article also talks about Wright's friendship with Cliff Floyd, and how he has stayed well grounded despite his growing fame. (I just hope he stays that way throughout his career - I would hate to see him change into the cocky athlete that has come to typify Major League Baseball.)

Here's the best thing about Wright - which is touched on in the article. He talks about how much he wants to win - and how much he wants to win for the fans of New York. He says there was a game last year, when the Mets were chasing the Phillies, and were just a game out, where Shea Stadium was sold out, and was rocking because it was so loud (say what you will about Shea, it's a dump, good riddance when they get a new stadium.......but when that place is packed and gets loud, it's an awesome place to be). He says he wants there to be 50,000 cheering like that all summer. Here's a point that comes up a lot - and in most cases I believe it. I heard this argument last on Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPNRadio. The argument: fans care more about the results on the field, in some cases, than the athletes playing the games. Athletes say they have to put losses behind them because they have to turn around the next day (or in the case of pro football, the next week) and get ready for another game. For the fans, the loss sits with them until the next win. And there's no reward, really, for being a fan. The athletes get paid, we pay lots of money - on merchandise, tickets, etc. So, in most cases, I believe a fan cares more about a game than certain athletes do. But it's players like David Wright (at this stage in his career...and hopefully, throughout his career) that appreciate the fans, and want to win as much as the fans want a win, that make it worth rooting for. So a good article on Wright by John Harper in the Daily News, with some editorializing by me.

By the way - it's that desire to win that has David Wright diving all over the field for ground balls hit by a coach during Day Two of spring training workouts,

SPECIAL: In his address to the players on Day One of Spring Training Thursday, Willie Randolph told the players that they needed to "get ready for a special season". This is going to be a fun season - I just hope everyone can stay healthy.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Kaz Matsui has reported to camp in incredible shape. He's been working with his own personal trainer - a former teammate from Japan. (In accordance to club policy, the trainer won't be able to go into the clubhouse, either at home or on the road, but Matsui is welcome to work out with him on his own time.) Matsui's condition has been drawing raves. And on Thursday, in opening workouts, Matsui hit a homer off of flamethrower Billy Wagner. Might not want to read into that too much, though - don't forget that Matsui has homered on the first pitch he's seen each of the past two seasons - so the first day of spring training is no different. Willie Randolph had a funny comment about it too - first he complimented Matsui because at this point of spring training, everyone says the pitchers are way ahead of the hitters, so for Kaz to get a homer was a good sign. But Randolph went on to say that Matsui probably got lucky, and just stepped into one. I'm going to say this one more time - and it might not be the last one. I really have always liked Kaz Matsui, from the beginning. He's started to wear out his welcome, but if he earns the starting second base job, and performs well this year, I'll be thrilled. He has been a great clutch hitter, so I can see him contributing. I would love to see Matsui at second, and let Keppinger have another year at Triple-A, and if that happens, I will be leading the "Comeback Player of the Year" charge for Kaz Matsui.

RESPECT FOR RANDOLPH: I think part of the reason Pedro Martinez* has been such a good soldier for the Mets has been the fact that he has a lot of respect for Willie Randolph, being a former player. There was a throwaway line in one of the papers about Randolph, and how the players respect him since he played the game - among the players mentioned were Martinez* and Cliff Floyd. I'm thinking back to Pedro*'s past managers - Felipe Alou, with the Expos, where he didn't act up - I'm sure he respected Alou. And breaking in with the Dodgers, he would have had to have been crazy to disrespect Tommy Lasorda. With the Red Sox, Pedro* played for Jimy Williams/Joe Kerrigan/Grady Little/Terry Francona. I don't think he necessarily DIS-respected any of those guys, I just think he has more respect for a former player (Randolph) than he did for any of the above. Just a thought.

USING THEIR HEAD: The Mets are among a few teams (I've heard the Angels mentioned as another) that will be using a new form of aerodynamic helmet this season. The helmets are supposed to help cool the head, but also provide better protection. They have air holes in them, and the Mets have one style that will actually be two-tone. Should be neat.

