Seek And Destroy

Thank you for bringing some much needed sanity to us all last night.

"Mets In Trouble..."

Int. Living Room, Day.

GROVER stands over his Answering Machine.

(Machine Beeps)

GROVER'S DAD: Grover, I need to know if you're gonna stay in my apartment. Otherwise, I'll rent it. Call me.

(Pause)

Knicks In Trouble...

-From the film "Kicking And Screaming."
(I mean the good Kicking and Screaming, not the Will Ferrell Abomination.)

Grover's Dad's concern about the Knicks could just as easily translate to the Mets right now. If you missed last night's game because you were out watching fireworks, well, you probably did better watching the fireworks in the middle of the torrential downpour that swept through the New York Metro area. After one more miserable loss in Colorado, and one more total implosion by the pitching staff, and one more game where I had to listen to Gary Cohen and Tom McCarthy talk about Pop Rocks, Fireworks and Bagels, I'm just about at my wits end.

Just look at these numbers from the last few days:

El Duque: 4IP, 6H, 6R, 5ER, 6BB, 2K, 106 pitches
Mota: .2IP, 6H, 6R, 6ER, 0BB, 1K, 43 pitches
Feliciano: 1IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 1K
Vargas: 3.1IP, 11H, 9ER, 2BB, 2K
Schoeneweis: Who cares, we all know he sucks.

Beltran: 1-11, 2RBI
Delgado: 3-12, 3RBI
Reyes: 2-13, 3R

I know that when the Mets and Rockies faced each other in April, I noted to El Guapo that their lineup really wasn't as bad as it seemed, and maybe they could surprise if they got their act together. And they did for a while, and then they didn't , and it looks like the Mets were just what they needed to get them going again. It was appropriate that the Mets looked to be in a Fog on the night they faced a pitcher named Fogg. I'm not sure what this team needs first, a dependable arm in the bullpen or a guy who can get a hit with a runner in scoring position. I've been going bonkers about this pretty much all season long, about the miserable situational hitting that this team has exhibited, and once again, it's come back to bite the Mets in the ass and really cut the legs out from under them when it looked like they were breaking out of their early-June funk. But for as good as they looked against Oakland, St. Louis and in Philly, they've managed to look twice as bad in Colorado. Yes, it helps that the rest of the division has shit the bed just as badly over the last few weeks, but how long can you manage to tread water and luck out because Philly and Atlanta happen to lose on the same night.

We're off to another hitter's paradise, Enron Astros The Astrodome Mike Scott Minute Maid Park for the weekend series. You know, that stadium with the 300' Jeff Bagwell porch down the left field line, and the cute little Choo-Choo Train, and the chicken wire outfield fence that nearly killed Beltran last season, and the ridiculous hill in Center Field that's there for no particular reason, and their hotshot rookie Hunter Pence who seems to be the only redeeming feature for an Astros team that has muddled through the first few months of the season. Meanwhile, the Mets are looking at seeing Sandy Alomar, Jr. behind the plate at some point over the weekend.

Of course, this all is pointing to a recipe for instant doom for the Mets. At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if Reyes tripled 4 times in a game, followed by Beltran striking out each time following him, and then came back and hit 4 HRs with the bases empty the next night. John Maine could throw 9 shutout innings tomorrow night and lose because Schoeneweis balked while warming up in the bullpen. Barney Rubble could show up and play first base. Takeru Kobayashi could come in and throw shutout relief for 3 innings, then get called out because he attempted to bat with a hot dog. It's almost reminiscent of the days when Todd Zeile used to hit into double plays with the bases empty. Losing 3 of 4 in Houston wouldn't surprise me. Then again, winning 3 of 4 in Houston wouldn't surprise me. Nothing surprises me anymore.

Or maybe the Mets have finally pushed me off the deep end...

TAKE YOUR HAT OFF!!!

Happy 4th of July everyone! Remember to stay proud and stay out of the Aisles during the playing of our National Anthem. God Bless America!

