The M&M Mets: A New "M" on Board

With the birth of my baby girl, Maggie, born last Friday, part of my job as first-time dad is to sing my daughter's praises and encourage others to do likewise. I realize that no one is going to say anything other than nice things. (She's beautful! What a smile! Such a grip with those tiny fingers!) I also realize that people really mean those things when they are talking about Maggie; she's great.

But I'm not hear to brag. Just to point that the Mets are 3-0 since Maggie was born. Not bragging, just saying.

The Wright and Wrong Report: Memorable Phrases

Some memorable quotes from our favorite broadcasters:

"Carlos Beltran is the king of the salami!" --Howie Rose of WFAN after Beltran's grand slam gave the Mets a 7-0 lead.

"And the Mets have sent the Braves back to oblivion." --Gary Cohen on Ch. 11 after the Mets won 10-6, completing their first three game sweep ever at Turner Field and first three game sweep in Atlanta in 21 years.

What else is there to say? This sweep was a statement, even as much as Willie Randolph tried to downplay it. The players might not have been around for all the futility, but they must know how much this meant to Mets fans.

Bring on more big series, and I bet we'll see Carlos Beltran carry this team even further.

The Wright And Wrong Report: Um, Who's Whose Daddy?

"We’re still the team to beat," Andruw Jones said, thumbing through the issue of Sports Illustrated with five Mets players on the cover. "We’re always the team to beat." -- The New York Times 7/23

Hey Andruw--fuck you. Twice.

The Mets might have played down the importance of this series to the press, but anyone watching the first inning the past two days would realize that these guys are pissed about all the crap certain members of the Braves said to the media. Since Pedro Martinez realized he could pitch without pain in the top of the second Friday, these games have been no contest. This team--which still manages to surprise me even after 103 games--has woken up. Even though it's kind of worrisome that the Mets don't play with such authority every game, it's understandable with double digit lead in the midst of a hot summer. It is nice to see that when the spotlight is on, these guys can kick it up a level.

Bring on a sweep.

Bring on the post-season--these guys will be amped and ready.

The Wright And Wrong Report: Bless That Moustache

Whew.

Perhaps John Maine deserves to stay in the rotation? 17 consecutive scoreless innings would seem to be a good enough reason for me.

The Wright And Wrong Report: A Good Reason I WAW

I got to go to see the Cyclones last night...for free...with free food and drinks provided...and fans got a free mug when you walked in.

I honestly didn't care about the Mets score after a night like that. (Even though the highlights looked putrid on SNY.)

But there better not be a sweep today.

Wasting Endy's Homerun

The Mets have faced big name pitchers three games in a row--Roy Oswalt, Greg Maddux, and Carlos Zambrano--and they have racked up 17 runs. Delgado has continued to shake his slump and tonight Endy Chavez, of all people, came through with a three-run homer. The offense has looked great.

The starting pitching has been useless. Trachsel, Pelfrey, and Glavine have coughed up over 20 runs and lasted barely 15 innings. To paraphrase Fishbone, that is U-G-L-Y and there is no alibi. Adding insult to ass-kicking is the fact that the Astros and Cubs are terrible teams offensively.

I know all of this is obvious. Tonight I indulge in a bit of venting. Tomorrow the Cubs go for the sweep.

Bring us the stamina of Pedro Martinez.

The Wright and Wrong Report: Um, These Teams Aren't Supposed to Score

So the Mets give up 8 runs to the Astros yesterday, and now 8 runs to the Cubs? Is Anthony Young pitching or something? I will say I did think the comeback was certain after the 3 run 7th inning, but the Cubs bullpen woke up and shut down the lineup finally.

On the plus side, we had Gary Cohen with "I'm Krazy" Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling tonight. Here's a great exchange that occurred after Keith was saying Carlos Delgado was coming out of his slump:

Gary: That’s why you hear hitters talk about slumping in an almost mystical way.

Keith: That’s why I always say, don’t go home and stick your head in the oven

Ron: Well, that’s something you don’t ever want to do even when you’re not in a slump.

(Laughs all around)

The Wright And Wrong Report: It Doesn't Keep Going and Going...

