Both Jerry Manuel and Carlos Beltran were tossed in the fourth inning of the game.
Arguing balls and strikes, Manuel came out to talk to the umpire. After seeing the video, it looked as if home plate umpire Brian Runge bumped Manuel, which caused Manuel to flare up and take it to another level.
After Manuel was tossed, Beltran argued his own balls and strikes, and shrugged his shoulders at a pitch he did not think was a strike. Runge started yelling, to which Beltran responded. Runge quickly tossed Beltran, who got up in Runge's face and got his moneys worth.
While I love to see the fire and attitude of the team, it needs to parlay into runs and eventually wins, otherwise it's pretty worthless.
Sandy Alomar Sr. has taken over the managerial duties, while Marlon Anderson picked up where Beltran left off.
Anderson will man left field, Endy Chavez will move to center, and Trot Nixon will shift from left to right.
6/24/08
Lennon lays down law
For what I hope will be the last time this event is mentioned on this website for sometime, David Lennon finally rings in with his opinion on the Willie Randolph situation:
Lennon also goes on to talk about the completely overblown "fertilizer" comment from Jerry Manuel. How can one man be so right sometimes?
First off, I'm supposed to believe that fans actually miss Willie Randolph now? That's a joke, right? Since last September, everyone has been screaming for Randolph to be fired. He was booed at Shea for the first 10 weeks of this season. I've been getting e-mails calling for his head. And now, because he was fired in the middle of the night a week ago, fans want him back?Thank. You.
Enough already. You got what you wanted. So keep the signs at home and stop with the sob stories.
Lennon also goes on to talk about the completely overblown "fertilizer" comment from Jerry Manuel. How can one man be so right sometimes?
Luis Castillo is bad
I can't believe we (fans) and the Mets have three more years (plus this year) of this hobbled, slow footed, injury prone shell of a man he once was.
Luis Castillo, the worst signing of Omar Minaya's career? Looks like it.
No one in their right mind was going to pay Castillo anywhere near that much money, for anywhere near that much time. Minaya went over everyone's heads and signed him for a ridiculous sum for much longer than needed.
Four more years. I wonder how low his disapproval rating will be.
Luis Castillo, the worst signing of Omar Minaya's career? Looks like it.
No one in their right mind was going to pay Castillo anywhere near that much money, for anywhere near that much time. Minaya went over everyone's heads and signed him for a ridiculous sum for much longer than needed.
Four more years. I wonder how low his disapproval rating will be.
Rebuttal: Blame Santana On This One
Lou Di Falco, over at Never Forget 69, pens his latest article entitled "Blame Santana On This One."
From Di Falco:
How could I not see that?
I do agree this is something I would more likely see out of Perez, or even Jorge Sosa, but we all know, or at least we should, that Santana gives up a lot of home runs. He lead the AL in home runs allowed last year with 33. So far in '08, he's given up 14, running at pretty much the same pace.
After that grand slam, Santana buckled down and allowed only three hits and one earned run through the next five innings. The Mets offense on the other hand, after knocking out King Felix in the fifth, managed only two hits off the beleagured Mariners bullpen.
If you're going to place blame, it's on the offense, not Santana.
From Di Falco:
No question the second inning was a bit bizarre. After walking a batter and giving up a hit, with two outs David Wright made an error on a routine ground ball that should have ended the inning. The next batter, the pitcher Felix Hernandez, on the first pitch he has seen all season hit an opposite field grand slam home run. How does this happen? Sorry, but Johan Santana has got to do a better job than that. This you would have expected from Oliver Perez, not Santana. He is supposed to be the Mets stopper. Since the Mets won on Sunday, you had to feel good that with Santana on the mound the Mets had a chance to end up on the right side of the .500 ledger.Ah yes. If you're Santana and your Gold Glove third baseman makes an error to keep the inning alive, then you throw a pitch high and outside of the strike zone to the opposing pitcher, he closes his eyes, swings, and hits a home run, it's obviously all your fault.
How could I not see that?
I do agree this is something I would more likely see out of Perez, or even Jorge Sosa, but we all know, or at least we should, that Santana gives up a lot of home runs. He lead the AL in home runs allowed last year with 33. So far in '08, he's given up 14, running at pretty much the same pace.
After that grand slam, Santana buckled down and allowed only three hits and one earned run through the next five innings. The Mets offense on the other hand, after knocking out King Felix in the fifth, managed only two hits off the beleagured Mariners bullpen.
If you're going to place blame, it's on the offense, not Santana.
Early Morning Madness: Smiles edition
Since Jerry Manuel took over, I've never seen the team smile this much.
Almost everywhere you look, players are flashing their pearly whites. U don't even think I saw Carlos Delgado or Carlos Beltran smile under Willie Randolph. Ever.
