Series Recap - San Francisco Giants

May 14: Mets win 7-4
May 15: Mets win 8-6
May 16: Mets win 9-6
May 17: Giants win 2-0

Mets record: 21-16

We're only as good as he is : David Wright got the series off to a great start with four stolen bases on Thursday, and didn't slow down for the weekend. He finishes the four game series 10-15 with 9 rbi. Its no coincidence that as Wright has gotten hot in May (.450 avg, 19rbi), so have the Mets (12-4).

He's human! : Johan Santana finally has a stinker - giving up six runs on Saturday - but the offense picks him up battering Randy Johnson.

Obvious "Cain is Able" joke : The Mets learned what not many people know on Sunday, and that's how Matt Cain may be the most underrated pitcher in baseball. His performance on Sunday kept the Mets from the sweep, but taking three of four is still a pretty good weekend of work.

K-Rod Kount-down : The season is only a month and a half old, and we've already got a new segment for the series recap. We're going to follow Francisco Rodriguez as he tries to break the Mets single season save record.
This series: two saves.
Season total: 11
Current pace: 47
Mets record: 43

Next Up : three games at LA Dodgers

- SB

CRYING WOLF

Hi, it's me, Johnnymets. Sorry it's been so long since I last posted. It's a busy time of year for me.

That's a lame excuse, I know. But it's really all about the time of year right now. Read: It's not September.

It's hard for me to get swept up in the Mets right now. They've won ten of their last twelve. They have the best record in the majors in May. But that's the problem. It's only May.

And if 2007 and 2008 have taught me anything, it's that it doesn't quite matter where the Mets end May. It matters where they end up in September.

It's the ol', fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me thing. I was fooled twice. If it happens a third time, I don't know that I can handle the shame.

So I'm not getting caught up in all of this. Which is a shame, really. Because the Mets have been playing some exciting ball. A couple of late-inning rallies on the west coast. David Wright has 9 doubles! They're doing it without Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes.

But I haven't been staying up for the west coast wins. On a Friday night I didn't make it past the game-tying double in the seventh. I went to bed thinking the Mets would probably still lose the game. That's just not something I would have done in the past.

Maybe something will change when summer vacation hits, and I have the time to relax and watch the games. Maybe someone will drop a ticket in my lap to next weekend's series at Fenway Park and I'll get caught up in the excitement again.

But maybe I won't believe these Mets when they cry wolf until I actually see the wolf...in October.

CITI FIELD PART TWO

Too much to say about Citi Field to confine it to one posting:

I wanted to give you some visuals to illustrate what I was talking about yesterday. Here's the gate comparison I was talking about comparing San Francisco to Citi Field (maybe it's not entirely accurate, now that I see the pictures...incidentally, it was SBC Park when we were there. I kept calling it AT&T Park...I don't even know what it is now. And I've given you the side view of Citi - that's where these high gates are):













And then here's the field comparison I was talking about with PETCO ("Where The Mets Go") versus Citi Field, particularly with the outfield walls:















A couple of more comments about the experience:

-We parked in the lot, and were lucky enough to choose a spot near an exit (we got to the park around 3:30 for the 7:10 start, so we had our choice of spots), which turned out to be a direct shot right out the door. That was lucky.

-But it was great that we had the car there. Since we were there so early, we were waiting for the gates to open, and that's when one of the vendors right inside the gate decided to start selling the 'collector's edition' programs for the first game at Citi Field. (He kept looking over his shoulder like he was doing something wrong, selling them through the gate.) So after I bought the program, rather than carry it around all night, I was able to put it in the car and keep it in nice condition. I was excited about that.

-Interestingly, there was texting interference all night. Clearly I didn't have much trouble sending out texts, since I was able to update Twitter all night, but when I tried to send a picture of the big flag to the Southern Bureau to post on the blog, it wouldn't go through. Then, when I walked through the concourse later in the night, a bunch of texts started to pour into my phone that had been sent hours before. So if you texted me Monday night, that's why I didn't reply.

Finally, Justin in NYC sent this e-mail, which I'm not sure he meant for publication, but I will anyway. Not only is it a good point, but it illustrates how he keeps an ear to the ground for me from the NYC radio stations, which I appreciate:

"Johnny,

Lots of people were calling up and complaining to Francesa today about how they thought Citi Field tried so hard to embrace New York's national league history, that it was ignoring Met-specific history.

They were saying it looks like Ebbets Field and has the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, but none of that has any direct link to the Mets except that Wilpon grew up in Brooklyn. Your thoughts?"

I think this is an interesting point, because it's sort of what I'm getting at when I talk about the Mets Hall of Fame. At Shea Stadium, it was hidden outside the Diamond Club, which I didn't actually go into until last year, the final year of its existence. In other words, the casual fan never saw it. And I don't know where that is at Citi Field - but obviously it's not prominently displayed, because I didn't see it. I would love if it was in the Rotunda, but I don't think it is. (This is what the Arizona Diamondbacks did so well - they have their 2001 trophy front and center as you walk in - and they have zero history. It spices up an otherwise boring ballpark. In Pittsburgh, where there's a ton of history, there's not much visual evidence of it. One of the flaws of a beautiful ballpark.)

But we need to remember, when thinking about this, that the Mets represent National League baseball in New York City. The whole reason they are blue and orange is because of the Dodger blue and the Giants orange. So there is sort of a connection to those teams, and I think it's an appropriate connection to Ebbets Field.

Yes, I would have liked for there to have been a mention of the 40th anniversary of the 1969 champions (which I'm sure will be celebrated this year, but has been overshadowed by Citi Field), and I would love for the Mets to trot out the 1986 Mets every game. I also think the orange stripe around the outfield walls would look cooler on a blue wall, showing the Mets colors. But the championship banners are flying in the new park, and the exterior of Citi Field (you can see it a little bit in the picture at the top) has pictures of Mets from every era.

What history the Mets have is displayed. You just have to look for it. And there's nothing wrong with the Mets carrying the New York National League baseball torch. So long as, now that they've introduced the world to their throwback ballpark, they start putting more of an emphasis on their own history.

BOOK REVIEW

Haunted Baseball:
Ghosts, Curses, Legends, and Eerie Events
By Mickey Bradley and Dan Gordon

I'm not much of a ghost-story guy. I scare easily, and frankly, there are other things that interest me more. Like things that don't scare me. So this isn't the type of book that I would have gone out and bought. But that's the neat thing about gifts - you'll get exposed to something you might not have otherwise read.

And this book (a birthday gift) was enjoyable, for the most part. You can read it cover-to-cover in a couple of days, or just leave it out and pick and choose sections that interest you - it's a quick read either way.

