According to Francessa, who seems to know everything lately.  In the immortal words of the Mad Dog, "Bad job outta Sheridan in that defensive coordinator scenario."

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Another awesome game that goes into the pantheon of great wins by Big Blue!  This one has to go in my top 10 of favortite Giant games of all time.  I don't know - there are probably about 20 games in my top 10, to tell the truth!

But this could have turned out very differently.  I'm thinking specifically about the missed FG from Tynes earlier in the game.  Think about this scenario had Tynes made that FG:  instead of being down 31-30, Giants are instead ahead 33-31 after the Cowboys' last TD.  The Giants go into their fetal position offense, running the ball 3 times into the middle for no gain, just to entice the opponent to use up their time outs.   This is what they usually do under Coughlin, isn't it?  So the Cowboys would have been the ones with the ball, with maybe no time outs but plenty of time on the clock to race down into FG position themselves.

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That according to a tweet by Adam Schefter.

 

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This is the Amazin' Avenue Game Chatter Hitlist. Basically, it tracks member involvement in game chatters for the current season. Why do we do this? For one thing, it's fun. For another, sometimes we all need the spark of competition to get our fires blazing, and that's what the hitlist is all about.

thru 09/08/07

Rk	AA User	Cmts
1	DocMets16	714
2	elifriedman	591
3	TheFlushingKings	293
4	Greenpoint Ian	270
5	NewMet5	236
6	The Irresistable Force	234
7	chico	140
8	gersch3	131
9	pingel	119
10	kendynamo	93
11	citimetro	88
12	metsexile	86
13	jalsonmi	85
14	Mikeybags84	84
15	BlackOps	74
16	ams258	64
17	kingcritical	58
18	DavidNYC	37
19	ivy	34
20	anonymous	31
21	stjohnthebassist	28
21	wrightHOF	28
23	schwaldeez	26
24	Max in NJ	24
24	gogomets	24
26	Blackfish	22
27	Josh	18
27	Mr. Met	18
29	Joseeeeee	14
30	future	13
31	Rod Gaspar Fan Club	12
31	blindbernard	12
33	Shomov	10
34	Simons	9
34	retire17	9
36	LAwman	8
37	thriller216	6
38	jillsinmo	5
39	dissento	4
39	vonhayes	4
41	BGNJason	3
41	rrtycoon2	3
41	vipregan	3
44	ZaBlanc	2
44	pj	2
46	docrobby	1
46	kmdarcy	1
46	manuka	1
46	zookman12	1

First Half Totals

Rk	AA User	Cmts
1	DocMets16	1250
2	Mr. Met	673
3	pj	604
4	elifriedman	502
5	chico	444
6	Greenpoint Ian	417
7	TheFlushingKings	398
8	anonymous	378
9	NewMet5	344
10	pingel	319
11	BrooklynRaider	270
12	IanB in MD	174
13	ZaBlanc	156
14	citimetro	130
15	peteyfan45	99
16	hugo	94
17	chuckwagon	76
18	wrightHOF	73
19	2QYankeehater	72
20	Mikeybags84	71
21	erik from the bx	67
22	Shomov	59
23	ivy	52
24	Max in NJ	49
25	Rod Gaspar Fan Club	47
26	thekid	46
27	Daktari	40
28	manuka	33
28	tardlos	33
30	LAwman	31
31	future	30
32	Junit3123	27
33	big shea	24
34	kingcritical	23
35	BlackOps	21
36	OronosFemur	20
37	Drugs Delaney	14
38	CCTX44	13
38	gogomets	13
38	gooden2carter	13
41	mookie3	10
42	Rox Fan in NY	7
42	The Irresistable Force	7
42	whynot	7
45	Blackfish	5
45	StuckInGA	5
45	retire17	5
48	Funktual	4
48	Grouchoman	4
50	Josh	3
51	Doc Manhattan	2
51	millsy	2
51	mvetack	2
54	C60	1
54	One Ping Only	1
54	erich11226	1
54	garrett	1
54	littlefallsmets	1
54	ziola1039	1

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Greetings, Amazin' Avenuans -

My apologies for not being around as often as I would have liked this year.  I'm sure you all missed my usual pearls of wisdom.  

