Toby Stoner, the right handed Mets pitching prospect, pitched a very impressive complete game victory tonight in Buffalo. Stoner looked very poised giving up just one run, a home run, on five hits. It was Stoner's first complete game since 2006 when he was with the Brooklyn Cyclones. The great news to report was that Stoner did not trip down the dugout steps, fall off the mound in writhing pain from a popped hamstring, or appear to have an elbow with bone chips floating around. Sorry, but the way this year has gone, I half expected to see something like that.

Meanwhile in the New York Penn League, the Brooklyn Cyclones who once held a commanding lead in the McNamara Division are about to fall to just a half game above the streaking Staten Island Yankees. Another Met team tanking late in the season...gees!

The Mets August is over. One month to go, 31 games left. They can’t be completed soon enough.

This is not about injuries, a depleted farm system, or if the Wilpons will ultimately sell or not (btw, I say they won’t). This is just about the state of the Mets without looking at what got us here.

The Mets record is currently 59-72 having yet to win their 60th game of the season. By comparison, over the previous four seasons, the Mets achieved win number 60 on August 16, 2005, July 26, 2006, August 1, 2007, and August 7, 2008 respectively. This season, win number 60 will not happen untill at least September 1st or later. Kind of puts things into perspective.

These Mets are simply unwatchable. Even when they win, it’s hard to care. It reminds me of the late 1970s when the Mets were totally irrelevant. How many games will the Mets finally win this season? Here are some things to consider.

The Mets have had only one winning month this entire season. That was in May when the Mets had a record of 19-9. Even with Jose Reyes on the shelf, you had to assume the Mets were going to compete having completed such an impressive month. But in June, it all fell apart with a 9-18 record. July got a bit better at 12-14 but the just concluded August schedule ended at 10-19, just dreadful.

Add to that the Mets have not won a series since July 27 through 30 when they won 3 of 4 from Colorado at Citi Field. Since then the Mets have split a two game set and a four game set and lost seven three game series. I guess the ultimate optimist would say at least the Mets were not swept in a series during this stretch.

So to answer the question of how many games the Mets will win, I would assume their rate of victories would remain the same considering none of the injured is likely to return except David Wright. No offense to David, but I can’t imagine he will make much of a difference coming back from a concussion.  

The Mets have ten series left, all are three game sets except for a four game set in Philadelphia because of a rain out earlier in the season.  Of the seven teams the Mets must play, only two, Washington and Houston, are not in contention. Colorado, Chicago, Atlanta, and Florida all have a shot at the post season with Philadelphia being a lock. And all these clubs, perhaps even the Nationals, are better than the Mets.

Let’s assume the trend continues and that the Mets win one game in each three game series and split the four game series in Philly. That would give the Amazin’s eleven more victories this year for a staggering 70-92 record.

But let’s take it a bit further. Does anyone believe this group of Mets, with their depleted pitching staff and anemic lineup, can really take two of four from the Phillies in Philadelphia? Let’s take a victory away from that series. Now the Mets record would be 69-73.

The Mets have six games with Washington. Currently, the Nationals lineup is superior to the Mets. I would not be surprised, especially the way the Nats play the Mets, that Washington could win five out of the six remaining games. Now the Mets record is reduced to 68-94. Maybe I am being extremely pessimistic but we have had five months to become very cynical.

Whether the Mets win 68 or 70 games, this will be the worst season since 2003 when the Mets finished 66-95 in last place 34.5 games behind Atlanta.

If the Mets can somehow win 13 games the rest of the way, they could beat their 2004 record of 71-91. Considering that the Mets won 12 games in July and 10 in August, that doesn’t seem likely. Like I said, these Mets are simply unwatchable.

August 31, 1969

Candlestick Park - In the first game of a Sunday doubleheader, Tom Seaver delivered one of the most dominating pitching performances of the season. Seaver pitched a complete game shutout against the Giants while striking out 11 batters and giving up just seven hits. It was Seaver's 19th win of the season against just seven losses. With the win, Tom Seaver tied Jerry Koosman for the most wins in team history. Jerry Koosman had won 19 in 1968, the most wins by a Met pitcher ever till Seaver tied him on this date. Seaver also drove in a run with a single in the Mets 8-0 route.

Jim McAndrew pitched nine innings in the night cap but unfortunately the score was tied 2-2 when he left the game. In the 11th inning, Ron Taylor walked in the winning run to give the Giants a split of the doubleheader.  

Record 76-54, second place 4 games back of Chicago. The Cubs won sweeping the series with Atlanta. The win combined with the Mets doubleheader split increased the Cubs lead in the east to four full games, two in the loss column. But the good news was the Mets gained quite a bit of ground on the Cubs in the last half of August. On August 14th, an off day after being swept by Houston, the Mets fell to 9.5 games back. But by the end of the month, the Mets had picked up 5.5 games on Chicago. With one month to go, it would still be a tough battle ahead. There were 32 games left in the season for the Mets to make a run at what many would have considered impossible when the season began way back on April 8th. 

