Orange & Blue

Oakie & Out

2005-08-02T14:35:00.000-04:00

As the NHL storms into free-agent frenzy, the Isles take a HUGE smack in the face losing Adrian Aucoin to the Chicago Blackhawks. "Oakie" is the ONE player on this roster that i'd say we could NOT afford to lose.

Here are the other free agent Isles circling in the tank:

N.Y. ISLANDERS
Arron Asham, Shawn Bates, Rob Collins, Eric Godard, Trent Hunter, Kenny Jonsson, Oleg Kvasha, Justin Mapletoft, Radek Martinek, Justin Papineau, Mark Parrish, Tomi Pettinen, Mattias Weinhandl

GAME REPORT: Mets vs. Padres 7.19.05

2005-07-20T11:47:00.000-04:00

Wow. Couldn't have been friggin hotter at Shea last night. Went with my brother in-law, father in-law, and I guess Uncle in-law?? The flags hung limp as could be, it was hot, humid with NO air coming thru the stadium. I'd like to note that the Padres ballboys were two major PRICKS and did not give ONE ball to a kid the entire game. We were in the 'good' seats in rows 1 and 2 next to the Padres on-deck circle. Finally the home plate ump [Tim Timmons] was good enough to give a kid with down syndrome a ball. Even ex-Met dave magadan (now bench coach with Pods) did not even flinch his head to look towards the stands to give a kid a ball.

-Benson started and pitched great but to no decision.
-Floyd hit his 23rd home run
-piazza actually threw a runner out
-CHRIS WOODWARD won the the game in the 11th with a walk-off 2-run HR!!!

Not Up, Not Down, Not Nowhere Really

2005-07-12T14:32:00.000-04:00

As MLB takes its All-Star break and we ponder what we've done in the first half and what we are to look ahead to (or not) in the 2nd half, here is my take on some thangs...

- 44 and 44 just doesn't cut it. Sick of the win 2 of 3 lose 2 of 3 see-saw season so far.
- it's obvious some roster moves need to be made, but where? Replace Ishii with Heilman seems to be a no-brainer, but after that, they have some serious decision-making to do. And, like last year, do they mortage the farm for a run's sake short term and then go and watch their season crash and burn??? I'd rather not see that.
- i'd like to see them continue to develop a young, fast exciting team and bring Anderson Hernandez up and let him play 2nd for the rest of the year to see what they really have in him and if he can be their future pivot.

After that, adding a bat at first?? you're guess is as good as Omar's...

AJ'S Prospect Watch: Mike Jacobs, Anderson Hernandez

2005-07-07T23:06:00.000-04:00

Jacobs is the dude that used to catch, missed an entire season i think, and is now tearing it up as a 1B in Binghamton. Hitting .309 with 17HR's.

Also, Peter Gammons said on Baseball Tonite that the Mets new plan may be to bring up Anderson Hernandez to play 2nd and Victor Diaz to eventually play first going with an all young/rookie-type infield with Wright, Reyes... He thinks the Mets should then go spend on serious starting pitching.

We Get It...Pitch Counts Are Important!!

2005-07-05T12:47:00.000-04:00

Honestly, the amount of time Gary Cohen spends talking about pitch counts during his horrific radiocasts are getting to be ridiculous. I counted at least 7 pitch count mentions in the span of 3 innings last week during a Mets/Marlins game. You can't convince me that there isn't enough going on to talk about and that pitch counts should become as discussed as they are. It's really friggin' annoying. The Mets could be losing by 8 and Jose Reyes could have just struck out in the 5th inning, but Gary Cohen would be like, "Reyes really worked the pitcher hard in that 9-pitch at bat". Scintillating stuff Gary.

Cliff's All-Star Invite M.I.A

2005-07-05T12:43:00.000-04:00

It's a shame that Carlos Beltran and Mike Piazza are going to the All-Star Game and Cliff Floyd will be sitting home. I know that the fan vote is what it is, but come on... The most glaring issue here is that each team needs to be repped... that is a joke and why it just doesn't make sense to put a value on the game, being that there is little control of who goes and who doesn't.

GAME REPORT: Mets vs. Marlins 7.1.05

2005-07-02T18:50:00.000-04:00

Holy Shit, I'm never going to Shea on fireworks night again. We had to park at the old World's Fair structures, a good 20 minute+ walk to Shea after circiling the stadium about 3 times. Problem one is that they shut half the main parking lot off for the fireworks so they don't blow up cars. Problem 2 is that Shea is just notoriously one of the most disastrously run parking outfits in professional sports stadium history.

