Frenchie's Monkey Finally Leaves Back

Jeff Francoeur has been abysmal this year. He's been relegated to bench warming duties and rightfully so. But last night, Frenchie finally had a moment in the sun and it couldn't have happened in a better situation.

Jeff Francoeur smacked an opposite field home run not only to help the Mets win a much needed game against the Braves, but he did it in the town he loves, against the team he thought he'd be with for his entire career, and off of the former Mets closer who let up so many game winning home runs when he was in Queens.

It was the ultimate form of sweet justice/revenge.

I don't know what was the bigger miracle. Frenchie hitting a home run or Pray Rod pitching a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth. I think I actually saw Pray Rod hit 94 mph on his fastball too.

But let's not get too excited about last night's win. Let's enjoy the moment and move on because a loss tonight put's us in the same position we were in just 24 hours earlier and would ruin the good feelings from yesterday's victory.

On the other hand a win would be some unbelievable momentum as the Mets head to Philly to phase a depleted Phillie lineup.

The K-Rod Difference

When you think about it, K-Rod is no different than any of our other relievers from the past. He gives up base hits like John Franco. He fails to throw first pitch strikes like Braden Looper. He throws hard, but can get hit hard like Benitez and Wagner.

The only difference between K-Rod and our past relievers is in the end he gets the job done.

Last night was the perfect case in point. The scenario in last night's 9th inning has been played out countless times before over the course of the last decade. Mets are up a few runs in the 9th. Closer comes in. Base hit. Then another base hit. Then a walk. Then a run scores and the winning run is at the plate and the tying run at second base.

We've all seen it. And we know what happens. The closer blows the game. But that's not what happened last night.

To say K-Rod has a flair for the dramatic would be like saying John Daly has a weight problem. K-Rod loves the spotlight. He loves the tense moments. And you know what, he thrives in them.

Other than Luis Castillo's Buckneresque play the other night, K-Rod has been perfect even when he has found himself, or gotten himself, in dicey situations.

This is the first time the Mets have had a real closer who can handle the pressure. I love that he wasn't going to take any garbage from Bruney. Now other closers, like Wagner or Franco, may have played it out in the media with some jawing back and forth, but K-Rod backs up his smack by going straight after Brian Bruney on the field..

That's the kind of guy I want closing out games. I know he's going to blow a few saves this season because no one is perfect. But for the first time in a long time, I feel confident that the man pitching in the 9th inning knows how to seal the deal.

What if Billy Wagner Returns?

Ed Coleman of WFAN is reporting that Billy Wagner is rehabbing ahead of schedule and could return to the ball club this coming season. Right now they're targeting August for a potential return to the team.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not counting on Wagner at all next season. But what if he was able to come back in August? Can you imagine the strength of our bullpen?

All of sudden you have a 6 inning game and then bring in Putz, Wagner & K-Rod for the 7th, 8th & 9th. That's unreal. You basically have 3 closers at your disposal.

I know I'm getting ahead of myself and honestly I'll be shocked if we see Billy Wagner on the mound at Citi Field at any point next season, but isn't the offseason the time to dream?

Farewell Billy Wagner

Billy Wagner gave a heart breaking press conference last night to talk about his injury and the fact that he'd not only miss all of this year, but probably next year as well. Wagner was brought to tears when he talked about his 10 year old son, Will, telling him that he wasn't ready for his season to be over. That just kills me too.

I think what also got to Wagner's emotions is the fact that he realizes his time in a New York Mets uniform is probably over too. Wagner is 38 and will be almost 40 by the time he's ready to pitch again. His contract is up at the end of next year and the feeling is the Mets will be shopping for a closer in the offseason (bring me K-Rod!).

Billy Wagner has always been a stand-up guy who will answer whatever question you throw at him with a sometimes painfully honest response. While Wagner has blown his share of games, for the most part he has been the most reliable closer the Mets have seen in the past decade.

The thing that makes me feel for Wagner even more is the fact that I know he agonizes over every pitch the Mets throw. He desperately wants to be on this team and help it win a World Series. It's going to kill him to be on the sidelines and that's the type of guy you want on your team.

I hope Wagner can recover from this and be able to pitch again if that's what he desires. We wish you a speedy recovery Billy. Mets Lifers everywhere wish you were in that bullpen in some capacity for this final stretch.

Our Record Could Be Better, A Lot Better

Part of the essence of being a Mets Lifer is that you're never really satisfied with the current situation. The sun could always shine brighter. The team could always perform better. Life could be more enjoyable, only if. . .

