Pelosi Shuts Down House, While Minaya Refuses to Mortgage Future

Whether you're a New York Mets' fan, a political junkie, or simply a frequent visitor to our site, you must have been thinking that Salvatore has disappeared for the summer. But fear not America, I'm no Nancy Pelosi.

Unlike the botox-injected Speaker of the House, who recently allowed a congressional summer recess before a possible vote on lifting the oil drilling moratorium for the outer continental shelf, I won't be going on vacation this summer. With Election Day only 94 days away and the Major League Baseball playoffs even closer, I cannot abandon you now even though your lawmakers have no problem doing so.

Before we move onto the discussing state of los Mets, we must send a big "Shame on You!" out to the 213 tyrants in Congress that voted to adjourn for a five-week summer holiday before bringing up a vote on drilling. Seeing their will fail by one vote, 212 members of the House voted against adjourning to allow for the chamber to address America's energy crisis. To them we say thank you for doing your jobs.

Now, the benefits of drilling are clear. Even if the skeptics are right (fat chance) and it will take four years to come away with refined oil from the proposed drilling area, then at least we will be guaranteed some sort of relief four years rather than find ourselves in an even tighter bind.

Salvatore is a proponent of finding renewable sources of energies and developing engines that run on them, but he realizes such a huge transition from a petroleum-based economy will take time. While those wheels are in motion, we will need oil to operate in the meantime.

The dire circumstances the average American faces at the pump have created somewhat of a change in mindset. Although a number of Americans have opposed drilling in the past, these practical people understand the times. The People of Florida are evidence. Once home to a majority that staunchly opposed drilling, a new study shows 60 percent are now in favor. Read the Miami Herald story here. Floridians are speaking practical sense, but I can't say the same for Pelosi.

New York Mets' equipment manager Charlie Samuels won't have to worry about ordering additional uniforms this year. Unlike the previous few seasons under GM Omar Minaya's reign, the Mets remained idle through Thursday's non-waiver trade deadline.

The Mets were said to have been pursuing bullpen help and a reliable bat for one of the two corner outfield positions. With Moises Alou out for the remainder of 2008 and only months away from AARP membership and Ryan Church's status still questionable, playoff hopeful Mets' fans could have used a Jason Bay-type to calm their nerves. Christmas isn't until December though.

With Seattle looking for a sucker to overpay for Raul Ibanez, Minaya rightfully passed. You can't hate the Mariners here either. It seems as if they finally made a smart move by hanging onto their soon-to-be free agent outfielder since they will receive two compensatory first round picks from his next ballclub.

I have to think the Mets could have found a way into the three-way deal that sent Manny Ramirez to L.A., but I can't fault Minaya for not wanting to part with young talent for the volatile Ramirez. Although, the other half of my brain tells me that the Dodgers are getting the most-feared right-handed hitter in the game for free (Boston will pay the remainder of his 2008 salary).

So Fernando Tatis and Endy Chavez it is. Church's prospects aren't bleak, but head trauma always makes for an unpredictable situation. If all goes well and the left-handed slugging leftfielder is back in the lineup and producing by mid-August, then a righty-lefty platoon of Chavez and Tatis won't look so bad. And remember, the Mets won the N.L. Pennant with an outfield by committee comprised of Benny Agbayani, Daryl Hamilton, Jay Payton, Timo Perez, and Bubba Trammell.

Although it is hard to fall in love with the Mets' relief corps, Minaya deserves applause for not sacrificing a prospect to bring in a Mel Rojas-type arm ala Arthur L. Rhodes. Without overpaying for Colorado's Brian Fuentes, any general manager would have been hard-pressed to find someone out there worth acquiring. Who else was really out there? Luis Ayala and his inflated ERA?

Like the majority of Major League bullpens, the Mets have seen their relief corps win them games and give away others. As hideous as he can be at times, Billy Wagner is still in teh upper echelon of MLB closer and the set-up unit of Stank Aaron Heilman, Joe Smith, Pedro Feliciano, the Graden State's own Scott Schoeneweis, is more attractive than most around the majors.

Bringing former Oregon State stopper and College World Series star Eddie Kunz up from AA ball could provide some relief (no pun intended). Kunz is a hard-throwing right-hander that stands at an intimidating 6'5" and 265 lbs. Oh, and maybe Matt Wise will make a cameo at some point (Does anyone know where this guy is right now? I've gotten more information on Dick Cheney's whereabouts than this key free agent pick-up.)

So there it is. No Jason Bay, No Manny Ramirez, No Raul Ibanez, and thankfully No Arthur Rhodes. This one is up to Carlos, Endy, Fernando, "Stank Aaron," and your average Joe Smith. Ya Gotta Believe!

You Want It? You Del-gad-it! Getting Squirrely Is Back for Week Three

To truly "Get Squirrely" is to sink into oblivion into the sounds gravitating toward your ears. The cuts this week, in my humble opinion, will do nothing more than surrender that kind of experience. In this initial cut I give you an this artist who came upon an album while pulling a "Thoreau" in the woods. The sound is simple yet true and while segregating yourself in a cabin for months isn't necessarily for everyone it worked for troubadour.

Bon Iver - "Flume"

While not a completely fresh cut - this song debuted in the fall of 2006 - the artist, Cold War Kids, exhibited a piano-infused number that will long stay in your musical conscious for days to come if not longer. Serenading over keys about "Vietnam and Fishing Trips" this track exposed the rangy and Robert Plant-like vocals of lead man Nathan Willett. To quote the Los Angeles foursome it embodies both the "Joy" and "Misery" of the indie rock landscape.

Cold War Kids - "Hospital Beds"

Sal's Back and So Are the Mets

Note Schedule Change: Getting Squirrely will return on Friday, July 25, a day later than its normal Thursday slot. We apologize for the inconvenience, and we hope your ears are ready.

Now you can all breathe easy. Yes, the New York Mets have taken another series from the archrival Philadelphia Phillies to catapult themselves into sole possession of first place in the National League Eastern Division. You can all breathe easy because Salvatore did not deep six himself after Tuesday night's stunning, unfathomable defeat to Philly and he is speaking once again after a two-day hiatus.

Salvatore Francesca?: Forgive me for a moment while I take on the role of a sports talkshow personality and tell you how great of a prognosticator/genius I am. Looking back at Tuesday's preview of Johan Santana's start in the series opener of this three-game, first-place turnpike tussle, yours truly stated, "Regardless of what happens tonight, the Mets will remain a N.L. East title contender for the forseeable future and Santana will still be viewed as one of the game's top aces."

Well, the oft-criticized Santana stepped up and proved his worth by twirling eight innings of two-run ball. Still, it was not enough as the Mets, with their bullpen taking the lead and Jose Reyes following, melted down in the ninth inning and watched a 5-2 lead turn into an 8-6 loss. Santana could have and should have came out for a ninth inning of work, but there is no sense in revisiting that nightmarish loss any more than we have to.

Now, let us digress back to the central theme of this passage. Santana dazzled, shutting up the skeptics. The Mets squandered his effort with a number of miscues that led to the team's worst loss since Tom Glavine last started in a New York uniform. It was not the end of the world though. Santana is still an ace and the Mets showed their mettle by taking two. For the first time since April, the Mets are top dog.

A Great Matinee at Shea: The Mets are reaping the benefits now, and Oliver Perez's bank account will eventually feel the effect this off-season. A 15-game winner in 2007, the screwy southpaw, a.k.a. Big-Game Ollie, has shaken off his inconsistency and has surrendered a total of five earned runs over his last six outings.

If the Shane Victorino is a Mets' killer, then Perez must look like Charles Manson to Philadelphia. Striking out 12 and allowing only one run over 7.2 innings, Perez continued his dominance of a division rival and once again performed well against a marquee opponent.

The Phightin' Phils have managed only one run, Jayson Werth's seventh-inning shot on Thursday afternoon, in 26 innings against Perez this season.
The Mets have now won nine of their first 13 games with Philadelphia this season, claiming all four series between the two.
Perez's surge over the past month has dropped his ERA from 5.29 to 4.15, but it may not be the most impressive on the team.

After Aaron Heilman induced a clutch, tie-preserving fly out in relief of Perez, Carlos Delgado continued his tear. Miraculously hitting .406 this month, Delgado lined an opposite-field double off J.C. Romero to drive in Robinson Cancel and David Wright with the difference in a 3-1 victory.

