Never Forget 69

Mets Must Fix Bullpen to Get Where Phills are Tonight

Lou Di Falco — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:41:48 -0400

The Philadelphia Phillies are poised to do something the Mets have not done in exactly twenty-two years ago tonight. That would be to win the Worlds Series and become champions of all baseball.

Now I am not one to pay much attention to all the nonsense in regards to who says what in a locker room about another team. But if in fact the Phillies do walk off with the prized trophy tonight, I would say to every Mets player the first day of spring training to keep their mouths shut. The team to beat now is clearly the Philadelphia Phillies.

It’s time for the Mets to prove that they are worthy to be on the same field as the Phillies. Oh sure, we will hear about how the Mets took the season’s series from them but the fact is the Phillies have made the playoffs two years in a row, perhaps culminating in a world championship tonight with Cole Hamels on the mound.

Omar Minaya has his work cut out for him. He somehow must figure out how to rebuild his bullpen including finding a legitimate closer, not an easy task. If that’s all he does, I would consider the coming winter productive.

Many have suggested that the Phillies grit and guile is so much more than the Mets. The truth is, if the Mets could have held on to leads and secured saves the way the Phillies did, they would have appeared to have guts and guile too. Phillies – Mets = bullpen. That was the difference between the two clubs and will be again unless Omar can make changes.

It is unlikely the Mets will sign Francisco Rodriguez. He’ll want a five year deal for an exorbitant amount of money. It’s simply too risky. A trade for a closer is more likely but it will cost the Mets. No, it won’t cost Reyes, Wright, or Beltran but it could cost a Daniel Murphy, a Jon Neise, or perhaps even a Fernando Martinez. The Mets are going to have to give up something to get quality in return.

If the World Series does end tonight, in fifteen days, free agents will begin filing then the hot stove will officially begin. It should be an interesting winter and with the Phillies at least being the National League champions, the pressure will be on the Mets to improve and get to the next level. For them, that means making the playoffs.

Notes: In 1986, game 7 is often considered anti-climatic after game 6 but the Mets did need to win the World Series final game in order to secure a championship.

Game 7 was played twenty-two years ago tonight. The game at Shea Stadium was delayed a day because of rain which made everyone nervous that the momentum gained by the Mets victory after game 6 would have dissipated two days later. When the Red Sox scored three in the second off of Ron Darling and the Mets could not do anything offensively for five innings, it appeared game 6 may have gone for naught.

However, in the bottom of the sixth, with the bases loaded, Keith Hernandez singled in two runs. A fielder’s choice from catcher Gary Carter plated the third run tying the game. In the seventh, Ray Knight hit a homerun to give the Mets a 4-3 lead but they were not done. They mounted a rally and scored another two runs. After seven, the Mets held a 6-3 lead.

In the top of the eighth inning, Daryl Evans doubled in two runs cutting the Mets lead to one. In the bottom half of the inning, Daryl Strawberry homered as he is just now rounding third. Straw sure took his time circling the bags that night. The Mets got another run setting up the ninth inning for Jesse Orosco.

With an 8-5 lead, Orosco got the first two outs. The game was delayed a few minutes after a smoke bomb was thrown on the field. Finally Jesse got Marty Barrett to swing and miss at a slider striking him out to end the game giving the Mets their second and last world championship.

The Mets made it to the World Series one more time. That was in 2000 when they lost to the Yankees in five games.

A Broken Record

Lou Di Falco — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0400

It hurts me to say it but congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies for winning the National League pennant. There, now that’s out of the way.

If one more sports talk show host speaks before they think or writer writes before they think, I’ll lose my mind. I am so tired of hearing if the Mets had a Shane Victorino type player, they would have had the guts to win. It’s a broken record.

Will everybody stop looking at the last weekend of the series as if it were the entire season, especially you Mike Francesa. Here is why the Phillies are going to the World Series and the Mets will be watching on TV. It has nothing to do with the size of Shane Victorino’s …well, you know, or the lack of such on the Mets. The Phillies bullpen was superior to the Mets. That’s what wins championships in this modern era of baseball and that’s what did the Mets in.

The Phillies closer, Brad Lidge, is the teams unofficial MVP. He has not blown a single save all year. Even though last night’s outing for him was not a save situation, you knew the Dodgers were done when the bottom of the ninth arrived with the Phillies holding a comfortable four run lead.

The Phillies also had setup man Ryan Madson who was outstanding. Plus they had Chad Durbin, Scott Eyre, Clay Condrey, J.A. Happ, and J.C Romero rounding out their pen that performed almost flawlessly for the Phillies all season long. By contrast, Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano, Luis Ayala, Rick Wise, and Scott Schoeneweis had awful years for the Mets. And don’t forget that before Billy Wagner went down with his season ending elbow injury, he had already blown seven saves.

The Mets offense was comparable to the Phillies and so was their starting pitching. But like a broken record it must be said again and again. It’s not a gutsy player like Shane Victorino the Mets need, it’s the bullpen…it’s the bullpen…it’s the bullpen…it’s the bullpen…it’s the bullpen…

2008 In Review

Lou Di Falco — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 10:38:41 -0400

After the collapse of 2007, Omar Minaya set out to make several changes to help sure up the team. Most notable was the trade for JoAnn Santana from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Carlos Gomez, Phillip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, and Deolis Guerra. Outfielder Ryan Church and catcher Brian Schneider were brought in from the Washington Nationals in exchange for Lastings Milledge. Also Luis Castillo was signed to a four year contract to play second base. Matt Wise was signed to add to the bullpen.

