The End of an Error: Mets Win 3-0

Miguel Batista pitched a 2-hit complete game shut out to lead the Mets to victory in their final game of the 2011 campaign.

But people won't remember that: this was potentially Jose Reyes's last game as a Met...and he hit a leadoff bunt single and then came out of the game. As of right now, he leads the National League with a .337 batting average.

Milwaukee's Ryan Braun would have to go 3-3 or 3-4 to snatch the title from Reyes. If Braun fails, Reyes will be the first batting champion in franchise history.

Hello, offseason. Please be over soon.

Final David Wright Strikeout Counter: $9.70 <---bummer

How Hard is it to Stay Above .500?

That's the question I keep asking myself this morning after the Mets lost another heartbreaker to the Marlins.

Note to Terry Collins: You don't put the guy the blew the game the night before into the next game. But then again, maybe our bullpen is just that bad where we need to put Jason Isringhausen into every game.

Note to Mets offense: When your starting pitcher only allows two solo home runs to Omar Infante over six innings, you have to back him up. Pitching alone isn't going to win it every time. Unless you're the Phillies.

Another Note to Terry Collins: You don't put Jon Niese in as the pinch runner in the bottom of the ninth with nobody out unless you're positive Daniel Murphy is going to hit a home run.

That's all I'm really going to say about last night's game. I'm predicting a loss tonight because once the Mets get three or four games above .500, they tend to lose the next four or five games to fall back under .500.

Maybe I'm more aggravated because I have to listen to the Marlins feed. Go figure.

David Wright Striekout Counter: $4.90

Why Johan Santana Should be Sidelined

It's August 2, and the news all over the Twitterverse was that Johan Santana has suffered a setback and will be visiting the doctor this Thursday to see if he would be able to pitch at all this year.

He shouldn't. It's moot.

The Mets are still (!!!) in the Wild Card chase, being one game over .500, so you would think that a pitcher like Santana would help the Mets come September. After all, Santana is statistically a second half pitcher.

But Santana should be sidelined for the year. Why?

By the time Santana rehabs and is ready to help the Mets, it remains unknown where the Mets will be in the hunt. For all we know, the Mets could lose the next 15 games, thus eliminating themselves. If we're mathematically out, then there is really no need for a pitcher of Santana's caliber. The Mets were also flirting with a six man rotation should Santana return. Sure, a longer time between starts could help some of the younger pitchers and certainly Santana, but what about Cappy and RAH Dickey? Do they suffer because of the longer time between starts?

Plus there's the giant elephant in the room. The Mets don't score runs for Santana. No really. I think their average runs per start is like 1.7 or something ridiculously low like that. If Santana lets off two runs, he loses...almost everytime.

For as many reasons there is to bring Johan back, there's just as many reasons to sideline him. I would aim for 2012 for the Johan Santana comeback.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $4.80

I'm Just So Happy He's Back!!!

Sure, the Mets lost two out of three to the Marlins. Sure, I had to endure the Marlins telecast and not Gary, Keith and Ron (I do have to give the Marlins announcers credit where it was due: they did name David Wright the player of the game on Friday). But David Wright is back.

And he's seeing the ball well. He was 6 for 14 this weekend against the Marlins with 1 HR and 6 RBI (he also added to my David Wright Strikeout Counter, the value of which will be added at the end of this post).

Hopefully, he lets the good times roll in Cincy and the pitching actually backs up the adequate offense it has been receiving.

Getting Wright back at this point in the season is an acquistion in itself; the offense was stagnating and Wright provided a spark at exactly the right time. He also started a new thing...either a spotlight or an air high five...I don't know exactly.

David and Jose are also back together and my left side of the infield is finally back to normal. I love watching the way David and Jose feed off each other and help each other become better baseball players.

If there was one thing I could ask David though, I would ask him what he did to Ike Davis's foot!

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $4.60

I Fear For the New Mets Closer

With the trade of Fransisco Rodriguez to the Brewers, the Mets have created a hole in their bullpen. We also saved $17.5 million. And we have some monies.

People are reacting one way or the other about the Frankie Rodriguez trade. I've heard people say that the Mets just forfeited. I've also heard people say that we can get Reyes now with the money we saved on K-Rod.

I really don't care.

Yup. I really don't care. Why? Rumor has it that Bobby Parnell or Jason Isringhausen could step up and become the next closer. In my honest, humble, Post Traumatic Mets Disorder-influenced opinion, the ninth inning will always be an interesting affair. Sure, Frankie would get the job done...after runners are on first and third for the opposing team there's a full count on the batter. You could put whoever you want in the closer's role, we still wouldn't have a reliable closer. I'd say that the most reliable guy in the last decade or so has been Billy Wagner, but even he had his epic hiccups.

Put Parnell and his 100 mph fastball in. Put Isringhausen in with all his experience. Put Ryota Igarashi, who's on his way to New York, in the game. The Mets can't close the door easily. The bullpen has always been a crutch for the Mets, but I feel that Parnell and Pedro Beato can be groomed into a decent 8th-9th inning platoon.

I don't care who pitches in the ninth inning...whoever it is will have me biting my nails till the end.

The Mid-Season Metsy Awards

Well, the All Star break is finally upon us, and while most Met players have a 4 day vacation, most Met fans are figuring out what to do about four days without baseball. Sure, there's the All Star Game, but that forces me to root for players I hate simply because they play for the National League. So with that in mind, I present the first ever IAMTM Mid-Season Metsy awards! Hooray!

Mid-Season MVP: No questions here, Jose Reyes is our mid-season MVP. At the time he went on the disabled list, he was putting up Ty Cobb numbers with a .354 batting average, 65 runs scored, 124 hits, and 30 stolen bases. Then he tweaked his hamstring and lucky for us, he'll be back within the next three weeks, maybe even in time for the Phillies Series of Death.

