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.
    

Moises Alou is Done for the Year

Moises Alou apparently has a torn hamstring and is out for the season.

Apparently he did it while lowering himself into his rascal. Good night, what is wrong with this guy.

Omar better have the Rockies (Holliday), Pirates (Nady/Bay) and Reds (Griffey Jr.) on speed dial.

Alou's was last heard crying out, "They call me Mr. Glass!" as he left the ballpark.

See ya Moises. Nice knowing ya.

Moises Alou to Return Next Weekend

Jerry Manuel commented before the Mets/Yankees game the other day that Moises Alou should return to the team next weekend in Philadelphia.

Bye, bye Andy Phillips. Nice knowing you.

Now do I honestly believe that Alou will be playing for this team next weekend? Call me Doubting Thomas but I'm not going to believe it til I see it. What's next, they're going to tell us that El Duque is scheduled to start against the Cardinals?

Alou is a nice asset to have but he can't be relied on for any extended period of time. I do think that if Alou comes back he'll hit the ball like a rocket, as he usually does, but I fully expect him to be back on the DL before September.

So the Mets need to get a corner outfielder before the trading deadline. Trot Nixon and Andy Phillips are the equivalent to the Jeff Conine pick up last year. Where was Omar when Jim Edmonds was released? Can you imagine Edmonds and Beltran in center & left? Ugh, possibly the two best fielding outfielders in the NL (next to Andruw Jones) on the same team. Plus Edmonds has been on a hitting tare the likes of which the Mets haven't seen this year.

Omar better have some deals up his sleeves.

The What Was Willie Thinking Moment of the Week

And the moment is. . .

Playing Damion Easley as the DH.

I mean who wouldn't want Damion Easley as a DH. He's got great. . .and well he hits the ball so. . .ok, what about. . .

It makes no sense, especially when you have an aging Moises Alou who is the perfect DH and allows Endy Chavez to get some at bats and sure up your outfield defense.

It's not like Easley has been on fire or that he really needs at bats. I mean even playing Castro at DH makes more sense than Easley.

But this is Willie Randolph we're talking about. We shouldn't question him too much. He might get upset.

Forget About Alou

Moises Alou was supposed to be the key to this Mets offense this year. He was not the central focus but more the linchpin that propelled the Mets lineup beyond the rest of the NL East.

I'm here to tell you to forget about Alou.

Just remove him from your memory. The sooner you do, the better. The longer we continue to think that Alou will make a return, the longer you're just fooling yourself.

It was a no brainer to sign Alou for another year and I can't blame the Mets for doing it. I would have done it too. But the guy can't cross the street without breaking a bone. He gets aneurysms from eating hot oatmeal. And the guy can't walk his dog with pulling a groin muscle.

Alou is done. It's time to move on.

His absence leaves a glaring hole of not-so-much power in the middle of the lineup. Ryan Church has closed that gap considerably, but the good news is we have adequate bodies to fill left field. Which is actually pretty surprising considering we lost Gomez & Milledge.

Angel Pagan has filled in nicely. Endy Chavez is possibly the best defensive bench player in all of baseball. We can even through Marlon Anderson out there if we're desperate.

But what about the offense? Here's the key. Our main guys need to produce. Call me a revolutionary but Reyes, Wright, Beltran, and Delgado need to produce. That's why we pay them the big bucks. That's why they're on the All Star teams. That's why they have to produce.

If that happens it won't matter who's in left field because they'll be playing a role and not a central part of our offense.

But in the mean time, just forget about Alou. He's not coming back.

Divine Met Intervention in Angel and Church?

Hmmmm, is it coincidence that the Mets top two players to start the year have a more spiritual name than the other players on the team?

The fact that Ryan CHURCH and ANGEL Pagan are leading the team in basically every statistical category doesn't seem a little ironic?

What's that noise? I think I just heard Dan Brown run to go see his publisher.

I'm purely joking, but it is amazing to see two low level acquisitions turn into impact players early this season. I credit Omar Minaya for being able to see talent where others don't. Just when we lose Ruben Gotay, we have guys like Church & Pagan stepping up to replace the role he played.

Last night on SNY's text poll the question was asked which player would make the biggest impact when he returned to the lineup. The leading vote getter was Moises Alou.

I had to laugh. There's no doubt Alou is a bat that is needed in this lineup, but if Pagan keeps playing the way he is, I'm not sure you can take him out of the lineup.

That's a good problem to have.

Moises Alou, the Machine

Moises Alou has been taking a healthy dose of his Centrum Silver over the last month. Alou not only has a 23-game hitting streak going, but he's been getting 2 or 3 hits in pretty much every one of those games. Alou is also the oldest baseball player to ever have a 20+ game hitting streak, and his current streak is the longest running streak in the National League this year.