The End

Lou Di Falco — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:32:33 -0400

True to form, the Mets followed their blueprint of the season. An offense incapable of generating any runs combined with a bullpen that can’t stop giving them up ended the season.

It wasn’t as gruesome as the Tom Glavine ninth inning meltdown of last season but the end was just as painful.

I refuse to give into the media interpretation and call the end a collapse but I would call the end of this season a disaster only because it came on the heels of last season.

The Mets had a 3.5 game lead with 17 to play. But they also had one of the worst bullpens in baseball. And in fairness, it did not help that closer Billy Wagner went down with a month to go in the season. There is no question that injuries played a huge part of the Mets downfall in 2008. But even with all the injuries, had the bullpen done their job this year, the Mets would have clinched a playoff spot days if not weeks ago. The bullpen was the primary reason why the Mets season ended today.

The other major problem was hitting in the clutch. Too often, this offense was incapable of getting big hits and that includes the big hitters like David Wright.

With the days to come we’ll take it all apart. But right now, like you, I’m just too stunned…again!

One More Game

Lou Di Falco — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:59:00 -0400

Well, here we are. One hundred-sixty-one games in and the Mets find themselves in the exact same place they were in a year ago. Well almost exactly.

Last season, on the last day, the Mets were in a flat footed tie with the Philadelphia Phillies for the lead in the National League East. Tom Glavine took the hill and was not able to get a single Marlin out. By the time the Mets came to bat, they were trailing 7-0. They never got back into the game, the Marlins were true spoilers. Meanwhile down in Philly, the Phillies won their game against Washington to win the division and the Mets went home.

This year, on this day, the Phillies are already the National League East champions. They won their game against the Nationals again and clinched the division leaving the Mets in second place.

But the Mets are not done. Similar to last year, they won the penultimate game on a brilliant pitching performance. Last year it was John Maine who almost pitched a no hitter. This year, it was Johan Santana who pitched a complete game three hit shutout on short rest to at least make tomorrow's game meaningful.

Following Santana’s brilliant performance, the Milwaukee Brewers lost their game to the Chicago Cubs. Combined with the Mets win, both clubs are now tied for the wild card. So in a surreal way, it’s as if the baseball gods are giving the Mets a second chance, a chance to redeem themselves for last year.

If the Mets can beat the Marlins this time, it will insure at least a play-in game on Monday against the Brewers at Shea Stadium. A play-in game will also be required if both teams lose on Sunday. If one team wins and the other loses, the winner goes to the playoffs, the loser goes home. The Mets must play the Marlins, and like last year Florida will take being the spoiler very seriously. The Brewers, with CC Sabathia on the mound, will play the Cubs. While Chicago has already secured a playoff spot, they will be making Milwaukee earn it. Lou Piniella hates to lose any game.

Oliver Perez will pitch for the Mets in the final game. He has not had a good month. But Perez has always shown he can be a big game pitcher. Game number 162 will be the biggest game of his career. Perez will enter free agency this winter. A win in the season finale could go a long way toward a new salary for the left hander.

So what’s it going to be? Will it be a game where the Mets score nine runs or a game where they leave runners on struggling to score two? Will it be a well pitched game by Ollie or will he get pulled in the third inning. Will it be a game that the bullpen can hold the lead for the win or one where the bullpen breaks our hearts again? These types of games have been the legacy of this 2008 team.

When it’s all over, we will feel either exhilaration or despair, nothing in between. I hope for the best because the celebration of Shea Stadium after the game should be something wonderful. But I also know I could be very disappointed.

Good luck to the Mets and good luck to the Mets fans. Hopefully we will all find the strength to make it through one more game.

You Want Blame, Start With the Bullpen

Lou Di Falco — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:52:36 -0400

Now we will find out if there is any magic left in Shea Stadium. The Mets were once known as the Miracle Mets but that was a long time ago. A new miracle will have to be fashioned for the Mets to reach the post season now.

The Mets looked lethargic last night. The Marlins took the starch right out of the crowd and the Mets when they scored two quick runs in the first inning. Mike Pelfrey pitched a fine game and he remains something to be positive about for the future. But the Mets batters, as so many times this season, were unable to get key hits, especially in the early innings.

After loading the bases in the first inning, two on in the second and third, the Mets came away empty. This is nothing new. The ability to get key hits with runners in scoring position and two outs has hurt the Mets all season. It’s one of the reasons why tomorrow’s game at Shea will likely close the building. But it's not the main reason.

The biggest reason why the Mets will likely not get to the post season is the bullpen and we were not disappointed last night either. The pen was responsible for giving up three additional runs. But frankly the Mets were never in this game anyway. The Met hating Marlins out played the Amazins and for two years in a row it looks as if Florida will spoil the party.

The papers will have a field day writing articles about the second collapse in a row. Given the fact that the Mets really did not control first place to the degree they did last year, it’s hard for me to see this ending as a collapse of the same magnitude. But coming on the heels of last year is what makes it feel just as devastating.

It probably would have been better had the Mets had not reached first place this season. That gave us false hope. Think about it, the Mets bullpen has been a complete disaster all season long blowing countless leads. Once Billy Wagner went down, there was no way the Mets would be able to hold on to any lead late in the game. The responsibility of getting to the post season fell squarely on the Mets hitters. Sorry but baseball history shows teams seldom pound their way to the post season. Good pitching will always stop good hitting and that was the case last night.