Well, in that spirit I came across a stat that really had me thinking about how much less angst I would have in my life if only this stat was improved.

Now the stat in and of itself is pretty impressive. The Mets record since losing Billy Wagner is 21-9. Over the last 30 games the Mets have a winning percentage of .700. That's pretty remarkable. But the part that has me craving for more is that during this stretch there were 4 games that the Mets blew in the 8th or 9th inning and ended up losing.

4 games.

Now blowing 4 over the course of 30 games is not horrendous, but the fact is that those are games the Mets should have won. The bullpen should have held these leads, but they didn't. The Mets would potentially be 5 or 6 games up on the Phillies heading into Friday night considering whether the Phillies won or lost during those nights the bullpen blew a lead.

I know no bullpen is perfect, and to be honest they have looked good of late (or at least against the Brewers). Still it leaves me wanting more. More wins. More games between us and the Phils. More time spent relaxing than pounding my head against a wall in the 8th and 9th innings.

There's always more, but I guess I can be satisfied with a little sweep this weekend.

The Prodigal Son

Aaron Heilman used to be a solid reliever. Remember the glory days of 2006? Heilman in the 8th, Wagner in the 9th. They appeared to be a marriage made in Queens.

Then something happened. Some call it Yadier Molina, others call it lack of self-confidence, but Aaron Heilman changed. Before our very eyes, he went from reliable reliever to the guy who always seemed to give up the big home run.

In 2008, it's gotten worse. Last year Heilman wasn't half as bad as Guillermo Mota, but this year he may very well be the premiere goat of the bullpen. Okay, maybe behind Blowenweiss. In any case Aaron Heilman has become the prodigal son who has lost his way. However, in Aaron's case he might not come back to glory.

One hope that remains is Billy Wagner's return. Now Wagner is not the savior of the bullpen although upon his return he will become the most reliable arm by default. The interesting thing to see will be how his return effects Aaron Heilman. Heilman seems like a guy who needs to know his role. He flourished as the 8th inning guy, but seems to cower as a closer.

In fact the most telling stat for Aaron Heilman is that his ERA was 8.22 in his first seven outings after Wagner's departure. If Wagner can come back I think we'll see a return to Aaron Heilman's former days as the 8th inning guy. I'm not saying that he'll never blow another game, but I think Heilman needs Wagner as the closer to ease his weary mind.

Here's to hoping that's the case.

Solving the Pitching Equation

Move over John Nash, I'm here to rewrite the formula for the Mets pitching.

So Billy Wagner is out. John Maine is questionable. Pedro Feliciano is dead to me. And there's crazy talk about limiting Mike Pelfrey. Last I checked this was the major leagues, not Little League where you could only pitch 6 innings a week.

Here's my not-so-humble opinion on what the Mets need to do with their current pitching situation.

1. Leave Johan Santana, Oliver Perez, and Mike Pelfrey alone.
Don't touch 'em. Don't talk to 'em. Just let them be. Right now all three of these guys are pitching consistently well. They're in a groove and you don't want to screw with that. Who knows what an extra day off will do to Perez's psyche? Extra time to think is the last thing he needs. Pelfrey is at the top of his game and is getting into the flow of pitching every 5th day. Giving him a week off at a time could totally throw off his timing. If it's not broke don't fix it.

2. Bring Me Young Arms
Get on the phone and call New Orleans or Binghamton and bring up some young arms. If John Maine is out I want Jon Niese pitching in the big leagues. If we're going to blow this season let's get the kids some reps so we know what kind of chops he's got. I don't want this year's version of Brian Lawrence or has beens. Let the kids pitch. Also bring back Eddie Kunz. If I have to watch Feliciano, Heilman or Duaner blow another game I might just kidnap them so I don't have to see them again. Let someone else blow games. Kunz wasn't given the opportunity to get into an every day role and he deserves a better chance. Can he possibly be any worse than what we saw against the Astros?

3. One more arm
If the Mets are serious about a run this year, they have to go out and get one more arm. Don't tell me that no one's available. We got Luis Ayala for a song and a dance. There are people to be had, but the Mets aren't taking the risk to get them. I'm not for trading any top prospects for a two-bit reliever, but I think it's fairly evident that this bullpen needs an enema. Give me another arm to change the scenery behind that right field wall. I don't care who it is, but I'll take anyone over Blowenwess at this point.