This weekend my Mets watching options got a bit messed up by mother nature and the Energizer bunny. Saturday I was all set to watch most of El Duque's start before I had to go to a wedding BBQ is Gramercy Park. Alas, yet another rain delay hit, so I was only able to witness El Duque having a crappy first inning and then the team battling back to get him the lead. As I sipped Coronas and had a burger, I hoped that the bullpen would hold.

Sunday my ticket plans fell through, so I decided to take advantage of a rare "not as hot as the sun" day and listen to the game on my little portable radio as I walked to Prospect Park. I heard the Mets go ahead on Carlos Delgado's latest smash and was confident Mike Pelfrey would get his third straight win. As I approached 3rd street in the park, my batteries went dead. I didn't have my wallet with me, so I ended up having to walk the 50 minutes back to my apartment without knowing a damn thing. After reading the recap, and seeing the high (or in this case, low) lights of Aaron Heilman's fielding blunder, I'm glad the bunny went dead.

Movies and Rain Delays

I had just popped Dog Day Afternoon into the DVD player when the rain delay hit the other night. I could have sworn I'd seen that movie before but I had not. There is no way I would have forgotten Al Pacino's motive for robbing the bank. I probably just remember seeing the movie listed in the HBO guide when I was a kid.

Anyway, we watched the movie safe in the knowledge that the Mets went into the rain delay with a 4-0 lead. I admire Trachsel for coming out after the delay, trying for the eighth straight win--who among us could resist with such a lead?--but it wasn't his night. Nor was it Duaner Sanchez's night. So the rain washed away Trachsel's streak of seven straight wins and Sanchez's perfect 5-0 record, along with any sense of patience on the part of the offense. Like kids on the day of school, it was clear they couldn't wait to get out of there, which opened the door to the Reds' comeback.

But I think it was a case of one step backward, two steps forward. Look at the way the bench players came through the next day. Jose "The Moustache" Valentine made a terrific throw to the plate to keep the game tied and Endy Chavez had the big RBI in the 10th inning. (I know, technically Valentine is a regular now, but he's playing with that "bench guy who got his big break" enthusiasm.)

And then tonight, against the Astros, it was 4-0 before I tuned it. But unlike the other night, the Mets kept hitting. That 7-0 cushion was more than John Maine needed and Carlos Delgado hit another homerun. Back to back games. Maybe the other benefit of the rain was washing away that ugly slump he's been in.

For what it's worth, during tonight's rain delay we watched The Osterman Weekend, Sam Peckinpah's final movie. It's from 1983 and it's really strange. The FBI convinces Rutger Hauer that three of his buddies, including Dennis Hopper and Craig T. Nelson as a (surprisingly good) martial arts-wieldin' heavy, are Soviet spies. It's creepy throughout and confusing at times. But it was unpredictable and kept us tuned in until the very end. Kind of like these Mets games lately.

The Wright And Wrong Report: Nothing Like Maine in the Summertime

That's John Maine. Apparently the battle for the fifth starter spot is not going to just be handed to Mike Pelfrey. Maine became the second Mets rookie starter this year to have a complete game shutout (with just 98 pitches). And he wasn't even supposed to start tonight--a great call by Willie Randolph to scratch El Duque because of the chance of multiple rain delays.

This was game where the Mets were running on all cylinders. Great pitching from Maine. Great defense from Jose Valentin, Cliff Floyd, Carlos Beltran and Paul Lo Duca. Great hitting from Valentin and the Carlos "I Might be Over This Slump" Delgado. As a fan, you couldn't ask for a better game to watch while you're stuck at working trying to catch up on, well, everything that piled up during a week of work hell.

Okay, I'm sensing a good homestand. Please don't let me be wrong.

The Wright And Wrong Report: Good Teams Win Games Like This

Didn't get to concentrate on yesterday afternoon's series closer in Cincy, as I was trying to rip through all the stories I had to write (Eddie Money has a second tour leg this summer? Alright!!!!). But seeing Chad Bradford bail out Tom Glavine in the 7th and Ramon Castro throwing out runners about every time I looked up made me feel good. I somewhat expected the team to appear like they did after the rain delay--swinging at everything to make sure the game was over quickly. Apparently they got the message that the season is not over yet.

