Life Is Good

I heard most of yesterday's game on Mets.com's Gameday Audio, though work duties forced me to leave my hotel room before I could hear Billy Wagner close the door on the Mets 6-4 win over Atlanta. Pedro Martinez came back from the DL to get the win, and after a shaky first inning was downright dominant before getting replaced by Feliciano to start the seventh. This afternoon, if El Duque can secure a win, it will make this season even more joyful - besides extending the Mets divisional lead, it would also injure the Braves chances of winning the Wild Card. I'll be home tomorrow in time to see Tom Glavine close out the series. Hopefully he'll be attempting to close out a sweep!

Harold Reynolds Fired; Steve Phillips Is A Jackass

According to a report in Newsday, Harold Reynolds has been fired from ESPN due to allegations over sexual harrassment. If the allegations are true, I'm glad he got the axe. But the most infuriating part of the article was this:

Reynolds, a major-leaguer for 12 seasons before joining ESPN in 1996, did not appear on "Baseball Tonight" on Monday after having worked the Sunday show, during which he and fellow analyst Steve Phillips suggested the Yankees trade Alex Rodriguez.

I don't need to hear one word from Steve Phillips about trading Alex Rodriguez! He should be barred from ever uttering those two words unless he blames the Wilpons for making himself teh scapegoat for botching the A-Rod Free Agent negotiations. Even though I'm glad we have David Wright now and I have to laugh at the Yankees misery of having their AL MVP get booed out of town, I will STILL never get over that botch job by Steve Phillips!

On and Off The Road Again

I am in San Diego again, but the Padres are out of town so I won't be able to enjoy a game on this business trip. Meanwhile, my travels and some car trouble this week have prevented me from posting. Thankfully, John Maine and Jose Valentin saved the series for us because I don't know how I could have dealt with getting swept by the Cubs! I'll try and post comments based on what I see on SportsCenter from my hotel room over the next few days. Meanwhile, Lets Go Mets! I mean it. Really. Lets Go, Mets!

El Duque OutFOXes Astros

Orlando Hernandez was great today. After a tough first inning, when he gave up three runs, he bore down to pitch another six scoreless innings. Duaner Sanchez pitched the eighth, and Billy Wagner finished off the Mets 4-3 win over the Astros to get the save. X-man gets the game ball because his three-run homer was the difference maker, and Toasty Joe has to lay off Billy Wagner for the rest of the season because Wags has converted five consecutive saves.

Joe Buck and Tim McCarver displayed their ignorance once again during the broadcast. I really, really wish FOX and ESPN would have a local guy be part of the broadcasts, at least during the postseason. As the game started, Joe and Tim said that El Duque has been very up and down since joining the Mets, and that by far his best start was his start against the Junkees on June 30th. Hernandez allowed two runs on seven hits over seven innings in a 2-0 loss to the Yankees that night. Somehow McCarver and Buck were completely unaware of El Duque's complete game win against the Diamondbacks on June 8th, when he allowed just three hits and one run in the Mets 7-1 win over Arizona.

The Dynamic Duo were made to look even sillier later on in the broadcast. As El Duque pitched, they said that he was getting by mostly on deception at this point in his career, because he just doesn't have the velocity on his fastball anymore. Well I just about howled when they did an interview with Willie Randolph late in the game, and they him asked about Hernandez's performance. Allow me to paraphrase a bit, but Willie said that the most surprising thing about El Duqueis that his velocity has been up since coming over to the Mets, something that he usually didn't rely on during most of his career. Yeah, you read it right, the complete opposite of what FOX's "analysts" reported. And I would say that Randolph is pretty damn familiar with the pitching style of El Duque, having been on the coaching staff during Hernandez's Yankees tenure. Thank goodness tomorrow afternoon's game is on SNY. Mets go for the sweep with rookie Mike Pelfrey on the mound against Roy Oswalt.

By the way, with all this trade speculation swirling around, why has no one mentioned transplanted ex-Met Roberto Hernandez as a target? Here's a guy who thrived for the Mets last year and is now doing real well for the Pirates who are going nowhere. Hey Omar, bring this guy back!

How The Hell Can You Confuse Guy Conti With Pedro Martinez??

No offense to the Mets bullpen coach, but he's no Pedro Martinez.


Yesterday I posted about a report on MLB.com that Pedro Martinez had to admit himself to a hospital for reasons not disclosed. Well, that link has now changed, but thankfully you can see I wasn't crazy because Yahoo still has a link to the AP report.

As it turns out, it was actually Guy Conti, the Mets bullpen coach, who wasn't feeling well on Friday and checked himself into a local hospital for tests. As scheduled, Pedro Martinez will still throw a bullpen session before today's game and follow it up with a simulated game tomorrow afternoon.

Mets and Maine Shut Down Astros - Pedro In Hospital

John Maine surprised everyone by throwing a 4-hit, complete game shut out against the Astros tonight. He was backed by a Jose Valentin grand slam and another homer by Carlos Delgado. The Mets won 7-0, and the strong performance by Maine was especially helpful to the Mets cause, as ace Pedro Martinez admitted himself into a hospital for reasons unclear.