As for the content, I'm about 50-50 on whether or not I believe it. I think I believe in ghosts - at least, I find some of these stories about hauntings at ballparks and hotels pretty believable. But there's some obvious bull in this book, too - so much so that it makes you wonder why the authors bothered giving credence to the storytellers (like the guy who claims Buck Weaver, of the 1919 Chicago White Sox scandal, speaks to him asking him to "clear my name". I liked your story better when it was called Field of Dreams.).

Some of the very believable stuff centers on old ballplayers haunting fields they used to call home. Like groundskeepers in St. Petersburg (at Huggins-Stengel Field, specifically) claiming that on the day Joe DiMaggio died, they painted a 5 on the field where DiMaggio used to play in spring training. That day, the lawnmower died each time it hit center, and it wouldn't mow the 5. Same thing with the number 7 when Mickey Mantle died. That's weird, and I believe it. Not sure why, but I do. And countless ballplayers talking about haunted hotels.

One cool story in the book centered on a plaque the New York Giants made to memorialize a player named Eddie Grant, who died a hero in World War I. The plaque was in play in deep center at the Polo Grounds, but became lost when the Giants moved to San Francisco. I don't believe the Giants became cursed because of the lost plaque (they haven't won a World Series since the plaque was lost), but I did enjoy learning something new about baseball history.

The question I wonder when I hear these ghost stories, though, is why are these ghosts so benign? Johnny Damon claims he had a ghost in his house once and it just pinned him to the ground for 15 minutes (strangely, another ballplayer claimed he had a similar ghost experience once. Why have I never heard of these types of ghost "attacks" before?). How come the ghosts don't do something terrible? Why are they so playful? Just walking past, being spotted? Why don't they do something? That's the question I'm left with.

There are a few mentions of the Mets (they, too, trained at the alleged haunted Huggins-Stengel Field), and it's a fairly new book, so a lot of current ballplayers are mentioned. A nice summer, casual read.

A NEW ADDITION: I've been working on this for a while now, and finally figured out how to do it - please note the addition of the standings on the right-hand side of the page. If possible, I'll add NFL standings when that season starts as well. Hopefully the NL East standings have the Mets on top from this day forward...

LAST DAY AT SHEA

As part of our vacation, The Wife and I made a pretty much last-minute decision to go to the Mets-Giants game last Thursday, thinking it would be our last chance to see a Mets game at Shea Stadium. (For her, it definitely was, for me, I'll be going to see Billy Joel on Friday, and I'm holding out hope that even after the new baby comes in September I'll be able to sneak in a playoff game.) It also allowed us to take The Baby to her first and only game at Shea. The trip gave me my first up-close look at Citi Field. I can't wait. There's not much more I can add to that.
Unfortunately, in order to park in the very limited parking spots that are available near Shea, we had to get there very early - so we were there around 11:20am for the 1:05pm start. This did not make it a pleasant experience for The Baby. She was pretty worn out by the time the first pitch was thrown, so we didn't last very long.

The good news, though, is that most of the stuff to see was before the game. I got to take the pictures of the new stadium that you see here.
I also got to see one of the Shea Countdown numbers come off - this day marked 39 games left at the stadium. With all due respect, I was less than thrilled by the person who changed the sign - Joe Pignatano. Sure, he was an original Met and coached with the team for many years, but I was hoping for someone I could more closely relate to. I was occupied with The Baby at this point, but The Wife snapped an awesome picture:
The Mets won the game, 7-3, their sixth game in a row as part of their current nine-game-winning streak. John Maine pitched for the Mets, this is him in the first inning, throwing one of his too-many pitches. We left in the third or fourth inning...and one of the bonuses of my parents' house location is that we made it home in the same inning. Great souvenir by the way - I bought a souvenir soda and it came in a Shea Stadium Final Year cup. That's just a great idea by the Mets. (Although I rarely use these souvenir cups I get, I am gathering a nice little collection.)

ALL STAR GAME ROUNDUP: I wasn't feeling 100% last night, so I think I might post multiple times today. Keep checking back, if you don't mind. I'll have at least an All Star Game roundup, but I also plan on doing a look-ahead for the Mets.

PEDRO A HIT IN RETURN

I know it's two games old by now, after the Mets won the Maine-Cain matchup Wednesday afternoon, but it feels good to have Pedro Martinez* last more than an inning and get a win...and just to know he'll be back out there every five days.

According to all reports (again, I didn't make it out of the top of the first), Pedro* was healthy. He threw 109 pitches, and he even went 2-for-3 at the plate, with an RBI single.

Pedro* went six innings, giving up three runs, three walks, seven hits, and striking out three. And you have to think he'll get better, because it was not ideal Pedro* weather - cool and in the fifties (although that would be October weather if the Mets are lucky enough to be playing then).

Martinez* beat Barry Zito, who dropped to 1-9. Those two players have had a tremendous reversal of fortunes since Zito beat out Martinez* for the Cy Young Award.

In 2006 it was after a trip to the West Coast that the Mets really started to get hot (although I think that was in May, not June). Could this be where the 2008 Mets made their march to the top? They continue through San Diego (PETCO Park - "Where The Mets Go" - copyright johnnymets, 2006) before coming back east to host the suddenly awful Diamondbacks, and then match up with the AL West in interleague play.

MIND GAMES

Here's why Steve in Queens and I get along so well. I'm sitting thinking about something to write about today, then I decide it has to be Oliver Perez, and lo and behold, there's an e-mail from Steve about Oliver Perez's performance in my e-mail. Thanks Steve. Here's what he had to say:

"Johnnymets -

I would like to hear your thoughts about Oliver Perez and the fact that he is a mental case. I know this week's games are too late for you, as they are for me, but, I was able to watch the 50 minutes worth of the Mets blowing a golden opportunity in the top of the 1st and Perez only getting 1 out while giving up 6 runs in the bottom of the first.

If you get a chance to see any of his performance, I think you would agree that batting practice is more of a challenge than the garbage he was throwing last night. And, this wasn't his usual inability to find the plate in one random inning. I think his fastball topped out at 87 or 88 mph.

For someone in a contract year, he is certainly not helping his own cause (his wallet). What do you think is wrong with him and should the Mets already be thinking about signing someone else at the end of the season?

Steve from Queens"

My take on it was going to be more tongue in cheek, but I will say that before this season is out, Oliver Perez will have a huge game that will make all of this agony worthwhile. I just know it. Something is making me not hate the guy, and there's something there that tells me come late September or October, he'll remind us of the Oliver Perez circa October 2006. But I have no evidence to back that up, clearly. Just a hunch. Also, I was going to have a picture with this, but I'm having trouble putting it up, and I'm out of patience. It was Carlos Delgado with his hand on Perez from Monday night's game, consoling him, I guess. I put a caption on it that said, "Don't worry, I stink too." It was hilarious.

