Mr Mets Daily

Goodbye to Shea---and Mets...

Well, we all knew it would be an eventful Day at Shea Stadium---and it was. Both Shea, and the Mets, are history----permanant for Shea, and for the Mets, sadly, they will be back. How many of the current crop remains to be seen. Hopefully none of the bullpen--more on that in a bit. But, once again, the Mets pulled a massive September choke job, once again letting the Florida Marlins celebrate their role as spoilers on the Shea infield.

Mets starter Oliver Perez was effective going 5 1/3 shutout innings before turing things over to the vaunted bullpen---(it was at this moment that I cracked my first beer, knowing full well I would need some comfort).

The pen did it's usual fine work quickly surrendering two runs. But Carlos Beltran got the Mets back into it with a clutch two run homer---sadly, all the offense the amazins would be able to muster.

In the top of the ninth, the Mets pen struck again---this time they tortured the Shea faithful by yielding a pair of solo homeruns. Bottom of the ninth; as 56,000 Mets fans anxiously cheered their team on, hoping for one last Shea miracle---forget about it. Not with this gutless group. The Mets, and their season, went down with barely a whimper.

And so closes Shea Stadium.

Credit to New York Mets fans. I would guess about 90% of the crowd stuck around for a tribute to Shea Stadium and former Mets greats (could have used some of them).

The club marched out a who's who of Mets; Willie Mays, Ron Swaboda, Ed Kranepool, Jerry Koosman, Tom Seaver, Tim Tuefel, Ron Darlin, Keith Hernandez, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Mike Piazza, and on and on.

It was a touching tribute and a very bitter-sweet afternoon as Mets fans hoped to say goodbye to the old park in a more festive mood.

Thanks for blowing it---again, current New York Mets!

Thanks for making the Mets, again, the laughing stock of professional sports.

Thanks for rewarding Omar Minaya, who put this bunch together, with a contract extension. Thanks for it all!

I am sad to see Shea Stadium go. I will not be sad, at all, to see many current Mets go!

More on that in my next post---right now the tears are starting to drip onto my keyboard.

Johan Santana for President!!!

Johan Santana is the man! The New York Mets would be dead in the water without their ace. Period!

Mets fans know the situation; it was an absolute MUST WIN. The Mets just had to have it. So, Jerry Manuel did the right thing and pitched their ace on three days rest.

How did Johan Santana do on short rest? Lets see; nine innings, complete game, three hit shut out!

He was awesome. He also had to do it with very little margine for error as the Mets offense could muster just two runs today.

Didn't matter. Johan didn't need much. He got several well deserved standing ovations from a raucous sell out crowd at Shea Stadium.

If his performance didn't inspire his teammates, I do not know what will. Santana is the first Mets starter to pitch a complete game shutout on three dayas rest since Dwight Gooden in 1987.

Now, the Mets have to watch and hope; if the Phillies (just underway) win, bye bye division. If the Brewers win, the Mets are in a very precarious position as they would be 1 back with only 1 left to play (as I write this, the Brewers trail the Cubs backups, 2-0 in the first). Lets go Cubs!

Tomorrows regular season finale (although, they could play another regular season "play in" game at Shea against the Brewers) willl be eventful to say the least.

   

Here we go again...

Maybe Jerry Manuel and the New York Mets players got the message confused; Shea Stadium is supposed to implode, not the team that plays there. With the Mets once again making the Florida Marlins look like the '27 Yankees in their 6-1 loss last night at Shea Stadium, they find themselves a game behind the Brewers in the wild card race. Unbelieveable!

The Mets are in serious danger of becoming the punch line in jokes across the country that involve teams choking. Two straight seasons now Mets fans have to endure this crap. Oh, by the way, in case any of you somehow didn't hear, the brilliant Mets management team decided this week to reward the man, Omar Minaya, who put this bunch together, with a four year extension. Is it just me or is that mind numbingly stupid? Even if they wanted to extend him, why in the world would you announce it in the midst of yet another September melt down? Shrewd!

I just don't get it.

So now, the Mets find themselves a game back with just two remaining and no longer in control of their own destiny as they need to win both and pray for atleast one loss from the Brewers.

To state the obvious, a Mets loss coupled with a Brewer win today and it is all over.

Pray for rain Mets fans.   

Mets win thriller...

Man, did the New York Mets need this one. As they were mired in yet another September swoon, desperately in need of a win, the Mets got one---in dramatic fashion.

Trailing by three runs late in last night's game vs the Chicago Cubs at Shea Stadium, the Mets showed some heart and batttled back for a thrilling 7-6 bottom of the ninth victory.

With the score tied at 6 in the ninth, the Mets got a lead off single by Jose Reyes. Up came rookie sesnation Danny Murphy who had a strange at bat; for some oddd reason, they asked him to bunt (I say strange since Reyes is more then capable of stealing second and I preferred a hit and run anyway),Murphy loooked awful in his attempts and actually struck out as he bunted strike three foul....he clearly needs to work on that part of his game. I can't believe Jerry Manuel wanted him bunting a third time, it must have been a missed signal. In any event, Reyes did steal second, Carlos Delgado was given an intentional pass. Up came mets centerfielder Carlos Beltran with two out and Reyes in scoring position. Beltran came up big as he ripped a game winning, walk off single to right field scoring Reyes.

It touched off a celebration at homeplate as the Mets partied like it was 1969....seriously, it did look like they just won the World Series. I can understand the outpouring of....relief?

The win, possibly Pedro Martinez's finale as a Met, keeps them tied for the wildcard heading into the weekend.