I'm away for the weekend, and school resumes next week, so though I will try my best to keep updating during spring training, I can't promise everyday updates. Please check back often - I'll get into regular updates during the regular season.

KAZ-UALTIES OF WALKS

Phillies 6, Mets 3
(PHI: 40-38, NYM: 38-39; 7.5 GB, pending outcome of Washington's rain delay)

The Mets have an interesting combo in Victor Zambrano and Kaz Ishii. They both battle wildness, but they're both very capable of pitching themselves out of jams. Zambrano won praise for his pitching lately - there have been write-ups about how well he's doing, and how he's progressing, after Tuesday night's win, and people have been comparing him favorably to the year Scott Kazmir has been having...starting to think it might not have been a bad trade. Mike Piazza says Zambrano is wild to catch, because he gets himself into so many jams, but he says it's amazing how he pitches his way out of it.

All this is to set up the fact that "pitching yourself out of jams" is not going to help you play good baseball - because sooner or later, you're going to be just cruising through the first three innings, and then walk the first three batters in the fourth, and then you're going to give up a 2-run single, and a 3-run homer, and your team is going to be down 5-0 before they can manage to get a hit off the opposing pitcher, and then your team is going to lose. That's the long and short of Wednesday night's game, and start, by Kaz Ishii. Ishii did strike out Thome after loading the bases, so he did get himself within a groundball of getting himself out of the jam, but he still walked three straight batters. It's not the first time this season - it had better be the last. This loss is entirely on Ishii.

Changing gears - last night I mentioned my arch-nemesis Kenny Rogers breaking the pinky on his non-throwing hand throwing a hissy fit after a bad outing. Well, another hissy fit followed on Wednesday before the Rangers' game - Rogers attacked cameramen on the field in Arlington. He pushed one guy, then ripped a camera from another guy, threw it to the ground, and kicked it. Apparently, he has a huge temper, and it's becoming more apparent why Rogers couldn't cut it in New York, with the Mets and the Yankees. However, I do NOT remember him showing this much emotion after HE WALKED IN THE WINNING RUN IN THE 1999 NLCS. Probably because that game doesn't reflect in his personal stats.

Interesting fact from the Rangers-Angels series - Vladimir Guerrero has at least one hit in all 30 games he has played against the Texas Rangers. I think that's phenomenal. One more game this series Thursday afternoon in Arlington.

I was reading the Daily News online today, and Bill Madden talked about how the Mets want to be buyers at the (fast-approaching) trade deadline, but they don't really have much of a farm system to deal from. But they should be able to get something for Jae Seo - he won again on Wednesday for (1st place) Norfolk, and is now 6-2. He struck out nine in eight and a third innings, and has a 1.92 ERA since he was sent down on May 5. I'm not saying he's worth a ton - but he's gotta be worth something to somebody.

Let's talk Marlins for a minute: Jack McKeon will miss the next few games because of a death in his family....but that might be a good thing for Florida. Apparently, there is some unrest there - with players tiring of McKeon's old-school ways. Also, there are big-time trade rumors surrounding A.J. Burnett (I had no idea), and the players aren't happy about that at all.

Lastly tonight, I crunched the numbers on Piazza. I drew the line at May 26. To that point, Piazza had been hitting .239, with 4 HR, 10 runs scored, and 10 RBI in 42 games. Since then, he's hitting .316 (.322 before a 1-4 on Wednesday night) with 3 HR, 13 RBI, and 11 runs in 25 games. We'll probably never see the Piazza of old again...but I'll take the Piazza of late.

By the way, the Phillies still don't scare me.

CARTER COUNT: The Gulf Coast Mets had their game against "Washington" suspended in the first inning - they trailed 1-0. Two games on Thursday, putting their perfect record on the line.

On Thursday I will probably post the angry e-mail from Mr. Montoya. But today I need to devote the space to Chad Pennington.

