Where Have I Been?

When I first met my wife, I promised her that as long as she was with me, life would never be boring. That is one promise I've held true to. The last two months have turned everything up on it's head, but all for the positive.

The first is that I am starting a new job next month, a new job that requires a relocation which also means I'll no longer be a transplanted Mets fan! Unless you consider Central New Jersey to be out of town! Which, growing up on Long island I sure did.

The second piece of big news is that I'm going to be a dad! Scary thought, huh? And I only have months left to plan on how to ensure the kid will be a Mets fan. My dad is a huge Yankees fan and somehow I escaped his efforts to make me a Yankees fan. To make matters worse, I'll be within driving distance of Citizens Bank Park and am worried about The Phillie Phanatic influence! The strategy begins...

SO... With all the big changes I still have to figure out how this blog figures into my new life. I am open to suggestion. One thing I have been toying with is expanding the authorship of this blog to others. So, if there are any out-of-market Mets fans out there who would like to contribute to this site, please post a comment or drop me a line at michaelvcreative-blogwriter@yahoo.com and let me know you're interested. A writing sample or two wouldn't hurt either.

Other than that I still have creative energies flowing and an accompanying Mets passion that makes Mets blogging an interest. How to do it in the midst of a relocation to a new job in New Jersey while tending to a pregnant wife is still a mystery I'm trying to decode. Post your suggestions, please!

Wiphbeaters. Phillies Add Another Jerk To their Pitching Staff

The Phillies have obtained AAA right-handed reliever Julio Mateo from the Mariners for minor league shortstop Jesus Merchan .

This past May, Mateo was charged with third-degree assault after police said that he struck and bit his wife in a Manhattan hotel room.

The Mariners suspended Mateo for 10 days without pay for missing a game without permission the day after he was arrested, then optioned him to Class AAA Tacoma.

Today, Mariners GM Bill Bavasi said that "In discussions with Julio Mateo and his agent we agreed that Julio would be best suited to returning to the Majors in a different city," Bavasi said. "We had been looking for that opportunity for a while now, and were able to accomplish it today."

The Phillies are the perfect spot for this jerk. Mateo should get along great with fellow spouse-assaulting teammate Brett Myers, who is currently rehabbing from a shoulder injury. Fortunately that shoulder injury isn't from beating his wife, but unfortunately it's not from getting beat up by somebody, either.

A Pep Talk For Mets Fans

In today's papers, Wallace Matthews (who must get paid by the anti-Met word) in Newsday, but also John Harper in the Daily News write that the 2007 Mets don't feel quite as magical as the 2006 Mets.

They suggest that 2006 was our season, and 2007 must be another team's.

In response I have one word: 1999.

I think we can all agree that the 1999 Mets team felt way more "magical" than the 2000 squad. However, it was the 2000 team that made it to the Fall Classic, and the 199 team who fell to teh Braves. So, if we can capture a pennant (or more) this year, I'll happily trade in the 2006 magic. Wouldn't you?

Besides, the 2006 Cardinals made the regular season pretty much meaningless. That team barely made it into the playoffs, yet they won it all. The Mets were magic all year but their
mojo was useless against St. Louis.

Maybe, just maybe, we're saving our magic for October, when it counts?

Transplated Ex-Met Update: Ty Wigginton Traded For Dan Wheeler

In an exchange of ex-Mets, The Devil Rays have traded ex-Mets third baseman Ty Wigginton to the Houston Astros for ex-Mets righty reliever Dan Wheeler.

Transplanted Ex-Mets Update: Mile High Ex-Mets

Kaz Matsui broke a string of 15 hitless at-bats with a single in the sixth inning last night during the Rockies' 6-3 loss to the Padres in Colorado.  The Rockies were behind early after Mike Cameron's three-run homer in the first inning.  Mike has hit eight homers in his last 31 games.

Transplanted Ex-Mets Update: Mike Piazza Homers In A's Win

Mike Piazza, playing in the DH spot, hit a three-run homer and an RBI double for the Oakland A's in their 12 - 6 win over the Angels last night.

Julio Franco was in the starting lineup for the fourth time in five games since Atlanta signed him last week. He doubled high off the wall in right in the fourth inning and went 2-4 overall during the Braves' 4-2 win over the Giants.

Now This Is A Rivaly. Mustache Throws Julio Franco Under The Bus

John Delcos of The Journal News has by far the best of the Major Media blogs. Tonight he quotes Willie Randolph and Jose Valentin as saying Julio Franco's clubhouse leadership as being vastly overstated by the public:

“If you play, you have to produce. That clubhouse stuff is overrated,’’ manager Willie Randolph said.