I guess Eric said it as well as it can be said with his front page story there.  Living in Denver as I do I have to wonder what the baseball gods are up to by packaging the "epic" meltdown that we experienced with one of the most unexpected, phenomenal runs in baseball history, and that would of course be the one the Rockies just concluded.

I think back to that lost July 4 trip that the Mets had out here.  Had those games gone differently, of course it would be us in the playoffs and not them.

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Lord help us, it's the Colorado Rockies.

I'm so happy there were fireworks again tonight, because if you liked it the last 2 nights as a Mets fan, you surely loved it tonight.

It was eerie how pretty much everything that occurred last night occurred again tonight, only in slightly greater relief.

The early lead, the subsequent inability to make pitches or field like a normal team, the failure to run out hits, the barnacle-encrusted bullpen, and worst of all the general sense that the Mets just "weren't into it" all that much.

The one big mystery tonight was whether we'd see the "good" El Duque, or the "evil" El Duque.  The one big difference from last night was that El Duque did not give the lead back immediately, but rather slow-dripped us to death as his own little good v. evil scenario played itself out.

Sometimes baseball games turn on you in an instant.  This was not one of those games.  It was a steady erosion of an already tenuous position that the Mets had established thanks to an error, a walk and a bomb by D-Dub.

Dub was really the only player on the field in a Mets uniform who, well, I don't want to say he's the only one who cared, so I'll go with maintained his focus.  He's the only one who kept his concentration and played like a man worthy of a major league uniform.  That's probably why he was only regular Willie pulled from the lineup early.  Everyone else had to stay out there and enjoy themselves.

Anyway, this good v. evil El Duque thing - I think it did play out in microcosm in a key at-bat by Todd Helton in the 4th inning.  With the bases loaded and two out and the game still tied (and by "still tied" what I mean to say is "El Duque had used up all the rope the Mets handed him"), with El Duque rolling up to 90 pitches or so this was the critical AB of the game, in my mind.  

Had ElD been able to get Helton, he could have worked the 5th, and possibly been in line to still get a win.  He did manage to get ahead of Helton, but started to lose him, and was battling him (much like Darth Vader vs. Obi Wan on the river of lava at the end of Episode III, ok, Eric, you snarky bastid?) with a 2-2 count.  

That's when ElD dropped the Eephus.  Helton waited until he could wait no longer and finally took a mighty swing, ticking just enough of the ball to drop it foul at LoDuca's feet.  

It was a nice effort by ElD.  He did have him surprised by it.  He did get a "woo" out of the crowd.  Had Helton swung and missed, it's a different ballgame, possibly.  

Instead, Helton ultimately walked, leading to a miserable overthrow by Reyes on a ball in the hole, and the game was for all intents and purposes over right there.  

If I had his number, I would have called President Bush immediately to ask him to commute the rest of this game.  Unfortunately, I don't have Preznit Pretzel's number, so I actually had to sit through the rest of the game, which was downright interminable.

From the moment that Helton walked on the missed Eephus (2nd, much lamer attempt) on the 3-2 pitch, the pitch that even Reyes would have taken last year, the pitch that said, "I have nothing on any of my other pitches, so I'm going back to this well one more time, but both of us know damn well it's not going to work," it was just a long, painful journey through one of those "Games That Would Not End".

Sure, stuff happened after that.  Willie had to use "Please Don't Make Me Watch Any Mo" -ta again, after using him yesterday, because he wouldn't let his long man eat the innings a long man is supposed to eat.  Is that the reason Mota appeared more Benitez than ever today?  I have no idea.  But he had no business being in there yesterday, that much I'm pretty sure about.

In fact, Sele came in today to mop up Mota's mess in the role that Joe Smith should have filled, but didn't, because Joe Smith already filled the role that Sele should have filled yesterday.  Go figure.

Scott Schowen- "Why Is Willie Doing This To Me" followed with yet another display of craptaculariousness, as did Pedro "I'm Too Good For This" Feliciano and Aaron "This Blows Like Rita" Heilman.

Kaz Matsui spared us another singles clinic tonight but he did giggle like a schoolgirl after stealing 2nd on us with the Rockies already leading by a touchdown.  He stopped himself as soon as he could.  Probably when he came to his senses and remembered that Alissa Milano is not actually all that into him.