August 30, 1969

Candlestick Park - The Mets got out to an early lead by scoring a run in the second inning. Don Cardwell started for the Mets and pitched well but walked in the tying run in the bottom of the third. In the sixth, Jerry Grote singled in the go ahead run. In the bottom of the 7th, Willie McCovey doubled in the tying run. With the score tied, the game went into extra innings. In the top of the 10th, Donn Clendenon hit a home run to put the Mets ahead 3-2. Tug McGraw retired the Giants 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 10th getting the win.

Record 75-53, second place, 3.5 games behind the Cubs who won again. Ken Boswell scored 2 runs going 3 for 4 in the game. 

In an article in today’s New York Times, Mets owner Fred Wilpon emphatically denies that he will sell the Mets and that the money they lost to Bernie Madoff was nowhere near the reported amount of 700 million dollars. The article has already been linked to on Metsblog.com and talked about on WFAN radio. Yet that has not stopped Evan Roberts, WFAN radio host, and his callers from assuming the article is inaccurate.

In the article, the Mets CEO made two points. One: the Mets are not for sale nor will they be in the future. The Mets will remain in the family, meaning Jeff (COO) will inherit the team and so will the grandchildren. Two: the amount of 700 million in losses as some have reported is way off base.

The evidence that Roberts, his co-host Joe Benigno, and others use to prove the Mets are hurting financially is that the Mets will reduce payroll next year. If that’s the case, the sole reason has to be that the club was fleeced by the now imprisoned Madoff.

But here’s the real story. It is likely that every Major League team with large payrolls will reduce the amount of money they spend next season. Even the powerful and super rich Yankees are said to be reducing their player expenses in 2010. If you haven’t heard, the country is in a recession, the worst since the great depression of the 1930s. Just look at your grocery bill to prove my point.

It’s easy for fans to assume the Mets are financially strapped because if the Wilpons have millions, and their revenue streams are tremendous, they should be able to simply spend money on players without consequence. They can’t. And it may have nothing to do with Madoff. It has to do with the economy.

A caller to the Saturday morning talk show asked Evan if he was calling Wilpon a liar. Roberts said no, that he liked Fred and thought he was a decent person. Well Evan, what are you calling Fred Wilpon then? You succinctly said that you did not believe his claims in the article because the Mets are cutting payroll next year. Sounds to me like you are saying the Mets owner is lying. But where is the story if Roberts and others were to report that the Yankees, as well as other teams, will br reducing payroll too. As they say, never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Another point to be made here is the bitter Mets fan whose desire is to see the Mets sold. Be careful what you wish for. While many of you think that the Wilpons are only out to make money (as if any one of us is not out to make money), the fact is they spent more money on their payroll than any other team in the National and American League except for the Yankees. That hardly proves that Fred and Jeff are ripping everyone off. If the Mets payroll was 40 million instead of 140 million, I would say there is merit in the claim. But that’s not the case and hasn’t been since the Wilpons took over full ownership several years ago. The Mets will likely continue to field the most expensive team in the NL next season because of how much more they spend compared to other teams and the other teams reducing their payroll as well.

If the Mets have spent their money wisely or not is another argument, one worth debating. But if you think Fred and Jeff are skipping gleefully down Flatbush Avenue to the bank this year, you’re wrong. They are just as upset about this season’s result as the most die hard fan. And if you think they are greedy, then it’s all the more reason for them to be upset. Fred knows his team is not the Yankees. He knows if the Mets don’t produce, no one will come. He has been with the organization since 1980. He has seen many empty seats in the lean years and knows that will not pay the bills or put money in his pocket.

You want the story of the 2009 Mets? Here it is… The Mets in 2009 suffered unbelievable injuries to all their star players. No team in baseball, including the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and whomever, could have survived by replacing their stars with farmhands standing by. Had the Mets remained healthy, they would have remained competitive, likely battling for the division again. We would probably be arguing over what moves Omar Minaya should have made at the trading deadline to bolster the teams chances in the shadow of falling short the last two seasons but make no mistake, the Mets would be contending.

Also, the injuries did expose cracks in the armor. The Tony Bernazard flap would have likely remained dormant had writers not needed something juicy to report. Bernazard needed to go and Minaya’s actions in doing so, blaming writer Adam Ruben, was reprehensible. It may still cost him his position.

The farm system was exposed in that the upper levels were barren of talent to bring up or to trade for Major League ready players. But the amount of injuries was so dramatic, I can’t fault Omar for not trading the chips they do have when likely, no difference would have been made.

