Hats

Here's how long Mets owner Fred Wilpon conversation should have been with Bud Selig regarding September 11th first responder hats on the 10th anniversary.

WILPON: Mr. Commissioner. We want to wear hats honoring the NYPD, fire department and Port Authority on September 11th.

SELIG: During the game?

WILPON: Yes.

SELIG: Well all the teams are wearing special September 11th hats that day already. We don't like having teams wearing unofficial uniforms during a game.

WILPON: I understand, but we are a New York team and there will no doubt be fire fighters, police officers, rescue workers who were at the Towers that day at CitiField. And also relatives and friends of those who didn't make it. And we'd like to show a sign of solidarity on this 10th anniversary.

SELIG: What if we had every team change their hats on a whim?

WILPON: What other city had a September 11th? If the Nationals wanted to do something, they should. That's up to them. But September 11th was unique and this is the 10th anniversary and we are the only team playing in New York. I think an exception can be made.

SELIG: You aren't going to sell the hats or try any September 11th merchandise, are you?

WILPON: No. Certainly not.

SELIG: And it is JUST for September 11th, not the whole weekend?

WILPON: Just the Sunday night game.

SELIG: Well, I can't see how that's a problem. It's a nice gesture. Go ahead.

WILPON: Thank you Mr. Commissioner.


Boom!

All the bases covered.
That conversation would last, what? A minute? 90 seconds?

The fact that it WASN'T that simple and it has turned into a "He Said... She Said" spat involving rules that may or may not have been enforced, fines the Mets were worried they had to pay and Bud Selig was mad that it became public shows how incompetent the two parties.

Those parties of course being the Mets organization, who took every baseball advantage in the world and ran the team into the ground... and Bud Selig who every day finds new reasons to want to throw him out of office. How could Selig not see this was the right thing to do?

And of course Joe Torre was thrown into the middle of this, trying to destroy whatever good will is left for him in New York.

A simple thoughtful act of wearing a hat to honor the memories of brave men and women instead became a nice barometer of people who have lost perspective.

And frankly it is kind of fascinating.

Jose Reyes should replace Buster Posey

The Giants lost their young budding superstar catcher Buster Posey to injuries for the rest of the season? Naturally the Mets shortstop should take his place.

I do not literally mean take Posey’s position of course. The Giants need to fill the catcher’s position but that is a short order. Eli Whiteside is a capable catcher and Bengie Molina, the man who Buster Posey made expendable, can be signed as a free agent. Both can split time behind the plate and call a good game. Maybe even Fresno’s Jackson Williams can catch a few games for the parent club.

Getting someone to squat and tell the pitchers what to throw is not an issue. His bat will be sorely missed. A team this offensively challenged can’t afford to simply remove Posey from the lineup. The combination of Molina, Whiteside and Williams can’t make up for his production.

But Jose Reyes can.

The Mets shortstop is healthy and contributing in the lineup. He leads the league in hits and triples. He has 17 steals and his OPS is in the .800s. And he is doing it in a miserable situation. If he could do that in the poisonous Mets culture, imagine how he could flourish in the positive environment of the defending World Champions!

The Mets are imploding, sinking in the standings, infighting with the management and selling off chunks of the team.

When a team is trying to find new investors (or maybe a new owner) and losing tens of millions of dollars, wouldn’t it behoove them to start cutting payroll? Especially when the team is a losing team in an empty stadium. Hell, Wilpon has already said his team stinks. Why not start dumping the bodies?

If the Mets can get two good prospects for Reyes, whose contract expires at the end of the season, then it makes sense for them. Getting two players who have already passed much of the minor league gauntlet might be a surer bet than the two draft picks the Mets would get after Reyes’ inevitable free agent departure. (Why would he want to come back to the Amazin’ Mess.)

The Giants are in a position to trade from strength. It is always risky to deal pitching, but with a rotation of Linecum, Cain, Bumgarner, Sanchez and even Vogelsong, the Giants have depth in the rotation. Wilson, Ramirez, Lopez, Romo and Mota give them the deep bullpen. If ANY team can trade a pitching prospect or two, it is the Giants.

