A Chip(per) off the ol' block

Yep, just what we need to see after the debacle in Philly. Hudson and Chipper ready for us after a day off in Atlanta.

Oh yeah, I feel confident. Ha!

I can't even write about the Mets today. I just need to see them freakin win a game again before I really get in to detail about this club right now. I am in shock how a club can go from 7 up to 2 up in 5 games like they just did. The last 3 games seem like a bad movie. Let's just hope this movie somehow has a happy ending.

That said, let's talk about the Giants.

A great first drive by the first team offense last night. Manning looks sharp and ready for the season. Jacobs looks big and while he could struggle at times he should be able to work down any defense by the 4th quarter with he ridiculous size. Shockey looks ready...really need him and Plax healthy. On the other side of the ball, I am not impressed, quite concerned in fact, with the secondary. Reeese really did nothing to improve this unit in the short term and it will once again be our soft spot. Teams can and will throw on us all day long. Still don't like the kicking situation. Again, thanks to Reese for not re-signing our perfectly good kicker. Season kickoffs in 8 days in Dallas...still no sign of 92

Ummmmmmmmm

Not sure what to say except that this was by far and away the most infuriating 4 game set i can recall. Not only did we have a chance to pull away from the division but worse than that, every game was within reach and every game was pretty much a heart breaker. Bad decisions, bad execution, and just an all around pathetic perofrmance against a hated rival. Wagner for 2 innings after having "dead arm"? Heilman a no show after a day off? Constant blown opportunities by the bullpen and the offense!! Brainless errors on the basepaths at critical points!!


I will leave you with this, as we have reached a boiling point: The Mets are 8-7 since Coop-a-Fink was created and 4-2 when we both blog vs 1-3 when only 1 of us blogs. My friends, there is a direct correlation between coop-a-fink team chemistry and the success of the Mets. Coops, we have to be more consistent for this season to be a success!!

Yes, I am worried

Really, I don't even know what to type.

I go to Cape Cod, we go up 7 games and look like we are ready to end the division race.

I come home, we lose Sunday night, they go to Philly and suddenly it's a 3 game lead and today at 1:00 we play the most important game of the season.

I am ill.

Obviously Marlon made a moronic decision but what the hell is Willie thinking putting Green up to pinch hit in that spot??

If they have any heart and any pride they beat the crap out of Kyle Lohse today. Nobody we would rather have on the hill that Duque to do it.

As the late, great Tug McGraw once said.. YA GOTTA BELIEVE

Relax people

OK. It was a terrible night of baseball. But let's just relax. We can't expect Brian Lawrence to go on the road in Philly and win. If we were going to win that game last night it was about scoring more runs that the Phils and we simply didn't do that. Nothing more to analyze on that.

I know my partner in crime wants to win 6 of 7 against these 2 clubs but I am not asking for that at all. I don't need any proof of the kind of club we are. I don't need a big winning streak. What I need is to split this 4 game set with the Phils and then win 2 of 3 in Atlanta. That would insure us of losing no ground and knock another 6 games off the schedule. With the Braves and Phils facing each other 6 more times this season, there would not be much season left for either of them to make a run.

What I need is a division championship and homefield advantage throughout the NL playoffs and I don't care if we don't win 5 in a row all year long as long as we get that.

Let's forget about yesterday and focus on the next 6 games. Tonight would be a nice way to start.

Updated by Fink 12:35pm....

....that's an easy enough game to put behind me. but i will say this, schoenweiss does not make me feel any better about the bullpen and let's just pray we don't have to face any young unproven pitchers in meaningful games from here on out.

Show Me!!

The Mets have been, or have seemed to be, an up and down team all year. They have never gone through that long stretch where they won 15-18, 21-25, etc. They tend to put together 2,3, maybe 4 wins in a row and then proceed to lose 2 of the next 3 and missing out on a chance to pull away from the rest of the pack. The rest of the pack being Philly and Atlanta. This type of inconsistent play is the reason why i don't necessarily have all the confidence in the world that they can get deep into the playoffs and make that long sought after trip to the World Series.

They lost 6 of 8 heading into the All Star break and were clinging to a 2 game lead over Atlanta (4.5 over philly) on July 9th. Coming out of the break they went 15-9 and were heading into a 3 game set at Shea against the Braves with a 4.5 game lead (5 over philly). This series was a chance for the Mets to make a statement and , of course, they proceeded to lose 2 of 3 to not only the Braves but to the mighty Marlins in the following series.

Since that Marlins series the Mets have gone 8-4 and stretched their lead in the division race over now 2nd place philly to 6 (7 over atlanta). Through all of their mediocrity and talks of Atlanta and Philly breathing down their necks in the middle of the summer, the Mets have managed to win just enough and atl/phi have managed to lose just enough for the Mets to get a hold of the division.

For me though, on the heels of the ugly (but exciting) series with the Padres and another inconsistent outing last night vs LA, I need to see this team come out and let the rest of MLB know that they are the team to beat. And taking 6 of 7 from Phi/Atl this week will make that statement loud and clear. Pitching and defense will tell the tale this time around, as it almost always does. 6 of 7 may seem like a reach but given the fact that they are facing mediocre pitching over the next 4 games (durbin, eaton, moyer, lohse) and missing Smoltz in Atl (they do get hudson but face reyes and cormier as well), this should certainly be something that is achievable for a team that has it's eyes set on a WS ring.

Make me believe!