Rockies fans did not turn out in droves with brooms, to their credit, but they did lose multiple levels of cool points by booing the umps lustily when they called a couple of close ones against them even though they were up by 10 runs in the 7th inning and by all rights this game should have been called for darkness of the soul.  It was a game that was crying out to just end already and they were booing because someone was called out at first base.  Bunch of Toby Keith-loving morons.

Matt Herges got on my nerves by walking guys and generally taking a long time to get out of the 8th inning without giving up any actual runs to us.  And Carlos Delgado gave me several different opportunities to mention his Hands of Stone(tm), while the Mets' bullpen made Yorvit Torrealaba look like the second coming of Yadier Molina, but I've decided not to dwell on any of those.

I'm not even going to talk about the 13 pitch AB that Dookie opened up the 9th inning with when all anyone wanted to do was watch some fireworks.  

No, I'm going to step back from this series, and say, hey, the Rockies were amped for us, and we were not even plugged in for them.  They do have a respectable lineup, and they have posted a 12-3 record in their past 15 home games, I believe.  So I'm prepared to just turn the page, get the hell out of here (well actually I'm staying but the Mets can go ahead and get the hell out of here), and thank the powers that be for my health, my friendships and family, the fact that the Mets are still in 1st place, after all, and that life itself provides opportunities to riff on games like this at blogs like this.

It's not perfect, but it's all pretty much good.  The fireworks were great again, and the guy did hook me up with an extra level on my mixed ice cream cone that he prepared while Show was busy walking guys he had previously been 0-2 on.  So I had that much going for me tonight.

Hello fellow Mets aficionados.  

I write to you tonight from beautiful downtown Denver, Colorado, where our beloved Amazins dropped quite the gi-normous pile of putridity on their faithful in attendance this fine evening.

Let's start with the highlight of the evening:

Yes, our savior stretching out before the game.  Swoon.

I was just settling in with my peanuts and frosty when the hilarity began to unfold.  Bunt single by Josejosejosejose (a thing of beauty), a stolen base, a throwing error to 3rd allowing our first run to score.  

Then, a little speck of a cloud on the horizon, as Beltran grounded weakly to the right side.  Turns out he would do that 3 more times on the evening.  Gotta admire the kid's consistency.

Back on track as Dub knocked Gotay in over a drawn-in infield, just moments after I explained to my companions what a doofus Clint Hurdle was for drawing his infield in so early when he hadn't even seen what Vargas could do yet, so the timing there was just short of exquisite.

Delgado even went the other way for a single, regrettably for the last time on the night.  I say that even though he did squeeze a single through the shift later in the game.  

What would possess a man to hit into a shift when down by 8 runs late in the game?  I couldn't possibly know.  Delgado's way too cerebral for me.  I'd like to hear his explanation, though I dare say it is likely to come across somewhat like this:

Finally, the rumblings of discontent began with old man Green hitting into a DP and letting a shaky Cook off the hook.  Hah!  Fran Healy couldn't have said it better.  That was only the beginning of Green's trail of ineptitude.  He slugged yet another DP right in front of Hippo's homer, at a time when the game wasn't yet completely out of reach.  He subsequently came up with the bases empty so, with no DP available for him to hit into, his weak squib to the pitcher seemed the next best thing, to be followed by the coup de grace of watching strike 3 whiz past his lonely eyes to end this debacle of a sham of a travesty of a mockery of a ballgame.

This weak-hitting corner outfielder was nearly matched by our other one, Senor Gomez.  What a wretched night of over-matchedness he had.  Coming up in the 2nd inning following his misplay of a Kaz Matsui single into a double, he was clearly swinging to tie the game up when he stroked that embarrassing swinging bunt instead.  His futility continued through the evening as he bunted, yes, on purpose this time, out of the 8 hole with 2 outs and Vargas due up next.  Ex-squeeze you?  Even for such a young up and coming talent, that was a particularly retch-worthy play.  His final flailing, 3 pitch strikeout was equally as appropriate to his overall performance tonight as Green's was to his.

I took a couple of pictures with my camera of death.  This one of Josejosejosejose was taken just moments before he embarrassed himself and the  team by not running out a ball that he would have been safe on due to a throwing miscue, but wasn't, because he went all "Julio Franco" on our asses instead.

