Mets Midseason Grades

Oh what a long strange trip it's been....

So how are we to view this first half of 2008? Are the Mets the woeful wannabes who struggled to get out of their own way? Or are they the ultra-hot Mets version 2.0 under Jerry Manuel?

First, there was the beginning....

Mar/Apr: 14-12
May: 13-15
June: 13-15

And then the Magic came back...

July: 11-2

And Mets fans hope it's here to stay. The Mets have had their fair share of injuries--Moises Alou, Ryan Church, Pedro Martinez, Luis Castillo, etc, etc. Not to use injuries as an excuse, but we're talking all-star caliber players, or at least quality major leaguers, at positions of need....that "hurts".

Toss in a dose of Matt Wise, Brian Schneider (Mr Green thumb), El Duque, Angel Pagan and the mini-dings of Carlos y Carlos, and it's easy to point to injuries as a major part in the struggles.

How about the ridiculous schedule? Devoted readers are probably sick of hearing about this from me, so I won't belabor the point. That said, the simple fact of the matter is that the Mets had a stupidly constructed schedule, yes, MLB schedule maker, I said you suck, and the worst of it came in late May through the middle of June.

OK, OK, no more excuses--the Mets have played poorly for the majority of the first half...that is a given. There have also been flashes of brilliance, a resurgent Jose Reyes, great signs from Delgado and Beltran, a clutch Damion Easley, more good news than bad from our pitching staff, and one hell of a great stretch from Mike Pelfrey.

Grades:

Front office: C-

Not that I don't appreciate some of Omar Minaya's great trades and pickups, but I am troubled by what seems to be a certain stubbornness when it comes to player evaluation. He loves the scrap heap and seems to abhor youth. He has led something of an underdog existence, and that shows in the players he favors--underdogs. Is he the right guy for us? I think so, but I don't think quite as highly of him as I once did.

Manager: C+

Willie Randolph did the best he could with an ill-constructed team...and it just wasn't good enough. He had some communication issues in the clubhouse, but I also would like to point out that he was a better field manager in 2008 than in year's past. Then again, he's another guy who has a stubborn streak in him--especially when it came to lineup construction. He was very much a guy who would put his guys out there regardless of current production. Sometimes you have to just sit someone down for a day or two and get them back in synch. Willie seemed loathe to do that.

Jerry Manuel, on the other hand, is a merit-based manager and divvies up playing time based on a variety of factors. The club is much looser under him and the results, at least thus far, are very promising.

Starting Hitters: C

Brian Schneider is very easy to root for. He plays hard, has a wonderful rapport with everyone, calls a good game, blocks the hell out of the plate, throws very well....and he can't hit a lick. C

Carlos Delgado: After a horrendous start he is hitting the ball well, driving in runs, and the numbers are creeping up to very respectable levels. C+

Luis Castillo oh Luis...I had such high hopes. The bottom line is his production is awful, his fielding has taken a downturn, and he can't stay healthy enough to play. It is going to get very interesting when he gets back...is he a sulker or a team guy? I hope the latter. D-

Jose Reyes is having the best offensive season of his career. He should have been an All-Star based on first half numbers that place him in the MVP discussion. Sure, he's had a few issues this year with the glove and with his temper, but he is still the most irreplaceable part of the Mets lineup. A-

David Wright is something of an anomaly in 2008. 70 RBIs are great, his hustle is always there, he is walking a ton, and he is out there giving 110% every day. Still, he has struggled against righties and he is hitting .239 with RISP, which seems a bit at odds with his 70 RBIs. I expect a much better second half from DW. B

Moises Alou oh yes, Moises Alou. Great guy, great bat, and just broken down. What a shame. F

Carlos Beltran is a wonderful player who has run hot and cold in 2008. He got off to a miserable start in April (.211), had a great May and June, and he has slumped again in July. The rest will do him good. Even with his sometimes inconsistent play and reduced power numbers, he is on pace for 100 runs scored and 100 RBIs. B

