SOMETHING'S GOTTA CHANGE

The New York Mets, as currently constituted, are going nowhere in 2009.

It's not just Oliver Perez, though his performance to this point hasn't helped.

It's not the fact that they walked in the winning run in the tenth inning against the Phillies on Saturday, though that makes my blood boil.

It's not that they seem to lack fire...though that's taking away from my enthusiasm.

It's a combination of all of those things, certainly, but mostly it's the fact that the Mets just aren't good enough right now to do anything this year.

I said it on Opening Night at Citi Field, when the Mets were cheered by the crowd that night...I said, "If it wasn't for the new ballpark, I bet this same group would be getting booed right now." Because while optimism usually reins during the home opener celebration, I think the fans are starting at the setting "fed up", instead of working their way in that direction. I'm as optimistic as they come, and I feel like there's a dark cloud (baseball-related, that is - which I'm starting to learn to ignore...more on that another day) following me around.

Maybe the Mets will turn out to be the best of what has so far been an unimpressive National League East...but that's not saying much. If the Mets are going to do anything in October, they need to make a change...and it has to come before the trade deadline in July.

I think Omar Minaya did a great job with the bullpen this offseason. But I don't know anyone who cares about the Mets who wasn't thinking that the rotation needed work. I never wanted Derek Lowe, but he was available, and so was a player like Brad Penny who was worth a flyer, among others. I wanted to believe that Oliver Perez would show up come the big games...but it doesn't get any bigger than a Saturday in early May when the manager says you have to prove yourself. And he flopped in that game. So Minaya failed the team there...and perhaps his hands were tied financially - but the money that went to Perez could have gone elsewhere.

And now the good work that went into building up the bullpen might have to be turned around to deal for the types of starting pitchers that could have been had in free agency. So a strength could be turned into a weakness in order to turn a weakness into a strength.

And it didn't have to be that way.

But if it doesn't happen....2009 is looking like a disappointment.

All his fault.

There he is. The man who quite possibly single-handedly ruined the Mets 2009 season.

John Smoltz.

You'd think Smoltz heading to the American League and taking his career 18-15 record, 24 saves, and 3.44 ERA vs NYM would be a good thing.

You're wrong.

John Smoltz started a bad list of events that led to the Mets doing the ONE thing they should not have done this offseason. Lets recap:

DEC 1, 2008: The Braves decline salary arbitration to John Smoltz. The future Hall of Famer is now free to sign elsewhere. The Braves - by all indications - fully expect Smoltz to return.

JAN 3, 2009: Derek Lowe rejects Mets 3yr/36mil contract.

JAN 7, 2009: Smoltz is expected to sign with the Red Sox.

JAN 8, 2009: The Mets and Derek Lowe are far apart on a possible contract.

JAN 9, 2009: John Smoltz makes it official, and signs with the Boston Red Sox. And here's where it all starts to fall apart.

JAN 13, 2009: The Braves, having lost Smoltz, completely freak out and offer Lowe a four year deal worth 60 million dollars. Four days after Smoltz's signs with Boston, Lowe signs with the Braves.

FEB 8, 2009: Ben Sheets - believed to be one of the backups if Lowe signs elsewhere, will miss almost all of the 2009 season with an elbow injury. I'm assuming the Mets figured this out weeks earlier, but probably not before they lost out on Lowe.

That left the Mets with no choice. Because John Smoltz signed with Boston, the Braves then lost their mind, then their backup plan got hurt, so the Mets were left with only one pitcher left to sign.

Oliver freaking Perez.

I've said my piece many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many times about this clown. But in 2009, I'll give him a break. Its not his fault.

So on October 4th - when the Mets are tied with the Phillies for first place on the last day of the season, and Oliver Perez is struggling to get through the 6th inning against the Astros - remember this Mets fans: Its all John Smoltz's fault.

- SB

Week in (yawn) Review

Maybe he'll be signing a WORLD SERIES '09 ball: The Mets signed Freddy Garcia to a minor league deal this week. That's really all they did. Boring.

According to various reports, the Mets are still interested in several free agent pitchers, and that's probably a good thing. Right now, I can't see Garcia making much of an impact, except perhaps as a #5 starter. Even that might be a stretch.

Sandy Koufax isn't walking through that door: Of course the problem now is - there isn't much left. Its Randy Wolf, Ben Sheets, and he-who-shall-remain-nameless. And apparently that last option is a serious one, as the Mets are reportedly raising their offer to the 2008 Major League leader in walks.

What have we learned?: Since there isn't much going on this week, I'll tackle one more quick topic. Some rumblings that the Mets should trade one of their "big three" hitters, but history tells us they should think long and hard about that. Watching a future Hall of Famer retire this week should probably be enough of a reminder for this franchise.

-SB

maybe somebody IS reading this...

Here's the problem with blogs...

Dream Scenario: you put in all the time and work, assume millions of people will enjoy your writings, and you'll become world famous.

Actual Scenario: about 14 people read it, 10 of whom are related to you, three of whom are friends, and random dude who is lost 200 miles from NYC and is a bad speller.

But with that said, maybe Johnnymets is starting to take off...

PROOF:

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Tip/Wag - Monkey on the Lam

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

Just a few days after the "patch post", its making national headlines. Even Stephen Colbert is getting in on the act.

Yours truly suggested the Mets would probably end up with an "Alex Cora type player". A few weeks later, the Mets signed Alex Cora!

Johnnymets wants to see the Mets sign Ben Sheets. Newsday reports the Mets are keeping their eyes on Ben Sheets!

So with the new Johnnymets influence, I feel it is my duty - no - my obligation - to write the following.

