With the Mets loss last night they fall into second place one game in the loss column behind the Phillies. The Marlins are two games back of the Phillies. Although the official standings show the Mets as a half game out, the important column really is the loss column. Losses back is actually more accurate since a half game simply represents one more game played by one team over another. In this case the Mets and Phillies have won the same number of games, 58. However the Mets have lost one more game than the Phillies. If the Phillies defeat Washington this evening, the Mets will fall to one full game back, both teams having played 108 games.   

The Mets finished their best month of the season by far going 18-8 in July. The other winning months the Mets have had this season were in March (1-0) and April (13-12). The Mets were 13-15 in both May and June. By losing the series to the Marlins, the Mets broke there consecutive streak of winning or splitting series. The Mets had not lost a series prior to this week since June 23-25 against the Mariners.

The trade front appears to be quiet for the Mets. After trading four of their top prospects earlier this year for Johan Santana, the Mets are understandably being cautious at the deadline. Contrary to the popular believe that the Mets have no real blue chippers, the Mets believe they do have future players in John Neise, Fernando Martinez, Dan Murphy and others. It’s likely the Mets will wait and attempt a waiver deal in the month of August.

If the Marlins do in fact acquire Manny Ramirez, what kind of effect will he have on the young Marlins players? Manny wants a new contract. How is changing teams going to make him happy all of a sudden? He still will not have a new contract and he’ll be stuck in Florida. It seems to me that any team willing to take on Ramirez might be inviting a Trojan Horse into the clubhouse. And if the Marlins need anything it’s defense, not a liability in left field. Florida already has enough thunder in their lineup. Honestly I really will be shocked if Ramirez is moved.

It is July 31, the Mets are off today and there are just two months left in the season. The Mets have played exactly two thirds of their season at 108 games. In the first 54 games the Mets record was 27-27. Obviously the club has played far better in the second third having gone 31-23. What about the final 54?

With the type of deal to put the Mets over the top highly unlikely before today’s deadline, there are a number of questions to be answered the rest of the way. Can players like Fernando Tatis and Endy Chavez continue to play as every day players? Will Ryan Church be able to return to action this year and if so will he be able to perform at the level of play he enjoyed during the first half of the season? Can Mike Pelfrey, who stumbled last evening, pitch effectively as he begins to accumulate more and more innings? Will Pedro Martinez be able to offer anything on a consistent basis? Will John Maine’s shoulder continue to bark? Will the bullpen be able to hold leads more often than not? Will Carlos Delgado continue to produce as he has in the month of July? Will Carlos Beltran ever wake up and have the kind of hot streak he is capable of?

In the 54 remaining games we will learn the answers to these questions. One final question—Will the last game ever played at Shea Stadium be on September 28th or will the wrecking ball have to wait until some time in October or later. Stay tuned.

Make no changes and give up no prospects. That’s what I would do if I were Omar Minaya. What player could the Mets get that would guarantee a division title? That’s the point, there are no guarantees.

We need to ask ourselves as fans are we willing to sell off the Mets future for a shot, no guarantee, at winning a division title this year. And winning a division title guarantees nothing in the post season. The three tiered playoff structure is nothing more than a baseball tournament where any hot team can win. Witness the Colorado Rockies last season who steam rolled their way to the National League pennant then got bulldozed by the Red Sox in the World Series.

No, no, no. Enough is enough in terms of trading away Mets prospects. Some scouts say the Mets prospects are not that good. If so, then why are other teams asking for Jon Niese, Dan Murphy, and Fernando Martinez?

The main malady the Mets have suffered of recent is their age. The Mets are an older team and must get younger to remain competitive. Look at the Marlins? This is a very young team loaded with talent. They may be too young right now or lack the veteran leadership but shortly, maybe even this year, the Marlins are going to win at least a wild card or a division title.

The Eastern Division in the National League is going to be a tough division for a number of years. You know the Braves are going to retool and they have an excellent farm system. Don’t forget that the Washington Nationals used to be the Montreal Expos. The Expos had a tremendous farm system that spawned a number of top flight Major League players. Washington is building through that same farm and in a couple of years they will be a contending team. The Phillies too have good young talent and Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, like Reyes and Wright, will be around for a long time.

The point is if the Mets are not careful in holding on to their young prospects, in a short time they could be dwelling around the bottom of the division for several years. The Mets simply cannot keep hoping to win through the free agent market or trading four prospects for one player. Omar seems to be getting that now and there is a consensus among the Mets brain trust to hold on to the young players and build from within. It would be foolish to trade away talented players with a future for an average at best corner outfielder who may or may not help the Mets win a division this year. I think the Mets have a very good chance at winning the division this year anyway, deadline trade or not. So why give up on talent that can help in the long term if it does not significantly increase the odds of winning now.