Maybe dealing top prospect Zack Wheeler would be a stretch. And maybe lefty reliever Alex Hinshaw, who has some big league experience, might not be enticing. But first baseman prospect Brandon Belt could be intriguing for the Mets. 23 year old control artist Eric Surkamp could be spared. And slick fielding young shortstop Brandon Crawford won’t be needed. I am sure a package could be slapped together.

And it could even be easier if the Giants ever agreed to take on any more of the Mets payroll. Jason Bay is owed $35 million over the next two years. Johan Santana is owed $50 million. Send one of those contracts to China Basin and the accountants in Queens would be much obliged. Granted, the only stadium worse for Jason Bay’s talents than CitiField is AT&T Park. But imagine if Santana comes back to form? But I digress. This discussion is about Jose Reyes.

And the Giants have a spot waiting for him. Sorry, Miguel Tejada. The experiment to capture lightning in a bottle again after the post season success of Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe simply isn’t happening for the 2011 Giants infield. The bat speed is not there. The power is not there. The range is not there. He is aging the way 37 year olds USED to age.

Replace the lumbering Tejada with the spark plug of Reyes, rejuvenated after his parole from Queens and suddenly the Giants line up is a little more electric. He has gap to gap power and can stretch doubles into triples, making San Francisco the ideal park for his offense.

And playing for a potential post season run could not hurt his free agent prospects.

Deal a little of tomorrow for a chance to repeat today, Giants. You don’t need a catcher who can hit. You need a player who can hit.

Make the call. The Mets are DYING to shed some payroll.

Albert Pujols will be a Dodger or a Met… and I predict a conspiracy theory

A bizarre and round about series of events and coincidences have made it clear to me that Albert Pujols will almost certainly not be a member of the St. Louis Cardinals next year.

Before Pujols files for free agency, two large market franchises will change ownership and be in position to bid for him, and I believe Bud Selig will be manipulating the whole thing to help preserve his legacy.

That’s right, I am predicting a conspiracy before there are any facts or events to back up my theory. I admit that is no easy trick. But I think I am on to something.

Follow me…

Bud Selig is retiring in 2012. With the steroid era evidently behind him and if baseball avoids a work stoppage (and the NFL and NBA have one) then he will be able to claim that he left the game clean and thriving with labor peace.

But there are four gigantic messes he needs to clean up before riding off into the sunset.

Two won’t be covered here, but I will mention them: The Rays and the A’s stadium disasters. Neither team can last in their current dumps and nor have a viable solution for survival, especially if the Giants can block the A’s move to San Jose. But that is another post.

The big BIG mess is the state of the Mets and Dodgers, two of the flagship franchises of the National League. According to USA Today, only the Yankees and Red Sox are worth more than the Dodgers and those teams plus the Cubs are the only ones worth more than the Mets.

I don’t think it is stretch to call New York and Los Angeles big markets. And guess what? They are both in financial chaos.

The Dodgers have been mismanaged to the point where MLB had to take the unprecedented steps of essentially removing the owner from power. (We’ll see if Frank McCourt surrenders the power of the team.)

And the Mets should be on notice. If the twisted finances of the McCourt divorce can make Selig and company take over the Dodgers, then being swindled by Bernie Madoff (and not being sure what they knew in advance) should be even a greater cause for MLB to step in and take the car keys away from the Wilpons.

In the very least, the Mets should be forced to sell.

So that would mean the Mets and Dodgers would have new ownership going into the 2012 season. And also have a disillusioned fan base, declining attendance and a natural division rival playing well (the Phillies for the Mets and the Giants for the Dodgers.)

Whomever is going to run the Mets and the Dodgers will need to assure their paying customers (and TV viewers and sponsors) that not only are the bad days behind them but glamorous superstar days are ahead.

The Giants were in a similar boat when Peter Magowan took over the team in the wake of the proposed move to Tampa Bay. He found the quickest way to get the fan base energized: He signed the best player in baseball, Barry Bonds.

Which brings us to Albert Pujols. He’s a free agent to be. He has nothing left to prove in St. Louis when he finishes this, his 11th season. He has given the Cardinals a championship, post season heroics, MVPs and done so with class and a flair for the dramatic. And, as I said in a previous video, Cardinal fans can NEVER boo him.