Transplanted Mets Fans almost everywhere will get to see tomorrow's game, as it is broadcast as FOX's game of the week. We'll just have to do our best to block out Tim McCarver and Joe Buck. El Duque is on the hill against right-hander Brandon Backe.

Back From Florida

I made it back safely from Ft. Lauderdale this morning, and ready to be able to watch some Mets games, but of course the game is on Channel 11 tonight, so I am screwed. Oh well. In the meantime, I've updated my post about Transplanted Mets Fan Night At Dolphin Stadium with pictures. So, enjoy!

El Duque will not be the starting pitcher tonight. Due to the anticipated rain delay, the Mets have decided that youngster John Maine will be better equipped to handle a rain delay than the 59 year old Hernandez. Mets vs. Astros tonight!

Transplanted Mets Fan Night At Dolphin Stadium

It's bad enough that the Jets have to play in Giants Stadium, but I actually think it's even more insulting for the Marlins to have to play in Dolphin Stadium. BUT, I was fortunate enough to be one of the twelve people in attendance tonight as the Expos downed the Marlins 7-6.


I missed yet another Mike Pelrey start due to my being transplanted out of earshot, but I enjoyed watching the scoreboard as Pelfrey won his second big league start, backed by another Grans Salami by Carlos Beltran. For a nice recap of the Mets 8-3 win over the Reds check out Mike S's MikesMets.com. I'll use this space to jot down some notes on my visit to Dolphin Stadium for the Marlins/Nationals game. I'll post photos Friday when I get home. Meanwhile...

Are the Marlins the only team in baseball with cheerleaders? Call me a non-purist, but this is a nice tradition that should spread be around the league.


Our seats were phenemonal. Row 11, right behind home plate. We were just over from where the scouts sit, but not close enough to them to tell if any were from the Mets organization.


Even the beermen are tourists in Florida, apparently. They all wear Hawaiian shirts.


Transplanted Ex-Mets Mike Stanton, Marlon Anderson, Alex Escobar (remember him?), and Mike Jacobs all made appearances, with varying degrees of success.


Dontrelle Willis had some dominating moments, but clearly just did not have it tonight. The first pitch he threw was launched for a homerun by Alfonso Soriano.


Speaking of Soriano, whenever he came to the plate, the organist played the theme from "Happy Days". Anyone out there have an idea what the meaning behind this is? When Nationals pitcher Mike O'Connor came to the plate, they played the theme from "All In The Family," referencing Caroll O'Connor. ButI don't get the Soriano bit.
Update 7/19: I just got it. I woke up at 3 AM realizing Alfonso - Fonzie - The Fonz. Duh. I should have gotten that, with how much I've been talking about Edgardo "Fonzie" Alfonzo lately....

Not Cool Moment Of The Game:In the sixth, they played a blooper reel on the giant scoreboards. The first two clips were of Lastings Milledge at Fenway Park. Sheesh!


As I watched the out-of-town scoreboard, I honestly was getting a little nervous as the Mets held a 3-0 lead into the sixth. I was a little paranoid, worried I might be missing some Mets history. Thankfully they won without any balls being sent to Cooperstown.

There were quite a few "Nationals fans" in attendance, screaming their heads off late in the game. Please. I started an "Expos Sucks!" chant to try and shut them up. Really, how vociferous can you be as fans of a team with nothing but a two year heritage of mediocrity?

Weirdest play of the night was when Reggie Abercrombie (they GOTTA find a guy named Fitch to be his teammate) tried to bunt his way on base, and wound up coming all the way around to home plate and scoring when the ball was thrown away twice. Crazy.

Ultimately the game was won by transplanted Ex-Met Alex Escobar, with an RBI single in the ninth for D.C.. I was booing him earlier in the game when he argued with an umpire, claiming he should be awarded first base for being hit by a pitch. The ump said it hit the bat. I thought Escobar looked like a pansy up there pointing to his forearm. C'mon, man? You plan on staying in this league by getting hit by pitches? He struck out with the next pitch. I guess he shut me up in the ninth though.


So that's that. For a more professional recap of the game, check out ESPN's version. Oh, and by the way, there's a new Mets blog called MetsMole. Stop by and have a look!

Ode To Clifford The Big Red Dog

Rub a dub dub
The Mets beat the Cubs
As day turned to night
New York showed off its might.

As sure as Wrigley Field
Is baseball heaven
The game was a laugher,
The score 13 to seven

The Mets didn't miss
Jose Reyes or his Pinky
Even though their starter
Orlando was El Stinqie

The Mets brought their A-game
And his name is Cliff Floyd
He totaled five RBI's
With two homers deployed

He and Carlos Beltran
Each hit Grand Slams
Both in one inning
And I said Hot Damn!

The Mets are rolling
This truth can't be denied
Just check the box score
If you think that I lied

Check the standings too
As long as you're at it.
See ya later Atlanta
You've just about had it.

Mets Lose To Cubs, Resign Edgardo Alfonzo

Tom Glavine lost his first game since April yesterday, as a misplay by Endy Chavez opened the Cubs' offensive floodgates and the Mets lost 9-2.

