Game 21 - Marlins 4, Mets 3

These losses hurt just a touch, but I can't give them that much credence.

OK, besides the fact that the offense still seems to be sputtering about like a balloon losing air, these past two losses to the Fish have fallen on the bullpen. The Mariners' bullpen from last year to be precise.

Yesterday Sean Green was the culprit and today it was J.J. Putz. Santana went seven innings and then Putz gave it up in the eighth.

I didn't get a chance to catch much of this game since I decided to take lunch early to run over to a Domino's and try their new Pasta Bread Bowl dish for free from 11 am to 2 pm.

Here's the review for anyone who considers ordering this OR didn't get my text earlier today to let a couple of people know about a free meal.

Imagine a small Domino's pizza crust rolled up to form a bowl. Then fill it with the same Italian sausages, tomato sauce and cheese they use on their pizza. add some pasta and serve.

It was really good for free but I wouldn't pay for it ever.

I would pay for a clutch hit. The Amazings put the tying run on third base in the eighth and ninth innings and couldn't bring it home. I guess I have to hope this team will heat up with the weather, otherwise it's gonna be a real annoying summer.

Especially when the Mets will be on Fox Saturday baseball against the World Champion Phillies, but since I'm in Atlanta I'll get to watch the hometown Braves against the Astros.

I'll take tomorrow off with the team to ponder that crap and prepare for three games in the Illadelph.

Game 20 - Marlins 7, Mets 4

I didn't get to witness much of this game since I was out researching a story I'm writing on a women's football team in Atlanta.

You can check out the Xplosion website here.

Either way, by the time I got back to my car the score was Mets 3, Fish 2. I heard David Wright get a two-out RBI single to give a two-run lead.

By the time I checked my computer when I got home, the Fish were up 7-4 on Jorge Cantu's second home run and I pretty much closed the book on this team. Over the past couple of years, they do a good job of closing shop and quitting on games so I knew they weren't coming back.

So I paid attention to the Celtics and Bulls. OK, we know that that Rose guy in red is fast and Ben Gordon does nothing but hit big shots. But the other thing that the world knows is Paul Pierce is gonna take the shot.

He's gonna Iso at the top of the key, dribble step to his right and shoot an 15 to 18 foot jumper. If you watched any of the 2008 playoffs, that's what he did. If you watched any of the series earlier in his career when he was the Truth facing the Answer, that's what he did. If you watched him at Kansas, then he would drive past you and yam in your face but he still had that mid-range jumper.

After he hit that shot to send the game to overtime, you would think the Bulls would draw something up to defend against that. But Vinnie of the Black didn't see things that way. He basically dared Pierce to beat him and lost that bet.

Also, if you had bet me that both NYC-Metro area hockey teams would play in overtime game 7's on the same night, I would have said there's a 50-50 chance that one of them would survive. If you then added that Martin Brouder had a 3-2 lead in the third period, I would have told you the Devils had already won the game.

This is why I didn't cover much hockey when I was at Boston University. I would have covered baseball but they cut the team the year before I got there. I would love to cover the Mets' game tomorrow afternoon but I'll just try to sneak a listen at work.

Game 19 - Mets 7, Marlins 1

I don't have much time to write this post, mostly cuz I've only got so many minutes of power on my Mac before I have to return it to my plug and for whatever reason, the plug is at a desk where it's not comfortable to sit and type...

In the time it took me to write that BS, the Mets handled the game the best way possible.

John Maine allowed an unearned run in the first inning thanks to an error and the speed of Bonifacio. The Mets came right back in the bottom of the frame to score one, then the biggest thing happened.

Not the grand slam by Omir Santos. By the way, was I the only one who heard both of the Mets current catchers on salary wince? For all the talk, Brian Schinder can barely hit his weight and Ramon Castro is a career backup and proud of it.

Problem is, Castro might lose that status when Schinder comes off the DL. Every announcer has stated how the pitchers like the way Santos calls the game and that's much more important when all of them are gonna hit in the bottom of the order.

No, the biggest thing was David Wright's RBI single to right-center field. When he's going right, Wright takes the outside fastball to right field with power. I saw the post on Gamecast, but it was John Kruk on Baseball Tonight to relate that he was badly fooled by an offspeed pitch prior to the single.

Later on, he would triple to right-center and that's an even better sign. Yes, Reyes didn't have a hit but I think Jerry Manuel will put Luis Castillo in the No. 2 slot since he's really getting on base. Not that Daniel Murphy isn't, but there's clearly going to be a platoon to get Shef and Tatis on the field.