Mid-Season Cy Young:While all of the Mets pitchers have had their moments, as well as their struggles, I pick DillonGee as our mid-season Cy Young. No rookie pitcher as gone 7-0 since Jon Matlack did it in 1972. Currently, Gee is 8-3 with a 3.76 ERA, even though I'm willing to argue that two of those three losses are unfair.

Most Improved: The most-improved player of the mid-season, for me, is Carlos Beltran. Beltran went from a player who is only 80-85% to a guy that plays every day and gives it his all every time. I even demoted him as my team sad sack. Now that's scary.

WTF Moment of the Mid-Season: Barring any other bizarre moments, this may be my WTF Moment of the entire season. The Ike Davis and David Wright collision that landed both players on the disabled list, although only Davis's injury is directly rel

ated to the collision. First of all, they're on opposite sides of the field. Second of all, doesn't one player call the other one off? I'm still trying to figure out how this happened. The good news is that Terry Collins hopes both players can return to the team in the next three weeks.

Most Pleasant Surprise: The most pleasant surprise for me this season has been Justin Turner. He lost out to Brad Emaus for the 2nd base job in the last weeks of spring training, got called up near the end of April, and began the season on a tear. He's also the only Mets player to interact with his fans on Twitter. You can follow him (@redturn2), but you probably already do.

Sad Fact of the Season: Even though they have been on the disabled list for two months, both Ike Davis and David Wright remain among the team leaders in home runs. I'm serious. Go check it out.

Most Anticipated Return: I think most Mets fans have been looking forward to the return of Johan Santana for a year now, mainly because of the questions it represents. The main question on my mind: who gets cut from the rotation if/when Santana comes back? Maybe there will be 40-man rosters by then because I've become attached to everybody.

Player I Miss the Most: Yes, I made up a Metsy so I could give David Wright an award. Do you hold it against me?

Injuries, Injuries, Wait....Someone's Coming Back????

Mets GM Sandy Alderson was a guest on WFAN this morning and provided updates on some injured superstars.

There will be more clarity as to when David Wright and Ike Davis will be returning next week when they both get re-evaluated. Alderson feels Wright will return before Davis and is "hopeful" that Wright gets the "green light" next week.

Alderson also feels that there will be an emotional lift when Wright returns (and one very happy Strikeout Counter) and that Wright, Davis, and Johan Santana coming back will provide a similar boost to acquiring players at the trade deadline.

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Santana has dealt with soreness in his surgically repaired left shoulder for the last week and a half and now might not return until August.

The Mets have done a good job gaining in the standings since Wright and Davis have been on the DL. Now, they just need a little push to get over .500 and contend in the NL East. I still think they can contend; winning is a different story. They're playing scrappy and they employ arguably the best player in the National League. When Wright, Davis, and Santana come back, things can only get better.

David Wright Strikeout Counter (just for old time's sake): $4.30

What Can You Get for $1? Apparantly a Majority Stake in the Mets

You can get a bottle of water for $1. But can you also get a 60% stake of the Mets?

According to Forbes, you can. Last month, Einhorn, the MLB, Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz reached a deal in which Einhorn pays the $200 million for a 1/3 stake in the team. He would also have the right to obtain a 60% interest unless Wilpon and Katz returned the $200 mil, in which case, Einhorn would still own 33% percent of the team.

The strike price for a 60% stake in the team? Just $1.

However, some sources familiar with the deal are calling it hogwash, especially the part about buying a 60% stake for $1. The team has also refuted these reports.

Whatever deal the Mets and Einhorn have reached, it has been sent to the MLB for review.

I'd like to believe that it'd be this easy for Einhorn to gain control of the team. Pay $1 more and own 60% of a baseball team. If it was that easy, I'd personally give Einhorn the dollar. But that's just nonsense.

I have to wonder if Forbes knows what they're talking about sometimes. First, they value the team at -$225 million. Yes, that's negative two hundred and twenty five million dollars. Now they're saying this guy Einhorn can buy the Mets for $200,000,001. Only negative 24,999,999 dollars until we break even.

Top 5 Reasons I'm Aggravated This Season

I'm going to be honest here: I'm very frustrated with the way this season is going. Sure, there's a new GM and a new manager and new coaches but the problem is still there. This team still stinks...and they might even be worse than last year. It seems like anytime we gain the back page in the New York sports pages is when we epically fail...or when someone gets hurt...or when Fred Wilpon opens his mouth. It's hard picking out just five things that I'm angry at. I'm just angry. It's not fun watching this team anymore. Anyway...here goes:

1. The ownership thinks the team is a piece of s***. At least according to The New Yorker anyway. I can't help but wonder if the Wilpons want the team to stink so that they can move it to Florida, like Rachel Phelps. But when the ownership doesn't give a rat's ass about the team, it's hard for the fans to care. They took a step in the right direction by naming David Einhorn a minority stakeholder...but the Wilpons still have the controlling majority and Einhorn has no say. I think the Wilpons should just sell the team to somebody who gives a damn and get it over with.

2. Pitching, pitching, pitching. Three things you need to win a ballgame. Three things we don't have. It's bad when I'm counting down the days until Dillon Gee pitches so that we have half a chance of winning. Dillon Gee was just supposed to make a spot start for Chris Young and now he's the only pitcher I rely on in that rotation. How long until Johan Santana comes back? At least a month? Good grief.

3. The Mets haven't hit rock bottom yet. Really? It can get worse? When you consider that we're basically fielding the Buffalo Bisons and Carlos Beltran and that we're hanging on to 4th place by a thread, yes. And bottom might still be a long ways down, so buckle up; it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

4. There's not one scapegoat. Some days, we lose because of starting pitching. Some days, we lose we get no offense. And even still, other days, we lose because of the bullpen. I really can't pin anything on one player not performing or one un-clutch at-bat, and for some reason, that aggravtes me. I mean, if you ask me, the real scapegoat is Fred Wilpon, but he doesn't put on a uniform and play a baseball game for nine innings.