I understand the win now philosophy I just do not agree with it because it cannot guarantee a championship. If it did, the Yankees should have won the last 7 World Series. They have not. Personally I would rather have a competitive team year in and year out than a team that is risking it all now for the possibility of winning such as the Brewers have done. Milwaukee traded away their top prospects for CC Sabathia who is a rental. The Brewers have no intention of signing Sabathia or Ben Sheets after this season. It’s not a bright future for Milwaukee if they don’t win this year. Currently they are three out in the NL Central but lead the wild card.

The Angels just traded for Mark Teixiera but they were headed to the post season anyway. That deal was made to combat the Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers, or whomever in the playoffs. The Mets are not at that level yet. Making a deal now will weaken the future and perhaps many other chances at making the playoffs.

I think if Omar is smart, which he is, he’ll wait till August and make a waiver deal or two. To me that makes more sense, especially with the cost of potential players before tomorrow’s deadline going out of sight. Right now in baseball it’s a seller’s market. As they generally say during such conditions—buyer beware.

With the non-waiver trade deadline only 48 hours away, here is a list of Mets trades made at or just prior to the July 31 trade deadline for the last 10 years. After reviewing these deals you can see that the deadline is rarely as exciting as it is cracked up to be.

2007—

7/30 Mets trade catcher Drew Butera and outfielder Dustin Martin to Twins for second baseman Luis Castillo.

2006—

7/31 Mets traded outfielder Xavier Nady to Pirates for right handed pitcher Roberto Hernandez and left handed pitcher Oliver Perez.

2005 – No deadline trades

2004—

7/30 Mets trade left handed pitcher Scott Kasmir and right handed pitcher Joselo Diaz to Tampa Bay for right handed pitchers Victor Zambrano and Bartolome Fortunato. Mets also traded infielder Ty Wigginton, outfielder Jose Bautista, and right handed pitcher Matt Peterson to the Pirates in exchange for right handed pitcher Kris Benson and second baseman Jeff Keppinger

7/31 Mets trade right handed pitcher Scott Erickson to the Rangers for Josh Hoffpauir.

2003—

7/28 Mets trade left handed pitcher Graeme Lloyd to the Royals for right handed pitcher Jeremy Hill.

7/29 Mets trade shortstop Rey Sanchez to the Mariners for outfielder Kenny Kelly.

There was a flurry of trades made earlier in July ’03 that included sending Armando Benitez to the Yankees, Jeromy Burnitz to the Dodgers, and Roberto Alomar to the White Sox.

2002—

7/31 Mets trade left handed pitcher Bobby M. Jones, outfielder Jason Bay, and right handed pitcher Josh Reynolds to the Padres for right handed pitchers Jason Middlebrook and Steve Reed. Mets also traded right handed pitcher Mark Corey, and outfielders Jay Payton and Robert Stratton to the Rockies for right handed pitcher John Thompson and outfielder Mark Little.

2001—

7/30 Mets trade right handed pitcher Rick Read to the Twins for outfielder Matt Lawton.

7/27 Mets trade right handed pitcher Turk Wendell and left handed pitcher Dennis Cook to the Phillies for left handed pitchers Bruce Chen and Adam Walker. A few days earlier catcher and 1999 NLDS hero Todd Pratt was traded to the Phillies for Gary Bennett.

2000—

7/28 Mets trade shortstop Melvin Mora, utility player Mike Kinkade, and right handed pitchers Lesli Brea and Pat Gorman to the Orioles for shortstop Mike Bordick. The Mets also traded right handed pitcher Paul Wilson and outfielder Jason Tyner to the Devil Rays for outfielder Bubba Trammell and right handed pitcher Rick White.

1999—

7/31 Mets traded utility player Craig Paquette to the Cardinals for outfielder Shawon Dunston.  The Mets also traded right handed pitchers Jason Isringhausen and Greg McMichael to the A’s for right handed pitcher Billy Taylor. A third trade on this date also saw outfielders Brian McRae and Tom Johnson, plus left handed pitcher Rigo Beltran go to the Rockies for outfielder Darryl Hamilton and left handed pitcher Chuck McElroy.

7/25 Mets trade outfielder Terrance Long and pitcher Leonor Vasquez to the A’s for left handed pitcher Kenny Rogers.

1998—

7/31 Mets trade left handed pitcher Bill Pulsipher to the Brewers for utility player Mike Kinkade. The Mets also trade pitcher Leoncio Estrella to the Blue Jays for outfielder Tony Phillips. In a third trade on this date the Mets sent outfielder Bernard Gilkey and pitcher Nelson Figueroa (who finally made his first start for the Mets this season) to the Diamondbacks for right handed pitcher Willie Blair and catcher Jorge Fabregas.