Get Your Act Together

Ok. The time has come. Enough of this "not clicking on all cylinders" garbage. We're heading into the last week of August with a favorable schedule and a chance to widen the gap in the division. The offense has picked it up lately and during this series with SD they have shown the fight and sense of urgency despite the fact they lost 2 of 3. Now the starting pitching, which can't seem to get past the 5th inning, has to pick it up and show us what they showed us pre all star break. Let's go 6-7 strong and let the bullpen do the rest. Oh yeh, and the bullpen has to step it up. I can't watch any more of this inconsistency. it's embarrassing and will come back to haunt them if they don't get it straightened out starting tonight against the Dodgers. unless things change, and fast, i will not have much confidence that this team can go deep into the playoffs. That is, if they make it there. Pick it up boys!!!

What a night

Wow. I am still excited.

Has to be the game of the year, right?

Omar comes up looking like a genius as his two late season acquisitions - Castillo and The Fish come through in the 9th to win it.

How cool was LMillz stepping to the plate in the 9th vs. Hoffman?!?!

Beltran is really the streakiest player I can remember. His swing from the left side when he is locked in like this is special.

Castillo was a marvelous acquisition. It really boggles my mind how so many media memmbers dismissed this move as a "minor" one at the deadline. Not only is he a gold glove 2nd baseman but he is an exceptional 2 hitter who does all the little things right. As Willie said last night after the game, "He is a winner". Sure Teixiera was the sexier name and biggest splash at the deadline. And he is off to a ridiculous hot start with the Braves (9 HRs in his first 19 games). But for Omar to snag Luis for so little (just like he recently did for Conine) was truly the deal of the deadline. The Braves mortgaged the future for a guy who may only stick around a season and a half. Omar stole this guy.

Lastly, Endy is red hot down at St Lucie and went 2 for 4 again last night. The question now becomes...who gets sent down when Endy gets the call? Or does Endy need to wait until September 1st? My gut is telling me it's the end of the line for either Aaron Sele or Brian Lawrence. Tough to say who as Lawrence goes tonight and Pedro goes Sunday (possibly in Brooklyn). No day off next week. OK..let me throw this one out there. Possibly the end of Shawn Green's career in Flushing?

Updated byFink at 1:05pm:

..... or could it be Mota? just throwing it out there (more wishful thinking than anything). Also, as i've stated numerous times Beltran is the key to this offense and i couldn't agree more that i don't know if i've ever seen as streaky a player in the past. But as hot as he is it seems that he will cool down very quickly once he faces a pitcher that can throw curve balls consistently for strikes. He's swings threw them every time... By the way, this bullpen is a mess!!

Take a knee? No thanks!

The Houston Chronicle recaps a wedding proposal during last nights Astors/Nats game:

The biggest excitement happened in the stands when a fan failed in his public attempt at popping the question. With the couple highlighted on the big screen, the mood soured after the man took a knee to offer an engagement ring. Wearing a brick-red replica Astros jersey, the woman appeared to angrily dump a bag of popcorn on the man before rushing up the stairs amid a chorus of boos.
After the top of the sixth, the man left amid cheers from the sympathetic crowd. "If it was an act, she put on a good one," Garner said. "She looked totally surprised and then totally mad. We couldn't even get a proposal right down here tonight.

How does that saying go? It sucks to be you!

Wagner's Heir Apparent: Eddie Kunz

I was flipping back and forth last night between the Colts/Bears preseason game (Rex, are you trying to set an NFL record for fumbled snaps this year?) and well, not much else. When i came across the last half inning of the Brooklyn Cyclones/Staten Island Yankees game. It was 1-0 Brooklyn in the top of the 9th and they were trying to close out the victory.

Normally, I take a glimpse at these games for about 2 seconds unless something cathes my eye. Well, last night pitcher Eddie Kunz did just that. I saw this kid throwing mid to high 90's fastballs with movement that would make The Jacket giddy. You could see right away that there was a reason the Mets drafted him in the 1st round this year and will expect big things from in the not so distant future.

Kunz was taken in the 1st round by the Mets with the 42nd pick and was the closer for College World Series champions Oregon St. With a little work on his location and secondary pitches we could see Kunz skyrocket through the system, similar to Joe Smith. He's only thown a few games this summer but don't be surprised to see him start out at AA Binghamton next year with an eye on the big club come mid summer.

Pedro Update

Tonight for the St. Lucie (A) Mets, Pedro started. He allowed two unearned runs on two hits and a walk with four strikeouts over 5 strong innings.

By far the most encouraging start to date, Pedro threw 72 pitches, 52 for strikes and topped out at 89 MPH on the gun.


I don't want to get too excited but 89 on the gun already is really a great sign. The reports say looked great and really should not have let up any runs as the St. Lucie defense apparently stinks.

Also in the game, Endy Chavez continues to rake in minor league action. He went 3 for 4 today with a run scored. All 3 hits were singles. He is now batting .643 on his rehab assignment (9 for 14). I think he's about ready to return. Anderson Hernandez, we will miss ya. Don't let the door slam you on your way out of Queens..hopefully for good this time.

Updated by Fink 9:40am:

....can you hear it? sshhh. wait, wait. there it is.. ENDY ENDY ENDY ENDY!!!!

In other Mets news, the player so many fans seem to want to hate, Carlos Beltran, took home the NL Player of the Week award. Carlos swatted 4 dingers, had 10 RBI, scored eight runs and totaled 24 bases over the week. As we all know, as Carlos goes so do the Mets and there is no mistake why we took 5 of 6 this week (we all know it should'v been all 6).