Either way, if Carlos Beltran and David Wright can hit, they can ignite the entire lineup. Let's just hope they can do the same for Livan on Tuesday, even the record at 10-10 and tighten up the entire division.

Game 18 - Nationals 8, Mets 1

I won't say much because there isn't much to say.

Oli Perez is a second half pitcher? No, not going for that. How about this and I'm being somewhat serious.

He didn't get a proper spring training since he played for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. No this isn't an excuse about the event since I'm a big fan of baseball. No this is a reprimand on the Mexican National Team.

I'm gonna guess they pulled a grape picker from San Diego to be the pitching coach. That and to allow Oli and his crazy ass on his own for weeks when he's supposed to be preparing for the regular season is detrimental.

How about this? I'll consider him a complete bust for this season in August if he's still in the rotation and has a 5.13 ERA. I'm more concerned about Monday's outing with John Maine on the hill. He's the one with regular people stuff.

I mean, Perez has a nasty slider to fall back on. Maine just has a rising fastball and that's about it. He's the one who needs to get on track and start throwing strikes.

I'm not even gonna look at David Wright batting .271 or the fact they left a Russian harem on the bases. I'm just gonna think about how they've won two of their last three games, how the Marlins were taking their own lumps against the Phillies and hope Maine can pitch well at home.

Game 17 - Mets 8, Nationals 2

You know the Marlins are atop the NL East, but they also have had the fortune to be 6-0 against the gNats. The Mets are now 2-0 against those annoying incests.

Don't let the eight runs fool you, however. They are still hitting for crap with runners on base. After three innings on Saturday, the Mets had played 11 innings against the gNats. Five times they left the bases loaded.

All it would have taken was a little knubber, a Texas Leaguer, a ball with eyes. Well, you get the point.

And the point is, it's not like these guys aren't hitting at all. Carlos Beltran is batting .415. He was 3-for-5 on Saturday and still managed to leave three people on base.

I guess I can take solace in the fact that Mike Pelfrey pitched OK. Only three walks despite 41 balls in 95 pitches. Would have liked to see him pitch deeper since the team had the lead but I respect Jerry Manual's decision to get him out in a position to win the game and with a good feeling about the day.

Speaking about good feelings, I've got a good feeling about a fat white man behind a radio microphone. Something about the white man in a position of power makes the cockles in my cockle grow warm.

Whatever that means.

Kris was on 1400 The Score or whatever it is in the great capital of Columbia, South Carolina this morning with a draft preview. The Giants didn't make a trade for Edwards, they didn't take the bait for Boldin, but "they drafted a receiver who many think compares to the Pro Bowler," according to Newsday's Tom Rock.

Hakeem Nicks, a 6-1, 210-pound wide receiver from North Carolina will battle it out with Dom Hixon, Steve Smith and Sinny Moss for wide receiver catches in the blue and red.

And if you're in Chicago, you should find wherever Dan Filowitz's play is playing and attend. I don't know much more than that, but hope to find out more and will post accordingly.

According to reports, Oli Perez goes tomorrow afternoon as the Mets try to sweep the gNats and stay hot with the first-place Marlins coming to Citi on Monday.

Game 16 - Mets 4, Nationals 3

Johan is the man, but if we can't hit there's nothing anybody can do about it.

The sad fact of the matter is that statement isn't true. They are hitting. Everyone is hitting and that's what's making everything so frustrating. I was listening to the game and actually heard them go 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the first five innings.

I don't count plays like a two-out double by David Wright and Sheffield not coming through with an RBI single. I mean when Jose Reyes leads off the game with a double and doesn't score. That's inexcusable.

At least they're not hurting my fantasy team.

OK, so the big thing is the NFL Draft, which is the biggest crap shoot in the world and the ultimate sign that the NFL is KING without question. Think about how much time and energy is spent worrying about who your team is gonna get when of the 8 to 10 guys picked, you'll likely remember and see two to four of them if you're lucky.

As for the Giants, I hope that Jerry Reese is just waiting in the wings and they're still gonna do a deal for Braylon Edwards. It's not that we truly need him but with the lack of major holes, the Giants can afford to get a talented 6-foot-3 wide receiver that can stretch the field. Eli tends to throw post out and corner routes high and while he might not require double teams, it would give opposing defensive coordinators something to think about.

I like Anquin Boldin but I don't know if he's worth it. Let me take that back, I would rather Edwards than Boldin, but think we need to get one or the other. Either that or make sure to get a middle linebacker to replace Antonio Pierce.

