Arrrrrrr!

This team can bring out the anger in freakin' Ghandi. They go out and lose to the 30-game-under .500 D'backs, their fouth loss in a row to the dregs of the NL. The Braves win. The Mets do NOTHING and the deadline gets closer. The Phils get better. The Yankees get better. The bankrupt Rangers get better. Should I go on?

Tonight's loss was inexcusable. If you're serious about contending, you need to win these games. You HAVE to. But the Mets don't. They continue to perplex and confound. Is it just me,or do the fans seem to care far more than the team and its leaders do? At what point do we get frustrated, and tell Jeff and Fred to shove their team? After 41 years of fandom, I'm not there yet. But I respect anyone who is.

We Win!

Two out of three from St. Louis. I don't care how out of or in the race the Mets are, this ALWAYS sounds good! I love beating that annoying LaRussa. Why does he wear sunglasses at night? If he "needs" them, why does he take them off when he goes on the field? Wouldn't that be when he would need them the most? Enough on that guy...

How about R.A.? Where would we be without this guy? How about Ike? Nice three-run bomb! And the Braves lose, so now it's 6.5. The deadline is 48 hours away. What will they do? That is the question.

One more thought. Please stop with the moral victory talk (Jerry last night). In the big leagues, there's no credit for trying. Good for DW to say as much after last night's 13 inning crusher.

But today is a HAPPY DAY!

Good Times/Bad Times

Last night was good. Frenchy kicks in a dinger, so does Reyes, and Niese comes up aces. For one day, it was all good. But as I type, it is B1 and they're down 6-0 with Johan on the hill. Did I type that correctly? I think I did, unfortunately. But isn't that the Mets all over? Roller coaster, up and down, home and away, there just is no consistency. So will this team be relevant in September? I don't know, but there are some ominous signs. To me, the most ominous is the idea that they don't want to spend on the team by taking on salary at the deadline. Well, Jeff, if your building is empty, you know why. You can say all you want that you want to win, have you shown this to your fan base?

Straw was on the radio with B and C this morning. His point was that everyone wants to win, that the team just needs to come together. He says they're committed. He says they're tough enough. OK. He lost me when he said Jerry is doing a good job and is the man for the job. I mean, Darryl, do you think that, or are you just a loyalist? If Darryl really thinks that, let him. I'd ask if he has actually been watching the last 100 games.

Who's insane, the Mets, or us?

I've always been told that the definition of insanity is using the same inputs and expecting different outputs. Nothing, in my mind, describes the Mets more aptly. How in the world coud they come back from this trip, this 2-9 trip, and keep Jerry in place? Now, I'm not some crazed fan screaming for heads, but come on. This team has been staggering, it has a lame-duck manager who will not be back, so how in the world is a change not made? Go a step further. How can they keep Omar in place? This team's fans talk about nothing but collapses and disappointment, so how can the people in charge keep their jobs? Not only should changes be made to possibly make things better, more importantly, ownership needs to send a message to its fan base that ownership takes winning seriously. Ownership needs to say that when fans spend money on the team, they are spending on a team that has standards, and expects to win. Nothing this organization does says that. The message it sends is "thanks for your money, now shut up and watch what we give you. And by the way, we're not invested in winning."

Sometimes change is needed for the sake of change. So far, we've been talking about off-the-field stuff. The trade deadline is 4 days away. Will Ollie and Castillo still be here? I say yes. Both of them need to go, and fast. They are symbols, symbols of incompetence by leadership. Every time those guys step on the field, it is a reminder. Again, make changes. Send a message. Change the conversation. But they won't. I bet nothing changes until the end of the year. Even then, maybe we get a new manager, but does Omar stay? How far would that take us?

I spent the last 5 days in LA, out there for the series. I have to ask myself why. I think we fans are the only ones who care. Why shoud we? UGH!!!