Ryan Church started like a ball of fire--the Shea faithful fell in love with him, and then the concussion occurred, his second of the year. He gamely tried to return (twice), but the lingering affects and the migraines were too much. Reports of his current health have either been greatly exaggerated or he is coming back to finish what he started. B-

Starting Pitchers: B

Johan Santana has been the bearer of more bad luck and lack of support than any pitcher in recent memory. His sparkling 2.84 era and 114 Ks against only 35 walks all point to a guy who should have 12+ wins. In his no-decisions Santana has a 1.69 ERA. In his losses it's 3.35. With just a bit of support he would have started the All-Star game. A

Pedro Martinez came back, probably too soon, got hurt again, and fought his way back to some shaky starts. He is still Pedro and he has looked much better of late--that is until he tweaked his shoulder. Who knows what we'll get with Pedro in the second half....his first half was a disaster. D

John Maine looked like he was going to embark on a 18-20 win season at the end of Spring Training. It was all working, he was in great shape, and the snap on his fastball made it look unhittable. And then a funny thing happened--the season started. His numbers have declined each month of 2008, and I have begun to wonder if something is physically wrong with him. His ERA by month, is: 3.58, 3.72, 4.24, 5.23. If that doesn't give you pause, then let me give you a tip--it should. I am watching Maine closer than any other Met over the next two weeks--I think we'll learn a lot. C+

Oliver Perez continues to confound Met fans the world over. Good Ollie or bad Ollie? Lately it's been a lot of the good--his last three starts have been superb, and we're all hoping that Good Ollie is here to stay. That said, he has been awful at times and cost the team some games. C-

Mike Pelfrey is coming off the best week of his professional life. In his last 9 starts he has a 2.26 ERA, and the team keeps on winning every time he goes out there. Yes he started slowly, but the Big Pelf of the last 7 weeks is the man. B

The Bullpen: B+

Pedro Feliciano is one of my favorite guys on the team. Gritty, nasty, death to lefty's...in fact, they hit .207 against him with a silly .585 OPS. He pitches all the time too--48 games already. A-

Aaron Heilman has turned his season around. From the worst stretch of his career to maybe the finest. He is our best bridge to Wagner and is getting incredible movement on his pitches. His grade here is lower because of his awful start, but my confidence in him is very high. C-

Joe Smith is the righthanded Feliciano. Yes, you can laugh at my man-crush now, but how many other 24-year old relievers hold the opposition to a .207 average? Righty's hit .190 against him, and lefty's hit a whopping .257. This kid is special. A-

Duaner Sanchez is one of the great Mets pickups of all-time....yes, I just wrote that. People outside of New York don't realize just how good this guy is. MLB is batting .205 against him with a .288 OBP. Sure, he has had 2 or 3 bad outings this year, but the fact of the matter is he is one of the very best middle relievers (I hate that term) in the game. B+

Scott Schoeneweis has really shown me something in 2008. He has pitched out of some tough jams, has an ultra solid 2.85 era, pitched whenever and wherever called upon, and helped solidify this pen. B+

Billy Wagner has been GREAT, then CRAP, and then GREAT again....the story of his career. Billy is Billy. B-

Bench: A-

Damion Easley turned his season around when he began starting. Solid defender, nice pop, gets the clutch hit--he is Mr Professional. A-

Fernando Tatis does the right thing at the right time. The feel good story in the NL in 2008. I love his exuberance. A-

Endy Chavez is not a starter, doesn't have any power, his speed is a bit overrated, and he is probably the best defensive outfielder in the game. A great guy to have on your bench. B

Ramon Castro is either the best backup catcher in the game or the slowest guy in professional sports this side of John Daly...I vote both. Got to love Shrek. B+

Marlon Anderson is having a rough year. What the heck happened to his bat? D

Overall Grade: B-

My expectations for the second half are riding high....I like the Mets chances....a lot...hope you do too.