Then I took this picture of Carlos Beltran:

That was just moments before he grounded out to the right side for the 4th time on the night.  I decided to put the camera away for the night after that.  Until, of course, the Rockies' mascot decided to lob undergarments into the seething crown with some sort of giant thong thing.  I had to take a shot of that.

Ok let me focus for a moment on the defensive side of the ball.  There really was something for everyone tonight.  Everyone who needed to stop at each level of Dante's inferno, I mean.  We had ourselves a balk, a walked-in run, a grand slam, not one 4 run inning, but two of them, and, last but not least, one of our very own cast-offs dropping another double nickel on the city of New York.  Congratulations Kaz Matsui on a career night, going 5 for 5 against his old mates and snaring the ball, making a beautiful play on Beltran the one time all night he actually hit it with a tad bit of authority.

I could see it was going to be a long night immediately, if not sooner.  Vargas went 2-0 on light hitting Willie Taveras, only to allow the man to get aboard with a single on a 9 pitch AB to start the game.  There was no doubt in my mind that Vargas had nothing, and was going to get clobbered.  I knew that and I wasn't even wearing a jacket of any sort tonight.  

So, naturally, when he gave up the inevitable 4 runs in the first inning, I cast my gaze towards the Mets bullpen, expecting to see Aaron Sele, perhaps bearded and speaking in tongues to a volleyball he kept referring to as "Wilson", but Sele nonetheless.  Nope.  Nothing of the sort was going on in the Mets' bullpen.

What about after the second inning, when he gave up 2 more runs and only got out of that inning after a questionable double play call went his way?  No way, man.  Willie must have had a "feeling" or some shit.  Because he actually sent Vargas up there to hit, bless his heart.

By some miracle or divine intervention or what have you, Vargas managed to get out of the 3rd inning without any more runs, but would Willie press his luck and send him back out there for the 4th?  Of COURSE he would, stupidissimo! Why would you even ask that question?  

I was seriously wondering if Sele was hurt, or had insulted Willie's wife, or something quite serious  like that was going to prevent Willie from going to him.  When Willie allowed the bases to get loaded again before going to the pen, I was really quite shocked to see him pull out... Joe Smith?

Ok, ground ball pitcher. Needs a DP.  I get it.  Boom.  No more need for a DP.  Well, until Joe put two more guys on, then he did need a DP, and, bless HIS heart, he did get one at that point.

Right.  Enough of Joe Smith.  Now that we're behind 10-3, now that would seem to Willie like a perfect time to bring in Sele.  He must really hate that guy.  He also only let him pitch 2 innings.  

I will say this about Sele's fastball. It's sort of a good news/bad news story. The bad news is that he only throws it about 85 mph, so it's really easy to hit. The good news is that he doesn't actually throw it over the plate for strikes all that often, which makes it considerably tougher to his. So maybe Willie knows what he's doing after all.

Mop-up time continues with Mota, snooze, Show, blargh, game over, pass the napkins.  That was just completely terrible.  

All of this occurred in front of that rarest of events, by the way: an actual packed house at Coors Field. It looks like this, in case you've never seen it before:

But, just when you thought the night was over, the fun was really just starting, as the Rockies let the fans down on the field, thusly:

and gave us a rousing fireworks display.  It helped me forget how much money I paid to come out and watch the Mets carry on out there like a 3rd rate traveling circus.  I remembered that Orlando was just around the corner, and that I'll be heading right back out there tomorrow night, right along with them.  And tomorrow's my birthday too (yeah, for reals), so hopefully they'll give me some of this to remember them by:

Oh and yes, I DO realize that some of the more feeble-minded among the Rockies faithful will show up tomorrow night with their broomsticks, as they did last time the Mets lost the first two in a series, gayly waiving them around in the early innings only to crawl away by the time the 7th inning stretch comes along, with those broomsticks nestled safely between their legs, wishing they had not brought them in the first place, and wondering if it's worth the humiliation of continuing to carry them around all night rather than having to buy new ones.

Here he comes to save the day!!!

Yes, that's a special, fitted hat. He's quite serious about what he's saying, as well. Woof. Here's to another great year for the New York Metropolitan Baseball Club, and another great year of blogging at Amazin' Avenue!

