At the halfway mark, the Mets are a mediocre 40-41. The Mets continued their tired old .500 act over the weekend splitting the 4 game set with the Yankees. The series was a microcosm of the Mets season. Brilliant offense in one game, then in the next game, on the same day, could not score a run. Two brilliant pitching outings followed. One they lost and the other they won. The most positive thing you can say is that the Mets defeated the Yankees in the season series 4 games to 2. Overall the Mets finished 9-6 in interleague play.

As far as the subway series goes, it was the first time in history the Mets swept all games played at Yankee Stadium. The Mets won a series at the Stadium just once before in 2005, 2 games to 1. However, the Yankees took 2 of 3 at Shea over the weekend. The last time the Yankees took the series at Shea was also in 2005. The only other time the Mets have won the season series was in 2004, also 4 games to 2. In that season, the Mets swept the Yankees at Shea Stadium while winning 1 in the Bronx. The Yankees have defeated the Mets 4 times in the subway series including a sweep of all 6 games in 2003. The Mets never lost more than 4 of 6 in any other year. In all other seasons, the Mets split the six games (only 3 games were played in each of the first two seasons of interleague play). The Mets are 29-37 in regular season subway series games. After being swept in 2003, the Mets hold a 17-13 edge since.

Now that interleague play has thankfully concluded, the Mets can hopefully begin to focus on improving. And that my friends is not going to be easy. The Mets face the task of playing 4 games in St. Louis and 4 in Philadelphia. Given the fact that the Mets just do not seem to be able to shake the win one-lose one scenario, what makes you think anything will be different. In fact things could get a lot worse before they get better. St. Louis is currently 6 games ahead of the Mets in the wild card standings. The Cardinals are also 11 games over .500 while the Mets still cannot get to .500. Plus, the Mets must dip into the minors and start Tony Armus Jr. tomorrow night. When the dust settles in St. Louis, the Mets must then face the Phillies in a Fourth of July 4 game weekend matchup that spills over to next Monday. A week from tomorrow, we should have a clue as to what’s in store the rest of the season.

There are only 3 possibilities. The Mets find themselves and win both series. Based on over a season’s worth of games going back to last June, that is highly improbable. The Mets continue on their .500 trek and split the 8 games and return home still one game under .500. Again, based on history a likely scenario. Lastly, the Mets totally tank and win 1 or 2 games on the road trip. You cannot say this is an unlikely scenario. Of the three I give this one 2nd billing. One would have to ask, what has changed to make anyone feel comfortable with the notion that all of a sudden the Mets are going to go on a tear. There are more indications that the contrary is in store.

Yesterday, Jose Reyes threw another on field tantrum and it likely appears it’s because of getting charged with an error the shortstop felt should have been given to Delgado. Then Johan Santana made a remark that he is doing what he has to do and that he cannot be held responsible for his teammates not doing what they need to do. This is a fractured clubhouse. It would appear that Jerry Manuel has a lot of work to do to get this team on the same page, on and off the field.

Finally did you hear Mike Francesa, the objective sports critic on Friday afternoon after the Mets crushed the Yankees 15-6? He ranted and ranted that the only reason Delgado had such a productive game was because of the Yankees sub standard pitching. Regardless of the competition, Carlos Delgado drove in 9 runs in one game and set a Mets record. And although Carlos is having another bad year, he deserved better from Mr. Francesa, the alleged sports doctor.  What a cry baby. First of all Mike should be ashamed of himself if he really thinks he is an objective critic of sports. He sounded like a spoiled Yankee fan who just could not cope with seeing his beloved Yanks throttled by the cross town Mets. Jose Reyes needs to grow up but so do you Mike.

Today marks the third time in baseball history the New York Mets and New York Yankees play a day night two stadium double header. Perhaps its fitting considering this will be the final season for both ballparks. These days have not gone well for the Mets. They have not won a single game in the previous 2 day night affairs.

When the Mets met the Yankees back in May, they were the better team while the Yankees were sulking under .500. The roles have been reversed for this weekend’s 4 game series. The Mets cannot seem to move above the .500 mark (currently one game under) while the Yankees have played well and are now 6 games over the mark. However, the Mets are closer to first place than the Yanks. The Mets trail a reeling Phillies team by 3.5 games while the Red Sox are 5.5 games ahead of the third place Yankees. The Mets are also in third place.

Since the last meeting at Yankees stadium, the Mets have gone 16-19. If you recall after the first subway series, the Mets went to Atlanta and got swept. Since then the Mets have struggled to get back to .500. They have hit the mark a couple of times only to fall back below again. Things got so bad, Willie Randolph lost his job. You may recall that. This year will mark the first time ever that each series with the Yankees are managed by two different men. Since Jerry Manuel has taken over the Mets, the team has a record of 4-4. Gee, .500, how surprising.

Since the Mets are a .500 team and are unlikely to reach the playoffs, I look at this weekend as our baseball season. Perhaps when Ryan Church comes back and if Omar is able to swing a deal that enhances the Mets offense, things will change but let’s face it. After playing .500 for more than half the games last season and almost half the games this season, the Mets are a .500 team, no ifs ands or buts. So as a consolation, I would hope that the Mets can take 3 of 4 from the Yankees this weekend. That would make the season for me and most Mets fans.

We won’t be fooled this time. We won’t assume that the Mets are now headed in the right direction if t the Mets did somehow miraculously defeat the Yanks this weekend. I wouldn’t assume they will go into St. Louis and Philadelphia to wreck havoc. No, in fact I would expect them to completely tank. Because time and time again, this particular group of Mets players do exactly that. The Mets have become just so predictable. Like when the Mets get two out then the next batter doubles. I don’t care who’s pitching, inevitably, that run scores. It’s a lock.