So, let me get this straight

Ok, I fly out to LA for the series (my yearly "follow them on the road" mecca), and they play like they're asleep last night. Fine. They need to do something to turn things around, yes? OK=k, so they DFA Nieve. Wow! I'll buy my playoff tickets now! And, Omar says Jerry is the manager and will be the manager. That's just lovely. There isn't a person alive who thinks Jerry will be back next year. So, why not get him the heck out of here now, while there is a ray of hope? This team is flat, they are sinking and they are desperate for something, ANYTHING!!!!!! And we get Omar's vote of confidence. Hey Omar, let's hold the door open for you, too, as we gie Jerry the boot. It's just a matter of time now.

I'm off the Disney to try to enjoy some aspect of this trip. Maybe Johan can win tonight. But with this crew, maybe not.

Well, that was almost worse

What's worse, getting blown out by a team with an awful record, or making their newbie starter look like freakin' Cy Young? I don't know. This is what it has come to, folks. Looking at losses and trying to figure out which one is worse than the other. I think we all suspected this would happen, with the bad road record and all. They are dangerously close to irrelevance. They have to do something. Personally, I'd get a pitcher (I'd settle for Meyers, he isn't that good, but he's a prick and might be what we need). I'd also think about dumping Jerry. Enough with this guy. We all know that he's not coming back, pull the damn trigger now. What does he do that makes them want to keep him around? It's not even money. He's at the end of his contract.

Ollie's back, Turner down. No comment on that one, why bother saying it? Why the hell do they carry three catchers? They are the only team that does that (LA did it temporarily). How about this one? Cora apparently spoke up about the laughter in the clubhouse last night. Some other bloggers have said this is "false leadership". I say, at least it is some leadership! Where the hell is DW, JB, or Reyes to say something? At least Cora has some guts. Guts is something this team has lacked, in my opinion, since strike three called on Beltran in 2006. I say "good job, Alex."

As I type, the Braves are down 2-0. Can Niese pull this off tonight? The bell is starting to toll.

Well, that was awful

I've been watching the Mets for 41 years, and last night was a bottom 10 performance. The heck with the score, that was not even close to the problem. How about 51 pitches in the first inning? How about 2 errors by the shortstop? It was just plain awful. The most important thing is that I'm sensing this thing getting away from us. 5.5 out, 3 out in the WC, and the trend is just alarming. They have been awful since the 3rd of July Frankie implosion.

The ship has to get righted, and fast. Maybe Dickey can turn it around tonight. Maybe they'll play well in LA (I will be at the series). This is it, folks. We're at the crossroads. They have to step it up fast. And they need reinforcements. Don't tell me Ollie is ready to contribute. How about moving away from Ollie and getting a competent starter?

If nothing happens, don't be surprised, Jeff, if you have 20,000 at Citi in August and September. That would be sad, very sad. It would look like 2009, and no one wants that.

Johan to the rescue?

Oh man, do we need it. The Braves are pasting the Crew, so just to stay 5 out, a victory is needed this afternoon. This team is starting to worry me. The warts are showing, and everything you read would suggest help is NOT on the way (unless you consider Ollie to be help). I've never been a Wilpon basher (I am a dyed-in-the-wool Omar basher), but I'm starting to see why people are anti-Wilpon. This season the team has a legit shot. The team simply isn't good enough as presently constituted, and the refusal to take on a contract would suggest that:

A) The Wilpons are in financial turmoil
B) They think this isn't the year, and don't want to spend on this team
C) They have zero faith that Omar could make a decent move

I think it is some combination, but I think it is mostly "C". And that's why I have NEVER seen the rationale for keeping Omar around. No one has faith in this guy, so the team just goes about it without a GM who has the power to do anything to make things better.

Only the Mets...