-Mets won a back-and-forth battle with the fish 7-6 on a Chris Woodward RBI single in the 8th.

-Went with Pete and Mike, sat in Loge Box 351, Sec. 9 next to Greg Wolcoff from Lynbrook and his girlfriend

Sheff: No Soup For Mets

2005-06-30T11:04:00.000-04:00

Gary Sheffield quieted any notion of a trade to the Mets. "I will still play, but i won't be happy...If i'm not happy, you don't want me on your team. That's the way it goes," Sheffield told the NY Post.

Quote of the Day: "I thought he threw the ball pretty well,"

2005-06-30T10:55:00.000-04:00

....said Willie Radolph, about Kaz Ishii after his 3.1 inning, 5 earned Run, 5 Hit, 4 walk performance against the Phillies dropping his record to 2-7 with an ERA of 5.68.

Need I say more?

Hoosier School Drop-Out

2005-06-29T16:52:00.000-04:00

Hoosier drop-out Bracey Wright was drafted 47th in last night's NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He should have stayed for his Senior Year. With Vaden and DJ White, and Killingsworth coming off his transfer year sit-out, they have a shot to win the Big Ten - with or without him!

Vintage Mike, Amazing in the Non-Clutch

2005-06-29T09:42:00.000-04:00

Mike Piazza summed up his Mets career last night against the Phils with his prototypical non-clutch home run / RBI's (or Ribeye's as Keith Hernandez cornily puts it). Up 6-2 in the 7th inning Piazza blasted a 2 run homer. Already batting a horrendously disgusting .209 with RISP, here is an example of the type of hitting that is making up that .209, which makes that stat even scarier.

RUMORAGE: Sheffield to the Mets Part XXXVII

2005-06-29T09:39:00.000-04:00

In the latest in a string of Sheffield-to-the-Mets rumors that have now spanned a good 15 years, ESPN Radio reported this morning that that Yanks and Mets are discussing a swap of Doc's Nephew for Mike Cameron.

from ESPN insder:

Cameron and Cairo for Sheff?
According to The Bergen Record's Bob Klapisch, During last weekend's Subway Series, the Yankees and Mets had a tentative deal that would've sent Gary Sheffield to the Mets in exchange for Cameron and Miguel Cairo, the newspaper reports.

I'm Working On My Resume As We Speak

2005-06-27T12:04:00.000-04:00

You have to check this one out, The NY Islanders are in full hiring-mode MAJOR LEAGUE TEAM SEEKS MAJOR LEAGUE TALENT . The Isles are seeking 'talent' in SALES · MARKETING · CREATIVE · ADMINISTRATION · CUSTOMER SERVICE · COMMUNITY RELATIONS · RECRUITING....

I think they are missing these: Forwards, Goalies, Defensemen, Zamboni Drivers, Hot Dog Vendors, Security Guards, Organists...

Noticably absent are Ticket Sales People.... Oh, and the NHL

Robin, Wright, Henn?

2005-06-26T00:19:00.000-04:00

Musing from the Mets' last 2 days in the Bronx where they've taken the first 2 out of 3 from the Yanks...

- Derek Jeter looks very gay when he enters the batters box, and digs in with his right tip-toe, very gay.

- Michael Kay on the YES network saying, "Kenny, How can the Mets be beating the Yankees like this when the Yankees are clearly a better team?" huh.....??

- Who the HELL are the two radio people on WFAN Saturday night?? Roberto and Amy something?? Is it a joke or are they really hosting a regular show? Whoever they are and whatever their doing is NOT GOOD.

- David Wright looked like Robin Ventura bare-handing the Womack bunt in the 9th inning yesterday. That was amazing.

- Reye's range at SS is ridiculous!!

- Yanks rookie pitcher Sean Henn doesn't look very good.

No Cristal For You Rasheed!!

2005-06-24T10:54:00.000-04:00

Rasheed Wallace's guarantee that the cristal would be on ice for the Pistons Thursday night, came to a sad and crashing end with a Spurs Game 7 Victory last night. While i absotely LOVE Chauncey Billups, I'm overjoyed to see a Loser Like Rashee Wallace Lose.