Dear NY Mets...

DO NOT SIGN OLIVER PEREZ. HE'S TERRIBLE.

Love always...
The Southern Bureau

ALONE IN FIRST

For the first time since mid-April, the Mets are atop the National League East by themselves.

How they got there on Thursday, considering the way they've played this season, could surprise you.

Carlos Delgado had the game-winning hit, snapping a 1-1 tie in the 8th inning with a 2-run double, capping a series where he smoked the ball nearly every at-bat, and continuing to be hot at the plate.

Oliver Perez came up big in another big game, striking out 12 over seven-and-two-thirds innings, while walking just one.

And the Mets took two out of three from the Phillies, after Tuesday's potentially devastating loss, to improve to 9-4 against Philadelphia this season.

Just like last year never happened.

NOT NEWS: Fred Wilpon admitted he "screwed up" with the firing of Willie Randolph. Apparently he had a chance to convince Omar Minaya to wait until the morning, but didn't do it. In other news, the sky is blue, dogs chase cats, and the Phillies don't scare me (anymore).

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.

ANALYSIS THROUGH SIX WEEKS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

WRONG KIND OF FIRED UP

Here are two ways I know it's nearing the end of the school year and I'm more tired at night than ever:

1) I fall asleep before I set my fantasy baseball lineup, and don't have time to get on the computer in the morning at school, and don't have Shawn Marcum in my rotation for a 7-inning shutout performance (I am so pissed about that).
2) The Wife is more up on the Mets news than I am. She e-mailed me this:

"You should blog about this:

Wagner rips Mets teammate
Posted: Thursday May 01, 2008 05:53AM ET
Amid the rubble of a 13-1 loss to the last-place Pirates that started with Oliver Perez's second-inning meltdown, Billy Wagner said what many of his teammates appeared to be thinking about the left-hander. Wagner blasted Perez for lasting just 12/3 innings, matching his career low, against one of the worst teams in baseball. "Perez has honestly got to step up and know that we've just used every guy in our bullpen the night before," a visibly disgusted Wagner said. "He can't come out there and decide that, gee, he hasn't got it today and so be it." Asked if talking to Perez about his notoriously short attention span was like trying to talk to a wall, Wagner pointed his finger and said: "Pretty much.""

Thanks for that...although I'm not sure the source. I'll just credit The Wife.

I guess Billy Wagner's back - he had been awfully quiet this year. And last year, really. Recently I had asked for more players to get into 2006 form - I meant in baseball performance, but the Mets had a cohesive locker room that year, so maybe Wagner opening his mouth will lend itself to a more cohesive team unit (that seems counter-intuitive...).

I can't really make an argument against Wagner here, though. He's right. And for Oliver Perez to be this up and down throughout his career, he has to be the type of guy who probably gives up on himself, says, 'I just don't have it today, so I'll wait until my next start'. I think Wagner has it right on the nose. Problem is, the question about Perez's attention span was really uncalled for, and Wagner answering it is crossing a line. That's the part that's not going to go over well.

Hopefully Perez comes back with a strong start, and hopefully the players don't start sniping at one another. Since this entry centered on Oliver Perez, I now cue the Southern Bureau.....

MEET THE METS - JOHN MAINE/OLIVER PEREZ

A preview of the 2008 Mets, presented in the expected batting order, followed by pitching rotation, followed by impact bullpen/bench players. Today we focus on starting pitchers John Maine and Oliver Perez.

2007

MAINE: 15-10, 3.91 ERA, 180 K's, 75 walks, 191 IP

PEREZ: 15-10, 3.56 ERA, 174 K's, 79 walks, 177 IP

I think these two merit having a preview written about them together, because I think so much of the Mets' success this year hinges on the two of them performing well. Also, I thought it was eerie how similar their stats were last year.

Bottom line - if the Mets get 30 wins out of these two again, they're not going to miss the playoffs. It just won't happen. The question is, can the Mets get 30 wins out of Maine and Perez?

I think a couple of things are working in the Mets' favor. One is the point I've been beating you over the head with for the past month or so - with the addition of Johan Santana, instead of facing other teams' second and third starters, Maine and Perez will be facing the third and fourth starters, and they are better than those pitchers. There are not many teams who have formidable opponents for Maine and Perez. So call factor one the 'Steve Trachsel Factor' - Maine and Perez will get wins for just showing up. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Oliver Perez leads the league in run support this year.

Another reason you can expect them to do even better than last year is the fact that Brian Schneider is behind the plate. From all I've been hearing about Schneider's ability to handle pitchers, I've really built him up to be some sort of Supercatcher. But he has to be able to help Perez keep his head on straight when he starts to lose his control. And John Maine has shown an incredible ability to focus when the games/season are on the line, so maybe Schneider can force him to think like that on a normal day in July in addition to late September/October.

The last positive I'll list is that there has to be some sort of comfort level for these guys now. Both backed up the promise they showed in the 2006 post-season with very good 2007 seasons. They've proved they belong here, and that they can hold their own. Other than the pressure of pitching every fifth day in the New York spotlight, the pressure's off.

The warning signs are the same they have always been. Can John Maine avoid throwing 100 pitches by the sixth inning? Can Oliver Perez find his release point so he isn't walking 9 batters a game? I think the best thing for each of these guys is that last year, while it was ridiculously successful for both of them, was also a learning experience. They learned on the job, and they didn't suffer for it. That can only lead to a better 2008.

PEREZ ALREADY 1-0: Worth noting - On Friday, Oliver Perez was granted a salary arbitration win, meaning he will earn $6.5 million dollars this year (the club was offering $4.725 million). The odds were stacked against Perez - this was the first salary arbitration hearing the Mets lost since 1992.

