213 Miles From Shea

An all too common event with the Mets over the last several seasons is this ability to take a fantastic step forward. A step forward that is long over do. They make that step and celebrate. Then they make a big deal about making that step. Then we the fans celebrate that the team was finally competent enough to make that step. All is good. Then generally immediately the Mets take two steps backwards and stumble backwards on a staircase, roll and crash into the kitchen sink.

This time around its managing young talent, again.

The Mets, once it seemed that things were going so poorly they needed Tejada back and to bring up Fmart, there was much celebrating. Tejada and Fmart were given starting jobs (with Tejada getting the public go ahead and Fmart given a murky go ahead).

Of course, the Mets didn't think things completely through and had to do deal with Castillo and Francoeur who made enought noise for well, Francoeur to work himself into some sort of odd three or four person platooning situation and Castillo into a total headache.

This was of course compacted by Tejada being a non-factor since his call up and Fmart going 2-13 (honestly I'm surprised he has be given that many AB's).

The obvious problem is that now as both of them look to head into platoon world, the entire puprose of their call-up is loss. Young talent cannot sit around on the bench. They need to play everyday somewhere (minors or majors). This hit a peak last night when Jerry said he needs to put together the best lineup with what he has. Thats fine. Thats a strategy with a team. However, the GM then needs to realize if that is the strategy, then the future pieces of the team, need to be back in the minors. It is somewhat ok for veterans and young players that don't look like they will pan out, to be in this sort of cloudy “We Have No Idea Who Is Going To Play Land” but it is not ok for higher level prospects.

For example, if you want to go with a Carter/Pagan/Francoeur/Beltran rotation in the OF, then Fmart needs to go back to the minors.

With second base, its a different story. Since we got rid of Cora (right move) and benched Castillo (right move) now you HAVE to go with Tejada everyday.

Let's hope for some common sense soon.  

Easily one of the best things about the 2010 Mets season (all jokes aside of lack of positives on the field) has been Joe Petruccio. Joe has been making fantastic pieces of art after every single Mets game this year and each work really captures the essence of the game in the sense of what actually happened on the diamond and what happened in our heads/hearts as Mets fans. One of his running jokes for the majority of the season has been the “Ollie Box”. It is literally what it sounds like where Jerry Manuel put Oliver Perez in a box during his first stint of the DL this season. It now has evolved into placing all of our headache's in boxes.

Anyway there has been a public outcry for merchandise with the Ollie Box so Joe delievered with the Ollie Box store where you can get Oliver Perez in a box items on everything. The logo looks like this:

Without a doubt this falls in the clever T-shirts by fans category. His shop can be found here. Check it out!

Players and fans have been looking towards the MLB to make a stand against the SB 1070 bill in Arizona by revoking the All-Star game from the state, who will host in 2011 (not all players and fans support action from the MLB). Major League Baseball has yet to do something (and honestly I will be very surprised if they do anything). For the most part this issue, in the world of baseball, has taken a back seat since the 2010 All-Star game but came back with a roar yesterday at Nationals Ballpark after a very elaborate protest.

The protest started before the game with a group outside of the park displaying a sign/banner over the parking garage, which as you can imagine was removed fairly quickly (because Major League stadiums are generally inclined to keep any sort of human rights controversy out of the ball park).

The actual event though took place in the fifth inning. First one person ran out on the field. Then another person ran out on the field, and they met in the center. As the cops/security captured them, another pair of people ran out on the field with a banner. As they were being tackled by the police/security, another banner was rolled out over the batter's eye asking for the All-Star game to be moved.

Without getting into the politics, they thought this through. That was pretty good thinking to have people run on the field first in order to distract security so more people can run out there with banners.

Entertainment aside, this brings the Arizona Law and MLB issue back again to the forefront of conversations. The immigration issue in America in general is a conversation that needs to happen and is pretty long over due and although sports should stay away from politics, they will not be able to on this one. Players are going to voice their opinions, in both directions, about the law as the All-Star game rolls around next year and there will almost definitely be players who skip the game to show their feeling against merits of the law as there will also be players who will take offense to actions of the former.

The Mets try to take the rubber game and the series tonight as they play the Sunday Night game against the Phillies. The first game featured fantastic pitching for the Amazin's as the edged the Phillies by the score 1-0 (continuing to frustrate Hammels). Then last night's game was overshadowed by defensive miscues and the continued anemic offense. The Mets send out Pelfrey in the hope that he battles back Kendrick and the Phils.