It should get interesting.

Mets do it again...

Mets fans, let me be honest; I am rapidly getting to the point where I just don't care anymore. This team is the same bunch of underachieving choke job artists as last years New York Mets.

They blew a 4 run lead and lost 9-6 to the Cubs in 10 innings.

This time it wasn't just the Mets bullpen that imploded, the hitters choked as well as they left an Army of runners on base in the 7th, 8th and 9th.

Now they are tied with the Brewers for the wild card and sinking fast....again.

Mets win a critical game...

Well, Mets fans can breathe a little bit easier this morning as the team won a huge game last night at Shea Stadium, 6-2 over the Chicago Cubs. Mets manager Jerry Manuel finally seems to have realized what fans have known all along---you CANNOT trust this bullpen!

Manuel did exactly the right thing last night as Mets ace Johan Santana pitched a career high 125 pitches and went eight complete innings to set up the win. (Personally, I would have trotted him out in the ninth as well, but, that's just me).

So now the Mets, with five remaining in the regular season, are 1 back of the Phils and 1 ahead of the Brewers.

Last night's victory was great, but they cannot let up. As I stated yesterday, the Mets need to treat each remaining game as a post season, absolute must win game and act accordingly. Which for me means not trusting the bullpen.

 

Mets lose...again!

Well New York Mets fans, if you are starting to get that sinking feeling, that "here we go again" kind of despair, it must be September.

The Mets lost to the Chicago Cubs--who have nothing to play for---9-5 last night at Shea Stadium. It is starting to look like Sunday afternoon might really be the final game at Shea. Yoy know it is not going your way when the opposing pitcher belts a grand slam, as Jason Marquis did last night.

Here is the dire situation; the Mets trail the Philadelphia Phillies by 2  1/2 games for the division (with six remaining, forget that) and their lead over the Milwakee Brewers is down to just 1 game.

If there are any leaders on this Mets team, and I believe there are, they, and Jerry Manuel, need to impart to this club that they are in fact in the post season right now. The Mets must treat every remaining game as if it is the playoffs. Things you might not do in April, but would do in the post season need to be done. Pull out all the stops; if that means Johan Santaan goes on short rest, so be it; it that means putting Pedro martinez in the bullpen, go for it!

The Mets must play a bit desperate because if they choke away another post season appearence that they had well within their grasp, they will make history, but not in the way you would like to.

Mets back in 1st!!

The New York Mets reclaimed first place in the NL East last night with a 9-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves. With the Phillies losing in Florida and the Brewers losing as well, the Mets find themselves with a 1/2 game lead in the division and a 2 1/2 game lead for the wild card. There are just nine games remaining. Hold your breath Mets fans...

Mets rookie Daniel Murphy, who always seems to get the job done, had a clutch, pinch hit, two run double in the eight to break it open. Why Murphy wasn't in the lineup to begin with is another matter. The Mets also got offensive help from Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and, yet another promising rookie, Nick Evans, who cracked a solo homerun.

One of the primary differences between the 2007 Mets who collapsed and never showed any signs of picking themselves back up, and the 2008 Mets, is the emergence of young players like Danny Murphy and Nick Evans. Last year it seemed that if the Mets big guns didn't contribute they were done. This year they are getting help from other areas, like the young guys. This team has shown a lot more resilience. After blowing that 3 1/2 game lead last week, I must admit to thinking "here we go again". Yet the Mets have responded nicely winning three straight and taking back the division lead. While it is not over yet, atleast this version of our New York Mets seems to have some fight in them.

Want an amazing stat? The Phillies record when leading after eight innings this season, 71-0, while the Mets have blown 28 of these deals! With even a decent bull pen the Mets would have this thing long since wrapped up. With that sad fact in mind, if I were Jerry Manuel, I would tell my pitchers that for the balance of the season be prepared to go until your arm falls off. The Mets bullpen simply cannot be trusted.

Mets hang on for 9-7 win...

The reeling New York Mets hung on, barely, for a desperately needed 9-7 win last night against the Washington Nationals.

The Mets, powered by home runs by Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran(two) and Jose Reyes, had leads of 6-1, 7-2 and 9-5 (in the ninth) that looked at various times, lets say, insecure. Mets manager Jerry Manuel had to use 8, count em, 8 pitchers to preserve the win. Are the Mets bullpen struggles starting to get to Manuel?

"They'll make a laugher a tear-jerker. That's what they'll do," Manuel dryly said about his bullpen after the Nationals rallied from a six-run deficit to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth. "No, I'm not enjoying this. Walking out there every three minutes, no one wants to come to see me. They come to see the guys play. I try to stay out of the way. ... We'll laugh about it, hopefully, in November sometime. But right now, no."

The Mets, and their manager, clearly are not exactly loose and confident these days....who could blame them?

Are you kidding me???

The 2007 Mets had a seven game lead with seventeen left; they went 5-12 and choked away a playoff appearence in one of Baseball's historic collapses.The 2008 Mets had a 3 1/2 game lead with seventeen left; they have gone 1-3 since and the lead is now just 1/2 game over Philly after last night's 7-2 loss to the lowly Washington nationals.

Now, don't get me wrong; I have not yet thrown in the towel since the Met still have 13 games left to get things right. They can still do it. But, boy I am not feeling confident. How could you? This movie looks way too familiar to me.

If the New York Mets have any heart at all, any leadership at all, they will find a way to come out today and batter the Nationals and right this ship.

If they do not want  to go down as an all time baseball joke, they will find a way to get it done over the final 13 and win this division. Mets fans, we will see what we have.