SUNDAY THOUGHTS

It's a good thing that the Mets took 3 out of 4 from the Reds, but I'm not thrilled. I guess it's because of the way they lost the one game they lost...with John Maine giving up 4 runs before he got an out on Friday. The Mets could have very easily swept this series. All I've asked, though, is for the Mets to dominate the rest of the way, and if they play .750 ball the rest of the season, I guess they'll be OK.

It's also a good thing that Oliver Perez looked so good coming back from his back injury. Really, he wasn't hurt - he was reportedly just a little uncomfortable. If it was a different part of the season, he would have played through it. But he had about two weeks off, and came back and pitched very well on Sunday.

Perez did serve up a Cincinnati highlight, though - a bomb to Adam Dunn - I think it's the longest home run I've ever seen at Shea Stadium. Dunn hit the right-hand side of the scoreboard, which has the out-of-town scores, and hit about three scores up. He damaged it too - too bad it wasn't a night game - there probably would have been some fireworks. If you get a chance to see a highlight of the homer - check it out. The good news was it was a solo shot, and the Mets still won...so I can appreciate the homer even more. Click here to watch it now.

Lastings Milledge had a good game on Sunday...and has played well so far in his return from the DL. He was 1-for-3 in the Mets' 5-2 win, with a 2-run double. But what I've liked about Milledge in these past four games or so has been his opposite field power. His double was to the right-center gap, and even some of his outs have gone a long way the other way. Some nice hitting...whether or not scouts from possible trading partners are noticing that is another story.

TOUGH TRIP: The Mets will really show us something with their next 7 games. The Reds are/were terrible...though they had played well coming into the All Star break. Now, though, the Mets go right out to California, with no day off, and play three at San Diego and then 4 at Los Angeles (their second trip to LA - the first one was a disaster). There could be a little revenge worked into this trip, and hopefully some pride. The Mets need to establish themselves as the team to beat - because that is not what they've been the past month and a half or so.

KINER'S KORNER: I think the Mets did a really good thing Saturday night by honoring Ralph Kiner before the game. Unfortunately, the game was on local TV, so I had no chance of seeing the ceremony. But Kiner has been a fixture for the Mets, and it's nice that they took some time out to give him his due. The best thing about it is that right now, Ralph Kiner needs the Mets a lot more than they need him. And the Mets still give him some appearances on SNY, they take care of him and look out for him, and that's spectacular. They're definitely doing the right thing when it comes to Ralph Kiner. (They've also made it clear that Saturday night's celebration is in no way a retirement...just a celebration.)

I've said this before, but it's worth saying again - he's still got it. Kiner has made a lot of progress since he was struck by Bell's Palsy a couple of years ago - his speech is much clearer now. And every time he's in the booth, he makes me laugh. He tells the same stories he's been telling for years, but they're still entertaining, but he also shows he's still in touch with the game, by bringing up relevant details about contemporary players. Say what you will about Kiner's on-air mistakes and missteps throughout the years, and what you can attribute them to, but I'm glad the Mets are keeping him around, and I'll miss the day when he's gone. And that day will not be because the Mets asked him to leave - I'm sure of that.

IN OTHER BROADCASTING NEWS...: From an announcer I love to one I don't love. I had to watch the Cincinnati feed for Sunday's game, which means I was lucky enough to listen to Thom Brennaman. How about this one: In the first inning, Oliver Perez walked Norris Hopper. With two outs, he kept throwing over to first base, trying to pick off Hopper. Brennaman: "That's not a good move. Actually, that's a downright awful move." (about Perez's pickoff move). Two throws later, Perez picks off Hopper. Great call, Brennaman!

GO PIRATES: I was watching a little of the Pirates-Braves game on Sunday. They have some sort of special coming up on their success from 1990-1992. It's been far too long since the Pirates have been competitive. I want them to do well...it's a real shame. They have a beautiful ballpark and a great history - and right now they mean zero to Major League Baseball. What a disaster. I don't know why - maybe it's because I read that Roberto Clemente book last year, or because of all the Ralph Kiner attention lately, or maybe because yellow is my favorite color...but I want the Pirates to be a winning ballclub again. (In the American League it's the Royals...and part of it is because I like their ballpark too - I've always loved their fountains.)

OLIVER PEREZ: STOPPER

Mets 2, Yankees 0 (NYM: 37-28, NYY: 33-32)

That's more like it. In the first game I feel like I've been able to watch in more than a week, the Mets again looked like the team they were a little more than a week ago.

Oliver Perez put an end to the Mets' 5-game losing streak with 7-and-a-third innings of shutout ball, giving up 5 hits and just three walks, with 6 strikeouts. He got the win to improve to 7-5 - and he has a 2.93 ERA. The Mets didn't just beat anyone either...they stopped the hottest team in baseball, ending the Yankees' 9-game winning streak. And they beat Roger Clemens, which is always a nice added touch.

The Mets didn't solve all their problems in one night - Carlos Delgado struck out 4 times, and the 4-through-8 hitters combined to go 0-f0r-19. Carlos Gomez in the 9 spot was 2-for-3. The Mets did, though, play some outstanding defense all night long. The outfielders (Carlos Beltran and Gomez, specifically - I'm itemizing only because Shawn Green was his usual not-covering-a-lot-of-ground-self) turned a lot of fly balls into outs, and made some tough outs look easy at Yankee Stadium.