Now what I was originally going to say, with the caveat that I didn't make it out of the top of the first...the only person affiliated with the Mets to not make it further into the game than Perez:

Every so often you just have to stop and appreciate the moment. What we are witnessing in Oliver Perez right now is one of the most complex minds in the game. This is someone who was compared by one of his teammates to a wall, after getting pasted in an inning-and-a-third against the Pirates last month. (A wall gives up less runs and lasts longer than an inning-and-a-third, incidentally.)

But walls can't be so mentally in tune with the game that they will settle in to games of "Street Fighter" with Aaron Heilman in the clubhouse the day after tough losses. To be able to turn it on and off like that must be the type of thing that turn players like Greg Maddux green with envy.

Pedro Martinez* stated the other day that now that he's back in the dugout, with the team every day, Perez will benefit the most, and play better. Oliver Perez's response? One-third of an inning, six runs, five hits, two walks, 2 homers, 0 strikeouts. To the powerhouse San Francisco Giants.

It's not easy to understand the complexities of the human mind. It's a whole other story to understand Oliver Perez. And if geniuses like Rick Peterson and Pedro Martinez* can't figure him out, the rest of us don't stand a chance.

Cue the Southern Bureau.

LOOK FOR THIS TOMORROW: Nothing like a classic Maine-Cain matchup. John Maine versus Matt Cain on Wednesday.

PREVIEW: NL WEST

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 National League West.

You know what? The National League West might be one of the tougher divisions in baseball. The NL East has three of the best teams in the league, possibly the three best, but the other two are going to be among the worst in baseball. The American League East is similar. But the National League West, the more I think about it, has four very good teams. Last year it was the only division in baseball with four teams above .500, and don't forget that it took a 163rd game to eliminate one of the top three teams from the playoffs. I expect more of the same this year as far as competitiveness.

Let's start at the bottom and work our way up. The San Francisco Giants will be awful. Aaron Rowand was a nice addition, but, um.....yeah. Bengie Molina is their cleanup hitter. Moving on.

The fourth place team, I think, will be the San Diego Padres. And they're pretty good. They have a very good pitching staff, and I think it will be a tight 3-4 finish between San Diego and last year's National League champion, the Colorado Rockies. I think it's a step backward for Colorado, but I still think they'll finish with about 85 wins.

I think the Dodgers get the "most improved" award for the division. They were kind of hurt by injuries last year, and it's looking like they might have been bitten a bit by the injury bug again this year, but they should be good. I expect them to be more like the wild card-winning team of two years ago than the 82-80 team of last year.

But I think the Arizona Diamondbacks bounce back from an unimpressive performance in the NLCS to defend their division crown. The thing about them from last year is that they are so young, and if Randy Johnson contributes anything, that could only help. I think they'd be fine without him:

LOTS TO CELEBRATE IN 2008

Every year marks a celebration for someone about something. Sometimes it's forced, other times it's legitimate. 2008 is no different. Here are the milestones (or just inchstones, if you will) being marked by different teams in baseball in 2008 - from the somewhat interesting to the downright ridiculous.

Let's start with a celebration - the Arizona Diamondbacks are celebrating their 10-year anniversary - and they have a decent amount to celebrate.

I've written about this before, but Chase Field (then Bank One Ballpark), when I visited, really flaunts its history - a credit to them, and a strike against a team like the Pittsburgh Pirates, who, based on the amount of history in their ballpark, you would think would be celebrating their 10th anniversary as an expansion team, instead of a team with a history that should be celebrated more than it is.

The Diamondbacks will have a celebration the first weekend of the season, where they will recognize their first-ever team.

Incidentally, the Tampa Bay Rays (whose biggest accomplishment for 2008 is dropping "Devil" from their name) are not advertising anything recognizing their 10 years in the league.

This is less a celebration than just something that caught my eye - but the Seattle Mariners' slogan this year is "MoJo Rising". It should be "Bedard Pitching". I wonder if Robin Ventura was involved in selecting that slogan for the Mariners, or if they just flat-out stole his idea from the Mets' post-season in 1999.

Also of note, Jacobs Field is no more. The Cleveland Indians now play their home games at "Progressive Field".

2008 marks 50 years since the Dodgers moved out west, leaving their Brooklyn fans in a lurch. They're celebrating their 50th anniversary of playing baseball in Los Angeles.

The San Francisco Giants are celebrating 50 years of following the Dodgers out west.

On a related note, the A's are celebrating 40 years in Oakland.Just about everything else being recognized in baseball in 2008 is stadium-related. The Mets, as we all know, are recognizing their last year at Shea Stadium with a patch on their sleeves. There will also be constant reminders of the new stadium that is taking shape right over the left field wall, towering over the visitors' bullpen.

The Washington Nationals have a new ballpark this year, and they're celebrating the opening of Nationals Park with the slogan, "Welcome Home!"

While we're on the subject of slogans, the Texas Rangers are going with "You could use some baseball" this year. My impression is that Texas Rangers fans could use some "winning" baseball. If not, the Rangers' slogan should read "Only ____ more days until high school football."

The Yankees have a sort of dual celebration going. Not only are they recognizing their last year at Yankee Stadium, but they're sending it off with a bang - by hosting the 2008 All Star Game. So I'm not sure how those are being recognized - something tells me the pinstripes don't get covered by commemorative patches, but they have two logos - one for each occasion.

And finally, it may not surprise you to learn that the Florida Marlins are touting something new, but it has nothing to do with baseball (because the brand that will be played in 2008 in south Florida won't be anything to shout about). They will march out the first-ever dance/cheer team in Major League Baseball (I wonder what exactly I saw in Cincinnati last year then - maybe they weren't a team, but a bunch of individuals), and they're called the Marlins Mermaids. Wonder if they stay out on the tarp for the frequent rain delays.

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.

EL DUQUE, METS COME UP BIG VERSUS GIANTS

Mets 4, Giants 2 (NYM: 34-18, SF: 25-27)

After suffering their first shutout of the season on Wednesday night, the Mets bounced back on Wendesday, beating the Giants, 4-2. The Mets have won every series they have played this year against teams that are not in the National League East.

The game did not start out in an ideal way - after three batters, the Giants led 2-0. Orlando Hernandez, though, found a rhythm. After a two-hit first inning, El Duque gave up just a walk (erased on a double play) in his seven innings. He only threw 95 pitches...which doesn't seem possible when you consider how rocky his first inning was.