Pujols could need a new challenge in his life, the biggest contract in baseball history and a chance to be a hero in a brand new market.

(See Rose, Pete. See Jackson, Reggie. And Albert is better than both of them!)

And if just so happens that the Dodgers have an opening at first base. I may not be 100% sure how VORP works, but I can guess that Albert Pujols replacing James Loney is an improvement.

And the Mets have Ike Davis, who is a nice player. When you have the chance to get one of the great offensive players of all time, you might think about sacrificing a nice player or two!

Both the Dodgers and the Mets will have new owners, money to spend and a city to impress. And they will BOTH bid on Albert Pujols.

Why do I say that with such certainty? Because Selig will make sure of it. Captain Bud will not let an owner take over the Dodgers nor the Mets unless they were intending on trying to sign Pujols.

It makes sense for the Dodgers to win back their fans and show there is a new era in Chavez Ravine.

It makes sense for the Mets to turn the page on the Wilpon fiasco (and no doubt Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins would welcome Albert’s arrival.)

It makes sense for labor peace as players making big contracts is always looked on fondly by the Players Association.

And it makes sense for Selig as he leave the game with franchises other than the Yankees and Red Sox bidding over the biggest free agents.

And which ever team can’t land Pujols will have a nice consolation prize in Prince Fielder.

Think Selig is above this sort of backroom dealings? Or perhaps not clever enough?

PUH-lease. I am not going to even go into the whole “Used Car Salesman” past of Mr. Selig.

This was the guy who maneuvered the ownership of the Expos, Marlins and Red Sox around so his hand picked successor would take over in Boston instead of the McCourts.

This was the guy who claimed to have no clue about the steroid culture, even though allegations were made public as far back as 1988, when Peter Ueberroth was commissioner.

This was the guy who was part of the owners group that ousted Fay Vincent for not doing their bidding and installing himself as owner/commissioner. It was supposed to be temporary. That was 1992.

This was one of the many owners found guilty of collusion in the 1980s.

Shady wheeling and dealing are right in Bud Selig’s wheelhouse.

So a nudge here and there and making sure the new owners come with an aggressive eye on Albert is not as outlandish as colluding, kicking the commissioner out and not noticing that the players all were bigger than the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

You heard it here first on Sully Baseball.

I am declaring it a conspiracy before it actually happens.

Colluding is and always will be part of Bud Selig’s legacy.

The Mets are 10% of the way towards making me look right

I took a lot of heat from Mets fans when I predicted their team would lose 90 games.
I have nothing against the Mets, but they weren't good last year and they are older and have the financial stink of the Madoff scandal hanging over the team.

They might dismantle at any moment.

Well, I was called all sorts of names... my sexual preferences were questioned... my weight was pointed out... my IQ was mocked...

And as a Red Sox fan, I really shouldn't be throwing stones about bad starts. But STILL!
After the Mets dropped 4 games at home to the Rockies, the first 3 by one run, the Mets are at 9 losses.

8% of the way through the season and they are 10% of the way towards 90 losses.
That means they can improve their rate of play and still hit 90.

Yeah, I know the Red Sox have 9 losses as well. There's a difference between a bad start and a bad team.

90 losses.
They are 10% of the way there before our taxes are filed.

Sorry Met fans... I am writing another post about your team

I've not made many Met fan friends recently... partially based on the passing around of my "Better use of $18 million" post. But forgive me, I need to write something else.

I said the Mets are going to lose 90 games.
From the responses by Met fans, you would have thought I said "The Lakers are going to miss the playoffs."

After many comments about my weight, intelligence and sexual orientation, the consensus was that I am an idiot for thinking a team that lost 83 games last year will lose 90 in 2011.

Mainly because some of their players MIGHT come back and some others COULD have comeback years.

Now I have already covered the facts that the Mets improvements are cosmetic and that the Phillies, Braves and Marlins all have better starting staffs... but folks, I saw an article today that made me think "Oh boy... this is going to be a worse year than I thought for the Mets."

REPORT: METS LOST $50M IN 2010; 2011 MAY BE SAME

Yup. The Mets who play in New York and have a brand spanking new stadium and their own TV network could lose a combined $100 million bucks in two seasons.