2nd Base Now Officially Disaster Central

2005-06-22T12:01:00.000-04:00

In what is normally a typical scenario for the NY Mets, as soon as his chance came w/Cairo out and Matsui going to the DL, Jeff Keppinger breaks his fucking knee at Norfolk. AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Kaz Ishii Starting Another Game: World Coming To End

2005-06-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

i'm speechless.

Gary Cohen Makes Me Want To Throw Shit

2005-06-21T23:04:00.000-04:00

Honestly, I never thought i'd see the day where i'd be longing for Bob Murphy's voice (rest his soul). Gary Cohen consistently makes me want to hurt someone. He is just atrocious. His knee-jerk reaction to fly balls (as potential 550 ft homers) is like a fan who is attending his/her first ball game and jumps out of the seat at a pop-up to the infield. It's unfortunate because i really do still enjoy the process of listening to the game on the radio in the backyard or in the car on the way home from work. Howie Rose is fine, but Gary Cohen is absolutly intolerable to listen to. It really all started with his pronunciation of Edgardo Alfonzo's last name as though he had a peach pit stuck in the back of his mouth. Tonite, he seriously (not sarcastically) said, " Doug Minckewicz has now hit in 4 straight games and has his average up to .211".

Kenny Jonsson: Back to the "NEUTRAL" zone

2005-06-20T17:19:00.000-04:00

Not like there is an actual NHL to play in or anything like that, but, Kenny Jonsson has confirmed that he will be remaining in Sweden and not returning to the Isles or the NHL. Kenny was a solid 2-way for the Isles and fought thru a TON of injuries to stay out on the ice - he was also the longest tenured player on the current roster .

Kill 2 Kaz's with One Stone

2005-06-18T11:06:00.000-04:00

I think it's time that the Mets' Japenese experiment come to merciful end. After the latest disaster in a string of disasters for Kaz Ishii last night in Seattle, and Kaz Matsui's continuing nightmare of a season - let's cut the cord please.

-Aaron Heilman replaces Ishii in the starting rotation?

-Eventually, Miguel Cairo (when healthy) or Jeff Keppinger (who also got hurt at Norfolk last night getting taken out on a double play break-up slide) replace Matsui at 2nd?

Why Was Graves Released by the Reds????

2005-06-17T11:28:00.000-04:00

Weird that Danny Graves was let go by the Reds.....er, or NOT... here was his inning yesterday in Oakland....

B Crosby struck out looking.
E Chavez singled to right.
S Hatteberg grounded out to first, E Chavez to third on throwing error by first baseman B Daubach.
B Kielty doubled to left, E Chavez scored.
K Ginter doubled to deep center, B Kielty scored.
N Swisher singled to center, K Ginter scored.
M Scutaro flied out to center.

3 Runs, 4 Hits

Nice work Dan....Glad you are 'comfortable with not closing'....

Daubach bach up to the Bigz

2005-06-16T11:44:00.000-04:00

Mets ended up (as Willie said) going with the best hitter to replace Cairo on roster and recalled Brian Daubach (former Met farmhand and Red Sox star) who is having an amazing season at Norfolk - In 55 games with Norfolk, he was hitting .356 with 11 homers and 42 RBIs to lead the Tides in all three Triple Crown categories. Hard to argue the move and maybe he replaces Minky at 1st for the rest of the year?????

Keppinger Koming?

2005-06-15T21:27:00.000-04:00

Heard on WFAN that Miguel Cairo may go on the DL. If this is true, then I would LOVE to see Jeff Keppinger, who is still tearing it up at Norfolk , get the call. I'm sure they won't because that'd be the smart thing to do and they ARE the Mets after all.

RUMORAGE: Minky on way out??

2005-06-14T16:49:00.000-04:00

Word floating around is that the Mets have had enough of Doug Minky's .203 avg. and are on the prowl for a new First Basemen. Todd Helton (contract too restrictive), Sean Casey, and Angels Rookie Casey Kotchman... stay tuned.

GAME REPORT: Mets vs. Astros 6.7.05

2005-06-08T15:42:00.000-04:00

First time getting to see PEDRO in person! Went with Tiffany and Jeff from work and sat in great seats with great view of Pedros pitches (Row 14H, Seat 1 Box). This was one of the top pitching performances i've ever witnessed in my now 27 years of going to Shea. Complete Game, 12K, 1 Run, 2 Hitter (no-hitter into the 7th inning broken up by Chris Burke's first career homer of all things!). The sickest part was that he struck out the side in the 9th inning!!