I did not even get excited Wednesday night when the Mets walloped the Mariners 8-2. Here’s why. First the Mets defeated Batista who has been awful. Secondly, after the Mets scored 8 runs in the first three innings, the hitters went to sleep again. Sure 8 runs should be enough and it was against Seattle. But far too often, the Mets do all their scoring early then do nothing in the last several innings of the game. Did you really feel warm and fuzzy after Wednesday’s game?

Because both teams have become such a bore this season, ESPN shunned them for the Cubs-White Sox two weekends in a row. How can you blame them? Both Chicago clubs are in first place while both New York teams wallow in mediocrity.

So to me, this weekend is our World Series. After it’s over, win or lose, we can think about other summer activities. Swimming, boating, barbequing, etc. Oh and once in a while we can look in on the progress of Citi Field. Unless something changes, specifically the roster, I really do not see the Mets going very far this year. I appreciate what Jerry Manuel is trying to do. He’s attempting to change the culture of the team. That’s great, it really is. But there is only so much a carpenter can do with old tools.

The Mets hold a 27-35 record in Subway Series history (not including the 2000 World Series).

2008 College World Series Champions

Congratulations to Fresno State for winning the 2008 College World Series. It’s the first time in NCAA history for any sport that a team seeded so low won a championship. They were a true Cinderella story.

While looking at the Mets schedule I see no celebration of the closing of Shea Stadium. I am really surprised there is no evening or day where a plethora of great Mets ballplayers of the past are brought back to Shea Stadium. It could be done in a similar way in which the Mets celebrated the 20th anniversary of the ’86 World Championship team two years ago.

Again, the Mets organization does a very poor job of promoting itself. In the past, the Mets traditionally had an Old Timers day but haven’t had one in years. While the Yankees continue to bring out old time players to cheering fans once each year, the Mets have almost taken the stance that no one cares so why bother.

This year would be the perfect opportunity to bring out the great Mets in Shea history as well as old timers who competed against the Mets. Yet all we get is a countdown each home game to when the old girl will be dismantled. I think the Mets are making a huge mistake in not promoting the greatness of Shea Stadium’s history. Regardless of its architectural shortcomings, Shea, and the players who have graced her field, hold a special place in Mets fans hearts. A special day devoted to the end of this edifice should be a no brainer. Yet the closest thing I see on the schedule is New York Jets night.

Who would not want to see the Mets-Shea all time team standing on the first base line with the all time Shea opponents on the third base line? After the introductions, they could play a 2 inning game. Who wouldn’t pay to see Seaver fire one in from the mound or Keith Hernandez drive one into the opposite field gap? It would be a great night and a fitting solute to a stadium that many of us grew up with. Fred Wilpon loves to talk about his childhood memories of Ebbets Field. Well, regardless of its immense size and lack of character, a great many Mets fans feel the same way about Shea Stadium. Howie Rose and Gary Cohen are two of them.

Here’s a small list of who the Mets could bring back for the evening. Tom Seaver, Cleon Jones, Jerry Grote, Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack, Ron Swoboda, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez, Ed Kranepool, Ed Charles, Cary Carter, Ron Darling, Mike Piazza, Al Leiter, Mookie Wilson, Lenny Dykstra, John Olerud, Davey Johnson, Bud Harrelson and on and on and on. Why not? The celebration two years ago of the ’86 club was hugely successful. I really thought after that evening, the Mets would have reinstated an Old Timers day again but it never happened.

You get the feeling that because the Mets have not won 26 World Championships that they are not worthy of promoting themselves the way their cross town cousins do. That’s a shame. No one in baseball can compete with the history of the Yankees. In fact no one in the world except maybe Manchester United could compare to the history of the Yankees.

On the eve of another subway series, the last in the two current stadiums, the Mets need to start being more concerned with their fans and stop being so worried about what the Yankees are doing. For goodness sake, the Mets could win the next 10 World Series in a row and they still would not match what the Yankees have done.

The Mets have reached the playoffs seven times in their history, all while playing at Shea. In those years they took home 4 National League pennants and 2 World Championships. There are many teams in baseball that cannot make that boast. So to celebrate 45 years of Shea Stadium, each day the Mets are bringing special guests to tear off a number of remaining home games. Most fans in the ballpark are likely getting their hot dogs and beer while that’s going on. To me, the truly just thing to do is to have a special day with speeches, introductions, a tribute video, and an old timer’s game – all the pomp. That my friends would be closure.

Murphy’s Law – Any thing that can go wrong will go wrong. I certainly know it wasn’t Bob Murphy who said that, he was just way too positive a person. But the Mets are exemplifying the law Murphy had penned who knows when. The Seattle Mariners, the worst team in baseball who has scored the fewest runs in baseball defeated the Met 11-0.

There really is nothing to say. The highlight of the game was seeing Jerry Manuel getting thrown out of the game. Beltran soon followed. Mets fans should be ecstatic because their biggest complaint was that Willie never did that. At least the Braves and Marlins lost again too. For that matter the Yankees were shelled by Pittsburgh so if its pain to the other teams that floats your boat this season, the night was not a total loss.

I think sooner or later we must come to the conclusion that unless Omar Minaya pulls a fast one at the trade deadline, this season will not be one of the Mets bests. It won’t be one of the worst either. But as fans, we are going to have to come to terms with the notion that this team is not headed to the playoffs this year, Shea’s last.

Oliver Perez was simply awful tonight. In contrast to Santana’s struggles last evening, Perez wasn’t even on the same playing field. What’s most disturbing is that lately Perez’s velocity has been down. I wonder if there is a problem in that arm. You know his left arm would have to be falling off for Perez and his agent Scott Boris to admit there was a problem, not in his walk year.

