Seaver K's 10 Cubbies in Figueroa's Uniform

He sure looked like Nelson Figueroa on the mound for the Mets today, but any REAL Met fan can tell it was none other than Tom Seaver made up to look like Figueroa in a Mets uniform instead. It's the only explanation, right? I mean, come on... Nelson Figueroa?!?! Pitching well? On the road? During the day?

After a quick visit to Rollie Tyler's studio, Seaver took the mound wearing number 27 and completely shut down the Cubs in the Mets 4-1 victory, striking out 10 and salvaging one game to avoid a Chicago sweep of the 3-game series at Wrigley Field.

I guess it helped facing the most overrated pitcher in all of baseball (Carlos Zambrano - trust me, NO team will EVER win with this guy as your #1 pitcher), but the Mets did lash out 12 hits today, with every starter (including Figueroa... whoops, I mean Seaver) getting at least one hit in the game. But I will give Zambrano credit for going to the "Barry Zito School of Contract Negotiation", where you basically get paid obscene money for sub-par talent. Amazing that GM's fall for this. I guess Omar's not the only dumb one in the bunch out there.

I know a lot of people don't believe this Seaver conspiracy theory, but why do you think Figueroa and Oliver Perez look so much alike? Exactly: Rollie Tyler from the movie FX! Is it a stretch to think Seaver went there too?

Also, further proof: Whenever Perez was active on the roster, Figueroa was no where to be found. So think about it... have you ever seen Seaver and Figueroa together in the same place? Aha! Now are you convinced?

Will the Mets Win Another Game This Year?

The answer to the question is probably yes. But even so, the only real legitimate question remaining this season is whether or not they can hold Washington at bay to avoid finishing in last place in the NL East.

You can bet a PF Chang's dinner that won't happen. It's almost mathematically impossible for the Mets to falter that badly. With 35 games left to play for both teams, even if the Nats were to over-achieve and play just .500 baseball for the remainder of the year, all the Mets would have to do is win just 7 more games.

I'll take that bet. But then again, yesterday they lost Oliver Perez for the rest of the season with Roger cleMEns syndrome (you know - when you pitch well, you're great... and when you pitch poorly, you find an injury to blame it on). And Mike Pelfrey seems to be regressing at an alarming rate losing once again yesterday by a 5-3 margin to the Marlins.

We'll just leave it up to Tim Redding, Bobby Parnell, Nelson Figueroa, and Ken Takahashi to pick up those seven wins for us. Then again:

Perhaps I'll have the Szechuan Spring Rolls to start, followed by the hot and sour soup, and the mu shu chicken entree - maybe the shrimp with lobster sauce...

Mets Lose 3 Pitchers and Game in One Day

The Mets lost 2-1 to the Florida Marlins last night - who cares?

The Mets lost Billy Wagner when he was traded to the Red Sox for who knows who - who cares?

The Mets lost J.J. Putz for the season as his rehab has experienced a "set back" - who cares? Could Oliver Perez be next?

Then the Mets lost Johan Santana for the rest of the season due to bone chips in his elbow - CARE!!!

Okay, it's not as bad as Tommy John surgery, and he should be ready for the spring - but folks, let's face it: we're talking about the Mets medical staff. And seeing how everyone on the disabled list this year seems to be experiencing "set-backs", Johan may have a better chance with the aliens from Cocoon.

I'm not even going to get into the story about Johan expressing his concern over this elbow after the all-star break while the team (and Jerry Manuel) put him out there every 5th day anyway. But I will say this: when the best pitcher in the game tells you two months ago that his elbow was hurting, you take that concern seriously RIGHT AWAY. You don't wait until it's a serious problem for you to be "terribly concerned". Manuel will not be content until he personally ruins everyone on the team that haven't bought into his "gangsta" mentality.

In the meantime, our suggestion is to place KRod in solitary confinement in an anabolic chamber for his own well-being, as he's the only one on the team to avoid the "Curse of Shea Stadium", which is the only logical explanation I have for the bizarre series of injuries this team has faced this season.