Character Tested, Character Approved

I love it when I'm right and things work out. In yesterday's post, I mentioned how this series with the Braves would be a test of the Mets character to see if they can overcome their archnemesis even though the Braves are no longer contenders.

Well, they passed their first test in dramatic fashion last night, coming back to beat the Braves in the bottom of the 8th inning. Carlos Delgado came through with a monster double to drive in the lead runs. I honestly thought Delgado hit a grand slam the way the ball came off the bat. The beautiful thing was that he hit it to the opposite field. Seeing Delgado drive the ball with power to the opposite field is such a great site for Mets Lifers.

After that the flood gates opened and the Mets won 7-3 even with Blowenweiss pitching the 9th inning. After Delgado's double I kept thinking "no lead is safe." Fortunately, Easley and Castro came through with some extra runs to pad the lead.

This was a win the Mets needed especially with the news of Billy Wagner's season potentially being over (hear that Omar, that's the sound of your job being on the line) and that the Phillies came back to beat the Nationals.

It's Pelfrey vs. Jurrjens tonight. Let's please sweep the Braves.

Mets Bullpen Roulette

Mets Bullpen Roulette. It's kind of like Russian roulette without the blood splatter. Go ahead, take a spin, and take your chances. Heilman? Schoenweiss? Joe Smith? Duaner? Pick your poison.

Name me one trustworthy arm in the bullpen. Your best bet is probably Billy Wagner. But guess who's tied for the major league lead in blown saves this year? That's right, our man Billy Wagner.

There's no one you can turn to on any given day and feel confident that they will get someone out. Yet nothing has been done to improve the bullpen over the last 3 seasons. Go ahead and look at the roster. Nothing has really changed in the bullpen. It's possibly the most glaring issue for the Mets in the past 24 months, but no adjustments have been made.

It's lunacy.

I should correct myself on one point. Minaya did go out and get Matt Wise in the offseason. He's worked out really well for us.

I think Mets fans would feel comfortable if they knew the organization was making an effort to do something about this. They promoted Eddie Kunz which is a good start, but there has been very little chatter about a move to improve the bullpen. Give me a rumor, hearsay, something, anything!

If not for me, than for Johan Santana. If anyone is dying to see some more reliable arms in the bullpen it's got to be Santana with all the games they've blown for him.

Is anybody listening?

Mental Toughness is the Missing Ingredient

A left fielder. A right handed bat off the bench. Significant bullpen help.

These are all things the Mets need, but I know the biggest thing the Mets are lacking is mental toughness. Tiger Woods has it. Michael Jordan had it. The Phillies are looking like they have it.

I just watched the end of the Philles/Cardinals game on ESPN. Down 2-1 in the 8th, the Phillies score 4 runs in the 8th to take the lead. Then with the score 5-2 in the 9th, Brad Lidge gives up a leadoff home run, gives up another run, and loads the bases with 1 out. But you know what? The Phillies got out of it and won 5-4.

Now let me ask you, what would have happened if that was Billy Wagner on the mound? I think we all know the answer to that. But it's not all Wagner's fault either. The Phillies took advantage of opportunities and made the most of them. How many times did we have the bases loaded on Sunday and didn't score a run? Twice. You can't get 9 or more hits in a game and not score a run without falling asleep mentally.

The Mets are a team without mental toughness. Try and name the most mentally tough player on the team? You can't. Honestly, it's probably Fernando Tatis or Carlos Delgado. But we've all seen Reyes, Beltran and Wright just look lost in tight situations. That won't get you anywhere in a pennant race.

Actually it will get you somewhere. It gets you 3 games back of first place (and counting) when just 5 days before you held sole possession of the top spot.

Pesky Little Victorino

I love this quote from Jerry Manuel after last night's game. He was talking about Billy Wagner's pitching performance, but it was his comments about my new least favorite Philly, Shane Victorino, that caught my attention.

" He did an outstanding job…He got that little pesky Victorino out finally.  That little rascal, I’ll tell ya, he some little player.  But, umm, that was good to see, see Billy come in and do the job like that."

"Pesky Victorino". Perfect description. "Little rascal." Even better.

Maybe it's the double-eared helmet that makes me loathe him so. He kind of reminds me of Fievel from An American Tale now that I think of it.

A Must Win Was Won

Hey, all's forgiven. At least for 12 more hours.