4 out of 6 on the trip, 6 out of last 8. These are numbers I like. Maybe I should use them for Lotto.

The Wright and Wrong Report: Rain Delays Do Strange Things

I ended up missing last night's Reds comeback due to the lengthy rain delay. I put on the FAN in my bedroom, and it was so nice and cool with the breeze coming in from the ocean I fell into a deep sleep. But what I did hear and see before drifting off to dreamland was, in a word, odd.

Tom Hanks, Ron Howard and Dennis Miller are on a seven city tour of ballparks for Hanks' 50th birthday, and during the rain delay they held an impromptu press conference with the beat writers and broadcasters of both teams. During the bottom of the 5th Howie Rose ended up telling a story about Howard and the cast of Happy Days coming to Shea in the late 70s. As he was going through the list of characters there, Tom McCarthy chimed in with, "What about Joanie?" Rose started chuckling and said, "You had to go ruin it didn't you. I was also set to ask Joanie out when she showed up at Shea, and then she made her response clear by not coming to the game at all." Rose and McCarthy started laughing as hard as I have ever heard them in the booth, and then the third out was recorded. Rose said something like, "Mercifully, this inning is over and I won't have to relive that pain any more."

Back on the SNY side in the 4th inning, Gary Cohen was reading the AFLAC trivia question that asked, "Who holds the Mets record for Grand Slams?" As Cohen and Keith Hernandez started discussing who it might be, number-17 said, "It's not Bud Harrelson, we know that much." Then Hernandez said he was going to see the former Mets shortstop and manager for dinner on Saturday in Montauk. He added that they always get together once every summer to hang out, and this year it was during Hernandez's weekend off. That lead to the following exchange which only could have happened after these guys sat in a booth for over two hours with nothing to do:

Keith: You're off Saturday too, right? What are you going to be doing?
Gary: Um, sitting and watching the game.
Keith: Well don't you like your days off?
Gary: I'd rather be working--wouldn't you?
Keith: Of course I like working, but I don't mind sitting on the couch.
Gary: Well, I can do that all winter.
(Laughs)
(Then up popped the AFLAC trivia question again)
Gary: I have no idea.
Keith: I'll say Dave Kingman.
Gary: Robin Ventura.
(The answer was Mike Piazza with 6)
(brief pause)
Gary: Oh yeah, we're idiots.
(more laughs)

Rain does strange things to these Mets broadcasters.

The Wright and Wrong Report: Singing in Cincy

My favorite part of last night's game? Keith Hernandez singing "What a Difference a day makes." This guy keeps getting crazier by the minute. It's out-f-ing-standing.

Oh, the other great part of the game, which caused the previous part? Carlos Beltran hitting grand slam for a second game in a row. This guy is having a monster year.

I only saw one inning of Mike Pelfrey's start, but he looked good, even if he gave up a couple of runs. He may be a keeper. I'll report further over the weekend, as I'll be seeing his next start in person.

And for those in the Mets blog world who have slammed Xavier Nady's defense, I present the great throw to second to nab Royce Clayton that got the Mets out of the 6th inning.

3 out of 4 on the road trip so far--I'd love 5 out of 6.

Air Beltran

While watching the game, my wife and I were doublechecking the "baby bag." (She's due--any day now--with our first child.)

Allie: Blanket.
Me: Check.
Allie: Baby Einstein CD.
Me: Check.
Allie: Holy shit, a grand slam!

Unbeknownst to Carlos Beltran, who swatted that upper deck grand slam, he nearly induced labor. Allie was thrilled to see Beltran break open a one run game. I was too, though I couldn't figure out why the Reds pitched around LoDuca. Doing so loaded the bases and brought Beltran to the plate. I don't want to disparage the fine people of Cincinnati, but don't they have calendars? Don't they realize that this is the 2006 edition of Carlos Beltran, not the scratch and dent 2005 version?

Check out the numbers and by all means, let's hope teams keep pitching to Beltran...

2005 (the entire season): 582 At-Bats; 16 HR; 78 RBI
2006 (just over half way): 301 At-Bats; 27 HR; 78 RBI

The Mets are going to finish with two guys in the Top 10 come MVP time.

