THAT WAS A DISAPPOINTING 23 HOURS

I'll admit it - I'm not exactly living and dying with the Mets this year. If I were, I'd be dead ten times over right now. But I'm still following them closely...and last night was a disaster.

I'm also following the Brewers pretty closely this week - they're my flavor of the week for the New Baseball Pool (patent pending). So last night was only half-bad. The Brewers pulled out a come-from-behind win after the Mets blew their game. It was today where Milwaukee killed me.

Let me give you a run-through of the past 23 hours:

7pm - I settle in to watch my fantasy pitchers do their thing. Scott Kazmir going against the Red Sox - that's an automatic, if recent history is any indication. I'm not worried. An hour until Pedro Martinez* starts against the Cardinals - I'm worried.

8pm - In the first inning, Pedro* gives up 4 runs. Ouch. Tack that onto the 5 Kazmir has already given up. A note on Pedro* - if he wasn't Pedro Martinez*, he'd be pitching out of the bullpen right now - and he'd be very effective in three or four inning bursts. That said, Wednesday night's start was pretty good, relatively speaking (compared to his previous starts). Maybe that's a sign of encouragement.

OK, by 10pm, both my pitchers are long gone, I'm up in bed, and I fall asleep with 2 outs in the ninth of the Red Sox game. I wake up groggy and shut the TV.

7:15am - I have to be out of the house early, but as I'm gathering my scores, I see the Mets lost a tight one. Hm. And the ESPNEWS crawl tells me that Troy Glaus hit a walk-off homer. How did that happen? I wonder. At least the Mets showed some fight, coming back from a couple of deficits, I think. Typical 2008 Mets, though, losing the game in which they might have shown the most heart all year.

11:55am - I finally have a minute to check out the paper and box score and see how the Mets lost. They blew a 2-run lead in the 8th, and then lost it in the ninth. Not good. At least the Brewers beat Arizona.

From noon to 6pm I'm out of the house. I knew there was some afternoon baseball, but I didn't think it was anyone I really cared about. (Truth be told, after picking The Wife up from work, we went to dinner. At 4:15pm. We're like 80-year-olds.)

So anyway, we come back home, and I turn on the TV, and find out the Brewers were playing - it's the bottom of the ninth, and they're up 5-0. Sweet. Hm. Bases are loaded and there's nobody out. Ah. That's OK if they give up a couple of runs. All that counts is the 'W'.

Five minutes later it's 6-5 Arizona. Game over.

Now that is a disappointing 23 hours. I challenge anyone to top it. Except Alex Rodriguez.

WHAT A DAY!

I love Opening Day...even if it falls on the in-between day for the Mets, when they don't have a game. I love watching all of the different games....even if I am at school for most of them, and don't get to watch the afternoon games. I love looking at the scoreboard pages of the website, and seeing full boxscores of games that count.

One day does not a season make, but these were things that stood out to me on Opening Day:

-The Royals beat the Red Sox - pretty convincingly. A lot of people in the national media are pretty down on the Sox. And I've mentioned I think the Royals will surprise some people...maybe they're even better than I thought?

-Brad Lidge - slowly but surely, he's becoming less effective. He just blew a save for the Astros against the Pirates by giving up a homer to Xavier Nady with 2 out in the ninth.

-Dominant Pitching Performances - The headliner here is Felix Hernandez of Seattle - 8 innings of 3-hit, 12-strikeout ball. Ben Sheets went 9 innings for the Brewers, giving up just 2 hits and one run. And Gil Meche of the aforementioned Royals went 6-and-a-third, giving up just one run on six hits, and striking out 6.

-The Yankees Lineup - Sure, you can say they were just playing the Devil Rays, but they can hit. They took a lead, then fell behind, and then outscored Tampa the rest of the way. Scott Kazmir, incidentally, was touched up for 5 runs in 5 innings.

I'm just sitting here trying to think of other notables, and I'm realizing that I don't think anyone in baseball is opening a new stadium this year. That's worth noting these days.

RUBBING IT IN?: Tuesday night before the Mets-Cardinals game, the Cardinals will hand out their championship rings. This, in front of the Mets, who had to sit through the banner-raising ceremony Sunday night. The Cardinals say it's not to rub it in - they just didn't want to overload Sunday night with ceremonies. I don't care, to be honest. I'd rather the Cardinals tick the Mets off, show them what they could have had...give them more fire in their bellies for this year. Orlando Hernandez pitches for the Mets against Kip Wells on Tuesday.

ESPN PICKS: Forgot to mention this on Sunday night, but I caught the end of 'Baseball Tonight' before the Mets-Cardinals game, and the crew made their picks. Peter Gammons picked the Mets over the Red Sox in 7 games in the World Series (with Pedro* going against the Sox), Tim Kurkjian took the Yankees over the Mets, and Karl Ravech took the Red Sox over the Mets. Just FYI.

A THOUGHT ON THE NUMBER 2 SPOT: So Paul Lo Duca showed that he's fine hitting second. I had mentioned that I'd love to see David Wright hitting there, to get some more at-bats in games. The difference between Lo Duca and Wright, though, is that Wright strikes out a lot. Lo Duca does not, so he's probably better suited for the 2 spot for now because he puts the ball in play, giving him a chance to move Jose Reyes around the bases, if not drive him in.