Enjoy your coffee my friends! It's time to play some baseball!

Good Morning Mets Fans! 6 in a Row!

There was something in the air that night,
The stars were bright, Fernando!

From scrap heap, to scrappy star. Fernando Tatis is baseball's feel good story of the year.

On a day the Mets learned the Moises Alou era at Shea is most likely over, Tatis, a Comeback Player of the Year candidate, did it again. He went 3 for 5 with two doubles and a homerun, while driving in 4 runs. His 7th inning two-run bomb put the Mets up for good.

He is winning over the hearts of his manager, teammates and the Shea faithful with his hustle, clutch hitting, and the energy and smile he carries around with him...he is a gamer and exactly the type of player NY fans love to cheer.

Tatis stroked a two-run double in the third inning against Barry Zito before untying a 3-3 game with a shot over the fence in left-center against Sergio Romo (0-1) in the seventh. Fans chanted "Ta-tis" following the homer and again as he came to bat in the eighth inning.

When you lose [Alou and Church] you think of replacing them with like pieces," interim manager Jerry Manuel said. "But if you look around, you might have had that piece staring you in the face."

"This is New York," Tatis said. "Sometimes they are going to boo you and sometimes they are going to clap for you. So far they've been great." "He's a good ballplayer. He's always been a tough out. He's not a surprise to the guys who know him," said Billy Wagner, who was starring for Houston when Tatis had his one brilliant year.

And the clutch stats certainly tell the tale of this unlikely hero. He is hitting 12 for 26, .462, with runners in scoring position. How about pressure? In "close and late" situations he is hitting .368.

Fernando-Mania!

How amazing were the Mets pitchers against the Giants? How about 3 runs and 9 hits in 3 games....that is staggering.

John Maine didn't have great control yesterday and his pitch count suffered, but he didn't allow the Giants much.

The bullpen, for the second straight game, was the star. 4.1 innings of one-hit ball. Yesterday it was Muniz, Schoeneweis (who got the win), Goggles and Billy Wagner.

Our young guys continue to rake--David Wright had two doubles and Jose Reyes drove in a run...not sure if you are aware, but neither player is going to the All-Star game.

So here we sit, after a 6-game winning streak, 4 games over .500, 1.5 games back in the NL East, and 3.5 games back in the NL Wild Card.

We talked about our favorable schedule earlier in the week, and how big a part that is going to play for the rest of the year. The Mets are very much in the hunt and are 14-9 under Jerry Manuel.

Guys are hitting, guys are pitching, we're running more and the results have been tremendous. Let's take it to the Rockies and close out the first half in style.

It's a good morning to be a Mets fans. Enjoy your coffee you wild-eyed optimists!

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
San Francisco (39-53)	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	3	3	2
N.Y. Mets (48-44) «	0	0	3	0	0	0	4	0	x	7	9	0

Players of the Game

New York D. Wright AB 3 R 2 H 2 HR 0 RBI 0

New York F. Tatis AB 5 R 1 H 3 HR 1 RBI 4

New York Mets
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jose Reyes, SS	4	0	1	1	1	0	1	.300
Argenis Reyes, 2B	5	1	1	0	0	1	5	.308
David Wright, 3B	3	2	2	0	2	0	0	.288
Carlos Beltran, CF	5	1	1	1	0	0	6	.265
Fernando Tatis, RF-LF	5	1	3	4	0	0	1	.303
Carlos Delgado, 1B	4	0	0	0	1	0	2	.246
Nick Evans, LF	4	1	1	0	0	0	2	.185
Endy Chavez, RF	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	.268
Brian Schneider, C	1	1	0	0	3	1	0	.249
John Maine, P	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	.111
Carlos Muniz, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
a- Chris Aguila, PH	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.167
Scott Schoeneweis, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
b- Damion Easley, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.286
Duaner Sanchez, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Billy Wagner, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Totals	34	7	9	6	8	2
a-hit a sacrifice bunt for Muniz in the 6th
b-grounded out for Schoeneweis in the 7th
Batting
2B - David Wright 2 (24, Romo, Matos), Fernando Tatis 2 (5, Zito, Zito)
HR - Fernando Tatis (4, Romo)
SH - Chris Aguila (1)
RBI - Jose Reyes (40), Carlos Beltran (63), Fernando Tatis 4 (18)
2-OUT RBI - Jose Reyes (21)
Team LOB - 12
Fielding
DP - A. Reyes-Delgado