And you don't have to call it the "Curse of Shea Stadium" if you don't want to - any name will do. It can be the "Curse of Citi Field", the "Curse of Bobby Valentine", the "Curse of the Buried Philly Jersey", ... use your imagination. The fact remains that there certainly is a curse in place with this team.

Or could it be bad management, or a bad medical staff, or a bad front-office, or a bad scouting system. Hey! What do you know?... Seems like you'll always find worldly explanations when you try to analyze curses.

It Doesn't Take a Psychic to Predict Today's Result

After the way yesterday's game ended with the unassisted triple play, coupled with the team starting Bobby Parnell off just about the worst pitching performance you'll ever see (aside from Oliver Perez of course) and the news that Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel will both be back for next season, and add the fact that Cliff Lee was starting today for the Phillies, did anyone have any expectation whatsoever that the Mets would win today's game?

Of course not. In fact, the casinos and sportsbooks were giving money away today on this no-brainer. There are few sure things in life, but a Mets loss today was a done deal as soon as Eric Bruntlett snared that Jeff Francoeur liner.

And why would the news of Omar and Manuel have any impact on what goes on the field? Well, just like in all businesses, when employees see incompetence rewarded, they tend to slack off themselves. Trust me - us fans aren't the only ones who see through the "dynamic duo"... the players know what's going on as well. Wanna kill your company? Promote your idiot son-in-law to president. I think you know what I mean.

3 errors in a 6-2 loss to the Phillies today... quite frankly, I'm surprised it was that close. I hope none of us wasted our time by watching it. And after hearing the news of Omar and Jerry, if you were actually at the game - shame on you!

How sure am I about today's result? I'm posting this before the game even ends!

Mets Hold Bizarro Day at Citi Field

Yesterday started badly and ended badly for Mets manager Jerry Manuel. The middle of his day wasn't that great either.

It started off with Pedro Martinez' pre-game news conference where he basically said he wanted to stay with the Mets, but Jerry Manuel nixed the idea, claiming the Mets already had enough pitchers on their staff. So there you have it Met fans... Pedro's pitching in a Philly uniform because of Jerry Manuel. And the Mets are looking at Bobby Parnell, Nelson Figueroa, Pat Misch, Sean Green and Elmer Dessens to give them innings. Way to go Jerry!

Then, the Mets ended the game yesterday in a most bizaare fashion when Jeff Francoeur hit into an unassisted triple play, the second time in major League history that ever happened. Why Jerry Manuel was sending the runners with no one out and Francoeur batting is anyone's guess. But it served as the official inauguration of Jeff Francoeur as a 2009 Met. Congratulations Jeff, you have arrived!

But that was just the end of day-bizarro. Consider all the following happened yesterday:

1) Oliver Perez couldn't make it past the first inning and was pulled in the middle of a 3-0 count against the opposing pitcher! I don't think I've ever seen that before. I've seen pitchers pulled during at-bats, but never against the pitcher... and never with a 3-0 count! (we know Met fans in attendance that actually left the game at that point). At $12 million dollars per year, Perez' performance was the worst I've seen since the $7.5 million Tom Glavine's debacle against the Marlins on the last day of the 2007 season when the Mets desperately needed a win to make the postseason. Talk about cash for clunkers! Way to go Omar!

One day removed from the Mets 1969 Championship team tribute, unfortunately Seaver, Koosman, and Ryan were not available to pitch.

2) Not only did Angel Pagan hit an inside the park homerun (the first ever at Citi Field), but he also hit a real homerun in the same game as well! When do you ever get to see something like that?

3) Just an inning before Manuel made him make history with the final at-bat, Jeff Francoeur made a Ron Swoboda like stab of a line drive which was originally ruled a non-catch. But when the umpires conferred on the call, they made the correct call by overturning the ruling. When do you ever see that? You see overturned calls, but mostly on home runs. You hardly ever see that happen on a meaningless play to the rightfielder. Oh, by the way, Francoeur was injured on the play...

4) A Met pitcher threw a no-hitter! Met farmhand Brandon Moore threw the first no-hitter in Brooklyn Cyclones history. Too bad he wasn't at Citi starting for the parent club instead.