Jose Reyes was the main producer for the Mets (see below). Willie Randolph is trying to shake the Mets up a bit - with the offense struggling, he's changed the lineup a lot the past week. David Wright hit third Friday night (something he has been doing here and there), Carlos Beltran was hitting second, and Paul LoDuca was hitting fifth. The players have been changing in and out, starting in Detroit last weekend, and playing in the American League ballparks, with the DH. It continued through Los Angeles, and Shawn Green came back to the lineup, and it is still happening. I've said it a couple of years ago, and I'm saying it now - I like Carlos Beltran hitting in the two spot. And now that David Wright is hitting again, put him anywhere - I don't care. Wright has another long hitting streak going - he's hit in 16 straight after a 1-for-3 on Friday. FYI - his batting average is up to .287.

MTA johnnymets.blogspot.com Player of the Game: Jose Reyes gave the Mets a big kick in the pants Friday night with the way he played - 3-for-3, a homer, and both runs batted in for the Mets. He also stole 3 bases for 35 now on the year.





NBA FINALS: No one asked, but I'm sure you were wondering how I felt about the Spurs beating the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. It was about all I could have asked for in a league I care very little about - a new championship matchup, and it only took 4 games to decide. I'm glad it's out of the way.

SUITS AND TIES: I'm pleased that the NFL has lifted a tiny piece of its controlling tendencies to allow Mike Nolan to wear suits when he coaches 49ers home games. I think it's nice, and something more people should do. Here's the baseball tie-in (pun intended) - some say it's ridiculous that baseball managers wear uniforms...I'm indifferent. But if they started wearing suits, I think that would look equally ridiculous in the dugout.

Anyway, the point I wanted to bring up is that I came across a picture of Nolan, and he's wearing a tie clip towards the bottom of his tie. I have a tie clip, and for the past three years, since I wear a tie to school, I've been wearing the tie clip around the middle of my tie. I feel like I've been making a fashion faux pas for three years now. Below you see the comparison - who's wearing it correctly? Or is there no right or wrong way? (Maybe Nolan's only wearing it low because of all the headsets and stuff an NFL coach must wear...or he's miked for sound.)

THE OLIVER PEREZ 10K

Mets 6, Marlins 3 (NYM: 16-10, FLA: 13-14)

The Mets capped off a tough series against Florida with a win, and Oliver Perez was once again impressive.

Perez struck out 10, improving his record to 3-2, as the Mets beat the Marlins, 6-3. (I didn't see any of this game - it was a day game, and I was at school.) Every Mets starter except Carlos Delgado had a hit - David Wright continues to break out of his slump - he was 2-for-5, this time hitting from the 5 spot (he had been in the two spot the past couple of nights, I forget if I mentioned that). Endy Chavez started in left, and had a hit and 2 RBI, and Shawn Green had two more hits. Ruben Gotay started at second base.

Joe Smith entered the game in the sixth with runners on, got out of a jam, and pitched another scoreless innings (one-and-two-thirds overall), Scott Schoeneweis had a scoreless inning getting the game to Billy Wagner, and Wagner slammed the door for the save.

About the only negative I can see is that two of the runs allowed by Perez were unearned, and David Wright had two errors. Other than that, this was a big win, heading out to Arizona.

I can't give a full verdict on Oliver Perez yet...but he's had one bad start. Other than that, he's been about everything Mets fans have hoped for. And on Wednesday afternoon, he was a stopper - that is huge.

The Mets open up a series in Arizona on Thursday - nine o'clock starts, ugh. You might not hear from me until Friday night - I'm warning you now. Tom Glavine starts on Thursday against Micah Ownings. I hope the Mets bats are as alive in Arizona as they've been there the past couple of years.

JetBlue johnnymets.blogspot.com Player of the Game: Oliver Perez. Not only did he put a stop to the two-game losing streak with a great outing on the mound, but he was 2-for-2 at the plate, scoring two important runs. Perez's line - 5-and-2-thirds innings, 3 runs (one earned), 3 hits, 3 walks, and 10 K's. His ERA on the season is 3.41.

WHAT A STEAL!: No stolen bases on Wednesday for Jose Reyes.

DOUBLES: Shawn Green had his 9th double of the season on Wednesday, Jose Reyes his 10th. The Mets' single-season doubles record WILL fall this season - it's just a matter of which Met finishes with the most this year.

COMMENT ON THE COMMENTS: The Southern Bureau is a very respectable sports journalist. But when it comes to Oliver Perez, the JMDBSDC has a very strong negative and inaccurate bias, the opposite of the blind-fantasy-baseball-induced love of Oliver Perez possessed by Dave in Brighton. I think the Southern Bureau was once burned by Perez and is finding it hard to forgive. Clearly, Southern Bureau, it is time to forgive, and re-sign, and move forward.

As for Davd in Brighton, he mentioned Chan Ho Park's career earnings - that's all thanks to the Texas Rangers.

BEAT THE STREAK: At press time, the Giants hadn't even played, so we have no idea about Ray Durham. Hopefully we'll all wake up and the streak will be at 9 games. Until then, I'll go with A-Rod on Thursday. Also, mlb.com has FINALLY started their 'Survivor' game.

ONE BAD INNING

Nationals 4, Mets 3 (NYM: 13-8, WAS: 8-15)

All in all, Oliver Perez had another good outing on Friday night in Washington. Unfortunately, he had a rough start, and a very bad first inning, and the Nationals made that stand up to beat the Mets, 4-3.

Perez gave up 3 runs in the first, on a 3-run homer by Austin Kearns. He then settled in to go 7 innings, giving up 4 runs after the Nationals tacked on another in the sixth, and striking out 9, while walking none (the best part of his line). Perez threw 120 pitches, 81 of which were strikes. It's just too bad the Mets couldn't get anything going on offense.