I read something on the NFC East blog on ESPN about how Pierce didn't have that bad of a year. I watched something called the NFL season last year and saw how many times against teams other than the Eagles that showed how Pierce is a good-enough run stopping MLB but can't be counted on in the nickel or dime packages to cover anyone out of the backfield and that includes quarterbacks.

I remember posting how I would love to see them utilize Kenny Phillips in a MLB/Monster role when they go to a nickel/dime package to get the best players on the field but somehow I don't see that happening. Either way, it's a long long long way away from football season and I've got my trust in Reese to do the right thing.

Let's hope Pelfrey can do the right thing this afternoon against the gNats.

Game 15 - Cardinals 12, Mets 8

I drove a box truck to Rome, GA this morning, knowing I would be able to listen to a few innings on the way back via my XM Radio.

Since Rome isn't as populated as the one in Italy, my journey to the middle of nowhere meant I didn't get great reception. When I finally did, the game was tied at 1-1. I listened as Livan got into trouble in the fourth.

Fat Albert got on, stole his second base of the series and scored on a Rick Ankiel double down the line (again). Livan got two outs then couldn't close the door and three singles later, including one by the futha-mucking pitcher, it was 4-1.

The Mets came back in the next frame with Jose Reyes getting on base thanks to a Albert error in which the announcer (Mike something, I feel like I should know his name. I know is call. The whole "Get up, get up!") didn't think it was.

Anyway, Reyes on first and Alex Cora singles and it's first and second. Beltran flies out to right field and no one advances. Don't know if it was possible, but that's the point. Another unproductive out.

Delgado follows with a single and moves the fastest player in the lineup just one base. David Wright's RBI single to right that only scores Reyes from third. That brings up Gary Sheffield.

Now I know this is getaway day, but I have to say here that I like Wright in the No. 5 hole. In the everyday lineup, Church's left-handed bat would be behind him. If this was an any/every day lineup in my world. But it wasn't and instead of Church and his .355-plus average, Sheff was up.

Mike the Cards announcer called the first pitch like this from Kyle Loshe.
"Outside for a...oh wait, they called it a strike. Wow, that was outside."
The next pitch was a called outside strike and the call went something like this.
"Loshe hits the outside corner for a strike and Sheffield doesn't like that call.
"Yeah, but that one was closer than that first pitch."

Shef would bounce the next pitch to short for a double play that ended the rally, ended the inning and when Fat Albert hit a two-run homer in the next frame, the game ended.

I don't care about the final score. I can only hope that after Johan ends the losing streak against the gNats on Friday, that the rest of the team can get behind him and start a roll. It's clear the bats are there, they just need to get their timing on track.

Game 14 - Cardinals 5, Mets 2

I'm starting this post without the benefit of the game ending, but I already know the outcome. This is the team I hate to love, especially when they bag it in the sixth inning like a high school team against a much better opponent.

They make average pitchers like Pinero look like Bob Gibson and watching Ramon Castro fling his bat at an outside fastball to roll a soft grounder to short is about as annoying as possible.

Games like this allows the announcers to look for ways to kill time and the easiest is to discuss the Mets pitching staff. The lead announcer said that after Santana it's a question to which Rick Sutcliffe said they shouldn't have paid Oliver Perez big money.

He then said that for the same three years and 36 million they paid for him, they could have had Derek Lowe. I didn't hear anyone try to correct him or explain that the Mets made that offer to Lowe first and foremost. It was on the board for a fortnight and the Braves upped the ante to 4 years and 60 million.

One could argue that the Mets should have matched, they should have pushed for more. But I'll take the thoughtful approach to this question. It's clear the Mets needed Lowe, but with the Bernie Madoff scandal and his close involvement deep in the Mets' front office. Add to that the fact that something has to be said for developing your own talent. John Maine is 28 years old, Oliver is 27 and Mike Pelfrey is 25. That is called young pitching and isn't that what everyone talks about having?

The offense is another matter entirely. They flashed a stat that showed the Mets are third in the league in average (.289) and on-base percentage, yet they are 11th in run scored. I can only imagine what they're hitting with runners in scoring position...

You gotta believe was the slogan more than 25 years ago. I have to believe that if I give this team time, they'll gel. They'll start bunching those hits together. They'll get a healthy Pelfrey and both he and Maine will find and trust their secondary pitch (changeup)...

Thus is the live of a Mets fan, each year and every year. And the sad fact is, I've got to look to Livan Hernandez to end this losing streak. And it's not the Livan from 1997. It's not even the one from five years ago who had nine complete games and a 3.98 ERA.