Mets/Sawx

We're already in the 4th inning but here's your Mets' lineup:

1.  Jose Reyes - SS
   
2.  Paul Lo Duca - C
   
3.  Carlos Beltran - CF
   
4.  Carlos Delgado - 1B
   
5.  David Wright - 3B
   
6.  Shawn Green - RF
   
7.  Jose Valentin - 2B
   
8.  David Newhan - LF
   
9.  Oliver Perez - SP

Oliver Perez is BRINGING IT tonight.  Sawx have 0 runs on 2 hits through 4 innings, Ollie Ollie Ollie Oy Oy Oy with an eye-popping 7 strikeouts and 0 walks also through 4.

Josh Beckett is looking sharp also, with the Amazins getting both of their runs with the help of some highly dubious defense by the Sawx in the 2nd inning.

Here in the 4th, Green goes El Deppo to straightaway center for a 3-0 Mets lead.

I need to get the spelling right so I can scrawl it on the padded walls of the asylum I'll be living in, should he ever become our actual closer.

Armando Benitez, we hardly knew ye.  Thank goodness Ambiorix is here to remind us, and to have the same initials. Prayse Jaysus.

No, no.  I'm not being alarmist, fatalistic, existential, or even serious.  But Amby dropped quite the pattie on the field today.  According to the box score Amby pitched one inning successfully before I tuned in, but I was only able to catch the bottom of the ninth of today's game, so I saw it thusly:

Amby on the mound. 5-5 score.

You can cut the tension with an axe! Bring the heat, baby!

Excitement level:  8.

Chop infield single to AHern.  

That's ok, stay with it!  A good throw would have had him, but AHern was off-balance.

Excitement level:  6.

Line out to AHern, runner safe back at first.

Alright, Ambiorix!  You got it, baby!  Bring the heat!

Excitement level: 7.

Single to center.  Runners at 1st and 2nd, one out.

Focus, Amby.  Focus.

Excitement level: 4.

McEwing Steps to the plate (yes, that Joe McEwing).

Excitement level: 5.

McEwing walks.  Bases loaded, one out.

Grrrr.

Excitement level:  2.

Grrrraaaaannnnnnddddd Sssssaaaallllaaammmmiiii.

Flashes of Subway Series Game 1.  Large, sweaty, incompetent pitcher trudges off mound dejectedly.

Excitement level:  -6.

Go post a diary on AA.  Feeling better.

Excitement level:  0.

Fox Noise (Joe Buck hearts Troy Aikman Division) has determined that the Astros would be "wise" to consummate their unseemly "flirtation" with Steve Trachsel.

Flirting with Steve Trachsel, huh? Go figure. First, I'd like to say that I'd prefer not to be exposed to any mental imagery whatsoever that might remotely involve Steve Trachsel and any hint of sexual activity. Thanks. Moving on.

I'm not sure what sort of beer goggles Rosenthal put on prior to penning his analysis, but I imagine they're thicker than the usual Coke bottles.

I mean, just how drunk would you have to be, from a GM needing pitching standpoint, to want to "flirt" with Trax?  I'd be on the floor having seizures from alcohol poisoning before I'd ponder that move, especially if the team hopes to compete for anything. I mean, Trax is the pitching equivalent of that last chick in the bar, with smeared lipstick, torn fishnet stockings, a cigarette hanging out of her mouth, and a mug like Willie McGee.

That picture of Trax by itself should be enough to put any suitor off. I mean, just look at that face. It fairly screams, "Urgh! Me well-evolved and erudite modern man! Here come 82 mph "fast" ball. Deal with that, left field bleacher bums!"

Of course, I wish Trax the very best.  However, he really ought to pitch in Oakland, if anywhere in the majors, just so he can suck down bottle after bottle of that sweet, sweet, NAPA Valley grape juice, and stay as far the hell away from us as possible.

By the way, if by some wrinkle in the time/space/human intelligence continuum he turns up on the top 50 list I'm afraid I'll have to request my money back from Eric, or at least write a very sternly worded letter to the editor.  

Let me start off this diary with a hearty, full-throated, NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Courtesy of deadspin, I'm going to go get my Mets-logo'd barf bag and make full use of it.

Can someone - anyone - please get these guys get some competent publicists, STAT?!?