The Mets impressed me tonight. Their performance wasn't so exceptional, but it was the fact that they overcame the collapse last night and all the media hype that surrounded it to get a big win against their NL East nemesis.Yes, in my mind, the Phillies have surpassed the Braves as our division nemesis.

The Mets scored enough runs to put themselves in a position to win. Jose Reyes continues to impress. Big time home run on a pitch up in the zone. The amazing thing was his swing was totally level. Usually Reyes likes to throw an uppercut swing at you, but he kept his bat level and crushed it.

Who knew the bullpen could hold a three run lead like it was a walk in the park? Schoenweiss, Smith, and our much beloved prodigal son, Billy Wagner, all pitched without any drama or troubles.

And wasn't it great to see Marlon Anderson in left field again? Who wouldn't want a left fielder batting .203?

The play of the night may have been Billy Wagner beating Shane "I'm Really Annyoing" Victorino to the first base bag. I honestly thought Wagner would have given him an elbow to the face if necessary to get that out. I wouldn't have blamed him if he did.

Rubber game tomorrow. A series win would be big for the Mets psyche, especially after Tuesday's debacle.

Closer? We Don't Need No Stinking Closer.

The M.A.S.H. unit known as the New York Mets just got hit with another wounded player this week. Billy Wagner will have an MRI this morning and was diagnosed with inflamation in the shoulder. The team says it is unlikely that Wagner will be available against the Phillies.

I'm torn. Do I cry or rejoice?

While Wagner is arguably one of the top 5 closers in the National League, I'm not too disappointed to see him unavaiable against the Phillies. Why? Do you remember his performance against them just 10 days ago? A certain Jayson Worth home run? A 10-1 lead that got nervously close at 10-9 and almost became a loss?

Wagner has a propensity for the dramatic in big situations. The hype surrounding this series is big and these games are meaningfuly ones as we head into the dog days of August. I can easily see Wagner leaving his fastball over too much of the plate in a tight game.

Losing Wagner for an extended period of time would be seriously damaging to the Mets, but having him out for a series against the Phillies isn't that horrible.

Johan Santana will just have to pitch a complete game shutout. 3 days in a row.

Mets Have Bad Luck with Closers

Go ahead and list the Mets top closers of the last 20 years. Benitez. Looper. Franco. Sure there were others but these were the "good" ones.

Now we have Billy Wagner, who I thought was going to be a change from the Mets string of bad luck closers, but is now making me doubt.

So why do the Mets have such bad luck with closers? John Franco might be the left-handed save leader, but he was infamous for not being able to get a save without getting runners on base. Armando Benitez turned into Mr. Choke Job every time there was a big spot. And Looper, who knew he was really supposed to be a starting pitcher?

Are the Mets cursed? Do we not have pitching coaches and scouts that can mold bullpen talent? Why can't we have our own Rivera, Hoffman, Eckersley, Isringhausen, oh wait, we had him but we thought he was a starting pitcher. Where's our K-Rod, our Papplebon, our Joe Nathan?

I understand that every closer, even the great ones, will blow saves from time to time. It's inevitable. But it just feels like the Mets always get a guy that blows them in the really, really big spots.

I like Billy Wagner, but I no longer trust him. Please, please, please prove me wrong, Billy.

Second Half Predictions

It's time to gaze into the Mets Lifer crystal ball and share with you predictions of the Mets second half that are guaranteed to come true:

1. Moises Alou will not play another game for the New York Mets this year.
2. Luis Castillo will walk with the limp of a three-legged caribou.
   
3. Ryan Church will become a spokesperson for Tylenol.
   
4. Billy Wagner will blow a save in a game that really does count.
5. I will hate Tim McCarver more with each passing morning.
6. The Mets will wear those silly navy blue hats even though they look stupid.
7. Matt Wise will be asked for ID upon arriving at Shea Stadium.
8. Omar Minaya will take 15 minutes to answer one simple question before the trading deadline.
9. Mike Francesa will recommend the Mets trade Jose Reyes for no good reason.
10. Chris Russo will moronically agree with #9.
11. Jerry Maneul will drop kick an umpire if the Mets get another blown home run call against them.
12. Wayne Hagin will be responsible for an accident on the NJ Parkway because a Mets fan fell asleep while listening to his broadcast.
13. The names, Matt Holliday and Xavier Nady, will be uttered more times than Marlon Anderson and Scott Schoenweis.
14. People will continue to lie and claim that they will miss Shea Stadium. (Three words: Shea Stadium bathrooms)
15. Ron Darling will star in yet another Sovereign Bank commercial where the actor playing the employee will not know whether to pronounce it "Sov-rin" or "Sov-ern" bank.
    