New York Mets
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
John Maine	4.2	2	3	3	5	8	0	3.99
Carlos Muniz	1.1	0	0	0	1	1	0	5.54
Scott Schoeneweis (W,1-2)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2.72
Duaner Sanchez	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	3.63
Billy Wagner	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2.43
WP - John Maine 2 (9)
Pitches-Strikes - John Maine 109-63, Carlos Muniz 20-10, Scott Schoeneweis 8-5, Duaner Sanchez 21-12, Billy Wagner 5-5
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - John Maine 2-4, Scott Schoeneweis 2-1, Duaner Sanchez 1-0, Billy Wagner 1-2
Batters Faced - John Maine 21, Carlos Muniz 5, Scott Schoeneweis 3, Duaner Sanchez 4, Billy Wagner 3

Mets Misery

Another superb start wasted, but this time there would be no 13th inning heroics, only a crushing defeat and a team that, for all intents and purposes, is starting to look defeated.

David Wright, the poster boy for accountability and optimism, looks absolutely crushed right now in the dugout. The losses are taking a toll on the Mets young star.

The Mets faithful, who have supported this team to the tune of 3 million visitors per year, are angry--and they should be.

Change is a coming my friends, and it will be Willie--it has to be Willie.

Has he done anything egregiously wrong of late in his game management? Absolutely not, in fact I would say the opposite is true.

But as we've reported here for months, accountability starts with the leader, and Willie Randolph, as the Manager, is the leader of this bunch.

It's time for a change....maybe too late, but maybe soon enough to salvage 2008.

The Mets Are Not Really an Old Team

I've been having an interesting chat with a guy who has been convinced all year long that the Mets problems stem from the fact that they are an "old team".

I decided to take a look at all the teams, and here are the results. Yes, the Mets are the oldest team in baseball at 30.8 years of age on average, but considering that the Phillies are 30.6, the Red Sox 30.4, and the Cubs 30.3, I don't think the extra tenth or two of average makes a hill of beans difference.

The Mets are playing poorly, but not because they're old.