GAME NOTES:

-Sat 4 rows behind that snarky doctor from the TV show scrubs

-Cliff Floyd ALMOST charged Roy Oswalt after he hit him square in the back. After the game, they said on the radio that Floyd hit a Grand Slam off Oswalt last year and then Oswalt hit him at Shea a few weeks later. Floyd said that he knew he was going to do it because he wanted to face a righty next with two outs and only one runner on first.

-All of our asses got soaked when we sat down as it rained the night before and the cushions must have absorbed the moisture

-Jeff's pretzel fell behind my seat, but he was more concerned with not eating it because it was stale rather than dirty.

-This was Tiffany's first NY Sports event! She is a big-time Astros Fan from Texas.

Draft 2005 / Bats in the Pelfrey

2005-06-08T15:01:00.000-04:00

Mets draft Michael Pelfrey a 6'7" 210lb power pitcher out of Wichita State. I heard on WFAN that he throws consistently in the mid to high 90's averaging out at aournd 97MPH and has fastball, change-up and curve.

GAME REPORT: Mets vs. D-Backs 6.1.05

2005-06-03T09:37:00.000-04:00

Pops and I hit our first game together of the season. A bit cautious as we knew Victor Zambrano was pitching, but to our pleasant surprise (even though my dad's been his only fan all year), Victor pitched an 8 inning gem shut down in the 9th by Braden Looper for a 2-1 win. It was COLD as shit for a June 1st evening, but the win was as solid as they come. Reyes stole 3 bases and took 3rd on a routine ground ball out - racing around the bases like a jackrabbit!

NOTES:

-The Usher in Section 5 in Mezzanine is a bad ass and was tossing anyone and everyone who was without the proper tix even up until the 9th inning!!

-It was so cold - everyone was signing up for MBNA credit cards just to get the Mets Fleece Blankets

-Miguel Cairo finally replaces Kaz at 2nd and of course, pulls up with a strained hamstring in the late innings and is out day to day

Pedro For President

2005-05-27T22:01:00.000-04:00

I think i'm just going to use this headline everytime Pedro pitches a gem. It's the perfect blend of indie film and sport. Vote Pedro For President

Pedro shut down the Marlins tonite with 8IP, 10K's

Changing Places: Heath Bell & Roberto Hernandez

2005-05-27T09:48:00.000-04:00

Steve Somers was talking about this on WFAN the other day, and I fully concur. Roberto Hernandez should not be used to break Cal Ripken's consecutive games streak (sarcasm inserted here). He has pitched very well this year, but Heath Bell [ Five K's last night in 2 innings vs. the Marlins ] should be the go-to RHP set up man. Really a no-brainer.

David Wright, Where Have You Been All These Years

2005-05-24T20:34:00.000-04:00

This kid is absolutely incredible. Saying that one of the cool perks of the job is meeting guys like Bob Feller and Hank Aaron?? Getting tossed for arguing a take-out slide? Hitting a 410 foot HR in Atlanta to dead center with one arm?

I don't care if he boots 10 more balls this month. He is exactly what this team needed.

Victor, Break in a First Basemen's Glove Please

2005-05-22T10:49:00.000-04:00

Now that Minky is back to earth and hitting under .215, I think it's time to possibly recognize that defense isn't the ONLY thing required of a major leager....

SUGGESTION:

1. Give Victor Diaz a First Basemen's Glove at Norfolk for a few weeks, the former 2nd Basemen should have no problem adapting rather quickly
2. Release Eric Valent (who is useless this year)
3. Move Minky to the bench as late inning defensive replacement and LH bat off bench
4. Insert Diaz into starting lineup at First Base.

The "G" in Groundskeeper is for Gangster

2005-05-19T14:15:00.000-04:00

NEW YORK -- The head groundskeeper at Shea Stadium was one of three dozen people indicted on charges they took part in a gambling ring that handled about 2,000 bets a day and took in $360 million in two years, authorities said Wednesday.

The operation, in which gamblers wagered on sporting events including horse racing, football and baseball, benefited the Bonanno crime family and funded other illegal activities, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a news release.

Prosecutors said Dominic Valila, head groundskeeper at Shea, where the New York Mets play home games, was a runner who kept lists of bettors, paid wins, collected losses and recruited new gamblers.

There was no reason to believe the Mets' players, front office or managerial or coaching staff were involved, the district attorney said.

The Mets, in a statement provided by spokesman Jay Horwitz, said they had cooperated fully with the district attorney's office.

