Opening Weekend!!

After the Mets started 3-3 on the road, The Mets opened their home schedule this past Friday. I try to make it a point to go to Opening Day every year. And since 1999, I've been to every one but two (2000 and 2002). I love the feeling and energy at Opening Day and if I have any say, I won't be missing any of them anytime soon. Besides' they've done pretty well in the 10 games I've been to before this year, posting a 7-3 record.

I went to this year's Opening Day with a number of friends I met on Twitter. Mary, Patti, Joni, and Cynthia were a pleasure to hang out with at the game! I also ran into Kerel, author of the Mets blog On The Black. You can check out his blog here.

As for the game...

During the National AnthemMy view on Opening Day

Sadly, my opening day record would not improve Friday, as the Mets lost 6-2 to the Washington Nationals. Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez had the hit of the game for the Nats, hitting a 2-run bases-loaded single off Bobby Parnell in the 8th. Add that the Mets couldn't produce anything against the Nats bullpen (3 2/3 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 3 K) and this one was over.

I also went to today's rubber game. Thanks to Christine and Danny for inviting me. I also went with Lisa, Benny, and Courtenay.

My view on Sunday

Chris Young pitched a great game, giving up only 1 hit and 1 run in 7 IP. But while Parnell let the lead grow on Friday, D.J. Carrasco couldn't hold the lead in the 8th. By that point, the Mets offense had shut down, striking out 16 times and getting only 4 hits after the 1st inning (4 hits in 1st inning alone). And with Pudge's RBI single and Laynce Nix's 3-run shot off Blaine Boyer in the 11th, I witnessed my 2nd home loss of the season. Last year it took until July 5th, my 14th game of last season, to witness my 2nd home loss.

My next game is on Tuesday against the Rockies. In the 10 years I've been keeping score at games on a regular basis, only 2008 did I start with an 0-3 home record. Hopefully that doesn't happen this year. Let's Go Mets!!

S.O.S. (Same Ol' Sh...uh, Stuff)

After Tuesday's loss to Buffalo, I said that the Rangers must come out tonight and get 2 points, whether in regulation or in OT. And while they went ahead and put over 40 shots on goal, they were only able to muster one goal. Add to the fact that their defensive zone presence was basically non-existent, and the game sums up to a 3-1 loss to the equally (or maybe more) offensively inept Minnesota Wild.

Sean Avery was the only Ranger who was able to put the puck in the net, off a great centering feed from Erik Christensen. The remaining shots were not quality shots, and the few that were quality were miraculously stopped by Dominic Ha...uh, Jose Theodore. In addition, there were a number of quality chances where the Rangers were either out of position or shot the puck wide of the net.

Just like Tuesday night, teams that needed to win to solidify/improve their playoff chances (Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs) were able to win. And even the Buffalo Sabres, who lost to the Hurricanes, helped themselves by getting a point by losing in OT. The Rangers now find themselves in 8th place, with Buffalo 2 points back and Toronto 3 points back. This is gonna be a tough final 16 games.

Oh, one more thing. The Wild couldn't even bring a little joy to me tonight. Jed Ortmeyer was called up from their AHL team and I was looking forward to see him play again at MSG. But nooooooo, they had to go ahead and scratch him from tonight's lineup. Morons...

Not Taking Care of Business

Around this time of season, every game you play is important. Not that they're not important earlier in the season. But results of games in March and April are magnified as the playoff picture becomes clearer. And they're even bigger when you play a team that you're fighting against for a coveted playoff spot. Going into tonight, here's the Rangers W-L records against their playoff competition:

5 - Washington Capitals 3-1
6 - Montreal Canadiens 0-3
8 - Carolina Hurricanes 2-2
9 - Buffalo Sabres 2-0

Tonight, the Rangers ended up being the only team in the Eastern Conference playoff race that seemed to play as if the game was not important with a huge 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. They completely didn't show up in the 1st period, and were lucky to escape being down only 1-0. And while their energy improved during the 2nd and 3rd periods, they could never overcome that one goal deficit.