Major League Rosters
RNK	Team	RHB	LHB	SH	RHP	LHP	HT	WT	Age	Young	Old
1	Arizona	7	5	2	9	3	6-2	205	27.6	20	44
2	Florida	8	5	2	15	4	6-2	207	27.6	21	40
3	Minnesota	8	4	3	11	3	6-1	210	27.7	22	37
4	Texas	6	5	3	14	4	6-2	217	27.8	23	37
5	Oakland	10	7	1	11	3	6-1	209	27.8	22	40
6	Tampa Bay	7	6	2	11	3	6-1	207	27.9	22	38
7	Colorado	9	6	1	11	4	6-2	207	27.9	22	38
8	Washington	10	4	4	12	3	6-1	221	28.1	23	36
9	Baltimore	6	4	2	14	6	6-2	208	28.3	22	37
10	LA Angels	9	2	5	10	2	6-1	205	28.3	23	37
11	Pittsburgh	9	4	1	5	7	6-0	205	28.4	24	36
12	Kansas City	7	5	1	12	3	6-1	200	28.5	24	37
13	Cleveland	8	4	2	9	5	6-1	207	28.6	22	37
14	San Francisco	9	3	4	9	6	6-1	204	28.6	22	41
15	Atlanta	6	5	4	12	6	6-1	207	28.7	22	42
16	Cincinnati	10	6	1	11	4	6-1	212	29.2	21	40
17	LA Dodgers	10	5	3	10	3	6-1	212	29.2	20	40
18	St. Louis	9	3	2	17	4	6-2	210	29.3	22	39
19	Detroit	11	3	3	9	6	6-1	201	29.4	23	43
20	NY Yankees	5	5	3	19	1	6-3	222	29.5	21	39
21	San Diego	8	4	3	14	4	6-1	206	29.5	25	42
22	Milwaukee	10	3	0	13	4	6-1	211	29.8	22	39
23	Seattle	10	3	1	8	4	6-1	213	29.8	22	38
24	Chicago Sox	10	2	1	8	4	6-2	225	29.9	23	37
25	Toronto	11	4	1	10	4	6-1	210	30.0	23	40
26	Chicago Cubs	9	4	0	12	3	6-1	208	30.3	22	38
27	Boston	6	6	2	11	3	6-2	208	30.4	23	42
28	Philadelphia	7	4	2	11	4	6-1	205	30.6	23	45
29	NY Mets	5	5	6	10	6	6-1	209	30.8	24	42
30	Houston	8	2	3	10	3	6-0	204	30.8	23	41

Ryan Church to the Disabled List

The bad news, 3 weeks after he was concussed, the Mets have placed Ryan Church on the 15–day disabled list.

Moises Alou takes his place on the roster.

The good news? The transaction is retroactive to last Friday, so he can come back on June 20th.

Of course, that is supposing his symptoms go away.

BTW, NY Sports Dog sponsors Ryan Church on Baseball-Reference.com.

Get well soon!

Deja Vu All Over Again

What a brutal offensive stretch for the Mets--three straight losses to the San Diego Padres by 2-1 scores.

The real shame? The pitching has been brilliant.

The Mets now stand 6.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East, and 5.5 games behind the Cards for the Wild Card, with four other teams sandwiched between.

Ever the eternal optimist when it comes to the Mets, I have begun to worry.

I'm worried that we'll never have the offensive consistency needed to win 90+ games.

I'm worried that Moises Alou won't have 90 more games of baseball left in his old body.

I'm worried that Ryan Church might have cobwebs for another month.

I'm worried that our weak hitting bench is going to be the team's downfall.

Speaking of the bench, I love those guys individually, but as a unit they have got to be among the worst in baseball. Tatis, Endy, Easley, Castro, Casanova, and Nunez?

My kingdom for Angel Pagan!

Hey Omar....we need some offense, and I believe it is time to make a move and part ways with one of the weak hitting guys that currently make up our roster. Tatis is the obvious candidate, but don't rule out Easley....he has just lost his ability to turn on a fastball and cover the plate on breaking pitches.

It's time for a move on the bench and a little shakeup.

Damion Easley Stats and Projections--what has he done to deserve 360 at bats this season?

2008 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Season	37	96	7	22	4	0	1	11	5	13	0	0	.229	.262	.302	.564
Career	1630	5264	709	1323	281	25	158	651	496	910	114	56	.251	.328	.404	.732
Last 7	4	10	1	4	1	0	0	3	1	1	0	0	.400	.455	.500	.955
Projected	138	358	26	82	15	0	4	41	19	48	0	0	.229	.262	.302	.564

Good Morning Mets Fans!

Pedro the Great made a magnificent return to the mound last night, throwing 6 innings to beat the San Francisco Giants on a blustery night.

He pitched well; he hit better; his energy and enthusiasm were on display for everyone, and his teammates responded.

What is it about Pedro that brings out the best in the Mets?

His teammates love him:

"Coming into this season, we were going to lean on Pedro," David Wright said yesterday afternoon, "so tonight, we get an opportunity to do that. It was good to see him work his butt off to get back here and I'm excited about it because Pedro is an integral part of our team. We need him because we need to solidify that No. 2 spot in the rotation."