Here's my take on Pennington's attack on the media:

I don't care. I don't. Pennington was supposedly mad at what the writers said about him following the loss to Pittsburgh, and supposedly used that as motivation in his 3-touchdown performance against the Seahawks, and then, after trying not to speak to the media on Sunday, spoke AT the media on Monday. I don't care for a few reasons.

1) What the media writes about this situation is biased, because they can tell any story they want, and leave out whatever part of Chad's speil (?) they want. (I know that in some newspapers they've already done that, because before Chad [I'm not on a first-name basis with him, it's just that 'Chad' is easier to keep writing than 'Pennington'] told them 'it's a privilege to cover the Jets', he told them he was privileged to be in the spot he was in, QB of the Jets, and that hasn't shown up in any of the papers, because it's not juicy enough.

2) I don't care because Chad had a great game on Sunday, and if he needs to be mad at the media or someone else to have a great game, then get mad, Chad, get mad. The newspaper reporters are making a big deal out of this, saying that this whole thing shows that Pennington gets rattled. I don't understand how that's the case. If this had happened before the Pittsburgh game, when Pennington threw 3 INT's, I'd believe he's susceptible to the media rattling him. But he went out and led the Jets to a 37-14 win. That's not rattled.

3) Here's why I do care about this thing: Chad Pennington is too smart to do something like this. It doesn't fit into the type of person he's been the past few years. I do believe that Pennington is pissed, but I don't think he needs to make a big public stink about it. I have a feeling Pennington was looking ahead to what a big game this Sunday is (for the Jets to clinch a playoff spot with a win, for the Jets to prove they can beat a really good team), and wanted to create a distraction from the media hubbub that usually surrounds the Jets-Patriots matchups (especially when there's playoff positioning on the line). I could be way off, but I just have a feeling that this is what Pennington is up to, and it's just something that the New York media can string along and make a big deal out of.

One last thing - it's also an opportunity for the Jets' beat writers to make a big deal out of how badly they've been treated by New York Jets players in the past. For an example, check out Rich Cimini's rant in the Jets Insider in the New York Daily News Wednesday. Boo-hoo, Rich. If you don't enjoy what you do, don't do it. I didn't like the Red Sox being a bunch of jerks, so I stopped producing sports, and now I teach. And now I have a week-and-a-half of vacation. Maybe you should become a teacher Rich. And stop complaining about Chad Pennington handing you your lunch.

Oh, one more last last thing: I heard Pennington on the radio following the Steelers loss. He was harder on himself than anyone in the media could have been. So I'm not sure that he was totally angry at the media's coverage following the Pittsburgh game at all...he knows he played poorly. I think he was more mad at the perception that he can't win the big game, so he'll probably have that motivation on Sunday against the Patriots too.

Jets 37, Seahawks 17

Ah, good ol' reliable Seattle. Nothing like a good choke job by the Seahawks to make you feel better about your team. But seriously, folks, the Jets played very well, improving to 10-4 on the season, and moving to within a win of a playoff spot. (For you non-Jets fans out there, just realize that 10 wins in a season is still a pretty novel thing to us Jets fans...we're used to double digits in the losses column.)

Chad Pennington came back from last week's disaster in Pittsburgh with an awesome game. 253 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT. Classic Chad. His throws looked as good this week as they looked bad last week. So maybe his arm isn't in as bad shape as I thought. I'll get a look in person next week against New England.

Curtis Martin rushed for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns (LaMont Jordan added 84 yards on the ground) as the Jets racked up 482 yards of offense. Very nice. The only negative spot on offense came in the third quarter when Anthony Becht dropped a touchdown pass on the goal line. He got booed off the field for the second consecutive home game. The Jets' tight ends were being talked up all week as needing to become a bigger part of the offense, and Becht had just two passes thrown his way (including the dropped TD), and Chris Baker had one catch. Maybe they'll throw Becht's way a lot more in the coming games...or they're saving it for the post-season. Either way, it doesn't look like Anthony Becht will be back in a Jets uniform next year. The good news, though, is that uncharacteristically, after Becht dropped the TD pass, the Jets went right back to the air from the 7-yard line and Pennington threw a touchdown to Santana Moss. Usually the Jets would run it into the ground and settle for a field goal in a situation like that.