Nice off day news all around. Conine, Pedro, Endy and some accolades.

Updated by Fink at 9:40am:

.....Beltran, as you read this blog as part of your early morning routine please remember that this lineup needs you to continue to produce. What does this mean? That you best pick up the pace at home as your home/away splits are not what they should be (251avg/749ops home vs 271avg/931ops on the road). Relax up there buddy and keep this momentum going!

My Virgin Blog

Quick hits from last night - Giant Recap -

Lets address the beating that the media is hailing as slaughter house 6:

1)Jacobs - lacerated toe - he is 6'4 and 260lbs - i am not worried about a toe, he is fine
2)Demps - dislocated elbow - much better than a ligament or a break(pop it back in and rehab for 10 days)
3)Smith - concussion - welcome to the NFL - now you know how to take a hit. Fine by wednesday.
4)Madison - old man tweaked a hammy - rest up - we need every DB.
5)Jennings - the most severe, yet the most overrated. Anthony Mix is a more important WR for this team because of his size, and now he makes it. #15 is a great story and i feel bad for him, but Jennings is easily replaced by Moss and Smith as the slot or on the WR depth chart and by Moss, McQuarters and Ross on punts returns.
6) Rugemar - I like Greg Rugemar, but I think Zach Pillar has the full time 3rd guard role by October 1st.

What did work:

1) Kiwanukah will be a joy to watch(like a raw talent having fun playing a game he loves) - he is a superior athlete.
2) Jacobs will be a monster. Those draw plays are like a watching a bowling ball go downhill.
3) Toomer - welcome back. Eli sparkles with you in there
4) Huston made a 50 yard kick in CONDITIONS(Hersh's favorite word)
5) Ray Lewis, Terrel Suggs, Ed Reed Chris McCallister, Haloti Ngata - all played -
Eli went 10-13, with 2 drops for 114 yards a TD(in a a tiny window).

We are a long way from where we need to be, but we are much better off than we were after Carolina.

Congrats to Spags - The Defense showed some life yesterday and a ray of hope.

Lastly, a note on Michael Strahan. To compete we need your talent. The locker room on the other hand doesn't need your ego(see Tiki in 2006). That all being said, lets all stop speculating about his return cause no one knows what he wants to do. Let Michael be Michael and hopefully he will return to help us win the east.

My Idol - Kenny

As some of you may or may not know, Ken Rosenthal is my idol.

Kenny just reported that our beloved Mets have acquired veteran utility player Jeff Conine from the Cincinnati Reds for two Class-A position players.

Nice move Omar.

As always, great reporting Kenny

Strahan to Report

Rotoworld has updated the following:

Newsday reports Michael Strahan is likely to report to the Giants this week.
Strahan, who has been staying in shape in Los Angeles, could reportedly be with the team by as soon as Saturday, when the Giants face the Jets in their third preseason game. Strahan has incurred $342,912 in fines for missing camp to date, but the club can work out a settlement with him in that regard.

ummm.. I'll believe it when the toothless wonder suits up for the opener.

I hate Anderson Hernandez

For some time now Fink & I have complained about the infamous Anderson Hernandez and the Mets belief in his abilities (or lack thereof). Well, believe it or not…he’s back! That’s right folks, the kid who kills it in summer league every season but couldn’t catch up to a major league fastball to save his life is back on the club after yet another injury to another 2nd baseman. This got me thinking about the fact that both my teams, The Mets and the Giants, have to be the most injured teams in their respective sports this past season. As it is still baseball season, I will focus on our beloved Mets to illustrate my point.

The following is a list of pitchers & players on the current 2007 Mets 40-man roster who have been on the DL during the season (really it’s 43-man as Duaner, Padilla and Gomez are not actually on the 40-man but Adam Bostick, Marcos Carvajal (who?) and Phil Humber are, so I am replacing the former 3 with the latter):

Pitchers
Pedro Martinez, Duaner Sanchez, Ambiorix Burgos, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, Juan Padilla, Jason Vargas, Oliver Perez

Position players
Paul LoDuca, Ramon Castro, Jose Valentin, Damian Easley, Endy Chavez, Carlos Gomez, Lastings Milledge, Carlos Beltran, Moises Alou, Shawn Green, Ben Johnson

So that is 18 players on the current Mets 40-man roster who have been on the actual DL this season. Then we can essentially include Delgado who has now missed a week with a knee injury.

Let’s call it 18 players OR 45% OF THE ROSTER!!!

These injuries have caused the team to use the likes of Ricky Ledee (who retired yesterday by the way), Chip Ambres, Lino Urdaneta (steroids), the incomparable Chan Ho Park, Jon Adkins, Dave Williams, Brian Lawrence, Mike DiFelice, 40-year old Sandy Alomar Jr., 49-year old Julio Franco and now, the infamous Anderson Hernandez!

To have had 45% of the roster be on the DL during the season including our best starting pitcher, all 3 starting OFs, all 3 back-up OFs, two 2nd basemen and the starting and backup catcher at the same time and still be in 1st place all season is truly amazing. I know we all are critical of Willie at times but I must tip my cap to the man as he and The Jacket have held this team together despite this ridiculous stretch of injuries.

If this team can get healthy all at the same time down the stretch, this National League is ours for the taking. Despite the terrible loss on Thursday night, they took 5 of 6 from the hapless Bucs and Nots and we come back home to face 2 of the lightest hitting teams in the game during the time when we finally seem to be getting the bats going on a consistent basis.
Despite all the injuries, today we stand 17 games above .500 for the first time this season. Let’s play well at home for these next 6 games for a change and go into the Phils and Braves series’ ready to kick some ass!!