So when was the last time you watched a game where there was an icon coming back to pitch against his former team for the first time, an inside the park homerun AND a regular homerun by the same player, an overturned outfield call, a pitcher who couldn't get past the first inning, and a game-ending unassisted triple play all in the same game? I'm pretty sure that's never happened before. What's next, reading that despite their incompetence, both Omar and Manuel will be back for next season?

Despite the Mets losing 9-7, Met fans will certainly remember this one. Much like you remember a bad dream... this is the part when I usually wake up in a pool of sweat.

123 Games Into Season, Mets Finally Do Something Right with Tribute to '69 Championship Team

Yesterday was a great day at Citi Field. It had nothing to do with the actual game, a 4-1 loss that meant absolutely nothing. Instead, the Mets honored the Miracle Mets of 1969, bringing back many of the players who set the standard for what all teams of all sports compare to as the ultimate in improbable championships.

Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Cleon Jones, Wayne Garrett, Jerry Koosman, Ed Kranepool, Jerry Grote, Ron Swoboda, Gary Gentry, Ron Taylor, Duffy Dyer - and even Ralph Kiner and good ole Yogi Berra were all present to remininsce about the greatest season in baseball history. Despite how poorly this franchise currently is run, at least we Met fans have that to cling to - Yankee fans can't say that. The '69 Mets were (and remain) the best story ever... no other team can lay claim to that. Yesterday was a day to remind us why we're Met fans, and it couldn't have been better seeing old heros. (and old heros aging gracefully at that!)

It was the first time all season that I wished I were there at Citi Field rather than watch the game on TV. But watching it on TV definitely had its perks, as so many of the 69 team where brought into the broadcast booth to share a few interesting stories with Keith, Ron, and Gary in the booth. None better than Cleon Jones, who finally "came clean" about what really happened during the infamous "Gil Hodges" incident. (turns out he wasn't being repremanded at all!). And you gotta love Ralph Kiner, still doing great at age 87 and who had the line of the day. After Cleon wouldn't stop talking and kept the broadcast team from going to a commercial break, Kiner quipped that after doing "Kiners Korner" for all those years, he couldn't get Cleon to say a word!

Big kudos for the Mets for arranging such a great day, a far cry from the organization that doesn't do Oldtimers Day anymore because it's quote "too much work".

As Omar Minaya said: "I think it's great of the way it went on that because of the facts of the situation makes you understand the way it was doing at the time only because you gotta wonder about the way it was going on and not because of what someone might think of what you actually do".... Thanks Omar for your clear and concise analysis.

And as fitting as the final score of the game was (4-1, perhaps in honor of Tom Seaver?), the 2009 Mets are anything but the 1969 team. And Jerry Manuel is anything but the genious that was Gil Hodges. Manuel's latest headscratcher came when he lifted Tim Redding after the fifth inning, having allowed just 1 hit against a Philly team he mysteriously seems to own. Was anyone in the ballpark surprised when it took Redding's replacement Pat Misch exactly two batters to lose the shutout, the lead, and the game?!?!

You have a guy pitching a career game like he's never pitched before, against a team he usually has success against and Manuel takes him out after 5 innings?!!? I never thought I'd ever say this, but why couldn't he have left Redding in the game? Plus he only threw 81 pitches - it couldn't be the pitchcount. Maybe Manuel just didn't want to win the game...

The 40th anniversay celebration of the 1969 championship team was AWesome. The actual game the fans saw afterwards was AWful. And in stark contrast of the optimism that followed '69 for Met fans, we're faced today with exactly the opposite moving forward now that Fred Wilpon has officially decreed that both Omar and Manuel will be back for next season, as per Joel Sherman's column in today's New York Post.

Remind me again why we're Met fans? I'm rooting for Pedro today

There Is No Crying In Baseball ...

Since the music references have been such a hit, I thought that I would head in another direction by taking us all to the movies. So, get your popcorn and soda ready 'cause here we go. Even with the way of the world is today, there are still many adults, especially in sports, who cannot help but act like babies, and Gary Sheffield, you really take the cake. More on this later.