On the ensuing drive, the Seahawks drove down to the Jets' 1-yard line, and the defense held, forced fourth down, and then Shawn Alexander fumbled the ball into the end zone. The defense has been playing so well...and another second half shutout - that's starting to mean something to me now. Terrell Buckley got burned again for a touchdown (so did Donnie Abraham), but if the defense keeps playing like this, who knows what could happen.

Doug Brien had a couple of hiccups, missing an extra point and a field goal, but he tends to do that once or twice a year. So I think it's out of his system.

The officiating was once again horrid. Seattle had a few gripes in that game, nothing that changed the course of the game, really, but the Jets caught a couple of breaks. I think...I'm not really positive. I have a bad feeling that someone's season this year is going to hinge on a bad call by the referees....I hate when that happens. It better not be the Jets. I just feel that no matter what, the refs tend to favor the home team, and it gets aggravating...especially when the Jets' path to the championship takes them on the road.

Moving on to some other news from Sunday - the Broncos collapse has been unreal. They got whipped by the Chiefs on Sunday, and with the Jaguars and Bills winning, (and pending the outcome of Sunday night's Baltimore game), the Broncos have put themselves almost out of the playoffs. Speaking of the Bills winning, that Jets' loss to the Bills isn't looking so horrible anymore. (Although I'm still a little upset by it.) But the Bills, after starting off 0-4 (remember, I called them the best 0-4 team in football...you can look it up), are now 8-6. And I called them the best 0-4 team in football because they lost some really, really close games back in September. They could easily be 9-5, 10-4...even 11-3 right now. I think. The Jaguars snuck by them, the Jets beat them by two...Bledsoe was driving the Bills to tie against the Patriots late in the game....anyway, the fact remains the Bills are 8-6...but they're making a playoff push.

A couple of e-mails from Dave (not in Brighton this week):

"Dear JohnnyJets,
I know you eschew the Sunday morning pregame shows, so I wanted to let
you know that Chad Pennington was the guest on Fox's "Ten Yards with
TB" segment.
As a dutiful JJDBSDC agent, I took notes so you could have blog fodder in case Al takes the week off.
If you're not familiar with the segment, Terry Bradshaw gives you 2 choices, and you pick one of them. Chad's picks in CAPS.
call your own plays/COACH CALLS THE PLAYS
big arm/OK ARM
zero int's/FOUR TD'S
rhodes scholarship/HEISMAN TROPHY
rock and roll/COUNTRY WESTERN
boxers/briefs
Chad said BOXER-BRIEFS.
METS/yankees
Chad offered that he likes the Islanders, too.
namath/MONTANA
Before making his choice Chad said "Joe, I love you," which is almost as funny as "Joe, I wanna kiss you."
LARRY THE CABLE GUY/jeff foxworthy
Mets? He must be nuts. Maybe they taped it before the Pedro business.
Dave in Brighton"

Dave, thank you. But to be honest, I saw an ad for the pregame show Saturday while watching Redskins/49ers, so I knew about Pennington and Bradshaw. So I tuned in to see that. He was very entertaining...as usual. Pennington is a good interview, as is Tom Brady. Thanks for the transcript, though...and you don't know how happy I was to hear Pennington roots for the Mets. Perhaps there's a shot I'll fire up johnnymets.blogspot.com again.

Dave checked in again later in the day:

"Dear Johnnyjets,

Granted I didn't see the game because I'm out of market, but what's up
with the Jets running up the score on poor helpless Seattle? 37-14?
How offensive.

Dave in Brighton"

An interesting thing about the Jets offensive output, Dave. After the Jets lost 20-13 to the Bears in 2002, jeopardizing their playoff hopes, they reeled off games of 30, 42, and 41 points against New England, Green Bay, and Indianapolis as they won the AFC East, then their divisional playoff game. The Daily News made the comparison today, with the Jets coming off the loss to Pittsburgh, that maybe the Jets would start another offensive streak like that....so far, the Daily News is right. 37 points. Granted, it was the Seattle Seahawks defense, but it was a good game plan. I'll take it. Let's do the same thing to New England next week.