MEDIA GUIDE: I think I mentioned that my dad got a mini ticket plan, where he gets the home Tuesday and Friday games. Along with the purchase of those tickets, the Mets sent him a media guide...which was forwarded to me today. Fantastic. I'll never want for stats again (until 2008, I guess). I'll put it to good use.

BEAT THE STREAK: Chase Utley gave me a 2-gamer on this early season. I will go with Mike Piazza of the Oakland A's against Jarrod Washburn on Tuesday.

ODDS AND ENDS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPLIT DECISION

Marlins 3, Mets 2
Mets 17, Marlins 3 (NYM: 52-36, FLA: 38-47)

As much as the first game of Saturday's doubleheader was a disappointment, the second game was fun. The Mets only mustered three hits in Game 1, scoring twice on bases-loaded walks, while the Marlins hit 3 solo homers off John Maine to take a 3-2 win. The most excitement for the Mets in this one came in the eighth inning, when Cliff Floyd was hit with a pitch (AGAIN)...then in the top of the ninth, Duaner Sanchez drilled MIguel Cabrera, and Cabrera fussed a bit, as did Miguel Olivo, and the benches sort of emptied.

(As an aside, Floyd was hit two games in a row against the Pirates, and then the pitcher who hit him on Thursday kept trying to pick him off first, forcing him to dive into first base. Floyd was really ticked. So after the game, Floyd talked about how the Mets play the Pirates once more, September 15-17, and he wanted retaliation. He said, "Hopefully, Pedro* is pitching in that series." Prediction: The Mets will be involved in a brawl this season. I just hope when it happens, no one gets hurt. The Mets now have simmering fueds with the Nationals from early in the season, the Marlins from today, and the Pirates from this past series.)

Anyway, the Mets made up for that lack of offense in Game 2, blowing up for 17 runs on 16 hits to back a shaky Mike Pelfrey in his Major League debut.

Pelfrey didn't pitch great - 5 innings, 5 hits, 4 walks, 3 runs, 2 earned, 3 strikeouts, on 104 pitches - but it was neat that the Mets left him in for the 5 innings to get the win, with the big lead, and that he had tons of run support. I heard most of this game - saw a bit on TV, but I heard he threw in the mid-90's. It's exciting to have a young guy like this coming up. Hopefully he'll have a solid career, and be able to help out down the stretch here this year. Also looking to contribute is a guy named Henry Owens, who has flown under the radar, with all the attention focused on Pelfrey. He throws hard too, and was promoted from Binghamton when Pedro* went on the DL. He's pitched the past couple of nights, and has been effective. I get the feeling that his promotion was a little more to keep Pelfrey company than because he was ready for the majors, but he looks ready to contribute now too. The fashionable thing to say on New York radio right now is that maybe the Mets don't need to go trading for an arm at the deadline, because of the youngsters coming up right now.

The Mets got off to the early lead thanks to two early bases loaded situations. In the first, Jose Valentin hit a grand slam, and in the second, he tripled to clear the bases. Other things of note - don't look now, but in between getting hit by pitches, Cliff Floyd is swinging a very hot bat. He's starting to look like he did early last season. He was 3-for-4 in Game 2 (with 5 RBI), raising his average to .248. Carlos Beltran* hit his 25th homer in Game 2 as well.

The Marlins are a decent team, so it's not the worst thing in the world that the Mets lost 2 in a row to them....but it's not the best thing either. Hopefully the Mets hit the All-Star break on a winning note with a win Sunday, and get another win for Tom Glavine to boot.

THANKS: The computer is still down, so I don't know when I'll be able to post again (this is a rare Saturday night posting from the parent's house in Queens). But many, many thanks to good friends Dave in Brighton and Kevin in the JMDBSDC Southern Bureau. Your updates have been invaluable in my absence. I hope they've been as appreciated by the few other readers of the site (in case you haven't seen them - they're in the 'comments' section). Also, The Wife is going to try to do occasional updates on the site during work until the computer's back.

INTERESTING NOTE: My dad heard an interesting comment regarding the Scott Kazmir trade while watching the Yankees game on Friday night. Al Leiter was commenting, and said that in spring training one year, he and John Franco were on the treadmills, and Kazmir walked into the room, and took it upon himself to change the radio station. Leiter says he and Franco took Kazmir aside to set him straight - in the backwards world of major league sports, rookies can't do stuff like that. Well, the rumor became that Leiter and Franco got Kazmir traded. That's pretty ridiculous. I had heard that Leiter and Franco were responsible for Bobby Valentine getting fired, but I hadn't heard this about Kazmir. Stupid.

MOVIN' ON UP: It's common knowledge by now, but David Wright and Jose Reyes are on their way to the All Star Game for the first time after Sunday's game. Wright will definitely play, as well as participate in the Home Run Derby Monday night, and Reyes says he will still make the trip, despite the seven stitches in his hand. He says, smiling, "You have to go, right?" I guess he doesn't talk to Pedro Martinez* much. Anyway, they'll be joined in the game by Carlos Beltran* and Paul LoDuca, as well as Tom Glavine. Pedro* might be legitimately hurt, but his comment after being put on the DL was, "It's disappointing (regarding missing the All Star Game) because I really did want to go this year." Come on, Pedro*. You're not fooling anyone.