As you can see, there really were no block busters on the trade deadline. Mike Piazza was acquired in May of 1998, two months before the deadline. The worst trade at the deadline in recent history has to be the Kazmir disaster of 2004. In 06’ the Mets acquisition of Oliver Perez proved to be an excellent deal even though it cost them Xavier Nady. Without Perez, the Mets would not have reached as deep into the playoffs as they did that season.

The best trade at the deadline in Mets history had to be in 1983 when the Mets acquired first baseman Keith Hernandez from the Cardinals for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. The worst trade was undoubtedly 6 years earlier when the Mets sent the Franchise, Tom Seaver to the Reds for pitcher Pat Zachery, second baseman Doug Flynn, and outfielders Steve Henderson and Dan Norman. Both trades occurred on June 15 which was the trading deadline back then.

So if you think the Mets will make a blockbuster deal before the trade deadline expires at 4:00PM Eastern on Thursday, history shows the odds are against it.

Baseball is a game of inches and sometimes feet. Case in point was last night’s bottom of the eighth inning. Side arm reliever Joe Smith came in to protect a one run lead, a lead the Mets acquired in the top half of the inning by a sloppy Marlins defense. Smith, the young talented reliever in his second year of duty, made good pitches.

The first batter he faced, Josh Willingham, hit a soft fly ball to deep left center field that was perfectly placed between Fernando Tatis and Carlos Beltran.  A few feet to the left or right and it’s a can of corn. The ball was hit deep enough to allow Willingham to reach second for a double. Dan Uggla came up next and hit a lazy ground ball up the middle. A few feet to the left or right and it’s an easy force play at first. Instead of two outs and no one on, the game was tied with Joe Smith responsible for the winning run on first.

Smith came out, Schoeneweis came in, four more runs scored in the inning and that was the ballgame. Joe Smith took the loss but what could he do. He made the pitches he needed to make. Neither of the first two hits in the inning was hit hard. They were simply hit in the right place. It’s a shame that Schoeneweis could not get out of the inning but a wild pitch and a two run scoring base hit put the game totally out of reach for the Mets.

The loss reduced the Mets lead in the division to a half game but the Phillies are even in the loss column. The pesky Marlins are a game out. Although the Mets lost the game, things could get worse if the MRI on John Maine’s shoulder proves to be a problem requiring some missed starts. Hopefully he’ll just require some rest.

Is there a team in baseball needing a stadium more than the Marlins? That place is simply awful for baseball. There have been many football teams who made their homes in baseball stadiums but only the Marlins make theirs in a football stadium. The place is simply too big with an outfield big enough to land a plane. The people in Miami have done a nice job of making it look somewhat like a baseball park but Dolphin Stadium was built for the Dolphins and they play in the NFL.

The Marlins are hoping they can get a new ballpark built on the site of the Orange Bowl which has now been demolished. The design is being finalized. The new stadium will hold only around 35 to 38 thousand but will have a retractable roof which is essential for south Florida. In the summer you can always count on an afternoon thunder shower or two in the Miami area. Those wanting to attend the game as walkups might not if the forecast calls for rain. With a retractable roof, fans know the game will start on time rain or shine. A ruling on the legality of financing is currently holding up the project but the sentiment is the deal will get done. Once the new stadium is completed and the Marlins move in they will be known as the Miami Marlins. If you want to see a glimpse of some early plans for the new park you can go here.

The Mets will attempt to get back on track with Oliver Perez tonight at 7:10. The Phillies will look to beat up on the Nationals in DC.

The user citi_field from WebShots has added some new pictures of the construction progress at City Field - http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2949248580100987497ilwSfq. In some of these pictures you can see the new out of town scoreboard that is suspended from the left field canopy above the Promenade level. There looks to be 14 specific boxes for each out of town game complete with a diamond that will indicate in-progress activity. With this informative display, you can leave your Blackberry at home.

Also the Citi Field logo has been installed atop the huge center field scoreboard. There are also good shots of the new video screens in center and right field. These pictures were taken from the outside looking in but you can still see progress on the seat and railing installation. Outside the park, light fixtures and granite slabs are being installed as the finishing touches begin to be applied. The palace is certainly taking shape.

For maximum viewing, click the Full Size link with each photo. These pictures were taken at very high resolution. In your browser, click on the picture to maximize or minimize its size.

Some have been complaining this morning that Johan Santana should not have pitched 9 innings yesterday. The complete game effort was the first of the year for any Met pitcher as Santana tallied 118 hurls against the Cardinals. You can’t win. The Mets get raked over the coals for not making him pitch the 9th on Tuesday evening. That was the game the Mets lost when the Phillies scored 6 runs in the 9th against three relievers. Yesterday Johan goes the distance and now the criticism is being leveled because with an 8 run lead he should have been pulled.

Without trying to come across as a Mets apologist, I think it was the perfect day for Johan to go nine. The Mets played a 5 hour marathon the night before and used every pitcher in their bullpen. Aaron Heilman who took the loss tossed close to 60 pitches in 3 innings. Also the Mets are headed to Florida where they play a three game set against the Marlins who only trail the Mets by 2 games. A day off for all Mets relievers is what the doctor ordered.