Revenues are down and so is attendance.

And with the Madoff scandal hovering over the team (sorry folks, that elephant will be there until the team is sold) the Wilpons are almost certainly be forced to sell the team at one point.

So what do teams do that are on the verge of financial ruin, tangled in national scandal and will be forced to sell?

Do they make improvements to the team?
Do they acquire players to help them win the pennant?
Or do they start chucking bodies overboard?

Guess what?
If Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana, Jason Bay, Francisco Rodriguez, Taylor Buchholz, Chris Capuano or D. J. Carrasco are healthy and productive in 2011, they will be shipped off for minor leaguers and smaller price tags.

Think David Wright won't be traded?

It's not probable, but we are currently treading in uncharted financial waters.

You can't look at this team like a typical rebuilding process. A New York team should never be in "Tampa Bay mode" and looking to shed its stars because of lack of revenue. But that is what we are looking at with this team.

Any player a Met fan is looking at as hope for improvement will probably be used to relieve debt.

It is not going to be a pretty year, Met fans.
Go to the games. Prove your loyalty.

And in 5 years when Donald Trump owns the team and they are contenders again, you can point to all the bandwagon Met fans and say "Hey! Were YOU at CitiField when they were crumbling under the Madoff scandal?"

Welcome to the Nationals Mr. Perez

He is a lock to win 15 games with the Nats!
And he will be a bargain at $414,000 for Washington (and just $12 million for the Mets.)

A tip for the Mets… 10 better ways to spend $18 million

The Mets will have the 5th highest payroll in baseball and will probably lose 90 games in 2011, ergo they aren’t spending their money wisely.

A case in point, the Mets are paying Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo a combined $18 million to NOT play for them this year. Good money in a recession.

The staff at Sully Baseball can’t claim to be an economic think tank, but here are some helpful suggestions to what could be a better use of $18 million than spending it on Castillo and Perez.

BUY ALL 8 MILLION PEOPLE IN NEW YORK 2 PACKS OF GUM

For a few days, everyone in New York will have no excuse for bad breath.

SPONSOR 36,000 LITTLE LEAGUE TEAMS

At least the Mets will be paying them to PLAY!

GO TO A ROULETTE TABLE AND SAY “$18 MILLION ON RED!”

The odds of that money going completely to waste went down by 50%!

ERASE THE DEFICIT FOR NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL LUNCHES

Right now the $8 million deficit in the school lunch program is threatening some schools for cutting lunch all together. Pick up the tab on that and maybe spend the extra $10 million on something more nutritious than tater tots.

BUY 1,285,714 COPIES OF I’LL BELIEVE YOU ON AMAZON

Seeing the Indie film I directed become profitable is a much better story than paying for two players to go away. At least it is a better story for me.

DONATE $50,750 TO EACH PBS STATION

Maybe they spin it into “Tote Bag Night” or “Prime Suspect DVD Night” at CitiField.

HELP THE BUNNY WORLD FOUNDATION
SPAY OR NEUTER 1,800,000 RABBITS

Or are YOU going to take care of all of those bunnies?

BUY 818,181 CHOCOLATE COOKIE GIFT BOXES FROM THE LEVAIN BAKERY

Seriously, have you had one of the cookies from the Levain Bakery? They are so much more satisfying than anything Oliver Perez has done in a Mets uniform.

TURN 125 NEW YORK TEENS INTO MBA GRADUATES

Let’s say the Mets found 125 smart teenagers in New York public schools who couldn’t afford college. They pay for four years of Brooklyn College for all 125 (including student housing.) Then after they all get their Bachelors degrees, they pay their way through the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College. By 2018, they will have 125 young minds with MBAs and inevitably ONE of them would be able give the Mets some sound business advice. (How could they be worse than the financial wizards who put them into this mess!)

THROW 18 MILLION ONE DOLLAR BILLS INTO THE HUDSON RIVER

Who knows? Some might float back to them.

I told the Mets not to sign Francisco Rodriguez

There is a tale of two closers in New York.

Both are from Latin America… both are slight… both have World Series rings… both have experienced the thrill of being the pitcher on the mound when their team wins a post season series.