Stage Set for Santana in Battle for First

Jeremy Shockey found his own way to Sainthood without having to facillitate a single miracle.
Although this particular penman is preaching patience, Johan Santana has been perceived as anything but Saintly by a contingent of the New York Mets' Faithful.

Tuesday night at Shea Stadium provides Santana with a golden opportunity to woo a demanding home crowd, but more importantly, a chance to help the Mets capture sole possession of first place against rival Philadelphia.

Many members of the Mets' deprived fan base (when your team has two fewer World Series titles over the past two decades than the expansion Florida Marlins, your fan base warrants the adjective "deprived"), myself included, have been waiting for what numerous pundits have deemed "Johan's signature Mets' moment." The ERA and masterful control have come as expected, but the Mets' biggest acquisition since Mike Piazza has not exactly come as advertised. Santana hasn't overpowered, has been prone to the long ball, and owns a pedestrian 8-7 win-loss record.

With the Mets' first-place companions visiting tonight, Santana can erase any prior disappointment from the short memory of Mets' fans and prove that he was worth Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, and $138 million by mowing down Chaset Utley and Co. to the tune of a crisp victory.

I'm hoping that Santana emulates what he did at Shea last season as a member of the Minnesota Twins when he twirled a complete-game shutout of the Amazins. I am also prepared for the possibility that Santana's line could resemble the one from last week's start in Cincinnati (4.0 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 3 BB).

Santana may replicate his Independence Day performance in Philadelphia where he allowed only two runs over 8.0 innings while pitching in a bandbox. He did more than give his team a chance to win that night, but it still wasn't good enough to win nor was it good enough to satisfy his somewhat insatiable critics.

Regardless of what happens tonight, the Mets will remain a N.L. East title contender for the forseeable future and Santana will still be viewed as one of the game's top aces. Mets' fans won't change either. We will still be a demanding bunch, and rightfully so.

Click Here for MLB Game Preview of Mets-Phils.

Mets Move in on Prey with Tenth Straight Win; Shark Attack Imminent

In terms of southpaws, Johan Santana looked more like Mr. Koo than Jerry Koosman, but their ace's sub-par performance did not deter the New York Mets from pulling into first place last night.

Santana gave up an Aaron Heilman-like five consecutive hits in the fourth inning, his last inning of work, to drop the Mets into a 5-2 hole. But there was Fernando Tatis again, delivering a go-ahead two-run blast to put the Mets ahead 6-5 in the sixth inning.

Even when the Mets' bullpen broke down and allowed a run for the first time in more than 21 innings, there was David Wright.

With the Mets trailing 8-6 and down to their final two outs, Wright delivered a game-tying, two-run homer that scored Argenis Reyes. Carlos Beltran, Damion Easley, Carlos Delgado, and Tatis pounded out successive hits for a 10-8 lead in setting up a Billy Wagner save opportunity that the struggling closer made good on.

Having advocated for Carlos Delgado's departure, it is only fair to point to his contributions of late. Although his proposed replacements (Easley and Tatis) are doing well for the Mets in other spots, Delgado is partying like its 1999. He hit .272 with 44 dingers and 134 RBI during that campaign with Toronto. After a 3-for-4 showing on Thursday, which included a homer and three RBI, Delgado is batting .252 with 18 bombs and 55 RBI following a horrific start.

Even with Santana looking more like a joker, the Mets still came up aces last night and sit tied for first with Philadelphia as the two clubs hold identical 52-44 records.

The Phillies acquired Oakland's Joe Blanton earlier in the day to bolster their beleaguered starting staff, but all the Phillies and Jimmy Rollins could do was watch as their old friend joined them atop the N.L. East.

As for Blanton, I have always been a fan. He is under 30 years of age and has given the A's an average of 209 innings per season from 2005-2007. Still, Blanton's 5-12 record and 4.96 ERA won't be enough to scare the Mets.

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Shark in British Waters: Phil Mickelson shot nine over yesterday in the first round of the British Open, while Rocco Mediate surged to the lead of another major. Salvatore is still predicting that Greg Norman, who finds himself one stroke back, will unleash one final shark attack and secure a major title by weekend's end.

Regardless of whether The Shark makes good on that prognositication, he still makes damn good shorts. Like Giuseppe Franco, I'm not putting my name on the line for something that doesn't work. (Click Here to watch one of our all-time favorites.)

Getting Squirrely with Hobbie Is Invited Back for Encore after Sound Debut

It's my sincere pleasure to implore you to "Get Squirrely" with us once again this week. According to the big board it appears that the John Butler Trio won out - good tune and I certainly can't blame anyone for thinking so.

I also can't "Blame Canada " for anything else these days, and even if I did it certainly wouldn't be music. Our neighbors to the north churn out significant modern rock bands like Wayne Gretzky once shat out goals. One can even say that Canada , namely Toronto , is what Seattle was to music in the decade of the 1990s. What the Bronx was to hip-hop in the 1980s. With Broken Social Scene, Arcade Fire, Islands, Black Mountain, Wolf Parade, and even 1...2...3...4...Feist to name a stately few, these musicians wouldn't just be characterized in "South Park" with nutcracker heads that pop off when they talk. These aren't your uncle's maple leaf musicians (Rush??). These hosers can play.



Not aforementioned is this native Ontario band featured below, "Entire Cities". While their debut EP (titled "Deep River) is one of the freshest, most experimental and creative projects since the kids from Columbia University did it with "Vampire Weekend", you won't find them in record stores in the U.S. or even playing gigs in the States ... yet. Another blogosphere phenomenon, it's hard to fathom that this group will not be heard from very loudly and very soon. With their attempts at classifying their sound obsolete - the closest they come is half-jokingly tabbing it "psychedelic cow punk" - you'll find a softer almost Johnny Cash/June Carter flavored number on this work titled, simply, "Coffee". Two creams, no sugar.

Entire Cities - "Coffee"

We move a little wayward west and a tinge south and wind up in Chicago for another obscure little bar band - albeit American - headed by lead vocalist and namesake Dustin Apodaca. With Biggie's favorite smattering of "violins and mandolins" not to mention an acute rock guitar-keyboard combination (for those Springsteen fans out there) this second city ensemble serves as the absolute antithesis to the arena anthem-peddlers. After hearing this live recording featured below dubbed "Dear Honey" (not to mention a hilarious lead-in story from Apodaca on the origin of the lyrics) you'll want to pull up a stool, grab a beer and singalong - but maybe keep a little closer mind of your wallet.

Dusty Rhodes and the River Band - "Dear Honey"

Ollie Is to Big Game As Billy Is to...

If Oliver Perez is "Big-Game Ollie," then Billy Wagner is "Big-Game Billy GOAT."

In a scene all too familiar to New York Mets' fans, Wagner inherited a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning of the 79th MLB All-Star Game and quickly flushed it down the toilet along with the National League's hopes for home-field advantage during the World Series.

Wagner amassed six blown saves prior to the All-Star break, including three crucial save opportunities during the same week that ultimately cost manager Willie Randolph his job.

These struggles are nothing new for Wagner. Despite being an accomplished, big-name closer, Wagner has developed a reputation for consistently failing when placed into tight games of great significance. Need more evidence than the aforementioned to buy into this claim? Take a look at his post-season numbers. Click Here for Wagner's Career Postseason Numbers.

Wagner has publicly recognized (at least this guy will tell you that he stinks) how bad he was during the 2006 National League Championship Series. I personally witnessed the gopher ball he served up to the intimidating So Taguchi in a game two loss that turned the tide of the series.

Factoring in the damage done by the big-bopping Taguchi, Wagner pitched 2.2 innings to the tune of a 16.87 ERA while surrendering 5 ER on 7 hits.

In 4.2 innings of career postseason work with Houston, Wagner surrendered 5 ER on 8 hits.

Now Perez, the man who was openly, publicly, and unfairly criticized by Wagner earlier this season after a dud of start, has been just the opposite for the Mets.

Yes, Perez's inconsistency can be maddening and it has been the thing that has prevented this talented (although somewhat screwy) southpaw from being an All-Star. But he has always pitched best against the big-name teams and in the big-time spots.