Hate and Love for the All Star Game

Hate, the long game. Love, the close game. Hate, the teams are made up of many players you'll never hear from again. Love, the pageantry. Hate, the announcers. Love, hearing from the hall of famers. Hate, seeing Billy Wagner blow yet another lead. Love, seeing Billy Wagner not blow one for the Mets. Hate, the funeral dirge music before every commercial break. Love, the fact they didn't use the FOX Sports robot. Hate, having to hear "the final game in Yankee Stadium" every 30 seconds. Love, that I'll never have to hear that again. Hate, Ryan Dempster's delivery. Love, watching Russel Martin play catcher. Hate, the NL losing yet again. Love, that the game required some actual managing. Hate, that A-Rod left the actual stadium early like he had better things to do. Love that guys like Jeter and Wright hung out on the top step with anticipation every inning. Hate, the Naomi Campbell SoBe commercials. Love, The Dark Knight spots. Hate, Dan Uggla's glove (and bat). Love, that the Marlins' All Stars are the worst fielding All Stars ever. Hate, the fact that the NL won't have home field advantage in the World Series. Love, dreaming about the Mets second half chances. Let's get back to some games that really count. See you in Cincinnati.

Fernando Tatis Saves the Day

I'm in Chicago on vacation and I was forced to watch the Mets (a.k.a. Billy Wagner) blow the game on my Blackberry. Yup I was forced to watch the dismal Gameday pitch by pitch on a 2 inch screen waiting for the 15 second refresh to kick in only to find out Wagner had blown a game the Mets desperately needed.

Sure the Mets left 11 men on base and couldn't drive in a run to save their skin, but they somehow clawed their way to a 2-0 lead in the 9th. Oliver Perez showed that today was a "good day" for his head and his arm. But the credit for saving the day goes to Fernando Tatis.

I honestly thought Tatis was good for a strikeout but he pulled through and even did a little "in your face Phillies" soft step as he crossed home plate. I saw that on the SportsCenter replay.

The Mets have a chance to do the improbable: take 3 games from the Phillies. It's not likely but they have a shot at it. For the first time in a while I'm anxiously awaiting the opportunity to watch the Mets play. That baseball fever that has evaded Mets fans this season is starting to creep back into the picture. A loss could quelch our excitement, but a win could be just what this club, and their fans, need to propel them into the second half of the season.

Tiger Woods to Become Mets Bench Coach

Breaking news out of the sporting world today is that Tiger Woods will have season ending surgery and not participate in any more PGA Tour events in 2008.

Don't believe this for a second. It's all a cover. Tiger Woods is actually going to be announced as the new Mets bench coach for the rest of the 2008 season.

Sure Tiger will have surgery, but he'll recover while riding the pine next to interim manager Jerry Manuel. Details of this announcement are top secret and Mets senior management was not able to be reached, but they did not confirm nor deny this report.

We know Tiger can't go a whole year without competing, so becoming the bench coach for the Mets would prove to be his most challenging sports achievement to date.

Tiger is expected to give the Mets some insight in a number of areas to help this team become competitive including:

• Instructing Jose Reyes on how to properly throw a bat into the ground during a temper tantrum
• Improve Carlos Delgado's swing so he can actually SEE the ball on contact
• Teach the entire ballclub on the finer points of "mental toughness"
• How to make billions of dollars on endorsements
• Finer points of "recovery" after a bad at bat
• Tutor Luis Castillo on playing through knee injuries

Tiger Woods did have a few stipulations that the Mets organization would have to adhere to. The major one being that the Mets would have to wear read uniforms for all Sunday games, and Billy Wagner will now enter games to the tune of "Eye of the Tiger."

It's expected that this announcement will be kept under wraps until after Tiger Woods completes his reconstructive surgery on his knee. Stay tuned.

Baseball Tonight: Analysis of Wagner's Struggles

The baseball tonight folks discuss Wagner's struggles. I can't watch this video because it still hurts.

DISGRACED

Billy Wagner threw up all over Johan Santana's pitching performance today. For the second straight day, Wagner came in and blew a lead. He loaded the bases and then could not catch a break to get out of the inning.

He should have never put himself in that position.

This loss hurts the worst. Just when you think the team shows hope of turning the corner, you get slapped upside the head with this devastating loss.

Disgraceful.