Last year, the Mets bullpen was so overused that a collapse was imminent. There were whispers from Mets relievers that they were completely exhausted. The results down the stretch proved the rumors correct. So how is it not a good thing that your ace pitcher, the guy the team invested almost 140 million dollars in pitched a complete game? The pen got a day off and some needed rest before heading into yet another crucial series.

The Mets could have easily swept the home stand. All they needed to do that was three outs in the ninth inning on Tuesday night and a clutch hit in one of many opportunities on Saturday night. But perhaps this is a case where the two losses on the home stand serve to be more important than wins. After Tuesday night’s dreadful loss, the Mets could have spun out of control afterwards. Instead they shook it off and won the next two games and the series from the Phillies taking over first place in the National League East.

Saturday night the Mets came back from a 4-0 deficit to take the lead then fell behind again by three and tied it in the bottom of the ninth. Certainly it would have been an inspired win if hitters could have come through in several clutch situations but it was not to be. In his third inning of relief Aaron Heilman surrendered a two run jack to Albert Pujhols and that was the game. Again, the Mets could have come out yesterday flat as a pancake but instead, we saw them crush the Cardinals’ 12 game winner Kyle Lohse. During the early part of the season, the Mets would have most likely lost a couple of games after these devastating contests but not now. Something has rekindled the spirit we saw in 2006. You can’t count the Mets out of any game right now. 

The Mets have not lost a series played since they lost 2 of 3 to Seattle at Shea the last week of June. Since then the Mets have split 3 four game series, have won a 4 game series, and have won 4 three game series. With a week to go in July the Mets have a 17-6 record for the month.

The Mets have completed their season series with the Cardinals having won 4 of the 7 games played. The only other central team the Mets have concluded business with is the Reds. The Mets have yet to play a single game against Houston. They will travel there this coming weekend.

But first the Mets must fend off the pesky Florida Marlins. The Marlins led the division for a good chuck of the season. Currently Florida trails the Mets by 2 games after losing yesterday in Chicago. The Marlins have very good hitting, good starting pitching, a so-so bullpen and awful defense. The Mets can not take this team lightly and I don’t think they will. While all the experts continued to say the Marlins would not hang around, they have. They are a young team loaded with talent. So far this season, the Mets are 4-2 against Florida.

The team licking their chops is the Phillies. They are behind the division leading Mets by one game and start a series tomorrow night in Washington. Just when you thought the Phillies might be going away they take two of three from the Braves in huge comeback style. On Saturday the Braves built a 9-3 lead scoring all 9 runs in the 4th inning. The Phillies scored 7 in the 5th and held on for a 10-9 victory. Yesterday the Braves were leading 5-0 then the Phillies came back and tied the game and eventully won the game 12-10. I’m not sure if these outcomes says more about the Phillies' hitters or the Braves' pitching.

This race will go down to the wire. The favored team should be the one with the most pitching. Right now you would have to conclude that it’s the Mets who fit that profile. But there are still a few days left till the no-waiver trading deadline. If the Phillies pull off a big deal then the balance could change. It appears the Mets won’t. The asking price for available corner outfielders is way too high and I commend the Mets for holding on to their top prospects. The Mets are away for the week. Let’s hope they take their winning ways with them.

In years to come, perhaps the Philadelphia-New York rivalry will be as big as the Boston-New York rivalry in the other league. Certainly it is not yet but the seeds have been planted and the sprouts have started to grow. Tonight, the Yankees take on the Red Sox at the country’s most cherished and storied ballpark, Fenway Park. The Yanks-Sox rivalry is steeped in history going back to the late 1930s. The Mets-Phillies rivalry is a baby by comparison.

There are a couple of things that make a rivalry. One is fierce competition between two clubs close in the standings fighting for a title. The other is proximity although it is not necessary. The Mets had great rivalries over the years with the Cardinals and the Cubs when they were in the same division. The late nineties saw a great rivalry between the Braves and the Mets. They continue to be rivals in the sense that the Mets still struggle when playing them. None of these teams are a stone’s throw from New York.

The only close proximity rivalry the Mets know is against the Yankees. However, the two New York clubs play in different leagues so their rivalry has a different flare to it. It’s more about bragging rights than what it actually means in the seasonal race. New York National League baseball had a huge rivalry during the first half of the 20th century. From what I have read, nothing was bigger than the Brooklyn Dodgers-New York Giants rivalry. And in those years with only eight teams in the league, the two New York teams faced each other 22 times.