Game 13 - Cardinals 6, Mets 4

Well, let's see. This is a lose/win situation for me. My team loses a game they should have ran away with early, that my starting pitcher was on the right track and fell off the wagon like Barney from the Simpsons.

Speaking of wagons, either ESPN Gamecast is way off or the home plate umpire for this game was absolutely horrible.

Where was I, oh yeah, the loss was horrible but Castillo continued to hit, Beltran knocked in a run as did Murphy and Franklin closed the door for the Cards. What's the connection? They're all on my fantasy team, so take that Neaves.

I'm going to go brush my teeth, hope I can get the stain of this loss out of my system and hope to watch John Maine pitch well tomorrow night.

Off-day thoughts

A late entry from my conscience music post:

- I would have to say that when it comes to music that conscious could mean a couple of things. First is using the medium to speak about different issues going on in the world. Second is that successful artists that understand it's still about the music and not about the fame and fortune (for the most part). Two conscious rappers would have to be KRS One and Public Enemy. I relly can't think of any others because all modern day rappers talk about being some sort of pimp, easy women and drinking champaign. I guess those could be real world issues in somebody's world. A few other non hip hop artists would be U2, Springsteen and Neil Young. I could probably name more, but you only asked for a couple. Pretty much any artist at the Obama inaugural concert would be considered conscious. I think I've said enough.

- I'll never forget the preseason interview with the Celtic's Big 3 - KG, The Truth and Ray. The interviewer asked them to answer at the same time. End of the game, who gets the shot? KG and Pierce said Ray and when you see him hit that shot to beat the Bulls Monday night, you know why.

- 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position?!?!? To steal one of the rarely few funny things from recent SNL episodes, a segment from Weekend Update. Really?!?!? I mean, really!?!? They load the bases and Delgado taps one right back to the pitcher? Really?

But what's even worse was earlier in that inning after my new catcher, Omir Santos, hit a triple with nobody out, Ryan Church couldn't make contact to bring him home. That's the type of at-bat you expect someone batting .378 on the year to come through.

Maybe all the detractors are right. All you Yankee fans who hate the Mets for no better reason than to have someone close to you to hate. Maybe we're choke artists and will never be any good and all that silly stuff. Maybe the Mets fans who hate their own team are right. That we need to fire Omar for hiring too many hispanics and fill our roster with white guys that can hit in the clutch.

I don't know where I went with that, but hopefully I'll be back sometime soon.

I'll be back tomorrow and maybe I'll get to the Facebook point I wanted to make, but completely forgot. And maybe Oli Perez will put back to back quality starts together.

Game 12 - Brewers 4, Mets 2

Absolutely frustrating.

This is the same crap I dealt with for the past two years. This is one of the reasons I didn't think about buying the MLB Extra Innings package. Why pay to watch crap like this and only have myself to blame. At least right now I'm watching for free on Gamecast and listening to the game on my XM radio.

yeah, I pay for that. But when my contract ended last month and I called to cancel, they offered to give me three months for free. You know, to see if I could come back and give them some more money in the future.

I might and I might not, but either way for right now, I'm listening for free.

So I wasn't as pissed off to see this team load the bases and not plate more than one run. I wasn't as pissed off to see them put two on late and leave them right where they were...

I was asked, in my desperate attempt to gain more viewers to this site, if I thought the Mets really could contend in the NL East. What with the defending champs and the Marlins' young hurlers and the ever-present Braves...

Well, I look at it a couple of different ways. First and foremost, I really think the Marlins are going to win the division. I'm not stupid enough to think they're this year's Rays. That would be the Royals, if anybody but they'll fade.

No, I think that Livan has a better chance to take the hill every fifth day than Pedro did last year. That last year the only pitcher on my staff to have a career year would be Mike Pelfrey and he's too young to really say that. The hope is that he would improve, this arm tendinitis notwithstanding.

Yes, you have to hope that Maine can battle back from injury, that Oli can be more good than horrifically bad and that Livan can pitch decent. Yes, I said the same thing in a similar post, but the point is this year if they go late into a game with the lead, we've got a much better chance for a happy recap than last.

So that's what I'm banking on. I'll take that thought to bed with me, headed into a getaway day with planes landing in St. Louis for a Tuesday start. I'll see about some offday thoughts, but Monday's is my only true TV day and add the NBA playoffs to that mix and...

Well, who knows?

Game 11 - Mets 1, Brewers 0

This is the type of game the Mets lost last year.

This is the type of game that Johan Santana would pitch, then not win and that's what cost him the Cy Young. Yes, Lincecum had a great year but if Santana has three more wins, meaning 19 for the season, he wins his third Cy...