This team is playing in a completely new environment under Manuel. He demands hustle and quality play, but he also knows it's a game and you can't be 100 percent somber all the time.
The one smile noticeably absent is that of David Wright, who's struggling at the plate against righties. As mentioned below, Wright will finally see some rest tonight. Hopefully this allows Wright to clear his head and just relax at the plate, as it looks like he's pulling off pitches and trying to rush things.
Either way, players finally seem to be enjoying themselves, and instead of treating games like a funeral service, they look like they have a passion for the game again.
Finally, Manuel is fielding some praise in the New York media, though probably not for the reason one would hope.
From Bob Raissman:
Almost everywhere you look, players are flashing their pearly whites. U don't even think I saw Carlos Delgado or Carlos Beltran smile under Willie Randolph. Ever.
This team is playing in a completely new environment under Manuel. He demands hustle and quality play, but he also knows it's a game and you can't be 100 percent somber all the time.
The one smile noticeably absent is that of David Wright, who's struggling at the plate against righties. As mentioned below, Wright will finally see some rest tonight. Hopefully this allows Wright to clear his head and just relax at the plate, as it looks like he's pulling off pitches and trying to rush things.
Either way, players finally seem to be enjoying themselves, and instead of treating games like a funeral service, they look like they have a passion for the game again.
** * **
Finally, Manuel is fielding some praise in the New York media, though probably not for the reason one would hope.
From Bob Raissman:
It remains to be seen if Jerry Manuel can lead the Mets to the promised land - or at least a trip to the playoffs. But in the eight days since Omar (It Was My Decision) Minaya gave him the keys to his blue and orange jalopy, the interim manager has provided ample evidence that he deserves his own TV show.
** * **
Man, I miss Ryan Church.
6/23/08
It's about time: Wright will ride the pine
Jerry Manuel announced during the post-game that David Wright will sit tomorrow night against the Mariners.
Wright, who had played every inning of every game before assuming the role of DH in Anaheim last week, will finally hit the pine for the first time all season.
Originally, Wright was charged with two errors in Monday's game, but the official scorer eventually changed one to a hit, leaving him with only on error. Wright also grounded out three times, once into an inning ending double play.
As pointed out during out in-game chatter on Mets Lounge, Wright has watched his average slip roughly 20 points since the beginning of June. Enjoy the day off, Wright. Rest up and prepare for the stretch run to the All-Star game.
Wright, who had played every inning of every game before assuming the role of DH in Anaheim last week, will finally hit the pine for the first time all season.
Originally, Wright was charged with two errors in Monday's game, but the official scorer eventually changed one to a hit, leaving him with only on error. Wright also grounded out three times, once into an inning ending double play.
As pointed out during out in-game chatter on Mets Lounge, Wright has watched his average slip roughly 20 points since the beginning of June. Enjoy the day off, Wright. Rest up and prepare for the stretch run to the All-Star game.
TSTDIA: Mariners 5 -- Mets 1
Felix Hernandez hit a grand slam off of Johan Santana and the Mets bats were still in Colorado as the Mets dropped the first game to the worst team in the majors.
The biggest non-story in a long time
When Jerry Manuel said “It's very, very fertile ground for growth in Shea Stadium. It's fertile ground for a team's growth and development. Sometimes, fertile ground has fertilizer," I immediately knew it would be blown entirely out of proportion.
Just as I predicted, the NY Post took this story and ran with it. Here is the classic example of “taking the quote out of context.” When you look that term up in the dictionary, you see an issue of the New York Post. (Please don’t fire me, News Corp.)
If they wanted to be correct, they would have noted that Manuel said this, laughed, and then continued. He was smart enough to attempt to clarify, simply because he knows how some media outlets work.
It worked on one radio host, Mr. Craig Carton of WFAN. Hopefully, he was doing it for the ratings because I simply cannot believe that anyone who is sane and of clear mind would actually thing a new manager would come out and say the fans are akin to cow manure.
Of course, as I walked to Penn Station today, people were scooping up issues of the NY Post to see what Manuel had said. Obviously they’re doing something right, but I wish some of the editors had just the tiniest bit of discretion when it comes to using quotes out of context.
Just as I predicted, the NY Post took this story and ran with it. Here is the classic example of “taking the quote out of context.” When you look that term up in the dictionary, you see an issue of the New York Post. (Please don’t fire me, News Corp.)
If they wanted to be correct, they would have noted that Manuel said this, laughed, and then continued. He was smart enough to attempt to clarify, simply because he knows how some media outlets work.
It worked on one radio host, Mr. Craig Carton of WFAN. Hopefully, he was doing it for the ratings because I simply cannot believe that anyone who is sane and of clear mind would actually thing a new manager would come out and say the fans are akin to cow manure.