In much more pressing matters, the Mets have gone into the hitters haven that is Coors Field and simply gone back into the tank. Against a pair of none-too-spectacular starting pitchers, the Mets have mustered a whopping 5 runs in two games, and have barely made a peep with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, on the other side, the pitching hasn't exactly been lights out either. Glavine was burned by a miserable third inning on Monday. Tuesday, Jason Vargas, recalled in place of the Disabled Oliver Perez was nothing short of atrocious. This, combined with his first start against Chicago in May just fills me with loads of confidence about his future with the team. Here's one note for him: When you are raised up from AAA to the Majors, it's a good idea to raise the intensity of your game as well. Major League hitters tend to destroy straight, 86MPH fastballs.

I suppose I could say more about the last two nights, but really, I don't think more needs to be said, and I'd much rather spare myself the aggravation (and I'm sure you would prefer to be spared as well).

So, the Mets will celebrate the 4th of July by hopefully setting off some fireworks of their own tonight against yet another paltry Rockies pitcher, Josh Fogg, but given the way the first two games of this series have gone, one can't be too sure.

Truth is, this is where the real action will be today. Will Takeru Kobayashi be able to defend his crown (and word is he is suffering from a jaw ailment)? Or will the upstart Joey Chestnut knock him from his lofty perch? I think Kobayashi is playing possum, so my money's on him to defend his title. Or will someone simply explode before the 12 minutes are up? The Gastrointestinal madness will unfold today on Coney Island!

(That is, what's left of Coney Island...)

It's a beautiful sight, and a tasty meal to boot. But two's my limit. 54 is beyond my realm.

Lost Classics: July 4, 1999

With tomorrow being the 4th of July, and the Mets having played many games on the Anniversary of our Nation's Independence, I thought it proper to re-visit one such game that the Mets played on this date. Although there are some other likely, worthy candidates for a July 4th Lost Classic, I arrived at one from July 4th, 1999, a Sunday Night, Glitzy ESPN matchup between the Mets and the hated Atlanta Braves, in what would be a harbinger for events that would take place mere few months later.

On July 4th, 1999, the Mets stood at 45-36, 4 games behind said Braves for 1st place. The Mets are on a tear right now. Just one month ago, the Mets were mired in a miserable losing streak, and heads were rolling as the Mets fell to 27-28. Since then, the Mets are on an 18-8 streak, one that will eventually run to a 40-15 mark that will send the Mets surging towards their first playoff appearance in 11 seasons.

But on this steamy Independence Day night, the Braves are in town for the finale of a three-game series in which they have managed to not only win the first two games, but shut out and thoroughly embarrass the Mets by scores of 16-0 and 3-0. So, not only are the Mets trying not to get swept, they're playing for their pride here tonight as they send Orel Hershiser to the mound against John Smoltz. And neither starter will fare especially well on this night. Hershiser will surrender back-to-back Home Runs to Bret Boone (on the juice) and Larry to stake the Braves to a 2-0 lead.

(Note: Although Larry will always be Larry, This game technically took place before he became the hated Larry, following his "Mets fans can go home and put their Yankees shit on" quote in September, which sentenced him to eternal damnation within the confines of Shea Stadium.)

But the Mets will fire right back against Smoltz in their half of the first. Rickey Henderson will lead off by dunking a single down the right field line. Alfonzo will follow with a walk, and Olerud will single to left, loading the bases for Mike Piazza. And Piazza, who is in the midst of one of his signature seasons, will promptly rip a single to center to score Henderson and Alfonzo to tie the game. One out later, Benny Agbayani will score Olerud on a groundout to second, and the Mets have come right back to take a 3-2 lead.

In the second, the Mets will extend their lead as Henderson singled with 2 out, and Alfonzo followed by cracking a long double off the wall in Center Field, over the head of Andro Jones, scoring Henderson to give the Mets a 4-2 lead.

Won't last.

In the 3rd, Hershiser melts down. Boone leads off with his second HR of the game. Larry walks, and Brian Jordan singles to move him over to 3rd. Ryan Klesko follows by lofting a Sacrifice Fly to Cedeno in Center, scoring Larry to tie the game. Hershiser manages to strike out Andro Jones for the second out, but his first pitch to the next batter, Randall Simon (that would be "Fat Monkey" to all who don't remember) is a fat fastball that Simon rips into the Mets bullpen. End of lead, End of Hershiser's night. 6-4 Atlanta.