Perez threw six innings of one-run ball in game seven of the 2006 NLCS, when Wagner failed to pitch a single effective inning the entire series. He is a perfect 4-0 against the Yankees over the past two seasons and is the only Mets' arm to have solved the Braves.

Still, Perez was the brunt of Wagner's criticism earlier this season. Mired in a slump during the time of Wagner's ill-advised mouth-off, Perez has since responded well and his last three starts prove it.

Wagner may be a five-time All-Star closer, but I want Perez in a Pennant Race.

Pelfrey Sends Personal Streak to Six, Mets to Cloud Nine

Colorado's Scott Posednik singled to lead off the game, and that is where the story begins. Actually it is where the story continues.

The story of Mike Pelfrey and the New York Mets had been one of frustration, but has been exclusively elation of late.

The frustrating Pelfrey would have followed up Posednik's lead-off single by walking the next batter. The frustrating Mets wouldn't have made the tough defensive play and would have muddled their way through a lifeless defeat. There were no such people on the field at Big Shea last night though.

After allowing the first batter to reach, Pelfrey induced a taylor-made 6-4-3 double play ball off the bat of Rockies' shortstop Clint Barmes before fanning coveted Colorado leftfielder Matt Holliday.

The bottom half of the first inning was even more refreshing. With a hungry crowd on hand and a national Sunday Night Baseball audience watching from afar, 22-year-old farmhand Nick Evans singled and three-time NL All-Star David Wright walked. Next, centerfielder Carlos Beltran unloaded, launching a three-run bomb over the picnic area.

After seven and a half more innings, the end result read: Mets 7, Rockies 0. Mets win ninth straight game. Mike Pelfrey runs his personal win streak to six consecutive starts with 8.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 5 K, 0 BB.

Dare I say it? Baseball Like It Ought To Be!

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Sadly, cancer claimed the lives of two well-known, deeply-revered and truly good men this past weekend. Driving home from the Mets' 3-0 victory over Colorado on Saturday, I learned that former MLB All-Star and established broadcaster Bobby Murcer lost his fight with brain cancer. Sadly, only minutes later, I heard that the courageous Tony Snow, a truly remarkable journalist, had fallen victim to colon cancer. After an accomplished career as a journalist, Snow went on to serve the nation as the chief White House Press Secretary before cancer forced him to step aside. We are sorry to see them go.

MLB's Mid-Summer Mess Not Wright

Wright Backs In (Update at 2:25 PM): So David Wright made the All-Star Game afterall, sneaking in the back door. The AP is reporting that NL manager Clint Hurdle has selected Wright to replace the injured Alfonso Soriano. Click Here for the Full Story.

Wright's last-second fortune only highlights the flawed selection process. Had a roster spot not been vacated, Wright and his 70 RBI would have been forced to stay home.

Fans Prefer Shaved: The "Support the Stache" campaign produced the same results as Walter Mondale's 1984 presidential bid. So, no, Jason Giambi did not make the All-Star Game. At least Giambi is one step ahead of where Al Gore was when he incurred electoral defeat in 2000; it took months for Gore to grow that fine post-election facial hair arrangement. ... With the minor league "Support the Stache" marketing ploys and water cooler showers, The Bronx Zoo is considering a new location at 161st Street.

2008 Major League All-Star Rosters (By League)

2008 Final Vote Fiasco

David Wright Reaction on MLB.com

David Wright won't complain. If he does, it would be the first time during his five-year major league career.

Whether he admits it or not, Wright has every right to groan after falling victim to Major League Baseball's latest gimmick -- The All-Star Game. With a player selection process that is about as efficient and fair as an Iranian election, the All-Star Game no longer showcases the league's top performers, and, therefore, strays from its underlying purpose.

One of five NL finalists in the All-Star Final Fan Vote (another selection gimmick that allows fans to fill the last of the team's 32 roster spots), Wright ran second to Milwaukee outfielder Corey Hart.

So Hart must be the one with the NL's third-highest RBI total (70) and a .386 on-base percentage?

No, those are Wright's numbers. Hart, you ask?

Well, Hart has 57 RBI and a stellar .332 OBP.

Can't argue that selection. It gets better.

Wright shouldn't have even been a part of the Final Vote gimmick in the first place since he should have been selected earlier as the second team third baseman behind only the ageless Chipper Jones (at least he got in, I mean he is only batting .375). Instead, the NL took Aramis Ramirez.

Now, Wright has taken criticism from this site in the past for his periodically shoddy play at third and his sometimes streakiness at the plate. We also know that Ramirez is a fine player. I've seen first-hand how powerful his bat is, witnessing him blast a Tommie Agee-like home run down left-field line at Shea last season, but the numbers this season don't lie.

Wright: .288, 17 homers, 70 RBI

Ramirez: .288, 16 homers, 63 RBI

Maybe baseball somehow benefits from the selection of a less-deserving player. Maybe that player doesn't drive in as many runs as his counterpart, but his presence will drive in more revenue due to the indvidual's marketability. Although I reject that line of thinking as it diminishes the purity of the Mid-summer Classic, I can understand it.

But Hart? Talk about not making sense, or cents for that matter.

Wright is a pop culture icon in the very same city where the All-Star Game will be played this year. His GQ image and heart-throb reputation make him one of the more marketable players in the entire league.

Baseball could have ensured that Wright was on the team because of those marketable, revenue-generating attributes, and admirably they didn't. I still can't say they did the Wright thing though.

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Tampa Bay is a nice surprise story and Evan Longoria (16 HR, .281 average)is one of the reasons for its success, but the "Final Voters" didn't look very closely at the AL numbers either. The White Sox are also somehow a first-place team as we approach the break and have undoubtedly been helped by the contributions of Jermaine Dye (20 HR, .301 average).

Getting Squirrely with Hobbie (Volume I)

"Getting Squirrely" just isn't about music. It's about good music. It's about finding the right toppling arrangement of dominos to give you that feeling you can't quite explain - outside of gourmet food - that will keep you coming back for more, pressing play over and over again like an Al Davis Oakland Raiders' walk-through in the '70s. That's it. That's all I have to say and that's all I deserve to say. Great music was never based on bullshit. And shit was never exclusive to the bull.


"Led Zeppelin never made tunes that everyone liked ... they left that to the BeeGees." - Wayne's World, 1992.


Australia - the big brother bully of our favorite little kid brother, New Zealand, brings us this interesting "trio", an intriguing jam band permeating out of Perth (the fourth-largest Australian city and its fastest-growing hub) centered around lead and namesake John Butler, a green-friendly environmentalist as well as noteworthy musical axe-craftsman. In this cut from their 2004 album, "Sunrise Over Sea", Butler masters the quintessential jam-band hypnotic dance of just a few chords into a listening gem of ear-bending audible narcotic. Few lyrics, much feel and aura is the story of this track, that will sure to keep the music junkie's fancy should they explore the depth into this seemingly simple piece of structure.





The Pixies. An oft-overlooked band from Boston (easily overshadowed by groups with the same origin in the form of Aerosmith, the Dropkick Murphy's, its own namesake "Boston", and even Guster) this classic alternative rock outfit which saw its genesis with the help of punk and surf rock inspiration went on to influence such immortal musical forces like that of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana who often spoke of the debt he and his music owed to the New England songwriters. In this classic cut, the Pixies demonstrate the creative funk and clear force in their music that lead to such respect and recognition in the steepest of modern rock circles. It's near-neurotic, it's cool yet psychotic - you can see in this song how the Beantown foursome made a simple bassline and some skinematic, satanical caresses biblical lyrics into a song that you just might not be able to play only once.

p.s. My girlfriend got me squirrely about this song. She hates it how I love it.

One Pel of a Possibility

Imagine if El Duque were healthy on Opening Day. Imagine if the Minnesota Twins demanded they receive a 6'7" hard-throwing righty in return for Johan Santana. Imagine if Victor Zambrano were on the trading block.

Mike Pelfrey would have been somewhere, just not here. Pelfrey's maturation process would have been unfolding in another place whether it be AAA Ball or the Twin Cities.

Seeing Tim Lincecum on the losing side of a 7-0 decision is rare these days, but what is happening to Pelfrey in a Mets' uniform is even more of a rarity. Pelfrey has only produced a small sample to date, but even this glimmer of what could be is something completely foreign to me as a Mets' fan.