Let's begin. First there is no crying in baseball, but if you were to cry, here is a list of reasons as a Mets fan that we would have to let the tears flow: A minor league that couldn't beat my 12-year old niece's team... a whole bunch of players bite the dust before the season even gets into full swing..., then there is a manager who tries to mix and match, and at times adds a little patchwork to a line-up he has no idea how to make work..., then there is a general manager who can't seem to come up with a halfway decent solution to the problems that he is actually hired to take care of..., then let us not forget the crack medical staff, or should that be a medical staff that is on crack. As a Mets fan, it has become difficult to figure that one out.

I mean come on, without the medical degrees, we even knew not to fly Ryan Church with a concussion across the country. That should have given all a heads up to what the future was going to bring. With all the millions spent, wouldn't you think that someone should be able to tell us something about the condition of most of the players? Yet here we are, still getting different stories not just every week, but every day.

Now, the biggest reason to cry if we allowed ourselves to, is for an ownership that is inept at running a professional baseball operation. An ownership that many fans have been clamoring for to sell the team to someone who knows something, anything, about baseball. The way this organization has been run over the last few years, you can see that those in the front office clearly have no idea what they are doing.

Now to Mr. Sheffield. With all the baseball that you have played, with all the money you have made, and with all of the accolades that you have received over the years, one would think by now that you would have learned or at least developed some sort of common sense. Like I mentioned before, many people are having a hard time out here, the team has been steadily heading into the abyss, players falling to the wayside, literally almost everyday, and you cry and take yourself out of the line-up because management won't sign you? Hey Mr. Sheffield: they do not have to sign you. ... I think it is about time you grew up ... seriously, it is not too late.

Same As It Ever Was

And you may ask yourself, well..., how did I get here?

All these years we could have been Yankee fans. But instead, we continue to subject ourselves to the torture that is these New York Mets. How did it get to this point?!?

Just when we spoke about the offense un-retiring after an 8-run inning the night before, lo and behold, Bobby Parnell ALLOWED eight runs in the second inning to the Braves en route to a 15-2 shellacking at home. You can't argue with The Talking Heads regarding the play of this team:

Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
SAME AS IT EVER WAS!!!

Pity the poor people who actually had to pay to see it. As the Mets marched out batting practice pitchers Bobby Parnell, Nelson Figueroa, Tim Redding, and Sean Green, the Citi Field faithful had 2 hours and 54 minutes to sit back in their seats, enjoy a nice cold beverage, hopefully maybe catch a foul ball and perhaps start to wonder what they were doing in the ballpark in the first place. Mets management won't say it, but MetsFanClub.com will: we're sorry.

We're sorry you had to endure that. And if there were any justice in the game, you'd all get refunds for this one. But alas... $60 per ticket, $20 to park, $40 per person for food, $190 for a jersey at the Team Store...

And you may say to yourself, My God..., what have I done!?

New York Favorite Returns From Retirement

No, no... not Brett Favre. We're talking about the Mets offense!

After a lifeless 10-1 loss to the Giants on Monday night with Livan Hernandez on the mound (talk about a guy who needs a retirement!), the Mets bounced back by putting up an 8-spot in the fourth inning to beat the Braves 9-4 last night. More amazingly, the Mets were down 4-0 before the fourth inning even started.

Angel Pagan began the inning with an infield single followed by Luis Castillo's single to right. Gary Sheffield then hit a Citi Field double scoring both of them. As Daniel Murphy grounded out, Sheff moved to third. With Jeff Francoeur up next, all any Met fan really wanted was a sac-fly, but Francoeur smoked a double to score Sheffield, and Francoeur scored afterwards on Fernando Tatis' single to left to tie the score at 4.

Of course with Oliver Perez on the hill, everyone in the ballpark and watching at home (which weren't many), knew the Mets needed more runs. So after an Omir Santos single, Anderson Hernandez singled to score Tatis with the go-ahead run. Perez helped his cause with a clean single to load the bases for Angel Pagan, who grounded into a fielder's choice to score Santos and stole second base on the very next pitch.

Finally, Castillo singled to score both Hernandez and Pagan and the Mets had their 8 runs. And it could have been more because after another Sheffield double, Daniel Murphy stepped up to the plate with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Alas, a strikeout ended the magical inning.