To make matters worse, as I mentioned before, every other team who played tonight took care of business. Montreal, Washington and Carolina all won. The Rangers are now 8 points behind Washington for 5th and 5 points behind Montreal for 6th. Carolina is 1 point behind in 8th and Buffalo, with their win, is 3 points behind in 9th. And they ALL have at least a game at hand (Buffalo actually has 3 games at hand). With 17 games to go in the season, the Rangers have lost control of their own destiny. And while a lot can happen in these final 17 games, the way they're playing right now doesn't make me very comfortable...

Their next game is Thursday night vs Minnesota - a possible Jed Ortmeyer homecoming - where they need to win and get both points (Minnesota is in the Western Conference, so giving them a point in OT or a shootout won't matter) Time is dwindling. And so are the Rangers chances of making the playoffs.

Do You Believe In Miracles?!?!?!

Today's post title is thanks to Al Michaels who, 31 years ago today, called arguably the greatest game in US hockey history...



The game was a semifinal game in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY. USA vs. the Soviet Union. The underdog USA team was made up of amateurs and college kids, while the heavily-favored USSR team was a bunch of professionals. But the USA team stepped up and were able to defeat the Soviets 4-3. And 2 days later, they beat Finland 4-2 to win the Gold Medal. Now because I was a bit older than 2 years old, I don't remember many details of the game...duh!! So for more info, you can check out the page on the USA Hockey website or its wikipedia link.

One additional piece of info: The head coach of that USA team was the late Herb Brooks. He went on to coach the Rangers for 3 1/2 seasons, making the playoffs the 3 full seasons he was at the helm. But while with the USA team, he was praised for being able to bring together a bunch of youngsters and have them work cohesively as a team. Which is a similar position that John Tortorella is finding himself in with the current Rangers, especially with their defensemen: their oldest d-man is Steve Eminger at 27, and he's been a healthy scratch the last few games. Hopefully, Torts can keep the youth movement successful and coach them into the playoffs, where miracles are definitely believable!

Back Home Again (Rangers 4 - Kings 3)

It felt great being back at MSG for the first time in over a month. (1/13 vs Van was my last home game) and it felt even better to see the Rangers defeat the LA Kings 4-3 in a shootout. As usual, Callahan and Dubinsky did not disappoint with their hustle on both ends of the ice. Zuccarello and Christensen showed off their shootout skills again. Lundqvist held on as he barely got a piece of Kopitar's shot to win it. And while Gaborik did score tonight, I still have that gut feeling that all is not well.

One thing from tonight's game that doesn't sit well with me, and hasn't throughout the month of February, is the Rangers inability to hold a lead. And how quickly they seem to give up that lead. Twice tonight (at 2-1 and 3-2) they gave up a tying goal within 1:40 min after taking the lead. And I feel the timeout that Torts called for after their 3rd goal wasn't necessary. Maybe he wanted to remind the team to stay strong on D. Or he wanted to give Staal and Girardi a bit of rest so they could immediately go back on the ice. Whatever the case, it gave the Kings a moment to regroup and they responded quickly.

Now the Rangers have won 2 games in a row. And to paraphrase Lou Brown from the movie Major League, "We win one tomorrow, that’s called a winning streak. It has happened before." They'll be playing in NJ to face the Devils, or, as I like to call them, the Little Debbies. I'll probably be watching the game at Mustang Sally's as the Rangers will be hosting a viewing party there. If anyone wants to hang with me, just let me know.

Taking a Break

OK, the title has nothing to do with my blog. I just started posting again, so why would I take a break from posting? No, this has to do with something I've done for the last 6 years.