I'm too young to remember 1984 and a 19-year-old Doc Gooden. I don't remember the emergence of "Doctor K," but I certainly will never forget "Generation K" and the fasle sense of hope (no, I'm not referring to someone's presidential campaign) that surrounded Izzy, Wilson, and Pulse.

For years, I have wondered what it was like to witness the emergence and maturation of a homegrown pitching phenom. Basically, I wanted to know what it felt like to be an Oakland A's fans during the past decade.

Thanks to the New York Mets' willingness to part ways with a 19-year-old southpaw who sports a 98-mph fastball, fans of the expansion Tampa Bay Rays have had the luxury of enjoying Scott Kazmir's evolution from prospect into an All-Star.

Fortunately, the Mets weren't willing to part ways with a tall, goofy right-hander from Wichita, and they easily could have.

Pelfrey's rookie season started to the tune of an 0-7 record, a far cry from the 17-9 record and 278 strikeouts that Gooden posted in 1984. His maddening inability to locate his pitches and properly utilize his mid-90s fastball could have finally pushed the Mets to move in a different direction. Even in trading for Johan Santana, statistically baseball's best pitcher over the past three season, the Mets felt a need and found a way to keep Pelfrey put.

Now, Pelfrey's emergence does not nearly warrant the same excitement and mystique as Doc Gooden's direct jump from A Ball to MLB dominance. Gooden went 24-4 and won the Cy Young award during his sophomore campaign. Pelfrey's 7-6 mark at the midway point of his second season may seem modest, but those who have seen his past five starts can't help but think the Mets have something special.

Pelfrey has not lost in nine starts since May 26. He has been the winning pitcher in each of his previous five outings, and it would have been six had Billy Wagner not flushed his eight-inning gem against the Diamondbacks on June 11.

Pelfrey's sophomore surge includes road wins over the Yankees, Cardinals, and AL West leading Angels.

Last night at Shea, he went toe-to-toe with the latest Sports Illustrated coverboy and it wasn't even close. Pelfrey and the Mets cruised to a 7-0 victory over the Giants and ace Tim Lincecum who entered with a 10-1 record and 2.49 ERA. The Mets' newfound stud walked no one through seven innings of three-hit ball, while Lincecum surrendered more runs in the first inning than Pelfrey has in his previous 14 frames.

I don't know if Pelfrey will continue along his path of progression or ever reach stardom, but I do know it is possible. A possibility of the sort is what this Mets' fan had been anxiously awaiting for as long as he can remember.

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The only thing that may excite you more than Mike Pelfrey's most recent outing is the debut of Getting Squirrely with Hobbie. On Thursday morning, Salvatore Speaks will unveil the first of six weekly, summer installments (that's all we could afford to pay him for) of a music blogspot that is sure to send a Chris Matthews' type tingle up your leg.

No Need for Another Circus Act; Bullpen Clowns Around, But Bottom Line Remains Intact

With Moises Alou as sturdy as a three-legged dog these days and Ryan Church's status in doubt, the Mets are in dire need of a proven, everyday corner outfielder with some pop. But Barry Bonds? Are they serious?

Bonds is more radioactive than Three-Mile Island. Not only does his baggage outweight any possible return his 43-year-old body is still capable of producing, but he isn't even the right fit.

The Mets need someone who can play adequate defense and, at the very least, is a right-handed bat capable of balancing their lefty-heavy lineup. A stationary peach basket in left field may catch more than they left-handed hitting Bonds can these days.

Recent reports (Click Here for the story) have suggested that acquiring the beleagured BALCO posterboy Barry Bonds is an option that Mets' GM Omar Minaya has yet to dismiss. Now, to be fair, the Bonds-Mets story could be a by-product of high-caliber sensationalism on behalf of a saavy media corps, but still what is wrong with Omar? Why didn't Minaya automatically, and loudly, reject any idea of Bonds joining the Mets?

I guess Minaya wholeheartedly believes in the old notion that "no publicity is bad publicity." They already invited the circus to town with the way they dismissed Willie Randolph. In the aftermath of that debacle, even flirting with the idea of bringing Bonds in is baffling.

Omar Minaya needs to get on the phones if he hasn't done so already. The Mets need a temporary bailout in the outfield, but Bonds won't cut it.

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Known for some of radio's randiest hits, Madonna surprisingly doesn't kiss on the first date. C-Rod's lawyer is not accusing A-Rod and the material girl of any adulturous sexual activity, but is simply claiming that the relationship between the Bronx Bomber and 49-year-old vixen is an example of A-Rod's emotional abandonment. Read more courtesy of The New York Post.

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The New York Mets won the final three games of their four-game set with the first-place Phillies in Philadelphia capped by a 10-9, nearly-disastrous slugfest on Monday night. Although Mel Rojas and Armando Benitez no longer where the Orange and Blue, this Mets' fan couldn't help but think of the days when they caused more heartburn than a Jimmy Buff's Italian hot dog.

A night after Joe Smith turned in one of the team's top relief efforts in recent memory, the Mets' bullpen nearly did something that could only be fathomable with the aforementioned dynamic duo present. After 5.1 innings of two-run ball from Pedro Martinez, a tandem of Mets' relievers, the very mortal Billy Wagner included, surrendered seven runs and nearly produced the biggest buzzkill since Yadier Molina.

But the Mets survived. With the tying run on second base after Carlos Beltran exercised judgement that makes Rudy Guiliani's Florida Primary strategy look logical, Wagner averted disaster by getting Jayson Werth to fly out into the glove of Endy Chavez.

It has been ugly and tumultuous. Not just last night's game, but the entire season has taken more dips than the DOW Jones. Still, at 45-44, the Mets are above the .500 mark for the first time since June 5 and sit only 2.5 games back of their turnpike rivals.

The Mets are in the black, but is it a bull market ahead?

Fading Star, Not All-Star Saves Mets While Rising Star Conquers Wimbledon

Billy Wagner is headed to the All-Star game thanks to his ability to save games, but Fernando Tatis, not Wagner, earned the biggest save of the season for the New York Mets last night.

Mets’ starter Oliver Perez was phenomenal rather than fickle for the second consecutive outing, baffling a potent Phillies’ lineup a week after stifling the vaunted Bronx Bombers. Perez allowed Carlos Beltran’s third-inning solo shot to hold up through seven innings of four-hit ball.

Then, after nearly three hours of rain, Pedro Feliciano and Aaron Heilman teamed up (yes, I said Aaron Heilman, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you) to dance out of an eighth-inning jam.

Wait, it gets even more remarkable. The Mets tacked on an insurance run off Phillies’ closer Brad Lidge, who is fresh off a three-year contract extension, in the top half of the ninth inning and handed a 2-0 lead to Wagner.

Enter Sandman aka Wagner who we are suggesting should change his nickname to Billy Buzzkill. With two out and one on, centerfielder Jayson Werth, who would be lucky to draw a comparison to Aaron Rowand rather than Hank Aaron, deposited a Wagner slider into the outfield seats.

The complexion of this game went from sound, encouraging victory to devastating, back-breaking loss quicker than any Mets’ fan can say Armando Benitez.

Although Wagner killed the buzz, the Mets weren’t dead yet. They made it to the 12th inning with the score tied at 2-2 and Tatis delivered. The only major leaguer ever to hit two grand slams in the same inning back in 1999 is the same man who did not even make the Mets’ big league club out of Spring Training. Yet no Met has come up with a bigger, more clutch hit than this faded star did yesterday.

Tatis’ two-run home run saved the Mets from a devastating defeat. He saved them from losing precious ground on Philadelphia in the N.L. East standings. This faded star, who best years are behind him, picked up the Mets’ lone All-Star and saved him from another back-page “BILLY GOAT” headline. If this series triggers a season-altering winning streak of sorts, then Tatis also may have saved the season.

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Not to be overshadowed by Wagner’s ineptness and Tatis’ brilliance is Joe Smith. The man who shares his name with thousands of Americans was no ordinary Joe on Sunday. Smith came on to throw 2.1 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief to earn the victory yesterday.

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I’m not going to go as far as hugging a sweaty, rain-soaked man, but I must admit the Wimbledon Final was simply remarkable. The five-set epic left a new, first-time Wimbledon champion and possible new World No. 1 in Rafael Nadal.