Of course, as I walked to Penn Station today, people were scooping up issues of the NY Post to see what Manuel had said. Obviously they’re doing something right, but I wish some of the editors had just the tiniest bit of discretion when it comes to using quotes out of context.
King Felix vs. Johan
Tonight, with the Mariners coming to town, we will be treated to a fierce pitching match up of Felix Hernandez and Johan Santana.
As I've said time and time before, a pitchers duel on paper rarely ever translates to a pitchers duel on the field.
I'd like to see the Mets sweep this series, and it all starts tonight against the M's best pitcher. Should make for a great game, either way.
As always, please join us on Mets Lounge for an in-game thread.
As I've said time and time before, a pitchers duel on paper rarely ever translates to a pitchers duel on the field.
I'd like to see the Mets sweep this series, and it all starts tonight against the M's best pitcher. Should make for a great game, either way.
As always, please join us on Mets Lounge for an in-game thread.
Can the Mets make the jump to FM?
With the Mets contract with WFAN ending this year, I've been wondering if it was remotely possible, plausible, or even smart for the Mets to abandon ship and move to an FM radio station.
Let me begin by saying that in my 1996 Infiniti G20, I might have the worst radio receiver in the world. If I am listening to WFAN, (which I do very often (Boomer & Carton in the mornings, because it's refreshing to hear Mets fans on the radio)) and I press on the gas pedal to get going, the radio starts to wheeze and squeal as I pick up speed. When I start to coast, I usually get an ear-piercing screech, making the station nearly unlistenable. My favorite event is during a thunder storm, as the station completely fuzzes out as lightning strikes in an estimated 50 mile radius.
And of course, I have terrible "dead zones" by my house. Almost without fail, during a critical moment during a Mets game, I drive into one of these "dead zones" and am treated to the loudest, most miserable static any man has ever encountered. I can't move my finger to the CD button quick enough.
But back to the subject at hand: If the Mets were ever to leave WFAN, I would be deeply saddened by losing the wonderful ditty of "LET'S GO METSF-A-N (da-da-DAH!)," and of course, the irreplaceable Steve Somers and Howie Rose. I could do without Wayne Hagin, that's for sure. At this point, I think I'm willing to make the trade and hear the game in her entirety (if need be) than me treated to those awful, awful sounds of static, screeches, whale calls, and howling.
I remember a few years ago when the New York Giants were featured on 102.7 FM for some, if not all of their games. It was refreshing to finally get a squeal-free broadcast, in much higher quality. If only the Mets could transition to that point.
If it's at all possible, I would hope the Mets would look into some sort of move. Fans deserve to hear their team in better quality than AM radio can provide. We have high definition TV's, and though WFAN claims "HD AM" I just don't hear it. HD AM radio seems like the oxymoron of all oxymoron's, with "jumbo shrimp" as the number two in that list.
I'd love to see WFAN make the jump to the FM band, but that's probably impossible. The Mets can move, and making the shift to a better quality FM radio station would be a treat to Mets fans, and especially my ears.
Let me begin by saying that in my 1996 Infiniti G20, I might have the worst radio receiver in the world. If I am listening to WFAN, (which I do very often (Boomer & Carton in the mornings, because it's refreshing to hear Mets fans on the radio)) and I press on the gas pedal to get going, the radio starts to wheeze and squeal as I pick up speed. When I start to coast, I usually get an ear-piercing screech, making the station nearly unlistenable. My favorite event is during a thunder storm, as the station completely fuzzes out as lightning strikes in an estimated 50 mile radius.
And of course, I have terrible "dead zones" by my house. Almost without fail, during a critical moment during a Mets game, I drive into one of these "dead zones" and am treated to the loudest, most miserable static any man has ever encountered. I can't move my finger to the CD button quick enough.
But back to the subject at hand: If the Mets were ever to leave WFAN, I would be deeply saddened by losing the wonderful ditty of "LET'S GO METSF-A-N (da-da-DAH!)," and of course, the irreplaceable Steve Somers and Howie Rose. I could do without Wayne Hagin, that's for sure. At this point, I think I'm willing to make the trade and hear the game in her entirety (if need be) than me treated to those awful, awful sounds of static, screeches, whale calls, and howling.
I remember a few years ago when the New York Giants were featured on 102.7 FM for some, if not all of their games. It was refreshing to finally get a squeal-free broadcast, in much higher quality. If only the Mets could transition to that point.
If it's at all possible, I would hope the Mets would look into some sort of move. Fans deserve to hear their team in better quality than AM radio can provide. We have high definition TV's, and though WFAN claims "HD AM" I just don't hear it. HD AM radio seems like the oxymoron of all oxymoron's, with "jumbo shrimp" as the number two in that list.
I'd love to see WFAN make the jump to the FM band, but that's probably impossible. The Mets can move, and making the shift to a better quality FM radio station would be a treat to Mets fans, and especially my ears.
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