5. David Wright is on the DL. Yup...I'm angry this happened? Sure, he was htitting a .236 with 6 HR's and 18 RBI, but I just like seeing David's gorgeous face on the field everyday. Is that so wrong? The real travesty here is that we lost both Wright and Ike Davis in the same week, but Ike Davis doesn't have a Strikeout Counter in his honor, now does he? That and without the David Wright Strikeout Counter, there really is no purpose anymore.

Honorable Mention: Ike Davis is on the DL. Ike Davis was one of the few Mets players that had gotten off to red-hot start this season. In fact, even though he's on the DL, he still is near the top of the team leaderboard in most major hitting categories. At the time of his injury, he was hitting a .302 with 7 HR and 25 RBI. What bothers me even more is how he was injured. He collided with David Wright? David Wright? Don't they play on two opposite sides of the field? Allegedly. But this is the Mets we're talking about. Anything can happen.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $4.30

Daniel Murphy will not play 3rd base...

That would just make too much sense to put a player back into the postion in which he was orginially drafted.

Just had to put that out there.

Willie Harris gets more playing time unless they find Nick Evans.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $4.30

There's Something Wrong with David Wright

I was all ready to write a nice, happy, optimistic post because the Mets are not in last place anymore, if only by proper grammer.

But then I checked Facebook. And I found out about David. And his lower back stress fracture. And how he's getting a second opinion on his back before he makes a decision about the DL. Yeah, it happened on that tag to Carlos Lee last month.

And now it makes sense. The .226 batting average. A David Wright Srikeout Counter that desperately needs to be updated. And at least now I'll forgive him for colliding with Ike Davis because for the longest time, I was mad that it was Ike who was on the DL and not David (but mainly because Ike was actually hitting the ball).

I'd like to believe that David won't go on the DL but this is the Mets we're talking about. Of course he's going on the DL. I saw the story on SportsCenter about the squirrel in the Padres bullpen and was surprised it didn't happen to the Mets, only because it seems like something that would happen to the Mets.

But anyway, I really honestly hope David's lower back is the reason behind his slump. But for all the haters out there, he hit the game-winning home run while playing hurt. That's truth.

My other hope out of all this is that they finally call Buffalo and ask them to find Nick Evans. Really this time....not just showing us a Buffalo Bisons game on MLB Network to let us know he's still there.

David Wright Srtikeout Counter: $4.30

The Mets are In Last Place: Should we Worry?

With last night's loss to the Astros, the Mets are officially the worst team in the National League. The Mets fell to 5-12 for the season, and they have become an early punching bag for everybody from the Nationals to the Phillies.

So...should we be worried?

The optimistic Mets fan says no; it's only April, there's still 145 games left to play. The pessimistic Mets fan (and the Mets front office) says yes; it's a rebuilding year, lets look to 2012. The angry Mets fan says sell the team!!!

With the Mets still trying to figure out what happened between a promising spring and a less-than-promising regular season, with fans looking to point fingers at somebody, and with fans wishing they had more fingers with which to point with, I say it's not over yet.

Johan Santana continues to improve and you can follow his progress on Twitter. It's verified. I promise.

We're going to get Chris Young back eventually.

But I think we should call up Matt Harvey and get it over with.

Jason Bay is coming back on Thursday and he hit two home runs in a rehab game yesterday. Granted, it was the Ft. Myers Miracle, but Jason had been doing well in spring training before landing on the DL.

Now that we know Bobby Parnell's middle finger is hurting him, we can proper fix the problem.

Jose Reyes and Ike Davis are seeing the ball well in this young season.

David Wright has taken a more vocal leadership role within the clubhouse. We should just put a "C" on his jersey. Kthanxbye.

I still want to believe the Mets are going to turn things around. It's too early to give up on them even though I see why most fans have. We can only go up from here.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $2.00

Mets DFA Brad Emaus

The Brad Emaus experiment has ended.

Matthew Cerrone reports that the Mets designated Emaus for assignment, which means he must now be offered back to the Toronto Blue Jays for $25,000 because of his Rule 5 status.

Emaus has been struggling as of late, both at the plate and defensively. He's hit .162 with one RBI in 14 games. I really wish that given his Rule 5 status, they would have given Emaus more of a chance, maybe even trying a platoon of Emaus and Daniel Murphy.

To fill the void left by Emaus, the Mets have promoted everybody's favorite ginger, Justin Turner. Well, he's my favorite ginger anyway.

Turner started off 12-for-4o in ten games for the Buffalo Bisons and will be active for tonight's game against Houston.

I'm really happy that Justin got the chance; he was one of the nicest ballplayers at this past spring, making sure he signed for every single solitary person. You can follow him on Twitter here.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $1.90

I'm Almost on my Second David Dollar...Good or Bad?

David Wright struck out 19 times in 16 games. 19 times. In 16 games. This mark doesn't lead the league in strikeouts, but it's pretty darn close.

As much as I love David, and as much as I love the David Wright Strikeout Counter, the fact that he can't hit the ball when he's down in the count is worrisome.

For every year that David has been a Met, the number of times he struck out in the season has gone up. Last year, he whiffed in 27.4 percent of his at-bats. At one point last season, he was on pace for 225 strikeouts. This year, that number is still hovering around the 170 mark.

However, if whiffing at more pitches means that his production is also up, then so be it. I'd rather have David hit .275 and have 30 HR and 100 RBI than have him hit .308 with 10 HR. I'm not worried about his strikeouts lowering his batting average. Mainly because I enjoy counting them.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $1.90

Elite Company

The Mets are on a 7-game losing streak, lowering their record to the disgusting 4-11 mark that it is. However, in Terry Collins' mind, we are 13-2 bitchez!!! Holla!!!! First place is upon us!!!