One, Mariano Rivera, is stoic, clutch, doesn’t let the rare blown save get on his nerves and is one of the classiest and easy to like Hall of Fame legends in Yankee history.

The other, Francisco Rodriguez, beats the crap out of his elderly father in law.

See the difference? It is subtle.

Seriously… I said back in 2008 the winner of the Francisco Rodriguez sweepstakes was the team that DIDN’T sign him.

I’ve felt he was overrated, coasting on the reputation earned in the 2002 post season when nobody had a scouting report on him. (Yet when Bonds figured him out, he launched a homer in the 2002 World Series that I don’t think has landed yet.)

Yeah he piled up tons of regular season saves. So did Armando Benitez. As a Red Sox fan, there were fewer more welcomed sights than seeing Rodriguez coming out of the bullpen in the playoffs. (His 0-3 record with a 7.36 ERA in 3 playoff series against Boston can attest for that… as can Manny Ramirez standing and admiring his walk off homer in the 2007 Division Series.)

But, like Manny, I never anticipated “beating up the elderly” to be on his debit column.

He’s got baggage now… along with a HUGE paycheck. Good luck dealing him. And this is coming of course at a time when, even with Santana’s complete game shutout today, the Mets are floundering at .500 in August.

And while it not seem fair, but this sort of crazy distraction coupled with the season slipping away, could be the nail in Jerry Manuel’s coffin.

Now I’m not saying the Angels are world beaters since Rodriguez left.
But with all their problems, Los Angeles of Anaheim is above .500.

And they drafted Randal Grichuk and Garrett Richards in Rodriguez’s place.

And oh yeah, when Brian Feuntes faced the Red Sox in a playoff situation last year… he came through!

Why don’t teams LISTEN TO ME?

The Rays have a no hitter... the Mets and Padres don't. Odd isn't it?

Off the top of my head I can think of a bunch of pitchers who at one point in their careers played for the Mets who also threw a no hitter.

Without looking it up I can list Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Doc Gooden, David Cone, Hideo Nomo, Al Leiter and Mike Scott all threw no hitters and I am sure I am missing one or two.

None of them pitched a no hitter in a Mets uniform.
Despite a great tradition of dominating pitchers and consistently playing in a pitchers Ballpark (whether it be Shea or CitiField) the Mets have oddly never had a no hitter.

And with several Cy Young winners to their teams checkered history, the Padres also have never had a no hitter. Like the Mets they have always played in a pitchers park... yet could never even slap together a combined no hitter.

The Rockies have.
The Diamondbacks have a few.
So do the Marlins.

The expansion team Mariners, Blue Jays, Astros, Rangers, Angels, Expos, Royals and Brewers all have no no hitters on their docket.

And with Matt Garza, so do the Rays.

Only the Mets and Padres stand alone.

I would say the safe money is on the Padres to throw a no hitter next. They are having a charmed season... and the term "no hits" will be often used to describe a Mets game this year, but they would be referring to New York's offense.

The latest insult to the Mets... Kenley Jansen

Joe Torre let someone named Kenley Jansen pitch the 9th inning of a 1-0 game that L.A. desperately needed to win.

If you never saw Jansen pitch in the majors, it is because he only had one appearance before today.

If you don't remember him climbing up the Dodger farm system, it is because a little more than a year ago he was a catcher in the Dodger farm system.

Today, he got a 1-2-3 inning and the save.

Now he could turn around and be the next Rich Gossage and #74 could be retired at Chavez Ravine.

But right now the Mets bats are so flacid, that a pitcher making his second appearance EVER can get an effortless save.

Don't wear out his arm, Joe.
His name isn't Scott Procter.

The Giants won today's game

The Giants scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th today against the Mets for a dramatic 4-3 victory and completed a 4 game sweep.

That's what actually happened. Anyone who saw the game today saw Mets third baseman throw high in a play at the plate, scoring Ishikawa for the winning run.

It was that way with the naked eye.
It was that way with the replay.

But like Jim Joyce and Armando Galaragga's complete game, reality doesn't matter... only the opinion of the umpire.