Whatever you do, in God's name, DO NOT click on this link which has a slideshow with more of these... (how can I say this as sneeringly as possible?)... photos.

Screw it - I've got nothing better to do.

According to one site, these are the Mets who can become free agents after the World Series:

P Chad Bradford
OF Endy Chavez+
C Mike DiFelice
OF Cliff Floyd
P Tom Glavine*
P Orlando Hernandez
P Roberto Hernandez
OF Ricky Ledee
P Guillermo Mota
P Darren Oliver
P Steve Trachsel
OF Michael Tucker
2B Jose Valentin
2B Chris Woodward

+ Arbitration-eligible
* Denotes player and/or club option

I'd be interested to re-sign:

ChadBrad
Endy
Cliff (on an incentive-laden deal)
El Duque
Mota, and
Oliver
(I don't know about Bert)

I'd also be looking to trade Green or get him into a a role as a backup if he could accept not being an every day starter (expensive though he is for that role), and to figure out a way to retire Franco.

That leaves quite a few holes to fill.  Considering we didn't trade Milledge for Zito, unless he's moved for Willis I think he needs to get a shot in right - maybe in a platoon with Green at first.  I love Endy and that catch will be remembered forever, but is he an everyday starter?  I don't know about that - maybe if Green is traded and we get a left fielder with pop he can platoon with Milledge in right.  

I'm not the best guy to figure out trades and/or evaluate talent on this site, but my guess is that  Omar won't be giving Stache the job at 2nd next year, and I'm not that yooge a Lugo fan.

The bench is really the key to success in so many ways and it's also the area of greatest improbability.  Omar pulled a lot of the right strings this year with his bench, especially with Stache and Endy, but are those guys going to back to bench roles?  Or can Omar come up with some equally affordable and undervalued people?  I did feel that we had no righthanded answer off the bench whatsoever in the playoffs, so that's a must.

As for the pitching staff, it's hard to know whether we have too many options or not enough.  I guess we go to spring training thinking that Maine and Perez are legit starters after those playoff performances, but was that just a mirage?  Otherwise, I feel like Glavine is a goner, and I honestly don't care.  I mean, God bless him, he did well for us in two out of three starts, but that game 5 start was a serious downer.  It seems like if he doesn't get a friendly ump he just can't be counted on, actually.  

Getting rid of Trax will be worth the price of several cases of Tums, not to mention No-Doz, in and of itself.  El Duque may be back, but his health is a continuing issue.  I wouldn't even think about Pedro - if he makes it back, that would be great, but I'm not counting on anyhthing from him.

Then we have a bunch of potential in Bannister, Pelfrey, Humber, etc.  I know a lot of people aren't that crazy about Zito - and he did get rocked by Detroit in game 1 of their series - but my feeling is they'll try to reunite him with Peterson.

Wagner is not getting any younger, but in the 2nd year of his 4 year deal, he's still the man.  With Duaner and hopefully Heils coming back, and Feliciano, we've got a good start there.

I was so pleasantly surprised last year by all the changes Omar made that I have no basis to second-guess whatever he wants to do - I just can't wait to see what it is and to get going on 2007.  

Magic number: 163!

Poll

Will Glavine come back?

68%

Yes

39 votes

31%

No

18 votes

57 votes | Poll has closed

Some time back I promised to post a diary about the one and only World Series game I've been fortunate enough to attend in person.  Today seems like as good a time as any to delve into those memories, given that I can't get any work done anyways because I'm so keyed up about tonight's game.

Continue reading this post »

(moved from diaries --eric)

From metsblog:

Catchers...

    Paul Lo Duca, Ramon Castro and Mike DiFelice...

Infielders...

    Carlos Delgado, Jose Valentin, Jose Reyes, David Wright, Julio Franco and Chris Woodward...

Outfielders...

    Carlos Beltran, Cliff Floyd, Shawn Green, Endy Chavez and Michael Tucker...

Pitchers...

    Orlando Hernandez, Tom Glavine, Steve Trachsel, John Maine, Billy Wagner, Aaron Heilman, Chad Bradford, Pedro Feliciano, Guillermo Mota, Darren Oliver and Roberto Hernandez...

A little commentary here from Mets.com.