But tonight is a night for the Mets bullpen to shine. First, Pat Mahomes, who will become an unsung hero for the Mets all season long, will come in and get out of the inning, and pitch a perfect inning in the 4th. He's followed by Rigo Beltran, who will become a forgotten man before too long, but tonight he's good for 1 hit over 2 innings. Greg McMichael, who was traded away and then traded back during the 1998 season, will work himself into a bases-loaded jam in the 7th before Dennis Cook gets him out of it.

But on the other side, Smoltz has settled down and the Mets have barely made a peep against him since the second inning. Meanwhile, in what seems like another world, the Macy's Fireworks are going off along the East River, lost to the 32,699 in attendance at Shea, but visible to me from my perch at Ballclub HQ, Bronx Bureau. Some night.

In the 7th, Rey Ordonez leads off with a single, his second hit of the night. Brian McRae, who had been double-switched into the game in the top half of the inning, will follow with a walk. Henderson, in a rare display of selflessness, will lay down the sacrifice, moving the tying run to second for Fonzie.

This would be the season that Edgardo Alfonzo would really begin to assert himself as an elite ballplayer. All season long, he will deliver whenever called upon to do so, be it for a clutch hit, a key defensive play or a sacrifice. And on this night, he will do just that, taking a slider from Smoltz and blasting it deep over the Center Field fence, out into the night for a 3-run HR to give the Mets a 7-6 lead.

And now, it was up to the Bullpen to hold that lead. They would be up to the task. In the 8th inning, it would be Dennis Cook, continuing where he left off in the 7th inning, setting down Atlanta in order. In the 9th, it would be Armando Benitez. This would be Benitez's first week as the Mets closer, having taken over as John Franco missed a majority of the season with a finger injury. Benitez had been lights out in a setup role, and for the most part, he will prove to be just as unhittable in the closer's role. At least for now. Whatever struggles Benitez will encounter in his checkered future are unknown to us on this night, as his fastball is blazing, and the Braves cannot touch him. Boone will strike out swinging. Larry will watch strike 3. Brian Jordan will flail helplessly. And the Mets have come back, beaten the Braves and averted the sweep.

Little do we know that the Mets and the Braves will take things to another level just 3 months later, when tensions, words and ill will will escalate this division rivalry in to an All-Out War that will play out in an operatic fashion in an Epic NLCS. This game in July will seem like Eons ago by time that series comes to its conclusion.

But let's not forget this game, instrumental as it was in getting the Mets to that point, because as we will soon find out, the Mets will need every last win they can get in this 1999 season.

Gettin' Silly with the Philly

It was a nice weekend for the Mets in Philly. Of course, I would have preferred that they win on Sunday to cap off the revenge sweep and kick the Phillies in the nuts at the same time, but winning 3 of 4 is just as acceptable. It is nice, overall, to see the team finally put a nice little streak together after the struggles of early June. I'm not going to officially say "They're Back," but they're pretty close.

So, for some quick hits and observations from the weekend...

Gamesmanship
Philly seems to have some sort of bizarre chip on its shoulder, has anyone noticed that? Starting from the first inning of the first game on Friday, it seemed like the Phillies were doing everything they could to somehow get in the Mets heads. First, it's Manuel checking the rosin on El Duque's hat. Then Hamels was jamming Reyes high and in. But it didn't seem to work at all. It's almost as if the Phillies seemed to think they could somehow bully the Mets into losing. But after sweeping the Mets in New York, you knew the Mets were going to be fired up, and not much was going to distract them. In fact, just about everything Philly tried ended up backfiring. El Duque got pissed off (someone on the Mets noted that "He was stomping around, yelling in 'El Duque-speak'") and subsequently pitched great, Reyes was on base. LoDuca and Beltran hit homers, and Philly only managed to eke out the last game because Heilman imploded in the 7th inning on Sunday. But trying to pull the stuff that Manuel and the Phillies tried to pull was a dangerous game to be playing with a team that looks ready to go on a run, and it certainly didn't gain the Phillies an inch.