Since the NHL came back from the lockout for the 2005-2006 season, I have been a season ticket holder for the New York Rangers. Just one ticket. I didn't know anyone who was willing to go in for a full season like I would. Mostly because I didn't personally know anyone who nearly as big a Rangers fan as I was. But I didn't have a problem going alone. I sit in the first row in Section 406 (which is a center ice view from the top level at MSG) surrounded by season ticket holders that have been going to games for many years. Most games would be after work, so the only part of going alone would be if there was a game during the weekend and that would just be going back and forth between home and MSG. I'd usually go to about 30-35 games a year, missing a game here and there, but rarely ever letting the ticket go to waste. I'd give it to one of the people sitting in 406, or give it to a co-worker or friend.

That changed this season. I haven't been going to as many games as I have in seasons past. And it's been for a number of reasons. Too tired, too much pain (that is, physically - the Rangers have played pretty well this season, or at least well enough to not cause me too much pain), too much fun pre-gaming. And a couple of times, completely forgetting that there was a game that night. If I go to every remaining home game the rest of the season, I'll have gone to 23 games the entire season. And I have a feeling that over the next couple of years it's going to be more of the same.

So I've decided to take a break and drop my season tickets starting next year. It was a hard decision to make, but I know it will be for the better. I'll get to save some money and be able to relax more during the winter, which really took a toll on me this year. But I'm going to miss the people in 406 I get to hang out with at the games. I'm going to miss the games and watching Dubi, Cally, Gabby, Hank and the rest of the team get underneath the opponents' skin. I'll also miss how the Rangers organization treats their season subscribers.

I hope that a couple of years from now, I'll be able to straighten some things out and sign back up for a full season. But I want to make sure that if/when I sign up again for tickets, that I'm able to keep them. I wouldn't want to go through the whole process again.

A New Start

It's been a while since I've posted anything on my blog. I don't know why I had stopped originally, but it grew into the fact that I lost the urge to write everyday. But that lack of urge is gone. My friend Nicole put together a blog about her interests (Crafts, Fashion, DIY, etc.) and while I'm not going to be writing about the same topics that she is, the idea of writing again was awoken. Hopefully I'll keep up the writing this time. Between all the sports I follow, I shouldn't have a problem the second time around. Now, onto the post....

Don't tell me about the world. Not today. It's springtime and they're knocking baseball around fields where the grass is damp and green in the morning and the kids are trying to hit the curve ball. ~ Pete Hamill

Today was Reporting Day for Pitchers and Catchers for the New York Mets, the official start of Spring Training. While I follow sports year-round, I always look forward to this time of year. It reminds me of childhood and how my friends and I would start playing stickball around now. Didn't matter that it was still cold here in NY. The first month or so was pretty difficult to play. We would play a couple of innings and call it a day. Then...we wouldn't be able to fully lift our arms for 3 days. But as February would turn into March and into April, our arms would get looser. We'd start pitching for 3, then 4, then 5 innings. The soreness would be less intense. And we'd start playing multiple days in a week. It was our form of Spring Training.

In need of some pop!

Going into tonight's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets have hit a combined 37 homers as a team. Some of it has to do with Citi Field, some has to do with injuries (Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes) and some just can't be explained (3 . . . make that 4 homers on the season by David Wright). For the Mets to contend, they're going to have to add a bat with some pop to this lineup. I was originally in the boat of those who said to just live with who's currently in the lineup. But with 2 of your top 4 players out of the lineup for an extended period of time, I've changed my mind. And there's no one in our minor league system that can supplement that kind of production. Here are some suggestions:

Adam Dunn (1B/OF), Washington Nationals - Strictly for power, he would be the most obvious choice, as he has exactly 40 HR a year for the past 5 years. He's already hit a shot at Citi Field that reached the (soon to be named) bridge in right center. He could play 1B until Delgado gets back from the DL then move to one of the corner outfield positions. Also, I don't see Washington demanding too much in return in a trade, possibly a current roster player and a low-level prospect. However, I see 2 problems with bringing Dunn here. First, he strikes out way too much!! He's got 1318 strikeouts in his 8+ year career and isn't even 30 yet. To put things in perspective, Reggie Jackson had 1129 K's through 9 full seasons and ended his career at the age of 41, holding the record for most K's in a career with 2597. Second, he's a defensive liability, whether he's at 1B or in the outfield. This team makes enough mistakes on the field the way it is. I don't want to add a guy that's going to contribute to this issue. Basically, he's a skinnier version of Mo Vaughn.