More importantly the Mets offense took another night off. Just last night, Jerry Manuel in his post game chat with the media stressed how the Mets hitters need to work on knowing the strike zone. Obviously they have made no adjustments. Now the difference in Jerry and the previous manager is somewhat refreshing. Where Willie Randolph would have sugar coated and said the Mets have a good offensive club that are not hitting right now, Jerry flat out said tonight the Mets are a bad offensive club. There is no spinning with this guy and I for one appreciated it. He’s talking tough and that’s just what the Mets need. You can tell that his demeanor is not just for show.

During tonight’s post game press conference, Manuel openly admitted that changes to the lineup and the rotation will very well be necessary. Let’s give Manuel a chance. I think he has what it takes to right this ship but it will not happen overnight. It may take 30 to 40 games before we see major changes.  Let’s just hope the rest of the division continues to struggle while the Mets get their act together. And by the way, Manuel also praised Mets fans stating they deserve better. In his words he said “They are waiting, they’re waiting, they’re waiting, they’re waiting, they’re waiting, they are hoping we do well and it’s not fair to them”. Hey, he gets it. Manuel’s winning me over and change will come.

In retrospect, Omar made the right decision last week. No disrespect to Willie Randolph but the Mets are in better hands right now. At least after a tough loss like tonight, you get the feeling that the manager is just as frustrated as we are and intends to do something about it. Hopefully he will.

Carlos Beltran just said something very interesting in the club house. When asked about getting thrown out of the game, he made a remark that is somewhat telling about his, perhaps the teams, feeling towards Willie Randolph. He said “a manager coming out to protect his players is the way it should be”. Interesting…

College Worlds Series –

Fresno State is walloping the University of Georgia 15-6 in game two of the final round of the College World Series. If Fresno State holds on, the deciding game will be played tomorrow night on ESPN at 7:00PM.

What in the world is wrong with Johan Santana? Oh I know, he signed with the Mets. The Mets traded four of their top prospects and gave Johan Santana a 137 million dollar 7 year contract. He is now 7-6 after the Mets lost to the Mariners 5-2 last evening. This is certainly not what the Mets had in mind when they made the deal.

No question the second inning was a bit bizarre. After walking a batter and giving up a hit, with two outs David Wright made an error on a routine ground ball that should have ended the inning.  The next batter, the pitcher Felix Hernandez, on the first pitch he has seen all season hit an opposite field grand slam home run. How does this happen? Sorry, but Johan Santana has got to do a better job than that. This you would have expected from Oliver Perez, not Santana. He is supposed to be the Mets stopper. Since the Mets won on Sunday, you had to feel good that with Santana on the mound the Mets had a chance to end up on the right side of the .500 ledger.

So it’s a week later since Willie Randolph was let go. The Mets seem more relaxed and are playing a better quality of baseball. Yet the Mets went 3-3 since Omar brought in Jerry Manuel. When you see an inning like the second, maybe you just throw up your hands and think this is the best it’s going to get. I mean how can this team get on track and push to 10 games above .500?

For one, Johan Santana must start to pitch the way he is capable of pitching. Jerry Manuel pointed out in his post game conference that Johan’s line looked pretty good in that he only gave up 1 earned run. True but Santana was the one who gave up the walk, hit, and grand slam whether it was earned or not.

The other thing that needs to improve and was articulately pointed out by Manuel is the approach to hitting. Mets hitters do not work counts. They swing early and habitually chase balls out of the strike zone. It amazed me how quickly Mets hitters were getting themselves out in last night’s game while Mariner hitters made Santana throw a lot more pitchers. It’s one thing to be aggressive, its another to be smart and aggressive.

So once again the Mets find themselves a game under .500. To keep their streak of series wins intact will require wins tonight and tomorrow night. I keep thinking the Mets are going to turn the corner. I keep thinking that they will rattle off 5 or 6 wins in a row. But then it just doesn’t happen. For now the Mets remain the most expensive .500 team money can buy.

College World Series Update –

Eighth ranked University of Georgia scored 4 in the eighth and overtook Cinderella Fresno State in the first game of the College World Series finals. The best 2 of 3 final round continues this evening in Omaha Nebraska and can be seen on ESPN.

Citi Field Update -

Stadiumpage.com has some great new interior photos of Citi Field. The concrete is in place on the first base side of the lower seating bowl and many seats and railings have been in stalled on the upper level.

George 1937-2008

Straight shooting and honest answers, that’s what we are getting from Jerry Manuel so far. After one week in the driver’s seat, there seems to be the feeling that things are bit more normal than usual for the Mets. Since taking over the club, the Mets have won 3 and lost 2 for Manuel. The important thing, there were no give aways. Even in Saturday night’s Pedro meltdown, the Mets still played a crisp fundamentally sound game.

Tonight, Manuel begins his first home stand as manager. And while the New York Post may be inciting controversy, anyone who took the time to read Jerry’s comments would realize he was not bashing Mets fans. His analogy to fertilizer was about growing team unity and that appears to be a major focus for the former White Sox manager.

From making his pitcher wait on the mound for the reliever after a pitching change to his small group meetings in the clubhouse, Manuel is trying to make this team come together. And there is no question the Mets are more relaxed and are simply just playing better. The Mets have now won 3 consecutive series winning 6 of 9 games. They are back at the .500 mark and are just 3.5 games behind a slumping Phillies team. But make no mistake that these Mets have a long way to go. A winning streak of 6 or 7 games would be a nice start. That won’t be easy facing a dominant pitcher tonight against Seattle and with 4 games against the rebounding Yankees this weekend. However, it would be nice to see the Mets win 15 out of 20 or something close to that. Then we might truly begin to think the Mets have turned the corner.