Only two Mets teams started off with a worse mark than this 2011 team: the 1964 Mets, who in their first season at Shea Stadium went 53-109, only 40 games behind the World Series Champion Cardinals and the 1962 Mets, who went 40-120, only 60 and a half games behind the NL Champion San Fransisco Giants.

The Mets' 7-game losing streak is also the longest such streak since August and September 2004. The 2004 Mets went 71-91 and finished in 4th place in Art Howe's last season at the helm.

It is also the first time the Mets lost back-to-back doubleheaders since 1982. I wish I could say the 1982 Mets did better under George Bamberger, but they went 65-97 and finshed 6th in the NL East.

All week, I've been saying the Mets should win because, "They're due to win." That was my only reason. They're due to win. Being "due to win" just isn't enough anymore and I'm left wondering what happened to all that scrap and all that grit that this team showed in the spring.

I think that if that fly ball David Wright hit against the Rockies had gone about five feet higher and farther, I don't think we'd be in this perdicament. Mainly because we'd have won at least one more game.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $1.60

Game Recap: The Young and the Restless

Chris Young pretty much led the Mets (3-1) to a 7-1 victory over the Phillies (3-1), pitching 5.1 innings of 1-run ball, while striking out seven Phillies batters.

Young even contributed at the plate, hitting three singles, including two in the six run total domination of the Phillies. According to the team's Twitter page, Young became the first Mets pitcher to have two hits in the same inning in franchise history.

David Wright had a strong night at the plate, going 4-for-5 with 2 RBI. This raises his young season average to .412. Where are all the David Wright haters? Hmmmm....I don't know, could they have been silenced by his awesomeness?

But the night really belonged to Chris Young, who I hope Terry Collins seriously considers as a pinch-hitter, much like in the olden days of when Dontrelle Willis would pinch hit. Whatever happened to Dontrelle Willis anyway?

Tomorrow, the Mets take on the Phillies again with Mike Pelfrey going up against Joe Blanton. Game time is at 7:05 PM.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $0.40

A Quick Comment on the Game Going On

While it's still early and the Phillies can still score some runs and all that jazz, all the David Wright haters can STFU. Kthanxbye.

(And Cole Hamels's numbers against us just got a whole lot worse.)

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $0.40

Game Preview: Mets @ Phillies

The Mets (2-1) get their first real test of the season when they play the Phillies (3-0) at Citizens Bank Park.

Chris Young gets the ball tonight for the Mets, while Cole Hamels gets the ball for the Phillies. In 13 career starts against the Mets, Hamels has gone 2-8 with a 3.83 ERA. Hamels also struggles in April, with 7-8 career record and 4.11 ERA.

The Mets gave Willie Harris the night off. Bummer...I was looking forward to seeing him make sweet catches in left field to end the game. Oh well, the Mets lineup is as follows:

1. Jose Reyes- SS

2. Angel Pagan- CF

3. David Wright- 3B

4. Carlos Beltran- RF

5. Scott Hairston- LF

6. Ike Davis- 1B

7. Brad Emaus- 2B

8. Mike Nickeas- C

9. Chris Young- RHP

Game time is 7:05 PM.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $0.30

Series Preview: Mets @ Phillies

The Mets travel to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies in a 3-game set that may be the Mets' biggest test in their young season.

The Mets (2-1) are coming off a road win against the Marlins while the Phillies (3-0) just swept the Astros.

I really hate that the games in April are primarily against division rivals. I have issues right now with whoever schedules these baseball games because I always hate playing the Phillies right off the bat.

However, the good news is that the Mets will face the back end of the Phillies' rotation, so no Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt for us. We do face Roy Halladay...I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that the guy messes up somewhere.

The Mets will be sending out Chris Young, Mike Pelfrey, and Jonathan Niese. Young will be making his first start of the season. Pelfrey is looking to redeem himself after Opening Day (although really....I gotta thank the guy....we won our last 5 Opening Days and look where that got us). Niese is coming off a strong start against Florida.

Young is looking to solidify his spot in the rotation after having a strong spring, and he has his challenge in a team that Terry Collins likened to the Yankees. But to quote Chris Rock, "Rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for Steve Jobs to hit the lotto."

I feel the same way about the Phillies. But I like the Mets' chances in this series. They're not the team that just lies down and plays dead anymore. They put up a fight. And there's not gonna be a better fight this season than with our divisional rivals.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $0.30 (this leads the team by the way)

Game Recap: Everything is R.A.D.

The Mets crushed the Marlins 9-2 earlier this afternoon. This year is already different because it didn't take the Mets until June to win a series on the road.

R.A. Dickey was awesome, allowing one run over six innings, while striking out seven.

Willie Harris and Ike Davis homered while Daniel Murphy doubled. We can also thank the Marlins' defense (or lack thereof) for attributing to today's victory.

I don't know about anybody else, but the look on David Wright's face when he realized he was being intentionally walked by Randy Choate was just about the most adorable thing ever. He was all like, "I'm gonna hit it to the opposite field" and then Willie stole second and ruined David of that moment. Oh well, we still got the run.

Now the Mets have to go to Philadelphia, play the stupid Phillies, and get booed mercilessly by their stupid fans, even if the Phillies win. On the bright side, we don't have to face Roy Halladay until the last game of the series.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $0.30

Game Preview: Mets @ Marlins

The Mets (1-1) and the Marlins (1-1) finish up a three game set in Miami today.

The Mets try to make a winning record happen, with R.A. Dickey on the mound.

Both Carlos Beltran and Brad Emaus have the day off today. Daniel Murphy will be making his first career start at second base.

Today's lineup is as follows:

1. Jose Reyes- SS

2. Willie Harris- LF

3. David Wright- 3B

4. Ike Davis- 1B

5. Angel Pagan- CF

6. Lucas Duda- RF

7. Daniel Murphy- 2B

8. Josh Thole- C

9. R.A. Dickey- RHP

Game time is scheduled for 1:10. Hopefully we don't need K-Rod today.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $0.20

Game Recap: Mets 6, Marlins 4

The Mets defeated the Marlins by a score of 6-4 to earn their first win of the season. This also marks the first time since September 27, 2009 that the Mets have won a game in Miami.