The longest final ever at the historic, tradition-rich tournament, four hours and 48 minutes of play sandwiched around rain delays, ended when Federer sent a forehand into the net during Nadal’s fourth match point.

Federer’s costly errors and failure to covert 12-of-13 break point chances may raise some questions as to whether the Swiss star’s era of dominance is officially ending, but the only question that those excited over yesterday’s match should ask is “What channel will the U.S. Open be on?” If half as much brilliance is on display at Flushing Meadows, then it will be well-worth it to check your local TV listings.

And for those of you ready to crown Rafa the New King, I suggest you wait until September. The World’s Greatest Clay Court Player and the 2008 Wimbledon champ has one more beast to conquer. Nadal has never advanced through to the semifinal round at Flushing Meadows and has only contested one quarterfinal in four U.S. Open appearances.

Federer has won the last four titles there.

Nadal is on his way to becoming the face of men’s tennis, but he has a long way to go to catch Federer.

One Down, One Up, Two to Go

It has been a familiar feeling for these New York Mets, as it usually is for teams that win as many games as they lose aka .500 ball clubs. After two games at first-place Philadelphia, Jerry Manuel's Mets must feel like they just kissed their sister.

The Mets headed into this weekend's turnpike tussle with Philadelphia in need of a splash. Not yet emerging from the mediocrity that has defined its disappointing season thus far, New York had an opportunity to proclaim loud and clear that it was a contender in the National League East. Instead, the Mets' caravan has remained in neutral.

They endured a Manuel-mismanaged, 3-2 defeat on Independence Day before bouncing back with a late-inning surge during Saturday's 9-4 triumph.

The end result: the Mets remain 4.5 games behind the first-place Phillies, the exact position they held entering the series.

But two games still remain in this four-game set. Two opportunities for the Mets to explain why the baseball world shouldn't write them off as a disappointment. Two chances to go into the All-Star break as more than just a .500 club against their divisional nemesis.

Salvatore Speaks will be keeping an eye on today's contest which pits lefty Oliver Perez (6-5, 4.98 ERA) against righty Kyle Kendrick (8-3, 4.58 ERA ). MLB NYM Game Preview

Salvatore's Sunday Focus on:

New York Mets (43-44) at Philadelphia Phillies (48-40), CW11, 1:35 PM EST

The Major League will announce the 2008 All-Star teams today at 2:00 pm EST on TBS.

Roger Federer attempts to silence the critics and Raffy Nadal in the Wimbledon Final, NBC, 9:00 AM EST

Philadelphia Then and Now

Hoping to gain ground on the first-place Phillilies, the New York Mets give the ball to ace Johan Santana this evening in a series-opening bout with Philadelphia lefty James Happ (is this the best Brett Meyers fill-in they could find? Sources say Jose Lima is looking for work.).

Santana sports a 7-7 record with a 3.01 ERA while Happ enters with one career Major League start under his belt (4 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 HR, 2 BB), but the real story today transpired 232 years ago in the very same city the Mets and Phils will do battle in tonight.

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress took the first official step in forming what we now know to be the United States of America. These brave men stood against the tyranny of a monarchical rule and their essential contributions to what became our great nation must never be forgotten.

Happy Independence from Salvatore Speaks.

The Declaration of Independence

Mets, Tennis Pundits Left Scratching Heads

Shake your head. Sigh. And ask yourself, what could possibly happen next?

That is about all Jerry Manuel or any New York Mets’ fan could do last night when the Cardinals’ struggling Chris Duncan blasted a game-tying two-run home run in the eighth inning of St. Louis’ 8-7 victory last night.

Well, what happened next was a ninth-inning, game-ending solo shot by Troy Glaus, but that was almost a guaranteed given after the light-hitting Duncan spoiled what had been a relentless, valiant offensive effort on behalf of the Mets.

The Mets have lost games by almost every way imaginable this season. Some may say “that’s just baseball” or “it will even out over the course of a long season,” but when a man hitting .107 against left-handers amid other woes crushes the first pitch he sees off your lefty specialist for a round tripper, what is there to say?

After his team battled back to take a 7-5 lead following a disappointing start from Pedro Martinez, Manuel, who may not fully understand the concept of a double switch (see Yankees-Mets on June 28), played it right in setting up the lefty-lefty match-up against Duncan.

A fourth outfielder at best on the Major League level, Duncan is now batting .242 with six homers over 65 games. Some may remember him as the man all Mets’ pitchers wanted to face during the 2006 NLCS (it certainly wasn’t Yadier Molina or So Taguchi). He went 1-for-8 during that series, playing in only five of the seven games.

And there Duncan was last night, adding to the growing number of miserable Mets’ moments this season. Moments where Billy Wagner squandered Mike Pelfrey’s best career start one night and came back the next day to rain on Johan Santana’s gem. Moments when the Mets win in Anaheim, home of baseball’s best manager, but lose in San Diego, home of baseball’s worst record at the time.

So there were the Mets again last night. They had overcome a tough start from Martinez (5 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 4 K) pounded out a few clutch hits to take a 7-5 lead. What looked like (dare we say?) a win to build upon turned into another head-scratching, stunning disappointment that begs the question, what will happen next?

The Mets have been living this tease of a season for 84 games now. Conventional wisdom may say something's gotta give eventually, but the last year and a half have been anything but conventional for the Mets (and being the first team to blow a seven-game lead with 17 to play is just the tip of the iceberg).

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Quick Hits: Tampa Bay swept the BoSawx once again. Could the Rays be baseball's version of surprise Beantown busters? The Giants humbled the arrogant, elitist New England fan base. Unfortunately, Kobe and the Lakers couldn't follow suit, but that is because LA's engine was missing its Diesel. ... Roger Federer has made it through to the Wimbledon semis once again where he will face Russian Marat Safin. I never thought that could have been possible after listening to all the pathetic pundits that suggested Federer had something to prove at this year's tournament. Despite his failure to win either of the first two majors, which includes a disastrous showing in the Roland Garros final, Federer, arguably the best player in world history, does not have a damned thing to prove at this stage of his remarkable career. Everyone must have forgotten that Federer is the only man in history to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open back-to-back for four successive seasons and I'm betting he will do it again.

Mediocre Mets Get to Church On Time

Three days, four games, and the New York Mets are right back where they started.

The recently-completed Subway Series ended with a 3-1 Mets’ victory that pushed the Amazins’ record to a less-than amazin’ 40-41.

For over a year now, the Shea Stadium Faithful has been teased more than the patrons of your local gentlemen’s club and this past weekend was a prime example of the false sense of hope Mets fans have endured.

The Mets won one, lost two, and then salvaged a split by winning the finale. Carlos Delgado turns in an incredible, nine-RBI performance in the series opener, and then closes the series with a 1-for-10 clip at the plate. Oliver Perez can be even more maddening, flashing brilliance one day and looking more dismal than the economy five days later.

Baseball is a game of streaks and slumps, but don’t confuse that with inconsistency.

The Mets are a .494 baseball club with exactly half of their regular season schedule complete.
Their manager can talk all he wants about how the team will come around, and the players can keep telling themselves that they have championship-caliber talent. Just as they did this past weekend, they have shown how good they can be, and have been as equally nauseating at times.

Right now, Omar Minaya’s hand-crafted specialty is a .500 baseball team that encounters just as many ups as downs.

As disappointing and maddening as that assessment may be, it is not time to stop believing, yet. Teams have muddled in mediocrity before eventually proving their merit.

The Rockies were a .500 team for much of last year before an unbelievable late-season surge put them in the World Series. The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals (remember them?) finished the regular season at 83-79 before somehow capturing the world championship.

The Mets could wind up being the 2008 version of the aforementioned clubs, but for every day they remain mired in their current mediocre state, that outcome becomes less and less likely.