Phil Cuzzi, who already unnecessarily delayed the game by jawing with K-Rod, called him out at home.

Even the Mets announcers were saying as it happened "The Mets caught a HUGE break."

And that was BEFORE they looked at the instant replay.

And the replay was shown on the New York station while Bruce Bochy was still arguing... which spits in the face of the insane "Well, it will slow down the game" argument against instant replay.

He was safe. The Giants won the game... except they didn't.

If the Giants miss the playoffs by a single game this year, remember that play.
And know that the entire television audience saw the call was wrong in less than 1 minute.

I guess you can't waste a minute in determining who won or lost a game.

It's bonkers.
Just bring in instant replay!!!

Up is down... Black is white... The Mets are contending

Here is a series of possible and not improbable events that could happen tomorrow.

Mets rookie Jonathon Niese, coming off a 1 hit shut out in his last start, beats the Indians, one of the worst teams in the American League.

Tampa Bay and the Yankees, the teams with the best records in baseball, win their respective games against Atlanta and Philadelphia.

What would happen if that not exactly outlandish collection of results come true?

The Mets would be alone in First Place in mid June.
And the Phillies would be only 1 game over .500.

I still don't understand how this is happening. And call me crazy, but I'm still not buying the Mets nor would I sell the Phillies.

But holy cow! It's not April anymore... It's not May. We're a month from the All Star break and the team that I compared to a car wreck and two girls one cup has a punchers chance of being in first place in July.

I've been screaming for this team to dismantle. I kind of still think they should.

But then there are the group of imposters wearing Phillies uniforms who can't even win on Roy Halladay' starts anymore.

The one team I thought for sure was going to the playoffs, the Phils, are barely holding their nose above break even while the Mets and the Padres, two teams that I thought had no chance, are in the thick of it.

I have no clue how the Mets are doing it which is why I still think they'll collapse and the Phillies when the dust all settles, will be playing in October.

Then again I thought Tampa was going to fold in 2008.

The world is upside down.

Hey get your red hot aces here!

A week ago, I talked about the three aces who should be dealt and give their old teams a needed shot of youth and their new teams hope on October.

Well if these three are indeed going to be dealt, their teams would be smart to pull the trigger NOW!

Based on their last performances, they are bringing their A game.

Johan Santana pitched last night against Milwaukee and gave the Mets 8 shutout innings, 3 hits and got 2 hits himself.

Of course the Mets might be just diluted enough to think they have a shot this season. You don't... replenish the farm.

Roy Oswalt pitched on Wednesday and he also went 8 shutout innings, getting (for him) a rare win.

Last night Lee overcame a sloppy first inning to go 8 innings, 2 earned runs and 10 Ks.

Seriously Mets, Astros and Mariners... pull the trigger now.
You'd hate to see someone get an injury and suddenly you've got no bait.

The season is 1/3 done... time to look towards 2011.

Met fans... please don't get too excited

Yes, I know the Mets just swept Philadelphia.

That's always a cool thing.

I know the Mets are only 2 back and look like world beaters right now. I beg of you, Met fans... don't get too excited.

Seriously, it isn't going to end well.

And in fact I think the two nice runs the Mets went on this year will in the end hurt the team... because they NEED to make a big move like dealing Santana when his value is at its best, and they won't do that when they think they are a contender!!

Just enjoy this fluke and don't start making October plans...

UNLESS...

There was one factor in today's game the team should take into account.

Once again my rocker friend Jaime Fallon was in attendance... and as I wrote before, when she shows up, the Mets win.

It hasn't failed yet.

The Mets should just give her a season pass, and then get ready for October ball.

(Seriously, Jaime's attendance is the only reason I can think of for the Mets good fortue.)

Three Aces Wild

Making preseason predictions is often an act in futility.
If you don't believe me, look at my predictions for 2007...
And if you are still not convinced, look at my predictions for 2008...
And if that wasn't enough, why not take a gander at my predictions last year...

But one thing that makes picks so worthless is of course the team that plays in April will inevitably be different that the team that plays in October. While midseason trades are usually all hype and not a lot of true impact, dealing for a true ace in midseason could be the difference between playing for a pennant or playing golf in October.