The Red Sox-Yankees is considered the greatest of all baseball rivalries. It’s hard to argue with that assessment. Starting in the late 1930’s, the Red Sox finished second to the Yankees almost every year. In 1946, the Sox finally won the pennant with the Yankees finishing third. On September 25, 1949, the Red Sox tied the Yankees for first place. The Sox had an unbelievable second half that season gaining 9 games in the standings from July 1st. The Yankees had led the American League the entire season up to that point. The next day the Sox took a one game lead. With the Yankees trailing the Sox by a game, a two game series against Boston that would end the season was scheduled at Yankee Stadium. The Yanks swept the series winning the pennant by one game. It also didn’t hurt that two of the greatest players in baseball history were a part of that rivalry. Joe DiMaggio for the Yankees and Ted Williams for the Red Sox helped solidify a rivalry which continues to this day. Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, A four game comeback by the Sox in ’04 have all but made this perhaps the greatest rivalry in all American sports.

A Mets-Phillies rivalry obviously pales in comparison. Unlike Boston and the Yankees, the Mets and Phillies have rarely been good at the same time. When the Mets won the pennants in 1969 and 1973, the Phillies were an also ran team. In the late 70’s the Phillies were hot winning the World Series in 1980. The Mets were awful, likely the worst period in Mets history. The Phillies were not bad in the mid 80’s but they could not compete with the Mets who flirted with dynasty talent. In 1986, the Phillies finished second with 86 wins but were 21.5 games out behind the Mets. The Phils got good again in the early 90’s. Led by ex-Met Lenny Dykstra, the Phillies won the pennant in 1993. That same year the Mets suffered their worst season since the mid 1960’s winning just 59 games. The Mets under Bobby Valentine became a playoff caliber team again in the late 90’s but it was the Braves and Mets who became rivals. The Phillies were back at the bottom wallowing under .500.

Finally in 2006, the year the Mets just missed going to the World Series because of Yadier Molina, there were hints of a rivalry beginning as the Phillies began to play really well the second half of the season. Players like Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard were the Phillies answers to the Mets’ Jose Reyes, David Wright, and Carlos Beltran. The problem for the Phillies that season was the Mets got off to such a huge lead they could never catch up.

In 2006, the Mets defeated the Phillies 11 games to 8. Early in the season the Mets swept the Phillies in Philadelphia as part of a 7 game winning streak. Later in the year however, the Phillies struck back wining 3 of 4 giving Mets fans a slight scare. The Mets still held a comfortable 13 game lead when the series was over.

Last year of course was a completely different story as the Mets collapsed the final two weeks of the season. The team who benefited was the Phillies who deservedly stole the division from the Mets on the last day of the season. Also last season, the Mets lost the last 7 games played against the Phillies including a four game sweep at Philadelphia. The Phillies had their vengeance preventing the Mets from wining their second consecutive division title.

This season, the pendulum has swung in the other direction. After yesterday’s 3-1 victory, the Mets have won 9 of 13 games played against the Phillies. So far this season, the Mets have won all four series played with Philadelphia. More importantly, yesterday’s victory propelled the Mets, for the time being, into first place one game ahead of the Phillies. A two game set at Philadelphia and a three game set at Shea remain. The Mets may have the better starting pitching but the Phillies have a stronger pen. The teams are fairly matched defensively and offensively. It will be a fight down to the wire and don’t forget the Marlins. Regardless of the outcome, the rivalry between the Phillies and Mets will grow as both organizations continue to commit to winning.

What really creates a rivalry is the fans. What makes the Phillies-Mets thing so intriguing is the relatively short distance between the two clubs. Shea, or should I say Citi Field, and Citizen’s Bank Park are only a little more than 100 miles apart. With New Jersey acting as the neutral zone, a trip to either park is fairly easy for Mets and Phillies fans. With both clubs winning a division title in the last two seasons and fighting over one this year, a major rivalry is in the making. Words have been spoken by players and broadcasters alike. The fans are shouting at one and other. Maybe 50 years from now, fans will be looking back at the start of this rivalry as we do today of the summer of 1949.

After Tuesday debacle, it’s hard to believe what has happened just 48 hours later. John Maine and Oliver Perez, the two stalwart pitchers from the 2006 playoffs came to the rescue again. Its performances like theirs over the past two days that make you realize how good the Mets can be. If only they can remain consistent. 

Let’s face it. Many including myself were pretty upset and pessimistic after the meltdown after the series opener with the Phillies. Give the Mets credit for showing the guts and character to win the series and move into first place. The Mets spent the last two seasons in first place until the last weekend of last season. They have not been there since April 19th of this year. Let’s not get all cozy however. There are 60 games left to the season and it’s going to be a dog fight from here on in.