The Mets bats were pretty quiet against Matt Chico. Jose Reyes manufactured the Mets' first run, blooping a shot into right field, over the second baseman's head, then legging that into a double. He stole third, and scored on a not-so-deep sacrifice fly by Paul Lo Duca. The Mets are never out of a game because of what Reyes does on the basepaths. In the fourth, the Mets had a chance to do some damage, with the bases loaded and one out, and Jose Valentin grounded one up the middle that could have been a double play, but the pitcher deflected it, slowing it down, and the Mets got a run out of that.

Encouraging news came in David Wright's last at-bat in the 8th inning. Facing another hitless night, and with the Mets needing baserunners to rally, Wright lined one to right field for an opposite-field double, his fourth double of the season. Maybe that will get him going - he went opposite field, it was a solid shot...he also tagged the ball early on, but was robbed by Ryan Zimmerman at third. Wright came around to score, but the Mets didn't have enough to rally in the eighth. They also did nothing in the ninth against Washington closer Chad Cordero, who usually walks a tightrope, but got the Mets 1-2-3.

Saturday night the Mets send Tom Glavine against Jerome Williams - no way they can lose another game in this series to the Nationals.

Southwest Airlines johnnymets.blogspot.com Player of the Game: Austin Kearns delivered the big blow, with his 3-run homer in the first inning. It was his only hit on a 1-for-4 night, but those 3 RBI were huge.


TURNING TWO...HUNDRED: No double plays for the Mets on Friday night, so the count remains 28 double plays (through 21 games).

STEROIDS: Not sure about many of the details with this Mets clubhouse worker who pleaded guilty to running steroids. But only bad things can come out of this. The guy worked for the Mets from 1985-1995. Lots of names are going to come out of this...and I'm not going to like what I hear.

BEAT THE STREAK: No hits yet for Andruw Jones on Friday night. I'll be looking for that first thing in the morning. I'm not sure how Freddy Sanchez has been doing so far this year, but he's 5-for-10 in his career against Saturday's Reds starter Matt Belisle, so I'm going with Sanchez.

GOOD OLIVER

Mets 7, Braves 2 (NYM: 11-5, ATL: 11-6...Mets 1/2 game up)


If Oliver Perez can stay under control this season, I maintain he will be a valuable member of the rotation. Perez bounced back from his 7-walk performance in his last outing to shut down the Braves (again), improving his record to 2-1.

Perez didn't dominate - he gave up 9 hits over 6-and-two-thirds innings, but he only gave up 2 earned runs, and here's the important part - 9 strikeouts, 0 walks. We'll need to watch his control all year long.

Perez also benefitted from a comfortable lead. After being shut down by Tim Hudson on Friday night, the Mets' bats woke up again, pounding out 11 hits (10 against starter Chuck James), and scoring 7 runs. Carlos Beltran was 4-for-5, missing a chance at his first career 5-hit game, and Jose Reyes was 3-for-5. Reyes also stole his 9th base of the year. I just hope we don't ever take Jose Reyes for granted - he is THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED.

David Wright hit 2nd, as Paul Lo Duca is still mending, and was 0-for-4 (guess I still have the magic 'Beat the Streak' touch/jinx, killing people's real-life streaks - the 26-game streak came to an end Friday). Damion Easley started at second base, and homered. Ramon Castro homered again in relief of Lo Duca. Everyone is contributing - and the guys who aren't contributing will very soon. (Neither Carlos Delgado nor David Wright have a home run yet this season. Wright, at least, is hitting, albeit not for power. Delgado is hitting just .209.) (A secondary parenthetical thought - "projected stats" are a little ridiculous. It's funny to see that Alex Rodriguez, based on his stats to this point, is "projected" to hit 122 home runs. But it's silly to see that Delgado is "projected" to hit 0.)


MARRIOTT RESIDENCE INN JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: It could very easily have been an offensive player, but you want Carlos Beltran? Check espn.com. My 'Player of the Game' honor goes to Joe Smith. His line? One-third of an inning, 1 strikeout. Why does that merit an honor? With the Mets up, 7-2, and after Scott Schoeneweis had just walked Chipper Jones to load the bases, Smith was brought in to face Andruw Jones. Smith was described on WFAN as "cool as a cucumber", never changing his expression, and he struck out Jones to end the inning and the threat. Looking at the bigger picture, Smith's ERA is 0.00 in 10 appearances. And Mets relievers have allowed just 4 out of about 30 inherited runners to score. I think Inherited Runners-Scored is just about the most accurate and worthwhile stat to judge relievers by, and the Mets are doing awesome in that category right now.

FRIDAY NIGHT

The Braves beat the Mets on Friday night, 7-3, in a dominant outing by Tim Hudson, who earned johnnymets.blogspot.com Player of the Game honors. Hudson has been great so far this year. Hudson's numbers on Friday night: 8 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K's, 0 ER. His ERA on the year is 0.62, and he is 3-0 on the season.


The Mets and Braves play the rubber game on Sunday - John Smoltz against Tom Glavine. I get the game on TBS, not on DirecTV. I'd rather a few channels before I watch the Braves broadcast, but watching the Braves broadcast is preferable to no game at all.

OTHER DOMINANT PITCHERS: Cole Hamels of the Phillies is very impressive. Last year he was very good, then had a pop in his elbow, if I remember correctly, and was shut down for a while. He's off to a good start in 2007, and on Saturday against the Reds, he pitched a complete game, striking out 15 in the Phillies win. He's a very good young pitcher who I like watching, even though he plays for the Phillies. I just hope he's able to stay healthy...especially in light of the Mariners' Felix Hernandez leaving with an elbow injury on Thursday night.