"It was a big shock to all of us when he got hurt," Ryan Church said. "Now it's a big shot in the arm for us that he's back. Everything he does, he just makes it fun and keeps everybody loose."

"Just the day itself is big and it's something that we've been waiting for," Moises Alou said of Martinez's return. "We hope he throws a no-hitter. But just the fact that he's going out to pitch is huge. To get him back and to have Pedro pitch every five days is really a big positive for our team. We as players get as excited as the fans. It's a great feeling to have your horses rejoin the team. We're going to need every single one of our guys to fulfill out goal."

In a piece by Steve Popper, he tells how before the game Pedro was fully-dressed while teammates bustled about, already in uniform, Martinez watched quietly as the Yankees game played on the clubhouse televisions. Without a word he watched Joba Chamberlain struggle through an arduous first inning.

Finally, he called out to a few reporters and said, “When you want to ask me about velocity, look at him. He’s got all the velocity he needs.” What was left unsaid was that velocity wasn’t helping Chamberlain on this night as his location failed him and his pitch count rose.

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
N.Y. Mets «	1	0	0	0	8	0	0	0	0	9	10	2
San Francisco	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	3	6	9	3

W: P. Martinez (1-0) L: B. Zito (1-9) S: B. Wagner (12) HR: NYM - None SF - T. Denker (1)

Recap/Box · GameCenter

Pedro had really good stuff last night, touching 93 on the radar gun with decent control and plenty of movement on his pitches. He threw 109 pitches in all, and gave up 7 hits and 3 walks (one intentional), while striking out 3.

"I felt real good, just like I expected to feel," Martinez said. "I got my feet wet a little bit today."

He also added, "It's not over until the season's over, but I would say I feel really good, really confident now," Martinez said. "(The weather) was really uncomfortable, especially for my changeup, my feel pitches. I threw more fastballs than normal and I got away with it."

Pedro helped his own cause at the plate, going 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored."I told the guys I was going to get a hit, and I've always got to give them the 'double guns' and a little shake when I do that," he said, smiling.

The Mets hit well last night and erupted for an 8 run inning that sealed the deal early. Damian Easley was the hitting star, going 3 for 4 with a walk and 3 RBIs.

All told the Mets got 10 hits and 5 walks with a balanced attack. In fact, they managed those 9 RBIs with Easley as the only batter to have more than one hit.

Read more about Pedro in the NY Daily News here.

Here's a piece about Pedro's quality start.

In other Mets news....

There's some speculation going on that Castro and Schneider are now part of a platoon. I'm not buying it. What I am buying is the fact that Castro is a backup who is going to get 40 starts a year. He was hurt for a while and has a hot bat against lefty's, so he has some catching up to do (love the pun!).

More on the alleged platoon by Adam Rubin.

Here's a piece on the struggles of Ollie Perez and his arm slot.

OK Mets fans, enjoy your coffee and remember to Vote for Pedro!

Omar Meeting with Willie Today

Image via WikipediaAs we said this morning, tonight could be the end of Willie Randolph's time at the helm of the Mets.

Omar Minaya is in Colorado rather "unexpectantly."

It's tough to get anyone to say anything on record or off, but we're trying.

Will Willie Randolph be fired? The tea leaves say yes.

Weather Looking "Iffy" for Shea and the Mets

What say you Mets fans?

Will the Mets play tonight or will the game get rained out?

Can David Wright break out of his slump?

Can Mike Pelfrey return to the form he displayed early in the season?

Will Carlos Delgado take a home curtain call?

Who is Willie going to have hit in the #2 hole?

Has your week been good or bad, and were you counting on a Friday night home game to make life just a tad bit better?

Keep those finger's crossed....early season rainouts after an off day are not a good thing!

Say it with me: No Mets Rainout!

Moises Alou Steals Home!