The real story is how amazing it is that this Mets team is still mathematically alive with two games left in the season. I know that’s not the way most Mets fans will look at this. I just heard Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts on WFAN screaming and crying about how the Mets continue to punch us in the stomach. The fact is the Mets lost the division and the wild card all season long in that bullpen. Had that bullpen saved just half of the leads they blew, the Mets would have already clinched a post season berth. You want blame Mets fans, then here is who you blame: Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano, Scott Schoeneweis, Duaner Sanchez, Luis Ayala, Brian Stokes, Nelson Figueroa, Joe Smith, and Billy Wagner. Oh and let’s not forget Omar Minaya who built this pen and has received a four year extension. You can blame him too.

Perhaps this post mortem is a bit premature. Johan Santana is going today and if he can somehow fashion a win on short rest and the Cubs can defeat the Brewers, the Mets will be back in business for one more day.

The Final Home Stand

Lou Di Falco — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:14:29 -0400

That certainly was a text book slide by Ryan Church. Kids, don’t try that at home.

Last night’s game got me thinking. Win or lose, I can’t wait till this season is over. I’m trying to recover from a very bad cold. These games are not helping me feel better.

However, unlike the night before, the Mets came through. After Rincon gave up the three run bomb on his first pitch, I felt that this weekend would be a very sad for the Mets. Overcoming a 6-3 deficit late in the game is not the Mets specialty. But they chipped away and managed to tie the score on a flurry of base hits in the eighth inning. And let’s not forget that the rally began after Carlos Delgado hit a rocket ground ball into a double play.

When Cancel hit the ball through on the right side, Church looked to be dead to rights at the plate. But Ryan managed to run around the catcher, dive, and get his hand down on the plate before he was tagged. I wonder how close the umpire was to calling Church out of the baseline. But to my surprise that was never argued.

Many may criticize Lou Piniella for not having any starters in the game except for Jim Edmonds. But Lou likely did not want to risk an injury to key players in such poor conditions. And if anyone noticed, a fellow by the name of Micah Hoffpauir went 5 for 5, and hit two home runs, and knocked in 5 runs. He almost single handedly put the Mets where they did not want to be when the night was finished. The Mets did manage to score three runs off of Rich Harden, one of the Cubs aces.

This was a great win in that it put some destiny back into the Mets hands. On a very rainy Friday morning, The Mets are tied with Milwaukee (who also won again) for the wild card. The Mets remain one full game behind the Phillies. If the Mets can win their remaining three games, the worst they will face is a one game playoff with the Brewers. If they could run the table it’s also possible their fate would be even better. Winning the last three will be the key.

The Mets will open the final series in Shea Stadium tonight weather permitting. History will show that the first series was played with the Pirates in April of 1964. The last one is against Florida and is certainly much more important.

While the Mets play the Marlins, the Phillies will host the Nationals in Citizen’s Bank Park. The Brewers will play their final home stand against the Cubs. Gee, I hope Lou put’s in his A lineup.

The weather is going to play havoc all weekend with the Mets and Phillies. Rain, heavy at times, with wind is predicted to fall all day and all night long. It does not look much better for tomorrow either. It could be possible the Mets and Phillies may either have to play a double header tomorrow or extend the season into Monday. This should make for quite a mess.

There will be some sort of closing Shea ceremony before the game on Sunday. SNY plans to be on the air at 11:30AM.

An Interesting Prospective

Lou Di Falco — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:49:43 -0400

Baseball Prospectus has published an excellent article using statistical analysis to determine what has gone wrong with Mets. After reading, it I came away with the feeling that we should be damn happy the Mets are where they are. They simply have no business vying for a playoff spot which does say something about the team's character. Click here to read.

The Mets went 5-12 through the last 17 games of last September. This year the Mets are 5-8 so far through the last 17. I'm just saying...

The Master

Lou Di Falco — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:42:05 -0400

It’s a moment stuck in time that will wake up David Wright in cold sweats all winter long. Hopefully Carlos Beltran can comfort David and provide advice for dealing with such an at bat. You see Beltran had one of his own that ended the 2006 season.

Realistically though, Wright was up against the Master. There was nothing he could do. When Daniel Murphy slid into third, clapping his hands knowing the Mets had the best opportunity all night long to put the game away, the Master in the opposing dugout thought in the back of his mind that he had the Mets right where he wanted them.

Gary Cohen, who was rather emotional last night, stated that the Master would likely walk the basis loaded. But the Master had another idea. Instead he pitched to Wright. He knew that Wright would be over anxious. The Master had Wright pitched hard and inside. The count was worked to 3-2. All Wright needed to do was to zone in on a pitch he could drive and the game would be over. There was no way the Master would allow that. If the Master’s pitcher gave Wright something fat to swing at, he likely would have been beheaded after the game. The pitch was a bit high and outside. Wright had no chance as he swung late. The Master had won the first battle.

The next thing the Master did was to have Delgado and Beltran walked intentionally. The master knew that his chances were slim but like any good field general, he could increase his odds for success by exposing the enemy’s weakness.

Ryan Church, who has been awful lately, was next up. With the infield in, Church hit a hard grounder right at the second baseman. A fielder’s choice at the plate kept the game going. The master was one out away.

When catcher Ramon Castro struck out on a pitch not even remotely a strike, the Master felt content. The Mets were in incredible position to win the ball game. With a runner on third with no out and the big three hitters coming up, all with over 100 RBI, the Mets failed to score. And you wonder why the Cubs have the best shot of winning a World Series in a century.