On a happier note, the Mets came to terms on a minor league deal with Edgardo Alfonzo. Fonzie was my favorite Met his first time around, which leads me to compile a list of my favorite Mets of all time. And by all time, I mean since 1980:

1980-1983 Mookie Wilson
1984 -1986 Dwight Gooden
1987 -1989 Randy Myers
1990 - 1993 Howard Johnson
1994 Dwight Gooden
1995 -2002 Edgardo Alfonzo
2003 -2005 Mike Piazza
2006 Carlos Delgado

Still Rolling

Stevie Trachsel won his seventh straight start, as the Mets beat the Cubbies 6-3 in the first game after the All Star Break. Nice to see the Mets offense clicking on all cylinders after a four day layoff. Jose Reyes still hasn't completely recovered from his pinky laceration, but Jose Valentin filled in nicely in the leadoff spot. Besides the win, the best part of the game was Gary Cohen explaining what those numbers on the building across from Wrigley Field stand for.




















From wikipedia:

The Lakeview Baseball Club, which sits across Sheffield Avenue (right-field) from the stadium proudly displays a "calendar" demonstrating the Cubs' futility. The calendar is flanked by a sign that reads Eamus Catuli! which means "Go Cubs!" in Latin (catuli means "whelps" in Latin, the closest Latin translation to the word "Cubs"), and the calendar is labeled "AC," for "Anno Catuli," or "In the Year of the Cubs." The first two digits display the number of years since the Cubs' last division championship as of the end of the previous season (02; their last division championship was in 2003), the next two digits display the number of years since the Cubs' last trip to the World Series (60; their last Series was in 1945), and the last two digits display the number of years since their last World Series win (97; their last win was in 1908). It is not currently known what the LBC will do with the "calendar" if the Cubs reach 100 years without a World Series title.

You learn something new every day.

How Has Billy Wagner Done Compared To Braden Looper?

Mets closers at the All Star Break for the past three seasons:

Pre All Star Break 2004 (Braden Looper): 2-1, 1.88 ERA, converted 18 out of 20 save opportunites (2 Bln Svs). Opposing batters hit .247 42 K's in 46 innings.

Pre All Star Break 2005 (Braden Looper): 2-4, 3.41 ERA, converted 20 out of 24 save opportunities (4 Bln Svs). Opposing batters hit .268. 15 K's in 34 innings.

Pre All Star Break 2006 (Billy Wagner): 3-1, 2.43 ERA, converted 18 out of 22 save opportunites (4 Bln svs). Opposing batters hit .190. 52 K's in 40 innings.



By the way, at the All Star Break this season, Braden Looper is 4-1 with a 3.96 ERA. He recorded 23 K's in 40 innings and opposing batters hit .274. He also failed to convert his lone save opportunity this season.

Junkees Update: Junkees Add A Drunkee

According to ESPN, the Yankees have signed right hander Sidney Ponson to fill out their rotation. Ponson is 4-4 with a 5.24 ERA in 14 appearances with St. Louis this season, and was released by the Cardinals on Wednesday. Last September, the Baltimore Orioles released him due to his alcohol problems. He was convicted of driving while impaired and sentenced to five days in jail and he also spent 11 days in jail after fighting on a beach in Aruba.

I'm An Idiot

There is no game this afternoon. The Mets don't pay until tomorrow. A Four Day All Star Break? What the hell? Who are these schedule makers anyway? Everyone knows that it's three days off before games begin. These schedule makers must be a bunch of Commies and America hating bastards.

Back To The Grind

REAL baseball starts again this afternoon, as the Mets take on the Cubbies at Wrigley Field. I have made it to quite a few Major league Baseball parks over the past few years, and although some of teh new parks knock my socks off, nothing compares to Wrigley. If you consider yourself a baseball fan, you need to make a pilgrimage to this Baseball Heaven. Even though I'm a Mets fan if I were gonna scatter my ashes somehwere it would be Wrigley. It's just pure baseball. Hopefully the Mets will enjoy playing there this weekend as much as I enjoy visiting, and will sweep those friggin Cubs out of their own ballpark.

By the way, if anyone thinks I'm some kind of closet Cubs lover, I do need to say some things about that franchise. They have the dumbest fans in all of sports. Decades of inept ownership and bad management have led to their World Series drought, not a curse. At least the Red Sox had Babe ruth to blame their woes on. Cubs fans blame a damned goat and some geeky fan. Give me a break! The Cubs are woeful due to their own doing. Just as the most recent example, if they hadn't overused the arms of Wood and Prior when they first came up the Cubbies would probably have won the last two World Series. But no.

Oh, yeah, the All Star Break is over and I am ready to go! To hell with cursed magazine covers and cursed watches and black cats and whatever. David Wright shined in teh all star game and made more little girls fall in love with him with his Letterman appearance. Now it's time to get back on the field. It's time to turn it on and step on some necks!

By the way, today is my birthday. I turned 31 today, and Mrs. TransplantedMetsFan gave me a great Transplanted Mets Fan gift. I got a portable XM radio reciever. Now I can take Mets broadcasts wherever I go!

Lets Go Mets!!!