OK, it’s time for the Giants game. I will have full report on the 1st team offense and defense with insider reporting from Larry Goldberg in tomorrow’s blog.

Updated by Fink at 9:33pm....

2 things: First, Cooper, i know it must have been difficult for you to right about AH. I mean, the thought of him with a bat in his hand is quite nauseating.

Second, in response to a question by loyal reader and fantasy foe Furrygoat: The Yankees have had the following players on the 4o man roster spend time on the DL this season; Jeff Karstens, Chien-Ming Wang, Hideki Matusi, Carl Pavano, Chase Wright, JoseVeras, Humberto Sanchez, Darrel Rasner, Philip Hughes, Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi, Doug Mientkiewicz. Good for 30%.

Updated by Cooper at 11:40pm....

With all respect to the Yanks fans out there and to Fink, of the above mentioned guys, Pavano, Rasner, Sanchez, Veras and Mientkiewicz are not on the CURRENT 40-man roster but were on at some point throughout the season.

That said, is it any wonder teams like the Yanks & Mets lead their leagues (yes, the women's softball league AKA, the American League, counts too) in injuries considering they employ players nearing social security throughout their organizations??

Moises Alou: Thanks For Coming

In the first 5 games of this road trip the Mets have scored 35 runs and are 4-1 heading in to Sunday's matchup, where they will take another crack at their first series sweep since June 24 when they took 3 from Oakland.

Beltran is having a nice trip and is 7-21 with 2 HR's, 6 RBI, and 5 runs scored. Wright has also been strong and seems to be getting in to a bit of a grove going 9-22 with 4 runs scored, and 5 RBI, including 3 2B's. The wright/beltran 3-4 combo is taking form.

However, the force in the middle of this lineup driving this offense by coming up with huge hits and driving in runs is one Moises Alou. Yes, I still believe Beltran is the key and that this offense will stall should Beltran regress to pre DL form but Alou has been a monster and the the right handed power bat they have been missing all season. In the month of August Alou is putting up ridiculous #'s! He's hitting .349 with a 1.120 OPS, 7 HR's and 16 RBI in 16 games (including 8-23 with 2 HR and 7 RBI on the road trip).

Attention NL pitchers, Moises Alou can, in fact, hit a fastball. You may want to take note of that. Just saying.

The Mets have not a had right handed power bat in the middle of their lineup since the days of the one and only Mike Piazza. Sure, this lineup has several swith hitting options and so far this year they have performed pretty well against left handed pitching. But that is not the same as having a right handed crusher that can flat out hit, both for power and average. If he can stay on the field and continue to perform this team will continue to put the runs up that we all thought they were cabable of putting up. Since his return from the DL that # has been 6.4 runs per game.

update by Cooper 7:21 pm ...

To add to Fink's post, SNY put up a very telling statistic early in today's sweeping triumph over the Nots.

Beltran AND Alou both play 24-12 record, 5.7 runs scored
Beltran OR Alou play, 40-34 record, 4.5 runs scored
Neither play, 5-4 record, 3.9 runs scored

Those stats don't lie my friends.

Minaya on the bullpen

Minaya appeard on the FAN earlier today and suggested that the Mets will most likely have to look within the organization to strengthen the bullpen:

“I think we’re gonna have to think within, also…some of our Triple-A starters could slide in to the bullpen, if that’s what it means. I don’t think there is gonna be a proven guy available.”

Clearly there is not much out their via trade, especially based on the guys that have already cleared waivers. Over at Metsblog, Cerrone makes the obvious assumption that Pelfrey should prepare himself for the move. I will add that Joe Smith, Dave Williams, Philip Humber, and Willie Collazo will most likely be considered. Smith should be a given assuming he continues to get his grove back with NO.

I will also say this, if the Mets do get a reasonable lead at some point in early september and Pedro is back pitching at least average, Willie should consider moving Maine to the pen to see what he can do. The bottom line is that they have a plethora of starters and at some point someone will lose their starting spot. You can be sure that El Duque and Glavine will start in the postseason. Which leaves Pedro, Maine, and Perez to fill at most 2 spots. If Pedro is productive then he gets the 3rd spot and it's between the other 2 to shift to the pen. If Pedro isn't strong enough to go at least 6 innings on a consistent basis then maybe he's in the pen. Anyway you look at Willie will have a lot of shuffling and evaluating to do come Sept.

Lastly, don't forget about Mr Burgos. He should be ready come september call ups. In three minor-league rehab appearances since July 27, Burgos has not allowed a run, while striking out one and walking none, in four innings for the Low-A GCL Mets.

Does Goldberg work?

This is a question we have all asked once or twice in the past 10 years.

Well, when Becker is your boss..this is what work is:

lawrenceG22 [12:44 P.M.]: i've set up a pitch and put around my cube - i have 2 balls, a putter, a lob wedge and a kick back hole

The Human Hurricane ladies and gentleman!

Bubba and Fink: We're In Trouble

As I was doing a little research on Giants CB EJ Underwood (more on him later, and yes he will make a name for himself this year) I received a reminder about this years home games.

Through all of the concern over obtaining parking passes, the issues going on with the G-Men on defense, the Mets blowing a huge game last night, and oh so many other things. I was reminded of a drastic change in events that Bubba and I could not possibly be prepared for.