OVER THE AIRWAVES: So the rescheduled weekend in New York became a Friday overnight in Connecticut to attend a funeral. The TV in the Marriott Residence Inn had YES, but did not have SNY, so we watched the Red Sox-Yankees, while listening to the Mets-Braves. I had to play with the clock radio for a while, though, before I could tune in the Mets. What I stumbled across before finally finding WFAN:
1. Reds-Phillies (Phillies broadcast...I think)
2. Yankees-Red Sox (on one FM station, and a few AM stations)
3. Blue Jays-Orioles (Baltimore broadcast...I think)
4. Indians-Devil Rays (Cleveland broadcast...I think)
5. Finally, Mets-Braves on WFAN.

I never realized so many stations could come through on a little clock radio in a hotel room. I need to experiment with my radios around here and see if any of those can come through all the way to Massachusetts.

BEAT THE STREAK: My David Wright jinx continues until Sunday.

OUT OF CONTROL

Phillies 5, Mets 2 (PHI: 2-6, NYM: 5-3)

Sometimes Oliver Perez is wild. Wednesday night, Oliver Perez was wild. 7 walks. In 2-AND-TWO-THIRDS INNINGS!! He threw 73 pitches, and just 32 were strikes. Wow. He left having only given up 3 runs, and I'm looking at the play-by-play right now, and it's amazing. After getting two outs in the third, Perez went: single, walk, walk, bases-loaded walk, bases-loaded walk, bases-loaded hit by pitch. Then he was lifted, and Aaron Sele got the Mets out of the jam.

The Mets were able to draw to within 3-2, but couldn't get over the hump. Too bad. Perez had such a nice first outing, he needed to build up some consistency. Now his third outing is that much more important.

I didn't see this game, because I was at a school outing where we watched the Red Sox play the Mariners (can't begin a season much better than Felix Hernandez - a one-hitter Wednesday night, with 6 more K's, following up his 12 K opener). I made it home to see the very end of the Mets. The only other notable happening was David Wright singling in the 9th inning (the only baserunner against Tom Gordon) to extend his hitting streak to 20 games.

SOUTHERN BUREAU JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: Aaron Sele. I know it's an odd choice, a Met in a losing effort, but it was a big outing for Sele. He seemed to tire when his pitch count got up near 60, but this was his first necessary work of the season. The Mets lost a lot when they lost Darren Oliver, and Sele showed Wednesday night that the Mets have the type of guy who, when they need to go to the bullpen too early, can keep them in the game and give them a chance to come back and win. Sele's numbers: 4-and-a-third innings pitched, 4 hits, 2 walks, 2 earned runs, 2 K's. It was a good outing.

BEAT THE STREAK: Man, I'm having some trouble getting a streak going. Moises Alou pulled an 0-for-4. Though he struggles against the Red Sox, I'll turn to Ichiro on Thursday (since he's in Boston I can keep a close eye on him, that's the rationale) to get me going.

FOURTH IS A ROUT

Mets 11, Braves 1 (NYM: 4-0, ATL: 3-1)

Just like last year, when these 2007 Mets score first on the road, they're tough to beat. And when Craig Wilson misplayed a foul pop to first by THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED, Jose Reyes, the Braves might as well have gone home. Shortly after (might have been the next pitch), Reyes delivered a gapper to right-center, which can mean just one thing - triple. He scored on a Paul Lo Duca sac fly, and the Mets led 1-0. In the second, they made it 2-0 after Jose Valentin doubled home Moises Alou, who had doubled.

I didn't make it very far into this game...falling asleep around the third inning. But I did see enough to feel comfortable that the Mets were in good shape. Especially after I woke up at various points when the broadcasters voices got excited, and heard that Jose Reyes had a second triple, and David Wright had two doubles (this is the year he breaks Gilkey's doubles record). Wright also now has a 16-game hitting streak dating back to last season.

The Mets' defense continues to impress. They turned 2 more double plays, and have yet to commit an error. Oliver Perez had an impressive season debut, and also turned in a nice defensive play on a sacrifice bunt attempt in the third (before I dozed). With a runner on first, Mark Redman tried to lay down the bunt, and Perez fielded it, whirled, and got the lead runner at second on a very tough play. Everything's breaking the Mets way right now.

Tom Glavine goes against John Smoltz in the season premiere of FOX Saturday Baseball Saturday afternoon. Should be fun to watch.


LA-Z-BOY JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jose Reyes gets an honorable mention for his 4 RBI on a 3-for-6 night, and any other night he'd get this nod. But the Mets scored 11 runs, and we know what they're capable of at bat. It's Oliver Perez who really impressed last night - 7 IP, 1 ER (a homer by Jeff Francoeur) on 5 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts. The control is a huge issue for Perez. All 4 Mets starters are 1-0, which is fantastic...they've deserved the 'Player of the Game' award being handed down the rotation.

NOTES: Two important things to point out - one of the announcers, I want to say Ron Darling, pointed out that Rick Peterson, when he pitched, was a lefty, with the same arm angle as Oliver Perez. That's information I had never heard before. And that can only be good for Perez.

How about this nugget from the SNY broadcast? Friday night's game between the 3-0 Mets and 3-0 Braves was the first time since 1894 that two undefeated National League teams who had played 3 games or more had matched up. 1894!! And that was NOT a typo.

One more thing - wonder how many times Jose Reyes and David Wright have hit multiple triples and doubles, respectively, in a game. That might have been a first, now that I think about it.

OLIVER!

I didn't expect to write tonight, but I'm working on the theory here that another blog entry will take my mind off of going back to school tomorrow.