The Mets answered the Giants right away, too. After the Giants' 2-run first, the Mets put up two. It all started with Jose Reyes - a leadoff walk, stolen base, advance on a groundout, and scored on an infield single. I think I was getting dinner ready at this point, because I missed this play, but I think it was on the infield single that Carlos Beltran bumped knees with Rich Aurilia, and he later left the game with a bruised knee. The bruise wasn't enough to prevent Beltran from scoring from first, though, on a double by David Wright (his 13th of the season), tying the game at 2.

The Mets then scored another 2 in the second - an RBI single by Jose Reyes, and then an RBI bunt single by Endy Chavez. When Beltran left the game, he was replaced by Carlos Gomez, and that gave the Mets a top three in the lineup of Reyes, Chavez, and Gomez - incredible speed.

Ben Johnson got his first start for the Mets - in left field - and was 1-for-2, with a run scored. Joe Smith held the lead for Hernandez (who improved to 3-1), and Billy Wagner converted his 13th save.

I am pleased to report that Barry Bonds leaves New York with the same amount of homers he came with.

The Mets are not far off the pace of their best records ever through so many games. They are at 34-18 through 52...they were 33-17 through 50. In 1986, they were 35-15. Right now they're on a ridiculous pace. The Diamondbacks come to town next. They are playing pretty good baseball, too, but the Mets have their number.

I probably won't be updating over the weekend - going to New York City for a Relay for Life at Astoria Park Saturday overnight into Sunday. Let me know if you're interested in sponsoring with a donation of about 10 bucks. My sister put together some teams...I couldn't make it down last year, glad I can pitch in this year.

Blog Talk Radio johnnymets.blogspot.com Player of the Game: I don't think I have much choice here but to give it to El Duque. He was that good after the first inning, and led the Mets to this win. I can't believe that with the lineup this Mets team has, that this honor has gone to a pitcher so many times so far this year.

Wednesday night's player of the game was Pedro Feliz, he had all three Giants RBI - outshining Barry Zito's 7 K's in 7 innings of 6-hit, shutout ball.

WHAT A STEAL: Thursday night, Jose Reyes picked up his 29th stolen base, but was also caught stealing for the 6th time this season.

MONTH OF MAY: Another month is complete. Here's how it stands:
April: 15-9
May: 19-9

Can't really beat that, as months go.

BEAT THE STREAK: I keep losing track, but I think I'm at 7 games, maybe 8, after Matt Holliday had a single in his first at-bat. I'm taking Carl Crawford on Friday night.

GIANTS 3, METS 0 - 8TH INNING

I am paying the price today for extra innings last night. I just can't handle late nights during the school year, no matter how much I think I can. Luckily, I only have a week left to worry about that.

As it stands, though, I have to turn in, with the Giants leading 3-0. No matter what happens tonight, I will not be updating the site. I do feel the Mets have another comeback in them, but if they do tonight, I'll see it from the bedroom.

Barry Zito was pretty impressive tonight, making the Mets look silly at the plate. Most of his strikeouts were without the Mets even lifting the bats off their shoulders. But he's now out of the game, so there's another reason to expect a comeback.

Tom Glavine right now stands to take another loss. His chase for 300 is almost as long as Gary Carter's chase for 300 home runs. I might have written about this in the past - but Carter took FOR-ever to get his 300th home run. I remember one of my first forays into stat-keeping was marking the events surrounding the milestone...and the accompanying home run draught.

P.S. - That was back when 300 homers was still something of an accomplishment. Especially for a catcher.

A MINUTE ON MOTA: Wednesday night marked the return of Guillermo Mota to the Mets after serving a 50-game suspension for steroids use. It's hard for me to believe that 50 games have already gone by. I was not crazy about the Mets re-signing Mota with this suspension going on...but I guess this is the way things are going to be now.

Having a daughter has definitely helped me put things like pro sports in perspective. I still enjoy watching the games, and writing about them (and soon, talking about them), but a lot of stuff is leaving more and more of a sour taste in my mouth.

Mota was booed by the Shea crowd when he came in to pitch in the 8th. That's good. He actually pitched well, too.

JOHNNYMETS RADIO SHOW: It's coming soon - I'll let you know when. There seems to be a problem with me hosting a show during the prime hours of the evening. I don't want to make it a late night show, because I want listeners to call in, so I'll have to figure something out. I'll keep you posted.

COMMENT ON THE COMMENTS: I can't believe I forgot about the Benitez jinx on Tuesday night. Glad The Wife didn't. She was up in bed, asleep, with the Mets on. I never made it up, because as I was about to go, the game looked to be ending, one way or the other. And I never factored in the jinx. She's lucky I didn't go up there and wake her up.

BEAT THE STREAK: Edgar Renteria had a big day - 4-for-5, I only needed a 1-for-5. And Nick Swisher had a hit late Tuesday. So I'm working on a big 7-gamer here. Matt Holliday is my choice for Thursday.

UPDATE - METS WIN

Mets 5, Giants 4, 12 innings

There are not many events worth turning the computer back on for - but this win is one of them. Right after I logged off, the Giants scored in the top of the 12th to take a 4-3 lead. Omar Vizquel barely beat a Paul LoDuca tag on a groundout to first base. But you can't ever give up on the Mets, so I stuck around, watched the bottom of the 12th.

First of all, the closer was Armando Benitez. The Mets had gotten to him already this year. Then, he walks Jose Reyes. That's always a recipe for trouble. With Endy Chavez at the plate, Benitez balked. This one was questionable. But Reyes took second, then Chavez bunted him to third, so there was one out, man on third, for Carlos Beltran. Beltran grounded up the middle, but the second baseman was playing in, and fielded it for the out. We needed a fly ball there, Carlos.

But that was forgotten quickly, because Reyes danced down the line, and induced ANOTHER balk by Benitez! There was a clear flinch this time. So the score is tied, 4-4. Benitez is definitely rattled. Then he proceeds to give up a game-winning homer to Carlos Delgado, and the Mets win, 5-4. Pretty outstanding.

The Mets are a tough team to beat...and they don't go down easily.

Tough call on the player of the game - but I think it's got to go to Jose Reyes. The easy award would be Delgado's, for his two homers, and if I gave out co-awards, he'd share it. But this is the Blog Talk Radio johnnymets.blogspot.com Player of the Game award, and it goes to Jose Reyes for the things he did to create this win.

Great win for the Mets.

STILL TIED....

Mets 3, Giants 3
I have underestimated Omar Vizquel for a long time. Probably because he was never the greatest fantasy player - he hit for a decent average, but had little to no power, and he wasn't worth a draft pick in my eyes. But that interfered with my ability to recognize what he was good at - and he is a solid ballplayer. He is also a great defensive player, something I realize even more the later it gets in his career. He has game-changing defensive abilities, even now. And he showed that off on Tuesday night, saving the game for the Giants in the 9th inning against the Mets.