You see, we are simple folk. We'll eat anything and everything you put in front of us at the tailgate (maybe some Mrs. Fields cookies when we get inside), maybe i'll have a few beers and Bubbs will throw back a few waters and some duty water (aka: hot chocolate from the statdium). Then we'll sit back and enjoy some smashmouth football.

Well, things are about to change! As the song goes: Here comes the story of the hurricane. After a potential nightmare of not having their season tickets renewed, Cooper and The Cat will be sitting side by side with us rooting Big Blue on to victory. This season we will be part of a whirlwind that we've never seen before. We've sat with Cooper at countless Mets games and while he can certainly be annoying, we've been there done that. Compared to The Cat, well, Cooper is a kitten.

This season we will experience first hand what happens to someone when they arrive at 7am, still drunk from the night before, with a cup of irish coffee in one hand and a magnum of jack in the other, both to be thrown back along with a quart of jello shots prior to kickoff. At which point the switch is made to, well, i will quote Cooper: "it's more like, what doesn't Goldberg drink when he's inside".

Hey, I love the Cat! He always brings a ton of energy (which of course is what i lack) and his knowledge of the game is unmatched. The question that remains is not whether or not the Giants can handle their opponent, but whether or not Bubba and I can handle the arrival of The Cat, a human hurricane that not even the swirling winds of the meadowlands could compare to.

Vick To Plea Guilty

NBCsports.com is reporting Michael Vick's lawyer's have advised him to enter a guilty plea Friday.The dealine for Vick's decision was 9AM Friday morning. It could become public anytime Friday. It looks like he's going to plead guilty and accept a jail sentence of at least one year.

Thanks to Larry Goldberg (aka - The Cat) for the lead.

Since 2001 Atlanta is 32-24-1 with Vick and 9-18 without him. Something tells me the Falcons are in for a looooooong season.

Say it ain't so Zambrano

Bruce Levine - ESPN 1000 in Chicago is reporting that Carlos Zambrano is close to re-signing with the Cubs for 5 years and $90 million.

In a unrelated report, champagne bottles crashing, laughter and celebratory cheers have been heard coming from the home of Johan Santana in suburban Minnesota.

Strahan to return?

Via Rotoworld.com

NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports those close to Michael Strahan believe he will report to the Giants before the season.

Strahan is working out in Los Angeles, an indication he plans to play football again.

Great, I can't wait until he comes in to camp, talks to the media his first day, then tells them 2 days later that he is no longer talking to the media. Then talks to them that same day in the parking lot.

Here's a crazy idea Michael. Get on the field and play football and get paid $4 million to do so. Break the Giants sack record and make this defense rally around you, the greatest defensive end in Giants history. I hate to say it but your teammates need you Michael, and the fans need you. Be a man and show up to camp. Get in shape. Play the final 2 pre-season games. Get ready for the Cowboys.

The worst game of the season

Seriously, that was the worst game I have watched all year, maybe the worst game in 3 seasons.

I am not sure what was worse..our manager, our bullpen or our defense. The combination is remarkably bad.

Brian Lawrence sucks. Mota needs to be shipped out. Put him on waivers and let some other team grab him like we did last year.

What was Willie doing bringing him back to face the righty to start the 7th and then bringing in Feliciano for 1 batter (1 BATTER IN THE PAST WEEK IS ALL HE CAN DO??) and then bringing in Heilman in the 7th? Then bringing back Heilman for the 8th!!!!

Terrible defensive lapses in the 7th and 8th. Terrible managing again. Terrible bullpen. Just terrible.

This team is just not making it easy on us...

Dónde está Pedro?

I can't help but think that something is not right with Pedro Feliciano.

He hasn't thrown in a game since a week ago today and Willie used Shoe-in-face in the 8th inning the other night.

Pedro had 3 consecutive bad outings in late July and then threw 21 pitches in his last outing on the 9th, allowing 2 hits.

He seems to have lost the magic touch he had earlier in the season and now with a week layoff, I can't help but think something could be wrong.

update by Fink 4:38 pm ...
i was going to post this very topic a few days ago. hopefully he is just giving him some rest during the dog days and getting shoe-in-face back in a, umm, a groove. can he even get in a groove? we'll see. hope so.

Big Baby Hopes To Help Big Blue: Fat Chance

The NY Giants signed former Dolphins DT Manuel Wright on Wednesday in hopes that he gets in shape to give the G-Men some added depth.

Wright, a USC product, was taken in the 2005 supplemental draft by the Dolphins but was released earlier this year. He was later picked up by the Buffalo Bills and let go shortly after. Unfortuantely, Wright is known more for crying when former Dolphin coach Nick Saban scoldeed him for being over weight than he is for his on field performance.

The Thrill(egde) of Rickey

As many of you know, I have always had a thing for athletes who speak in the 3rd person. From Roy Jones Jr to Hulk Hogan, each and everyone of these guys simply cracks me up. But the king of the 3rd person is and will always been Mr. Rickey Henderson.

As the stories go, Rickey used to stand in front of a mirror before a game, practicing his swing, saying over and over, "Rickey's the best! Rickey's the best!"

Well, from the stories I have been reading and hearing lately, the greatest base stealer and leadoff hitter of all time is having quite an impact on one Lastings Milledge.

Take last night for example. Milledge came into the game already knowing he could steal a base anytime he wanted off Shawn Chacon. So after Willie had Reyes bunt LMillz over in the 2nd with nobody out in the 9th, the Thrill already knew his next step would be to swipe 3rd. 2nd pitch to Castillo and he is on 3rd base. After the game Lastings said that Rickey & him had already figured out Shawn Chacon's move the night before and that is why he was able to confidently steal the base.