While no one publicly is blaming Willie Randolph, you get the sense that something dysfunctional was going on in the clubhouse. Whether it was Willie’s thin skin or Tony Bernazard’s meddling, the level of distraction had to have been taking its toll on the Mets continued efforts to separate themselves from last year’s meltdown. At least now the Mets cannot use the distraction of Willie’s future as an excuse. If they revert back to their lackadaisical ways then they can only blame themselves.

Hopefully Ryan Church will be back for the Yankee series. He is slated to play a couple of games with the Brooklyn Cyclones this week before the Mets determine if he is well enough to be activated. That would be a big lift to the club.

With the conclusion of the road trip, the Mets must be grateful that the furthest west they travel will be St. Louis and Houston. They are done with the west cost for this season. The Mets California record is 5-8. The four game sweep at the hands of the Padres really did the Mets in and likely sealed Randolph’s fate. If you factor in games at Arizona and Colorado, the Mets record west of the Mississippi is 10-12. Considering the turmoil and injuries, I guess things could have been a hell of a lot worse.

After 74 games, the Mets remains about as .500 as you can get. Their overall record is 37-37. At night the Mets are 23-23 and during the day they are 14-14. The Mets home record is 20-14 and on the road they are 17-23. The Mets like lefties having played to a 15-9 record while struggling with right handers at 22-28. For June the Mets are 10-10. They are 14-9 in series play with 2 splits. The Mets favorite day of the week to play is Wednesday. On Wednesday, the Mets are 9-3.

The 2008 season begins today. Although Jerry Manuel’s tenure as Mets skipper began with Tuesday’s game, it really feels like things begin anew today away from the circus like atmosphere of Angel Stadium appropriately located across the street from Disneyland.

The Mets open a 3 game set in Colorado. Gee it seems like they were just there. That’s because they were just 4 weeks ago but don’t get me started with the schedule makers right now. With the Willie Randolph firing fiasco now behind, it’s time for the Mets to do what they have not been able to do for over a year, relax and play winning baseball.

There are no more excuses. Whatever distraction Randolph’s eminent firing may have placed on this team is over now. Symbolically, the ousting of Randolph and Peterson may actually detach the club from the collapse of 2007. Of course many of the players are still here but it does feel somewhat like a rebirth for this team.

It should not go overlooked that the Mets won 2 of 3 from a very good team this week. What was the difference? I wonder if the pressure to win for Willie would have caused David Wright to strike out to end the game on Tuesday evening. Maybe David was relaxed and totally focused and that is what enabled him to hit a low curve ball into left field to tie the game. Who really knows for sure?

There is an excellent article in today’s Daily News. In it, the effect of Jerry Manuel’s confidence and demeanor is contrasted with Willie Randolph’s penchant to be stubborn and unwilling to take advice. If the article is accurate in regards to Randolph’s personality then it’s highly likely the team will react better under Manuel. No one is questioning Randolph’s desire to win but his thin skin and almost paranoid attitude at times may have taken its toll on the players. Willie’s remarks about SNY’s portrayal of him and his being treated differently because of his skin color did not do much to dissuade the conception.

One thing is clear, the Mets still have a shot of making 2008 special. There are 91 games left to the season. They are currently 5 losses behind the Philadelphia Phillies. Talent wise the Mets are a better team than the Braves and the Marlins and New York pitching is better than Philadelphia’s. Now we will finally know if these Mets have what it takes to reclaim the National League East.

The Mets are in a unique position. This group has never had to come back to win a title. They led all the way in 2006 and led until the last day of the season in ’07. Now the Mets must dig down and find what it takes to overcome the other teams in the division. It won’t be easy and the Mets need one more win just to be back at .500. The schedule, although silly, is benefiting the Mets right now. They have three games with the worst team in the National League (Rockies) followed by 3 games against the Seattle Mariners, the worst team in baseball. The last time the Mets faced a worst team, they were swept in 4 games at San Diego. Over the next 6 games we will find out if this club has turned the corner or not.  One way or the other, it should get interesting.

Disgrace, bush league, travesty, amateurs, incompetents, nincompoops, you name it, the Mets have been called it. I have to admit, I am still upset about this entire affair. However I honestly am not that bent out of shape in that Willie Randolph was fired or that it happened in the middle of the night eastern daylight time.

When I awoke and saw the alert on SNY that Willie had indeed been fired, I had two reactions. My first reaction was they finally pulled the trigger on what had been rumored for quite some time. The other reaction was I assumed the Mets had lost the game (they won) and it had become the last straw. The point is my initial reaction was not how the Mets could have done the “dastardly deed” in the middle of the night. In retrospect my anger was fueled by the media who jumped on the storyline in regards to the late hour on the west coast in which the firing occurred. After absorbing the last 48 hours I’m a little puzzled at the media’s reaction. You would have thought the Mets had Tony Soprano take Willie for a ride on his boat, the “Stugatz”.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to spin the story into the Mets favor. There is no question Omar Minaya could have done a better job of changing managers. For what ever reason, pressure from the Wilpons or Tony Bernazard who appears to maintain an unusual amount of power, Omar did what he did and in the press conference stood fast that it was his decision alone. I believe him. I don’t think the organization messed up as much as Omar messed up.

In my last article I wrote with my emotions in total control of how much I now hate the Mets. That I have had time to settle down, perhaps I can make myself a bit clearer. I’m upset with the Mets because once again the franchise is in total turmoil. It’s also upsetting because when the media gets an opportunity to bash the Mets, they never disappoint. Since the end of that wonderful era of the 1980’s the Mets have been a hated team in this town. No question that at times they have deserved it. The papers love the Yankees and they hate the Mets. My anger is not directed at the papers it is directed at the Mets because they continually put themselves in these negative positions. The Mets seem to open their mouths to change feet.