The Master of course is Lou Piniella. You can now understand why the Mets so desperately wanted Piniella to manage back in 2002. Unfortunately the compensation the Seattle Mariners wanted, Jose Reyes, was too much. They settled for Art Howe and then the Mets became irrelevant.

As bad a loss as last night’s game was for the Mets you had to admire the fantastic job Lou Piniella did in the ninth inning. There was no way he would have walked Wright and Delgado intentionally to pitch to Beltran. Of the three hitters, Piniella correctly surmised that David Wright would be the most vulnerable to striking out being over anxious. That’s a good decision made by good scouting. And while we all admonish the Mets hitters for not being able to convert runs all night long, you must give credit to the Cubs who have a real bullpen.

For one night it was not the Mets bullpen that can be blamed. Oh sure, we could complain that Duaner Sanchez should not have allowed inherited runners to score and Ayala did have two outs in the 10th inning before he gave up three runs. Last night’s loss happened because hitters were not able to get runners in from scoring position. The Mets had first and third in the seventh and could not score. They had the bases loaded in the eighth and only managed a one run on a walk to tie the game.

Oliver Perez deserves blame too. He has had a miserable month. Perez was given a 5-1 lead thanks to Delgado's grand slam homerun but could not hold it. He began walking the ballpark like the Ollie of old. I think the Mets have to think very carefully about bringing this guy back next year. With what Scott Boras will want, it may be worth investigating other opportunities on the free agent market.

The optimist would say it could have been worse, the Phillies could have won. True, I guess. But the fact that the Phillies lost made last night’s Mets loss all the more devastating. Had the Mets won, they would be tied in losses back with the Phillies for the division lead with four games to play. The Mets would still be leading the wild card by 1.5 games.

Instead, the Mets remain 1.5 (1 game in the loss column) behind the Phillies and are now tied with the Brewers, who won last night, for the wild card.

Realistically the Mets will not win the division. It’s not impossible but it is highly improbable. For the Mets to get into the playoffs they must somehow figure out a way to win tonight against Rich Harden (10-2). That’s not going to be easy with Pedro Martinez facing the Cubs lineup. However if they can do that, the Mets are guaranteed to enter the weekend tied for the wild card lead. The Mets would have three games left with the Marlins while the Brewers will be playing the Cubs for three. Hopefully the Cubs can destroy the Brewers dreams like they have done to the Mets.

The Mets are now 10-10 in September. It’s not as bad as last year but this is not how the plans were drawn up. It really is going to take a miracle for the Mets to make the playoffs. And if they make it, do you honestly think they will beat the Cubs in the first round?

One Step Closer

Lou Di Falco — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:00:00 -0400

Santana came to the rescue and the Mets got some timely hitting. At least for one more day the Mets remain in sole possession of the wild card lead. And around the league, other teams were helping out too.

With the Mets win, Florida and St. Louis have been officially eliminated from the wild card race leaving only the Mets, Brewers and Astros. Houston has a magic number of two for elimination. What this means for the Mets is that this weekend’s series will mean little to the Marlins. There motivation will simply be their hatred for the Mets.

But before the Marlin’s series, the Mets must play two more games against the Chicago Cubs, not an easy task. The Phillies lead the Mets for the division by one game in the loss column. Realistically however, I cannot see the Mets overtaking the Phillies for the division. Philadelphia has been just too hot lately.

Some other highlights last evening were Wright and Reyes who came through with huge hits with runners in scoring position. Reyes has put to rest his September problems from a year ago and Wright has been awesome lately. But as you could predict, when asked to close out the game, Pedro Feliciano could not get more than one out. He gave up two singles in a row which prompted Manuel to sprint to the mound and bring in Ayala who got the save. Exhale.

In other news, the New York Yankees were officially eliminated from post season play with Boston’s win against Cleveland. You’ll pardon me if I don’t get all teary eyed. The shame of it is I would be enjoying the Bombers down fall much more if the Mets were closer to locking up a post season berth themselves. I mean how comfortable do you feel sticking it to Yankee fans when the Mets are hanging by a thread as it is.

But seriously I don’t want to hear about what the Yankees need to do to correct this travesty. Give me a break. Isn’t it high time that Yankee fans got a taste of what it’s like for their team to not reach the playoffs?

Since 1995 through 2007 the Yankees were in the post season. Take a look at the following table –

1995-2007
Yankees	13
Braves	11
Cardinals	7
Indians	7
Red Sox	7
Astros	6
A's	5
Angels	4
Diamondbacks	4
Dodgers	4
Giants	4
Mariners	4
Padres	4
Twins	4
Cubs	3
Mets	3
Rangers	3
Marlins	2
Orioles	2
Rockies	2
White Sox	2
Phillies	1
Reds	1
Tigers	1
Blue Jays	0
Brewers	0
Expos/Nationals	0
Pirates	0
Rays	0
Royals	0

The table shows the number of times a team has reached the playoffs (not consecutively).

As you can see, the only team that comes close to the Yankees is the Braves. During the same years, Atlanta had a streak of eleven games. Realize if you expand the range to 1991, the Braves have a longer streak of 14.

The point is I don’t want to hear Yankee fans whining about their team not being in the post season. You know who should be whining? The Blue Jay, Brewers, Nationals (Expos), Pirates, and Royals fans, there teams did not make the post season one time during this period. That was also true of the Rays but that has changed this season.

Yankee fans, if you like, you can borrow a phrase uttered many times in Brooklyn and then Queens—Just wait until next year…

It's Bad But It Is Not A Collapse

Lou Di Falco — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:05:35 -0400

Just because I said this race would go down to the wire doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have preferred it to be over by now.