I know some Mets fans will never forgive Rickey for the card playing incident. It does still leave a sour taste in all of our mouths. But Rickey has taken LMillz under his wing and I for one couldn't be happier. LMillz is playing with a fire that is missing from so many players on this club and he is batting .314 too. He has confidence in himself that reminds me of Rickey.

Of course I am not comparing him to the greatness of Rickey but I wouldn't be surprised if one day we hear David Wright telling reporters "he stands in front of his locker before games practicing his swing saying 'Lastings is the best, Lastings is the best'"

quick update...

During the top of the 3rd inning pitching coach Rick Peterson spoke to Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez:

.....regarding Maine's struggles he mentioned the high amount of foul balls (19 through 2 innings) maine has gotten which is causing his pitch count to rise and he struggles mentally at times, out of frustration. Umm, 19 foul balls in the first 2 innings is an obsurd amount. most pitchers don't get that through 6. this is the longest season of Maine's career and he needs to learn to lay off of himself a little bit and give him self a break mentally. Peterson is thrilled with his performance thus far this year but it's a long haul and will take some adjustments. hopefully they can get a little lead and give him a rest come sept.

.... regarding Sosa's shift to the bullpen - he mentioned how well he pitches out of the stretch and changes tempo very well. the other major factor is his style of pitching, which is not condusive to turning over a lineup 3 or 4 times but facing them the first time through, especially against a right handed dominant lineup.. Hi Rick, it's Fink. Have we met? I mean really, we've been calling for this guy to move to the pen for what seems like forever and now you see why.

... this just in. Mota still sux it big time. another inning and another run. seriously, sosa has filled in but now who will be the guy to replace Mota, and eventually Shoe-in-face. they are both haning on by a thread.

... Delgado was removed in the 8th inning with a leg contusion which he supposedly suffered the night before. Green moved to first and Thrilledge came in to play RF. the injury does not seem serious. Delgado was 2-4 with 1rbi and run scored.

The New Hebrew Hammer

(all stats courtesy of the best site in the world - wikipedia)

OK. I know we started this as primarily a Mets blog but I have to write about my man crush. That is right people, I have a crush on Ryan Braun. Many girls in NYC have a crush on David Wright, and don't get me wrong, David is a special player, but there is just something about Ryan.

Let me take you through this season as I am sure some of you aren't too familiar with Ryan.

The Brewers brought Braun to spring training this season. Their regular third baseman Corey Koskie, suffering from post concussion syndrome, missed all of spring training. While the Breweres intended to platoon Craig Counsell and Tony Graffanino to start the season, they also gave Braun an extensive look.

In his first spring training game, Braun went 4-5 with a grand slam, a 3-run home run, a double, a single, and a stolen base, along with 7 RBIs; a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. The Brewers realized what they had but his defense was very raw so they sent him back down after 11 spectacular offensive games.

After little production from the hot corner, the Brew-Crew finally promoted Ryan and He made his MLB debut on May 24. He hit his first homer the next day and he was off to the races.

As of August 14th, after 71 games, Braun leads the National League in batting average (.354), and led the Major Leagues in slugging percentage (.684), among hitters with at least 300 plate appearances. The all-time slugging percentage leaders for a full season at age 23 are Willie Mays and Albert Pujols at .667, and the rookie record is .621.

In addition, against lefties he had the best batting average (.462), obp (.527), and slugging percentage (1.013) of all major league hitters with at least 75 plate appearances against them.

He was also leading the Brewers in batting average, slugging percentage, and obp (.396), tied for 1st in triples (5), 2nd in home runs (23), and 3rd in RBIs (60) and steals (10) -- despite not having played in 48 games in the first half of the season.

OK, so Braun is obviously amazing...but where does my crush come from you ask?

Well, ya see, Ryan Braun is Jewish. "It's something that draws a lot of interest and something I take pride in," Braun said. His father, Joe, is Israeli-born. Interestingly, "Braun" was the family name of Sandy Koufax, until his mother remarried and he took his step-father's name. "There's no (family) connection that I know of," Ryan Braun said, "but it's kind of cool. Lastly, Braun's grandfather has been living for over 40 years in a home that previously belonged to the greatest Jewish hitter ever, Hank Greenberg.

The question may one day become, is Braun the greatest Jewish hitter in history?

Move over Shawn, there is a new Kosher Kid in the league.

Bullpen: Say It Is So-sa

I've heard all the whining and complaining about Omar not making a deal to improve the late inning relief which has been rather shaky for most of the season. Of course, Wags is lights out and having as good a season as any closer in baseball. Feliciano has been a blessing and possibly the best left handed reliever in the game as he can get both righties and lefties out.

The 7th and 8th innings have been a casue for concern as both Heilman and Mota have proven to be inconsistent. Heilman has been much better of late (since july 22 he has a 2.07 ERA in 13 ip with a 0.62 WHIP). Mota on the other hand. This guy has been all over the place and he is melting in the hot august sun right before our eyes, giving up 4 runs in 6ip since 8/1. Someone give this guy his needle back! Please! I won't tell i swear.

This brings us to the deadline move that we saw coming for weeks. Nope, it wasn't a trade but you could call it an aquisition. Sosa had pitched out of the pen previously in his career and while he was having a nice year starting, he had been struggling since he came off the DL, going winless in 3 starts in July with an 6.50 ERA. Knowing that Sosa would be a potential solution in the pen Omar stood firm and refused to give up the farm for Chad Cordero. He offered Humber to the Nats but a 3 way deal with Arizona broke down, which meant that the Sosa shift was about to be made.

