Manuel’s Musing

“My honest feeling is that he will make a push to be in Puerto Rico. That's home. He might end up there. I don't know.”

-Jerry Manuel on Carlos Beltran returning for the series in Puerto Rico

The magic of R.A. Dickey

What a pleasant surprise he has been.

R.A. Dickey is another of Omar Minaya's scrap heap pickups that has surpassed expectations and performed admirably for the team.  If he could build a team entirely off of low-risk players a year removed from mediocrity, I think he would.  The team would probably be horrible, though.

His one pickup a year seems to do well, though.

Honestly, raise your hand if you thought Dickey would a) make a start for the Mets this season and b) actually do well.

None of you?  That's what I thought.

But I can't complain.  He's been awesome so far and there's no sign of him stopping yet.

Just waiting for the two-year, $10 million contract for Dickey at year's end.

Offense go boom

If you haven't figured it out by now, the blog is lacking a bit.  I started my first real job - eeeep! - last week and I have a fairly long commute.  The job is awesome, but I'm not used to working all day long and driving three hours every day, so I usually come home pretty exhausted.

Last night, I plopped myself in front of the television in the third inning (after listening to the first two in the car) and promptly fell asleep.  I woke up about twenty minutes before the rain delay finished up and watched the Mets pound the Tigers pitching for eight runs in one inning.

Then, I fell asleep again.

I woke up to watch Jon Niese struggle for about two minutes before my eyes fell closed once more.

Later, I woke to see the Mets push a few more across before I was out for the night.  Magically, I woke up right as the game ended and Gary Cohen sent the viewers to the post game.

So my night was filled with naps spotted by the Mets scoring runs.  Not too shabby.

Manuel’s Musing

“He was my Yale. And Felipe Alou was my Harvard.”

-Jerry Manuel on Jim Leyland and coaches he looked up to

Do not agree

From Jon Heyman's "Best decisions of the past year"...

12. The Mets' decision to retain Jerry Manuel after an abysmal 2009 season

Manuel was put on warning, but Mets ownership never seemed close to firing him, even after the team started poorly in 2010. To Manuel's credit, a more confident, positive feeling in the clubhouse has aided the team's rather stark turnaround to the top of the wild card standings. Manuel has a very thick skin (a necessity in New York) and a knack for developing a positive feeling, even when things appear down. He has an option for about $1.5 million for 2010, but a multiyear extension is in order.

To me, the Mets are winning in spite of Manuel.  He's not exactly helping the matter, but he's not really hurting them either.  Yes, he's made some strange bullpen decisions and his campaign to keep Jenrry Mejia on the Mets should have netted him a few slaps on the wrist.

But the Mets keeping Manuel isn't the 12th best decision in baseball. Right now, it's a wash, if anything.

Manuel’s Musing

“We like to win every game we can. When all is said and done, however, if you would have told me that we'd go 7-2 on this nine-game road trip, I'd take it.”

-Jerry Manuel

Today deemed victorious

Yeah, the Mets lost 4-0 to the Yankees and dropped the series to them.

But today, the Mets did the right thing.

They sent Jenrry Mejia down to Double-A Binghamton to work as a starting pitcher.

Glad the team finally got around to figuring out something the fans concluded months ago.

So celebrate, Mets fans.  The team lost today, but for the future, they are victorious.

Update – 6:17 p.m.: Bobby Parnell will replace Mejia on the Mets roster.

My family, the Yankee fans

Disclaimer: I love my family.

Second disclaimer: They’re all the worst kind of Yankee fans.

I don’t hate the Yankees.  Never have, never will.  I may root against them at times, but I don’t hate them like I hate the Phillies, Braves and Marlins.  (Sorry, Nats.)  But I do hate most Yankee fans – especially the ones my family embodies.

(Aside: Happy Father’s Day, Dad.  Thank you for making me a Mets fan.  I’ll always love you for it, even if they’re kind of dysfunctional.)

But for some reason, my family flat-out despises the New York Mets.

Not like the “Grr, that silly baseball team from Queens, taking the spotlight away from my Yanks!”  No, no.  They’re the “OOOOH METS LOSTTTTTTTTT!!! The Yankees won today! You should root for the best team!  The Yankees!!”

I try to combat that with “Hey, the Mets are still winning the season series.” or “The Yankees only have three more wins than the Mets.”

But no.  It’s always excuses for them.

“Oh, well the Yankees have been hurt! Jorge has been hurt! Joba something something. Pettitte blah blah.”

(I stop listening.)

They’re always the quickest to rub a loss in my face.  To tout the Yankees victories.  Even when they’re not playing each other.

I was teased with a “Na Na Na Poo Poo!” when the Mets season ended in ‘06, ‘07 and ‘08.  I was the subject of mockery last season with the injuries and oft-terrible play.

I’ll never understand why or how they hate my team so much.  It’s like the Mets are some sort of evil cousin to the all-mighty Yankees and they must be taunted and made fun of at every turn.

So yeah, I love my family.  But I really hate that they’re Yankee fans.

Manuel’s Musing

“There will be times when it appears to be some frustration. But he lets it out, and he gets back to playing baseball.”

-Jerry Manuel on Jose Reyes

Yessir!