I thought after 2006, the Mets were headed in the right direction. The assumption was that the Mets would make several post season appearances over the next several years. But unfortunately that has not happened. The Mets held first place for the majority of the 2007 season but could not get it done wasting an opportunity to win back to back division titles for the first time in their history. Omar made some good deals over the winter acquiring Ryan Church and Brian Schneider by giving up Lastings Milledge. The Mets gave up a lot of talent to obtain Johan Santana. Things were looking bright heading into the season. But the collapse of 2007 just would not let go.

At the start of the season the injury bug plagued the Mets starting with Pedro Martinez in his first start of the season. Shortly after, Moises Alou went to his familiar spot on the disabled list. He played in one game since his return then went back on it again. Luis Castillo, 32, has the legs of a 70 year old man. This was a terrible signing by Omar. Then of course, there was the concussion incident with Ryan Church. In fairness to Willie Randolph, these injuries with nagging bumps and bruises to others never gave the manager the chance to consistently field the team he thought he would have. Never the less and perhaps unfairly, that cannot be used as an excuse. The most frustrating thing about the players that were in the game every day was their lack of focus, hustle, and overall inconsistent play. Plus there was the tremendous problem of not being able to hit with runners in scoring position. Combine that with an up and down bullpen and starting staff, it wasn’t that difficult to see that Willie Randolph’s job was in jeopardy. No paper, blog, or TV outlet felt that firing the manager was unjustified in the days prior to the axing. Yet when it happened, they jumped all over the way it happened. Again I’m not defending the Mets. The organization should have handled this better. But the media’s reaction was more like a school of sharks in a feeding frenzy. A large part of the media simply hates the Mets. In this age of media types wearing the colors of their favorite team on their sleeve, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out most in New York are Yankee fans.

And don’t give me this crap that it’s the worst firing in New York baseball history. Oh really? What about Billy Martin, Bob Lemon, Dick Houser, Yogi Berra? I suppose those firings were all done with class. Even the way the Yankees ushered Joe Torre out of town was a bit tasteless but because it was the exalted Yankees, I guess its okay. Once again, I am not defending how the Mets handled the situation with Randolph but don’t give me this garbage that nothing was ever done as bad. That’s just nonsensical. If it was the worst, it wasn’t by much.

The Mets do have issues though and one points to assistant GM Tony Bernazard. He constantly gets mentioned as someone who drove wedges between Willie and the players. Why is he in the clubhouse? Bernazard is supposed to be in charge of minor league operations. Oh yeah Tony, how is that going. The point is the Mets need to look into how their internal business operates. I’m sure this same sort of things happen on most clubs but minimizing it can only benefit the product on the field.

Finally, this season will only be salvaged by the players. Only they can determine whether it will turn around or not. That can start by this group beginning to play with the focus and determination that new manager Jerry Manuel talked about yesterday. And while we are at it, Jerry Manuel has already brought something to the Mets we have not seen in a while, a personality. He’s funny, articulate, and does not regurgitate the same old tired clichés we seemed to be getting from Willie time and time again.

In retrospect, something had to change. Omar was not going to fire himself and he can’t fire 25 players. Willie had to go. I wish him well and no doubt in time he will land another baseball gig. Now it’s time to move forward and see if Manuel can get this team moving in the right direction. I’ll be honest. I am not confident. I think this team is what it is. As Bill Parcel has said on many occasions, you are what your record says you are. Never the less I’ll be happy if we just see a crisper more focused game of baseball from the Mets and then see if they can move ahead from there. Realistically for now, that’s all we can hope for.

Today, I hate the Mets. I hate everything about them. I hate their management, their players, I don’t even like their new stadium. And it’s not even because of the way they treated Willie Randolph. Certainly he deserved a better fait. Certainly Omar should have fired Willie before he got on the plane Sunday evening. But that’s not really why I hate the Mets.

I hate the Mets because of the way they have made me feel this season. I’m so tired of finding myself in this emotional position once again. Rooting for a team of overpaid players who don’t at all appear to give a darn about the game we as fans so dearly love. I’m tired of days like yesterday when the rest of baseball makes fun of us and refers to the Mets as the laughing stock of baseball. It makes me sick that they are justified in their claim.

It made me sick to see Jose Reyes show up his new manager on the first at bat of the game. What a petulant brat. Hey Jose, get a grip and here is something else to chew on. You are the fourth best shortstop in the division. Right now I would take Jimmy Rollins, Hanley Ramirez, and Yarnell Escobar over you. What you need to do is to grow up. You exemplify everything that is wrong with this team. In retrospect its too bad Omar did not trade you one up for Santana last winter. At least the Mets would still have all those young players that were given up.

The Mets had every right to fire Randolph although I would not have. I have stated that many times before. Personally, I wish Minaya had waited till the All Star break before pulling the trigger. By then, if the Mets were still stumbling along, no one would have questioned the move. Minaya said he made up his mind on Monday and flew to California to tell his manager he was through. That’s his story and he’s sticking to it. Of course there is more there than meets the eye but I’m tired of speculating. Frankly, I don’t care anymore.

All I know is once again I see a baseball season of our discontent. Another season where the Mets flounder after touting such high expectations. Another summer in which the Yankees take control over the baseball world in New York. If you haven’t noticed, the Yankees have won 5 in a row and are now 5 games over .500.

I wish I could root for a different team but I know that’s not possible. I am just so fed up with this team and their complete inability to sustain any kind of success. Will Jerry Manuel really make a difference? Will he make the older players younger, the chronically injured players well, the underachievers achieve? If he does than nothing that happened yesterday will ever matter. If he doesn’t then yesterday, like so many other days in Mets history, will be nothing more than another day at the circus.