Speaking of a Rampage...
With 2 HRs in the nightcap on Friday and 2 more on Saturday, it looks as if Beltran is about ready to go on another of his ridiculous hot streaks. And it's about damn time. We all know that Beltran had been playing hurt, and his struggles at the plate certainly didn't acquit him of anything. He needed to sit, maybe go on the DL. But he didn't. And now he appears to be healthy again and with the Mets going to Colorado and Houston this week, one of those sick, .450/.520/.745, 5HR, 14RBI weeks could be on the horizon for Mr. Beltran.

Also pretty hot of late has been Paul LoDuca. It seems like Paulie has flipped the power switch ever since his blowup last Saturday against Oakland, and even moreso after his blowup to the press on Thursday night. LoDuca's 5 HRs this season have already matched his season total from last year, and 2 of them have come in the past week. Plus, he was snubbed for the All-Star game (although, admittedly, both Martin and McCann are more worthy candidates) and perhaps that will serve to fire up Paul even further. Then there's that suspension hearing...

All-Star Snubs?
I know, I know, nobody really cares about the All-Star game, although I do find it fun to watch for about 3 or 4 innings, once they get through the Ceremonial Crotch-Grabbing that seems to take longer than the game itself. Beltran, Wright and Reyes were naturally voted in, and considering that the balloting process is basically a popularity contest (although kudos go to the fans who voted in Prince Fielder over Poo-Holes), I'm not too surprised. You could make the case that Miguel Cabrera may have been more deserving than Wright or that Rollins or J.J. Hardy were having better years than Reyes, but that's not to denigrate either of them. They're there and they absolutely deserve to be there.

Wagner also made the team, and deservedly so, considering how good he's been this season. But if there was one player on the Mets who was outright snubbed for the All-Star team, it was John Maine. Pitchers like Penny, Peavy, Sheets and Smoltz are all worthy and all deserving of an All-Star selection. But the one argument, and it's a good one, is whether or not Cole Hamels should have made the team over Maine. Now, we've seen these two match up more than once this season. The first time, at Shea, at the Home Opener, neither pitcher threw especially great and neither got a decision. The second time, last Friday night, Maine clearly outpitched Hamels, throwing into the 9th inning in a solid Mets victory. Right now, Hamels stands at 9-4, with a 3.87 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 116 strikeouts in 111.2 IP, for a third place team that has been up and down all season. Maine holds an identical record of 9-4, with an ERA of 2.74, a WHIP of 1.15 and 84 Ks in 102 IP. And Maine also won a Pitcher of the Month award for his unconscious April, and the Mets have been in first place pretty much all season. But Hamels has the reputation of being the ace on the team he pitches for. Maine has only been counted on to be a #3 starter on the Mets, although at times, he has pitched like an ace. Maine holds better numbers pretty much across the board. I wouldn't go so far as to say Hamels is a bad choice, but it's clear that Maine has been the better pitcher to this point in the season. Then again, Maine is scheduled to pitch the first game after the All-Star Break, so perhaps it's better to let him rest and rejuvenate for the second half of the season.

All the Eggs in the World can't Fix him...
Finally, we have the case of Julio Franco and his fully organic diet of 37 egg whites a day, and he can still barely make it up the first base line on the last out of Sunday's game. It's getting to the point now where it's like he is just a black hole on the bench. Putting him up at the plate is tantamount to resignation. It's obvious that he's done, and I know he's a leader on the team and a sage for the younger players, but he's a waste of a roster space. I wouldn't want to be in a key spot in the postseason and see Julio coming up. Especially with 2 outs. I'm sure it would not happen, but it is worth the consideration to think about offering him a Bench Coach position and just sort of fade him out slowly but surely as the season wears on.

Happy Anniversary To...
Sunday was the 20th Anniversary of WFAN, who has carried the Mets games on the radio ever since their inception in 1987. We can thank them for creating the monster that is the Sports Talk Radio industry in America.

So, Colorado and Houston this week. Time to break out the bats.