Oh, the Movin' On Up title refers to Wright. Not only is he now an All Star, but The Wife informed me he'll be on Letterman Wednesday night. So he's getting that national attention that's been bound to happen for a while.

BEAT THE STREAK: Beat the Streak has been a disaster for me lately, what with no computer and all. I need to get a 56-gamer going now, though. After I write this, I'll pick about a week's worth of players, and hopefully when I get computer access back, I'll have a 10-game streak going, and I'll be on my way to a cash prize, and World Series tickets, or whatever prize they offer.

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE: I was working on this big article rating the broadcasters across the Major Leagues, which I was going to release over the All Star break, but with the computer going down, I haven't finished the article, nor do I know if I'll be able to print it. Hopefully I'll get it on an off day or even before the end of the break - the Mets have the extra off-day after the All Star break this year (which I hate, but I guess I'll live). Also, it looks like I'm losing a lot of stuff because of our broken hard drive, so I think I'm going to have to re-download some graphics for the site. I tell ya - this is a disaster. Keep checking back, hopefully we'll be back and running for the Mets-Cubs series....and an All-Star Game recap.

WATCHING SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL

There will be a full report Monday night, but tonight I'm watching the Mets and Yankees on ESPN, and the game will end too late for a post-game write-up. So I'll save it for tomorrow. But there's plenty from the weekend I need to address. Starting with Saturday afternoon. (Cliff Floyd just hit a triple off the wall in right field - I'm telling you - if he starts getting hot, all the Mets' offensive woes are over. I think they're over anyway.)

I'm going to start with this. I didn't see Friday night's game, where the Mets won in their last at-bat, but the bullpen pitched awesomely. And I heard on the radio (I was listening to the bottom of the ninth in the car) that the closer for the Mets pitched very well. So I'll start by saying I don't blame Willie Randolph for going to the closer to slam the door on the Yankees on Saturday, with a 4-0 lead, after he dominated them the night before. I blame no one for Saturday other than the closer.

I will say this next: we had big phone problems this weekend at the ol' House sponsored by DirecTV. So I had no internet until late Saturday. And it's a good thing I didn't have a chance to write after the game on Saturday, because otherwise I would have cursed....a LOT....and I pride myself on keeping the language clean here.

And I think I'll end with this. I think the closer is hurt. He's not pitching like Billy Wagner of any other year. He looks awful most of the time coming into games. Right now, he's no better than Braden Looper or Armando Benitez. There's no confidence when he's coming into a game. I'd just as soon not see him. He's just another Mets closer right now, and that's a stigma you don't want. the closer needs to start pitching like Billy Wagner, or take some time on the DL, and make sure the finger that was hurting during spring training is healthy. Because I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that he's hurt - and that problem is still lingering. Otherwise...that's an expensive set-up man.

Also....the beat goes on for Pedro Martinez*. He should be 9-0 right now. I guess we'll have to settle for a 25-0 season.

The good news is the Mets are still controlling the division, with the Phillies coming to town on Tuesday.

PITCHING NEWS: Lots to update on the pitching front. I'll start with the Mets - interesting note by Peter Gammons in the lead-up to the Mets game Sunday night - he says it will most likely be Alay Soler pitching for the Mets Wednesday night at Shea against Philly. A bit surprising - since I haven't heard about this until now, and for Soler to make his debut in such a big game is a bit strange. Hope he can handle it. Also, I wanted to update two pitchers who started in the majors Sunday who have garnered lots of interest on this site lately:

• SCOTT KAZMIR: Pitched Sunday against the struggling Florida Marlins, and was pretty brilliant. Kazmir went 8 innings, giving up just 4 hits and a walk. He struck out 11! He is now 7-2, and has a 2.39 ERA. I think I want Kazmir to succeed. I feel like he needs to for the Mets (and other big market teams) to think twice...maybe three or four times...before they make a move just to stay in contention (especially when they're only on the cusp of contention, as the Mets were at the time of this deal.)

• BOOF BONSER: This story just gets better and better. I read a graphic on ESPN during Baseball Tonight, before the Mets-Yankees game, that said Bonser legally changed his name from John to Boof in 2001 (it was a childhood nickname). That's just awesome. The whole Boof Bonser experience was nearly ruined by Chris Berman, hosting said Baseball Tonight (he abused the name)...but I realized Berman's love of "Boof" probably only began sometime Sunday afternoon. Johnnymets.blogspot.com was on this one since spring training. So take that, Berman. Anyway, Bonser pitched well - he had a no decision for the Twins against the Brewers. He went 6 innings, giving up 5 hits, 3 walks, and one earned run. He struck out 8! (That's pretty much what he was doing in the minors - a good sign if it's translating at the Major League level...but it was one start...let's not get ahead of ourselves.) Credit Bonser also with controlling what could be a tough Milwaukee offense.

