If this photo isn't a metaphor
for the Mets season
as they approach the finish line,
I don't know what is.
AP photo
for the Mets season
as they approach the finish line,
I don't know what is.
AP photo
9/23/08
9/22/08
Game Recap: Cubs 9 -- Mets 5
The Mets are teases.
Pitching Performance
Jon Niese turned in three decent innings, and one terrible one. He surrendered seven hits and six runs, five of which came in the fourth inning. The opposing pitcher, Jason Marquis, hit a grand slam over the right field wall.
First three were nice, the fourth inning was a disaster. Maybe instead of starting pitching, we just patch together a bunch of players who can throw a few innings at a time. Throw bullpen by committee out the window, how about entire game pitching by committee?
Nelson Figueroa allowed a solo home run to finish off the big inning for the Cubs. Robert Parnell allowed his first hit and first run in the his major league career, in two innings of work.
Bound to happen sometime.
Duaner Sanchez and Aaron Heilman each turned in scoreless performances, an inning of baseball each.
Shocked.
Luis Ayala allowed a run on a butcher boy hit to second, scoring a man from third. Ricardo Rincon came on and got a pop-up to end the ninth inning threat.
Offensive Output
...if you can call it that.
The Mets were held scoreless in the first inning, but were able to scratch one out in the second. Carlos Delgado was able to score on a wild pitch from Marquis. In the third, Daniel Murphy doubled into the left field corner, scoring Jose Reyes.
Looked like a good night for the bats, but they then killed three rallies, with two double plays and leaving nine on base. Awful.
David Wright drove in a pair with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, just tipping off the glove of Alfonso Soriano's glove over the AIG sign.
That puts him at the 120 RBI plateau, with 33 home runs. Pretty good season, if you ask me.
The Mets threatened in the ninth inning, scoring one run in the ninth, but were unable to push any more across to close the gap.
The Rest of the Story
Phillies win, Brewers had off. Mets are 2.5 back in the East, and one up in the Wild Card.
Carlos Beltran had to leave the game in the seventh after crashing into the wall in the sixth inning after making a running catch at the warning track.
Game Ball: David Wright. (2-4, BB, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI)
Pitching Performance
Jon Niese turned in three decent innings, and one terrible one. He surrendered seven hits and six runs, five of which came in the fourth inning. The opposing pitcher, Jason Marquis, hit a grand slam over the right field wall.
First three were nice, the fourth inning was a disaster. Maybe instead of starting pitching, we just patch together a bunch of players who can throw a few innings at a time. Throw bullpen by committee out the window, how about entire game pitching by committee?
Nelson Figueroa allowed a solo home run to finish off the big inning for the Cubs. Robert Parnell allowed his first hit and first run in the his major league career, in two innings of work.
Bound to happen sometime.
Duaner Sanchez and Aaron Heilman each turned in scoreless performances, an inning of baseball each.
Shocked.
Luis Ayala allowed a run on a butcher boy hit to second, scoring a man from third. Ricardo Rincon came on and got a pop-up to end the ninth inning threat.
Offensive Output
...if you can call it that.
The Mets were held scoreless in the first inning, but were able to scratch one out in the second. Carlos Delgado was able to score on a wild pitch from Marquis. In the third, Daniel Murphy doubled into the left field corner, scoring Jose Reyes.
Looked like a good night for the bats, but they then killed three rallies, with two double plays and leaving nine on base. Awful.
David Wright drove in a pair with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, just tipping off the glove of Alfonso Soriano's glove over the AIG sign.
That puts him at the 120 RBI plateau, with 33 home runs. Pretty good season, if you ask me.
The Mets threatened in the ninth inning, scoring one run in the ninth, but were unable to push any more across to close the gap.
The Rest of the Story
Phillies win, Brewers had off. Mets are 2.5 back in the East, and one up in the Wild Card.
Carlos Beltran had to leave the game in the seventh after crashing into the wall in the sixth inning after making a running catch at the warning track.
Game Ball: David Wright. (2-4, BB, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI)
Dear Brewers...
A letter sent from the Mets to the Brewers.
Dear Brewers,
The Wild Card is yours for the taking.
We're going to roll over and die during the last week of the season again, so feel free to snatch it up if you really want it.
Enjoy October baseball!
Sincerely,
The Mets
Dear Brewers,
The Wild Card is yours for the taking.
We're going to roll over and die during the last week of the season again, so feel free to snatch it up if you really want it.
Enjoy October baseball!
Sincerely,
The Mets
Buster T. Bison is a creepy mascot [Updated]
I have no words.Update:
And just when I thought it couldn't get any weirder...it did.
I present to you: Belle "The Ballpark Diva"
Ew.Another update:
What is wrong with this thing???
Just. Plain. Creepy.A frightening, sobering statistic
This is pretty depressing.
Jayson Stark takes a look at the Mets bullpen, and crunches the numbers if the official MLB game was six, or eight innings.
Here's what he found: If the game was only six innings long, the Mets would have an 11 1/2 game lead over the Phillies, with a record of 84-52 to 71-62.
Even if the game was eight innings, the Mets would be up by 6 1/2 games, 83-59 to 75-64.