Sosa seems a perfect fit for late inning relief. As a starter (7-6 4.59 ERA) he flourished in the 1st inning holding opponents to a .111 AVG and .295 OPS. Since his move to the pen Sosa has been solid(1.39 ERA/1.08 WHIP and holding opponents to 213 avg) , giving the Mets flexibility and the ability to pitch multiple innings (he's gone at least 1.2 ip in 5 of his 8 relief appearances).

As for Sosa's replacement in the rotation, Brian Lawrence has made 2 starts going 5ip / 6ip allowing 3 and 2 runs respectively. The Mets are 1-1 when he starts.

SO FAR SO-SA GOOD.

Former Met - Jose Offerman

Former major league All-Star Jose Offerman was arrested Tuesday night after charging the mound and hitting the pitcher and catcher with his bat during an independent minor league game.

Bridgeport police said Offerman was arrested and later posted bond, but did not detail the charge. According to the Connecticut Post, a source said Offerman was charged with second-degree assault.

"He hit him with a cut fastball in the left calf," Bluefish manager Tommy John said, according to the Post. "And the next thing you know, Offerman's going to the mound with his bat over his head taking swings at Beech. He took at least two, maybe even three [swings]."


"It was just a scary incident for everybody witnessing what took place," Bluefish pitcher Mike Porzio said, according to the Post. "Everybody was in shock at the time because it's not something you see. I've played 15 years and I've never seen that before.

For more on this story check out ESPN.com.

Wow...I mean what the hell snapped in Jose to do this?? Oh right, he is a steroid dealer wasting away in the independent league with his teammates Danny Graves, Carl Everett, Edgardo Alfonzo, John Halama, Donovan Osborne and Ed Yarnall. What a crew!

Nice start to the trip

Not great, not bad. But as they say, a win is a win.

A few comments ...

- I know I was just singing the praises of El Duque and rightfully so, but 130 pitches?!?! Willie just amazes me at times. That said, the Mets are 7-0 in duque's starts since the all-star break.

- Nice pinch hit by fan favorite Ruben Gotay. I love all the postings I have read about Brian Bannister and Heath Bell not being here and the players Omar traded for them not panning out but how come we never read about Jeff Keppinger? Omar still has a knack for the bench players, doesn't he?

- Milledge seems to be puzzled in the OF no matter what position he is playing out there. He just misjudges way too many flyballs. Granted, he hasn't made any horrible misplays yet but you can just feel one coming.

- This one is fun, courtesy of Metsblog.com...Over the past two seasons, the Mets have spent 282 days in first place -- the most in the majors. The Red Sox are second with 229. Make that 283 and counting.

- Mets win, Phils win, Braves win (Chipper just hit a walk off double). NL East race is heating up.

- Danny Cabrera 2 hits Yankees. Up tomorrow at 1:05, the best pitcher in baseball this season, Erik Bedard. Then they get 4 at home with the Tigers, followed by 3 in Los Angeles, 3 in Detroit and then 3 back at home against the Sox . No team in baseball is hotter than the Yankees but that schedule is not easy by any means.

Lots of baseball to be played in NY before this season is done my friends....

Lastly, I want to say hello to all our buddies joining us from the tailgate formerly known as 6F. Today was a big day as parking passes were secured for the season and the tailgate will now be back to normal. Walking tours of the Giants Stadium parking lot will begin promptly at 7 am on September 16th and cease 15 minutes prior to the start of the game. Guests who do not bring something to contribute to the tailgate will not be allowed on the walking tours. Your tour guides, your truly and Jerry Cohen, offer a wide variety of products throughout the season. Jerry offers tales and stories from his past free of charge with every tour. We welcome everyone out to Giants stadium for any home game this season and will be announcing our new location soon.

Update: Philip Humber

In his last 4 starts for NO Humber has given up 11 ER in 18 IP, good for a 5.50 ERA. He is clearly struggling with his location (which used to be one of his strengths) as indicated by his 12 bb's and 1.61 WHIP in those starts.

..... I have to say this has been a very disappointng season for Humber, his first full season since recovering from Tommy John surgery. I used think this kid had a higher ceiling than Pelfrey but at this point it seems both of them will fall short of expecations. With both of the kids struggling the farm is lacking in major league ready pitching and I expect the Mets to make a stong push for the top FA arms on the market come this winter...Since winning the PCL pitcher of the week in late April, Humber has gone 8-6 with a 4.50 ERA. he's lasted more than 5 innings just once in his last 6 starts.

The Best Starter in New York

A frequent question I get is, "who starts game 1 of the playoffs (if there is a game 1) for the Mets?"

For some of the season, the answer was Ollie. At other times it was our Maine Man John.

But the reality is, the best starting pitcher in all of New York this season is amazingly Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez.

He currently sports a 3.05 ERA over 19 starts where he has gone 7-4. That ERA is nearly a full run better than any Yankee starter and nearly a half run better than Ollie and John.

Even more impressive however is his miniscule 1.07 WHIP.

Here is a list of the pitchers in MLB with a lower ERA that the old man's:

Chris Young 1.00
Johan Santana 1.05
(Jake Peavy is also at 1.07)

Amazing stuff for a pitcher who some reports claim to be nearing 45 years old.

Now let's see Duque continue this spectacular season and go out shut down the Bucs tonight!!