You just have to look at the Indians trading away their two Cy Young winners, Sabathia and Lee, to see how October can be affected by dealing an ace.

And for teams falling out of contention, trading away an ace could bring about much needed building blocks for the future.

Joe Carter, John Smoltz, Brady Anderson, Randy Johnson and Carlos Guillen, among others, were picked up by teams in mid season trades for pitching.

This year there are three legit aces... three difference making pitchers who are pitching for teams that are going nowhere.

One SHOULD be traded. One is ASKING to be traded. And one will INEVITABLY.

Let's look at the one who SHOULD be traded first:

JOHAN SANTANA

Santana was supposed to be for the Mets what Curt Schilling was to the Red Sox in 2004. With the Mets falling a Carlos Beltran called third strike short of the World Series in 2006 and the epic collapse of 2007... Omar Minaya needed to make a bold move.

And he did so bringing in the American League's best pitcher to Queens. And you can't blame Santana for the collapse of 2008! He won his last 7 decisions in '08 including a complete game shutout on the second to last game of the season to keep hope alive in Flushing.

But the Mets aren't an ace away from winning anymore. Their nice April not withstanding, they are a sinking team. Don't believe me? On April 30th, the Mets were in first place, 5 games over .500. They are 6-14 since and their pitching staff and lineup are wearing down... and their farm system is notoriously bare.

Sure, Santana gives them a great arm every 5 days, but this team needs a shot in the arm and Santana's trade value may never be this high. A little honesty in the Mets front office would have them admit they are not catching the Phillies (they are already a full week behind Philadelphia) and don't have the horses to compete.

The team trading for Santana would have him for three more seasons... so the Mets could get as many as three pieces to a long term puzzle. Will they do it? Probably not. It's the smart thing to do, which isn't the Mets way of doing things.


Now for the one who is ASKING to be traded.
ROY OSWALT

I've been screaming for the Astros to trade Oswalt since the beginning of 2009. And with today's news that Oswalt is waiving his no trade clause, it looks like it is going to happen.

This is his 10th season for the Astros and he was the MVP of the 2005 NLCS, the Astros lone trip to the World Series, so no doubt he has a lot of affection for Houston and the team.

But this team sucks. He knows it. We all know it. And while he is in the top 10 in the NL for ERA and WHIP, he is also second in the league in losses!

He has a 2-6 record. Only Charlie Morton (he with the 9.68 ERA) has more losses. Oswalt has pitched 6 innings in all 9 of his starts this year and has given the Astros 7 innings 6 times. He's averaged 7 innings and about 2 1/2 runs a start for his last 5 starts... and has an 0-4 record to show for it.

Like the Mets, the Astros cupboard is bare on the farm and Oswalt should fetch at least 2 players ready to insert on the big league team.

Now the ace who will be INEVITABLY traded.
CLIFF LEE

Have the Mariners woken up (along with Ken Griffey Jr) from their first quarter nap?

10 days ago I said I wasn't sure what the Mariners should do with their season. Cliff Lee won that day... then the Mariners lost 7 of their last 8 before winning 2 in a row.

They have Lee and Hernandez back, Griffey has some clutch hits and Milton Bradley is back from therapy... and they are still the third worst team in the American League.

There is a better chance that the Cubs will call to reacquire Bradley than Cliff Lee being a Mariner in 2011... and short of a massive winning streak, this Mariner team isn't contending.

90 wins will probably win the West. The Mariners are on pace for 59. Forget .500, the Mariners are trying to reach .400 at this point.

They dealt away some good prospects to Philadelphia, Toronto, Oakland and I think Manchester United by the time the deal was done. It was a nice idea... but they need to think about 2011 now.



So think about the landscape of contenders now. You know two of these pitchers will be wearing new uniforms by the time October rolls around and possibly all three. And whatever contender picks them up will suddenly have a new potent weapon. A playoff contender could get over the hump, like the Brewers a few years ago when they picked up Sabathia.

A pennant contender could overcome their weaknesses with a new ace, like the Phillies last year with Cliff Lee.

Contenders like the Rangers, the Rays, the Cardinals, the Twins and the Tigers could use an arm to put them over the top.