Nick Johnson (1B), Washington Nationals - Another possible player from the Nats that could help the Mets situation. He doesn't quite have the pop that Dunn has, but he replaces that with the ability to get on base. And when need be, he could knock a few out of the park. He's a smart hitter, bringing to the table just what is needed in every situation. Just like Dunn, he wouldn't demand much from the Nats. Unlike Dunn, he would be a great defensive 1B. The one huge knock on him is that when Delgado gets back, a logjam would be created at 1B, for neither of them can play another position. Another issue is that he is injury prone (I still cringe when I picture him breaking his femur on a slide in short right at Shea a couple of years back). In his 7 year career, he has only reached 500 plate appearances in a season twice. Basically, he's a better option than Dunn, but he'd only be really useful until August.

Victor Martinez (C/1B), Cleveland Indians - After an off year last year, Martinez has shown up again as one of the premier hitters in the league. He's among the league leaders in BA and has the ability to hit 20 HR a season. And he does have the flexibility to switch positions, so he can flip flop between catcher and 1B. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. First, considering Cleveland considers him as part of their core (Grady Sizemore fits this category too) they would probably demand a lot for him (F-Mart?), too much in my opinion. Second, his defensive abilities aren't that good. Basically, he could be compared to Mike Piazza, just a less bit pop and a less bit glove.

Mark DeRosa (anywhere except P, C and CF), Cleveland Indians - During the offseason, DeRosa was one of the players that I strongly felt would be a great 2B addition to this team (Orlando Hudson was the other, but that's for another posting). Luis Castillo and others have played well enough for me to not go completely nuts on how we missed out. But DeRosa could still be very helpful for the Mets. He could take over at 1B until Delgado gets back, then play in one of the corner outfield spots. He could also play in any of the infield spots when someone would need a day off. Add to that he's a guy with decent pop with a decent career BA (.278), and he could be the perfect fit. My only negative about him isn't even about him! It's a feeling that I have that he might not show that pop at Citi Field. But it's just a feeling. Basically, he could be the best option.

Matt Holliday (OF), Oakland Athletics - Another one of those no-brainers on the surface. He's a +.300-+30-+100 type of guy and plays a good outfield. Here's my 2 big gripes with getting him. First, we'd be getting him from Oakland, which seems to demand a lot more than anyone else does put of a trade. Second, it's Holliday's walk year, so what makes you think he'd be nothing more than a rental player. Basically, unless there's either a sign and trade involved here or a guarantee that he stays past this season, he is someone I would stay away from . . . for now.

Those are the most popular names out there available. There are others (for example, Russell Branyan - poor man's Dunn, Jim Edmonds - free agent) out there. But I don't know if I can handle a third straight season of being so close. The Mets have to do something, hopefully sooner rather than later, before this season is going, going, . . . Gone!

Game 6 - Mets vs. Nationals - May 26, 2009

Finally the Mets have made some moves to refill their depleted bench, placing both Ryan Church and Jose Reyes on the 15-day DL. To take their roster spots, the Mets received Wilson Valdez, a utility infielder from Cleveland, and called up 21-year old Fernando Martinez from the minors. Because of his age, the Mets were only going to call Martinez up if he was going to play every day. Consider yourself warned. . . The F-Mart era has begun!!

As for the game itself, the Mets defeated the Washington Nationals 6-1 at T-Shirt Night. They had a couple of firsts in the game. First, Fernando Martinez went 0 for 3 (with a HBP) in his major league debut, although he did get his first RBI, driving in Luis Castillo on a fielder's choice. He did look very anxious during the game (his 2 K's were ugly), but you have to cut him some slack. After all, he's just 21.