If you put all the pieces together, it appears that the powers that be finally got their wish. Willie Randolph was removed last night as the field manager of the Mets. Although this was an act that appeared to be thoughtlessly carried out, it’s a move that has been in the making since some time last season.

We heard the reports about how assistant GM Tony Bernazard is constantly hanging around the Mets players in the lockers room. How he wishes Manny Acta was the manager and spends more time with him then his own coaches when facing Washington.  We have also heard that Tony never wanted Randolph as the manager to begin with. Apparently Bernazard has more power than any one of us know. I thought Omar Minaya was the general manager of the Mets. Perhaps we are wrong.

The question is one of the chicken and the egg. Did Willie begin to falter and loose respect from the clubhouse which caused an alliance between many of the players and Bernazard or did Bernazard drive the wedge between the players and the manager. All I can say is to Bernazard and his following is to be careful what you wish for. What if nothing changes? What if in a month’s time the Mets are still floundering around the .500 mark falling further away from the Phillies? Who gets canned then? You can bet Bernazard is on the short list.

Right or wrong, Bernazard becomes the villain toiling his mustache in this melodrama that has unfolded in Anaheim. If anything, he will become the scapegoat if the decision to fire Willie backfires.

Although the Mets performed like bush leaguers last evening the fact is they do have a new manager and new coaches and must play a game this evening. Life for the Mets, the media that covers them and their fans goes on. But once again Mets fans are left scratching their head. Just two short years ago we were riding high as the Mets played great ball and won the division title. The future looked so bright and now it looks so uncertain. We root for a franchise that can never sustain any kind of success. The way the Mets carried out this hit is indicative of how they operate. This is an organization that is so terrified by the perception of its fans and the media that they have become completely dysfunctional.

The difference with how the Mets operate as compared to the Yankees is painfully obvious. While the Yankees are no better than the Mets in terms of many of their back room decisions at least they have the guts to carry out their missions in a more professional manner. I just hope that whoever came up with the idea that it would minimize the backlash by firing Randolph, Peterson, and Nieto in the middle of the night across the street from Disneyland is not making baseball decisions. That would be very scary.

For a franchise that is now going into its 47th season, isn’t it time they grow up?

It’s at times like these that I’m embarrassed to be a Mets fan. Not because they fired Willie Randolph, Rick Peterson, and Tom Nieto but in how they did it. Yesterday I wrote that I did not want to see Willie or any of the coaches fired because generally moves like this do not make much difference. Ultimately it’s the players that can only turn things around.

Once again the Mets brass comes across looking like nincompoops, a bunch of amateurs without the guts to do the job right. I said all along that based on last season’s collapse, their 140 million dollar investment, and their less than mediocre start this season, they had all the justification in making changes. So why all the shenanigans at midnight California time? Did they think we wouldn’t hear about it? Maybe the Mets thought that when the team returns home next week everyone wouldn’t notice that Willie was no longer the manager. Perhaps the Wilpons and company were not aware of things like telephones, television, and the Internet. It’s a common problem.

You wonder what kind of thinking went into this decision. Why make Willie Randolph, Rick Peterson, and Tom Nieto fly out to the west coast just to be fired after the first game of the road trip. It’s truly bizarre. Why didn’t they do it Sunday morning or even after the double header? According to Bill Madden, Jeff Wilpon has been advocating Randolph’s dismissal for a long time. Apparently the younger Wilpon was annoyed ever since Randolph squeezed the Mets for a bigger contract after the 2006 season. Last year’s uninspired play ending with the collapse only fueled the fire.

Based on these utterly weird developments, you have to assume there was a lot of internal fighting going on behind the scenes. According to Metsblog.com’s Matthew Cerrone, many players and clubhouse people new that Randolph was going. I wonder if he knew himself. That might explain his relaxed and comical state this weekend. I was once laid off from a very dysfunctional company. As worried as I was about my future, I was giddy as can be knowing that I know longer had to work in such an impossible environment. I couldn’t stop grinning.

I get the feeling that for a long time now, Willie has been working in an impossible situation. Perhaps part of the problem was of his own doing. Willie can be very stubborn. At times, at least in front of the media, you wondered if he was watching the same team we were. Last year, he benched Jose Reyes for not running out a ball that appeared as if it may have gone foul yet defended other players who honestly looked as if they were dogging it. Willie’s in game strategies at times were puzzling but it’s hard to argue with success and Randolph leaves as the second most successful manager in Mets history percentage wise.

The positive in all this is that the Mets can move forward now. Someone has finally paid the price for losing the division last season with a 7 game lead with only 17 to play. And with the dismissal of Rick Peterson’s, we can no longer look to anyone in the Mets organization every time we hear the name Scott Kasmir. I’m still not quite sure what Tom Nieto did wrong.

But for today, the Mets are going to be taken apart piece by piece by the media and rightfully so. The manner in which they handled this situation, not unlike Ryan Church, is extremely questionable. Willie deserved better, perhaps he did not deserve to keep his job, but they should have dismissed him in a more honorable way. They should have given him at least till the All Star break when Willie was to have been a coach on the NL squad. The fact that the firings happened in this manner dictate something more sinister than meets the eye. If what goes on in the clubhouse is anything like what apparently is happening in the front office, this will be a very long season indeed.

I am really on the fence about Willie Randolph’s future. Do I think he deserves to be fired? No, actually I don’t. Do I think the team needs some type of change? Yes, I certainly do. I’m not being seduced by the fact the Mets beat the Rangers 2 games to 1 either. We have been seduced by these false starts once too many times. I don’t have any reason to believe the team has turned a corner.