Do we really need Mike DiFelice more than Lastings?  The idea that we'll be needing a third catcher seems like one of those very low-probability scenarios.  If one is given to thinking about those kind of scenarios, then I suppose it's equally likely that neither of the backup catchers in a particular game would be used in a pinch-hitting role unless absolutely necessary, leaving us with only Julio and  Woodward as right-handed bats off the bench.

I would have thought that Lastings might have come up with some kind of big hit in the playoffs that would elevate his trade value, in case it becomes necessary to trade him to land a #1 starter.  Obviously, at least in Round 1, he won't be getting that opportunity, nor that playoff experience.

Other than that, none of the other names look very controversial.  I have to say, I get a kind of giddy feeling when looking at our relief corps.  That's a really solid group.  Bradford has been a huge surprise for me - I really didn't expect him to even make the team - and Oliver has come through in that surprising way that Bert did last year.  Bert has yet to regain his last year's magic but I can certainly see why Willie went with him over Bell.  Hopefully we've seen the last of Ricky Ledee.

Good Lord, are the playoffs really starting tomorrow ?!?!?!?

It was a rather different evening at Coors last night.  The game began with what seems to be such a regular occurrence that it hardly bears mentioning anymore, and that is seeing the Mets finding a way to put up a couple of runs or more before the other team gets a shot.  All seemed well to that point, but by the time the 1st inning had ended, the Mets trailed for the first time in the series and never could quite catch up.

I have all the hope in the world that Oliver Perez will make us all forget He With The Initials SK Who Shall Not Be Named, but I wouldn't give away all my underwear just yet.

Perez, to my eyes, couldn't find a consistent release point, was hopping all over the mound, threw pitches in the dirt and way outside, went to hitters' counts on many of the batters he faced, had a pedestrian fastball that didn't fool anybody, and, most unfortunately, let the opposing pitcher look like the second coming of Larry Walker.

This game, in microcosm, can be understood in large part by the near-comic (or tragic) difference in how the pitchers hit.  Both lefties facing lefties, Jeff Francis, he of the 4-for-54 coming in, had the offensive night of his life, with a 2 for 2, 2 RBI night.

elifriedman was right as rain when he wondered what I was thinking, which had to do mainly with wondering what Willie was thinking, when he allowed Oliver Perez to swing the bat with the Mets down by 3, with runners at 2nd and 3rd and 1 out in the 4th.  Perez was already closing in on 100 pitches through the 3 innings he had scrambled through, so it was clear this was no "Let's get him though 5 and see if we can get him a win" situation.  It felt very much like a total give-up, like a spring training game in which getting one more inning out of Oliver, for evaluation purposes, was more important than winning the actual game.  Otherwise, how could Perez not be pinch-hit for in that situation?

The highlight of the evening occurred right at that moment, when a lone Mets fan about 20 rows behind me let fly with a series of plaintive wails, "Willie! Willie! Willie!"  he cried, to no avail, but much laughter all around.

Perez' performance at the plate was a vision to behold.  He fought like mad, as if his ability to plate those runs would have any bearing whatsoever on the Mets' willingness to let him pitch again in the future.  Freaky.  When he finally let fly with a mighty home run swing that missed, his bat-smashing act was an embarrassment to all witnessing it, given the big-picture disparities between the two teams on the field.  But Oliver appears to be all about Oliver.  I took that as a less-than-fantastic omen about his future with us.

As the game unfolded, Oliver did return to the mound, only to be given a quick hook after giving up a 2-run homer with no outs.  The head-scratching for Willie's actions didn't subside at that point, I can assure you.

Contrast this with even more of a head-scratcher, and that is the next at-bat of Jeff Francis.  I noted that Francis ended the top of the 5th with 103 pitches under his belt.  I accepted that with some solace that the Mets might soon get a shot at the Rockies (what's the opposite of "vaunted"?) bullpen.  

Imagine my surprise when Francis stepped to the plate in the home half of the inning and a not-insurmountable 3 run lead, with a runner on third and no one out.  Imagine my even greater surprise to see this barely +.100 hitter hit a very respectable drive to deep right-center to plate the run.  Imagine my utter and total confusion when he didn't even return to pitch the top of the 6th.  Oh well, that's Clint Hurdle for you.  Who am I to question a 60 year old man with a nicer flava-sava than Oliver Perez has?