Second, Livan Hernandez became the first Mets starting pitcher this season to go into the 8th inning . . . and the 9th inning . . . and pitch a complete game. Hernandez, throughout his ML career, has been known to be an innings-eater. And although he might be getting up there in age, he showed that he could still go through a full game. While he did give up 9 hits, his only blemish was a solo shot given up to Adam Dunn (btw, Dunn got his 1,000th career hit in the 2nd inning).

Other players that had a good game for the Mets were Gary Sheffield (3-run laser shot to left field in the 7th) and Angel Pagan, who went 2-4 at the plate with a run and and SB, and also threw out Josh Bard at the plate in the 5th on a single to short center by Craig Stammen, the Nationals pitcher.

With the win, the Mets are now 5-1 in games I've attended, my only blemish being Opening Night. And while they haven't hit that well to games that I've gone to, they've pitched extremely well. My next game is almost a month away (unless someone invites me) so I'll be looking forward to that.

One final note about the game: the seats that my friend and I sat in were interesting (top deck, past 1st base). The aisle seat was facing 2nd base / short left field, while the second seat in the row (my seat) was facing in the direction of the pitchers mound. I applaud the fact that the Mets had all the seats set up so that they'd face the infield, but to have the aisle seat in the first few rows of this section face a different direction than the rest of the section? A bit weird.

Anything But A Comedy of Errors

I actually stayed up til 2am for this. Granted, I was in bed listening to the game on the radio. But I was still awake. And it would have been worth it if the outcome was different. But in a game that you commit FIVE errors in a game, I guess you'd have to expect the outcome like the Mets had. They didn't just give the game away on a silver platter. They gave the Dodgers an open bar as well!! They played arguably the worst game overall that I've ever seen!!

I'll skip the first 10 innings (and the first 3 errors) of the game and go straight to the 11th inning. With 2 outs and Ryan Church on 1st, Angel Pagan hit a triple to right center, easily scoring Church. Except he didn't score. And Pagan didn't get a triple. Why? Because when the Dodgers appealed to 3rd base to see if Church stepped on 3rd base, the 3rd base umpire called him out. Church forgot to step on 3rd on his way home! One of the fundamental rules of baseball completely ignored! And to make matters worse, there was no argument at 3rd base by ANYONE on the Mets. No argument by Ryan Church. No argument by Razor Shines (3rd base coach). No argument by Jerry Manuel! Inning over. (btw, Pagan got credit for a single)

Brian Stokes began the bottom of the 11th by walking Mark Loretta on 4 pitches. Then after getting 2 strikes on Xavier Paul, he flies out to left center. Except there's no out on the play, and there are runners one 2nd and 3rd with no outs. Why? Because Angel Pagan cut in front of Carlos Beltran and, even though Beltran was calling off Pagan, they still got crossed up, the ball went off Beltran's glove and went towards the wall. Error number 1 of the inning. And a second fundamental rule of baseball completely ignored!

Stokes then intentionally walked Juan Pierre and the Mets brought the infield in. They also brought Beltran in to be a 5th infielder (honestly, the only good move that the Mets made the entire inning). The only run that matters is the runner on 3rd, so loading the bases made sense here (ok, that's 2 good moves). They were then able to get Rafael Furcal to fly out to Pagan in left, one of only 2 outfielders (Church was the other, playing in right center). Orlando Hudson, who was a guy I wanted to sign to replace Luis Castillo this offseason, was next to bat. On a 2-2 count, he hit a grounder to 1st baseman Jeremy Reed to get a force out at home or, better yet, start a double play. Except Mark Loretta ends up scoring from 3rd base to end the game 3 to 2. Why?? Because Reed threw the ball about 10 feet wide right! The second error of the inning!! And a third fundamental rule of baseball completely ignored!!!