Now what is all the fervor about Jose Reyes? The Phillie’s announcers were all upset because of the way Jose was raising his finger running around the bases (actually it was between first and second). One announcer actually said that a pitcher should “put one in his ear”. Wow! Did anyone point out to the announcer that Shane Victorino stood on second base clapping his hands right in Reyes’s face Tuesday night? I guess that’s completely acceptable. Look, I’m old school…er, because I’m old. I would prefer the way it used to be. When a player hit a home run in the old days, they put there head down and ran around the bases. But to assume players are going to revert back to that today is pretty naïve. The in your face, show up the opposing team attitude has been in all sports for a long time now. It’s what the younger generation has grown to expect. Maybe someday it will change and go back the way it use to be but likely that is not going to happen for a long time.

Jose Reyes is certainly not the biggest offender of this either. And it puzzles me as to why so many Mets fans seem to be irritated by his antics. For once and for all, the Mets did not lose the division title last year because of Reyes’s bat or his behavior. They lost because of their pitching. And they did not lose the last game of the season to force a one game playoff with the Phillies because Reyes showed up the Marlins the day before. They lost because Tom Glavine gave up 7 runs in the first inning!

Reyes is one of the most talented players in the game today. Embrace him. Cherish the fact that this guy is going to be at short for the Mets for a long time. Is antics are a product of his enthusiasm and his desire to win. Personally I want 25 guys on the team with that attitude.

I have been critical of Reyes in the past. The one facet of his game I don’t like is his immaturity. His temper tantrums with Jerry Manuel and throwing his glove after an error is a sign of someone who still needs to grow up a bit. But if he’s angry at himself for not making a play or not wanting to leave the game, I can live with that.

I think the Phillie’s broadcasters were more upset with the fact the Mets were beating their team. The Phillie guys are a bunch of homers and that’s okay too. But if they are to criticize Reyes first they need to take a look at some of their own.

The Cardinals come in next. St. Louis is three games back of the Cubs in third place in the National League Central. The Mets have double the reason for playing well this weekend. Not only do they want to keep atop the Eastern Division standings but they trail the Cardinals in the wild card standings. Milwaukee leads the wild card by 2 games over St. Louis.

Once again, Mets fans are stunned as their favorite team has snatched a loss from the jaws of victory. In an eerily similar situation to many games last September, the Mets bullpen melted down spoiling a tremendous opportunity. The only difference this time is that there was no Willie Randolph to kick around after the game. This time it was interim manager Jerry Manuel who made like Ralph Kramden stammering his way through why he took out ace Johan Santana after 8 superb innings. Once again, the modern day approach to handling pitchers which is dictated by the almighty pitch count has reared its ugly head.

Santana pitched beautifully for eight innings allowing just 2 runs. After the first inning, when he struggled with two outs, Johan settled in and went through the Phillies lineup with ease only giving up a homerun to Shane Victorino the rest of the way. Unfortunately with Billy Wagner unavailable because of shoulder spasms, Manuel attempted to cobble together a closer by committee. Unfortunately, two of the four relievers used could not get anyone out. Sanchez loaded the bases by giving up three straight singles. After the game Sanchez said he made the pitches he wanted to make. Interesting, the pitches he wanted to make had nothing on them. They may have been in the location he wanted but the velocity was not where it should have been.

Joe Smith got the ground ball he wanted and it should have been an out. Jose Reyes miscalculated and tried to turn a double play but got neither. Pedro Feliciano came in carrying a can of gasoline instead of a glove. Five runs later, Aaron Heilman got the final out as the crowd of 55,000 plus let the Mets know just how they felt. The Mets scored one in their half of the ninth but any hopes of a comeback were dashed quickly and just as fast as you can say September 2007, the Mets were one game back instead of one game ahead.

Please explain something to me. Why does an organization trade four of its premier prospects and spend 137 million dollars on a pitcher but is afraid to let him complete his job? Santana should have been given the opportunity to start the ninth, especially because of the unavailability of Billy Wagner. I would have no qualms of taking Santana out had he given up a couple of hits in the 9th. Why do these pitchers get babied so much? The stock answer is, and it was bantered around last night, is that we need Johan for the stretch run. Well tell me then, where is the line in the sand? When will he be allowed to finish a game, after September 1st? Will it even matter by then? Santana only threw 105 pitches. You mean to tell me Santana didn’t have another 25 or 30 pitches last night.

No question that this loss bothers me as it must most Mets fans. But what troubles me more is that in the last four games, the Mets have reverted back to some of their old habits. In the six games prior to the All Star break, all Mets victories, the pitching gave up 4 runs. In the five games since the break the Mets pitching has given up 33! Even the offense, to some degree, has shown inklings of reverting to its former self. Last evening for example, the Mets scored 4 runs as a result of homeruns. They only manufactured one. Poor judgment by the third base coach Luis Aguayo choked off potential rallies too. The 10 game winning streak gave us hope and we thought perhaps things would change. But remove the 10 game streak and the body of work remaining is consistently inconsistent.