Could you imagine? All that heartbreak, defeat, and antacids would never have come to pass.
Too bad, it's nine innings and the Mets are 1 1/2 back in the East, but 1 1/2 up in the Wild Card. Just win, Mets. I'll say it time and again, but all they need to do is win and make this all go away.
Jayson Stark takes a look at the Mets bullpen, and crunches the numbers if the official MLB game was six, or eight innings.
Here's what he found: If the game was only six innings long, the Mets would have an 11 1/2 game lead over the Phillies, with a record of 84-52 to 71-62.
Even if the game was eight innings, the Mets would be up by 6 1/2 games, 83-59 to 75-64.
Could you imagine? All that heartbreak, defeat, and antacids would never have come to pass.
Too bad, it's nine innings and the Mets are 1 1/2 back in the East, but 1 1/2 up in the Wild Card. Just win, Mets. I'll say it time and again, but all they need to do is win and make this all go away.
Buffalo bound
So long New Orleans, hello Buffalo.
The Mets and the Buffalo Bisons have agreed to a two-year player development contract, starting next season. The Mets will house their AAA team in Buffalo, marking their third organization in so many years.
The trip from Buffalo to New York City is a lot shorter, so shuttling any players will be much easier.
According to the article on MiLB.com, this isn't the first time the Mets and Bisons have hooked up. Buffalo was the minor league affiliate for the Mets during the 1963-65 seasons.
I don't think it really matters where the players are, as long as they're managed and taught correctly. The Bisons had previously been linked to the Cleveland Indians, who have a very good young crop of players, so they must be doing something right.
Now there are three minor league affiliates for the Mets in New York state. If a player plays their cards right, they could play their whole career, both minor and major, with New York as their home base.
The Mets and the Buffalo Bisons have agreed to a two-year player development contract, starting next season. The Mets will house their AAA team in Buffalo, marking their third organization in so many years.
The trip from Buffalo to New York City is a lot shorter, so shuttling any players will be much easier.
According to the article on MiLB.com, this isn't the first time the Mets and Bisons have hooked up. Buffalo was the minor league affiliate for the Mets during the 1963-65 seasons.
I don't think it really matters where the players are, as long as they're managed and taught correctly. The Bisons had previously been linked to the Cleveland Indians, who have a very good young crop of players, so they must be doing something right.
Now there are three minor league affiliates for the Mets in New York state. If a player plays their cards right, they could play their whole career, both minor and major, with New York as their home base.
Would Lou Pinella actually do this?
Knowing him, it's entirely possible.
Jeff Passan throws out a scenario that would be absolutely crazy for anyone else but Lou Pinella.
As plausible as it is, I can't see Pinella trotting out a team of young guys. Maybe a mix and match, resting some of his key players for the playoffs by giving them a day or two off, but not much more than that.
You never know, though. All the Mets need to do is win. Win, and they control their own destiny. It's a simple concept, but they still haven't been able to grasp it.
As I said last night, the Mets had an awful day yesterday, and slipped in both the NL East and Wild Card standings. Tonight, we are all Braves fans, as the Phillies kick off a three game series at home. The Brewers have today off, but tomorrow we all should be rooting for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Go Braves. Go Pirates. Go Mets.
Jeff Passan throws out a scenario that would be absolutely crazy for anyone else but Lou Pinella.
Were Lou Piniella the scheming type – and, well, he’s been around long enough, in the game and in Chicago, to understand that a little bit of maneuvering is encouraged – he could influence the entire NL playoff scene. If the Cubs prefer playing the Phillies, Piniella could cobble together a lineup of Micah Hoffpauir, Casey McGehee, Koyie Hill, Daryle Ward and others for the four-game series against the Mets starting Monday, then end the regular season against Milwaukee with his regular lineup. Mets win the division; Phillies get the wild card; Brewers out. Or they may prefer the Mets to the Phillies.I honestly wounld not put that past old Lou. But knowing the Mets, they'd still lose to a bunch of September call-ups and really screw things up.
As plausible as it is, I can't see Pinella trotting out a team of young guys. Maybe a mix and match, resting some of his key players for the playoffs by giving them a day or two off, but not much more than that.
You never know, though. All the Mets need to do is win. Win, and they control their own destiny. It's a simple concept, but they still haven't been able to grasp it.
As I said last night, the Mets had an awful day yesterday, and slipped in both the NL East and Wild Card standings. Tonight, we are all Braves fans, as the Phillies kick off a three game series at home. The Brewers have today off, but tomorrow we all should be rooting for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Go Braves. Go Pirates. Go Mets.
A terrible day for the Mets
Bad timing, Mets.
Mets lose 7-6.
Phillies win 5-2.
Brewers win 8-1.
That puts the Mets 1.5 games back of the Phillies in the NL East and their lead shrinks to 1.5 over the Brewers in the Wild Card.
This will be the week that the Mets prove themselves, or fall into obscurity (and the answer to another bad trivia question). The Cubbies come into Shea, a team that if they do make the postseason, they may have to play in either the first or the second round, depending.
If the Mets can beat the Cubs, it will not only vault them into the postseason, it will show the players and the fans that they are capable of beating a playoff caliber team.