Prosecutors said the ring handled more than 5,000 wagers totaling more than $2.5 million on Jan. 23, during the NFL playoffs.

As Darth Vader sets to "Rise" so do Yankees

2005-05-17T11:48:00.000-04:00

9 Wins in a row for the Yankees who are now back over .500 for the first time since April 9th. It's making me ill. I'm such a Yankee hater that it's gotten to the point where Yankee losses are more fun for me than Mets wins. Now that's a problem.

Just the site of that Yankee logo is enough put me into depression. Coincidence that the Yanks are streaking just as the darkest Star Wars episode to-date is being released? Anakin's mangled, limbless body being transformed to Lord Vader is akin to Tino Martinez's resurrection in the Bronx. Ugh.

Hey Guys, Remember Me? Keppinger, Jeff Keppinger

2005-05-14T14:26:00.000-04:00

In my daily search for a new Mets 2nd Basemen to replace Kaz MUTsui, here is a little stat line for you on Jeff Keppinger of the Norfolk Tides, in 34 Games so far this season: .362, 47 Hits, 8 Doubles, 3 Triples, 2 HR's, 11 BB's, 16 RBI.

Hmmmm.....

Frozen Out In Chi-Town

2005-05-12T11:44:00.000-04:00

As if it wasn't bad enough that I was IN CHICAGO for one day and the Mets were playing at Wrigley while i was in meetings, it was about 35 Degrees, Windy and the METS LOST. I was walking out of the NBC building and saw a couple clad in Mets Orange and Blue with sullen looks on their faces, i knew the outcome of the game immediately. They told me that Bell gave up a 10th inning blast to Derrick Lee and that was that. Interesting that this couple was from IOWA!!! He said he grew up a die-hard Mets fan... Who knew!!

A few MINOR suggestions

2005-05-10T15:51:00.000-04:00

Kaz Matsui gets sold to Bobby Valentine's Chiba Lotte Marines for 10 pounds of white tuna, 5 pounds of yellowtail, 5 pounds of salmon and 50 cases of edamame. Then replaced by the extremely capable Miguel Cairo .

Victor Zambrano goes to Norfolk

Aaron Heilman gets inserted into the starting rotation - his change up has P-E-D-R-O's help written all over it.

Willie Gives Team Day Off on Game Day??

2005-05-08T20:36:00.000-04:00

Loving Willie, let's just get that straight. BUT, why do you rest Piazza, Floyd and Minky when you have a chance to sweep the Brewers who were just coming off a 7-game win streak? I understand maybe one or two, but all three of those guys? Minky just broke out of a slump with a BIG home run last night and Floyd and Piazza were both on a roll. Anyway, behind Tom Glavine's latest SUCK FEST, Met's lose 5-4 in the ninth.

NEW COLUMN!! HATE IT OR LOVE IT

2005-05-06T22:18:00.000-04:00

LOVING

- Heath Bell's stuff and story
- David Wright's opposite field power
- that Reyes and Wright are the first SS and 3B tandem both under the age of 23 since 1926 NY Giants
- Cliff Floyd's 20 Game Hit Streak!

HATING

- Glavine
- Matsui
- Victor Zambrano's location

POPS CHECKS IN....

2005-05-06T10:19:00.000-04:00

The Mets are better than last year tho that's what we said of the knicks at this stage of the season, and they ended up worse. If they follow normal mets logic, they'll send down seo and heilman and keep trotting out the big $$$ guys, zambrano and glavine, until you can hear the echo of your own voice at Shea. Meanwhile, between them, Seo and Heilman have two one-hitters (seo's a 7-inning) and one 2-hitter. Neither Zambrano nor Glavine has managed a two-hitter through the first inning. Peterson better hope that Benson is an instant miracle cure. With the met rain delay the other night, fans had a chance to switch to YES and watch KAZMIR strike out 9 Yankees in six innings--and the kid is surely still 2 yrs away from big-league performance.

Piazza is like your old homeless great-grandmother.
You're stuck with her til the end.

I should rename my blog Orange & Blue & Cliff

2005-05-05T10:31:00.000-04:00

I mean, this guy is fucking unconscious! I can't remember the last Met to be this hot... .391, 8 HR's and 25 RBI's???? In addition, last night he goes over the wall to bring back a homerun in left field. They were chanting M - V - P at Shea! It's early still, but a 20 game hit streak and a guy on fire is sure fun to watch.