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Church on Sunday: The Mets couldn’t have picked a better day for Church. On Sunday, fittingly enough, the Shea Faithful welcomed back Ryan Church into the lineup after the right fielder missed nearly a month of action due to lingering effects of his second concussion this season. With the fifth through eighth slots in the Mets’ lineup rivaling that of the Long Island Ducks, Church’s return was nothing short of a blessing. The left-handed hitting outfielder promptly produced two well-struck singles during his first MLB action since June 5. Instantaneously increasing the legitimacy of the Mets’ offense upon his return, Church is batting .304 with 10 homers and 35 RBI over 184 at-bats as a Met. Damion Easley, Fernando Tatis, Marlon Anderson, and Trot Nixon, who were all fill-in options for Church, have combined to hit five round trippers and drive in 32 runs over 247 at-bats. Welcome back Ryan!

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Lynch Loses License: As noted earlier, there may have been a bit of uncertainty surrounding the fantasy draft prospects of Buffalo Bills second-year running back Marshawn Lynch after the former Cal standout was flagged for clipping an Ontario woman with his SUV. Thankfully for those hoping to acquire Lynch once draft season rolls around later this summer, the 22-year-old will be wearing a uniform that is blue, not orange, come September. Lynch won’t be driving to training camp this year though, and it has nothing to do with astronomical gas prices. As a result of his hit-and-run incident that left the Canadian victim with minor injuries, a traffic court judge revoked Lynch’s New York State Driver’s License. While pleading guilty to “failure to exercise due care toward a pedestrian,” the Bills’ starting running back said of the incident, “It was raining real hard, there was a dancing pedestrian in the middle of the street. I slowed down to let her go and continued on my way home. I didn’t know my car had hit anyone or anything.”

Where Is Igawa When You Need Him?

I guess Tyler Clippard was unavailable this weekend due to a prior commitment. But luckily, Brian Cashman was able to lock in an old friend.

With the battle-tested Dan Giese, who now has one career major league start under his belt, facing surging Mets’ right-hander Mike Pelfrey in the first half of Friday’s Subway Series double dip, the Yankees will show off their latest acquisition in game two.

The inflated Sidney Ponson (and that adjective describes more than his ERA), who hails from the baseball hotbed of Aruba, will take on Pedro Martinez at Shea Stadium on Friday night.

Recently acquired from Texas, which had a surplus of good pitching, Ponson will don the pinstripes for the first time since the memorable campaign of 2006. In his 16.1 innings as a Yankee that season, the burly right-hander surrendered 19 earned runs (10.47 ERA). One can only hope he looks half as good when he toes the rubber at Shea on Friday night.

Oh wait, now I realize why Cashman brought back Ponson. This guy is a horse that is capable of giving his team a lot of innings. In addition to the 16.1 he threw for the Yankees in 2006, he pitched another 68.2 frames for St. Louis that season to the tune of a 5.24 ERA. Then, last season, his workman-like 37.2 innings yielded a 2-5 record and a 6.93 ERA. Ok, so he’s not a horse, he just looks like he swallowed one.

Ok, let me reel myself back in and look at the situation from a different perspective.

Ponson could easily wind up as the winning pitcher in tonight’s game. Although his counterpart, Pedro Martinez, can still get major league hitters out, he is not the same Pedro that got the best of Don Zimmer a few years ago.

Ponson will receive more good news when he finds out the Mets batting lineup will include the pitcher’s spot (National League rules are in effect tonight much to Hank Steinbrenner’s chagrin) as well as Carlos Delgado.

I can’t predict how this series will go, nor can I even proclaim confidence in the Mets’ ability to put up a crooked number off Ponson.

I can guarantee one thing though.

Win or lose, Ponson is likely to put a dent in the Diamond Club Buffet, so get there early and be thankful that Jose Lima won’t be anywhere close to Shea tonight.

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The New Jersey Nets must have been subscribing to the Brian Cashman theory during last night’s NBA Draft. If it doesn’t work the first time, try, try again. Those Jason Collins enthusiasts know exactly what I’m talking about.

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Victory for Liberty: In the most important news of the day, yes even more significant than Maria Sharapova’s stumble at Wimbledon, the United States Supreme Court deemed the District of Columbia’s ban on hand guns unconstitutional in a 5-4 vote.

The high court’s protection of the Second Amendment, which states the people’s right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, is a victory for liberty. If you don’t believe me, then read the following short story.

There once was a leader who prohibited a certain sect of society to participate in the firearms business. This leader launched a campaign to disarm the individuals that comprised this sect of the population. Only months later, this leader’s army invaded the neighborhoods of the disarmed and easily incarcerated many of these folks.

The aforementioned story is a true one, and the leader’s name was Adolf Hitler. Before the infamous Kristallnacht of 1938, Hitler stripped the Jews of their guns in preparation for completely stripping them of their freedom.

Guns are a means of protection that empower us to individually preserve our lives and liberty. Not to mention, if the government can find a way to rescind our right to own a gun, then they can surely find a way to rescind others if they chose to do so.

Presidential hopeful John McCain (R) praised the Court’s decision as “a landmark victory for Second Amendment,” and later went on to say “This ruling does not mark the end of our struggle against those who seek to limit the rights of law-abiding citizens. We must always remain vigilant in defense of our freedoms.”

Meanwhile, his counterpart, Barack Obama (D) attempted to straddle the fence on the issue. Obama made a comment that I still don’t fully understand and I don’t know if he does either. “I have always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms, but I also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save their children from the violence that plagues our streets through commonsense, effective safety measures,” stated Obama.

So, is he saying that legal and registered hand guns are the ones being used to hurt children in these crime-ravaged communities? Or is the senator from Illinois saying that hand guns are the culprit of violence in these crime-ravaged communities? Or is Mr. Obama simply saying something that will help make him president?

Pacman's Name Game Not Al-Wright

Click Here to View Pacman's Rap Sheet courtesy of Bumpshack

Adam “Pacman” Jones, the habitual criminal that doubles as a NFL defensive back, issued a proclamation stating that he wants everyone to drop the nickname and just call him Adam.
His reasoning? Well, the man who has been arrested six times since 2005 said the following about his old nickname: “There's really just a lot of negativity behind it.”

When I hear the word “Pacman,” I think about all the quarters I wasted playing that primitive video game during the days of my youth. So Adam, are you sure it’s the name you need to change?

Does the negative connotation accompanying the mention of your name have anything to do with the fact that you have been involved in 12 separate incidents that required police attention since the Tennessee Titans drafted you in April 2005?

It seems to me that the problem is with the person and not the name, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell must agree considering he suspended Jones for the entire 2007 season in response to the cornerback’s connection to a shooting outside a Las Vegas night club that left a man paralyzed.

Goodell recently granted Jones permission to begin football-related activities with the Dallas Cowboys, but did has not yet fully reinstated the beleaguered star for 2008 regular season play.
After a year to think about his mistakes, Jones has supposedly realized that he must change his ways.

If this is Adam’s best attempt at remaking his way of life, then I’m afraid he is no different than the man whose entourage was responsible for a triple shooting. Just last month news reports alerted he was being investigated for failure in paying $20,000 in gambling debts. New name, same old “Pacman” Jones.

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Flagged: Buffalo Bills' running Marshawn Lynch probably won't find a second career in teaching Driver's Education courses, especially after his hit-and-run accident that left a Canadian woman wounded in Ontario on May 31. Lynch is expected to reach a plea bargain, and this off-season incident should not deter you from taking him in your fantasy football drafts. Although I wouldn't choose him as my designated driver, I would certainly take him in the top ten of this year's draft. A hard-running, pass-catching back, Lynch ran for more than 1100 yards as a rookie and could be a driving force on one of the NFL's possible surprise teams. ... Carolina Panthers' receiver Dwayne Jarrett enters his second professional season with six catches for 73 yards and a DWI. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired Monday after being arrested back in March. ... Neither Lynch nor Jarrett were arrested by reserve Miami police officer Shaquille O'Neal. The 7'2" O'Neal was asked to forfeit his special county deputy badge as a result of his recent freestyle rage against former teammate Kobe Bryant.

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Call it long overdue. Credit the day off his manager gave him on Tuesday. Say it’s just one game.

Regardless, David Wright answered the bell last night and let his bat do the talking.
I must admit, just the other night, I began to doubt Wright for the first time since he took New York by storm three years ago.

Two innings after I saw him butcher a routine grounder that set the stage for pitcher Felix Hernandez’s grand slam, David Wright carried a .273 average to the plate and stepped in for his second at-bat of Monday night’s 5-2 setback to Seattle. Previously lost in the commotion of Billy Goat meltdowns, the Willie saga, and the team’s overall uninspiring performance, it finally struck me.