Regardless of the outcome, I honestly think Mets management is doing a huge disservice going game to game in regards to Willie’s future. Either come out and say that Willie’s the manager for the rest of the season or fire him. All this is doing is creating a huge distraction for the players. Adam Rubin is reporting that the next time the Mets stumble (gee, could that possibly happen in Anaheim?) it will be Rick Peterson and Tom Nieto’s head. I can understand Peterson but why Nieto? The first base coach, yeah him, he’s the problem.

Clearly, firing Nieto, if it happens, is a warning shot across the bow. Apparently the Wilpons have cleared the way for the firing of Nieto, Peterson, and Randolph but it’s up to Omar to carry out the hit. This is interesting because if Minaya does in fact start firing people, ultimately he is saying that the problem with the Mets is these coaches and the manager. After that, if nothing changes on the field, what then? Who takes the blame next? Certainly neither men, Omar and Willie, can be held accountable for the injuries the Mets have suffered this season and continue to endure. Ryan Church and Moises Alou, the two corner outfielders are still out of action. No one can fault Ryan Church and his aggressive play that led to his concussions but the re-signing of Alou has got to be questioned. At 42 years old and having a reputation of always being injured, betting on Alou to be the everyday left fielder was an extreme gamble.

Luis Castillo with his bad knees was also a bad signing. I would have rather seen the Mets give Ruben Gotay the opportunity to play every day. He’s young and can hit and what is hurting the Mets more right now, defense at second base or the lack of run production? When Omar took over the team, he promised to make the Mets younger and more athletic. Right now the direction seems to be going the other way. On average the Mets have the oldest roster in baseball. That does of course include Orlando Hernandez who has not picked up a baseball yet this season at the major league level.

Willie Randolph is not the best manager in baseball. He makes decisions at times that make you scratch your head. But all in all, I don’t see how he gets the blame for what is happening on the field. To me, it’s more Omar’s fault than it is Willie Randolph’s. Having stated that, I really do not want either one of them fired. Both are good baseball people and deserve to learn from the mistakes they have made. Now before you call me a hypocrite, because I did write the other day that a change needs to be made, I thought about it a lot over the weekend. The only changes that will really make a difference are the ones on the field. I do like the Trot Nixon deal, unless of course the player to be named later is Fernando Martinez. Then I would have a big problem with it. I actually thought Nixon would have been a good fit for the Mets last year when he was a free agent. Who knows, if Nixon was in the clubhouse last September, maybe…

Nixon can still hit, at least facing right handed pitching. The only thing that scares me is that he was playing triple A ball. What other moves can the Mets make in regards to players? Honestly nothing will be that dramatic because the Mets farm is depleted.

This road trip should bring the coaches/manager firings to a head. If the Mets play poorly in Anaheim and Denver this week, likely Jerry Manual will be the manager when Seattle comes to Shea next Monday night. Of course it’s not fair. But that’s just the way the baseball business works.

Something has got to change and it should start with Rick Peterson. I never want to see someone lose their job. But in baseball, it is a common occurrence for when things do not go right, someone pays the price. For the New York Mets for the better part of a year, not much has gone right at all.

From June 1, 2007 through the end of last season, the Mets were a .500 team. That was not enough to thwart the advances of the Phillies who stormed in and stole the division title from the Mets on the last day of the season. While much was written in regards to Jose Reyes and other offensive woes, it does not take a genius to figure out that by far and away, it was the pitching that doomed last season. Needing just two more wins in the final 17 games, the bullpen and starters blew several games that ultimately broke the hearts of Mets Nation.

Fast forward to 2008. We have been told that the Mets are not suffering from the lingering effects of 2007. Never the less the results are the same. The causes of the 2007 collapse are still in effect. True the offense has not been consistent but looking at the last several games, the bullpen has been totally to blame. Leading 4-0 going to the 8th inning should not be cause for concern. That’s a game that a team with championship aspirations has got to win. Maybe it’s time for a change.

Rick Peterson came on board in 2003 when Art Howe took over the club. Willie Randolph never had a chance to pick his own pitching coach. And don’t look to Willie to say anything bad about Peterson. Willie toes the company line and would never publically criticize one of his coaches. This is not to say that Peterson is not without value. Maybe he should be a roving instructor in the minors since he’s so into the mechanics of pitching. The point is, how long must the Wilpons keep the status quo as their 140 million dollar investment goes in the tank. This team is just not getting any better. A message has to be sent that shakes up this ballclub.

Changing the coaches is not going to improve the pitching and hitting but its obvious the chemistry of coaches and players is not working. Honestly, these kinds of moves may be fruitless but doing nothing is not changing anything. Firing Rick Peterson or Howard Johnson or even Omar Minaya is not going to make Ryan Church’s concussion better sooner, or Moises Alou become the paragon of health or the hitters producing with runners in scoring position with 2 outs or the relief core lock up a game when leading by 4 runs. However, it is a clear statement to the team and their fans that this sort of play is unacceptable.

This is clearly not the type of season Fred and Jeff Wilpon wanted as they close Shea Stadium and prepare to sell tickets at Citi Field. Behind close doors, they must be fuming. Especially Jeff, who appears to be much more adamant about the on goings of the team than Fred. The Mets will not have a fireworks night this season because of all the construction work. If the Mets don’t start to play better soon, there will be lots of fireworks anyway.

Yeah, yeah, let’s jump for joy because the Mets won last night. But the fact is the Mets should have shut out the Diamondbacks and Pelfrey should have gotten the win. The kid pitched brilliantly for 8 innings. Why didn’t Willie let him pitch to a second batter in the inning? The worst case scenario, Pelfrey might have given up a two run home run still maintaining a one run lead. Then Wagner could have been summoned. I hate to second guess but last night the Mets went from a brilliant game to another night where 5 pitchers had to be used. Sure, it was good they won and maybe that homer by Beltran gets him going but that was one of the most frustrating wins I have ever witnessed.