Last night’s game was a devastating loss. It could have been a real feel good story for the Mets but instead it became a nightmare. Will the Mets bounce back tonight or will things continue to deteriorate. A loss like last night should at least provide a lesson. The lesson should be that when your closer is not available, let your ace attempt to finish the job. That’s what he is paid to do.

I attended a Somerset Patriots game last night in beautiful Commerce Bank Park in Bridgewater, New Jersey. The Pats hosted the Long Island Ducks, both teams are in the independent Atlantic League. There are eight teams in the league where you often see former major leaguers attempting to resurrect their careers.

There was no exception last evening as the Ducks fielded Richard Hidalgo in right, the DH was Carl Everett, P.J. Rose, Pete’s son was at first, and none other than Edgardo Alfonso was at short. It would have made my night had Benny Agbayani pinched hit in the 9th but alas he is still playing in Japan for Bobby Valentine.  

Hidalgo played half a season for the Mets and can be most remembered for hitting a slew of homeruns against the New York Yankees in Shea Stadium. Everett had his moment with the Mets and if I recall he once won a game by hitting a grand slam. I may be wrong but honestly I don’t care enough to look it up. The one player that had me puzzled all evening long was Alfonso. What the heck happened to him? He was an excellent player who seemed to lose his skills all at once.

Edgardo came up to the Mets in 1995 under manager Dallas Green predominantly as a third baseman. He also played some at second and at short. He batted .315 with 27 doubles and 72 RBI in 1997. His best years however were in 1999 and 2000 the years the Mets won the wild card in back to back seasons. Alfonso had shifted to second to accommodate third baseman Robin Ventura. That infield including John Olerud at first and Rey Ordonez at short proved to be the stingiest in baseball history.

Offensively Alfonso hit 41 doubles in ’99 and 40 in 2000. He batted over .300 in both season with his career best .324 coming in 2000, the year the Mets last won the National League pennant. The only time Edgardo batted in more than 100 runs was in ’99 when he knocked in 108. In ’00 he batted in 94. His homerun production in those two seasons was way up as he hit 27 and 25 dingers respectively. During the 2000 season, I recall Derek Jeter claiming the best player in New York was Edgardo Alfonso.

After 2000, Alfonso’s numbers began to drop. He went from 94 RBI in 2000 to 49 in 2001. Nagging injuries kept him out of a lot of action. In ’01 he played in 124 games, down from 150 the year before. His numbers continued to drop and ultimately Alfonso left and signed with the San Francisco Giants as a free agent for the 2003 season. His major league career ended in the American League with Anaheim and Toronto during the 2006 season. Since then he has patrolled the minor leagues. This is Alfonso’s second stint with Long Island. He also played with the Mets triple A farm team last season and in the Mexican League earlier this year.

I guess what it proves is that an Athlete’s career is short and uncertain. Who knows why Alfonso’s skills left him. Last night all Alfonso could muster was a run scoring sacrifice fly. Honestly he did not hit the ball hard against the Patriot pitchers, none of which will be pitching in the Majors any time soon.

It was good to see Edgardo again. He was one of my favorite players at least for a short time. I hope he invested his money wisely and is just playing now for the love of the game. The alternative is too sad to think about.

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?

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.

Stadiumpage.com has some great new interior photos of Citi Field. In these pictures, you can see how the seating is coming along, how the first base side lower seating bowl concrete is complete and how the third base side is shaping up. You will also see the new scoreboards taking shape and what looks like the new press box. From the home page click on the Citi Field construction link then the July 15 link.

Also check out this site - http://www.eventsatcitifield.com/. Here you will see all the information in regards to bars, restaurants and conference rooms. And in case you haven't found this site check out http://www.seats3d.com/mlb/new_york_mets/ to get a virtual reality view of your seats at Citi Field. If you are at work, your productivity is bound to take a hit today.

I have permanently added these links to the left navigation panel of this site.

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.

When I was a kid the All Star Game was huge. The ratings were great and the games typically were very exciting. So why is the game so ho-hum now? Except for the huge crowds that are drawn to the stadium, no one watching on TV much cares anymore and that includes the most ardent baseball fans. I’ll give you three reasons why the All Star game isn’t a must see as it was years ago.

Number 1: Years ago, the All Star game gave viewers a chance to see super star players from cities other than their own. If you lived near a city with one team, you never saw players from the other league. For example if you lived in Kansas City, you would never have gotten to see Willie Mays. The only way to see such a star was on NBC’s Saturday game of the week and the All Star game. Today with ESPN, TBS, Fox, MLB.TV, the MLB Extra Innings cable and dish packages, and local affiliates, there is so much baseball on television you can see any player in the game nightly. So the exposure for baseball and its stars is tremendous by yesterday’s standards. It is no longer necessary for the baseball fan to make plans to watch a single game in mid July to see the stars of the game.