The Wright And Wrong Report: The Cover-Up

Those numbers my co-blogger Mike noted below confirmed my suspicions before I could even get to the blog today: yesterday's record-breaking run explosion is a great boxscore to peek at, but it doesn't hide the fact that the Mets pitching has been subpar since the "Greatest Road Trip Ever." In the Windy City El Duque looked horrible, Tom Glavine coughed up a lead for the fourth or fifth game in a row; and Steve Trachsel, well, he was O.K. I know I've said that Mets fans should enjoy the ride, but it's hard not to worry about the (gulp, dare I say it, yes I shall) the playoffs. With the way the rest of the NL has played these season, a trip to the World Series would seem to be as easy as it could possibly be this season. And I'd hate for the Mets to be yet another NL that got swept because they pitched like, well, me.

(Okay, okay, Mr. Negativity will step away from the keyoboard now.)

So, it seems like Letterman and the Home Run Derby have not gone to Mr. Wright's head--hits in all three games after the break; 3 for 5 yesterday; and a Cincinnati team coming up that he usually hits the crap out of all add up to a hot start to the second half for the Mets All-Star third basemen. Which leaves me with one last question--why is tonight an off night? Didn't the team just have four days off? I want to listen to Howie Rose and that other guy blasting through my air-conditioned bedroom from my little portable A.M. radio, telling me how this road trip will continue to be a good one.

Steve Trachsel: Winning Ugly

Steve Trachsel has not pitched well lately and yet he's won seven straight starts. He's also the Mets' best pitcher right now. That's hard to believe. The cynics are saying he's just lucky, that he doesn't deserve "Mets' Best Pitcher Right Now" status. Let's check out the numbers.

Over their last five starts here is how each of the Mets regular starters has fared. (Won-loss record/Innings pitched/earned runs allowed)

El Duque: 1-3 (24.1/15)

Tom Glavine: 1-1 (29.1/12)

Pedro Martinez: 2-3 (26/18)

Steve Trachsel: 5-0 (29.1/13)

Being the Mets' best pitcher is a dubious honor. No one has average even six innings a start, and while Glavine has yielded one less run his timing hasn't been as good as Trachel's lately. Okay, so Trachsel's been lucky lately.

Keith Hernandez: A Second Chance

Last year Steve and I often vented about the Mets TV broadcasters, especially Keith Hernandez. He read the stats that were on the screen rather than share his own thoughts. He talked a lot about his days as a player. And it wasn't uncommon for Keith to confess to not paying attention to the game. He was all but yelling at viewers, "I'm incompetent and I'm getting paid for it!" He continues to do many of these things, but the other day against the Marlins he added a new dimension to his act.

It was late in the game. The Mets were en route to a 17-3 win. Marlins pitcher Jason Vargas was working mop up duty...

Keith Hernandez: Ever heard of Touch of Evil?

Gary Cohen: What made you think of that?

Keith: Jason Vargas. In the movie Orson Welles played Detective Vargas.

Gary Cohen: You're like Casey Stengel, you eventually get to the point.

Keith: I thought we were just killing time.

Keith spent the rest of the inning talking about the movie, listing cast members, commenting on Marlene Dietrich's performance. He even remembered that Dennis Weaver had played the creepy hotel clerk. Now as it turns out, Welles played a police captain named Hank Quinlin and it was Charlton Heston who played Vargas. But still, Keith got most of it right and if he is going to treat us to obscure movie trivia during the late innings I'm going to cross the aisle and vote Hernandez.

The Wright And Wrong Report: Meet the Mets

If the country didn't know how good David Wright was by his runner-up status in last night's Home Run Derby, they do now after his home run tied the All-Star Game tonight. The early few innings were a time for our All-Stars to shine, as Carlos Beltran the only other offense for the N.L. with a double, a steal and taking home on a wild pitch. It made me even more proud to be a Mets fan.

But then I had to stop watching and crank up the Ipod as MLB--in its infinite wisdom--decided to grind the game to a halt with a ceremony honoring Pirate legend Roberto Clemente. Now I have a great respect for the man's achievements on and off the field, even more so now after reading David Maraniss's great book from this spring. But if "this one counts" for the World Series, THEN WHY FUCKING STOP A GAME THAT IS SUPPOSEDLY VERY IMPORTANT. Argh. MLB can be such idiots.