LETS GO METS!

On August 14th of last year the Mets headed to Philadelphia and proceeded to lose the first 3 games of a 4 game set. They salvaged the final game of the series and went on to win 7 straight and 13 of the 15.

...Now this is the type of run that has been missing all year and maybe a few games away from Shea against 2 of the weaker teams in the NL(bucs and nats) is just what the doctor ordered. 5 of 6 on this trip could give them a little more breathing room from the braves as Atl takes on SF and AZ (3-4 record vs this season). Phil, however, heads off to face the nats and bucs. teams which they are a combined 8-3 against this year.

Update: Joe Smith

Down on the farm in NO Joe Smith has appeared in 4 games giving up 2 ER on 5 hits and 4 bb's in 3.1 IP.... well i certainly don't like the looks of that. hopefully he gets himself together in time for the home stretch, as having his arm in the pen could be a huge lift given the putrid state of guillermo mota. and that makes me think- Duaner Sanchez, you and your late night munchies have screwed us big time.

Say What You Will About This Offense: It's Beltran or Bust

Yes, Jose Reyes gets the offense going. He's the table setter. He's the igniter. He's the energizer. Wright has been the most consistent bat in the lineup, Luis Castillo has been a fine addition and ideal #2 hitter, and we've got the right handed power bat we were longing for with the return of Moises "welcome to the 2007 season" Alou. Though I must say we could surely do without his superhuman ability to hit into double plays (it seems even with no men on base). But let's face facts. One Carlos "now you see me now you don't " Beltran is by far and away the key to this offense and the Met's success as we come down to the final 6 weeks of the season. If this team wants to not only make the postseason but to make that first trip to the promised land since the days of Keith Hernandez (aka - winner of the Top Mustache of All Time Award) and Danny Heep (heep heeeep heeeep. that's right i said it) then Beltran has to be in the middle of it. Forget about the caught looking, strike 3 call in game 6 of the NLCS he watched go by like Jessica Biel in a bikini. I mean, that was the nastiest pitch Wainwright has ever thrown and 75% of major leaguers wouldn't have even gotten a bat on that ball. I forgive you Carlos. Those bats are hard to lift off your shoulder on a cold october night as it is. We've moved on from that. But if the Mets are to make any noise Beltran better get his act together. And fast. Now, i'm not so unrealistic to think that we need to see the 2006 version of Carlos but somewhere between '05 and '06 will do. He's got to stay healthy, get hs eye back at the plate, improve on his abysmal 1 to 5 k/ab ratio, and stop trying to do too much. The fact that the other night, with 1 man on and 2 out, with the tying run coming to the plate, I would have much rather had Castillo hit and hope he extends the game then do what Willie did and bring Beltran up to pinch hit with the hopes he goes deep. I mean, he had about as good a chance at going yard in that situation as Coop-a-Fink did. If Beltran doesn't find his stroke soon, and he hasn't found it since April, then he will continue to be the bottleneck rally killer that you just can't have hitting 3rd in your lineup. I don't know. Maybe this is what he truly is. An inconsistent hitter with some pop and some speed that has no business being looked at as the best hitter on the team. I hope that's not the case. I pray that's not true. I want to be one of 55,000 screaming lunatics at Shea come October and it's going to take a productive Carlos Beltran to make that happen.

Finally, our own blog

So for a long time people like my buddy Adam Kalish have been telling me to write a blog or something as I usually fill his email box daily with my personal thoughts on my beloved Mets and his annoying Yankees. In between sending emails and doing some actual work during the day, I often spend time IMing with my co-author Jason Fink and my good friend Larry Goldberg. A few months back Fink and I started joking around calling ourselves "coopafink" as we often just sent quick IM updates of Mets related information back and forth to each other. Some of the info we would get from the much respected metsblog.com (Matt Cerrone and his team do a great job), some from the incomparable Kenny Rosenthal, some from the NY papers, some from Rotoworld.com and many from the world of Internet radio, mainly 3 personalities, Colin Cowherd and the infamous Mike and the Mad Dog.

But now, we finally decided that we get to be the ones giving the information and opinions. We are the ones to tell you how poorly Willie has managed recently and how Lastings should be playing every day. We are the ones who get to report that somehow Joba Chamberlain is a white guy. We are the ones who gave you the stats on why Sosa should be the right handed man in the bullpen a week before he was given the job. We are the ones who do this stuff all day every day anyway so why shouldn't our friends and their friends enjoy it.

With that said, I want to welcome everyone to the Coop-a-Fink blog. We hope you enjoy it each day, we will try to keep it updated as often as possible and invite all of you to post comments.

Early Morning Can of Corn

posted by Jason Fink and Jeff Cooper

Fink so when will they try and pass mota through waivers. and i am going to say this, it's not the roids. this has been the same for him his whole career. he's still throwing low to mid 90's but his change is flat and his location sucks
Coops right..i said that to my dad on saturday. "remember how we got mota through waivers last season in august? Can we reverse that this year?" btw..there are some very faint winds coming from queens talking about a truimphant return to shea for a title run of one #31
Fink: shhhhh.. that would be something
Coops it really would...it would give us some much needed energy...can he catch?
Fink: well i will say this. he certainly is rested.
Coops i was listening to FAN a lot last night...nothing to do just a lot of callers more than anything. but why not?

Fink cooper: don't pass along vinny from queens speculation as rumor..lol
Coops well...i said faint winds

Fink by the way - someone tell NL pitchers that alou can hit a fastball
Coops right...he frickin kills em