Number 2: Inter-league play has taken a lot of the magic out of seeing the National League players versus the American League players. Let’s face it. It would certainly be more interesting to watch David Wright and Billy Wagner playing against Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez had they not already played 6 games against each other. Inter-league play while generating huge revenue numbers at the gate has taken a lot of starch out of the All Star game.

Number 3: Free agency has changed the way we view the players. They are not so identified with one team and one league anymore the way they were years ago. There is no sense that an Alex Rodriguez or a Ken Griffey has an allegiance to a specific team or league. Players go where the money is. That’s not bad. It’s just the way it is. Part of the games charm was seeing players you rooted for representing your team in your city. It’s hard to continue to do that if the players keep moving around.

The All Star game has been losing its popularity for years. Baseball knows this and that’s why certain ideas were incorporated to make the game more appealing. Fan voting was added years ago in an attempt to get the fans more interested. That may have worked to some degree but unfortunately you find a lot of players not on the All Star team who should be. This season, Jose Reyes is one of them. His numbers are as good and in many cases better than other NL shortstops on the team but he was not selected by the fans. The commissioner, Bud Selig, added the home field advantage scenario a few years ago. This only proved that the game didn’t mean much to the players either. The idea of home field was a way to try and entice the players into performing harder because the game would mean something. The problem with home field advantage being determined is simple. Sure, David Wright and Billy Wagner have a vested interest in winning because the Mets could be one of the teams in the World Series. But how do players from second division clubs really care because they will be watching the World Series like the rest of us—on TV. I’m sure all the players selected and appointed to the two teams do care to some degree but an artificial incentive generally does not work.

The All Star game or should we call it All Star week has become a huge in-person event with very low ratings on TV. With the celebrity softball game and Home Run derby, the All Star game itself is almost an afterthought. A large part of the crowd is made up of corporate owners, clients, and of course TV celebrities who are there simply to plug a new Fox television series or movie. Watch tonight and see how many times the FOX cameras will show some of these Hollywood types. They are there to simple plug their upcoming show. Most of them do not know a baseball from a football. It’s probably good they are there because the average baseball fan can’t afford to go anyway. Home Run Derby used to be free. Now ticket prices for the contrived event are out of sight. I got an email yesterday indicating there were still seats available. I entered a request for 2 tickets in the best possible locations. The information displayed showed 2 seats in the hinter lands of Yankee Stadium at a bargain 525.00 dollars each. Realizing I hadn’t won the lottery recently, I obviously declined and closed my browser.

As long as the events of All Star week draw huge local crowds it will continue. The TV ratings will continue to suffer but I suppose tonight’s game may draw larger numbers because of it being held in New York and the coming demise of Yankee Stadium. But overall I look at the event as a good way to get some rest before the second half of the season starts. You know, when the games start to count again.

Even though I am a Mets fan, I have to say that the loss of Bobby Murcer was very upsetting to me also. Although I do not like the Yankees, it’s not the players I despise as much as I do their fans. I like a lot of Yankee players and would welcome many of them on the Mets. As Jerry Seinfeld has said in one of his comedy routines, “ultimately, it’s really the laundry that we root for”.

The death of Bobby Murcer is tragic to all of New York baseball fans. Don’t forget, when Murcer first played across the river, it was during a time when the Mets were enjoying their first run of glory. His first full season was in 1969. While the Mets were fashioning an improbable world championship season, Murcer was playing in front of rather small crowds at the old Yankee Stadium. That season Bobby played in 152 games and hit .259 with 26 homeruns and 82 RBI. He never lived up to the hype of being the next Mantle but he certainly was a very good player and a Yankees drawing card.

As kids, those of us who were Mets fans tuned in to WPIX channel 11 in New York to root against the Yankees. So we were always aware what our cross-town rivals were up to. We knew the Yankee players as well as the Mets players. We just did not root for them. Murcer was one of those players. And while we were enamored with young Mets players like Cleon Jones, Tom Seaver, and Jerry Koosman, we knew the young Murcer had the potential of being a major threat for the hated Yankees.

Murcer continued to play well through the early seventies then something happened that changed his career. The Yankees and the city of New York decided to rebuild Yankee Stadium on the same grounds as the old one. While the work was to take place, the Yankees would play their home games in Shea Stadium. Murcer had averaged about 25 home runs a season in the old Yankee Stadium. With its short porch, Murcer’s left handed bat was perfect for the Stadium. And don’t forget that home runs were down during that pre-designated hitter era so 25 was a lot. 

When Murcer and the rest of the Bombers moved to Queens, something became terribly obvious. The right field fence was no where as close to home plate as it was at Yankee Stadium. Murcer hit only 10 homeruns in 1974. That prompted the Yankees to trade him to San Francisco for Bobby Bonds. Yankee fans went crazy. it was an extremely unpopular trade. Murcer was quoted on many occasions that it was the worst period of his career. So in a weird way, Shea Stadium, home of the Mets, had a major but negative impact on Bobby Murcer.