The Wright And Wrong Report: Who Knew?

Who knew that David Wright was such a power hitter?

Who knew that Paul Lo Duca was such a great bp pitcher?

Who knew that ESPN had the whole thing on a lengthy delay, allowing them to cut out the audio of Wright saying "goddammit" about six times?

Who knew I would actually watch an entire home run derby?

The Wright And Wrong Report: The Best Laid Plans...

I left work Friday with two goals--to not watch Jose Lima pitch that night, and go to the Saturday doubleheader and observe Mike Pelfrey. To paraphrase our President, "Mission Unaccomplished."

Friday I walked over the Brooklyn Bridge on my way home, not wanting to think about the Mets. Alas, I decided to stop at Floyd on Atlantic Ave to get a beer before I made the rest of the trek home. I sat down, looked up, and watch Dontrelle Willis hit a grand slam. Suddenly the cold beer in my hand didn't seem so sweet. I believe my text message to my pal Erik said it all: "LIMA MUST DIE."

All this week I have battled my annual summer insomnia, and Friday it came home in spades as I finally fell asleep at 4 a.m., then woke up at 6 a.m. with no hope of getting any more shuteye. At 10 a.m. I realized there was no chance of me making it through one baseball game, let alone two, so I called my friend Jocelyn and said I couldn't make it to the game. Thankfully they were last minute freebies, so my guilt was trimmed just a bit.

I struggled to watch the first game, almost as much as the Mets struggled with the bases loaded. Then game 2 rolled around, and it was obvious Pelfrey was nervous. But the Mets offense was not. When the team got a 9-2 lead, I promptly fell asleep. It was the best sleep of the week. I woke up when the 17th run was scored, then dozed off again. I climbed into bed at 11, and slept like a baby.

Perhaps my insomnia came from worrying about the Mets? And Pedro? And the 5th starter slot? Who knows--at least I am awake enough to enjoy the last game before the break.

The M&M Mets: Willie's Crystal Ball

Why, I wondered upon seeing the Mets starting line up tonight, is Willie leaning so heavily on the bench? Opening game of the series with the Marlins, who have played well of late. Dontrelle starting for the Fish and Jose Lima, limping up from Triple A, countering for the Mets. So why make this a night to start Woodward, Franco, Castro, and Marrero?

The Mets never had a chance tonight. Dontrelle swatted a grand slam against the hapless Lima and put the Marlins up 7-0. A grand slam to the pitcher. That's the kind of ugly that leaves a mark. Dontrelle may have stumbled out of the gate this spring, but he's rolling now. And Lima, well, he's not. I'm going to credit Willie with the foresight to see this coming, to make tonight the night to rest a lot of guys, and then come back strong over the next couple of days. They're going to need the support when the Mets kiddie corp of pitchers goes toe to toe against the Marlins kiddie corp.

The Wright And Wrong Report: The Wrong Time

It was another WAW* night, so I can't really comment much on the game. While having some yummy BBQ, I did get to see David Wright hit his 19th home run. It seems that day off was a good idea Willie, kudos to you.

Lima Time returns tonight. I believe I will only listen on the radio while doing some errands in Brooklyn just because I can't bear to watch him pitch again. Saturday you won't be able to tear me away from the TV, as the long-discussed prospect Mike Pelfrey makes his major league debut. I thought my friend Jocelyn and I were going to go on some free tickets (full disclosure: she does work for WFAN) she had from the Marlins rainout from May, but then the team decided to make it a singel admission doubleheader, screwing us over. Oh well.

(* = Wasn't Able to Watch)

The Wright And Wrong Report: So Who's Keeping Score Here?

So last night (Game 41, it said on the ticket) was my first venture to Shea for the 2006 season. I know, I know, I'm a bit behind the times in going to see the first place Mets. Usually my Mets games come in binges--last year it was seven games before the All-Star break, this year it will end up being at least 7 games after the mid point of the season. I'm not sure why my attendance record is like that; it just is.