Uh-Oh

Our worst fears are coming true. The bad road record (it was 18-24 before this trip, but 6 of those wins were against Cleveland and Baltimore) is coming home to roost. And the trip has 9 more games. Add to that the Braves being home where they're tough, and this thing could get away from us. Now I said "could"....but I'm concerned. Another fear coming true...Jerry's odd managing is really getting troubling. What the hell was up with that lineup last night? Tejada can't hit, Jerry. Have you been watching? He's an adequate fill in, batting 8th. He is NOT a leadoff hitter. The top of the order, with Bay batting second, was set up for failure. Bay isn't hitting, but even if he was hitting, he is NOT a second hitter. You take a guy who can't hit, with a slugger in a slump, and bat them one-two, what in the hell are you doing? Where is the OBP there? Isn't the point of the top of the order to get on base? Has Jerry forgotten that?

So now Pelf has a pain in the neck. So, we get Tak tonight. Will we get 5 shutout innings, then a shelling? Will the bats wake up? They'd better, as Yogi said, "It gets late early around here."

Why it hurts to be a Mets fan

The title of this post is intentionally the same (minus the "why") as an awesome Facebook page. Jason, the author of that page, does a great job of throwing out thought starters, encouraging chat, and acknowledging his loyal readers. He also does amazing charity work. But I digress....

Today I'm driving home and listening to the Jerry Manuel report on WFAN. Jerry defends playing Reyes as a right-handed-only hitter (is he kidding?). He says he may bat Bay second (come on, Jerry). But here's the one that killed me. Joe and Evan asked if Jerry saw the Mets making a deal before the deadline. Jerry said no. Asked why, he says that the sellers use the deadline to their advantage, and try to make deals only in their favor. Therefore, deals are not usually made. Well, Jerry, do they have radios and tvs in Sacramento (where Jerry spent the break)? Maybe not, if they did, Jerry would know that YESTERDAY the Braves made a deal to get better. LAST WEEK the Rangers got Cliff Lee. EVERY YEAR teams (except the Mets) make deals in July. My head almost exploded when I heard this. You want to take the team seriously, you really do, but....

They just have to make it hurt. Let's kick off the second half boys. Do well, 'cause it seems no reinforcements are coming.

We're (a little over) Half Way

So, 48-40, second place, 4 games out. How many expected this on April 5th? I didn't. I'm happy, all things considered. But I would not be a Mets fan if I did not see the glass as three-quarters empty. Today, the Braves got Alex Gonzalez and his 17 HRs. They dumped Escobar, who had been a major disappointment. In my mind, this raises the stakes for Omar. What is he going to do? Standing pat is not an option, when the competition is getting better.

Does he convince Wilpon to take on Oswalt's money? Does he get Ted Lilly, and say "Well, we got better and did not give up much." Does he get Dotel or Greg, and say that the starters have been good, and we've now addressed the 8th inning. Hmm....

No matter what, something HAS to happen. This team needs a playoff appearance BADLY. The conversation needs to get away from collapses and guys taking their shirts off. But how does it get there? That's why we have Omar. Then again, without a playoff appearance, that's why we may have Omar no longer.

Ninth Inning Nightmares

I'm very happy about the win last night, but geez, Frankie! I don't know about you, but I had the feeling that if Frankie delivered the 3-2 pitch to Harris something bad would have happened. Things like Frankie's consistent high-wire act get magnified when you're in a pennant race, as does the lack of an 8th-inning guy. I'd like to acquire one, for sure, but how many prospects do the Mets really have to offer? If they want a starter, will they have enough prospects to additionally get an 8th inning guy? How about this...give Parnell a shot, and let Feliciano help out with lefties. I have zero faith in Dessens. There's a reason the guy has kicked around so much.

Now the focus shifts to Strassburg. No, he does not deserve to be an all star. I really hope Dickey can keep us in the game today, until we can get into the Nats pen (which is pretty good in its own right). Should be interesting. I'm very anxious about the Lee situation. Are we going to get this guy or not? If not, move on and get another starter somewhere else.

Happy 4th.