The 10 hits in the inning set a Mets record as the team matched a season high for hits (17), all without the benefit of a home run. The Mets homerun ability remains retired for now.

Ollie Perez was the recipient of the un-retired offense, helping him win for the first time in seven starts dating back to July 8th against the Dodgers. The key question now is whether the Mets bats can stay unretired for the foreseeable future - especially this weekend when Philadelphia (and Pedro Martinez) comes into town for a 4-game set. But in the meantime, tonight's game should be interesting to see what Bobby Parnell can do as a starting pitcher.

Wright Plunked, Mets Show Some Spunk

Saturday's Met game hurt on so many levels, none more so than the sight of David Wright going down after getting beaned on the head from San Francisco's Matt Cain, bringing back shades of the Mike Piazza incident years ago against Roger cleMEns. Piazza was never the same.

Cain's pitch seemed unintentional enough, but that didn't stop big-time gamer Johan Santana from making a statement in retaliation, throwing behind the Giant's Pablo Sandoval as if to say "no one hits one of ours". Sandoval hit the next pitch for a homerun. Then Johan nailed Bengie Molina to put an exclamation mark on his statement. Molina was to hit the game winning homerun in the 10th inning for a 5-4 Giants victory over Francisco Rodriquez (more on him later). The Mets sure showed them!, as the Mets comeback fell short trying to make it 2 in a row after a nice 3-0 shutout by Bobby Parnell the night before.

The old baseball adage that says there's no better revenge than hitting a game-winning homerun once again took aim at the Mets. Nothing can go right for this team this year it seems. Perhaps there really is a Citi Field curse. After all, the baseball gods don't like it when you build a stadium to honor a team that plays in Los Angeles; and they really don't like it when you build a stadium and remove any ties to a team's history and showcase the major entryway with a player who never played an inning for the team.

And that's the way it was this weekend. The Mets honored the San Francisco Giants by wearing throw-back Giant jerseys at a ballpark honoring the Los Angeles Dodgers. Who makes these decisions?!?! I've never been one for this whole "honoring the opposition" thing. I'd prefer the homefield advantage and try for the win instead.

Despite all the negative aura surrounding the team, the Mets managed to actually show some spunk in today's game, winning 3-2 on a 9th inning walk-off single by Daniel Murphy, the Mets first walk-off win since May - since MAY!!! Luis Castillo put the Mets on the board in the fifth with a 2-run upper-deck dinger (yes, you read that right - upper deck) for his first homerun of the season. Mike Pelfrey also looked good for a change, but all anyone wanted to talk about was Wright's condition.

Thankfully, he's okay and was diagnosed with a concussion. He left the hospital today and was immediately put on the 15-day disabled list, an excellent move by the Mets. It looks like they learned a lesson with what happened to Ryan Church. Wright's still the heart and soul of this team, so it's nice not to see him on a flight to Colorado or running sprints while working through it. Ryan Church should sue...

As for KRod... we may have a problem here. It's well documented that his ERA is approaching 8 since Castillo dropped the ARoid popup. Some good (and very knowledgeable) baseball people I know from California keep telling me the reason the Angels did nothing to stop him from leaving was their concern that KRod's arm is too frail to stay strong for an entire season. I'm beginning to believe them. He's looked awful lately and unlike earlier in the season, can't seem to get out of the jams he consistently puts himself in with leadoff walks and such. As Mets fans, we're not supposed to know about this longterm weak arm concern - but GM's should. I wonder if Omar did his homework on this guy, or was he playing checkers with the chess players again? The last time the Mets got someone without the other team doing anything to keep him was Art Howe. What does that tell you?

KRod's timing on this is perfect, since the Mets are out of contention and the team is in such disarray from top to bottom, no one really cares anymore. Plus, he's still not Philadelphia's Brad Lidge, who leads the league in blown saves. But if the standings were closer, I have a feeling we'd be talking about KRod the way we spoke about Braden Looper, Aaron Heilman, David Weathers, Mike Stanton, Armando Benitez, and Billy Wagner all before him. And it's not even September! So despite a Friday 3-run lead save (give me a break on that "save" stat please) and a vulture win today, KRod better get his act together.