I got my tickets for free from Alli, the Muppet Show-loving Yankee fan. She got the ticket through her job, but alas couldn't go because she had to work. And even though Alli is a Yankee fan first and foremost, unlike most Yankee fans she doesn't hate the Mets (except for six times a year), and is fun to go to games with because she's a big fan of baseball in general. Instead of scrambling to get someone to go with me, I decided to hop the 7 out to Shea by myself and tackle something I had never done before--keep score.

Yes, as big of a baseball geek as I have and can be at times, I had never deemed it important enough to keep a scorecard. Going by myself presented the perfect opportunity to master this tradition. And I must say, only once did I have to look down a couple rows at the Pirates fan keeping score to see what I messed up. And with the lack of action--and pitching changes--on both sides after the run explosion in the first inning, it was a damn easy game to score. The Mets looked like the old great road trip Mets in the first inning, and then looked like the Mets post-road trip for the next eight innings. Perhaps Pirates starter Kip Wells knew scouts were coming after the first inning to check him out.

El Duque (yes, that's what I wrote on my scorecard) had a rough start with seven balls to start the game, but then settled down and baffled the Pirates most of the way. When it hit the 7th inning, I thought that El Duque's time on the mound must be coming to an end soon (my upper deck right field seats didn't allow me to peek at the pitch count). And Orlando must have known it was his last inning too, as he used all his bag of tricks in that inning. When he threw a 51 MPH change-up, there were "oooooooo"'s audible throughout the stadium. It was nice knowing that a less that peak crowd (40, 360 reportedly sold, barely half of that showed up I think--no one sat within 8 seats of me all night) appreciate the mastery of that pitch. And when he came back with an 86 MPH fastball, it looked Billy Wagner-esque.

And the best part of the trip? The game was done in less than 2 and a half hours, and I was home by 11. Sweet. Oh, and that the Mets won was cool too. It was a perfect night at the park.

Other random thoughts:
--I had no idea that Gary Cohen is now the voice on the loop that tells fans what they can and can't do at Shea Stadium. Wish they had kept running Bob Murphy's voice.

--Boy scouts just can't stay seated during a ballgame. Must be that "be prepared" motto that keeps them jumping around everywhere.

--Mike and I have a friend out in L.A.--his nickname is Johnny Reno--and he always has a knack for calling during ballgames with very odd questions. Last night he called me in the 8th inning and asked, "What Tubes song was a hit?" Unfortunately, I thought he was saying Cubes, so I kept asking him over and over what the band was. I guess if anyone was sitting near me they would have been annoyed.

Lastly, I agree with Mike's earlier post--The Mets are not back "in form." If they win 4 out of the 5 games up the break, then I will say they are getting close, but not until then.

The M&M Mets: Back on Track?

After last night's win against the Pirates--a comfortable 5-0 victory led by El Duque 's strong seven innings--one of the SNY desk guys proclaimed that the Mets are "back on track." After going 1-5 against the Sox and Yankees, I'd like to hold the Mets to a higher standard. I think it takes more than two wins against the pathetic Pirates to get back to where the Mets were before the six-game skid out.

Still, if the call-in shows are any indication, a lot of the Flushing faithful agree with the SNY guy. This afternoon, running errands with the Mrs., I got an earful of WFAN. Everyone was anxious to trade Lastings Milledge, for Barry Zito or Dontrelle Willis, and give up on Cliff Floyd. There was also talk of pursuing Alfonso Soriano in the off-season. The off-season. We've yet to hit the All-Star break and already dudes are looking to 2007. Trade talk is fun, people always enjoy tinkering with their collections no matter how well they're working, but thinking about next year--when you've got a double digit lead--doesn't make any sense to me.

Taking three of four from the Marlins this weekend, now that would be back on track.

The Wright And Wrong Report: Faith Restored

After watching the first 7 and 1/2 innings of yesterday's game, this is what I thought:

"They're not coming back."

After this 6 out of 7 skid, I started thinking that I was watching the 2005 or--baseball gods forbid--the 2004 Mets. And seeing Jose Lima in the bullpen made those feelings intensify. Thankfully, he didn't get into the game, and the 2006 Mets showed up in the bottom of the eighth.