Another Mets loss, another Phillies win, and the division title appears to be light years away. Even the Mets wild card lead has now been reduced to a mere one game. But you can read all those stats anywhere. What I want to focus on is this idea of another collapse.

A collapse, by definition, is a catastrophic occurrence that defies the odds and generally is met with disbelief. A bridge falling down is a good example. When used euphemistically like in baseball, the word requires similar traits. For example, last season when the Mets held first place for the majority of the season, then at one point led by seven games with 17 to play, most felt the division title would be attained for a second straight year. Based on history, the odds were totally against the Mets not winning. What followed was so shocking and rare that the only word to describe what had happened to the Mets lead in the division was a collapse.

Can the traits I have outlined for a collapse really apply to the 2008 Mets? The Mets were not in control of first place for most of the season. The Mets really have had two very good months that have salvaged what looked to be a miserable season back in mid June. And give the Mets credit. They did take control of first place for a couple of brief periods. The most they led by was 3.5 games and ironically that was with 17 to play. But would anyone really be shocked if the Mets don’t make the playoffs?

The Mets have blown leads 29 times this season. They have had 16 blown saves since July 1st. The common trait when compared to last season is the bullpen which is actually worse this year. Last season, some Mets starters were also responsible for the collapse. Last night withstanding, the starters have done a fine job.

Some in the media, like the insufferable Mike Francesa, continue to also blame Wright, Reyes, and Beltran for the Mets woes. Mike, where would the Mets be without these three players? There is no better centerfielder in baseball right now then Carlos Beltran. David Wright may be criticized for leaving men on base with two outs but he is having his best offensive season of his career and will likely win the gold glove again. Francesa said a couple of years ago that Wright would ultimately have to move to first because of his poor defense—this from a guy who proclaims to know more about baseball than any other sport.

Jose Reyes has also had a wonderful year. I know at times he struggles and his understanding of the strike zone could use some work. But he has made tremendous strides this year and who is better defensively.

The problem is not the offense, it never was. A winning team has got to be able to win close games. Good offenses are often shut down by good pitching. The Cubs are having a tremendous season because, like the 2006 Mets, they are knocking in runs with two outs all the time. That does not always happen and it is not the only reason why a team will succeed. The Cubs have scored more runs than anyone in the National League. The Mets are second. The Mets have scored enough runs to win a playoff spot. Once again, it is not the offenses fault.

The starting pitching has also been excellent. Santana has been the ace that everyone expected. Perez has had a fine year, so did Maine prior to his injury. Mike Pelfrey has been a joy to watch as he has developed into one of the fine pitchers in baseball.

It’s the bullpen. It’s always been the bullpen. In this era of baseball, if a team does not have a good bullpen, they simply are not going to win. It has been the bullpen for two years now and it’s why I think Omar Minaya’s job could be in jeopardy.

If the Mets do not make the playoffs, the Wilpons will be furious and rightfully so. Jeff and Fred will take a hard look at the structure of this club and ask some very serious questions. How is it GM Pat Gillick went to the Phillies after Omar took over the Mets and was able to construct a dependable bullpen? Because really folks, that’s the only difference between the Mets and Phillies, the bullpen.

I have hopefully made a good case that this year is not a collapse but it will be another failure of a season. With Shea closing, Citi Field opening, the Mets being the only baseball show in town for now, choking it away this season cannot be good for Minaya’s long term plans as Mets GM.

Final Thoughts on Monday Before Game 1 Against the Cubs

Lou Di Falco — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:55:45 -0400

Tonight’s game becomes as crucial as it gets for the Mets. I personally feel the wild card is the only chance the Mets have to get to the playoffs. Why? The bullpen, that’s why.

The Phillies bullpen while not perfect is superior to the Mets. A slim lead is seldom lost by Philadelphia. And once the Phillies reach the ninth inning, it’s a lock. Brad Lidge has not blown a single save all season long. Do you really think, at home, the Phillies are going to falter against the Braves and the Nationals? Philadelphia’s combined record against Washington and Atlanta is 21-8. The Phillies will win the east barring a meltdown.

There is some good news already today. The Marlins lost a makeup game to Cincinnati this afternoon. That pushes the Marlins six games back in the loss column behind the Mets. However, with a tragic number of two, the Marlins are still going to try and knock out the Mets this weekend.

The only other game of consequence regarding the wild card is the Diamondbacks at St. Louis. The Cardinals also have a tragic number of two.

I know what you are saying. If the Phillies lose tonight and the Mets win, they will be tied in losses back for the division title. True, but I really don’t think over the course of these seven games, it’s going to matter.

Milwaukee does not play tonight. The Mets simply must win against the Cubs in the series opener beginning at 7:10. A loss tonight puts them just one game ahead of the Brewers in the loss column for the wild card lead. And it won’t be easy because the Mets are starting rookie Jon Neise. Neise pitched a great game against the Braves last week at Shea throwing eight scoreless innings. However, he was awful in Milwaukee earlier in the month where Jon could not even pitch five innings.

Mike Francesa continues to rant that Manuel should only get a contract if the Mets get to the post season. I totally disagree. He should get a contract regardless of what happened. Does anybody think the Mets would be where they are right now if Randolph was still managing the club? The person who should be on the hot seat is Omar Minaya who better figure out how to build a bullpen. Two years in a row now the Mets bullpen has been awful. That was not Randolph’s or Jerry’s doing.

