David Wright’s new best friend

David Wright plans on playing on Sept. 1, sixteen days after taking a 94 mph fastball to the helmet.

To help protect him from any further headshots, Wright will be sporting a new helmet when he return to the Mets, or at least as soon as Rawlings gets it to him.

The S100 helmet is designed to withstand up to 100 mph from two feet away, while current batting helmets must only withstand 60 mph from two feet away.

“When they get it to me, I’ll wear it,” Wright told the NY Times.  The Times notes that Wright should have the helmet when he returns to action in Colorado on Tuesday.

The helmet retails for $99.99.

Manuel’s Musing

“I'd like to see better command. He's had some success.”

-Jerry Manuel on Bobby Parnell

Parnell pounded in 11-4 loss

It’s almost exciting watching how many ways the Mets will find to lose a game.  Today it came via the grand slam.

Bobby Parnell surrendered a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning, ending his day.  Parnell allowed eight earned runs on nine hits and two walks.  He lasted only 4 2-3 innings, needing 110 pitches.

Is the Parnell experiment over yet?  Or will the Mets just let him take his licks in the rotation?

Ken Takahashi pitched 1-3 of an inning, allowing one run to score.

Lance Broadway made his Mets debut, pitching three innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits.  He walked one and struck out three.

Yay?

The Mets got a pair of two-run doubles from Jeff Francoeur and Brian Schneider respectively.

Just a game closer to ending 2009.

Twitter Poll: What’s a good metaphor for the Mets season?

The 2009 season has been nothing short of disaster.  So I asked my Twitter followers for their best metaphor for this season.

Here are some responses…

BergersBookRev said: The Mets are like a half-eaten worm, left by a bird to squirm around helplessly without its head.

doug_whitehorn said: the 2009 Mets season. The definition of adding insult to injury.

LennyChiarello said: No metaphors needed..."Trainwreck" that's it

wmburden said: from the hit series M*A*S*H comes M*E*T*S exclusively on SNY.

RobinBoyWonders said: "Will the last Met standing, please turn off the lights!"

metgirl4ever said: "damaged goods"

acesigma said: 2009 Mets? "LostMess.com"

LouieBolkovic said: 2009 Mets are like a horror movie with 8 sequels - the original is scary as hell, but by the 8th sequel its more of a comedy

cvelardi said: 40 years after the Miracle Mets.. you get the Medical Me(t)ss..

newyorkr521 said: "What's the worst that could happpen?"

What’s your best metaphor for 2009?

Manuel’s Musing

“He gave us a legitimate chance to win that game. It's unfortunate that we couldn't get it done.”

-Jerry Manuel on Pat Misch

Stokes surrenders 8th inning home run in loss

Pat Misch was excellent.  Mets struggled to score runs.  Bullpen surrendered home runs.  Mets lost.

Just another day for the Mets.

Misch, making his first start for the Mets, lasted seven innings, allowing only one run.  He let up six hits, walked two and struck out two.  It was his longest outing of his career, tossing 98 pitches.

Brian Stokes entered, allowed a game tying hit, then surrendered a three-run home run to Alfonso Soriano.  Those were the first runs Stokes has given up since August 1, over 12 1-3 innings.

The anemic Mets offense managed only two runs on seven hits.  Omir Santos and Fernando Tatis drove in the runs on a single and double respectively.

But hey, no one got hurt.

Lineup for Game 129

Pat Misch making his first start for the Mets today, likely backed up by Lance Broadway.  Here’s the lineup…

1. Angel Pagan – CF
2. Luis Castillo – 2B
3. Daniel Murphy – 1B
4. Jeff Francoeur – RF
5. Fernando Tatis – 3B
6. Omir Santos – C
7. Cory Sullivan – LF
8. Wilson Valdez – SS
9. Pat Misch – LHP

Hit the comments to discuss the game.

Will the Wilpons sell the Mets?

The author of a new Bernie Madoff book believes so.

Erin Arvelund, author of “Too Good To Be True,” a book about Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, believes the Wilpons lost somewhere around $700 million and will be forced to sell the Mets very soon.

“You can quote me,” Arvedlund told FOX Business. “It's a matter of when. It could be as soon as next year.”

The Mets, obviously, refute the rumor.

A Mets spokeswoman told FOX Business on Thursday by e-mail:

“The numbers speculated continue to be inaccurate. We refute what has been reported. As we have said on numerous occasions, losses incurred by the Sterling Partners do not and will not affect the day-to-day operations and long-term plans of the Mets organization. The team is not for sale in any respect.” Wilpon's Sterling company controls the Mets franchise.

Well here’s another storyline to watch for in the coming months or years.  This team is never boring, that’s for sure.

h/t to The Mets Police

Report: Jose Reyes has torn hamstring, may require surgery

In a report for the Daily News, Adam Rubin relays info from a source that Jose Reyes has a completely torn hamstring and may require surgery.

Rubin writes:

While hardly ideal, surgery is not necessarily as ominous as it might sound. That tendon is expendable, and is sometimes partly removed and inserted into the elbow when a pitcher undergoes Tommy John surgery.

This morning on Twitter, pAuLiE_bRuZ asked me, “Do you think it’s a joke that they are deciding now that Reyes needs surgery?”

To put it plainly: No.

This season has seen a multitude of injuries and another one getting worse is no surprise.  The Mets front office needs to take a very serious look at their training staff and their medical professionals.  Things like this shouldn’t be found out months after the fact.

Something is very, very wrong with all of this.

Chris Carter claimed by Yankees

When the Mets traded Billy Wagner to the Red Sox, they were to receive two players to be named later.  It was reported that Chris Carter, a 27-year-old first baseman/corner outfielder, was one of the players heading to the Mets.

But a third team, the New York Yankees, have thrown a wrench into the process.

As the Sox need to send Carter to the Mets, they had to put him on waivers with the intent that he would not be claimed and they could send him to Queens.  Instead, the Yankees claimed him.

Obviously, the Red Sox pulled him back off waivers and will now have to keep him on their 40-man roster for the remainder of the season.

The Mets will still receive Carter, but it will have to wait until the off-season.  So thanks to the Yankees, instead of seeing Carter in Citi Field this September, we’ll have to wait until spring training to see what talent he has.

Thanks a lot, Brian Cashman!

Update: Let me clarify.

I think this is a bushleague move by the Yankees, as the Red Sox already have Billy Wagner and they just want Boston to have to keep Carter on their roster for the remainder of the season.

For the Mets, this won’t affect them much.  I have no notion that Carter is the next great first baseman the Mets have been searching for.  He might be decent off the bench, if that, but nothing more.

This is more a critique of the Yankees / Red Sox rivalry than anything regarding the Mets roster.

It would be nice to see Carter, but I’m not going to lose sleep over having to wait to watch him in blue and orange.