The Marlins had an early 2-0 lead, but thanks to a David Wright home run and an Ike Davis RBI double (and some sweet baserunning by Carlos Beltran and his crappy left knee), the Mets had tied the game.

Josh Thole put the Mets ahead in the ninth with an RBI single.

The ninth inning has always been a problem for the Mets, this time with Francisco Rodriguez blowing the 3-2 lead the Mets had just gotten in the top half the inning. It seems like to me that no matter who the closer is, we can't seem to get out of the ninth inning.

With the score tied, we all got some free baseball. The Mets regained the lead in the top half of the tenth thanks to an RBI single by Wright. Willie Harris hit a 2-run double that solidified the game.

Blaine Boyer pitched the bottom of the tenth and got the first save of this young Mets season. Frankie got the win, even though we wouldn't have had to play extra baseball if he had done his job in the first place.

Jonathan Niese only needed 87 pitches to pitch 7 innings of baseball. After a rocky first inning, Niese retired the next 11 Marlins batters. He struck out three, walked one, and only allowed two runs in the first inning.

Tomorrow in the series finale, R.A. Dickey gets the ball against Javier Vazquez. Game time is at 1:10 PM.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $0.20

Game Preview: Mets @ Marlins

The Mets (0-1) will try to get their first win of the season against the Florida Marlins (1-0) tonight at 7:10.

Jonathan Niese takes the mound against Ricky Nolasco. Niese has had his struggles this spring, but he is still a strikeout pitcher and I feel he might adapt to the #2 role better than Mike Pelfrey adapted to the #1 role. Plus, I've always liked Jonathan Niese...so there's a little bit of bias.

According to the team's Twitter account, the Mets are 10-7 all-time following an Opening Day loss. The Mets also haven't won a game in Miami since September 27, 2009.

The Mets lineup is as follows:

1. Jose Reyes- SS

2. Angel Pagan- CF

3. David Wright- 3B

4. Carlos Beltran- RF

5. Ike Davis- 1B

6. Lucas Duda- LF

7. Brad Emaus- 2B

8. Josh Thole- C

9. Jonathan Niese- LHP

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $0.20

Opening Day: Marlins 6, Mets 2

Well, that was fun.

Once Mike Pelfrey gave up the grand slam to John Buck and the Mets didn't get a hit until the 7th inning, the game was over.

Willie Harris went 2 for 3 tonight in his Mets debut while Carlos Beltran showed he can still hit the ball and had the RBI double that broke Josh Johnson's shutout.

Mike Pelfrey couldn't make it through 5 innings after allowing the grand slam to John Buck. However, Pedro Beato contributed 2 innings of scoreless relief in his Mets debut. Gotta love a kid from Queens.

Tomorrow, Jon Niese takes the mound against Ricky Nolasco.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $0.20

Happy Opening Day!

Tonight, the New York Mets take on the Florida Marlins in their first game of the regular season. Mike Pelfrey gets the ball for our Mets. I, for one, am optimistic about the Mets this year. They played scrappy all spring, which is what I like to see. Gone are the Mets of yesteryear, of when you could call a game in the third inning. Our dead weight is gone, and is has absolutely had a positive affect on the team.

Even though Sports Illustrated and ESPN have picked us to finish dead last, I feel like the Mets could be contenders in the main scheme of this. I don't have high expectations of them, but at the same time, I don't count them out either. Who knows, maybe they could surprise everybody.

David Wright Final (Spring) Strikeout Counter: $1.10

I Think We'd At Least Do Better Than the Nationals

This week, Sports Illustrated will release their annual MLB preview. A lot of things that the preview says are probably fair and accurate. The Phillies will win the NL East. I will hate it, but it will probably happen. The NL Wild Card team will probably need to win 90 games. The Wild Card team has won 90 games in each of the past four seasons, so that's a fair assumption.

But if Sports Illustrated really expects me to believe that the Nationals will finish with a better record than the Mets, then they have another thing coming. Granted, it's one game between 4th place and the cellar, but there is no way, unless the whole team gets hurt again (God forbid) that the Mets will finish in last place.

The Mets have been playing scrappy all spring. They don't go down without a fight like they used to. Sure, the Mets may have lost the two games that I went to, but at least they made it interesting. They're hitting the ball, they're pitching. Jose Reyes is stealing bases like he used to. David Wright is finally stepping up to be a team leader.

Will the Mets win 90 games? No. Will they break .500? Probably. And I'd like to think of them as that spoiler team in September. But apparantly, Sports Illustrated has already counted this team out. Not me!

David Wright (Spring) Strikeout Counter: $0.80

The Mets Will Contend (If I Have Any Say)

I went to my first spring training game in March of 2006. My dad says, "Go see if you can get any autographs." After two hours of waiting, I come up with the cu de gra, David Wright in what I call a miracle accident. In 2007, I decide to try again. Hey, I got it once, how hard can it be to get David Wright to sign another baseball? Actually, pretty hard.

Which takes us to March 16, 2011: Vindication Day. I got to Hammond Stadium bright and early because I knew David had gotten on the bus. I patiently waited as David took batting practice and fielding practice. When he came back, he stopped to sign a couple of autographs. One of those autographs is the baseball to your left. Vindication four years coming.

For those who have maybe stumbled upon this blog, long story short: for every year I did not acquire a David Wright autograph, the Mets have re-defined the terms "collaspe," "choke artists," and "suckage." Casey Stengel, I'm sure, is rolling over in his grave. However, my "miracle accident" year, 2006, was the year the Mets made it all the way to the NLCS.

This year, by scoring the cu de gra of current Met autographs, I am hoping that this team's luck turns around. We've already eliminated what was left of our negative past by releasing Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez. We have a new front office, new management, and even though they lost both the spring games I went to last week, they made it interesting until the very end.