Erin Arvedlund has written a book titled “To Good To Be True” which is about Bernie Madoff and the empire he built by swindling many of the wealthiest Americans. In the book she claims Fred Wilpon will be forced to sell the Mets, maybe as soon as 2010. Maybe she is right and maybe Fred is lying. But many have said the Wilpons assets are stable including Bob Dupay, the president of Major League Baseball. He oversees the financial reports of each team and he has reported the Mets are firmly in the black. Someone is not telling the truth, time will tell who it is.

And for those of you praying that Wilpon sells, who do you want to buy the Mets. How about Jim Dolan, he’s done a fine job with the Knicks and Rangers, don’t you think? Leon Hess sold the Jets to many fans’ applause. Just how many Superbowls have the Jets won under Woody Johnson? As I said before, be careful what you wish for. The grass is not always greener.

August 29, 1969

Candlestick Park - Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal shutout the Mets allowing only 4 hits as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Mets 5-0. Gary Gentry gave up four of the five runs en route to his eleventh loss of the season.

Record 74-53, second place 3.5 games back. The Cubs won their game against Atlanta.

Jose Reyes will miss the rest of the season. Likely, more than any other of the many major injuries the Mets suffered this season, the one to Jose Reyes sealed the Mets fate in 2009. 

According to an article in today's New York Daily News, Reyes has a completely torn tendon in the back of his right knee that connects the bone to the hamstring. However, this is the tendon used to replace the elbow tendon in Tommy John surgery and is expendable. Reyes may have surgery to remove the tendon which is causing the discomfort. Without it, Reyes could return to form next season side effect free.

The idea that the problem is more in Reyes's head, as some suggested, may not be fair. After all, Jose Reyes has averaged better than 158 games in his last four seasons. Of course before that in 2003 and 2004 he played in 69 and 53 games respectively due to leg injuries.

Reyes has played in fewer games this season than any other during his Major League career. So either he really is hurting or he is completely psyched out and fears doing much more damage to his leg(s) than he already has.

There was a comment in one of the New York papers recently that claimed a couple of Mets officials were exasperated with Reyes. It's hard to know if that is true but I can understand the sentiment if it is. When you compare Jose with other Mets that have been hurting yet still playing, Wright with a groin issue, Cora with torn tendons in his thumb, now Francouer with a torn thumb tendon, and Santana pitching with bone chips in his elbow, you can see why some might have felt Reyes needs to just get out there, scar tissue or not.

However, it's too late now anyway. The Mets are buried in both the division and wild card races. Why take the chance? There is no point of bringing him, or Beltran back for that matter, in a season where the Mets are going nowhere.  

I would hope that Reyes can bounce back next season and become the exciting player we have witnessed the previous four years. But the one thing that bothers me about him, besides his inability to heal, is his lack of baseball instinct.

For a long time we would hear the spin that Reyes is a young player and would learn the game and improve his fundamentals as he matured. Reyes is not that young anymore. He will be 27 years old next June. By then a Major League player should know how to play the game.

There is no question of Reyes's talent. But there is a question on his approach to the game. Reyes is probably more talented than Jimmy Rollins but Rollins is much smarter in his approach to the game. Rollins plays within his abilities extraordinarily well while Reyes often swings for the fences and does not read the situation consistently.

Reyes wonderful speed is often waisted. If he bunted his way on base once or more a week, he would raise his batting average 25 to 30 points and more importantly, he would be putting himself in position to wreck havoc on the base paths more often. When Reyes does those things, the Mets win. It's that cut and dry.

It's unlikely the Mets GM, be it Omar Minaya, John Ricco, or Bobby Valentine, will trade Jose Reyes. Because he has missed two thirds of the season, the Mets would never get equal value in return. Plus, Reyes could still be a huge asset for the Mets if he could only get his head together once healthy.

It is difficult to predict what Reyes will ultimately become for the Mets. He could be one of the all time great base running players, right up there with Rickey Henderson. Or he could be another Mets player with great potential that will just never live up to it like Darryl Strawberry. Time will tell.

First, Reyes needs to get healthy over the winter and get his legs back into shape where he feels confident to run the bases like he use to. Next year will likely be a turning point for Jose Reyes.

August 28, 1969

The Mets were off on this date 40 years ago. The Cubs salvaged the last game of their series with the Reds increasing their lead over the Mets to 2.5 games and remained even in the loss column.

With the Marlins new stadium coming online in 2012, the National League will have completed the process of replacing all ballparks except for Chicago's historic Wrigley Field and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, an historic site in its own right. 