The Cubs need one more win or a Phillie loss to guarantee home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Now who would the Cubs rather play in the first round, the Dodgers or the Mets? Philadelphia has already clinched a better record than the Dodgers so if Milwaukee wins the wild card the Cubs would play LA in the first round. If the Mets win the wild card, the Cubs would play the Mets with their awful bullpen. It’s almost a lock the Cubs would move on to the NLCS if they had to face the Mets. Just thinking out loud…

The Final Home Stand

Lou Di Falco — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:50:06 -0400

Realistically it’s looking like the Mets may have to focus on the wild card. Only one game out in losses with seven left to play does not mean the Mets can’t win the division. The problem is the Mets have no head to head games left with Philadelphia. While the Phillies now go home and play three games with Atlanta, the Mets will have to play four against the Cubs.

Starting tomorrow night at Shea Stadium, the Mets will conclude their home schedule. And for those that think the division champion Cubs are going to role over and let the Mets win do not know Lou Piniella. Sure, Lou is going to get his starters out at the end of five innings and he will rest some key players. But do you think he’s going to give these games away when the Mets could possible be facing the Cubs in the first round of the playoffs? These four games are going to be difficult.

Nothing is easy for the Mets. In today’s game in Atlanta, the Mets bullpen combined with an offense incapable of scoring tack on runs, threw yet another lead away. Nothing can be taken for granted during the Mets final seven games.

Here are the NL wild card standings for all teams mathematically alive:

	W	L	LB	E#	Games Left
Mets	86	69	-	-	Chi(4),Fla(3)
Brewers	85	71	2	6	Pit(3), Chi(3)
Astros	82	73	4	4	Cin(3), Atl(3), Chi(1)*
Marlins	81	74	5	3	@Cin(1),@Was(3),@NY(3)
Cardinals	80	75	6	2	Ari(4),Cin(3)
*if necessary

Personally I think the Mets are going to need some help. It’s easy to say if the Mets can just go out and win every night, the rest will be taken care of. There are several factors that fly in the face of that philosophy. They are Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis, Pedro Feliciano, Brian Stokes, Luis Ayala, some times Joe Smith, Luis Castillo, and the middle of the lineup on many days with runners in scoring position. What confidence does any Mets fan have with these players or situations?

One thing that Jerry Manuel may have to do is rely on rookie Bobby Parnell out of the bullpen. It’s a tough task with so much riding on the line, but what choice does Manuel have. Parnell has allowed nothing in 1.2 innings. That certainly is not much of a resume but his 97 mile an hour fastball may be what Jerry needs to get some outs.

I think it’s important to realize the Mets may not make the playoffs. Even if they do, their stay in the post season will likely be short. But the one thing everyone needs to keep in mind, if the Mets do not make the playoffs, it will not be a collapse like last year. The Mets were never in any dominant position this season that losing out in the last week could be described as a collapse. They have been in and out of first place in the last couple of months. It has been a real dog fight. And in any dog fight, the toughest dog will prevail. That may not likely be the Mets.

The Last Ten Games

Lou Di Falco — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:49:19 -0400

The Mets have ten games left. When you look at the schedules of the National League teams scrambling for a post season birth, one thing is clear. The Mets have the toughest schedule compared to the Phillies and Brewers.

The Phillies toughest challenge will likely be this weekend as they play a series in Florida. The Marlins have won eight in a row. They are making a nice little run of their own. However, the odds are against Florida. They are 5.5 games behind Philadelphia with ten to play but I would not count them out. Also the Marlins are tied with Houston in the wild card hunt five games behind the Mets.

Once the Phillies are finished in Miami, they will have six games left in their regular season at home. The Phillies will play Atlanta for three then the Nationals for three. The Phillies have had their way with the Braves this season. In fifteen games played so far, the Phillies have won 13 while losing only 2. The two they lost were at home. Versus Florida, the Phillies are 6-9. So hopefully for the Mets, that trend will continue this weekend. Against the Nationals, the Phillies are 9-6.

The Brewers are in Cincinnati this weekend. Against the Reds, the Brewers are 7-8. Milwaukee finishes the season at Miller Park with three against the Pirates and three against the Chicago Cubs. Milwaukee is 11-1 vs. the Pirates this year. They are 5-8 against the Cubs.

The Mets have to play in Atlanta this weekend. While the Phillies are undefeated in Turner Field, the Mets are yet to win one game. The Braves’ home has once again become a house of horrors for the Mets. The Mets are going to have to figure out a way to win there. Coming away without a win in Atlanta this weekend would likely put the Mets in a hole that would be difficult to climb out of.

After the Braves, the Mets return home for the final home stand in Shea Stadium history. And it won’t be easy. The Mets will host the Chicago Cubs with four games in four nights. Now it’s likely the Cubs will have already clinched their division by then. At the moment, the Cubs magic number is two.

To finish the season, the Mets will end against the Marlins. It’s possible that could be a big series. The Marlins are red hot right now and are making a charge toward the wild card or division title. The Marlins play the Phillies this weekend, a make up game with Cincinnati, a three game series against the Nationals before ending at Shea.

Like the Marlins the Astros have an outside shot at the playoffs although they have struggled lately. The Astros play this weekend in Pittsburgh then finish the season at home versus the Reds and Braves. If necessary, the Astros will play a makeup game on the Monday following the season against the Cubs.