THE KID'S KIDS: The Mets lost to Fort Myers on Sunday, 7-4...but are still in good shape. They're 25-17, and still have a 3-game lead in their division.

LAST-PLACE LASTINGS: Norfolk actually won Sunday, but they're still in last place. Milledge was 0-for-5 with a strikeout, dropping his average to .277. I'll update his full stats only occasionally, especially after I get a look at him in person next Monday in Pawtucket.

FANTASY UPDATE: The What If Mets have survived me not being able to adjust lineups. They've actually won 3 in a row, and are picking up games - they're the hottest team in the East. They're 3 out of first...and more symmetry this week - when the real Mets play Philly on Tuesday, the What If Mets will be wrapping up a 3-game series with their own Phillies.

BEAT THE STREAK: I have no streak going. I have Jose Reyes Sunday night, and Vladimir Guerrero Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, since the Angels are playing Texas, and Texas has never gotten Guerrero out.

OFF TO A GOOD START

The Mets started off this important stretch on the right foot on Tuesday night in Saint Louis. THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED, Jose Reyes, contributed, blasting a 2-run homer off Jeff Suppan in the 3rd inning. Then, a great sign, when Xavier Nady singled home a run, making it 3-0, and making him 2-for-his-last-2 with 2 outs and runners in scoring position (he had been 0-for-17 on the season in such situations going into Sunday's game).

The Cardinals tied it off of Tom Glavine after 6, and Glavine was going to leave the game with a no-decision, when the Mets rallied with two outs in the 7th, and Paul LoDuca singled home Reyes, who had walked and then stolen second base. So the Mets put Glavine in a position to move within 19 wins of 300...and more importantly, win an important game for the team, when this happened:



So hopefully the bullpen doesn't blow the win on the team, or for Glavine. Bad enough for me this was an 8pm start - a rain delay makes it impossible for me to do a post-game blog. Good night.


ZAMBRANO/KAZMIR: Scott Kazmir won again for Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, beating the Chicago White Sox, 10-7. The final score doesn't show how well Kazmir pitched - the Devil Rays gave up 6 runs in the 8th. Kazmir gave up just 1 run in 7 innings, striking out 8. Kazmir is 6-2, and his ERA is 2.73. I've kind of held my tongue for a while now on this whole Kazmir thing. I've been waiting to see a little bit of panning out...but Kazmir looks really good (and now it's not just when he pitches against Boston). And the Daily News reported Tuesday (and there's a VERY good chance this is a bit overblown) that Zambrano's surgery was more intense than they expected, and his career could be over. At the very least, it would be a risk for the Mets to even take him back next year. It's frustrating, because my thought was maybe Zambrano could contribute something, even if it was out of the bullpen, to the Mets' success. But the way it stands now (and this doesn't look like it's going to change) is that they got absolutely nothing for a legit pitcher. Who knows if Kazmir would be as effective in the Mets rotation (or if he'd be in the Mets' rotation right now...or if he'd be pitching this well, not having had the time to adjust to the Majors, like he did in Tampa), but he couldn't be worse than Zambrano, and at the very least, the Mets could have dealt him somewhere else and got someone worth a prospect like Kazmir. What an awful trade.

THE KID'S KIDS: A rainout for St. Lucie on Tuesday night. So the 14-5 loss to Dunedin will sting for another night. It should be noted, though, that Dunedin does lead the other division.

FANTASY UPDATE: The What If Mets are 20-19...and they're not picking up wins against the Twins and White Sox like I thought they would - splitting with both teams. But the last game was a 2-0 complete game shutout for David Cone. 3 games are next against the Cubs, who have been awful. I need to win all three. Jerry Koosman is the question mark - he'll start game one against Chicago - he's 0-5 right now. Then I have Seaver and Gooden - I should easily win those.

BEAT THE STREAK: Craig Biggio was facing a pitcher who had never beaten the Astros on Tuesday night. But Jamey Wright beat the Astros, and Biggio didn't get a hit, so back to no games for my streak. I'm going with Nomar Garciaparra on Wednesday.

KAZ-UALTIES OF WALKS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOW FIVE

Braves 6, Mets 3 (ATL 4-1; NYM 0-5; 4 GB)

Two things I can't believe I'm saying after the first week of the season:
1) The Mets are 0-5, off to their worst start since 1964.
2) Cliff Floyd has been playing some outstanding baseball this past week.

The record speaks for itself. I'll speak for Floyd. He says he's feeling better than he has in five years. He looks it. Friday night he made an outstanding running catch in the left-center field gap that saved the game from being broken open. Last night he made two throws to the plate (granted, they were three-hoppers) that nailed Chipper Jones (in the first inning), and Adam LaRoche (in the sixth inning), again, keeping the Mets in the game. He's also swinging the bat really well. Too bad, though, he couldn't climb the wall and rob Brian Jordan of a grand slam....more on that in a minute.

I really thought things were starting to break the Mets' way after Floyd threw out Jones. Chipper could have been safe (I think he slid around the tag)...but the Mets got the call. That momentum was lost in the top of the second - after future Hall of Famer David Wright reached on an error, and Doug Mientkiewicz singled him to third, the Mets went down 1-2-3. Then in the bottom of the second, Brian Jordan hit a grand slam off Aaron Heilman. Just like that, it was 4-0, Braves.

THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED, Jose Reyes, homered in the fifth, and the Mets actually got the go-ahead run to the plate, but Kevin Gryboski, relieving starter Horacio Ramirez, got Wright to pop out to end the inning with Atlanta up, 4-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, after Heilman looked like he settled in, retiring nine in a row, he gave up a solo homer to Chipper Jones, and the game was just about over.

I'm seeing some signs that some players are getting disheartened. Carlos Beltran hit a liner in the seventh, with a runner on, that was knocked down by the second baseman. He didn't even run it out, and there was a play at first that wasn't even close because Beltran gave up on it so early. No excuse for that...actually, 119 million reasons why there should be no excuse.

I'm getting a little disheartened too - especially since Braden Looper gave up a run in his one inning of work - he needs to get some confidence soon, or else he's going to be ineffective all year.

Another interesting piece - it seems that Willie Randolph is hitting David Wright sixth against lefties, Doug Mientkiewicz sixth against righties. I didn't realize that when the season started.

Here's another positive comment about something non-Mets. Though I don't necessarily like the broadcasters (particularly the addition of Ron Gant), TBS has some added features I like this year. The first thing I noticed was a lead measuring graphic when a runner is on first base. Using the third base camera angle where you usually see the pitcher, runner, and first baseman, TBS now has a graphic marking 9 feet off the bag, and shows whether the lead is a big one or a small one. TBS also has a cable cam, a la FOX and ESPN in football, which shows some different-looking overhead shots. The baseball version of cable cam is limited because of the fair territory, but this has some potential. The shots I saw last night weren't "great", as the broadcaster called them, but they were unique. I wouldn't be surprised if other stations started using these two features in their productions in the near future.

Also, kudos to the producer/director at TBS for this: In the second inning, Brian Jordan steps to the plate with the bases loaded, and the broadcaster says, "The last time Jordan faced the Mets as a member of the Braves, September 29, 2001, here's what happened....Grand Slam off John Franco." Then, the next pitch, was Jordan's grand slam. That's the type of stuff I'm looking for in a baseball game...which is why I was diappointed no one at ESPN last Monday commented on Kaz Matsui starting off two seasons in a row with a home run (a feat I learned was matched by Darryl Strawberry in 1987 and 1988, I think).

I've been meaning to touch base on a couple of former Mets. Franco has pitched in two games for the Astros, pitching two-thirds of an inning, giving up 0 runs. Armando Benitez is now closing games for the Giants - he has two saves. And Scott Kazmir is the number two starter for Tampa Bay - he pitched five innings in his first start, giving up 1 run, 3 hits, and striking out 2.

Pedro Martinez looks to get the Mets into the win column today against John Smoltz.

Scott Kazmir knows I'm watching. He knows this is the first time I've been able to watch him since the Mets traded him to the Devil Rays for Victor Zambrano. He's been saving his best effort for tonight, because he knew I'd be watching very carefully, ready to write about what a crappy trade this was if he pitched well.

It was a crappy trade. What a crappy trade. Scott Kazmir is shutting out the Red Sox through six innings right now...pitching the best game of his short, short career. He's got 9 strikeouts, no runs, and he's given up just three hits. I really thought the Red Sox would knock him around - a lot. It remains to be seen at this writing if Tampa Bay holds on to win the game, and get Kazmir his second major league win...but Kazmir was very impressive on Tuesday night.

Other impressive nights - Kris Benson (so far) and David Wright. As I write this, Wright is 3-for-3, with his 12th homer of the year, and Benson has shut out the Braves through five innings. Back-to-back good starts for Benson - he knows free agency is right around the corner.

One e-mail to get to, which I'll print now since I don't know when I will get to a computer again (if you've been checking out johnnyjets.blogspot.com, which I know you have, you know my computer was stolen):

"Dear johnnymetsmail,
That cheesesteak story was disgusting. I just feel sorry for your wife having to sit next to you for that whole game. I loved the pictures from Philly, but I wish there were some of your beautiful wife.
The website is a great resource for Mets fans and extremely well done and up to date. However, seeing as how you live in the Boston area, I think that you should address the needs of Red Sox Nation also. Some Red Sox related features would be much appreciated.
What is you take on the Sox this year? Do they have what it takes to finally win it all. What did you think of the Nomar trade? Did it make the Red Sox better or worse? Wouldn't they have been better off to get some pitching in return? Additionally who do you see the Sox resigning in the offseason and who will leave? Who do you see those players signing with? Furthermore, what offseason moves could the Sox make to become a better team? Is Roger Clemens coming back next year?

