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.