As I write, the play is a game-saver, because the game is not over, and I'm not going to wait much longer for it. They're tied at 3, heading into the 12th inning. (It figures - this game was flying by, through 9 at 2-and-a-half hours, but of course, here we are an hour later, and it's still tied.) But back to the play - the Mets were in position for a walk-off win. David Wright led off the ninth with a double (his 12th of the year) off the right field wall (he thought it was gone...so did I). With two outs, Wright was at second, Paul LoDuca had been intentionally walked and was at first, and Julio Franco was pinch-hitting. He hit a sharp grounder up the middle, which Vizquel dove to his left to smother, then tossed sort-of-blindly to the second base bag, where Kevin Frandsen stretched and barehanded the ball for the out. Just a great play, and it came at a clutch time.

The Mets got another good start from Oliver Perez in this one - 3 runs on five hits over 7 innings...no walks and 8 strikeouts. The bullpen was just as good - better, considering they haven't given up any runs yet. And maybe we can breathe a sigh of relief about Aaron Heilman - he went an inning-and-a-third and was very good.

Perez was victim to the long ball Tuesday night - he gave up solo homers to Randy Winn and Bengie Molina in the first, then in the 7th, with the Mets up, 3-2, a solo shot to Dan Ortmeier (either Justin or Steve in NYC - any relation to Jed?). The Mets had taken a 3-2 lead after a 2-run homer by Carlos Delgado (he pulled this one - but what's really good to see out of him lately is how much and effectively he's going the other way), and an RBI double by Carlos Beltran.

So here we are, tied at 3, in the 12th inning. I'll say this - whoever puts an end to this game gets Player of the Game honors. I'm off to watch the rest of this in bed.


EXCITING INFORMATION: We're still working out the bugs, but johnnymets.blogspot.com is proud to announce two new ventures. Justin in NYC, Dave in Brighton, the Southern Bureau, and johnnymets are working on a radio show, called "East Coast Bias", starting next Monday at 7pm. You can listen live, and even call in if you'd like to contribute. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/eastcoastbias



Johnnymets.blogspot.com is also working on a post-game Mets wrap-up show that will air daily after the Mets games...probably beginning next week, what with school winding down. Again, there will be a number for you to call to discuss the games. We hope you'll listen, and contribute. www.blogtalkradio.com/johnnymets



BEAT THE STREAK: I'm waiting on Nick Swisher to extend my five-gamer, but I'm going with Edgar Renteria on Wednesday night.

METS TAKE TWO OUT OF THREE IN SAN FRAN

Mets 5, Giants 3 (NYM: 21-12, SF: 17-16)


The Wife's jinx on Armando Benitez is alive and well. For those of you unfamiliar with the jinx: Back in the early stages of The Relationship, I took The Wife and my brother to a Mets game. Armando Benitez came in. It was against the Reds. I told The (future) wife, this guy throws hard. He threw hard, and Ken Griffey, Jr. hit it hard - the Mets lost, 2-1. (I think Benitez entered a tie game that day.) From that day forward, Armando Benitez was a wreck to watch, especially in the playoffs, and the commond denominator seemed to be The Wife. She was a jinx on him. Whenever she was in the room, he blew a save...so she learned to leave when he entered games.

The jinx seemed to reverse itself when Benitez was on the Marlins, and had incredible success against the Mets...but it's back.

The Wife, The Baby, and I went for a walk when the Mets and Giants were in the bottom of the 8th inning. We went for a shorter walk, me thinking we'd be back in time for extra innings. But we were back in the top of the 9th - bases loaded, one out, David Wright at the plate. Benitez went to 3-1, and then Wright, sitting fastball, ripped a 2-run double to left. Beautiful, and the Benitez jinx still works. It was great to see Wright come through in a clutch situation. He had a good series - hitting .384, with 3 doubles - maybe he's starting to come around.

Delgado has also been struggling, and he came through in a clutch situation. Delgado hit a solo homer into the water early in the game (4th inning), and he tied the game late with an RBI double. Ruben Gotay also hit a solo homer, in the third.

John Maine had a rocky start - 3 runs, 6 walks, in 6 innings. When I was listening on the radio on the way home, Howie Rose was saying Maine had a lot of trouble locating the ball. But he avoided the loss, so he's still 1-0. Scott Schoeneweis, Aaron Heilman (who got the win), and Billy Wagner (8th save) shut down the Giants the rest of the way.

After losing the two out of three to the Marlins early last week, the Mets had a nice road trip. They went 5-2 in Arizona and San Francisco. They have Thursday off before hosting Milwaukee this weekend. Orlando Hernandez might be back Friday night. I heard that about a week ago, I think.

AT&T johnnymets.blogspot.com Player of the Game: I wanted to give this to David Wright for driving in the go-ahead runs, but Carlos Delgado put the Mets where they needed to be. Delgado was 2-for-5, with a solo homer and an RBI double, 2 RBI total, scoring once.




TUESDAY'S RESULT

Monster.com johnnymets.blogspot.com Player of the Game: Tempted as I was to give it to David Wright (again) - 2 doubles and an RBI - I have to give it to Tom Glavine, who gave up just one run (a Barry Bonds homer) in 7 innings, striking out five, giving up 7 hits and a walk, and picking up career win number 294. I saw none of this game, so I really have nothing further to comment on.


MONDAY'S RESULT


PacBell johnnymets.blogspot.com Player of the Game: Bengie Molina had 2 home runs and 5 RBI in a 9-run fifth inning against the Mets in the series opener. Oliver Perez gave up 8 of the 9 runs, but only two were earned - he was hurt by a couple of errors. Molina's line - 2-for-3 with a walk, 5 RBI, 2 HR, and 2 runs scored. (Those Molina brothers have caused the Mets a lot of problems in the past six months or so.

HAIRCUTS: The Mets apparently bonded on Tuesday by shaving their heads before the game, with Tom Glavine shaving his head after the game. As far as I know, the only person who didn't do it was Jose Reyes (who has a 14-game hitting streak, by the way). On the radio, Howie Rose was talking about Jay Horwitz's newly-shorn head, so I can only assume some front office folk also were involved in the fun.

BEAT THE STREAK: Albert Pujols screwed me over on Monday, but Ivan Rodriguez and Jose Reyes have me back at two games. No worse feeling than coming back from 1 game after building a 12-gamer. I have Miguel Tejada on Thursday.

We are in that rough stretch of the season, where the Mets take a West coast swing during the school year. It's a tough trip for the Mets, no doubt, because of all the miles, but it really wreaks havoc on my routine.