Sox Fan From Shrewsbury"

Thanks, Sox Fan. First of all, get over the cheesesteak. Everyone needs to get over the cheesesteak. Sometimes, you just make a bad food choice when you visit a new city...and you have to deal with the consequences. But it's time to move on. As for the Red Sox questions, I think you have johnnymets.blogspot.com confused with "somecrappyredsoxwebsite.blogspot.com". This is a quality Mets site, and you should really respect that. However, considering that 100% of my readers are Red Sox fans, I will indulge you:

I think the Red Sox are quite good this year, however, I think they will fold at some point, whether it's over the final weeks of the regular season or in the post-season. I have no evidence to support this theory, because the Sox are a very good team, but they didn't do it last year, so they never will do it. That's how I feel. That team is cursed bad. The Nomar trade was great, because Nomar is a @#!$&!? #(!@##?>!. They're a better team without that jerk. Pitching in return would have been good, but the defense is improved, which sort of helps out the pitching anyway. Is it coincidence that since the trade Derek Lowe has been pitching a lot better (probably, since I think Mientkiewicz has been hurt, and Cabrera can't be making that much of a difference when Lowe's on the mound). As for the off-season, I don't know who the Sox will sign - I forgot to ask Theo the last time we spoke. But I'm 99% sure Carl Pavano is signing with the Yankees. I do think Varitek and Lowe are gone. I think Varitek will sign with Milwaukee, and Lowe will sign with the Tigers (random guesses - I have no friggin' clue). For the Sox to become a better team, there's really nothing they can do. They had a great team this year and last year, but they are just fated to never ever win. It's sad, really. And Roger Clemens is a jerk. I don't care whether or not he comes back next year. I hope someone throws a shattered bat at him.

Thanks for reading, Sox Fan in Shrewsbury, and everyone else. We'll see when I can access a computer again, but I'll try to do something again before the end of the week. I'm posting early, but the Devil Rays are on their way to a win, and the Mets are up 7-0. David Wright is now 3-for-4.

There have been big-time technical issues with blogger here, so yesterday's posting, even though I finished it nice and early - before the Mets even lost - wasn't published. It follows this posting, which will be short and sweet - and I only re-print it because it includes the mailbag, which I can't ignore.

Just FYI, as I write this, the Mets trail the Marlins 3-0, and they're not coming back to win, so they're going to lose their 11th in a row. Things have gone so horribly wrong. Mike Piazza swung the bat well that one game back from his injury, and has looked horrible since. I'm worried. No one else hits. David Wright is awesome, but even he's in a funk right now. It's really horrible. I leave you to yesterday's posting:

_____________________________________________

I'm posting early, before the Mets game ends, which I rarely do, but I'm very sick. I'm supposed to prepare to get very sick this year, since I will be exposed to tons of germs in a school setting, which I am not used to. So it's very upsetting that I have a fever and cold before school even starts. Oh well.

I don't mind posting early, especially since this game will follow the usual form. Right now it's 5-3 Marlins in the bottom of the seventh. The Mets might actually get back to 5-4, before Armando Benitez comes in to close it out. Or the Marlins will tack on ten more runs before the game is over. Either way, the Mets ain't coming back. Here's what you need to know. When Wilson Delgado singled a few minutes ago with men on first and second, it was the Mets' first hit with men on base since LAST THURSDAY. Not with men in scoring position - just with men on. Very frustrating.

Anyway, it's also mail day - just one e-mail (thanks for writing):

"Dear JohnnyMets...
I have 2 questions. Actually, one comment and one question.
First, the comment... Please don't ever talk about going to thebathroom at a Major League ballpark ever again. This also goes for NFLstadiums.
And "number two..." I'm interested to hear your take on the Zambranoand Benson deals now that they've had a chance to sink in. I read in Peter Gammons's column this week that Rick Peterson thinks he can make Zambrano a "big winner" next season by tweaking his delivery. I think that if Peterson turns Zambrano into a solid 2-3 type pitcher, then dealing Kazmir may have been worth it. Your thoughts?In the same column, Gammons says Benson will likely test the free agent market before he signs with the Mets. Is it troubling that theMets gave up prospect Matt Peterson for a guy whose contribution has been limited at best, and who might not re-sign? Follow up, what sort of money do you think Benson is worth? (He's making $6.1M this year.)

Love the site, Dave in Boston"

Thanks Dave. Mike Cameron just dropped a fly ball as I write - absolutely horrible. So anyway, in reference to your comment, your probably right, but I can't make any promises. I think we all understand I needed to write about that cheesesteak.

OK. On to your question. Over the weekend, while I was in Philadelphia, and therefore not writing on the site, Kazmir pitched again, and was OK, but again took a loss. Something like 4 runs in 4 innings - I could look it up, but, again, I have a fever. So I think Kazmir is 1-2. The thing about that that bothers me, though, is that he's not getting rocked. I think he's going to turn into a good pitcher. That said, the reason the Mets made the deal is because Peterson has said from the beginning that he could turn Zambrano into something special. He also said the same thing about Benson. Unfortunately, both guys are hurt. I'm not liking either trade right now. But I do think I will be soothed if Zambrano can be healthy next year, and give the Mets a few solid years as a number 2-3 guy. Benson kind of makes me mad. If he thinks he's going to command a whole lot on the market, I think he's kind of wrong. He's been horrible since the trade deadline, and I have to think that will make a lot of teams leery about signing him to a big money deal. (I won't get into figures because I am a very poor judge of money - especially baseball player money.) But I think the Mets need to re-sign him, just so it doesn't look like they got nothing out of the deal. (Let's not overlook Jeff Keppinger, though, who is fast, and could become a very good middle infield/utility guy in the majors.) I just hope the Mets aren't bidding against themselves when they sign Benson, overpaying for poor performance.