David Wright is quietly enjoying a very sub-par season to date.

The third baseman compounded that thought by grounding into a 6-4-3 double play. After an 0-for-3 night, Wright left the ball park with a .272 average and a bruise on his ego courtesy of Johan Santana.

Suffering the loss and seeing his record fall to 7-6, the Mets’ $137 million dollar pitching ace shifted attention to Wright’s costly miscue. “We didn’t make the routine plays,” said Santana at the post-game presser.

Wright responded by homering in each of his first two at-bats during his return to the lineup on Wednesday.

When the Mets were in danger of being swept at home by baseball’s worst team, Wright saved his team from the embarrassment that Santana couldn’t save himself from two nights earlier when he permitted Hernandez to become the first AL pitcher in 37 years to hit a grand slam.

Cheers for Beltran, Jeers for Fans

Was that Lenny Dykstra? No, but had the Mets current centerfielder been wearing No. 4 last night you wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference.

Carlos Beltran single-handedly produced a run by exercising the grit and toughness that became the beloved Dykstra’s trademark.

With the Mets trailing 5-0 and looking absolutely hapless against dominant right Felix Hernandez in an eventual 5-2 loss to Seattle, Beltran smoked a double off the left-center field wall. With one out and Trot Nixon batting, Beltran caught the defense napping and flew to third.

Then, after Nixon struck out, Beltran completed his trip around the bases with some of the most inspiring, gutsy, heads-up baseball I haven’t seen at Shea since Bobby Valentine was managing the club.

As Hernandez’s pitch hit the dirt and scooted about 10 feet to the left of the Mariners’ catcher, Beltran shot towards home and slid in hard and safely. Hernandez, an absolute pleasure to watch, incurred a game-ending injury on the play, but it was simply an unfortunate by-product of Beltran’s hustle.

I have not always been kind to the stoic Beltran whose numbers have yet to justify his seven-year, $119 million deal, but the man plays centerfield arguably better than anyone in Mets history (Nails included) and has had a knack for the clutch home run.

At times, Beltran’s lackluster numbers, although above average amongst MLB centerfielders, looked even less impressive because of Beltran’s lack of emotional display. To a fan base that wears its heart on its sleeve, Beltran appeared overly quiet and somewhat disinterested at times.

The thing that had been absent from the first 410 regular season games of Beltran’s New York tenure was on full display last night.

Hopefully, the appearance of this missing link was not an aberration.

Something tells me that if gritty, heads-up play becomes commonplace for Beltran, then he will quickly become the special performer we all were excited about when the Mets signed him.

Beltran couldn't have picked a better time to practice this sort of play. With the Mets still attempting to break through the malaise that lingers from "The Collapse," this is just what the doctor ordered. But as last night's final result showed, they need it in much higher and more frequent doses.

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Surprisingly it wasn’t the booing that was inappropriate at Shea Stadium on Monday night.

In a disappointing move, a number of the fools on hand cheered when they discovered that Felix Hernandez had become a casualty of Beltran’s hustle and was writhing in pain on the third base line.

Then, it got worse. Trying to shake off the pain and remain in the game, Hernandez hobbled to the mound with his manager and trainer looking on. When Hernandez’s wind-up ended with the young right-hander bent over in extreme discomfort, a number of downright classless individuals began gleefully cheering.

Yes, anyone witnessing Hernandez’s dominance would have realized that the likelihood of a Mets’ comeback bid increase, but to take joy in this young man’s suffering was downright despicable.

I have lost my voice at games in the past from both cheering and booing. I will always defend a fan’s right to express one’s self, and I don’t think that right should ever be taken away from a paying customer. With that said, it may be helpful to abide by a small rule of thumb, only do it if it’s justified.

A lackadaisical, overpaid ball player who chose not to hustle deserves the loudest of boos, while Beltran’s play last night deserved the greatest of cheers.

But what had Hernandez done to deserve this ill treatment? He didn’t throw at Mike Piazza’s head. He has never been on record saying anything demeaning about the Mets and their fan base. He simply brought his “A” game to the ballpark and put on a show for those in attendance.

It is disenchanting to think that for an inglorious moment a contingent of the Shea Faithful stooped lower than their rivals down the Turnpike. For a moment we were on the same level as the people who booed Santa Claus.

Mets' Fans Should Be Feeling Rocky Mountain High

Despite a tumultuous week for the New York Mets’ organization, one that made the housing market look somewhat stable, Mets’ fans should be smiling on Monday morning for both obvious and forgotten reasons.

Sitting in front of a television during Sunday’s 3-1, series-winning victory at Colorado, I couldn’t help but turn my frown upside down as I enjoyed CW11’s broadcast.

First, the obvious. With a relatively all-around sound effort on Sunday, the Mets capped a 4-2 road trip with another series victory. Starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey continued to blossom, winning for the second time out and looked good doing so (reminder: this would have been victory number three in a row if Billy Wagner didn’t flush Pelfrey’s eight-inning gem down the toilet on June 11). Carlos Beltran launched a two-run, third-inning bomb with a swing that was reminiscent of the 2004 postseason. And the Phillies did their part too, losing their fifth straight (loss No. 10,000-something) and watching their lead on the Mets shrink to 3.5 games (2 GB in loss column).

In revealing both his potential and mettle through 5.2 scoreless innings at hitter-happy Coors Field, Pelfrey also reminded us about the forgotten. The first reminder came in Colorado’s half of the second frame after second baseman Damion Easley botched a potential double-play ball to give the Rockies men on first and second with no outs.

Pelfrey promptly induced a taylor-made 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Yorvit Torrealba to quell the threat. Yorvit Torrealba. Remember him? The man that left four runners on base yesterday and struck out looking to lead off the ninth inning was a signature away from being Pelfrey’s battery mate this season rather than the easy out he was this past weekend.

Mets’ GM Omar Minaya has made moves of all different varieties – good, bad, and downright awful -- since taking the reigns at Shea in September 2004. He brought us Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran, two overpriced players that are worth it in the long run for various reasons. He added Billy Wagner, and more recently Johan Santana. He discovered two 15-game winners in John Maine and Oliver Perez when their former teams were ready to toss these promising arms into the scrap heap.

But, remember, he also traded Brian Bannister for Ambiorix Burgos and topped that deal by sending steady reliever Heath Bell to San Diego for Ben Johnson (not to be confused with the English playwright that brought us the ever-great “Volpone”).

So, as I watched Pelfrey work out of a two-out, two-on jam in the fourth inning by forcing the light-hitting Torrealba to fly out harmlessly to left. I was thankful for the deal that never got done, and I’m sure Minaya was too, considering this catcher would have drawn more comparisons to Mackey Sasser than Mike Piazza.

Torrealba agreed in principle to a $14.4 million, three-year deal with the Mets in November 2007, but the Mets backed out at the 11th hour, citing a failed physical.

What exactly happened remains a mystery, but I’m not complaining. Before a 2007 campaign that saw him hit a whopping .255 over 396 at-bats, Torrealba had spent seven seasons at the major league level and played no more 66 games in any of them.

Aaron Heilman may be the only one wishing the Torrealba deal had gone through since the Rockies’ backstop would have provided the Shea boo-birds with another target.

Those boo-birds, myself sometimes included, can’t say boo tonight though thanks to the fact that our beloved ball club returns home with some life. Our promising young right-hander, who once had a habit of driving us mad, notched two straight road victories. Our centerfielder, who proclaimed the Mets “the team to beat,” looks poised for a mid-summer explosion. And Yorvit Torrealba won’t be behind the plate tonight at Shea when Mets’ fans are treated to a pitching delight.

Joba Disbelief and McCain Relief

I left work yesterday not knowing the outcome of the Yankees-Padres game, but as I tuned into WFAN during the evening drive I began to think something remarkable happened earlier in the afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

Yankee fan after Yankee fan continued to call and offer praise for Joba Chamberlain’s masterful pitching performance. My initial thought was: no hitter? Boy, was I off on that one!

The way these people were talking, one would think Joba just pulled off something that has never happened in New York Mets’ history, something that only Jon Lester has done this season.