And as for Matt Cain... we're okay with you hitting David Wright by mistake, but the tipping your hat curtain-call-type exit while the crowd is booing you mercilessly is a slap in the face - even if your opponents were wearing Giant uniforms at Ebbets Field! If I'm a Met player, I'm remembering that.

But of course this is all baseball, which is supposed to be entertaining. More serious matters are on our minds. Our wishes are with David Wright for a speedy recovery.

Why Don't We Win One On The Road?

Why don't we win one on the road?
Why don't we win one on the road?
Why don't we win one on the road?
Why don't we win one on the road?
No one will be watching us...
Why don't we win one on the road?

Okay so I changed the lyrics a bit, but weren't the Beatles insightful regarding Wednesday's Met game on the road against Arizona, when they finally won a road game by a 6-4 final with just about no fans really caring?

Coming off his best start of the season, Oliver Perez looked to pick up his first road win in 11 months. The Mets and Diamondbacks were in a pitcher's duel until the sixth when Fernando Tatis scored Gary Sheffield with a single (of course Tatis then got caught in a rundown for an easy out, but at least Jeff Francoeur scored also while Tatis was tagged out), making the score 3-1 at the time.

Then Sean Green came into the game and struck out 3 hitters!!! Oh, but did I mention he also gave up the game-tying runs in the inning as well? Well, he did have help from Pedro Feliciano in a "blown-hold" appearance where he actually got credit for vulturing the win when the Mets scored 2 in the eighth inning and once in the ninth for insurance.

And insurance was greatly needed as KRod had another clunker performance, although he did hang on enough to record the "save" - and we use that term lightly. Can you imagine: entering a game with a 6-3 lead, almost blowing it, and still getting a save? Once again we ask: is there a more ridiculous stat in baseball other than the "save" (and the "hold" for that matter is also equally as meaningless.).

Cory Sullivan - batting leadoff - tripled twice, made a nice play in centerfield, and is "grateful for playing for the Mets". Sheffield had 2 hits and wants to stay with the team next season. David Wright went 3 for 5 and wants to remain a Met for his entire career. Tatis went 3 for 4 and has never enjoyed baseball more. Wow... this Met team must be a great team to play for!

The Mets finally won one on the road - in a game nobody watched.

Hands Up, Baby, Hands Up!

Play with no heart, no heart, no heart, no heart...
Hands up!... Baby, hands up!...
Play with no heart, no heart, no heart, no heart...
oh, la la... la la la la...

C'mon everyone, sing it out loud!

In yesterday's 6-2 loss to the D-Backs last night, Livan Hernandez threw his hands up in the air in frustration after leaving the game allowing 5 runs in just 4 innings of work - not the kind of outing the Mets needed after Pelfrey's debacle yesterday. The Mets defense wasn't much better.

And when Jerry Manuel filled out the lineup card, he threw his hands up in the air in disgust having to bat Fernando Tatis in the third spot with Daniel Murphy and his total of 7 homeruns all year cleanup.

When Alex Cora couldn't handle a simple ground ball in the first inning, which allowed Arizona to score their first run, he threw his hands up in the air in disbelief. And in the bottom of the eighth when Luis Castillo couldn't make the easiest of throws to firstbase setting up the D-Backs game-breaking final run, he threw his hands up in embarrassment.

Earlier in the game, Castillo threw his hands up in the air twice while batting, both times striking out in deference to the amazing pitcher that is Max Scherzer. Likewise for Brian Schneider, throwing his hands up in the air wondering when the pain would stop after striking out twice and seeing his season average dip below the Mendoza line at .198.

And of course, David Wright was hoping to get the day off. But instead he was needed to pinch hit in the top of the night. The result? He threw his hands up in the air in complete humiliation after striking out swinging against the mighty Esmerling Vasquez.

No fight... no heart... no intensity... nothing.

That's okay... we Met fans are used to it by now. We're numb to the pain at this point. It's time for a Club Med type vacation! C'mon everyone!!! - Hands up!! Baby Hands UP!!!