ROYCE ROLLS OUT
Ring sent back to Norfolk

SEO LONG, FOR NOW
Jae pitched a GREAT 8 K game last night, but was sent down to make room for Kris Benson

KRIS & CAM BACK IN EFFECT - DIAZ STAYS PUT!
Kris Benson back and will start today against Phills and looks like Mike Cameron will be trolling Right Field. Victor Diaz also gets the nod to stay in the bigs - HR last night helped I'm sure...

Tom Glavine - Please go home!

2005-05-04T17:22:00.001-04:00

Dear Omar,

Please ship him back to Atlanta where he never should have left in the first place....

Thanks,

AJ

Win last night was more than MET the eye

2005-05-03T11:45:00.000-04:00

Yes, Beltran's 465 foot blast to beat the Phills last night was incredible. But look no deeper than this: Pedro pitches another gem, Reyes gets 4 hits and 2 SB's and Beltran goes yard to essentially win the game and MIKE PIAZZA SITS BECAUSE HE WAS TIRED!!! At least that is the 'spin' they are trying to put on it, while all rumblings indicate that Pedro does not want to pitch to #31, preffering Ramon Castro.

Meanwhile, over at the evil empire in the Bronx, a similar turning of the page is occurring as last night it was revealed after the game that Bernie Williams is moving to the bench.

The Eddie Kranepool Society Rules

2005-05-03T11:42:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the link Stephen. Your AWESOME BLOG inspired me to start Orange & Blue!

Brian Bannister - Stats Worth Watching...

2005-05-02T13:01:00.000-04:00

I noticed that 24 year-old Brian Bannister with the B Mets is 4-0 with an 0.33 ERA, 32K's in 27 innings and only 8 walks.

Cliff Floyd Healthy, Cliff Floyd Good, Corneilus Bad

2005-05-02T12:18:00.000-04:00

They say sometimes the best trades you make are the ones you don't make. I'd say the fact that Cliff Floyd is here and healthy (fingers crossed) is highlighting that notion. He is crushing the ball right now and the reason the Mets have had any offense at all. Just DON'T CALL HIM CORNELIUS!!!

Gammons on the "Cameron-Diaz" Situation

2005-04-29T09:52:00.000-04:00

Peter Gammons on Baseball Tonite listed Victor Diaz as his 3 top rookies so far in MLB (along with Clint Barmes of Colorado and Gustavo Chacin of Toronto). Gammons made it seem like a given that Cameron will be traded at some point in the next few months to make way for the 23 year old Diaz - who should have a lock on RF for a LONG TIME!!!

METS NOTES 4.26.05

2005-04-26T15:55:00.001-04:00

GAME, SET, REMATCH, POINT
Pedro vs. Smoltz tonite. Need I say more?

RING UP
Royce Ring gets the call up and Mike Mathews gets the dreaded 'designated' for assignment? what the heck does that mean anyway? Did they say, "Mike, We have chosen the following assignment for you...".

THIS DAY IN METS HISTORY
April 26: In 1988, Keith Hernandez crushed two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in a career-high seven runs, including the 1,000th RBI of his career in a 13-4 drubbing of the Braves in Atlanta. His divorce from his first wife had been finalized that afternoon. So, naturally, Hernandez said, "I ought to get divorced every day."

Say it ain't so Lenny!

2005-04-25T12:44:00.000-04:00

You know, it was somewhat odd to me that Lenny Dykstra went from being one of the scrawniest mutha fuckers i've ever seen a baseball uniform to an absolute monster with the Phillies. I guess my naivity at a younger age, never even blipped on the radar that it could be a steroid thang. Anyway, now allegations/accustions are flying at Mr. Dykstra and i can't say it doesn't seem impossible (to say the least).

PLEASE GOD DON'T SEND VICTOR DIAZ DOWN!!!!!

2005-04-23T21:38:00.000-04:00

Diaz went 4-4 in the Mets 10-5 route of the Nationals this rainy afternoon at Shea. Jae Seo (of all people) came up from Norfolk to pitch a gem in place of the injured Kaz Ishii. But, knowing how STUPID the Mets organization is, they will send Diaz down as soon as Mike Cameron is back and healthy. Right now - Diaz is hitting .367 with 3 HR's and 10 RBI's.... He's just way to good and way too young to be an everyday Met, with Reyes and Wright, I think the Mets would FREAK OUT if they had too many good young, home grown stars...huh?