OK, so it took a John Hopkins grad to answer the question with the detail needed to take it from dream to discussion. No offense Zoltan, but you didn't define it like this:

Definition of conscience music--

Music that is inspired by and speaks to the universal human condition,
i.e. the struggle to overcome suffering, and, more particularly, in
the context of society that promotes suffering exploitation,
dehumanization and general alienation.

I could take this in various directions. I could comment on the fact that various rappers have done tracks towards this, whether their public persona shows this off or not.

Let's see. Jay-Z - Meet the Parents. 2Pac - Brenda's Gotta Baby. Kool G Rap - Streets of New York. That's just off the top of my head, but clearly each of those artists are better known for spitting "gangsta rap". Whatever that is.

I could argue that rap, in its essence, is founded on conscience rap. That The Last Poets, Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, The Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Eric B. and Rakim and KRS-One were all conscience rappers. That the pillars of this thing we call hip-hop are founded in what seems to be an insult against rappers nowadays.

My wife makes fun of Common by calling him that poetry rapper. It's a shame that artists like Dead Prez are considered underground because they'd rather rap about social issues than the imaginary social scene, full of drugs, alcohol, loose women and fast cars.

As I type that, it reminds me of rock in the 1980s with all those bad hair bands, screaming around the stage with scantly clad women miles away. Sorry, that's a Patton Oswalt joke that I find pretty funny.

Since I'm leaving topic, I'll leave the post here. Nelson Figueroa goes tomorrow for the three-game sweep at 1:10.

Game 10 - Mets 5, Brewers 4

I'm not really going to mention The Shef and his pinch-hit 500th home run cuz while it was helpful, the more important question is this:

With that blast and with stats and facts that, according to Tim Kirkjun of ESPN, pretty much makes Sheffield a lock for the Hall, who's hat does he wear? Marlins? Yankees? Braves? Wasn't he a Dodger for a while? I just know for sure it won't be with the Mets. I think Mike Piazza is our next inductee by just a bit over the Dodgers.

Good to see Luis Castillo come through in the clutch with a big hit, but it's yet another game were we left a village on the basepaths and David Wright just doesn't seem to be right right now. He's still hitting, but...

Anyway, I was hoping to read something by Dan and/or Kris about the NBA Playoffs. Maybe they started a new website without me, leaving me here alone with my Met thoughts. Oh well, I'll still plug Disciples of Clyde and to listen to sports radio in Columbia, SC whenever the Mayor is on the air...

B4 I 4get - I had a dream last night. I guess you could call it recurring because it took place in the same class room. Apparently I'm taking classes, I think in music. But the point is this time the teacher let me run the class. After a couple of slip ups and dealing with a couple in the back left corner of the room necking, I came up with this in-class project to deal with Common Sense.

Common has been called a conscience rapper, so I asked to the class to take out a piece of paper and do the following. I might send this request out as an email, just for kicks.

1. Write down your definition of the word conscience when it comes to music.
2. Besides Common, list at least two other rap/hip-hop musicians you would consider conscience.
3. Now list at least two non-hip hop musicians who are also conscience.

Show me your results at the end of class. By the way, Johan Santana's start against the Brewers is a 1:10 tipoff. See you tomorrow.

Game 9 - Padres 6, Mets 5

I'm gonna keep this short cuz I'm sick and want to go to a NyQuil-induced coma...

The good side is Delgado is hitting now as opposed to only the second half of the season. So the middle of the lineup is looking pretty good and it's always good to see the team rally late to make a game closer.

The bad news is this is yet another game where they needed a big hit and didn't get it. Granted it was Jake Peavy, but after scoring 3 runs in the first and getting runners in scoring position in the 3rd and 4th innings and pushing Peavy to a high pitch count...

You just have to capitalize. Maybe as the weeks move on, the bats will warm with the weather. Then again, if John Maine can't put together back to back quality starts and not even make it to the sixth inning with something left in the tank, we'll be in trouble.

Like I picked in the previous post, I think we're playing for the wild card this year but it's not gonna help falling far behind in the standings even though it's early.

Livan goes Friday in a weekend tilt with the Brew Crew. Only down side is my XM radio gives the home team broadcast, so I won't get to listen to Bob Uecker with the call.
Tragic.

Game 8 - Mets 7, Padres 2

This is the other side of Oliver Perez, the side the Mets paid 36 million over 3 years for.

When he's on, the power lefty slings a side-armed low 90s fastball with a sharp slider that can go back door on right-handed batters.