Jose Valentin offered up that Franco was a less than eager participant in the club’s pre-game stretching. He also said Franco wouldn’t hesitate to get in the face of some of the younger players about doing their jobs even though he was hitting .200.

“To be a leader for me, it’s not enough to talk all the time,’’ Valentin said. “You have to go out and do it yourself.’’

Now I'm really looking forward to the August series against Atlanta.

Transplanted ex-Mets Update: Ty Wigginton is on FIRE!!!

Ex-Met Ty Wigginton has eight hits in his last eight plate appearances, matching Aubrey Huff's 2004 Devil Rays team record (The major league record is 12). Wigginton had one hit in his previous 21 at-bats at Tropicana Field. "I've been doing the same thing I've been doing all year," Wigginton said.

En Fuego!!

Consistency On The Left Side Of The Mets' Infield? Wow!

Wright and Reyes, each 24, started their 396th game together last night in San Diego. It's the most by any third base-shortstop combination in club history. The old mark was 394 by 3B Howard Johnson and SS Kevin Elster.

Tansplanted Ex-Mets Update: Julio Franco A Brave, Again

The Braves have picked up Julio Franco... I guess they are looking for some mojo or something because this guy was completely useless in a Mets uniform, save for sending Carlos Beltran out for a curtain call fourteen months ago. Matt Cerrone is confident Franco is going to beat us in a big spot sometime this season but I just don't see it. As far as I'm concerned, let Franco continue to set the record for Oldest Position Player To Ground Out To Second Base In A Road Game, in any other uniform other than the Mets.

I Get To Watch The Mets Win on SNY

Well, that was fun. El Duque was inspiring, Beltran was a hitter, LoDuca and Valentin were clutch... well worth staying u until almost 1 AM for. Mets win, 7-0, defeating Jake Peavy to move 3 games up in the loss column over the Bravos, who fell again to Cincy.

There were quite a few odd sights tonight, not the least of which was El Duque with a straight steal of second base, but the weirdest thing to me was briefly seeing some Mets fan wandering around the stands directly behind homeplate wearing a pristine #44 Jay Payton jersey. Remember when he was the next big thing for the Mets? Speaking of which, Lastings Milledge had an 0-4 with a sacfly RBI tonight. Will Milledge really be the next Darryl Strawberry? Or the next Jay Payton?

Transplanted Ex-Mets Quote: Gary Carter on Barry Bonds

From an article on ESPN.com:

Carter, an 11-time All-Star who hit 324 homers, said Bonds has had "a great career," but questions if he could have gotten so big without performance-enhancing drugs.

"I saw him when he first broke in. He was a scrawny, skinny, 185-pound guy that had great talent. And then he turned himself into a freakin' power hitter with, what, 245, 250 pounds, and his head got twice the size. So, you know, you figure it out," he said.

"I know he likes to go to the gym. We all like to go to the gym. You just don't get that big," he said.

Stupid Schedule

My life has started to calm down (a little), but of course I couldn't watch any games with WPIX being unavailable on my DirecTV, and of course now the Metropolitans head west for 10:00 games.  Ugh.  Well, at least they're winning now, right?

What I'm most thrilled about is the performance of our youngsters.  Whatever the standings at the end of the year, we have to be thrilled about our future considering the performances of Lastings Milledge, Oliver Perez et al.  I happen to think there's no chance in hell of Omar unloading Lastings.  His rap career might bug the old white suits in the front office, but no way is Omar unloading a kid with this much potential whose contract is under control for the next several years.

Transplanted ex-Mets Update: Ex Mets on The Mend

Mike Piazza has begun his rehab assignment for the A's. The plan for him to work on his catching, now that he's lost his hold on the everyday DH job, has been scrapped because he couldn't get his shoulder into throwing shape. Now, he's back to working on his swing, and once he's ready he'll either join the A's big league team or Billy Beane has agreed to trade him to a team he's willing to go to.

Melvin Mora is headed to the disabled list after spraining a ligament in his leg sliding into home plate on July 1st.

I'm Still Here!

The last six weeks have turned pretty much every facet of my life completely on it's head. I've had to pare down my life a bit for a while, but I will be back blogging, hopefully soon. In the meantime, an enormous 'Thank You' goes out to all the bloggers on the right side of the page for keeping me abreast of Mets news. I hope you all, who've enjoyed this blog over the past two seasons, will welcome me back into your daily routine once things settle down.

As Always, Lets Go Mets!