Here's one fundamental rule that the baseball gods followed. Three strikes -- the strikes being broken fundamental rules -- and you're out (or in this case, game over!!!)

The Road Trip Continues . . .

Leg one of the Mets 10 game road trip is over, and they were able to take 3 out of 4 in San Francisco. A 4 game sweep could have been possible, but the Mets could not score in last night's 2-0 loss, even though they had the bases loaded in both the 2nd and 8th innings. A great play by Giants 1B Travis Ishikawa to go home with the throw with no outs and bases loaded in the 2nd, and a GIDP by Angel Pagan in the 8th stifled both chances. But how much can you complain? David Wright going 10 for 15, with 9 RBI and 5 steals? Carlos Beltran extending his hitting streak to 11 games? Not enough to have any complaints here.

They now start a 3 game series against arguably the best team in the NL, the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are, of course, without Manny Ramirez -- if you don't know why, where were you 2 weeks ago?? -- but seem to be surviving without him. I expect to see the Mets taking 2 of 3 from the Dodgers, but if the hitting continues how it's been on this trip so far (excluding Sunday), a sweep might not be out of the question.

I actually have some extra interest in this series. Whenever the Dodgers and the Mets play each other, my cousin out in LA and I offer to buy each other a beer for each win that our team gets from the other. Considering that I haven't seen him in a couple of years, we are at 6 beers a piece. But before I see him again in August, I am planning to add an additional 6-pack (3 games this week, 3 games in July) to what he owes me!

As for injuries, it seems that Reyes will be out of the lineup for the 5th straight game, after missing the entire Giants series with a sore/stiff right calf muscle. Carlos Delgado might be out for a bit longer with his hip injury. The Mets will need to find a replacement for him, whether it's within the organization (Daniel Murphy? Fernando Tatis?) or outside via trade (Nick Johnson?)

Oh, and one final thing . . . i will post my review of the 5th game I attended on May 12th, either later tonight or tomorrow night.

Lucky Seven (and counting)

The Mets were finally able to sweep a 3-game series this year, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates by scores of 7-3, 10-1, and 8-4 this weekend. They are now at a season-best 4 games over .500 (17-13) and on a 7 game winning streak. And everyone on the team is looking like they are playing like they should be. David Wright and Jose Reyes are hitting, the starters and bullpen are holding the leads that the offense is giving them (except for Sean Green. . . grrr), and the offense is actually scoring in the later innings to extend the leads that they do have.

The Mets have 3 more games at home against the Atlanta Braves (I'll be at Tuesday's game) before heading on a tough 10 game road trip, sending them to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Boston. With Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, and Jon Niese pitching the next 3 days, there's a decent chance that they could leave Citi Field on a 10 game winning streak.

A couple of things I saw this weekend that I thought were hilarious. First, Gary Dell'Abate (aka Baba Booey) threw out the first pitch at Citi Field before Saturday's game. The video is self-explanatory! (sorry, couldn't embed).

Second, Boston had a pretty busy sports night on Sunday, with the Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics all playing games. The ending of the Celtics-Magic game actually had an effect on the Red Sox-Rays game. Watch this video and note the reaction. (sorry again, same deal here)

Finally, a kudos to my cousin Nicolas up in MA for throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before Friday's Red Sox-Rays game. He did a better job than Baba Booey.

Manny being Manny?

Guess you've heard by now, but Manny Ramirez was suspended 50 games on Thursday by MLB for failing a drug test for performance enhancing drugs (PED's). While this is another big name superstar to have his career tainted with taking PED's (Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, etc.), he is the first big name player suspended under today's policy.

I'm getting tired of hearing about players that are using these substances. I love the game of baseball! It's the first sport I fell in love with. But every time a new name is released, it's like a shot to the gut. And it's a pain that doesn't go away. It just keeps getting worse and worse. I say release the list of 100 or so baseball players who failed the "anonymous" test back in 2003 and get this shit over with!! Not that his name would be on it, but it would show the current major leaguers that this situation is serious and would teach them a lesson.