Heavy weights like the Yankees, Angels, Red Sox and Dodgers (divorce not withstanding) all have pitching issues. Acquiring an ace would give the team a nice jolt of adrenaline.

It will change the entire complexion of the pennant race if and when these deals are made... and make me feel not as bad for making lousy predictions in April!

Not THIS TIME, Tyler Clippard!

He almost did it again.

Tyler Clippard came into another game... his third straight game with the lead... and coughed up the lead.

He did it against the Mets at CitiField in the 8th inning. Ergo part one of his diabolical plot was complete.

He saw that Roy Halladay was rained out in Colorado. Now with the lead wiped out, all he had to do was prevent the Mets from taking the lead, go into the 9th as the pitcher of record and have the Nats score.

And that would give him his 7th win of the season. He would be 7-0... and on his way not only to a 20 win season but also staring Jack Chesbro in the face as he guns for 42 wins this season.

I've already broken down his plan!

But the problem is he let the Mets take the lead... and he was saddled with the loss.

On the one hand, Clippard has a 6-1 record and a 1.88 ERA.
HUZZAH!

He also has 5 blown saves already.

I bet that is more than Jack Chesbro had all year.

Reasons for the Mets slump...

This afternoon in Cincinnati, Orlando Cabrera homered in the 10th inning to give the Reds an walk off victory against the Mets.

The Mets played a gritty game but in the end it was the Reds who were celebrating at home plate.

What the hell happened to the Mets?
When April ended they were the hottest team in baseball... stunning everyone with a 10-1 stretch to end the month... including a whuppin of the Phillies.

May arrived? They are 1-4... and if not for a 9th inning rally last night they would be winless.
And they've lost in all kinds of ways. Blow outs, letting up walk off homers and seeing their ace Santana implode of national TV.

My cousin Dave blames me for jinxing them when I credited my rocker friend Jaime Fallon
with cheering the Mets to victory.

Of course Jaime couldn't make the trip to Philadelphia and Cincinnati, so maybe her lack of support could be the culprit.


Maybe it has to do with the fact that the Mets just aren't very good.
I thought this was a 100 loss team going into the season... which means I expected them to win 62 times.

Maybe they are getting their wins out of the way now.

Either way, I still think it will be a long long year in Queens, no matter how hard Jaime cheers.

The Only Logical Explanation For The Mets Winning Streak

To quote the great Slim Pickens in Blazing Saddles, "What in the wide wide world of sports is a going on here?"

The Mets are in first place?

AFTER Tax Day?

And you can't just attribute it to them playing slumping teams like the Dodgers and the Braves.

The Mets beat the Phillies last night...and it wasn't close... and they were in Philadelphia.

And guess what? With the Phillies loss, the 2 time defending NL Champs and 3 time defending division champs fell to third behind the Mets and Nationals! Is this the National League or the Bizarro League.

It doesn't make any sense.

No player is being a dominant slugger.
The Nationals rocked Johan Santana.
They started the season 3-7.

I called the team a Car Wreck.
I compared the team to Two Girls One Cup.

And now they rattled off a 10-1 since the arrival of Ike Davis.

But is Ike Davis really the reason for such a turn around?

Is it Mike Pelfrey's surprising season that sparked this team?

Was it the 20 inning marathon?

Nope, the explanation lies elsewhere.

Specifically the explanation lies with my friend Jaime Fallon.

A member of the rock band The Ex-Debutantes and creator of the site Mart Brooklyn.

My former colleague from The Daily Show has started frequenting CitiField and chanting The Mets Really Are The Amazin's.

A simple chant.

Simple but effective.

She wasn't chanting it before her first Mets game this year in Mid April.

And what has happened since she started?

The Mets have won 10 of 11 and went from being irrelevant to suddenly an exciting team.

My Met fan friends are filling up my e mail box. And wins against the Phillies are always worth stockpiling (did someone say 2007?)

And Jaime is the only explanation I can think of. Seriously, it isn't the personnel. It isn't the management.

I say it is because of Jaime.

So Met fans... Go to Mart Brooklyn.
Download some music.

The more you support Jaime, the better the Mets will do.

(Hey, that makes just as much sense as any other analysis I can do about the Mets!)