When he's off, his fastball tops out at 88 mph, the curve isn't falling for strikes and he has little to no control.

That wasn't the case for the Mets' first win at Citi Field. It helps that the Fathers let the good guys load the bases twice and score six runs with just one hit. Carlos Beltran's RBI single was it.

They got a sac fly from Daniel Murphy, a run scored on a Sheffield double play and the other three runs came home when Chase Headley, the Fathers' converted catcher couldn't corral a changeup.

Say that five times fast.

The Mets still aren't hitting with runners in scoring position, something that was their downfall last year despite scoring 799 runs, eighth best in the league. They scored all those runs and still were 13th in the NL with runners in scoring position...

Or something like that.

Either way, the bigger thing was Jackie Robinson Day. I actually heard Skip Carey talking about how he didn't like the fact that every one wore #42. That it could be hard for someone to keep track of the game...

Skip Carey can take a long walk and just keep going.

The bigger point behind the day was the numbers. Searching online, a 2007 ESPN article stats that the 8.4 percent of black ball players in 2006 was the lowest in two decades. The fact of the matter is blacks (and whites for that matter) are not playing baseball as much anymore.

It's as simple as that.

John Maine tomorrow against Jake Peavy, who hopefully will get comfortable and add Queens to the list of teams he'd be willing to be traded to. When the season began, I figured Omar didn't go after Manny because he figured Matt Holliday would be available if the A's were out of the mix. But with the Fathers' Fire Sale in full effect, I would rather empty the rest of the minor league stable for a Santana/Peavy top two.

Game 7 - Padres 6, Mets 5

You can change the stadium and get a new bullpen.

You can name it after a baseball legend, mold the entire place like an old National League ballpark in New York City.

You can bring Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza and Bernard King out here, it doesn't matter if you're not going to get clutch hits when you really need it. When Pelfrey's lack of command of a second tier pitch proves costly and when you can't get to a Mexican League pickup until it's too late.

This team will go as far as Jose Reyes can take them. Jerry Manuel knows that and that's why he made that emphasis during spring training. Everyone focused on the whole batting third thing but the bigger meaning was the importance of Reyes on this team.

Add to that the fact that Citi Field is a pitcher's park to the nth degree. Beltran hit a ball that's gone just about anywhere. It might even be gone in June when the ball has a little more moisture, but in the cold of present day Flushing, it's a long out.

A week in, I'll make predictions that will be wrong and likely to be changed in about two weeks.
AL West - Angels (Chalk)
AL Central - TBD
AL East - Red Sox
Wild Card - Central No. 2/Rays/Yanks

NL West - Dodgers (Chalk)
NL Central - Cardinals (I don't believe in the Cubs and if Carpenter can pitch, they'll score enough runs to win)
NL East - Marlins (They have the best staff in the National League, maybe even the entire league)
Wild Card - Cubs/Mets/Phillies/Braves/Brewers

Oli Perez goes on Wednesday, meaning the team gets to practice in their new digs and maybe provide a better show to the 42,000 faithful that braved the No. 7 train.

----------------
Now playing: Lil Wayne - A Milli
via FoxyTunes

Game 6 - Marlins 2, Mets 1

I'll be quick since I'd like to get to bed and fail at "getting some" with the Mrs...

Josh Johnson was dealing and I would have been a little sad inside as a baseball fan if he lost the game, even though that meant the Mets losing the game.

Pelfrey starting the first game at Citi Field is as good as it gets.

I'll try to write more tomorrow.

Game 5 - Mets 8, Marlins 4

I'm a touch tired writing this, spending the majority of my evening driving around my apartment looking for a 24-hour Walgreens to buy diapers on sale...

I didn't get a chance to see much of the game, did listen to Luis help manufacture the first run. Single, sac and a double by Reyes, showing a touch of the reason why Manuel thought about putting him in the No. 3 hole.

That was never going to happen anyway, but made good stories for the press in March.

Livan sounded good anyway, keeping the Fish at bay with an 86 MPH fastball and junk like his older "brother" used to throw...

Regardless of the outcome on Easter Sunday, this was a quality way to start the season. You can only ask to go .500 on the road, trying to take two out of three. One trip through the rotation and we're 3-2. I'll take that for the season...

Especially when we get to trot out Johan Santana every fifth day.

Game 4 - Marlins 5, Mets 4

I'm starting this post as the game goes into extra innings cuz I've got a couple to things to say regardless of the outcome.

Just quickly about the game, and this team in the early season at least, the Mets are leaving people on base in scoring position like they're getting paid to do just that. It's about as frustrating as possible, knowing that a timely hit would change the game. Then again, one must think with it being early in the season, they'll pick it up later on...