Manny explained that the failed test came from a prescription that he was taking, but the substance rumored to be in question is a woman's fertility drug (hCG) that's actually used by bodybuilders. I would assume that bodybuilders aren't looking to get pregnant (the male ones, at least), so they gotta be using it for another reason.

This news about Manny is just another footnote in a long line of events in his career. Makes you question what he's thinking. But unlike the past, where the actions of him were perplexing yet funny, this news is no laughing matter. He loses the distinction of being one of the best pure hitters in the game. He'll probably lose the respect of fans across the country (he's lost mine). His once-assured admission into the Baseball Hall of Fame is probably lost as well.

Maybe it's not Manny being Manny. . .

Game 4 - Mets vs. Phillies - May 6, 2009

If you're a fan of a pitcher's duel, tonight was a game you would have appreciated!! Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0, with Carlos Delgado scoring all the way from 1st base on an error by Pedro Feliz in the bottom of the 7th inning. Johan Santana continued his great start by pitching 7 innings, striking out 10, giving up 2 hits and walking only 3. Chan Ho Park, the Phillies starter, arguably pitched a better game. He gave up 1 hit (Daniel Murphy double with 2 outs in the 5th) and walked 2 in 6 IP. The 2 teams combined for 5 hits in the game (Mets 2, Phillies 3). As for the Mets relievers, Pedro Feliciano pitched a great 8th, outside of the ground-rule double that he gave up to Shane Victorino. But he recovered by fielding a Chase Utley comebacker and holding Victorino at 2nd. Then, after a wild pitch (ok, maybe it was a very good inning, not great) he was able to strike out Ryan Howard to end the inning. Francisco Rodriguez came in and got the easy 1-2-3 save in the 9th.

As for the atmosphere, i was surprised by the number of Phillies fans at the game. I could see a number of Phillie fan clusters throughout the Promenade level, and there was one cluster who was loudly chanting "Let's Go Phillies" throughout the game. Definitely annoying, but nothing crazy. I do have 2 other Phillies games later this year, both in August, so we'll see then how the atmosphere is.

Current record of games I've attended: 3-1

Ollie's like a box of chocolates . . . continued

I turn on the Mets pre-game and I see Kevin Burkhardt talking about good ol' Ollie and what the Mets decided to do. Well, turns out he's gonna be a left-handed specialist . . . .

As calmly and kindly as I can say this, WHAT THE $%&*#$%)*# ARE THE METS THINKING?!?!? That's not gonna work!! How can you put him in the bullpen at all? I understand the argument that you can't have him be the long man because you really don't know how often he will get action in that spot. But keeping him up as a specialist, while possibly building confidence on a batter-to-batter situation, will not help in building his confidence as a starter. And you can't argue "well, he can throw for 2 innings in the bullpen, come in get a batter or two, then go back to the bullpen and throw another 2 innings." He needs in-game pitching to fix whatever is wrong. And I believe that until he gets sent down to the minors, the odds aren't good that he'll be a successful starter. At least for this year.

Ollie's like a box of chocolates

Another start by Oliver Perez, another game where the bullpen has to clean up his mess. And for the most part, they did their job. But this is just another outing that makes me question why we re-signed Perez to a 3-year, $36M contract. Something has gotta be done to fix this. I don't want to give up on the 27 year old kid, he's shown signs of brilliance. But his consistent inconsistency makes him like a box of chocolates. Every 5 days, you never know what you're gonna get. Some have suggested that he be sent down to the minors. But he would have to accept such an assignment. I hope he agrees to it. Whatever is wrong with him (mechanics, mental stability, etc.) could be corrected. And this wouldn't be the first time something like this has been done.

Roy Halladay is one example. After having a decent year in 1999, he was sent down to the minors in 2000 (4-7, 10.64 ERA), eventually to Single-A to work on his mechanics and his mental approach to pitching. He spent the first half of the 2001 season in the minors as well. But since the 2002 season, he's had a 118-50 record, a 3.20 ERA, a 5-time All-Star, and a Cy Young award winner in 2003.