Anyway, since I won't be writing about the game, I thought I'd give my two cents on the Roger Clemens thing. First of all, I confess to letting my thoughts wander today to the idea, and the way the announcement was made. That was pretty cool. I did imagine a little bit what it would be like to be at a ho-hum Mets game, and then suddenly have an announcement of that caliber. Not that Roger Clemens was becoming a Met, mind you, but something that newsworthy being announced during a 7th inning stretch. It would be pretty amazing. Glad Yankees fans had a chance to enjoy something like that. It's only been 7 whole years since they had a world championship or something big to celebrate.

The other thing that I noticed about the Roger Clemens thing is that it was kind of surreal. I have a lot of schoolwork to do (should be doing it now), so I couldn't focus on the games much on Sunday. But I was switching around right before the Mets started, and I saw the Roger Clemens press conference:

This wasn't the angle I was watching it from, but I needed an illustration. It didn't seem real...it seemed surreal. I wasn't sure it was really happening, but I saw the "live" bug in the corner of the screen, and said, it must be true...they can't joke about something like this. But I was thinking the whole time I was looking at the press conference that it might be fake - I half-expected Buster Olney to pop out and ask fake questions, a la Steve Phillips:

Anyway, I hope Clemens fails hugely. But I needed to get that out there.

OTHER THOUGHTS: It's very upsetting to me that I barely mention David Wright in good terms anymore. He is having an awful start to the year, but it's magnified because that means his awful numbers are his actual stats. Here's what I mean - in the past, Wright's slumps have been disguised at the end of the year, so when he hit .239, his average dropped from .300 to .280, still good. But this year, when he's hit .239, his average is .239. And in the past, when he hit 2 homers in 30 games, that means he only had 26 for the season, instead of more. Now, he just has 2 homers, and it sticks out like a sore thumb. I still firmly believe that Wright will bounce back...he's just digging himself a deeper hole to have to come out of. What also upsets me is that the Southern Bureau is quickly losing all faith in Wright's ability to come back...and there's nothing I can do or say to get that faith back. The only way it will happen is for Wright to start hitting.

BEAT THE STREAK: Speaking of hitting, I'm still at 12 games after Manny's day off (back-to-back with an off-day, gotta love it). Albert Pujols and the Cardinals are just getting underway. Hopefully I'll have a 13-gamer on Tuesday, when it's Ivan Rodriguez against good ol' Horacio Ramirez (now with Seattle).

A GIANT AMONG METS

Barry Zito reportedly agreed to a 7-year, $126 million deal today with the San Francisco Giants, meaning he will not be a Met in 2007. I'm a little bummed about this - I thought he'd bring a fun personality to New York, and, obviously, help the Mets immensely this year.

It seemed like the Mets were making a strong run lately for Zito. I really was convinced word would come down one of these days that he was going to be a Met - that's why I was waiting on my off-season recap (a first off-season recap, anyway), because I had a feeling the Zito signing would happen over the holidays, and I thought he'd be coming to the Mets.

Now that he's not coming to the Mets, I find it a little easier to see Zito's flaws. First, let me say that he is a very good pitcher, and coming to the National League, he will probably put up better numbers than he did in the American League. But Zito isn't a GREAT pitcher. He gives up a lot of runs a lot of time. This will continue to happen in the NL - if his curve doesn't curve, he's not effective. He's definitely going to be the Giants' ace, but he might not be the best pitcher in the National League.

An interesting fact I saw today - the three highest deals in history (over $100 million) for a pitcher have been Kevin Brown, Mike Hampton, and now Barry Zito. Zito better hope his deal turns out better than those other two.

That said, the Mets certainly could have used Barry Zito in 2007. They needed a front-of-the-rotation guy. Hopefully within the next week I will be back with a first look at what the Mets have done this off-season and what they still need to get done.

WORKING OVERTIME

Giants 7, Mets 6 12 innings (NYM: 33-22, SF: 29-27)

For the second straight game, and third time in four games, the Mets went to extra innings. It was the tenth time this year the Mets have played an extra-innings game (by my count), and I think now the Mets are 6-4 in extra innings games (again, just my count). This is going to cause some wear and tear on the bullpen - and I think the Mets are going to start paying for it this week. Back-to-back extra innings games, and now a trip out west to play Los Angeles, Arizona, and then back east at Philadelphia. I'm not expecting the best road trip....but maybe the Mets will show how good they are and come away with a winning record. (This is the last tough road trip the Mets have this year - at least as far as mileage goes.)

As for the game, this was an exciting one (which I didn't get to see - more on that later). David Wright hit two homers - he's now up to 10 on the year, and 51 career, and continues to swing a hot bat. (He's now hitting .330..and getting much national recognition. Apparently this week 'The Sporting News' is comparing him to A-Rod.)

The Mets blew a lead in this game, but also came back a couple of times. The most dramatic was after the Giants took a 2-run lead in the 10th inning, then brought Armando Benitez in to close it out. Jose Valentin homered with one out, to make it 6-5, then with two outs, Lastings Milledge hit his first career homer, tying the game. (Milledge was 3-for-4, with 3 RBI, raising his major league average to .267.) Pedro Feliciano got tagged with the loss by giving up the final go-ahead run in the 12th (althoug Heath Bell gave up the hit that scored the run - Bell has been pitching very well since his call-up to replace Jorge Julio out of the bullpen. Not too many of the bullpen guys pitched well on Sunday.)

A rough series for the Mets against the Giants. They lost the series-opener (the first game of the doubleheader), which should have been a warning - the Mets hadn't lost the first game of a home series all season. (They had won 10 straight this year, 13 straight overall. I hate seeing streaks like that end.) Now it's off to the West Coast - let's hope for good things.

MEDIA-RELATED NEWS: First of all, I was wondering why Howie Rose was doing the Mets' game on SNY Saturday (the second game of the doubleheader) - I thought Gary Cohen just had some scheduled time off. But apparently Cohen was taken away from the stadium before the game with appendicitis. I'm not sure how long he'll be out for...but I heard a bit of the Mets' game on the radio on Sunday and Ed Coleman was filling in for Howie Rose...so I guess my services won't be needed. How about two Mets figures with appendicitis at the same time, though? (Xavier Nady and now Gary Cohen.)

Secondly, I couldn't watch the Mets on Sunday, and I can't figure out why. The programming guide on DirecTV had the Mets-Giants game on channel 735, and supposedly it was on Fox Sports Bay Area. But the game wasn't coming on that channel. I was mad...but sadly, being the way that I am, I'll never complain to DirecTV, and I'll never figure out why the game wasn't on. Oh well. I did get a look at ESPN.com's much-improved GameCast.

