Thanks are in order

I must send out a huge thank you to 'Duk from Big League Stew.

Yesterday, he linked to a story on his blog. That blog got promoted to Yahoo.com, and that all helped the site have it's biggest day ever.

And thank you all for reading over the past two years. I don't plan on stopping or slowing down anytime soon. This has been an amazing experience. I couldn't have done it without all the support from the readers.

Thanks!

Early Morning Madness: Brandon Knight is having a pretty good couple of months edition

Brandon Knight was playing baseball this season with the Somerset Patriots. Then, he got picked up by the Mets, and moved into their farm system. A pretty good day.

Recently, he was named to the US Olympic baseball team, and will travel to China to compete for a gold medal. An awesome day.

Now, Knight might get another shot at the bigs.

With Pedro Martinez home after his father's death, the Mets need a starter for Saturday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. It looks like Knight might be that guy.

Knight has tasted the show before, pitching in 11 games with the Yankees, amassing an ERA of 10.71. But at AAA New Orleans this year, through 11 games, he is 5-1 with an ERA of 1.60. In 39 1-3 innings for the Zephyrs, has surrendered 23 hits and seven earned runs. He's walked 10, but struck out 49 batters.

Here's the quandary in my mind: Where would you rather be? Experiencing a once in a lifetime opportunity, going to China for the Olympics and participating in something so grand? Or getting possibly just one shot at showing the Mets what you have to offer in a spot start in Major League Baseball?

Honestly, that is a tough choice. This could all be moot if the Mets tab Brian Stokes or someone else as their starter. I'm just glad I don't have to make this decision for the Mets.

Hey, whatever happened to Nelson Figueroa?

Welcome to first place, Mets fans

All by their lonesome...

How beautiful is that image?

TSTDIA: Mets 3 -- Phillies 1

Carlos Delgado backed up a dominating effort from Oliver Perez with two RBI's in the bottom of the eighth inning to put the Mets over the Phillies and into first place all by their lonesome.

Welcome to first place, Mets fans.

This is not possible. Ever.

Just read that "stat" on the bottom line.

Nice try, ESPN!

This tagline couldn't come at a worse time

"Pedro's arm is dying"

Uhh...Deadspin, you might want to read around before you post something like that. (For those that don't know, Pedro's father lost his battle with brain cancer last night, and Martinez has left the team to be with his family.)

I'm sorry, what? The Marlins like playing in front of no one?

Let me lead off with a quote from the Miami Herald:

Yes, it is a bummer for this pennant contender that folks aren't in the stands. But it also is a blessing the few sets of eyes on them are either looking through a rosy prism or not really paying attention.
That is an advantage only the Marlins enjoy.

This seems so absolutely foreign to me, I don't even know where I'd begin to break this down. Not every Mets game is a sellout, but it's pretty close. Tickets for the good seats are tough to get, and if you do land them, they'll cost you.

The Marlins...are a completely different story. When the Mets head down to south Florida to play the Fish, the stands are vacant. "Let's go Mets!" chants are easily heard chorusing from the fans. There may even be more Mets fans than there are Marlins fans.

And they like it like that?

MH:

The Marlins are living in that sweet spot of success, that fertile place where expectations remain low and the scrutiny is still bearable. The Mets and Phillies long ago vacated that friendly place, so we freely discuss the Mets' awful clubhouse chemistry and gauge the love-hate relationship between the Phillies and their fans -- the ones who booed Mike Schmidt.
The Marlins?
They skip happily along their improbable path to improbable contention with no pressure, no second-guessing and, seemingly, no worries.

Well, I don't think you can call the clubhouse chemistry "awful." Especially if you're reporting from Florida. Sure, there are probably cliques and discrepancies, but everyone has that, whether it's publicized (in the New York media) or mentioned (in the Florida media).

I get it. The Marlins don't play under the microscope of a city. If they lose, they lose and no one seems to care. If they win, they win and still, no one seems to care.

To me, that stinks. I'm glad I root for a team that plays in New York. Maybe the media is too quick to tear some people down, but you have to take things you read with a grain of salt and make your own impressions. I couldn't fathom enjoying a team whose fan base won't even make the trek out to the stadium to support them.

I have just one thing to say, Let's go Mets!

Jose Reyes must read my blog

Yesterday, I told the Mets to burn this image into their memory. I told them to use it as motivation for their games against Philadelphia and beyond.

Well after Jose Reyes hit his three run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the Mets in the lead for good, Reyes showed his rebuttal to Jimmy Rollins' celebration.

There you have it. Note the gait of Reyes, the confidence in rounding the bases, the power. The finger held high, which went up as soon as the ball cleared the wall.

Also look at Rollins, who can't bear to look at Reyes as he rounds the bases. Pat Burrell in left looks even more distraught, standing with his arms folded at his chest. I love it.

Reyes has just provided great imagery for the Mets. Post this up on the wall of the locker room at Shea. Remember this photo.
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Early Morning Madness: Numero uno edition

As a Mets fan, did you feel comfortable at any point during last night's game?

I think maybe during the top of the first inning, I was all right, but after that it was nervous city. John Maine surrendered his early lead very quickly, on back to back home runs. He was handed another lead, but let that one slip away as well. Still, the Mets did not relent, and Jose Reyes vaulted them into the lead for good in the sixth inning.

Maine's start wasn't as bad as I'm describing it. He only allowed six hits, and three earned runs thanks to two solo shots.

However the Mets did it, they're back in a first place tie with the Phillies with today's noon game determining who will land in first after this series.

** * **

Our thoughts go out to Pedro Martinez and his family. Pedro's father lost his long battle with cancer last night.

Pedro lefts the team in the seventh inning to tend to his family. Martinez will miss his scheduled start on Friday. Mike Pelfrey will pitch that game, with Johan Santana going on Sunday. The Saturday pitcher is still yet to be determined.

R.I.P. Mr. Martinez.

** * **

This is just stupid.

Bob Raissman has quotes from Fred Wilpon where he admits to screwing up the Willie Randolph firing.

From Raissman:

Fred Wilpon said he learned something from firing Willie Randolph. And it is this: The next time he fires a manager he'll do it in the light of day, when reporters are not sleeping.
---
"I said (to Omar Minaya) 'When are you going to do this?' He said 'After the game (Mets-Angels, June 16).' I wasn't smart enough to say, 'And cut the New York press out of it?' I didn't even think of it," Wilpon said. "I screwed up."

Great. Wonderful. Super. It took two months for this?

I think this just makes the team look even worse than before. We knew you handled it poorly, you knew you handled it poorly, so coming out and saying it two months later makes you look like even bigger buffoons than before.

TSTDIA: Mets 6 -- Phillies 3

And that's how you do it! Jose Reyes broke up the tie with a three run blast in the sixth. It was all backed up by seven strong innings by John Maine and a great bullpen performance by Joe Smith, Scott Schoeneweis, and the one and only Billy Wagner, who closed out the game 1-2-3 in the ninth.

And back into first...