That's all I have for today...this will be a big week for the blog. Thanks for reading, and we'll do e-mails tomorrow (and the rest of the week, if there's enough e-mail).

This is the time of the week where I devote an article to the opposing team. But we all know plenty about the 5-0 New England Patriots, winners of 20 games in a row, winners of two of the last three Super Bowl championships, etc., etc. So we'll just continue my week-long preview of the big game.

Incidentally, some good stats in the New York Daily News on Wednesday. Something I forgot, partly because I stopped keeping track of this at the end of last year, when Pennington started to pitch poorly: Chad Pennington, in his career, has thrown 31 touchdown passes and no interceptions in the red zone. That's my favorite stat ever. I hope he keeps it up. I think Pennington threw an interception inside the 25 against the Pats last year (one of five on the night) that was close to breaking that perfect streak, but the fact remains, he's perfect. The Patriots could challenge that streak...but again, I hope it stays alive.

Another good stat - the Jets are the last team to beat the Patriots in New England. In December, 2002, the Jets beat the Pats 31-17. It was an absolute butt-kicking, if you remember. I think it was a Sunday night, and Tom Brady had one of his worst games - the Jets beat him up pretty good, en route to the division title. Just FYI. It's not impossible for the Jets to win in New England. And another note - Curtis Martin always plays well against his former team. Especially considering he's having such a great year to begin with.

I hate to shortchange another article, but I have lots of homework this week, and there is another New England-New York game I should turn my attention to tonight. If time permits, and I'm not exhausted at the end of the night, johnnymets.blogspot.com might feature a recap of Game 7 of the ALCS.

JETS 16, BILLS 14

When I read the New York Daily News this morning, and saw their preview predicting a Jets 16-13 win, I was thinking, what are you, crazy? Then I reviewed my pick, Jets, 28-17, and what I wrote on Thursday - that it would be a little closer than you might expect, but the Jets would still win comfortably. Well, it was A LOT closer than you might have expected...and the Jets won, but not comfortably. (Good prediction, Daily News.)

Again, the play-calling was way too conservative. There were a ton of opportunities in the game for the Jets to put the Bills away. Up 7-0 as halftime was approaching, the Jets had the ball at about the 15 yard line with 13 seconds left, and instead of taking a shot into the end zone to try to get a touchdown, the Jets let the clock run down, called timeout, then kicked a field goal to take a 10-0 lead into the half instead of 14-0. In the second half, the Jets had a couple of offensive series where they went three and out on a few running plays instead of spreading the field and jumping out to a bigger lead. That allowed the Bills to get back into the game.

Chad Pennington had a pretty good game statistically. Probably the quietest 300-yard passing game you'll see. He finished 31 of 42 for 304 yards. He threw 1 Touchdown and 1 interception, and the interception was not a smart play. Instead of taking a sack, Pennington tried to force a pass, which was picked off. (That INT led to the first Buffalo touchdown.) He did that again later in the game, but luckily completed the pass. This is the difference, though, between a Pennington-led Jets team, though, and any other Jets team. After the Jets fell behind 14-13, I felt they would be able to turn it on offensively, and come right back down the field to score and take the lead back. That's what they did. Pennington found everyone on the drive - Chrebet, Sowell, McCareins, and Becht (what a catch!) en route to Doug Brien's game-winning field goal. But again, this is something we've talked about, if the Jets can drive down the field at will when they need to win the game, they should be able to throw the ball a lot more earlier in the game to pad their lead a bit.

Curtis Martin rushed for just 77 yards - his lowest total so far on the year. Not a bad effort, though, considering the Bills' defense isn't too bad. The Bills, by the way, continue to hold the title of "Best Winless Team in the NFL". Another hard-luck loss for them.