If you could return through time to the early 1970s, you would discover that the majority of National League teams played in huge concrete donuts that were home to both a baseball and football team. Shea Stadium (Mets/Jets), Veterans Stadium (Phillies/Eagles), Three Rivers Stadium (Pirates/Steelers), Riverfront Stadium (Reds/Bengals), Busch Stadium II (Cardinals/Cardinals), Candlestick Park (Giants/49ers), Jack Murphy Stadium (Padres/Chargers), the Astrodome(Astros/Oilers), and Atlanta Stadium (Braves/Falcons) were multipurpose plants that looked frighteningly similar. Wrigley Field, Jarry Park in Montreal, and Dodger Stadium were the lone baseball only facilities in the NL at the time. Plus, at one point, more than half of these stadiums had Astroturf installed. The plastic grass and the behemoth style stadiums gave the baseball landscape a sterile backdrop. Add to that the silly softball style uniforms and it's not hard to pick the 1970s as the ugliest period in baseball history esthetically wise.

By contrast the American League still played their games in much older ballparks compared to the National League. Yankee Stadium had yet to be renovated. Baltimore was still in Memorial Stadium and the Indians played in the "mistake by the lake" as it was known, Municipal Stadium. Tiger Stadium, the old Comisky Park, County Stadium in Milwaukee, Metroplitan Stadium in Minneapolis and Arlington Stadium in Dallas-Fort Worth rounded out the old ballparks in the American League. Kansas City's Royals Stadium was the state of the art facility in the junior circuit, unusual in that it was a brand new park opened in 1969 as a baseball only facility. The bad news was that for some reason, Kansas City management felt it was a good idea to install Astroturf. For a period of time, Kaufman Stadium was the only American League ballpark with artificial turf. Anaheim Stadium, as it was known then, was a baseball only facility too when it first opened in 1966 then years later was expanded when the football Rams played there. Ironically when the Rams left for St. Louis, Anaheim Stadium was converted back to a baseball only facility and modernized.

Since the early 70's, 21 of 30 major league stadiums have been replaced or added through expansion. These do not include Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium, Kaufman (Royals) Stadium, and Tropicana Field that have all gone through major renovations. Nor does it include the new Marlins retractable roof ballpark mentioned above or Target Field, the Twins new open air ballpark that opens its doors next season. Even Wrigley Field and Fenway Park have gone through extensive renovation over the last few seasons.

Today, with all of this ballpark construction, the really good news is that the National League plays completely on natural turf again. Next year, the American League will be reduced to just two fields that will still have an artificial surface (Field Turf, a more grass like substance than Astroturf). Those parks are Roger's Center in Toronto and Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay. At least the Rays had the good sense to cut out the entire infield base paths unlike Roger's Center and the soon to be ex home of the Twins that still employ the sacrilegious sliding boxes.

The Rays would love to move out of Tropicana Field, a fixed dome stadium made into a cozier style ballpark when Tampa Bay came into the American League. They have a design but are in the very early stages of negotiations.

That leaves one team that truly is desperate for a new home and they are the Oakland Athletics who play in Oakland Alameda County Coliseum (at least give the A's credit for restoring the original name, dropping the corporate sponsor). The A's had plans to build a new open air, natural grass ballpark in nearby Fremont, California but those plans have fallen through. It is unclear what plans if any the A's have now of building a new facility.

Oakland Coliseum and Rogers Centre will be the only multipurpose stadiums left after this season. The Minnesota Vikings will continue to play in the Metrodome after the Twins move out next year.

Next season, the Twins move into Taget Field, an outdoor ballpark several blocks from the Metrodome. The stadium was designed by Populous (formally HOK) who designed Oriole Park, Citi Field, and the new Yankee Stadium among many others. It will be interesting to see how Minnesotans take to the cold weather in April, May, and late September.

Of course, the major weather problem in south Florida is rain. The new Marlins ballpark will feature a retractable roof, the sixth in the major leagues. Plus the Miami ballpark will not be retro like so many others built in the last twenty years. Because Miami is a modern city, the ballpark will reflect that with much steel and glass. Also the Marlins new home will be the smallest capacity in the majors at just 37,000, less than Fenway Park. When the Marlins move into their new stadium, they will change their name to the Miami Marlins as part of the deal struck with Dade County.

With the Dodgers, Cubs and Red Sox likely staying in their historic ballparks for the next 50 or so years, only the Rays and A’s will have to figure out where they are going. Once, that is done, Major League baseball facilities will be set for the 21st Century.

August 27, 1969

San Diego Stadium - In the first inning, Padre right fielder "Downtown" Ollie Brown homered off of Jerry Koosman to give San Diego a 1-0 lead. After the home run, Koosman gave up a single. That was the last hit for the Padres the rest of the evening. The Mets scored two runs in the third and two runs in the sixth to win the game 4-1.

Record 74-52, second place 2 games behind the Cubs who lost to Cincinnati again. More importantly, the Mets who at the middle of August were 9.5 games back of Chicago were now even in the loss column. Koosman's stellar pitching performance was matched at the plate as the Mets starter went 2 for 3 and scored a run. The win also marked the most the Mets had ever reached in a season. The Mets won 73 games in 1968, the most in their history until this evening's game.