Another example is Steve Trachsel. Yes, he's mostly remembered for making the flow of molasses seem quick. But he was sent down for 3 starts in May 2001. Before his demotion, he was 1-7 with a 8.24 ERA. When he was called back up, he posted a 10-7 record with a 3.35 ERA.

A final example, which is currently in progress, is Dontrelle Willis. He was the 2003 NL Rookie of the Year and was second in the Cy Young Voting in 2005. But something went wrong somewhere and he was traded to the Tigers before the beginning of last season. Unfortunately, a change of scenery wasn't a solution for him. It wasn't. At the beginning of this season, he was placed on the DL for an anxiety disorder. He's made 3 rehab starts since and seems to have shown progress.

Ollie, if an assignment is offered to you to the minors, pleeeeeease accept it!! It's a win-win situation, for both you and the team!!

Shades of Kenny Rogers

Ok, I admit, it's a totally different situation. It's May, not October. It's game 23 of the regular season, not game 7 of the NLCS. And Kenny Rogers was a lefty. Sean Green (not Shawn Green) is a righty. But they both walked in the winning run. Then, it was Rogers walking Andruw Jones to end the 1999 Mets playoff run. Today, Green walked Shane Victorino in the bottom of the 10th inning to end today's 6-5 loss (recap) to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Remember, it's only May . . .

Who Am I?

I'm at my parents house watching the Mets play the Phillies, but I had to mention something that I read earlier today.

In last night's 8-2 Marlins win over the Cubs (boxscore), the Marlins scored 6 runs in the top of the 10th inning. Here's the line of the pitcher who started the inning:

6 batters faced, zero outs recorded, 6 runs (5 earned), 3 hits, 2 walks

Who Am I? (hint: I pitched a complete game 1-hitter for the Mets in 2005)

Too Many Ducks on the Pond

Wednesday afternoon, the Mets lost to the Marlins 4-3 (Recap & Boxscore) and by looking at the highlights, some might say that the bullpen blew the game again. Just like last year. But I'm blaming the offense on this one. The Mets left 14 runners on base and were 1-11 with runners in scoring position. Pathetic!! Absolutely pathetic!! 10 of those 14 runners were in scoring position when they were stranded. And there were 5 innings where a runner was (at least) stranded at third.

One situation where you can't blame the Mets on (just bad luck) was in the bottom of the 8th. With runners on 1st and 3rd, Jose Reyes tried to steal 2nd, and Alex Cora hit a grounder up the middle. If Reyes isn't stealing, Emilio Bonifacio (Marlins 2b) doesn't get to the ball. The tying run would have scored and Reyes would have been on 3rd as the go-ahead run with a pinch-hitter on deck. Instead, Bonifacio gets to the ball and throws out Cora at 1st. Inning over.

Mets are 9-12 and are heading to Philadelphia to play the Phillies. Hopefully, they can turn things around.

The First Time

I've tried creating a blog a number of times. Various reasons prevented me from getting one going:

1) What should I call it?
2) What to write about?
3) How often should I write?
4) How often would I be able to write?
5) Would anyone ever read it?

Well, I guess the stars have aligned. Finally getting this thing started. Although it will take some time to get it to be the way I want it. I'm open for suggestions and criticism, so just leave me comments below and I'll see what I can do. And to answer the questions above:

1) The title is at the top of the blog (thanks for the suggestion, you know who you are).
2) I'll be giving my opinion on the world of sports, mostly the teams I follow (Mets, Rangers, Giants, Jets), but i'll also write about non-sports issues that are on my mind at the time.
3) It all depends on what's my mind. Could be no post, 1 post, or 5 posts a day.
4) Hopefully every night during the week, and at different times during the weekend.
5) I hope so. But if not, it doesn't matter.

Enjoy!!