The Mets have their work cut out for them. Even though they are currently tied with Philadelphia in the loss column for the division lead and are ahead in the wild card by two games in the loss column, the Mets are going to have to defeat some ghosts of the past this weekend in Atlanta. Then they have a rough task against the Cubs, the leagues best team. Even though these games to Chicago will likely be meaningless, the Cubs are not just going to hand games over to the Mets. Then the Marlins would love nothing more than to knock off the Mets like they did last year during the final weekend.

Nothing has come easy for the Mets this season. Why would the last ten games be any different?

The Mets Inter-League Schedule For 2009

Lou Di Falco — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:58:44 -0400

Next season the Mets will play the American League Eastern Division during inter-league play.

The Mets will play a weekend series at Boston’s Fenway Park on May 22-24. The Mets will also play two exhibition games against the Red Sox as they shake down brand new Citi Field on April 4-5, prior to opening day in Cincinnati.

The Mets will play their traditional road and away weekend series against the Yankees in June. The Mets will visit the new Yankee Stadium first on June 12-14. The Yanks get their first look at Citi Field two weeks later on June 26-28.

The Mets will also play the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles. The Mets will go down to Baltimore to play in Oriole Park for three on June 16-18. The Rays will come to the Mets new home the next day for a weekend series on June 19-21.

The Mets will not play the Toronto Blue Jays this time around because of the two series against the Yankees.

Major League baseball has released their schedule the earliest ever. The schedules are not finalized. The times have not been added because the networks must figure out what games they intend to cover. For the complete Mets schedule for next year, visit Mets.com.

Biggest Series So Far

Lou Di Falco — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:55:09 -0400

The reason the Mets traded four prospects and paid Johan Santana 137 million bucks was tomorrow night’s game. The Mets find themselves deadlocked with the Philadelphia Phillies at the top of the National League East entering tomorrow’s opening game of the home stand. Their opponent is none other than the Phillies. The winner of tomorrow’s game takes sole possession of first place and perhaps sends a message to the other team as to who is in charge.

Santana has pitched well for the Mets. Certainly his record should be better than 8-7. There were many games where the Mets scored little for the left hander. But that could be said for other Mets pitchers as well. The reason a team wants to acquire a pitcher of Santana’s caliber is that if the offense can only score a couple of runs, it should be enough to stand up. He is supposed to be the stopper. On paper you could not ask for it to be set up any better than it will be at Shea Stadium tomorrow night.

Last season during an interleague series with Minnesota at Shea Stadium, Santana totally dominated the Mets lineup shutting them out. We have not seen that Johan Santana yet. We’ve seen hints of him but not consistently. Hopefully the magnitude of tomorrow’s game will get Johan’s adrenalin pumping. So far in his Mets career, Santana has not pitched in a bigger game.

It seems odd but I will actually be rooting for the Braves tonight against the Marlins. While we all anticipate tomorrow evening's showdown between the Mets and Phillies, let’s not forget the Marlins are only 1/2 game behind both clubs. Everyone seems to agree the Marlins won’t be able to hang in there all season but they are still there with young pitching and hitting to boot.

The Mets have not lost a series vs. the Phillies this year. They are 7-3 vs. Philadelphia having won 3 of 4 in Philly which started off the 10 game winning streak. The Phillies have not been at Shea since the opening series that began on April 8th.

Isn't it time that El-Duque goes away now?

10

Lou Di Falco — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:18:02 -0400

For a minute I though I was watching an Ulti-Met classic game from 2006 on SNY last night. But then I realized players like Johan Santana and Fernando Tatis were not on the team then. Last night’s inspiring come back win was the kind of game commonly seen on SNY and CW11 two years ago.

On a night when Santana clearly had nothing and the bullpen gave up their first runs in God knows how long, the Mets still managed to win. In fact, they won their 10th consecutive game one shy of the club record. A club record 11 games was first set in 1969 then repeated a couple times in subsequent years including 1986.

Prior to a just two weeks ago I was writing on how when the Mets hit they don’t pitch and when they pitch they don’t hit. Last night looked like the former but the difference this time was that the Mets hitters just kept on hitting. Twice the Mets fell behind. After Carlos Delgado hit a moon shot into the Ohio River, the Reds game back in their half and scored 5 runs taking a 5-2 lead. Then the Mets took the lead 6-5 in part due to another homerun by Fernando Tatis. What a God-send Tatis has been. After Heilman loaded the bases with two out in the sixth, Scott Schoeneweis cleared them. It looked as if the magic had worn off. It looked as if the winning streak would stop at 9.

The Doubting Thomases amongst the Mets faithful had to be wondering if here we go again. But the Mets led by David Wright in the 9th inning trailing 8-6 would not say die. After Argenis Reyes singled, Wright launched an opposite field shot into the bleachers out of the reach of Ken Griffey Jr. to tie the game. Four more hits in a row followed against Francisco Cordero, the Reds closer. The hits included an opposite field single from Delgado for his third hit of the night. That hit put the Mets ahead. Then Fernando Tatis doubled down the left field line adding an insurance run. All Star Billy Wagner set the Reds down 1-2-3 and as Wright said in a post game interview, the Mets stole won for their 10th in a row winning 10-8.