Big week, without a doubt. Jason Marquis, Rich Harden, Carlos Zambrano, and Ted Lilly. Four excellent pitchers who have combined to go 50-26 on the season. Realistically, I'd hope for a split. A sweep is simply out of the question, with the Mets unable to beat up, or even win series over lowly teams.
Should be fun, if not frustrating.
Mets lose 7-6.
Phillies win 5-2.
Brewers win 8-1.
That puts the Mets 1.5 games back of the Phillies in the NL East and their lead shrinks to 1.5 over the Brewers in the Wild Card.
This will be the week that the Mets prove themselves, or fall into obscurity (and the answer to another bad trivia question). The Cubbies come into Shea, a team that if they do make the postseason, they may have to play in either the first or the second round, depending.
If the Mets can beat the Cubs, it will not only vault them into the postseason, it will show the players and the fans that they are capable of beating a playoff caliber team.
Big week, without a doubt. Jason Marquis, Rich Harden, Carlos Zambrano, and Ted Lilly. Four excellent pitchers who have combined to go 50-26 on the season. Realistically, I'd hope for a split. A sweep is simply out of the question, with the Mets unable to beat up, or even win series over lowly teams.
Should be fun, if not frustrating.
9/21/08
Game Recap: Braves 7 -- Mets 6
If the Mets make the playoffs, they'll either back in or be very, very lucky.
Pitching Performance
Another good start down the drain. Mike Pelfrey threw six innings, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out two, needing 106 pitches to work through the Braves.
He wasn't great, but he wasn't terrible. Wish he could have stayed in a little longer, but hindsight in 20/20.
Let the mixing and matching begin.
Brian Stokes came in, and allowed one hit in 2-3 of an inning. Ricardo Rincon finished out the seventh scoreless.
Scott Schoeneweis started the eight, and ended up giving up two runs on two hits in 1-3 of an inning. Joe Smith did not record an out, and let in a run on one hit. Pedro Feliciano was charged with a run, walking one in 1-3 of an inning. Aaron Heilman let the game get out of reach, allowing a two run double before registering the last out. The runs were charged to Smith and Feliciano.
Figures, the Mets bullpen gives up just enough to put it out of reach. Not pretty.
Offensive Output
Too little, too late.
Surprise! First inning runs for the Mets! It all started with Carlos Delgado, when he doubled to right, driving in David Wright. After the bases has a few sips of beer and got drunk, Luis Castillo worked out a walk to drive in another run.
I love that the score so much in the first.
In the second, the Mets added on, as Wright hit a two-run home run to center, plating Pelfrey.
Woo-hoo!
From there, the Mets were held off the board until the ninth inning. They had many, many chances, but they all slipped right on by. They left nine on base, and that came back to hurt them.
With the Mets down three runs in the top of the ninth, Carlos Delgado blasted a two-run home run to deep right field, driving in Wright.
Too little, too late.
The Rest of the Story
The Mets knocked out the Atlanta starter after only one and 2-3 innings. The Braves bullpen (six pitchers) held the Mets to only two runs.
Game Ball: David Wright.
Pitching Performance
Another good start down the drain. Mike Pelfrey threw six innings, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out two, needing 106 pitches to work through the Braves.
He wasn't great, but he wasn't terrible. Wish he could have stayed in a little longer, but hindsight in 20/20.
Let the mixing and matching begin.
Brian Stokes came in, and allowed one hit in 2-3 of an inning. Ricardo Rincon finished out the seventh scoreless.
Scott Schoeneweis started the eight, and ended up giving up two runs on two hits in 1-3 of an inning. Joe Smith did not record an out, and let in a run on one hit. Pedro Feliciano was charged with a run, walking one in 1-3 of an inning. Aaron Heilman let the game get out of reach, allowing a two run double before registering the last out. The runs were charged to Smith and Feliciano.
Figures, the Mets bullpen gives up just enough to put it out of reach. Not pretty.
Offensive Output
Too little, too late.
Surprise! First inning runs for the Mets! It all started with Carlos Delgado, when he doubled to right, driving in David Wright. After the bases has a few sips of beer and got drunk, Luis Castillo worked out a walk to drive in another run.
I love that the score so much in the first.
In the second, the Mets added on, as Wright hit a two-run home run to center, plating Pelfrey.
Woo-hoo!
From there, the Mets were held off the board until the ninth inning. They had many, many chances, but they all slipped right on by. They left nine on base, and that came back to hurt them.
With the Mets down three runs in the top of the ninth, Carlos Delgado blasted a two-run home run to deep right field, driving in Wright.
Too little, too late.
The Rest of the Story
The Mets knocked out the Atlanta starter after only one and 2-3 innings. The Braves bullpen (six pitchers) held the Mets to only two runs.
Game Ball: David Wright.
Say goodbye to Yankee Stadium
I don't have many memories from Yankee Stadium, but it's a baseball landmark in New York.
Head over to Scott Proctor's Arm for a final wave goodbye to the historic venue.
I bid thee, adieu.
Head over to Scott Proctor's Arm for a final wave goodbye to the historic venue.
I bid thee, adieu.
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