So that's about the size of the game lsat night.  It was a brush with what we have in store for the next month as Willie prepares his post-season roster.  

The other moments that fall under the "enjoyable" aspect of being at the game included the remarkable play of Reyes, Wright and Beltran, and the Mets' fans repeated attempts to get a "Let's Go Mets!" chant going, only to be drowned out with boos on each occassion.  Nice going, guys - E for effort.

I had some ok seats last night.  Here's a shot of our poster boy taking a pitch, and another of the double-play machine and the brain trust. (I could't figure out how to resize them to make them fit on the page - sorry.)

It was a wonderful night at Coors Field, for Mets fans anyway.  

As soon as we clicked through the turnstiles, it was clear that the Mets would rule this evening. There were Mets fans everywhere, in full regalia.  It was like a Grateful Dead concert except that instead of everyone wearing their tie-dies and Steal-Your-Face shirts, it was a multi-generational festival of Mets garb, from the 1969 World Champs shirt to the Todd Hundley jersey to the Mr. Met caps (bravo!) to the Vote for Pedro shirts.  Rockies fans were barely to be seen.  And when they were seen, like all good children, they weren't heard.

A standard, incredible Colorado sunset unfurled behind the left field stands by the time CBMVP clocked a low line drive over the right-center field wall to get the evening started.  It was quite a serene and meditative moment.  I woke up from my trance just a bit when D-Dub managed a single to plate Delgado, the beginning of his slump-busting evening.

As Trax took the mound, I was clever to remind my baseball-tolerating wife that she might as well settle in for a while, given this pitcher and his wacky ways.  The Human Rain Delay was never in fuller Go-Slow mode than last evening.  He gets the ball, he circles the mound.  He tugs on his shirt.  He shakes his leg. Entire sausage races, presidential cycles, and tectonic shifts of earth occur, yet there Trachsel remains, on the mound, spider webs forming in all directions. He looks at the ground.  For a while.  What is he thinking about?, she asked me.  No idea, I replied.  Maybe there's some aspect of his shoe that he had never quite taken particular notice of, but which turned out to be quite entrancing, for those long, drawn-out moments.

When he did decide to deliver the ball, he was his usual self.  Loading up the bases, getting out of most jams, pitching just well enough not to lose.  I don't know if he does that on purpose or not but it is just short of infuriating to watch, even when the Mets are carrying a big lead.

But, aside from the general delightfulness of the evening, and the treat of seeing so many Mets fans in person, and seeing Carlos Delgone-o actually get a triple, and D-Dub break out a little, and Reyes and Beltran homers, there are a couple of Rockies players I wanted to mention.

First, our boy Kazuo is all growed up.  I mean, he was raking it.  3 hits, 2 stolen bases, involved in all the Rockies runs one way or the other, and generally showing his value.  I was happy for him. I was never a Kaz-hater, maybe because I sympathize with being a Japanese player in the US - it can't be all that easy (especially with a potential blood-enemy Korean on the mound but that's another historical anomaly).  I noted that Kaz is still stuck on that 1 homer for the season, King of Irony that he is.  Anyway, he played well.  The Rockies are apparently thinking of converting him to a CF if they keep him next year.  As long as the Mets sweep here, I'm happy to see Kaz tear it up in the Rockies' losing causes.  He was kind enough to ground out when it counted most, with the tying run on 2nd and 1 out on the 4th, before the game got out of hand.

Second, I need to say a word about Brad Hawpe.  Good grief, ladies and germs, I don't believe I've ever seen a more life-draining performance in my life.  Batting in the 1st with runners at 1st and 2nd and one out, he whiffed.  Batting in the 3rd with runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs, he whiffed.  He did single in the 5th, but made up for that by striking out looking to end the game.  

But that says nothing of his defense, which was as atrocious an example of outfielding as I've seen this side of the green monster.  His gift-wrapped triples for D-Dub and Delgone-o were greatly appreciated, but my gracious, I have no idea what he was thinking about.  You could see the train wrecks of both those plays unfolding from miles away - he had no chance on either ball, yet made enfeebled desperate dives for both.  Great fun.

Alright then, I'm not going tonight (stupid Cirque du Soleil) but will be back out there tomorrow. Hang in there, Mets fans, our magic number is at a Hernandez.  Good times.