The beauty of writing this blog of course is self therapy. One of the things it helps me do is to get my mind off of a loss, especially today when the Mets ended this horrible road trip with another loss. That't three series losses in a row. Prior to this road trip the Mets had only lost one series all season. It just shows you that baseball is a long season and The euphoria we felt back in April is balanced by the swoon the Mets have recently gone through. Of course I always like to remain positive, and while I'm sad the Mets had a bad road trip I take solace in the fact that they still remain in first place if only by two games (thanks Milwaukee, we owe you).

Another thing I like about writing in this blog is that I can change my mind whenever I feel the need. I have been adamant in supporting the Mets hierarchy in keeping Aaron Heilman in the bullpen because I agree if it ain't broke, don't fix it. However, after watching three games pitched by Mr. Lima compounded by the fact that Brian Bannister re-injured himself today, something has to be done to this starting rotation. (When is the last time Heilman pitched anyway?) The idea of having him in the bullpen to protect the lead doesn't work if there is no lead to protect. Right now the only sure thing in the rotation is Pedro and Glavine. I'm willing to give Trachsel the benefit of the doubt considering his last two starts but the idea of assuming that you will win every time your top three pitchers are out there is a flawed one. Just look at the recent road trip. Pedro and Trachsel both pitched twice and the Mets lost all four of those games. The Mets have to do something to solidify the back end of the rotation and Jose Lima is not the answer. The Mets are going to have to entrust Heilman's role in the pen to Julio, Oliver, and Bradford. They simply have to move Heilman back to the rotation for now. Aaron would be the fourth starter and perhaps Gonzales and Maine, once he comes back, can fight it out for the fifth spot. Ideally I would like to see the Mets bring up Alay Soler or Michael Pelfrey but I don't think Omar is really ready to do that and he's probably correct in not doing so. But I can't believe they are not at least thinking about re-instating Heilman into the rotation. It just doesn't make any sense not to.

Well tomorrow it's back, the 2006 edition of the subway series. I just wish the Mets were playing a better brand of ball right now. Hopefully the Mets can get some decent pitching this weekend with Pedro and Glavine scheduled to go in game 2 and 3. Also now would be a good time for the hitting with runners in scoring position to get into gear. The Mets simply have to turn it around now. Out of the next 15 games, the Mets play 12 of them at home. Nothing like some home cooking.

History of the Mets vs. the Yankees: It started in 1997. Do you remember who won the first game ever between the two New York clubs? Sure you do, it was the Mets. It was Monday evening, June 16, 1997. Dave Mlicki pitched a shutout with the Mets defeating the Bronx bombers by a score of 6 to 0. What a wonderful night, not for George however. In total, the Mets have won 18 games and the Yankees have won 29. Oh well. Al Leiter defeated the Yanks 5 time during his Mets career, beating Roger Clemens 3 times. And who can ever forget the day/night double header on July 8, 2000.  Unfortunately the Yankees won both ends but all that anyone remembers is Mike Piazza getting beaned by Clemens. Both players are gone now, how times have changed.

Here's a table of all of the regular season games the two clubs have played against each other. (I couldn't include the World Series, just too painful)

Mets vs. Yanks Regular Season Record from 1997 through 2005  
Year Date Stadium Winner Score W Pitcher L Pitcher
1997 16-Jun Yankee Mets 6-0 Mlicki Pettitte
  17-Jun Yankee Yankees 6-3 Wells  Reynoso
  18-Jun Yankee Yankees 3-2 (10) Stantos McMichael
1998 26-Jun Shea Yankees 8-4 Mendoza Leiter
  27-Jun Shea Yankees 7-2 Pettitte Jones
  28-Jun Shea Mets 2-1 Cook Mendoza
1999 4-Jun Yankee Yankees 4-3 Grimsley Reed
  5-Jun Yankee Yankees 6-3 Hernandez Yoshii
  6-Jun Yankee Mets 7-2 Leiter Clemens
  9-Jul Shea Mets 5-2 Leiter Clemens
  10-Jul Shea Mets 9-8 Mahomes Rivera
  11-Jul Shea Yankees 6-3 Irabu Hershiser
2000 9-Jun Yankee Mets  12-2 Leiter  Clemens
  10-Jun Yankee Yankees 13-5 Pettitte Bobby J. Jones
  7-Jul Shea Yankees 2-1 Hernandez Leiter
  8-Jul Shea Yankees 4-2 Gooden Bobby J. Jones
  8-Jul Yankee Yankees 4-2 Clemens Rusch
  9-Jul Shea Mets 2-0 Hampton Pettitte
2001 15-Jun Shea Yankees 5-4 Mendoza Leiter
  16-Jun Shea Yankees 2-1 Mussina Appier
  17-Jun Shea Mets 8-7 Wendell Almanzar
  6-Jul Yankee Yankees 8-3 Pettitte Leiter
  7-Jul Yankee Mets 3-0 (10) Franco Rivera
  8-Jul Yankee Yankees 4-1 Mendoza Wendell
2002 14-Jun Shea Yankees 4-2 (10) Karsay Komiyama
  15-Jun Shea Mets 8-0 Estes Clemens
  16-Jun Shea Mets 3-2 Guthrie Wells
  28-Jun Yankee Yankees 11-5 Mussina D'Amico
  29-Jun Yankee Mets 11-2 Leiter Lilly
  30-Jun Yankee Yankees 8-0 Pettitte Trachsel
2003 20-Jun Shea Yankees 5-0 Pettitte Trachsel
  21-Jun Shea Yankees 7-3 (11) Rivera Lloyd
  27-Jun Yankee Yankees 6-4 Wells Seo
  28-Jun Yankee Yankees 7-1 Clemens Griffiths
  28-Jun Shea Yankees 9-8 Claussen Glavine
  29-Jun Yankee Yankees 5-3 Weaver Leiter
2004 26-Jun Yankee Mets 9-3 Leiter Halsey
  27-Jun Yankee Yankees 8-1 Contreras Trachsel
  28-Jun Yankee Yankees 11-6 Mussina Ginter
  2-Jul Shea Mets 11-2 Trachsel Mussina
  3-Jul Shea Mets 10-9 Franco Sturtze
  4-Jul Shea Mets 6-5 Moreno Gordon
2005 20-May Shea Yankees 5-2 Brown Zambrano
  21-May Shea Mets 7-1 Benson Johnson
  22-May Shea Yankees 5-3 Pavano Hernandez
  24-Jun Yankee Mets 6-4 Martinez Mussina
  25-Jun Yankee Mets 10-3 Glavine Henn
  26-Jun Yankee Yankees 5-4 Rivera Looper
  Total  W L .PCT  
Yankees 29 18 .617
Mets 18 29 .383

Compiled from data found at www.retrosheet.org