I'd also like to add that this skid has conicinded exactly with David Wright going into a slump.

The M&M Mets: Ass Whoopin' II: Electric Boogaloo

Guys, FYI:

Baseball: High score wins

Golf: Low score wins

The Wright And Wrong Report: A Bad Trend

When it was 7-1 tonight against the Pirates, I had to turn SNY off. I've had a bad enough time sleeping the past four days, I didn't need to replay John Maine running out of gas or Chad Bradford imploding again and again. And for the first time since last September (at least in my own house), I am NOT listening to WFAN when I attempt to fall asleep. I heard enough vitriol last night for a lifetime while I fruitlessly tried to sleep after getting a 1:15 phone call when I had only been down for 30 minutes. Maybe lots of Beatles, Moby, Elliott Smith and Beck from my Ipod will help me sleep more than 2 hours.

The M&M Mets: Ass Whoopin' in the Bronx

Sometimes I hate being right. I didn't see Alay Soler getting past the 5th. Check. I knew a 4-0 lead wouldn't hold. Check. And I knew that leaving the bases loaded would come back to haunt them. Check. What I didn't see was a drubbing. A night when seven runs hasn't even half way good enough.

But like Steve, I don't want to fall into the void of whiny, "the sky is falling" Mets fan. I like this team. I like Willie. I can't wait to see Cliff Floyd get back into form. Eleven games up. Four starters in the All-Star game. Good stuff. Even if they do seem like a team likely to make the playoffs and lose in the first round.

The Wright And Wrong Report: Reconnecting With Some All-Stars

I’ve felt like a fan without a team the past six days. I couldn’t watch the Mets-Red Sox series because, well, I prefer to remain sane. Watching my two favorite teams battle is just too much for my brain to handle. (Dear baseball gods, please don’t have a repeat of the 1986 match-up, thank you.) Then the last of this interleague hell wraps up with the second batch of this year’s Subway Series. I ended up watching some of the first game at a Yankee fan’s house, and I don’t think I’ve ever had such a filthy mouth while in the presence of a couple of females. But then when the rain delay came, we somehow switched to The Muppet Show Season One DVD. I was amazed watching the female Yankee fan turn from a vicious rooter to a giggly little girl when Ralph the Dog was on screen. It was priceless, and totally made my anger dissipate. Saturday I went home to my aunt’s house and we never even turned on the game. (That birthday present of the Monk first season DVD went over very well.) So tonight I’m finally getting to reconnect with the Mets (via WFAN, screw ESPN and Joe Morgan), the same Mets team that’s got a double digit lead over the Phillies, the club that is sending a record six players to the All-Star game in Pittsburgh next week. And our entries namesake, David Wright, is going as a starter. After his stats and clutch play this year, I have the feeling that it won’t be his last start.

Of course, not everything is perfect with this team: Pedro is sitting out tomorrow night’s start; Tom Glavine has looked less than sharp recently; Billy Wagner has had his problems throughout; the back end of the rotation is still less than impressive; Cliff Floyd has been a shell of the player he was last year. But I’m not here to be another one of those yahoos calling into the WFAN wanting to fire Willie Randolph. Halfway through the season, I can’t help but like the way this team has come together. 95 to 98 wins seems to be a realistic goal, as does a division title for the first time in 18 years. And who knows what could happen if the team does make the playoffs?

Anyway you look at it, this is a fun time to be a fan of the Amazin’s.

The M&M Mets: Rumble in the Bronx

The Mets continue to be very, very good to me this year. I've been able to watch only one inning in the past week and it was the 4th inning of yesterday's 8-3 romp. What a treat. Woodward patiently working out that walk. Castro aggresively going after the first pitch to knock in two runs. Fox announcers Joe Buck and Tim McCarver wondering aloud how the Yankees are going to put up with another year and a half of Randy Johnson's ineffectiveness.

The Mets also overcame little things that typically trip them up. Like when Xavier Nady was hit by a pitch--which would have loaded the bases with no outs--and umpire Gerry Davis missed the call. Or the fact that Trachsel allowed 11 baserunners in six innings of work.

Alay Soler vs. Jaret Wright tonight. Let's see if either survives through five innings.