Cliff Floyd - Where have you been?? oh...hurt.

2005-04-23T13:34:00.000-04:00

Floyd on fire with 4 HR's, hitting .343 and has a 9-game hitting streak. Helped Tom Glavine beat the Nationals last night with an absolute blast into the back of the RF bullpen. PLEASE STAY HEALTHY CLIFFORD!!

Mets Going After Pirate Lefty Gonzo

2005-04-21T22:26:00.000-04:00

According to ESPN INSIDER, Apr. 21 - The Mets have made overtures to the Pirates about obtaining left-handed reliever Mike Gonzalez, the New York Daily News reports. Gonzalez, who has the ability to eventually close, pitched in 47 games last season and had a 1.25 ERA.

The Mets also are believed to have interest in John Grabow, another Pittsburgh southpaw.

7 Bizzombs

2005-04-21T22:19:00.000-04:00

Mets hit 7 long balls against the Phils - breaking the franchise record! David Wright (GS), Reyes (2), Victor Diaz (2), Mike Piazza, Cliff Floyd.

Heilman - Most Likely Mayo

2005-04-21T22:17:00.000-04:00

Turns out last week's 1-hitter by Mr. Heilman may have been a 'freak'. Going back against the Marlins and Josh Beckett, Heilman got BANGED UP this time - which is more of what we've been seeing since his arrival(s).

LOS METS COME THRU LATE FOR 6 IN-A-ROW!!

2005-04-16T16:50:00.000-04:00

Victor Diaz and Ramon Castro lead the Mets to 6th Straight Win in Pedro's Shea debut in front of 55K on beautiful Saturday. After Braden Blewper Blew the save in the 8th, Diaz doubled and Castro singled him in to win it in the 9th! Even Piazza's lumber seems to be waking up - finally contributing with some extra base hits and RBI's.

Heilman - Definitely NOT Mayonnaise

2005-04-16T16:42:00.000-04:00

Who knew?? 1 Hitter and Aaron Heilman mentioned in the same breath - never would have thought we'd see that! Mr. Question Mark pitched a CG 1 Hit Shutout against the blazing hot Marlins and Josh Beckett who, to-date, had pitched 15 shutout innings to a 2-0 start on season. This was more like the guy who was 11-1 senior year at Notre Dame with a low 1's ERA. Let's see if he can build on this start as Benson it likely out til beggining of May. Heilman 1-Hitter Photo Gallery/Box Score

Mets Minor League Update

2005-04-12T22:20:00.000-04:00

From the Eddie Kranepool Society

luis garcia made his best case for a recall. he went 2-for-5 with a 3 run
homer off former tide mke bacsik in last night's 7-4 win over the
scranton/wikes-barre red barons. jae seo made his best case for heilman's
recall giving up 3 runs in the first inning. the bullpen was lights out:
mcginley threw a scoreless sixth, followed by 2 scoreless innings from ring
and then bell striking out the side in the 9th for the save. daubach keyed
a 4-run 7th with a 2-run double and then scored the final run on calloway's
RBI single. jeff keppinger led the way with 4 hits. the tides and barons
play two today in scranton (which if you've never been, is an awful AAA
stadium...i had the luxury of staying spending a few nights up there for
business and stayed in the hotel across the way, taking in a game...it's
like a smaller version of veteran's stadium) with bob keppel and jose
santiago getting the starts.

the b-mets lost 6-5 to the akron aeros in the bottom of the 9th off
relievers luz portobanco and tim mcnab after coming back in the top half.
the mets took their first lead of the game when bobby malek led off the
inning with a bloop hit, was sacrified to 2nd by pinchitter prentice redman
and then scored on wayne lydon's single. lydon took third on an errant
pickoff attempt and was driven in by baldiris. ken chenard got the start
and after striking out the first two batters he faced, walked the next two
before giving up a three run homer (he'd fit right in with the big club..but
i still say this guy needs to be moved to the bullpen). jay caligiuri hit a
2-run homer and jacobs had an RBI single. petit gets the start today.

Some cheap Seats for an Old LA Bum

2005-04-12T22:04:00.000-04:00

An 86 year old man from LA who was the first LA area Dodger fan to purchase season tix from Walter O'Malley when he moved the team west from brooklyn, was given 'lifetime' season tix behind home plate in the first row. This past winter, he was contacted by the Dodgers orgazination who informed him that the club had added 4 rows of seats to the front rows at Dodger stadium. They wanted to offer him the opportunity to purchase those seats before opening them up to the public. Only thing was that the new cost was $120,000. He declined and missed his first opening day. How fucking sad is that?