And again it has happened this afternoon. The Mets had a 4-0 lead for Johan “maybe I should have stayed in Minnesota” Santana who pitched brilliantly. Joe Smith and goat of the month Billy Wagner blew a 4 run lead. Then Aaron Heilman, great last night, bad again today gives up a lead off double in the 10th. Mets lose 5-4 in a game they should have won without question.  

Now I’ll wait till the All Star break to see how the Mets are doing before I start to believe again. Even a 5 game winning streak now would not convince me this team is for real. How many times can you get burned? The Mets are like the Space Shuttle, each part is very intricate but it’s so difficult to get all the components working in unison. Frankly, I have had about all the aborted launches I can handle for one season. So with my pessimism taking over, I provide you a list of alternative things to get excited over this baseball season assuming the Mets are going nowhere –

1)                The continuing progress of Citi Field. Workers are installing seats and completing interior sections of the ballpark. The field boxes are being constructed with concrete being poured. Later this summer, the scoreboards and field will begin to be installed.

2)                Follow the Brooklyn Cyclones where some of the recent Mets amateur draft picks may be making their professional debut. Some games are likely to even be televised.

3)                Continue to monitor the progress of some of the Mets hot prospects like Fernando Martinez and Mike Carp with the AA Binghamton Mets. The 22 year old Carp is having resurgence this year.

4)                Root for the Yankees to not make the playoffs this season. This of course is pathetic and is like rooting for Exxon-Mobil not to make a profit this quarter.

5)                Go to some minor league games in the area. It’s a lot cheaper than Shea and comes with no agita.

6)                Look forward to the end of the season when we can have a retirement party  for Orlando Hernandez, Moise Alou (who is likely headed to the disabled list again), Carlos Delgado, and very likely Pedro Martinez. If frustrated enough by the end of the season, say goodbye to Ollie Perez and agent Scott Boras too.

7)                If the Mets are not to be in it then I’m rooting for a Red Sox-Cubs World Series. What could be better than a Wrigley-Fenway matchup?

8)                Speculating on who the next manager and/or general manager will be for the Mets. I have been a Willie and Omar guy from the start but with a 140 million investment and nothing to show for it, the Wilpons have every right to make a change or two.

9)               The destruction of Shea Stadium now more likely to happen in October rather than November. It will be sad and cool at the same time.

10)           Finally I will look forward to the winter meetings in December and focus in on the Mets next big acquisition. I’m sure it will cost millions and more young talent and likely prove to be a bust.

Yes folks, my confidence level is at an all time low. And be fair, this Mets act has been going on for over a year now. Am I really that far off base?

Another “score runs, get no pitching” game. The Mets have had two of these in a row now. Prior there were 3 “get good pitching, get no runs” games. This is the formula for a losing season. But fear not because math is on the Mets side. If you like baseball then most likely you like math. Baseball is all about numbers.

The Mets with a less than impressive record of 30-33 sit 7.5 games behind the division leading Philadelphia Phillies (39-27). If the Phillies play .500 ball in their remaining 96 games, they will finish with a record of 87-75. The Mets then would simply have to win 58 of their remaining 99 games, a winning percentage of .586. Now if the Phillies play better than .500 ball the rest of the way, then it’s a whole different ball game.

Suppose the Phillies go 51-45 through their remaining games for a record of 90-72. The Mets would have to win 61-38 the rest of the way to win by one game. That’s a .617 winning percentage. Can you honestly expect that after what we have seen so far? Honestly, I don’t but there’s always hope.

If you recall last year at this time, the Phillies and Mets were basically reversed in the standings. After games of June 10, 2007 the Mets led the division with a record of 36-25 while the Phillies, in third place, trailed the Mets by 5 games with a record of 32-31. If the Mets went 52-49 the rest of the way, the Phillies would have had to go 57-42. They both did. So never say never.

But a post by Matt Cerone in today’s Metsblog.com concerns me. In it, a source sights key players who are fed up with the pressure. The constant harassment by fans and the media is taking its toll. We, the fans, have not gotten over the collapse. How much are we and the media playing a part in this team’s continued failures? In 1964 when the Phillies collapsed, their fans never got over it either. Those players never won again. Gene Mauch was eventually fired as manager. Is that a portent of things to come? We’ll see. Right now, it’s getting very gloomy around Shea Stadium

Emotionally speaking its hard to argue with Adam Rubin of the Daily News. In today’s edition, he rakes Omar Minaya over the coals for moves during his tenure that has destroyed the Mets franchise. With anger a primary emotion these days when discussing the Mets, it’s hard to defend the GM. But a closer look at his deals made show a different picture.

Adam points out that one of the main things Omar has done is raise the payroll to 140 million with a result being a .500 team. That’s true but is the National League’s largest salary the reason why the Mets are a .500 team? What would Mets fans be saying had Omar with the Wilpon’s blessing did not spend this kind of money. All we would be hearing is how ownership is cheap and unwilling to spend on the team. Let’s look at the big money players Omar has brought in.

The first big signing was Pedro Martinez. No question this was a risky deal but acquiring Pedro was more about making the fans as well as other players recognize the Mets desire to win. For the first year and a half of his contract, Pedro did contribute on the field as well as off. Carlos Beltran has not lived up to expectations this season. But when he was signed by the Mets, I don’t recall too many fans or those in the media criticizing the deal. Unlike Pedro, Beltran was a free agent signed in his prime at just 28 years old. They were not able to land Carlos Delgado via free agency but did acquire the slugger in a trade when Florida held a fire sale. As bad as Delgado was last season and up until recently, who complained in 2006 when he helped the Mets win the division and almost get to the World Series?

Rubin points out that the reliance on older players has been the fuel for the demise of t