MONTH OF MAY: I forgot to post this Friday - but since the month of May is over, it's time for the monthly record. The Mets were 16-12 in May - following up their 16-8 April. If the Mets win 16 games a month, they'll do OK this season. (That would be about 112 wins, to put that in perspective...so 15 more to go in June!)

THE KID'S KIDS: The Mets are headed in the right direction again. They beat Tampa 5-1 on Sunday (for the third straight time), and are back to a game-and-a-half lead over Brevard County. That's some good managing by Hall of Famer Gary Carter.

FANTASY UPDATE: I'm back on the outs with this game. The What If Mets dropped all three games Sunday, and are back to .500. I have three coming up on Monday now with the Giants. I'm telling you - I don't know what to do. I'm still just two games back of the wild card, so there's some hope...but I'm 11 behind the division-leading phillies. Also, I filled out a mid-season survey that the game asks you to fill out, and I was pretty critical. I hope that's not why I'm suddenly on a losing streak.

BEAT THE STREAK: David Wright was my pick on Sunday, and he got me up to a five-game streak. I'm taking Carl Crawford on Monday, hopefully we can get this one up into double digits and beyond.

11TH - OURS

Mets 9, Giants 7, 11 innings (NYM: 14-7, SFG: 11-10)

The Mets came back, took a lead, blew a lead, then took a lead again on Wednesday afternoon in San Francisco. In the end, they headed to Atlanta (after an off-day Thursday) with a win, but it could have been costly.

Brian Bannister gave up 3 runs in five innings, and also drove in two runs during a 2-for-3 afternoon at the plate. But it was after he doubled in the top of the sixth, when he was running home to score the go-ahead run, that he came up lame, barely able to make it down the third base line with the Mets' 4th run, with a hamstring injury (big credit to Bannister, though, for gritting it out and getting across the plate despite the pain he was in). Bannister left the game immediately (replaced by Aaron Heilman). I'll keep you posted on when he will come back - but the Mets are having hamstring problems - first Carlos Beltran* and now Bannister. I'd hate to see Bannister be out long - first of all, because the Mets aren't deep in pitching, and secondly because he's fun to watch pitch. I think the latest I heard is that Bannister would be re-evaluated in Atlanta.

Billy Wagner blew a save in this game but all 3 runs he gave up were unearned, coming after a David Wright error with a man on and 2 out in the 9th. After the error, Wagner gave up a pinch-hit, 2-run homer to Barry Bonds (number 711 career), but the Mets got clutch hits from Chris Woodward and THE GREATEST PLAYER WHO EVER LIVED, Jose Reyes, in the 11th to win it. The Mets also got great work from the bullpen - particularly Chad Bradford and Darren Oliver, in extra innings.

14-7 is the Mets record. That's good for a .667 winning percentage. That's 2 wins every 3 games. The Mets have the potential to keep that up all year. That's scary...for other teams.

MAILBAG: I almost don't believe my eyes - after about 2 years away from the site - Steve from New York is back in the inbox!!! And we welcome him back with open arms:

"Johnnymets -

As you know, I am a long time Mets fan and am used to them making terrible trades. Clearly, Kazmir for Zambrano is very close to top of the list. What is driving me crazy is that everyone in NY sees that Zambrano is horrible except for Randolph and Peterson. What are the two of them smoking? How much longer can this follishness continue? While listening to WFAN earlier today, I learned that the Mets are planning the weekend rotation to be Martinez - Glavine - Zambrano, Fri - Sun respectively. Normally, Sunday's game would be pitched by Trachsel, which is his 5th day. As most Mets fans know, Trachsel does well and likes to pitch on his 5th day. Instead, the Mets braintrust has decided to push Trachsel back a day, instead of skipping Zambrano all together, (which they would have been able to do because of the day off).

What are your thoughts and how long can the Mets fans let this nonsense go on?

PS - The FAN was saying that one of the reasons, besides stupidity could be that they want to keep Zambrano away from the Shea crowd as long as possible. That might be the smartest thing they have done all season (however, it will probably be to the detriment of the team)

PPS = If Bannister can't start on his next scheduled date, do the Mets bring Heilman from the bullpen for a start?

Steve"

Steve - The way I see things with Zambrano right now is, the Mets can't win every game. So Zambrano is that equalizer, allowing them to lose every fifth day or so. (I'm only partly kidding there.) I've said it before - this is the year where the Mets learn whether or not Rick Peterson's work with Zambrano will pay off. (So far, not so good.) I couldn't listen to WFAN today, obviously, but I did get the Mets game on SNY. And Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez were saying that Steve Trachsel will pitch on Sunday, on his regular fifth day, and Zambrano would just be skipped. I'm not sure who's right - them or 'FAN, but now Bannister's injury throws a wrench in things, if he ends up being out for a while.

I do NOT think Heilman should be thrown in for a fill-in start. If he's going to be starting, I agree with what Hernandez said on SNY - it shouldn't be a permanent thing. The thing is, the way Duaner Sanchez has been pitching, I'd rather see him take over Heilman's role, Zambrano be a permanent reliever (where I liked the way he looked last year), and Heilman starting every fifth day. I think that's the best the Mets could do.

Thanks for writing, Steve! Keep it up.

ELSEWHERE AROUND THE NL: Some sweeps worth noting. The Reds beat the Washington Nationals, completing a 3-game sweep, behind a 1-hitter by Bronson Arroyo. I don't want to pat myself on the back, but I did say I thought Arroyo being traded by the Red Sox would light a little bit of a fire under him. He's now 4-0, and has pitched brilliantly.

The Brewers swept the Braves. The Mets have been struggling a bit lately (1-2 vs. Atlanta, 2-2 vs. the Padres), but it's nothing compared to what the Braves have been doing. They're now 9-12. The Mets need to twist the knife a little bit this weekend in Atlanta - a place where they haven't had much success in recent years.

Finally, the Cardinals swept the Pirates, but Jose Hernandez hit a homer off Jason Isringhausen in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game. (The Cardinals won in the bottom half.) I'm telling you - the Cardinals bullpen is flawed this year. That will eventually cost them.

FROM THE AL: This stuff about Kevin Mench is great. I've always liked Mench - I always used to pick him up as a spare outfielder whenever I used to play fantasy baseball with current baseball players. He got off to a very slow start this season - 0 HR, 0 RBI in his first 10 games, I think. Turns out, he was wearing uncomfortable shoes - they were too small for his feet. So he misses five games, switches shoes, and has been on fire. He hit a grand slam Wednesday, and has homered in six consecutive games. What a riot.

THE KID'S KIDS: St. Lucie Mets manager and Hall of Famer Gary Carter has his work cut out for him. The Mets' 2005 first round pick, pitcher Mike Pelfrey, who has been pitching very well (winning Monday night) has been promoted to Double A. Managing in the minors has to be very tough with all of that roster upheaval due to promotions, demotions, etc.