Image via WikipediaIs he the oldest player to ever do it?

Let's look it up! Hmmmmm....no one is talking about this, and I cannot find this particular record anywhere. The closest info I found comes from the always great "Baseball Fever" (Link Below).

OK, someone knows...I think...Bueller? Anyone?

UPDATE: I have found out that at least four players have stolen home after age 40, and the list already included Moises Alou, who did it in 2006. The others are Minnie Minosa (probably the oldest when he did it), Davey Concepcion, and Paul Molitor.

I am still looking for help!

To watch Moises stealing home click here: here.

Stealing home plate is NOT an officially recorded statistic so research into this unusual feat is still considered on-going.

Here is a list of players who had at least ten (10) documented steals of home during their career:

Stealing Home Plate Ten Times in a Career
1	Ty Cobb	54
2	Max Carey	33
3	George Burns	28
4	Honus Wagner	27
5	Sherry Magee	23
	Frank Schulte	23
7	Johnny Evers	21
8	George Sisler	20
9	Frankie Frisch	19
	Jackie Robinson	19
11	Jim Sheckard	18
	Tris Speaker	18
	Joe Tinker	18
14	Rod Carew	17
	Eddie Collins	17
	Larry Doyle	17
17	Tommy Leach	16
18	Ben Chapman	15
	Fred Clarke	15
	Lou Gehrig	15
21	Bobby Byrne	14
	Fritz Maisel	14
	Fred Merkle	14
	Vic Saier	14
25	Heinie Zimmerman	13
26	Donie Bush	12
	Sam Rice	12
28	Shano Collins	11
	Harry Hooper	11
	George Moriarty	11
	Braggo Roth	11
32	Buck Herzog	10
	Jimmy Johnston	10
	Rabbit Maranville	10
	Paul Molitor	10
	Babe Ruth	10
	Billy Werber	10
	Ross Youngs	10
Stealing Home Plate Ten Times in a Career

The last National League player to steal second, then third, then home plate during the same inning was Eric Young of the Colorado Rockies on June 30, 1996. The last American League player to steal second, then third, then home plate during the same inning was Chris Stynes of the Kansas City Royals on May 12, 1996. The career record for these larcenous occurrences are four (4) in the American League by Ty Cobb and three (3) in the National League by Honus Wagner.

So Moises Alou did it last night, and I am frustrated by my inability to figure out if he is the oldest to do it. Thanks to Baseball Fever for the above stats.

Good Morning Mets Fans!

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
N.Y. Mets «	3	1	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	7	12	1
Arizona	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	7	0

W: J. Maine (3-2) L: M. Owings (4-1) HR: NYM - R. Church (4), D. Wright (5) ARI - None

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And a great morning it is, with my coffee tasting especially delicious after the Mets dominating 7-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Moises Alou made a triumphant return and singlehandedly set the lineup straight while going 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI.

"I know my presence can help this team a lot," said Alou, "I'm a big part of this lineup. ... I always have a lot of confidence in my talent."

With Alou back, Manager Willie Randolph again put Ryan Church in the 2 hole with spectacular results.

Church went 2 for 4 with a sacrifice, and hit a long home run on a fastball up and away. The Mets are now 6-0 with Church in the 2 hole. Ryan had something to say about the Mets blowout loss against the Bucs and how the Mets rebounded.

"We used the off day to put all of that stuff behind us and get some rest," Church said. "What happened Wednesday was embarrassing, so this was a gut check. We responded."

The other member of the Mets "1-2-3 punch" at the top of the lineup also came to play.

Jose Reyes had one of his best games of the season, going 4 for 5 with three runs scored and a stolen base. Coming up for his last at bat a HR away from the cycle, Reyes jumped on a fastball and sent it careening off the top of the center field wall. In the blink of an eye he was rounding third trying for an inside the park HR. But the DBacks hit the cutoff man, and Reyes was thrown out easily at home.