The Mets have not lost a game since the Fourth of July, two weeks ago today. During this streak the Mets have had tremendous pitching. But in some of the games, the pitching has not been so great and yet the Mets still found a way to win. In two games against the Phillies, one against the Giants, and last night’s game Mets hitters were able to comeback after giving up leads. This is a great sign because a winning team is not going to have fantastic starting pitching every night and they are not going to score 10 runs every night either. So when the hitting can compensate for bad pitching and the pitching can compensate for bad hitting, a lot of games will be won.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the Mets right now is there confidence. This is the way the Mets looked in 2006. You get the feeling watching the Mets that they simply believe they can win every game. Of course the big test will come when this winning streak comes to an end. With 66 games left that’s bound to happen. How the Mets react to losing a couple in a row may well determine their ability to be a playoff caliber team. For the moment the Mets are in a flat footed tie for first place with the Phillies at 52-44. The Mets have made up as much ground on the Phillies as the Phillies did against the Mets last September. But it’s way too early to be popping champagne corks. There is a ton of baseball left to play. However, the outlook now looks a lot better than it did just two weeks ago.

It's Time For the Mets to Take Over

Lou Di Falco — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:20:09 -0400

I’ve about had enough of the Yankees and Yankee Stadium. After a while the tributes and adulation poured out to that team and edifice in the Bronx is getting a bit sickening. I understand it. I get it that the Yankees are the premier franchise in baseball with all their championships. I get it that with all the history in their building or should I say buildings since the one the All Star game was held in last night was about as original as another hamburger chain. But please now, can you make it stop.

As a Mets fan, it gets a little tiring after awhile. And it did not help that the Mets contingent contributed just a bloop single and a blown lead. There is a way all this can change however. Believe it or not, the city could become a Mets town again. For that to happen, it will take dedication from the players, the GM, and ownership.

If the Mets can continue the roll they started in Philadelphia and make it back to the playoffs, it would go a long way to making us forget the collapse of last season. Mets fans could start to really feel good again. That was happening last season when the Mets were so close to winning their second consecutive division title. Then they took two steps back and the Yankees who struggled all season made the playoffs again. Just when you thought the tide was changing, that orange and blue was washing over the city, the Mets threw it all back into the Yankees lap.

For much of this season, it did not look like anything would change. The Mets struggled all season long. But this time so did the Yankees. However, the Mets with new manager Jerry Manuel seem to have found their identity. They have won 9 consecutive games leading into the break. The Yankees on the other hand continue to struggle. And although both teams have nearly the same record (Mets are 1 game better), the Mets appear poised to charge and it is unclear if the Yankees will have what it takes to make a run. I would never count them out but right now the Bombers have serious pitching and injury concerns. The team with a chance to grab the future is the Mets. When you think about it, last night’s Yankee love fest was really about the past more so than the future.

The Mets players seem to have gotten their act together. They certainly are playing a great brand of ball and look to be having fun doing so. As Carlos Beltran said the other day, they are taking the field believing they can win every day. That’s an important feeling a winning team must have.

Omar Minaya and the rest of management must continue to improve the club but they must do so smartly. The Mets do not have a wealth of talent at the minor leagues to trade for another big name player. Omar said the other day he can no longer make 4 for 1 deals. Because the Mets do not have tons of blue chips in waiting does not mean there are not players who can help. Minaya feels strongly that Nick Evans will develop into a good player. Evans has shown that he can hit at the big league level. He’ll never be a super star but could be a valuable role player. Then there is 19 year old Fernando Martinez who may make it to Shea later this year.

Management while wanting to win this year must keep an eye on the future. To recapture New York or at least to maintain a balance with the Yankees, the Mets need to find a way to be competitive year in and year out. What’s interesting, and perhaps a good sign, is that while all the hoopla this season about young pitchers was over in the Bronx, it has been Mike Pelfrey of the Mets who has delivered. And so has another young pitcher on the Mets, Joe Smith. Smith in time could become a home grown closer for the Mets. Don’t forget, Joe is still very young and is developing into an excellent reliever.

Ownership must do a better job at promoting the Mets. There is no reason the closing of Shea Stadium should pale in comparison to that of Yankee Stadium. Shea is full of history. There have been many great moments that have happened in the Queens ballpark. What Yankee Stadium moment has been played more than Mookie Wilson’s ground ball that got by Buckner. The Mets should have scheduled a Shea Stadium day bringing back as many great Mets and others as possible in tribute to a building that was the ultimate reason National League baseball returned to New York. Without that structure, there would be no Mets. I know the Mets have not won as many championships as the Yankees, who doesn’t? But that does not mean we cannot celebrate our 2 World Series titles, 4 pennants, 6 division titles and 2 wild card entries.

What kills me is the argument that Shea is an ugly facility with no character. How does a building provide character? It’s what happens inside the building that builds character. Is Shea any less run down than Ebbets Field or the Polo Grounds was before they were torn down. Let me put my Mets bias aside for a second. As an objective fan of ballparks Shea is as well kept as Yankee Stadium. I go to both places. Yankee Stadium’s concourses and bathroom facilities are no cleaner than Shea’s. In fact they are both very acceptable. To cast aside Shea as just a dump with no reason for celebration is very unfair and frankly extremely insulting to Mets fans. Believe it or not, there are thousands upon thousands of fans that would rather spend an evening at Shea than at Yankee Stadium. Many of us will miss Shea Stadium. That’s the yard where we became fans. I wish Mets management understood that.

The swing back for New York to be a Mets town is long overdue. For too many years now the Mets and their fans have been treated as second class citizens. Jerry Manuel got it right and it’s probably why I like him as manger. He pulls no punches. I’ll paraphrase a few comments he said recently. He said the Mets are number 2 in New York and he likely took some heat for saying so. He also said “It’s simple. You want to be number 1? Go out and win a few championships, it’s that simple.” You know something? When the man is right, he’s right.