I read one preview that said the Yankees have the best rotation in the American League, to which I quickly raised my hand and called bullshit. Ask any of the Yankee fans that used to write on this site...

(Hello. Is there anybody out there? Just smile if you can hear me. Is there any one at all?)

Sorry about that, ask any of the Yankee fans that used to write on this site and they'll tell you that unlike some Mets fans, I have no ill will against the Boys from the Bronx.

I just questioned that statement for the sheer fact that it requires a lot of If's falling in the pinstripe direction.

The same could be said for most, if not every, team in the league. But let's run this down real quick. CC is good for similar stats to when he was an Indian. That means 17 to 19 wins. After that, the if's get obvious to me. A.J. has a great arm, IF it's healthy for a whole season. Wang is a top-flight pitcher IF he comes back 100 percent from the first major injury of his career. Andy Pettite is old and IF he can reinvent himself again, he could be a quality No. 4 starter and Joba. Joba? I mean seriously, you all know he should be in the pen, setting up Mo but IF he can stay healthy and complete a full season as a starter he could be great. I think he was up for eight weeks and he was great for four of them...

The Mets have similar IF's. Santana should have won the Cy Young last year, finishing tops in ERA, innings pitched and close to the top in strikeouts. It was just the lack of wins, but that's another post. IF Pelfrey continues to improve, he could be a great No. 2. Oli Perez is the definition of IF, depending on which version shows up that day. IF John Maine returns from injury, he's a decent No. 4 and Livian Hernandez can be a decent No. 5 IF he doesn't remember that he had an 8-plus ERA last year.

April is the month of IF's and IF the Mets don't start hitting better with runners in scoring position, comebacks against closers like Lindstrom will mean little when they can't close the door on Jorge Cantu in the bottom of the frame.

Can't wait to see who they send down to make room for Livian tomoro and do you think that Elton John's version of his name will be his walk-down music?

Game 3 - Reds 8, Mets 6

I haven't even looked at the box score from this "Businessman's Special" 12:45 pm start. I know Oli Perez started and I know they were up 3-0, then fell behind 4-3.

I'm watching my alma mater, Boston University, in the Frozen Four against Vermont and remembering how compelling playoff hockey is on television. I can remember watching Hockey East contests on my TV freshman year, using the rabbit ears to pick up WABU-68, which played next to nothing...

Tiger is five strokes back, the Nuggets are the likely No. 2 seed in the west and the biggest story by far is the death of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart.

I know little and there's not much more to say.

Maine goes today against the Fish.

Game 2 - Mets 9, Reds 7

Maybe it's just the uniform...

There are things to talk about, like Mike Pelfrey's struggles in the first or the fact he settled down and pitched long enough to earn the win.

How about Reyes and Murphy each going 1-for-4 with a walk. That means they're getting on base early in the season, which is nothing but a good sign. Same goes for Delgado and Beltran...

Or the bullpen debut of Bobby Parnell, throwing nothing but heat. Or the fact that everybody in the pen struggled, but got enough over to get it done including K-Rod.

Ah, K-Rod, walking the bases loaded with just one out. Thanks to the free preview, I was able to watch the game on the Extra Innings package, so I was able to hear Thom Brenneman and Jeff Brantley root on the Men In Red, waiting for K-Rod to blow up.

I will say this. I was in a rocking chair in my kid's bedroom but I still likely would have been swaying back and forth. Then again, Frankie didn't have his best stuff but he still managed to get outs when he needed it and that's all you can ask for.

I could ask for an explanation, but it would be silly, but I was all excited about the fact that my ITunes has a radio feature that includes WFAN, the Mets flagship radio station. I was thinking that I could listen to games, especially after listening to preseason games.

But that was the preseason. Tonight, when I was forced into my bedroom, I tried it out and listened to commercials for about 5 minutes before realizing they blacked out the game. Just means I'll have to watch Gameday since I can't seem to get a decent reception on my XM Radio...

Sucks to be me, especially since tomorrow's 12:45 p.m. start means I can try to listen at work but let's all be honest. I don't think they'll pay me for a 3-hour lunch break.

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Now playing: WFAN
via FoxyTunes

Off-day thoughts

Just a couple of quick thoughts to fill my time before my wife finishes dinner...

Daniel Murphy in the No. 2 hole makes the most sense for any young hitter with a decent bat. He will have Jose Reyes in front of him, possibly on base to be moved over or disrupting the pitcher. Not to mention the fact that either David Wright or Carlos Beltran will be waiting in the on-deck circle. One has to assume that any pitcher in his right mind would rather challenge the rookie with fast balls than miss with breaking balls, walk him and put runners on in front of the "heart of the lineup".