"When I hit the ball I didn't think about home plate but when I saw the ball I put my head down and ran," Reyes said. "They made a perfect throw to home plate."

With no outs in the inning, sending Reyes was probably not the wisest move, but the fan in me loved it. Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose! As Reyes goes, so do the Mets.

"We all feed off each other, especially Jose," Randolph said. "This is a good time for him to heat up, and hopefully this is the start of that. When Jose is doing what he's doing, that's why we win."

David Wright was locked in last night. The Mets superstar went 3 for 5 and knocked in 2 runs on his 5th homerun of the year. He also made a rally killing over the shoulder grab in foul territory that had players and fans staring in disbelief. These daily heroics are becoming routine to fans of Wright....he is an amazing talent.

John Maine pitched 6 strong innings to get the win.

Enjoy your coffee!

Fire Willie Randolph? No!

Image via WikipediaOne month into the season and the "Fire Willie Randolph" brigade is in full force.

This morning there's an article in the New York Sun by Tim Marchman that tries to stoke the "fire".

The Bergen Record's Steve Popper tells us that "Willie's honeymoon is over".

So why should they keep him? There are several reasons, foremost among them that Willie's teams have won.

Plain and simple, they have won.

Managerial Record Glossary

 Year    League   Team     Age  G     W    L    WP   Finish
+----+-----------+--------+---+-----+----+----+------+------+
2005 NL East     NewYorkM  50   162   83   79   .512      3
2006 NL East     NewYorkM  51   162   97   65   .599      1
2007 NL East     NewYorkM  52   162   88   74   .543      2
2008 NL East     NewYorkM  53    26   14   12   .538      2
+----+-----------+--------+---+-----+----+----+------+------+
TOTAL                           512  282  230   .551

At 14-12, with injuries that have hampered Carlos Beltran, forced Brian Schneider, El Duque, Moises Alou, Matt Wise, Ramon Castro and Pedro to the DL, the Mets have won.

With slow offensive starts by Reyes and Carlos Delgado, the Mets have won.

With Ollie Perez reverting to "Bad Ollie", the Mets have won.

With Aaron Heilman pitching the worst relief of his career, the Mets have won.

With inexplicably bad defense from Jose Reyes, the Mets have won.

If Willie were to be fired, it should have happened right after last season. By bringing him back based on his strong 2006 and the Mets overall strong 2007, they have stated that Willie is the man.

Let's get everyone back, or at least Schnieder, Alou and Pedro, and see what Willie's Mets can do.

In my opinion, the bellweather for this team is playing with a full squad and seeing where we are at the All-Star break, which is the week of 11-15 July.

If the Mets are at, or very near, the top of the NL East, you keep fighting the good fight.

If not, then you maybe, just maybe, make a move.

You don't do it in May.

You don't even talk about it in May.....unless you're a young Big Stein.

Willie deserves at least half a season with the 2008 squad...at least.

Did I mention the Mets have won with Willie?

The Mets, The Mets, The Mets

One bit of good news to start off your day. Brian Schneider's thumb has gone from this to this:

I think having him back on the field will help a ton.

Yesterday was brutal. Ollie Perez absolutely melted down in what could have been his easiest game of the year.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that there isn't all that much to say this morning. It was a "bad beat", and you just have to chalk it up to one of those things. How often does a game get delayed 40 minutes for a freakin water main break?

It was an omen.

Apparently Ramon Castro tweaked his leg again yesterday....unbelievable. Hope for the best, but word is he walked really slowly off the field after injuring himself last night in a rehab game.

The Broadway opening of Angel Pagan and the Mets defense yesterday in their new hit "Fielding Follies" was a real crowd pleaser.

Oh good! Billy Wagner is starting to rip his teammates in public....that always goes over well.

Anyway, let's make something happen in Arizona....we did win three in a row before yesterday's beating, so all is not lost on this writer...win another series, play another game, fight the good fight always.

--Dave