Pelfrey made a fine start last time out as he picked up his 11th win of the season after tossing 7 scoreless, 4 hit innings against the Rockies. He is 1-1 against the Phillies this year as he has allowed 6 ER and 11 hits over 11 innings against the Phillies. The Phillies have these numbers lifetime against Big Pelf:

Hey folks, just a light Game Preview today (not enough time to compose a full one).

The Mets try to take game two against the Phillies tonight as Misch gets his first start of the season. In AAA this year, Misch is 11-4 with a 3.24 ERA, and many Mets fans wonder why he wasn't called up sooner. Last season he became a regular in the rotation for the last part of the year where he had a 4.12 ERA over 59.0 innings. He only allowed 2 ER against the Phillies last season over 7.2 innings of work. He also has a bit of a streak to try to keep up as the Phillies have now played four games at Citi Field without scoring a run.

The Mets batters will get another chance this season to crack Hallladay who was a winner in his last game against the Amazin's. The Mets did rough him up though (finally) as the Mets tagged him for 5 runs over 7 innings. Lets do it again! Lets Go Mets!

The Mets will try to make it two in a row, for the first time since June, tonight as they take on the Phillies at Citi-Field. The last three games that the Mets have won have all been shutouts including a 1-0 shutout win vs the Phillies last weekend, another 1-0 vs the Rockies on Monday and 4-0 one yesterday vs the Rockies.

Dickey showed that he was human for the first time in a while in his last outing, and he looks to reverse that tonight. In his last outing he allowed 6 runs, 4 earned over 3 innings against the Phillies. Earlier this season he had a great outing against the Phillies where he shut them out over 6 innings. Overall, the Phillies have these numbers on Robert Allen:

On the other side of the mound the Mets will get another crack at Cole Hamels who is 7-8 with a 3.45 ERA on the season. He had a great outing against the Mets the last time out but was playing against Santana and well he needed to be perfect to win. He allowed one run over his 7 innings of work. The Mets have these numbers on Cole:

Lets Go Mets!

And now to honor a contender for the 2010 Mets MVP:

(via Daily Stache)

Because sometimes, your 4th OF is about 78% of the team's total offense.

In cased you missed, because I sure did, Igarashi had to take a cab yesterday to get to Citi Field. Yeah, a cab. He was currently in Scranton, PA (think The Office) when he boarded a cab at 9:30 in the morning to head to New York. As Adam Rubin reports, the kicker of course was that the driver has never been to New York City. Oh, and the bill was $300.

I wonder what that discussion was like……..(everything beyond this point is fictional):

Igarashi (hailing down a cab): Ah Thank You!
Cab Driver: Where to partner?
Igarashi: Citi Field sir.
Cab Driver: The Citi Bank down the street has a field now? I'll have to take my kids.
Igarashi: No, I mean Citi Field the ball park.
Cab Driver: Sir, the ball park in town is not called Citi Field.
Igarashi: I know, I'm a New York Met, probably why you don't know me. I need to got Citi Field, Queens New York.
Cab Driver: Really?
Igarashi: Yes.
Cab Driver: Really? Really?
Igarashi: Yes.
Cab Driver: Am I on candid camera?
Igarashi: No. I need to go to Queens.
Cab Driver: Really?
Igarashi: YES!

Hour Later, Somewhere In NJ

Cab Driver: Want to stop at a rest stop?
Igarashi: Not really, all they have is Burger Kings, I don't like corporate culture.
Cab Driver: Speaking of which, did you know that the Scranton MiLB team is owned by the city….

Some time later, Near the Goethals  Bridge:

Igarashi: Take this, its shorter!
Cab Driver: I have to drive you from Scranton to Queens, you know I'm taking the long way.
Igarashi: ?
Cab Driver: George Washington Bridge FTW!

Some time around the sixth inning at Citi Field:

Igarashi: Thanks man, I appreciate it, actually could you wait here a minute
Cab Driver: Sure
Manuel comes running out shoving a blindfolded man in the back seat
Perez: Where's my surprise?
Manuel: It's coming!
Manuel (to Cab Driver): Just drop him off in Scranto