It's not just the fact that Alou is getting hits. Alou is really crushing the ball. He's hitting down the line, up the middle and in the gaps. He's driving in runs and looks like the hitter we all dreamed he'd be. Through 75 games this year Alou is batting .338 with a .529 slugging percentage.

We just need to keep Alou healthy for these final 2 weeks of the season. Keep giving him his Centrum Silver. Provide him with a daily does of Oscal and Ginko. Because if this guy is healthy in the postseason, he'll only make Beltran and Delgado/Green better by hitting inbetween them.

Disclaimer to Mets Fans

Please, please, I beg of you, do not reach for foul balls if you sit in the first couple of rows on the field level. Last night, in the 4th inning, David Wright just missed a foul pop because someone was jumping for the ball, essentially getting in Wright’s way (I can’t blame the little kid there, but someone should pull him away – buy him a jersey for his sacrifice). The ball dropped and the next pitch by El Duque was lined for a 2 run single and the Braves tacked on 5 runs after that play. (My apologies, but I was a little distracted as I was playing with my 2 year old daughter while the game was on, so I had the volume down and I don’t know what the three amigos in the SNY booth were saying about it, or how exactly the inning unraveled from that moment). If Wright could have caught that ball there would have been one out, and Texiera would not have hit a 3 run homer later in the inning when there were two outs.

The Mets probably would have lost anyway, so it’s not that big of a deal. It’s more important that this doesn’t happen in the post season. Look no further than Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS to see what can happen. Mosies Alou can tell you all aout it.

So, please, unless someone on the Mets hits the foul ball, don’t try to catch it, get out of the way. I’ll personally mail you a box of baseballs.

Delgado Likes Being In the Middle

During Sunday's Mets win, they showed a stat on CW11 of the Mets record with Beltran & Alou both being in the lineup. I don't remember the exact numbers, but the Mets were averaging over 6 runs a game with them in the lineup and had a higher winning percentage with both of them in the lineup than with one of them out.

That got me thinking. I wonder what Delgado's numbers are like with both Beltran and Alou in the lineup. Or what they're like with them batting in front of and behind him. I've yet to see those stats, but I guarantee that Delgado's numbers are vastly improved when he's batting in between Beltran and Alou.

The last few games before he got hurt, Delgado looked comfortable at the plate. He was hitting the ball with power to right, but also sending it the opposite way. If Delgado can continue to hit balls to left field with consistency that will open up a ton of run scoring opportunities.

To me Delgado is the key for the rest of the season. David Wright is our rock and he'll be solid the rest of the way. I'm not worried about Reyes or Castillo. Alou is back to his old form. Beltran has found some pop in his bat. Delgado is the remaining question mark.

When he returns to the lineup this week it will be interesting to see if he can carry his success at the plate for the last few weeks into September and hopefully the playoffs. My greatest memory from last year's playoffs is how Delgado was swinging the bat.

I want that Carlos Delgado back.

The Return of Endy Chavez

"The Catch", Endy Chavez, returns to organized baseball tonight as he'll make his first minor league rehab start.

It feels like we haven't seen Endy since his miracle catch in game 7 of the NLCS last year. Man, have I missed Endy. But what's going to happen once Endy returns? With the surge of Everlastings Thrilledge (Lastings Milledge) and a healthy Moises Alou, what's Endy Chavez going to do?

Here's what should happen. Endy Chavez thrives when he comes off the bench or gets a spot start. The starting outfield should remain the same with Alou, Beltran and Milledge/Green. Endy will get a start when there's a day game after a night game or if Alou's arthritis is acting up.

But Endy should play in every game down the stretch after the 7th inning. He should replace either Green or Alou in the outfield for defensive purposes. We don't need to lose any big games because Green & Alou are too slow to react to a ball. Chavez is our lock down defender in the outfield.

I love Endy, but this team is starting to get into a groove offensively and inserting him into the lineup immediately I don't think would be in Endy's best interest or the team's.

I am looking forward to the return of Endy Chavez. There's a level of excitement that he brings that I think the team thrives on and I know the fans do.

Here's to a successful rehab stint in the minors, Endy. Hope to see you in September!

Mets Bullpen is so Exciting

Did the Mets actually win last night? What started out as a game that should have been won on cruise control turned into an interesting affair. What's with Mets starting pitchers and not being able to handle a 5-0 lead. Glavine struggled with a big lead in Los Angeles and John Maine had a tough time in Pittsburgh. Maine through 100+ pitches in just 4 innings.

The Mets blew the game open in the ninth scoring 5 runs in an offensive explosion. Moises Alou is really swinging the bat well and that power bat is what the Mets have desperately been missing this season. Delgado is also starting to come around, but I have to tell myself that it is Pirates' pitching they are up against.

So with a 10-4 lead I actually started up my Xbox 360 to play a little Madden '08. But as it was starting I saw Aaron Sele come in and give up one run, then 2 runs. I turned off my Xbox in shock and watched as Wagner came in and gave up another run to bring the tying run to the plate.