The main reason the Jets won this game, though, was the defense. Jonathan Vilma again started at middle linebacker, and did another good job. He was involved in a lot of big plays. So was John Abraham. He's just getting better every week. I predicted two things for this game - the Jets would test the Bills deep on offense often (wrong on that count), and that the Jets would sack Drew Bledsoe a lot. They got him four times - and Abraham had 3 of those sacks. (Vilma had the other.) Abraham was constantly pressuring Bledose, and the 'D' knew just when to put pressure on him to force him to rush a pass. The only two touchdowns for the Bills came late in the game, which isn't good, but, seriously, the Jets should have been up by 24 points, not 13, when the Bills got those two TD's.

All that said, the Jets are 4-0. They're playing well enough to beat teams like the Dolphins, Bills, and 49ers, who they play next week. But the Jets have to work on a lot of things over the next couple of weeks if they want to be able to beat the Patriots on the 24th. They will not win that game unless they open up the offense more than they did on Sunday against Buffalo.

Tuesday's mail day - share your thoughts on Sunday's game, next Sunday's game, or anything else on your mind. Send your e-mails by Monday evening.

The Mets were off last night.

The New York Daily News finally printed an article about what I've been preaching here for a while. (Check out the Mets article at www.nydailynews.com if you want.) The Mets are 2 games under .500, but only 3 games out of first. So even though the Mets haven't shown they can crack the .500 mark, they're still very capable of taking the division. Here's the standings:

Philadelphia - 39-35
Florida - 40-36 (Philly is one percentage point in front)
Mets - 36-38 (3 GB)
Atlanta - 36-39 (3.5 GB)

The Mets showed last week they can beat Cincinnati - if they don't beat themselves. And after three games today, tomorrow, and Thursday in Cincy (with Jae Seo versus Todd Van Poppel tonight), there are three games at home vs. the Yankees. Hopefully the Mets can come out of that stretch with a winning record, and maybe even at 40-40 overall.

Then the Mets play seven games that could end with them atop the division. They play four games at Philadelphia, followed by three at Florida before the All-Star Game. (After the break, they play six more against those two teams.)

I'm done making predictions with this team (my June johnnymets Guarantee is not going to come true)...but by the All-Star break, or the few games afterwards, we should know whether the Mets are going to contend through the summer.

WRIGHT WATCH: Last night David Wright was 2-for-3, with a walk and a run scored. He's now hitting .365 at Triple-A. He just might be THE SECOND GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED.

Mets 4, Phillies 1 (25-26, 4.5 GB)

Tuesday, June 1, 2004

It's been a week, and the Mets are pretty much right back where they started the 12-game stretch against the Phillies and Marlins. They're a game under .500 again, and with Tom Glavine pitching tonight, there's a good chance they'll get to 26-26. But let's not jump the gun.

Last night's game was great. Al Leiter looked good, pitching out of a couple of jams in his first start back from the DL. Unfortunately, he only went five innings. David Weathers was decent in relief - but that balk was ridiculous. What was he doing?! If that doesn't happen, the Mets win the game 1-0, without extra innings. The announcers were saying they weren't sure it was a balk...but it sure looked like a balk to me.

Todd Zeile was clutch, saving Weathers with a game-tying homer in the top of the eighth, and then getting Kaz Matsui home with the game-winning run in the tenth. Vance Wilson provided the insurance with a 2-run, pinch-hit homer in the tenth.

One side note - I feel like the Mets taking Mike Piazza out for defensive purposes, like they did last night in the eighth inning, is going to come back to bite them someday. It didn't last night, but I just think taking his bat out of the lineup, especially when you have trouble scoring runs like the Mets do, is like playing with fire.

Notes: The Daily News reports today that Kaz Matsui is going to start wearing glasses in the field. They say coaches feel he can't see the catcher's signs, and therefore is having trouble positioning himself defensively. So he might start wearing Jason Phillips-type goggles at short. If that improves his play, I'm going to be pissed. This guy's been playing blind all this time?! He'd better wear the glasses at the plate too...Dontrelle Willis goes for the Marlins this afternoon against former Met Cory Lidle and the Cincinnati Reds. Those Reds, at 31-21, own the National League's best record. I still say they won't last. But we might as well ride the wave and hope they beat the Marlins one more time.