I keep forgetting to mention this, but I finally remembered. Ted Robinson has been off the air with the Mets for more than a month. First it was the Olympics for 2 weeks, then the U.S. Open coverage for the next two weeks. He'll probably be back next week. I must say that it's cruel irony that when the unwatchable Robinson has been away, and I might actually enjoy watching a Mets game, it has been the Mets games themselves that have been unwatchable. Tonight, I'm watching the Mets on the Marlins feed. I wish I got more of the Mets' opponents' feeds. Of course, the question remains - why am I even still watching the Mets in the first place?

Dodgers 10, Mets 2 (60-69)

If you're still reading, thanks for sticking with me. There's not much left for the Mets this season but to play the role of spoilers. That starts with a series against the Marlins beginning Monday. The Marlins are about five games back of the wild card. The Mets can pretty much knock them out of the race in the next couple of weeks.

It seems unlikely these days that the Mets would beat anyone...but Mike Piazza should be back soon during this series with the Marlins, and Kaz Matsui should be back by the end of the week. So, if nothing else, we'll get a look at whether or not Piazza is washed up in the final weeks of the season, and we'll also get a look at whether or not the Mets have been lying to us and Matsui finishes the season at second base. (I have a feeling they mean it when they say he won't play second this year, because of what happened with Joe McEwing on a take-out slide at the second base bag. But Kaz Matsui will be at second base next year, and Jose Reyes, if he is ever healthy, will be the shortstop.)

It was a busy weekend for the Mets. First, they dealt with the Astros again. The Mets traded Dan Wheeler to Houston for a minor league outfielder named Adam Seuss (insert your Dr. Seuss Who joke here). The Mets probably made the deal to bolster the minor leagues, but I like Wheeler. The most frustrating part about Wheeler's game was that everytime he came in with men on base, he let them score. But I think he was valuable as a long reliever/spot starter. Hopefully Seuss makes it to the majors, or can be used in another trade at some point. (An ironic addition to this story - when the Astros added Wheeler, they sent David Weathers, who they acquired from the Mets for Richard Hidalgo, to the minors.)

Also this weekend, the Mets signed Cuban pitcher Alay Soler. This is a deal that's been talked about since spring training. Soler is said to be 24 years old, but who the heck knows if that's true. If it is, that's a nice young pitcher the Mets got. On the other hand...we've been mis-led by the Mets international scouting staff before....(some shortstop named Kazuo).

Finally, maybe this will settle down Mets fans for a bit...or at least me. Scott Kazmir pitched again on Sunday, and pitched much more reasonably for a person making his second major league start. Kazmir gave up five earned runs in 3 innings in getting a no-decision against Oakland. His major league ERA is now somewhere around 5.62. But he's still 1-0. And Victor Zambrano is still on the DL.

(Don't forget about johnnyjets.blogspot.com. We're up and running - check it out!!)

Padres 3, Mets 1 (59-65)

Due to my being on assignment for the Jets site, I did not see Tuesday night's Mets game. I didn't miss much.

I wonder if anyone even still reads this space, since NO ONE HAS E-MAILED ME YET FOR THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG!!! That's OK. I'll postpone it one more day if you have something urgent to say. Otherwise, we'll bag it for the week.

After my "on assignment" for the Jets (which will probably get posted for Thursday, so stay tuned for that), I took in a Huey Lewis and the News concert in Westbury, New York. It was awesome! The first time I saw him, and it was great - I'm going to try to go again. Just outstanding. He played all the songs you'd hope he'd play, and they were all great. So that's why I didn't watch the Mets. And also because they are frustrating, and not very good. Scott Kazmir is 1-0. With a 0.00 ERA. Victor Zambrano is hurt. But football season's a-comin', and I have now attended a Huey Lewis and the News concert.

Padres 9, Mets 4 (59-64)

Aaron Heilman: 3-and-2-thirds IP, 4 earned runs, 8 hits, 3 walks, 1 K, gets the loss for the Mets.

Scott Kazmir: 5 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4K, and stands to get the win right now for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays against the Seattle Mariners.

Talk about rubbing salt in a wound. Not only did the Mets look horrible in a game that might have just finished off any chance at a wild card run, but Kazmir makes an impressive major league debut. Kind of gives you a pain in your chest.

The Mets were horrible Monday night. They couldn't touch Jake Peavy. And Heilman is awful. It's bad. Very bad. The only bright spot was from, of course, Future Hall of Famer David Wright, who hit his 6th (of 756 career) home run. Mike Cameron also homered. That was his 27th of the season. He now holds the record for most homers in a season by a Mets centerfielder. Well, bully for him. Why don't you catch a few fly balls? (I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I'm a bit angry right now.)

Cliff Floyd left Monday's game after he got hit in the elbow with a pitch. Well, he didn't leave immediately. He came back out to left field, threw a runner out at the plate, then left the game. He's more fragile than Jose Reyes (no longer the greatest ballplayer who ever lived....unless he proves he can stay healthy. It's a sad day, folks).