On Wednesday, Carter's Mets scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth (awesome managing!) to beat Jupiter, 5-3. The win makes the Mets 13-6, and vaults them into first place.

Other Kid's Kids (and Dmitri Young's brother): Delmon Young, Devil Rays prospect and current Durham Bull, threw a bat at a home plate umpire after being called out. I'm not sure how the bat was thrown, or how the umpire is doing. This was a replacement ump - the minor league umpires are on strike - as a matter of fact, another replacement ump was involved in an incident with the Norfolk Tides, the Mets' Triple A affiliate, when Victor Diaz collided with him at first base. The collision forced Diaz to miss four games.

SNY PROGRAMMING: For the first time, during Wednesday's Mets game, I saw an SNY programming commercial showing that the Mets would be showing lots of Classic Mets games from 1986 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of that team. They should show classic games non-stop - instead of that drivel they call "Daily News Live". I'm psyched, needless to say.

PIC OF THE DAY: I need to write some stadium reviews from the West Coast - Thursday is a Mets' off-day, so that looks like a good time to write them, but for now, enjoy this pic from our trip:


I do believe the Padres have the least intimidating mascot in the Majors. Although, Padres fans could probably make a good counter-argument......

BEAT THE STREAK: I picked David Wright because he owned Jason Schmidt, but the Giants went with Matt Morris instead. Wright finally doubled in the 8th, to keep my streak alive - now a 5-gamer. I'm going with the history again on Thursday - Mike Lowell, a career 6-for-13 hitter against Paul Byrd.

METS 12-7, 1st Place, NL East, 3 gms. up

The Giants beat the Mets 6-2 in the first game of their 3-game series in San Francisco Monday night.

As you know, the wife and I saw the A's in Oakland, but we did swing by AT&T Park (formerly SBC and PacBell Park) in San Francisco. It looks very nice:

So we'll be going back to San Fran to check out that park...probably three more name changes later. And they'll probably be playing the:



Big picture there from outside the right field gate - guess the grounds crew was getting ready for the Giants' next opponent - our New York Mets.

BELTRAN*: Carlos Beltran* has a strained hamstring. He's not going to play during the Giants series. This is why the asterisk has yet to be removed from his name.

HERNANDEZ: The latest on the Keith Hernandez flap/debacle. Suzyn Waldman, who is a Yankees broadcaster (the only woman play-by-play person in the majors, actually), has been a New York sports radio personality for years. She's a woman. Anyway, she says she expects as much from Hernandez, because he was apparently always surly to her in the clubhouse. I believe it. Here's a guy who's been around guys since before high school, at a time when women weren't around sports like they are now. He's from a different time. I'm not defending him, because he's gotta keep his dumb opinions to himself. I enjoy Hernandez's outspoken baseball opinions - but he should keep those opinions limited to baseball.

As I'm writing this, I'm remembering a game at Shea last year where the cameras caught an overweight guy eating ice cream in the stands. Hernandez made an inappropriate comment then. He needs to filter things a little more - and I expect he'll be more careful commenting on non-baseball issues from now on.

WHAT IF......?: There's a new addiction brewing inside of me. It'll take off in just a few days. Whatifsports.com. You may have heard of it - it's a site where you can compile fantasy teams using any player from any year in the history of baseball. A friend of mine knows a guy who's starting a "What If" league, in which 24 people will join, each being a separate team. These 24 people will be divided into six divisions, and there will be 6 division champions, 2 wild cards, and a full playoff and World Series following a 162-game regular season. I think it'll start Wednesday, and I hear 3 games are played a day, so I'll be checking this site constantly. It could be dangerous.

Of course, if I'm going to venture into something like this, I'm not going without the Mets. So here's the squad (with the help of my article last year of the "greatest offensive seasons by Mets"):

The Lineup
2005 Jose Reyes - SS (hopefully he'll get on base enough)
1988 Wally Backman - 2B (good number 2 hitter)
1985 Gary Carter - C (expensive but non-negotiable that he be on the team)
1999 Mike Piazza - DH (same)
1999 Robin Venture - 3B (Last year's David Wright was too expensive)
1976 Dave Kingman - LF (Couldn't afford Strawberry, so I'll take Kingman's 37 HR's)
1975 Rusty Staub - RF (Solid outfield numbers)
1976 Ed Kranepool - 1B (I needed to save some money at first)
1985 Lenny Dykstra - CF (Speed at the top, speed at the bottom)

The Bench
1995 Tim Bogar (He had a good year in a down year for the Mets)
1999 Shawon Dunston (Hopefully a good pinch-hitting option)
2001 Joe McEwing (Flexibility to play a lot of positions)
1999 Todd Pratt (Needed a good, cheap backup catcher)
1980 Mookie Wilson (Some late inning speed for the basepaths)
2004 David Wright (Couldn't leave him off the team! Not as good as '05, but still good)

The Pitchers
1972 Tom Seaver (Had to compromise, take a cheaper season - his best year cost $13 Mil)
1984 Dwight Gooden (Not his best season either, but still better than most in history)
2005 Pedro Martinez* (His numbers were among the best in team history last year)
1988 David Cone (20-3 record - how could I not)
1970 Jerry Koosman (Had to have a lefty - but not Koosman's best season)
1969 Tug McGraw
1985 Jesse Orosco
1989 Randy Myers
1989 Roger McDowell (Not a bad foursome out of the 'pen)
1962 Vinegar Bend Mizell (He's awful, but I had to fill a roster spot cheap - he's programmed to only go in for mop-up duty when I'm losing)

So that's the squad I'll hopefully win it all with. You only get $100 million to work with, and I spent a lot of that on pitching. I hope pitching truly does win championships. My offense isn't too bad, though - I can use Hall of Famer Gary Carter along with Mike Piazza, since we can use DH in this league. Needless to say, I can't wait for the games to get underway. And you better believe I'll be giving updates.

THE KID'S KIDS: I haven't gotten a final from Tuesday night, but the St. Lucie Mets' win over the first place Manatees Monday has them at 11-6, 1.5 games back. They're in second place, a half-game ahead of Palm Beach.

BEAT THE STREAK: Alfonso Soriano got a hit, so I'm working on a 4-gamer. Gotta get this one to 10, at least. For Wednesday, it's David Wright, a career .600 hitter against Giants starter Jason Schmidt. (He's 3-for-5.)

The Mets are a 3:30 game tomorrow in San Francisco, before heading for a very important road series in Atlanta. And lucky me - tomorrow is a half-day of school. I'll have a full game posting Wednesday evening. Right now, it's time to go to bed and try to stay up for a Steve Trachsel start. That'll be quite a task.