I have it in my head that Oliver Perez is no worse in the Mets' rotation than Steve Trachsel. I'm thinking that, had he pitched for a better team in 2006, Perez's record would not have been 3-13 (2-10 in 15 starts with Pittsburgh). Of course, Steve Trachsel gave up a lot of runs in 2006 as well, but finished with a 15-8 record. Here's how the two compare overall in the 2006 season:

I had to throw in the post-season, because Steve Trachsel failed the Mets horribly in that department, while Perez stepped up big-time. But I digress.

I'm not going to break down each of Perez's 15 starts with Pittsburgh, but I will highlight five:
1) Opening Day, in a 5-2 loss at Milwaukee, Perez gave up one run (earned) in 5-and-a-third innings. He ended up with a no-decision.
2) and 3) In back-to-back starts in May, at Arizona and at home against Houston, Perez got two no-decisions in two very good performances. At Arizona, Perez gave up 0 runs in 6 innings of work, and vs. Houston he gave up 2 runs (both earned) in 8 innings. Pittsburgh lost both games (4-3 and 5-4), and Perez didn't factor in those decisions, as I mentioned.
4) In June, Perez and the Pirates lost to St. Louis 2-1, after a 7-inning, 2-run performance by Perez.
5) In his next start, Perez went 7-and-two-thirds innings against Minnesota, giving up 4 runs, but only 1 was earned, in an 8-2 loss.

Now, it's generous, given the final score of that Minnesota game, but again, we're talking pitching well enough to win on a good team. If you take these five starts, and reverse the outcome, factoring in pitching on a better team, Perez is suddenly 7-8. It doesn't change his awful ERA (6.63 in those Pirates starts), but it shows that having Oliver Perez in your rotation is not a bad thing.

Also consider the fact that with the Pirates, Perez was the number one guy, and often was matched up against the opponents' number one starter. With the Mets this year, he'll get the chance to start anew, and in the back end of the rotation. If he gets off to a good start, and builds up his confidence....maybe that's what he's needed to recapture the flashes he showed early in his career (spotlight on 2004 with Pittsburgh: 12-10 with a 2.99 ERA in 30 starts).

As for Trachsel, I didn't break down his starts like I did Perez's, but having watched nearly all of his starts last year, I KNOW that there are quite a few that could have gone the other way, leaving him with a lot less than 15 wins if he was with a lesser team. (Hello, Baltimore and American League hitters!)

Bottom line - I'm excited to see how Oliver Perez fares this year. If a couple of the Mets' potential starters do as well as they are capable of (Perez, Glavine, maybe one of the young guys like Pelfrey or Humber, or even John Maine), the rotation may not be the problem people are making it out to be.

THE PITCHING ROTATION...RIGHT WHERE WE LEFT OFF

When we last left the Mets, Pedro Martinez* was hurt, El Duque was out, and John Maine and Oliver Perez were forced to make starts in some of the biggest Mets games in history. Not much has changed.

At least El Duque is healthy now. The Mets rotation is one of the battles to watch this spring. Here's the sure thing - Tom Glavine begins the year as the Mets' number one guy. El Duque will be behind him (the Mets re-signed Hernandez to a 2-year deal, despite his 42 years of age, over the off-season). The Mets actually had El Duque under contract before Glavine - finally re-signing Glavine after originally declining his option. So the top of the rotation is the bottom of the age chart. Then it's likely that Maine and Perez take the 3-4 spots. That leaves quite a battle for the number 5 spot.

The candidates are Philip Humber, Mike Pelfrey (my two favorites, or at least who I'm rooting the hardest for), Jorge Sosa, Aaron Sele, and Chan Ho Park. Among others. (Jason Vargas's name comes up every now and again, and there's also Dave Williams, but he's having an injury right now.)

There are positive and negative ways to look at this pitching situation. The negative is that the Mets' two best pitchers are on the wrong side of 40, and no one is really great. But as far as I can see, that's the only negative.

The positives include:

• The Mets have depth at pitcher, something that served them well last year when they came within a pitch of the World Series. Last year the Mets started 13 different pitchers - that's a rare thing when you consider teams on the other end of the rare spectrum, suffering no injuries, would just start 5. This year, look for something in the middle - there will be injuries, but the Mets have the manpower to get through them.
• There's no Steve Trachsel. I've been down on Trachsel for years - he's had flashes of good pitching, but never showed he could do it on the big stage. When he finally got the big stage last year, he couldn't perform. So now he's in Baltimore. And the Mets have a guy like Oliver Perez in his place, who could pitch just as well (or perhaps as poorly) as Trachsel, maybe even better, and rely less on run support, and turn his career around. (Or recapture some of his early flashes of success.)
• As much as Glavine and Hernandez represent the "old", there's the potential for plenty of "new" for the Mets in the rotation as well. John Maine and Oliver Perez are 26. Philip Humber is 25. Mike Pelfrey is just 23. So there are some kids on the staff who could be the core of the Mets' rotation for years, to go along with the great left side of the infield. As a matter of fact, I think that's the biggest positive - Pelfrey and Humber could be the Mets' future 1-2. Before he hurt his elbow, the Mets considered Humber to be a future star. And Pelfery has shown what he can do at the major league level. It's exciting to watch these guys grow, and give the Mets a nice home-grown core, without the hype that can damage some youngsters.
• My final point is that come late July or August, the Mets will get a brand-spanking new Pedro Martinez*. It'll work like a trading deadline deal, and Pedro* will re-join the staff, and rejuvenate the team. At least that's the way I like to think of it. He will have had plenty of time to rehab, unlike last year, when he came back and was ineffective. It will have been a year and a couple of months since teams saw the real Pedro*. He will give the Mets a big boost heading into the playoffs, and then to look forward to '08, he will be fresher in what might be the final year of his career.