So I'm officially writing off the Mets. But I'm not done writing about the Mets. So keep reading. And send some e-mail - Wednesday we'll be looking at some of what you have to say in our weekly mailbag. Make sure you get yours in! We have so many that we might not be able to print them all!! (OK, that's a lie. No one's sent anything. Please, someone e-mail me. Please.)

I'm on assignment for the Jets blog, which will get underway in a big way by the end of this week. So at the very least, the Mets bridged the gap to football season. I'll let you know when to check out the Jets site.

Braves 3, Mets 1 (49-53, 7 GB)

OK, so the Mets lose to the Braves and fall seven games back. They should be out of it. But the Mets just might have pulled themselves back into the thick of things with two trades on Friday.

First of all, a note about Friday's game. Steve Trachsel had one bad inning, and that killed him. The sad thing is, for Trachsel, the bad inning resulted in just 2 Atlanta runs, and that proved insurmountable for the Mets. The big problem right now is that the Mets are playing without THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED, Jose Reyes. They need him to set the table. And they need Mike Piazza to break out of his slump. Now.

OK. The Mets made two great trades on Friday. How, you ask, could these trades have been so great, when the Mets can't score runs, and all they did was pick up two pitchers? Well, I'll tell you. The Mets no longer have a "back end of the rotation". You never knew which Jae Seo was going to pitch...whether or not he was going to be effective. And Scott Erickson had one good start, but as I've said - he wasn't the answer. (And neither was Matt Ginter.) Kris Benson and Victor Zambrano are the answers. The Mets no longer have question marks in the number 4 and 5 spots in the rotation.

Let's break down the deals first. Benson comes from the Pirates, along with second base prospect Jeff Keppinger (I know nothing about him) in exchange for Ty Wigginton, and Matt Peterson. The Mets also ended up sending catching prospect Justin Huber to Kansas City in this deal. To get Zambrano (and Bartolome Fortunato - a minor league pitcher, again, about whom I know nothing), the Mets sent the Devil Rays Scott Kazmir and minor league pitcher Jose Diaz.

I wasn't crazy about the Mets trading Kazmir at all. But that was when I thought he'd be involved in a deal for A pitcher, in a rental-type deal. But this makes a ton of sense. Both Benson and Zambrano are 29 years old. Both are proven to be at least solid pitchers, who can at times be very, very good, and who are going to be in the majors for a while. And best of all, they might now be with the Mets for a while. Benson has said he'd work out a long-term deal with the Mets if he was traded to New York (he's going to be a free agent at the end of the season), and Zambrano is under contract for a few more years. Peterson and Kazmir, for all their potential, are still a year or so away, and who knows where they'll be in a year. They both might turn out great (I have a feeling Kazmir will be better than Peterson), but for all we know, they could be busts. We know that Benson and Zambrano will be able to contribute for a good amount of time - and don't underestimate the wonders Rick Peterson could work with these guys. As for Wigginton, it's going to be weird seeing him in a Pittsburgh uniform, but in reality, the Mets won't miss his offense too much. He was hot and cold, and is not really much better than a .280 hitter. He increased his trade value, and had to go. He will be missed, though.

There still might be more deals on the way Saturday, GM Jim Duquette said in a conference call Friday. The Mets could still be looking for a veteran offensive presence to take Wigginton's roster spot.

So let's look at the rest of the season this way. The Mets roll out Tom Glavine, Al Leiter, Steve Trachsel, Kris Benson, and Victor Zambrano. As long as they can muster about 5 runs a game, they should be able to win about 3 out of every 5 games, if not more. That would put the Mets at 85-77 to finish the year, which would be good enough to win the division. They need to start winning now, though. And it begins Saturday night, with Kris Benson on the mound in Atlanta. Benson pitched his last two games against the Braves. He won the first, giving up 2 runs in 8 innings, and in the second, gave up four runs in 6 IP. I think facing a pitcher three times in a row would tend to favor the hitters...but maybe Benson will be pitching on adrenaline for his new team.

DON'T FORGET: My new feature, e-mail the site at johnnymetsmail@yahoo.com. Yahoo Mail seems to suck for me so far - I sent myself some test e-mails this afternoon that have yet to arrive...but I'll try this out for now. Wednesday will be the regular mail day, where I'll post comments, questions, etc., but if we have some good responses to the trades, I'll try to post them on Saturday night.

OTHER TRADE NOTES: The Marlins got better in their trade with the Dodgers, acquiring catcher Paul LoDuca, and reliever Guillermo Mota, and re-acquiring outfielder Juan Encarnacion. Encarnacion was great for Florida last year, LoDuca is a huge upgrade for the Marlins, and Mota is a very good reliever. (Sparks may fly between the Mets and Marlins now - remember Mota and Piazza have a history...Mota threw at Piazza in spring training, and Piazza shook some sense into him.) The Marlins, though, did give up pitcher Brad Penny - a pretty high price, and Hee Seop Choi, not so high a price. I think they improved overall, though, with this deal.

The Phillies acquired reliever Felix Rodriguez from the Giants for Ricky Ledee and a minor leaguer. A good deal for them, but I'm not worried about them. I think the Phillies are just about done.