Mets 5, Phillies 0 (23-22, 2 GB)

Tuesday, May 25, 2004

Here's what I love so much about the Mets doing so well. Last night after the Mets win, I called to my wife in the other room (where she had watched 'American Idol' and '24', knowing the importance of not switching the other TV during the Mets game), "On a scale of 1 to 10, how excited are you about the Mets right now?"
Her reply - "8".
I said to her, "I mean with 10 being the highest."
"Yeah", she says. "8". This, from a Red Sox fan. Granted, she knew I was a 10, so her number should be fairly high, but an 8! She could have said 5 and I would have been happy.
Also, my friend Steve, usually pessimistic about all things Mets, Jets, and Rangers tells me last night: "I'm optimistic right now. Enjoy it while it lasts."
And this on Monday from my sister's boyfriend James, usually slightly less negative than Steve: "...I hope this isn't too premature, but Tom Glavine is starting to look like a Cy Young candidate". (I echo that sentiment, but in case that quote jinxes Glavine, I want it to be traced to James, and not me.) Winning breeds confidence. I love it. And here's what I'm tired of - this from today's New York Daily News:

"Who would have believed this? It's almost Memorial Day and the Mets are within two games of first place."

I WOULD HAVE BELIEVED THIS!! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD I'VE BEEN SAYING IT FOR TWO MONTHS ALREADY!!

OK. Now to last night's game. I love these little 2-out rallies the Mets have been stringing together lately. Last night's came in the 3rd inning, when with two outs, Danny Garcia and Cliff Floyd get on, setting up RBI singles by Mike Piazza and Shane Spencer. That's winning baseball. And Piazza is looking great right now - he also homered last night. (Floyd added the insurance runs with a 2-run double off Rheal Cormier in the seventh - a pitcher he hadn't gotten a hit off of in 14 career plate appearances before last night.)

The Mets also played well on defense, one play notwithstanding. In the fifth, after allowing men on first and second, Steve Trachsel (5-3) got the next three in a row. Jason Phillips (catching) made a nice play getting the force at third on a sac bunt attempt, then Trachsel got a pop-out and a ground out to retire the side.
In the seventh, Trachsel was getting into a high pitch count, and with two outs and runners on first and second, he got a grounder to third base that should have ended the inning. That's when Ty Wigginton dropped the ball trying to throw it to first. Now here's the weird thing. Trachsel gets pulled for Stanton with the bases loaded and two out, leading 3-0. Despite the early struggles by the bullpen, I was never nervous about the Mets blowing their lead. I felt they were going to get out of it. I guess it's like I said before - winning breeds confidence.
So the Mets win the game 5-0.

Now some notes: After Piazza was pulled from the game I thought it was funny how he gives everyone in the dugout a high-five, and when he gets to Kaz Matsui, he gives a little bow. (Kai-tow?) I'm pretty sure I've seen other players do that with Japanese teammates, perhaps even the Mets when they had Tsuyoshi Shinjo, but it's just plain better when you see Mike Piazza doing it...Here's a possible new feature I'll do every day - the ex-Mets update. Today it's relevant to the current Mets' situation. Remember Paul Wilson, the number one overall pick from 1993, I think? He's now 7-0 on the season after beating the Marlins last night. Due to him, the Mets are 2 games back. Always knew he'd help the Mets get into first place...Karim Garcia has been continuing to play well (over the weekend he made a nice leaping catch against the wall), and I continue my campaign to get him traded. And now I make another case for the trade of Garcia - his trial for the bullpen fight in last year's ALCS is scheduled to begin here in Boston on October 26th. The Mets can't be worrying about Garcia's court dates coinciding with Game 3 of the World Series - get rid of him...The Mets sent down Tyler Yates. They're going to try to turn him from a starter into a reliever. And Ricky Gutierrez cleared waivers and is a free agent. So ends the Gutierrez era. (I still like him better than Karim Garcia.)