As negative as I was in my last posting, I do feel like the Mets can succeed this year. And the points about the rotation that I've laid out above are a big reason why. Another big part is the offense, which I touched on in that last posting. But for the regular season, at least, the Mets' pitching should be good enough to get by. The Mets will again win many games with their bats this year.

POWER SURGE

Mets 12, Cardinals 5 (Series tied, 2-2)

A single by Reyes. A hit and run by LoDuca. Reyes goes from first to third. A big inning for the Mets. That's the type of production from the top of the lineup that made the Mets successful all season long. And it's been sorely lacking in this NLCS. Until the 6th inning of Game 4.

That's when the Mets went from up 5-3 to 11-3, and it all started with a base hit by Jose Reyes, and Paul LoDuca doing what he does best. Josh Hancock also walked Carlos Beltran, then gave up a Carlos Delgado ground-rule double, followed by a David Wright walk, a Shawn Green RBI single, and a bases-clearing double by Jose Valentin. The result - 6 runs, and an infinite ERA for Hancock. It all started with a Jose Reyes single, moved along the basepaths by Paul LoDuca.

And Oliver Perez was just what the doctor ordered in Game 4. His final line reads 5.2 IP, 5 ER, but those 5 runs are misleading. He came out to pitch the sixth only after the Mets had blown the game open, and he really gave up just 3 runs - those final two were bombs because he was just out there throwing strikes trying to get outs. Thank you Oliver Perez for doing what Steve Trachsel could not - pitching a good game, and keeping the Mets in it.

I look at this game as the Mets proving they are the better team than St. Louis (something they should have proven by now). For starters, the Mets' 4th-best starter was a lot better than the Cardinals' 4-th best starter. Oliver Perez seemed confident from the start. Anthony Reyes was wild, and couldn't put the Mets away in any inning. Even after getting 2 quick outs, he'd go and walk someone and give the Mets a chance to rally. Everyone makes a big deal out of Perez's 3-13 record - let's not forget he played for an awful team. He was 2-10 with the Pirates, 1-3 with the Mets. His high ERA doesn't help my argument any, but I don't think it's fair to single him out as the worst pitcher to start a post-season game (or put him in the same category as an Albie Lopez - pitchers with records of 10 games below .500).

Also, the Mets drilled the Cardinals' bullpen. They had the chance to bury them, and did. The Cardinals had a chance to bury the Mets in Game 3, and though they stopped the Mets' bats cold, they didn't blow them away. So that's reason number 2 the Mets established themselves as the better team.

Speaking of the Cards' bullpen - they had some impressive numbers this post-season, but they never really scared me as a Mets fan. The Mets proved why tonight - and during the regular season. They beat up on Cards' relievers a couple of times.

I was ready to kill (figuratively, in the written sense, not literally) Jose Valentin in the fourth inning, when he missed the tag on a sliding Ronnie Belliard in what should have been a strike-'em-out-throw-'em-out double play. Then he comes right back on the next batter and makes a tough play on a grounder to his right, backhanding it, then throwing a strike to Delgado to end the inning. He got a reprieve. Then his bat finally woke up, and he iced the game with a bases-loaded double in the six-run sixth, and all has been forgiven.

Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado have to be giving the Cardinals and their fans nightmares right now.

Speaking of the Cardinals fans, I'm going to again insult the "greatest baseball fans in America". Someone tell me if I'm wrong, but these have to be the "quietest baseball fans in America". They cheer when something good happens, but they quiet down right away. Am I misinterpreting this, or are other people seeing this? It can't be a very intimidating place to play. The loudest cheer (and I'm not just talking Game 4 when the Cards were getting blown out - I'm including Game 3 in this too) might have come as a mock cheer, when Cardinals pitchers finally got someone out in the sixth inning. Very odd. I guess I had a different impression of Cardinals fans - and they did seem more rabid in 2000. Maybe they are just taking this NLCS for granted, since they're in it every year.

SUPERSTITION: Just so happens I changed the Mets hat I wear during the games, since it wasn't lucky during Games 2 and 3. Looks like I have a new hat to wear the rest of the post-season.

COMMENTS: Don't forget to check the comments (or leave your own comments or e-mails, by the way - johnnymetsmail@yahoo.com). The Southern Bureau feels very strongly about the Detroit Tigers killing the Mets if they make the World Series. I'm pretty confident the other way - especially after a layoff. We might have to do something to make it interesting, if the Mets make the World Series (because he'll be right if the Cardinals make it - 4 and out). I haven't talked to him about this yet - but maybe winner gets a posting on the other's blog. Southern Bureau, let's talk.

DRAMA: I was thinking the other day, as I was going through some 1986 Mets-related materials, how there hasn't been any drama this post-season, whereas that one was filled with wins in final at-bats, etc. And I've decided I'll take 12-5 wins any day over drama-filled wins. As long as the Mets win.

I'm feeling pretty good about the Mets the rest of the way. Tom Glavine goes in Game 5 Monday night. (Rain is forecast, according to Joe Buck. Uh-oh.) Jeff Weaver goes for the Cardinals - I have a hard time believing he'll string together another great outing.
P.S. My dad has tickets to (now-necessary) Game 6 of the NLCS on Wednesday. There's no way I could go...but that could be the game that sends the Mets to the World Series. That would be neat. Back to work for me on Monday - I'm going to miss my little girl...and it's back to early mornings after late night baseball games.