Man, was it exciting. (sarcasm)

In the end, Wagner got the save. The Mets won. We move on to another day, but where is the comfortable wins we so enjoyed last year. I guess I shouldn't complain. The Mets are on a 3 game win streak and could sweep the Pirates tonight. But this bullpen could cause some issues when September rolls around.

Another Come From Behind Win

It's great to see the Mets prove they have the ability to come from behind and win ballgames, but I'm really longing for a day when we win 3-0 at this point.

The Mets were down 2-0 and then 3-2 before coming back to beat the Pirates 5-4. I was most impressed with Moises Alou, and not just last night but for the last week. He's showing some power and the ability to hit in the clutch, something that has been seriously lacking this year.

Beltran also swung the bat well. He didn't get a hit every time up, but his swing from the left side of the plate looks very smooth and of course any time he hits a home run is a plus. I would comment on David Wright, but the kid is just plain solid and needs no commentary.

I also have come to think that I wield more power than I know what to do with. For the past week I've been thoroughly trashing Mike DiFelice. So what does he do? He goes 2-4 with an RBI. The same type of thing has happened when I scolded Marlon Anderson and Shawn Green so prepare for many more hideous remarks.

Also I almost passed out last night when I saw Lastings Milledge in the lineup against a right-handed pitcher. Did pigs learn how to fly or is Willie coming around?

Living and Dying by the Home Run

The Mets exploded on Sunday at first in the field and then at the plate. The Mets looked like the Bad News Bears in the field through the first 4 innings, but came together in the end to hammer out 10 runs against the Marlins on Tom Glavine Day at Shea.

The Mets hit 4 home runs including 2 by Moises Alou, 1 by Jose Reyes, and 1 for Carlos Delgado. I can't even remember the last time Reyes or Delgado homered. It's been that long. In the 8th Reyes made one of those plays that just makes you laugh. With Reyes on first and DeFelice on third with 2 outs and Milledge at the plate, Milledge hit a weak groundball to second that was out of the reach of Dan Uggla and trickled into right field. Reyes was running on the play and scored from first on a ball that barely went 50 feet.

I was relieved to see this offensive explosion, but concerned at the same time. The Mets of late are living and dying by the home run. Alou's 2 home runs accounted for 4 of the 10 runs. Yesterday, David Wright had to hit 2 home runs just to keep the Mets competitive. And the day before Beltran's 3 run blast were the only runs the Mets scored.

With Reyes and Castillo at the top of the order there's no reason that the Mets shouldn't be manufacturing runs when they're suppose to. I love seeing the long ball and I really think Alou is getting his swing back, but this type of power won't happen every night. The Mets are still struggling to situational hit which will be crucial as the NL East race gets tighter.

Day off tomorrow as the Mets travel to Pittsburgh. No excuse for the Mets not to go 4-2 on this road trip.

Jose Reyes Imitates Moises Alou

After Moises Alou's 8th inning home run, he sat down in the dugout next to the always excited Jose Reyes. SNY captured the moment which was one of the funniest things I've seen in a while.

It was like Reyes was Tigger and Alou was Eeyore (sorry, I have a 3 year old) as Reyes was all smiles and giddy where Alou looked like he needed a nap.

The funniest part came when Reyes imitated Alou's home run swing and nailed it like an accomplished imitator. I've been trying to find the video online, but haven't had any luck.

If you get a chance try and catch the Mets pre-game on SNY tonight as I'm sure they'll show it again.

You have to love Reyes' energy.

Moises Alou Comes Through

I'm starting to think this blog has more power than I imagined. The day after I wrote a scathing post calling Moises Alou the official Mets Rally Killer, Alou comes through in the most clutch of situations.

After Castillo tied up the game in the 7th, in the bottom of the 8th Alou pounded a high and inside fastball 402 feet over the left field wall. I'm still not sure how he was able to turn on that pitch and hit it so far. It was pure strength and it came at a time and in a game that the Mets desperately needed a win.

But this isn't the first time I've trashed a player only to have them come out and perform like a champion. I smacked down Marlon Anderson and then he went on a tare against the Dodgers. I ripped apart Shawn Green and now he's got an 9 game hitting streak. I might be on to something.

El Duque pitched really well, but made a few mistakes in the 6th to let the Braves tie the game and take the lead.

And Billy Wagner. Wow. I could have sworn Wagner was going to blow the game after loading the bases with no outs. But then Billy Wagner turned into David Blaine and pulled the most amazing magic trick out of his hat getting Franceour to ground out to third and Andruw Jones to hit into a double play.

Great game and a much, much needed win. Let's hope this carries us into tonight's game so we can finally win a series against the Braves.