Our pitching is still our strength, even with questions about a lefty specialist and Jason Isringhausen's elbow. Chris Young, in my opinion, is returning to the ace that he was in San Diego. Jon Niese continues to confound batters with his offspeed pitch.

My concerns lie within the offense. Both Jason Bay and Jose Reyes need to have good years. I don't worry about Angel Pagan or Wright; they just need to stay healthy. This year, we even have reliable options on our bench, including Scott Hairston, and everybody's favorite Murphy, Daniel.

The Mets have all the pieces to contend this year. They just need to get out there, play their hardest, and hopefully, hopefully, my autograph superstion holds true.


David Wright (Spring) Strikeout Counter: $0.60

Mets Release Oliver Perez

The Mets have released Oliver Perez, and for the second time in three days, Mets fans have rejoiced.

According to Sandy Alderson, the organization felt that Ollie's velocity never got back up to a level where he could be a consistent pitcher.

I feel that the Mets gave Perez every chance to make this team. It's just that you're trying to make the team as a lefty specialist...you..um...need to be able to throw lefties out.

By releasing Perez, the Mets have eaten away $18 million. Best $18 million the organization has spent.

David Wright (Spring) Strikeout Counter: $0.60

Mets Release Luis Castillo

The Mets have finally cut ties with much-maligned second baseman Luis Castillo, eating away $6 million of Castillo's contract.

According to GM Sandy Alderson, the team made the recommendation to Jeff Wilpon, and Wilpon approved. This was a "baseball decision," according to Alderson.

Castillo has already left the Mets complex in Port St. Lucie.

Luis Castillo seemed like such a godsend when he arrived from Minnesota in 2007. A solid option at second base, nothing we have seen since the days of Fonzie and Rey-Rey. In the end, Castillo became the player that symbolized the Omar Minaya overpay/underperform era. In the end, Castillo made Mets fans experience victory and defeat in about 10 seconds.

Second base is as much as an offensive position as it is a defensive position. And Castillo hasn't hit a home run since like 2009. It wouldn't be so bad if he was at least getting on base, but he wasn't really doing that either.

Finally, the time has come to say, au revoir, Luis. Maybe the Phillies can use you.

David Wright (Spring) Strikeout Counter: $0.60

Mission Accomplished

David Wright (Spring) Strikeout Counter: $0.60

The Mets Would Lose Both Split Squad Games

The Mets not only lost to the Astros today, but they lost to the Nationals as well.

The least you should know is that Oliver Perez allowed 3 runs over 3 innings. The Mets staff made the trip up to Kissimmee to watch Ollie pitch. Even though Perez rebounded after the first inning, I have a feeling he blew his shot. Tomorrow, there will be a meeting between Dan Warthen, Sandy Alderson, and Terry Collins regarding Ollie's future on the team.

Also, David Wright failed to get a hit, lowering his batting average to .000.

And in news of the unsurprising, Carlos Beltran has been shut down for 5 days with tendinitis. Which means, he's less than 80-85%, according to the calculations.

Tomorrow, the Mets play the Astros with Chris Young getting the start. K-Rod is also scheduled to pitch.

David Wright (Spring) Strikeout Counter: $0.30

David Wright Hasn't Hit the Ball Yet

I'm dead serious. David Wright is hitting a .000 this spring. Even though I know it's spring and it's not supposed to count....Luis Castillo is hitting the ball better than David this spring. And I've never been one to speak highly of Luis Castillo.

For a while, David wasn't striking out, so I couldn't update the counter, so I was pretty darn surprised when I checked their spring stats, cliked on "strikeouts," and David had one. So, I have no idea when David's first K of the spring occured; I do know I missed it.

But other than counting swings and misses, I do have some thoughts, and as always, they are in the form of a random list (YAY!):

~I officially have tickets for the Twins game on 3/16 and the Red Sox game on 3/17. Green beer? Ehhhh.....still thinking about it.

~Jason Bay can actually hit the ball...go figure.

~Carlos Beltran can run.

~I still hate Oliver Perez.

~Why do we still lose to the Nationals?

~Where the hell did Jason Isringhausen come from? Oh, right....us.

~Quote of the spring: "This baseball thing is really getting in the way of my bowling career." -David Allen Wright

~The more and more I see from the team, the more and more I like Terry Collins.

~Can the Wilpons just sell the team to Donald Trump and get it over with already? Kthanxbye.

~I NEED to get David Wright's autograph this spring. Seriously. I've been upset about not getting that autograph for 4 years too long. Vengeance is mine.

~And btw, I still hate Jose Reyes's dreadlocks.

David Wright (Spring) Strikeout Counter: $0.10

A Post About Nothing

Springtime is here. Birds are chirping. It's finally stopped snowing up north. Daytime temperatures are back to 80 degrees in Florida. But more importantly....the Mets are back in town. The cast of characters is in place. I get more and more excited about Opening Day every time I see pictures from camp.

This post isn't to disparage one (or two) players. I'm enjoying spring and so should you. So here goes nothing:

*R.A. Dickey rides his bike 12 miles to camp every morning. Sometimes he rides home. Sometimes his wife picks him up. Knuckleballers are weird.

*David Wright can't just be the best player. He also has to be the best bowler.

*If Luis Castillo had family issues, why didn't he call Terry Collins and say he had family issues?

*I defended Oliver Perez on Facebook recently. Pigs aren't flying yet, so I guess it's not the end of the world.

*I really like that Terry Collins is getting in there and really helping all of his players. He's everywhere, which is what a manager should be. Maybe I can forgive him for reminding of the high-talker from Seinfeld.

*I was really happy that Mookie got hired as the first base coach (again). Maybe Jose Reyes will steal more bases.

*Speaking of Reyes, I hate his dreadlocks.

*Carlos Beltran will DH until at least March 10. Ummm.....this would be the time to get him adjusted to right field.