Keep On 'A Rockin' Me Baby!

"I've been to Phoenix, Arizona all the way to Tacoma, Philadelphia, Atlanta, LA..."

Substitute San Diego for Tacoma, and the Mets have lost games in all those cities! You don't have to be Nostradamus to predict where the team will lose next. Just check their schedule. Gotta love the Steve Miller Band - he was way before his time in predicting how poorly the Mets 2009 season has become.

Tonight's atrocity saw the team and Mike Pelfrey lose 7-4 to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pelfrey saw his record drop to 8-8, with many Met fans I'm sure thinking to themselves: "how does Pelfrey even have 8 wins?!?!" Pelfrey - the best fifth starter in baseball maybe? The problem is, he's a "two" on the Mets staff. That's not good... and neither is Pelfrey. I really thought Pelfrey was going to build on his last year's performance, but Pelfrey on an individual basis has been quite a disappointment.

Tonight's game was a sloppy, poor effort. Pride is a thing of the past with this team. Good thing no Met fans saw it. We've all given up just like the team has. What's the chance of Livan Hernandez beating Max Scherzer in tomorrow's game? What's the chance of seeing this team playing fundamentally sound baseball for nine innings?

... Keep on a-rockin... rockin me baby!

Johan Saves Mets from Total Embarrassment

Note the word "total" in the headline. Johan's 5-1 victory was the only bright spot during the entire weekend in San Diego. Trust me - the Mets still have plenty to be embarrassed about.

Not only can't their offense score any meaningful runs against the last-place San Diego Padres, and not only has their "closer" been blowing games at an alarming rate, but they still have a manager that can't manage, a minor league player development system that can't develop players, a medical staff that can't diagnosis, and a GM that's the laughing stock of Major League Baseball - as well as ownership that doesn't seem to mind about any of this.

Here's what loyal Met fan Taylor Tears had to say about the team before leaving town so she wouldn't have to watch any games this weekend:

"It can't get any worse for this team or more importantly for us Mets fans. We need a new owner who will revamp this whole front office. It's a disgrace. This has to be the lowest point in Mets fan history. Even when they lost in the 60s and 70s, at least they played with heart. Can it get any worse? Do we really know what is wrong with Reyes' legs??? What a disgrace and embarrassment this year has been. How long will the Wilpons keep Minaya around? I want this guy fired along with Jerry who is beginning to get on my very last nerve in his post-game interviews. Everything is a joke with this guy; its tiresome already. I can't stand it anymore."

When you rely on heavy hitting Alex Cora for your homerun ball, you're in trouble. When you can't win games that umpires hand you on a silver platter with blown calls, you're in trouble. When you slip closer and closer to the last place Washington Nationals, you're in trouble. When you're down 7-0 after 5 innings (like they were Thursday night against the Padres' Clayton Richard), you're in trouble. When you score in just 3 innings in a 35 inning stretch against the worst pitching in the league (like the Mets did this weekend), you're in trouble. But you know when you're REALLY in trouble? When you hear statements like this from your manager:

"Our medical staff has thoroughly examined Frankie Rodriquez and have assured us there is nothing physically wrong with him or his arm."

The Mets medical staff, huh? I ask you: Can the disabled list be far off? Remember KRod has a 7.71 ERA since Luis Castillo dropped that ARod popup... I have just two words for this team: Johan Santana. Without him, this team would be a complete and total embarrassment! Everyone knows that (except the Wilpons)

Even in Victory, Mets Lose

David Wright's 2-run home run in the first inning was all the Mets needed, as the team continued to shock its fan-base by pounding the Cardinals 9-0. But just like last night, when the team snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, today's win came at a price when pitcher Jonathan Niese had to leave the game due to an apparent hamstring injury.

The Mets medical staff will no doubt investigate and probably recommend amputation, but regardless of the diagnosis, it looked severe enough to make Met fans think he'll be done for quite awhile. Luis Castillo missed today's game, the result of spraining his left ankle when he slipped and fell in the dugout. Plus, Gary Sheffield aggravated his hamstring in the sixth inning and left the game as well. The Mets can't win for losing.