Moises Alou Is A Rally Killer

With men on 1st & 3rd in the 4th inning an no outs, Moises Alou steps up to the plate with a chance to turn this game against the Braves around. On the third pitch, Alou does what he seems to do best: hits into a double play.

Sure a run scored, but the rally was over. This isn't the first time that Alou has done this nor was it the last. In the 7th inning with no outs and Delgado on first, Alou gets up again. The Mets are trailing 7-3 and looking for a rally. Alou again hits into a double play.

He's done this pretty much anytime someone's on first base since he returned. I know Alou is a free swinger and that's how he's always been, but give me a fly ball at least.

Now Alou is no excuse for the Mets loss last night. Oliver Perez had trouble and actually seemed to be pitching too many balls right down the heart of the plate.

Last night was a game the Mets needed as they now have to face Smoltz and Hudson. A win tonight would do wonders for the ballclub's morale.

But if Alou gets up with no outs and runners on the corner, I might have to leave the room.

Old Men Walking

Every time guys like Jose Reyes, David Wright and Lastings Milledge get on the Mets’ bus to go to the ball park; they must feel like they’re on the next senior’s trip to Atlantic City. Moises Alou is practically taped together, Paul Lo Duca is still ailing from a strained hammie, and now the newest Met, Luis Castillo, who sat out yesterday's game, has some aches and pains. Both Alou and Castillo should be able to play today, although Lo Duca might become another casualty to the long list of Mets players on the DL. The trainers are certainly earning their pay checks this year.

For more on these Old Men Walking, check out this morning’s article in the Daily News.

Offensive Futility is Contagious

I just cannot believe that this team, with all of these super stars, cannot score runs. It is astounding how many times they fail with men on base.

Luis Castillo wasted no time fitting right in with his new team, popping out weakly with the bases loaded in the 7th, and left Reyes stranded at second in the 9th. I couldn't help think what Gotay would have done. I know I liked this trade but hey, I'm a fan, and I'm so ticked off with this team. Moises Alou is another one caught by the can't-hit-with-men-on bug. After being handed a gift in the 10th when the Brewers walked the first two guys to lead off the inning, Alou hits into a double play to snuff a rally. (Have we seen this before?)

I mean this is turning really ugly. The fact that I stayed up for 4.5 hours to watch this display is just pathetic. We are the worst first place team I have ever seen. Trust me when I say this, the Mets will not be in first for long as the Braves are going to steam roll them and take the NL East. You think the Braves aren't fired up with the moves they made? This team just cannot hit and they have shown me nothing of the kind that makes me think they'll snap out of it. I have no confidence in this team and quite frankly, the Mets look like they have no confidence as well.

And one other thing; Tom Glavine's wife's reactions reminded me of myself when I watched her husband throw up all over a 6-0 lead in LA two weeks ago. I only hope he gets his 300th in his next start so I don't have to watch her over and over again.

This is just another bad loss from a grossly underachieving baseball team.

Mets Trade Rumors: Hints, Allegations, & Things Left Unsaid

Ah, July trade rumors. They blow in and out as quickly as Lindsey Lohan enters rehab.
It seems there's a never ending stream of possible trades and what ifs surrounding the Mets almost every year. But you know what? 99% of them are pure speculation or just rumors.

Need an example? I present to you the 2006 trade of Xavier Nady for Roberto Hernandez & Oliver Perez. Do you remember ever hearing anything about that trade? I sure don't. The Mets traded a guy who had been solid all year for an aging veteran and youngster who had fallen off the radar.

Was it a great trade? Turned out to be very beneficial to the Mets in the fact that Hernandez pitched well down the stretch and Oliver Perez has been the surprise of the century (although I would love to still have Nady in right field these days). But the thing is the real trades go under the radar until it actually happens.

That doesn't make trade rumors any less fun, but I've got to ground myself in some reality. Like I can't go on believing that Moises Alou will actually play baseball again. Can I?

Moises Alou: They Call Me Mr. Glass

I think Moises Alou has been hanging around with Carl Pavano because this is getting ridiculous. Moises Alou was scheduled to return to the Mets lineup on Tuesday only to pull himself from returning due to an unexplainable shoulder injury.

It appears that during a rehab start with the Brooklyn Cyclones, Alou swung the bat and tweaked something in his shoulder (I told you to take your Centrum Silver). So Alou didn't want to rush back and injure himself even more (i.e. hypochondriac).

The real question mark for the Mets is they need to know if Alou is going to be able to play for the rest of the season before the trade deadline in case they have a deal in mind to pick up an extra bat.

I can't help it, but Moises Alou is starting to remind me of Samuel L. Jackson's character from the movie Unbreakable (if you haven't seen the movie, go to Blockbuster right now and rent it). Jackson's character, Elijah Price, has a severe case of brittle bone disease so he gets the name "Mr. Glass" from the kids who tease him.

Moises Alou is our Mr. Glass.