*If Brad Eamus wins the second base job, I will still forget his name.

*Hi, Nick Evans!

*I really hope Daniel Murphy gets the second base job. It would be a homegrown infield with Davis, Reyes, Wright....and even Thole!

*More Mets players need to get on Twitter...namely David Wright.

*Although following Fake Fred Wilpon is funny.

*Luis Castillo still gets spooked by the A-Rod popup. Disgust trumps fear. At least if he was disgusted, he would catch the ball more.

And perhaps the most important thing this spring....somewhere, whether it be in sunny Florida or sunny Arizona....Rick Peterson is wearing a jacket.

Mets Blurbs from Around the Interwebs

In news for the sentimental at heart, the Mets have signed Jason Isringhausen to a minor league deal. Isringhausen was drafted by the Mets more than 20 years ago, and was part of Generation K along with Bill Pulsipher and Paul Wilson. Isringhausen hasn't pitched since 2009, and is also recovering from Tommy John surgery. Chris Capuano, Taylor Buchholz, and now Jason Isringhausen...notice a trend?

The New York Times reports that Donald Trump has expressed interest in buying the team. He confirms that he called Fred Wilpon more than two weeks ago to discuss the potential sale of the team in a face-to-face meeting. The meeting has not happened, and Trump would only be interested in buying a majority stake in the team.

I just want to see Trump fire people "Apprentice" style. I'm crossing my fingers for that reason alone. But in all seriousness, I think if any person had the money to bail out the Mets, and bring in people that want this team to win a pennant, it would be Trump.

That and maybe we Met fans can find out if his hair is real.

Happy Pitchers and Catchers Report Day!

With the mandatory report date of pitchers and catchers, baseball season is here. And with that, the David Wright Strikeout Counter begins. Last year, David struck out 161 times. This year, my over/under is 170. And for those of you who forgot how the David Wright Strikeout Counter works, the rules are as follows:

~The David Wright Strikeout Counter will be divided into two parts: Spring Training and the regular season. The David Wright Strikeout Counter goes back to zero once the regular season begins.

~The David Wright Strikeout Counter is counted using a monetary scale. One dime is allocated per one strikeout (i.e. 10 strikeouts=$1.00).

~If the David Wright Strikeout Counter hits $20.00 in the regular season only, it will be retired for the season. Remember, spring numbers don't count so the numbers in the David Wright (Spring) Strikeout Counter will be thrown away.

~The David Wright Strikeout Counter is supposed to be fun, not looked upon as rooting for failure. For failure, we can look to many more aspects of this team, like Oliver Perez or Luis Castillo.

Happy Counting! (Photo Courtesy of MetsBlog)

Am I the Only One that Doesn't Care?

For the last couple of days, we have seen the coverage on Fred Wilpon's lawsuit with Madoff's trustee, Irving Picard. On top of not understanding what is going on, I really don't care. If I don't know what is going on, it's hard for me to care.

To me, it's just a crap load of the money that the Wilpons lost and Picard doesn't want to admit that Wilpon is a victim in the Ponzi scheme. Maybe Picard didn't see that Forbes put the value of the Mets at -$225 million.

Right now, the liabilities of this team are greater than their gains. Without any gain, it is hard for the front office to be able to pay the players they want on their team. Hence, rumors of the secret shopping of David Wright. Without a decent product on the field, the Mets can't win games. If the Mets don't win games, then fans decide to watch the games in the comfort of their own home....for free. Or at a sports bar, for a lot less money.

The way I see it, the only people suffering here are the fans. The Phillies sign Cliff Lee. The Mets? Boof Bonser. Despite rumors the Mets only had $3-5 million to spend in the offseason, it seems like they spent a lot more than that. The front office promised lower ticket prices and better ticket packages (the 7 pack was absolutely a perfect idea, I have idea why they took it away). But their liabilities are greater than their gains, and I can only see 4 games this season that will sellout at Citi Field: Opening Day, and when the Yankees come to town. And maybe the first game against the Phillies.

All this talk about money and finances makes my head hurt. As long as my precious David Wright is safe from trade rumors, then that's all I care about. You wanna unload a contract? How about the guy who sits in your bullpen for $12 million a year? Or the second baseman with two bum knees? That would be a good start.

Countdown to Pitchers and Catchers: 11

Things to Look Forward to this Season

After talking to my brother, he still thinks that this season is gonna suck for the Mets. Actually, a lot of people think that this season is gonna suck for the Mets. Me? I don't think it's gonna be pretty, but I don't think it can get any worse than it got last year. Last year's team was a team that couldn't string together three wins in a row if their life depended on it. No, really. I have the pocket schedule to prove it.

After thinking about it for a while, I have come up with a few things that make me look forward to this season. With 15 days until pitchers and catchers report to Port St. Lucie, baseball is getting closer and closer and I find myself excited. Why? I thought you'd never ask:

1. We now employ a manager who can speak in coherent sentences. By hiring Terry Collins, we finally can say goodbye to mumbling press conferences and quietly snicker to ourselves as we can't help but to think Collins reminds us of the high talker from Seinfeld.

2. David Wright can finally get back to being David Wright. David did pretty okay for himself last season being the only "real" bat in the lineup. A lineup of Bay, Beltran, Wright never got to fruition last season, but with some of the pressure off of Wright, I am expecting he will perform better.

3. Two more years of R.A. Dickey! Dickey was the highlight of last season, our team MVP. Towards the end of 2010, he was the only pitcher I could rely on to get the win. This is his year to prove that last year wasn't a fluke.

4. Bring on the Phillies. As much as I hate the Philadelphia Phillies, I do enjoy the rivalry. Sure, they may have picked up Cliff Lee. Sure, they have the two Roys (Halladay and Oswalt) and Cole Hamels, but they lost perhaps their biggest Met-killer in Jayson Werth, who is now employed by the Nationals (darn....). Three words: Bring. It. On.