There's an ad on my XM radio for some guy on the Mad Dog radio channel or something like that. Point is, he says that Kobe, LeBron and Wade are the best trio of wing players since Robertson, West and Baylor. It's the type of quick hit in the middle of a promo that you hear and I guess makes you want to listen to the rest of the point.
In my case, I want to call up and say, Are you drunk or high?
Last time I checked, Jordan, Nique Wilkins and Bird played in the same era as Cylde Drexler. I'll throw in Bernard King cuz he's got a cool "White Men Can't Jump" reference and say that while today's trio is great, I'll take the 1980's group against the world.

Also on XM, this time the MLB channel, they did a NCAA tournament style bracket with the greatest players from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. If I remember correctly, the No. 1 seeds were Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, Barry Bonds and Albert Pujos (I think). Either way, there was one person that Rickey thinks got jobbed for a top seed and that's Rickey.
Mr. Henderson, if you're nasty, is the best overall player we'll likely see (right behind Bonds) that I'll ever see. He was a 2 seed and apparently lost to Tony Gywnn in the Elite Eight. Now when it comes to that matchup, I ask you this. If you were starting a franchise today and had a choice between the two in their prime, who would you take?
Rickey or Tony?
Did you know that despite his .338 average, Gwynn's career on-base percentage is only .388? Did you also know that in 1987, that chubby hitting machine stole 56 bases? Now that I take a look at the stats, it's a lot closer than originally thought. Gwynn's got four Gold Gloves to Rickey's one, but Rickey also has an MVP award, something Tony doesn't...

I'll stick with Rickey and bid you all a good night.

Game 1 - Mets 2, Reds 1

I feel like Burgess Meridith in The Twilight Zone, all alone in the world...

I ended last year with this and I'll try to continue it to the best of my ability this time around, despite the cares of you all (which is likely dwindled to a non-existent number).

Opening Day should be a federal holiday and I shouldn't have to hope for an unpaid vacation like my friend Josh to take the day off and watch the National Past time.

But that's neither here nor there. I took lunch at 1 p.m. to listen to the first inning with Marty and Thom Brennaman and The Cowboy Jeff Brantley (who I actually saw in person while covering baseball in central Mississippi since he was an assistant coach at Clinton High, his alma mater.)

Well, the 1st inning started like I'm sure Jerry Manuel scripted it up. Jose Reyes gets on base with an infield single and steals second. Daniel Murphy, who works best in the No.2 hole, moves Jose over to third (although his grounder went to the left side).

This is the situation that David Wright was in countless times last year. Runner in scoring position with less than 2 outs and quality contact brings home a run. It's the reason he's a top 5 pick in anyone's fantasy league and despite 125 RBIs last year, it's his strike out against Aaron Harang that infuriates Mets fans.

The next time I was able to sneak out to my car was to hear the top of the sixth with Murphy at the plate, bases loaded and only one out. Marty Brennaman talked about a double play but Murphy's hard grounder to first would score Luis Castillo from third. That made it 2-0 and it wasn't until I got home to see that the rookie outfielders on my fantasy team homered.

I wouldn't get back to the radio until I got off my shift around 4:30, which was just in time for the ninth inning. Wright walked and then got picked off cuz I was hoping he would steal a base...

Needless to say, Brennaman informed me that J.J. Putz pitched a scoreless eighth (another one on my fantasy team and yes, I have a ton of Mets on my team). That led the way to K-Rod and for the first time in recent history, I didn't feel any trepidation headed into the final frame.

Let's think back and take a look. I'm not even gonna mention last September when it was a merry-go-round of pain in the pen after Billy Wagner was lost for the year. Speaking of which, Wagner wasn't the door-closing specialist we all believed him to be. He routinely would walk a batter and you always have to worry about someone making decent contact with his 97 MPH fastball.

Before that, it was Braden Looper (clearly better as a starter. Who woulda thunk it?) and Armando "Smoke" Benitez. Need I say more? John Franco came out of the pen prior to that and when your strike out pitch is a changeup and you're not named Trevor or Johan, things can get dicey.

I think the last time I wasn't worried about the ninth was Randy Myers and that was 1989.

So of course Frankie comes in, throw nothing but strikes and quickly and quietly ends the game.

They'll take a day off and now we'll see if Mike Pelfrey stands tall as the No. 2 we'll need to compete in the best division in the National League.

Read you on Wednesday.