There's only one explanation for the barrage of injuries this team is facing this year: someone from the Mets front office must be in possession of the Hawaiian statue from the Brady Bunch.

But seriously, it was good to see Nelson Figueroa come in to save the day for the Mets (quite the opposite from his last stellar performance). And Bobby Parnell had a career day too, gaining the rare 3-inning save and getting a hit in his first ever major league at-bat.

Now it's off to San Diego for a 4 game set, followed by 3 more games in Arizona. Well, if nothing else, I guess at least the weather will be nice.

Comeback Nice, But a Loss is Still a Loss

A girl's either pregnant, or she's not. And so it goes with the New York Mets. While some will point to the team coming back from an early 6-run deficit only to lose 6-5 as a sign of heart, against a team like the Arizona Diamondbacks, I can't call this a moral victory. I call it a loss. Another bad loss.

Nelson Figueroa? At this point, I'd rather have Nelson Doubleday out there. Elmer Dessens on this team? I'd rather have Elmer Fudd. And Jerry Manuel managing? I'd rather have Jerry Lewis.

But, no... I'm not going to blame any one player for losing 3 of 4 to the D-Backs. No... for me, this is all on Omar Minaya, who - after bumbling a simple press conference - went on to do absolutely nothing while his counterparts from other teams wheeled and dealed until the trading deadline. We've said it once and we'll say it again:

Only the
Mets would
Allow this guy to
Run a ballclub.

There were pitchers out there available to be had, and Omar sat on his butt and did nothing. There were hitters out there that other teams got for a song, and Omar sat on his butt and did nothing. There are public speaking courses out there available for purchase, and Omar sits on his butt and does nothing.

And don't tell me that Omar has something working in the back of his mind that no one knows about and he's going to pounce on a great deal when everyone least expects it. That's something a smart GM may do - and in Omar's case, I don't buy it. I think he's just a bad GM. He's a GM that needs to be fired immediately, as all baseball executives know what a joke this guy has become.

The players saw him take action against Bastardazard, and it gave the team a short-lived jolt. The Mets won 5 straight, and I believe the team was looking for their GM to make some kind of move... make some kind of statement to show them that either help was on the way or that the team had a plan for the future. What did they get? total inaction. It's hard to watch other teams strengthen themselves without giving up a ton of talent, while your GM's playing checkers with the chess players.

No wonder the team's down and losing to the likes of Arizona. Why should the players play hard when Mets management seems content to sit around and tolerate incompetence. After all, everyone gets paid anyway, right?

We need to get rid of Omar so everyone from the fans to the GMs to the players start to take this team seriously again. You saw the press conference. Can there be another solution?

Arizona Weekend Fun For Some...

If you happen to have spent it in Arizona, that is.

Which is exactly where the folks at MetsFanClub.com were for our 4th annual Mets Fan Club.com Open in Scottsdale, Arizona. Two nice days of golfing... relaxing by the pool and spa... an amazing trip to the Grand Canyon... then home to all the news of the weekend everyone missed.

And the news Met-wise was not good, losing 2 of 3 to the D-Backs, as in the 4th place Arizona Diamondbacks... as in the perpetually struggling Diamondbacks... as in the "no business to be beating the Mets on the road" Diamondbacks.

Good thing the season's over or Mets fans would be concerned over this. Friday night, the Mets lost 3-2 when Arizona scored an insurmountable run in the eigth. Remember the secret? Well, if you used it, you would have stopped watching this game after the second inning. Then on Saturday, the Mets scored 9 runs to start August off with a win thanks to Angel Pagan's grand slam and 5-rbi day. And yesterday's game featured a real sleeper as the team lost 5-2 in a game delayed by rain for almost 2 1/2 hours.

Trust me... the 2 1/2 hours were better served at the Grand Canyon. I can't believe the Mets lost even a game this weekend and I'm really shocked the Mets aren't looking to sweep in tonight's 4-game finale. The Mets are bad, but the Diamondbacks are really bad. When you need Nelson Figeroa to win for you to even out a home series against one of the worst teams in baseball, you may as well go to the Grand Canyon... and jump!