5. The possibility of a home-grown infield. Assuming Daniel Murphy beats Luis Castillo for the second base job, the entire Mets infield will be made up of home-grown players. And that's not even mentioning Josh Thole. I know for me, I'd rather see an infield of Wright, Reyes, Murphy, and Davis. Maybe Murph is the second baseman of the future....as long as he remembers to use both hands when catching a pop fly ball hit by Alex Rodriguez.

Now that I brought up the possibility of a home-grown infield, I really hope it happens. The only thing that has to happen is that Luis Castillo gets a bum knee. Or two. And for Daniel Murphy to be ready to play the position. That is also key.

Countdown to Pitchers and Catchers: 15

Wilpons Considering "Minority Stakeholder" in Mets

In the first Mets news that has made me genuinely gasp in shock, the Wilpon family is considering selling a minority stake in the Mets, something in the range of 20-25%.

All of this goes back to their troubles with Bernie Madoff, and the air of uncertainty regarding a lawsuit with a Madoff trustee.

The Wilpons are said to be looking into a number of potential options, "including the addition of one or more startegic partners."

However, regardless of the outcome, Sterling Equities will remain the primary ownership group of the Mets.

I have just a couple of (out there) suggestions:

1. Do like the Green Bay Packers do and let fans buy into the team. The Packers are the only non-profit, community-owned franchise in American sports (big leagues, not minor leagues). A share of the Packers runs at about $200, but who wouldn't put that kind of money down for a say in their favorite team? I hear a lot of fans saying, "They should do this" or "They should do that" but perfectly good ideas have never gone to fruition. Except for the hiring of Sandy Alderson. That was all she wrote.

2. Celebrity Mets fans buying into the team. What if Jerry Seinfeld and Kevin James had a say? They have the money, why not? It makes sense. Seinfeld and James are easily some of the most high-profile Mets fans, and knowing that at least one person in the office has a genuine vested interest in the team would put many fans at ease. Think about it Wilpons; we could have Seinfeld in the broadcast booth more often.

Okay, so my ideas are kind of out there, not likely to happen. Does anybody else in the blogosphere have any better ideas?

I Love Being In Florida

(Photo courtesy of Adam Rubin, at Citi Field yesterday....probably worse today)

Great Expectations

Spring training is less than three weeks away and I am so excited for it to finally be baseball season! I, like many of you, am kinda bummed about the Jets losing but it just means that we are that much closer to seeing David Wright, Jose Reyes, and the Boys of Summer take the field once again.

The front office has already called this season a "rebuilding" year and fans are considering it a loss. But in our last "rebuilding" year, the Mets were 83-79 and David Wright became a household name. Then in 2006, we had the most awesomest year ever until Guillermo Mota let off that triple to Scott Spiezio. 2012 is the new 2006. But that's still a way's away. Here's what I expect in 2011:

1. Mike Pelfrey steps up in Johan Santana's absence. Terry Collins has already tapped Pelfrey to be his opening day starter. Collins thinks highly of him. I hope we get 1st-half Pelfrey and not 2nd-half Pelfrey.

2. Chris Capuano to make us say, "What Tommy John surgery?" We got Chris Capuano...about three years too late. Theoretically speaking, he should still be in his prime...or at least perform good enough so that Oliver Perez stays out of the rotation.

3. Cut Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez. This is a lot easier said than done because of all the money we'd be throwing away. However, the Mets drafted a middle infielder in the Rule V Draft and expect to have Daniel Murphy in camp competing for the second base job. They've also signed quite a few relief arms in Taylor Tankersley, Blaine Boyer, and Taylor Buchholz, all of whom are expected to compete for spots in the Mets' bullpen.

4. The David Wright Strikeout Counter lives on. Honestly, this counter kept me watching this past season. Without the David Wright Strikeout Counter, I probably would have tuned out in July. And I'm starting it in Spring Training this year, so watch out peeps!

5. Jason Bay to remind us that Jason Bay is still a Met. I honestly forgot all about Jason Bay until he showed up at the team Christmas party to see Santa David (honestly, where the hell was I?). His first season as a Met ended after 95 games, a .259 batting average, 6 home runs, and 47 RBI. I just want the Jason Bay of 2009 to show up. I thought we signed that guy.

We all have our own set of expectations. I really just want the Mets to have fun again. They've been so focused on winning and making the fans happy that we're all just disgusted with the way they're playing. I miss the handshakes and the high fives and the Jose Reyes Spanish Academy. Sure, it's what has made other team hate us, but that's what I love.

When One Met Killer Dies, Another One is Born

The Mets announced today that they signed Willie Harris to a minor-league deal, with an invitation to Spring Training.

Most Met fans know Willie Harris as "that guy on the Nationals that makes sweet defensive plays to defeat any hope the Mets have of beating the worst team in the division."

Harris isn't much of an offensive player; in 10 big league seasons, he's hit .239 with 37 home runs and 187 RBI. So why sign him? Because he makes sweet defensive plays in the outfield and defeats any hope the Mets have of beating the worst team in the division.

However, while getting one less Met killer off the field is great, somebody new always emerges. And you usually don't see it coming. Like Willie Harris being a Met killer. Like Jeff Francoeur being a Met killer. Like Oliver Perez being a Met killer. Like the month of September being a Met killer.

The Nationals have, in my opinion, assembled a team of players that can beat the Mets, but no other team. They have Adam LaRoache. They have Jayson Werth. And Strasburg will probably end up being a Met killer. They have former Met Livan Hernandez, who pitched unusally well when he was pitching against the Mets. I think the Nationals may be taking baby steps here. Like win 60 games, beat the Mets, break .500.

Somebody new always emerges to ruin the lives of the Mets and Mets fans alike. Usually somebody within the division. I would jump the gun and guess Roy Halladay but he owns the whole National League.

Welcome to New York, Willie Harris. I hope you saved some sweet defensive plays for us.