His wife said he'd be watching the games on TV this year.

Duck Tape and WD-40 on Opening Day

2005-04-12T11:50:00.001-04:00

mets scratched their way to a home opener win via about 15 broken bat hits, 5 bunts some running etc. Cliff Floyd said after the game that if you put all the hit's together from this game they wouldn't reach the outfield wall. Glavine pitched decent enough to win but MANNY HIGHBAR blew his 3 run lead (surprising, i know).

Piazza is batting .150 so far - he should have been traded 2 years ago. He makes 16 Million this year and has only played in 3 of the 5 games.

Now that's more like it - VOTE FOR PEDRO!

2005-04-10T21:57:00.000-04:00

Finally a DUBYA for Willie's boys, and in most dramatic fashion at that... Smoltz had 16 K's into the 8th inning with a 1-0 lead and looked like we were heading for an 0-6 start until Reyes singled, cairo bunted him over and then Carlos Beltran blasted a HR into the Right Field stands knocking smoltz out and giving the Mets a 2-1 lead. That was followed by HR's by Cliff Floyd, Double by Minky and a 410 foot bomb by D Wright. METS FINALLY GET FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON!!

Oh Yeah, Pitching! I knew we forgot something...

2005-04-07T15:48:00.000-04:00

....must have been the words utterrrrred by Omar this afternoon after the Mets wrapped up their 0-3 start in Cincy... From Glavine's 3 piss-poor innings yesterday to DeJean's Grand Slam platter served to Joe Randa (former Met for about 4 offseason days a few years back) to Willie Randolph botching a double switch? what the fuck is going on here? I know it's not time to panic, but it's the METS we're talking about here kids. are we about ready for the time where Carlos Beltran begins throwing firecrackers at small girls and Pedro starts using the supersoaker to spray bleach at reporters?? oh boy....

Mets Start 0-3 for first time since 1964 from CBS Sportsline

Opening Day....Mets Style

2005-04-05T00:11:00.000-04:00

unreal. up 6-4 going into the ninth and looper gives up back to back homeruns to Adam Dunn and Joe Randa to lose the whole shit. braden was supposed to be the only 'lock' in our bullpen - so much for that theory. On a lighter note - Pedro 12K's and Beltran 3 hits - one triple away from the cycle. BOX

FROM POPS: funny but the whole world noticed all spring and especially today that looper has had a horsebleep spring. how many grapefruit sizefastballs did he have to throw before Piazza, Peterson and Randolph saw it sted of just sitting on their haunches? Stupidity, my boy, is much worse than a player's failure.

Mets Must Be HIGHBar

2005-04-03T19:48:00.000-04:00

With Matt Ginter gone, the Mets' emergency spot-starter is Manny Aybar. This does not sound good, nor does it sound like a championship caliber team. Yusmeiro Petit looked solid today in last Spring Training game - struck out 3 in 2 innings. He could be a good one down the road.

Sean Bergenheim - Finnish Malls Suck

2005-04-02T22:02:00.000-05:00

At least he still gets to play hockey for Bridgeport, but god, hanging out at the Roosevelt Feild Mall on a nice Saturday in February? Imagine what the other NHL players who don't get to play are doing with their free time....

and by the way... this is a direct quote on the Isles Official Webiste from Mr. Bergenheim when asked about his favorite spot on Long Island? he responded, "I like to play at the Coliseum! But other than that, the Roosevelt Field Mall. Everything I need is there. I really hope they do get the Lighthouse project going, too. It would be great for Long Island". [full bergenheim article]

Heredia - is that a disease?

2005-04-02T21:58:00.000-05:00

Not sure, but i think Heredia is a rare disease that causes you to throw shit really hard at something but miss. Bullpen is definitely going to be a disaster.

Welcome to Orange & Blue!!

2005-04-02T21:11:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Orange & Blue. While the NHL season cancellation put the Islanders portion of this blog into an abyss of irrelevance, we are 2 days from Opening Day 2005 for The New York Mets - so the sun is finally going to come out and this horrendously boring winter nears official close! Reyes, Wright, Beltran? Not even mad at Pedro! Hopefuly the boys from Queens will again be at least a competitive squad... hopefully!