Moments later via the 20-20 update, I learned that Joba did indeed do something remarkable. He pitched 5.2 innings of one-run ball and needed just over 100 pitches to do it. Wow.

To all those drinking the Joba-Girardi Kool-Aid, relax. Let me put this in perspective for you. Oliver Perez went SIX innings on Wednesday night against the Angels, and we all know what a stud he can be at times. So I wouldn't exactly call any starting performance that ends after 5.2 innings masterful. Statistically, Joba didn't even qualify for a "quality start." How can something that isn't even considered quality be brilliant by any means?

To be fair to Joba, he is improving. His 5.2 innings of one-run ball yesterday trump his final collegiate effort for Nebraska when Manhattan College’s Matt Rizzotti and John Fitzpatrick ripped back-to-back jacks off Joba on the way to sending the future Yankees starter to a 4-1 home loss in the opening game of the 2006 NCAA Lincoln Regional.

I, as every other fan in baseball, would love to have Joba on my favorite team’s roster, but let’s not anoint him as the next Jimmy Key just yet.

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With gasoline at $4/gallon and diesel (used to power engines that bring food to our grocery stores) at $5/gallon, Americans are suffering at the pump.

Both presumptive presidential nominees are touring the nation, campaigning and sucking up fossil fuels along the way, but only one man has yet to provide a solution to curb the current energy crisis.

Senator John McCain (R) recently called for lifting the ban on Outer Continental Shelf drilling, which will allow us to take advantage of the resources that lie off our coast. It will give us access to the same resources that China is currently sucking up thanks to Cuba’s allowance to let the Chinese drill in the Gulf.

Senator Barack Obama (D) staunchly opposes lifting the ban and claims that America must focus on finding new sources of renewable energy.

Obama’s point is well-taken, but narrow-minded.

It is undoubtedly time to sincerely develop alternative sources of energy that will eventually eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels, but that will take time. Even when the world is able to mass produce a car that runs on water or hydrogen, time will be needed to phase in the new way of life. One can’t expect millions of gasoline-burning cars and thousands of diesel trucks to disappear instantaneously.

While we develop our plan for the future, we have to address “the now.” Now, a number of Americans are struggling to get to work and to feed their families. These hard-working folks deserve relief, and they deserve it now. Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less.

Delgadda-GO

Click Here to See Delgado's Statistical Slide

A half-inning after Jose Reyes welcomed freshly-appointed New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel into his new role with a childish, on-field temper tantrum, Carlos Delgado took his turn in greeting the skipper.

In what has become typical Delgado fashion, the less-than-nimble first baseman booted a routine groundball that extended Anaheim’s turn at bat and cost the Mets a run.

In what certainly won’t be viewed as the most eloquent of moves, the Mets changed their manager on Monday, but in reality they changed nothing. Willie Randolph was sacrificed for what Minaya deemed “an underperforming” ball club, but all 25 underperformers remained untouched and intact.

Minaya, like most of the Shea Faithful, clearly recognized his club needed a shake-up, and massive on-field personnel overhaul was not a realistic option when the calendar already read June 16. The Mets’ general manager had to find a more reasonable way to wake his club from its year-long slumber, and his recent acquisition of the hard-nosed, grizzled veteran Trot Nixon was not exactly going to send shockwaves through the clubhouse.

In choosing the most convenient option and showing Randolph the door, Minaya sacrificed the wrong man. Yes, Randolph should have been on Minaya’s hit list, but the Mets’ GM should have made a bigger, more justifiable splash by handing a pink slip to the most disappointing member of the 2008 Mets – Mr. Carlos Delgado.

A move of that sort would have required Minaya to both swallow his pride while coercing ownership into paying the remainder of Delgado’s monster contract. Remember, it was Minaya who flew to Puerto Rico and put his Spanish-speaking skills on display to court Delgado during his free agent year to no avail before finally acquiring the first baseman in a trade with Florida a year later.

The man who hit at least 32 homers in each of eight seasons prior to his arrival in New York has been nowhere to be found except for a handful of regular season games during the 2006 season and the subsequent Mets’ playoff run. After hitting a disappointing .258 with an even more disenchanting .333 on-base percentage in 2007, Delgado is batting only .238 through 68 games played this season.

Delgado’s lack of performance in the batter’s box will make any irate Met fan that pays $6 for a hot dog wonder exactly what they are paying for, but it is not the reason why Delgado must go.

A defensive liability by nature, Delgado does nothing to help his shortcomings with his lackadaisical effort in the field. Very rarely seen diving for a ball, but too often turning a routine play into abomination, Delgado is a microcosm of what is wrong with the Mets. His elitist attitude, which puts him before both the game and his team, is as apparent as it could ever be without him accusing rural Pennsylvanians of clinging to their guns and religion.

From his refusal to stand for “God Bless America” in 2004 to this season’s profanity-laced run-in with reporter Jon Heyman, Delgado has a history of disrespect. Nearly acting like more of a team player than Stephon Marbury could ever dream of being, Delgado publicly undermined Randolph when rumblings suggested the former manager was considering platooning the struggling Delgado. “We’re gonna have to talk,” said Delgado to reporters in late May.

When Reyes shows up his manager as he did in the first inning of Tuesday night’s game against the Angels, one must wonder if Delgado is rubbing off on the young, promising talent. Reyes is his own person and makes his own decisions, but the veteran Delgado certainly isn’t helping the situation by setting an example for the youth of the clubhouse.

The possible replacements for Delgado (Nixon, utility infielder Damon Easley, or AA prospect Mike Carp) may not even excite a GM in the independent Can-Am League, but any of the three will be an upgrade in attitude over what has become a light-hitting first baseman. If lightning strikes and the washed-up Delgado somehow awakens, the Mets may very well wake up with him and reach the postseason. With the Mets still 6.5 games back of the Phillies and poised to disappoint their loyal fan base once again, Minaya can’t be afford to wait and hope.

Instead, it should be “addition by subtraction.” Minaya must wake up and truly shake up this club by cutting an overpaid, underperforming veteran whose appearance makes Mets’ fan long for the days of Doug Mientkiewicz.

Sub-par offense, non-existent defense, and a lack of leadership have Mets’ fans wondering what their beloved team is paying $20 million for this season. The faster Minaya realizes that the 2008 version of Carlos Delgado may be the worst bargain in baseball and acts upon that realization, the better off the 2008 Mets will be.

Of Mutts and Mets

Talk about beginning with a bang! Could the timing be any more perfect? Well, the Mets timing could have been a bit better (and not only in the batter's box). Already I digress. Salvatore Speaks to the cyberworld today for the first time ever today right in the midst of the New York Mets' Willie Randolph mess.

I couldn't help but remember 1986 when I woke up this morning, but for all the wrong reasons.

After the best team in the organization's now 46-year history opened the 1986 World Series with back-to-back home losses, the back page of a New York tabloid read, "Meet the Mutts." Now these 108-game winners were undoubtedly wild, raucous, and rebellious to say the least, but they certainly weren't "mutts." The organization they played for, however, could not make the same claim then, and definitely not now.

The organization that traded Tom Seaver and spiraled into a bad joke before Frank Cashen saved them from embarrassment for a few years in the mid-1980s has always been struggling to shed the stigma of a "B" level ball club.

Forty-six years into their existence and only nine months before they are scheduled to move into a state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar facility, the Mets revived any lingering belief that they are a second-class professional organization.

In fact, the word professional is about as fitting an adjective to describe the New York Mets Baseball Club these days as ethical is to paint a picture of Eliot Spitzer.

Now, Willie Randolph's 2008 Mets were definitely underachieving and their play was about as inspirational as Ron Paul's presidential campaign. Randolph's mismanagement of the pitching staff alone was enough to make any disenchanted Mets' fan to call for the guillotine, but this?

I would have to believe that even the New York Islanders would think twice about carrying out a coach's firing in the despicable manner that the Mets handed (or slipped under a hotel room door) Randolph his walking papers.

For those of you who picked up the early edition of your morning newspaper, let me recount. After a spirited effort landed the Mets a doubleheader split with Texas on Sunday, Randolph and the team flew 3,000 miles west to Anaheim where they knocked off the top team in the American League West. Next came the post-game presser where Randolph entertained questions about his team's gritty road win. Then, after the beat writers filed their copy, the early editions were on the presses, and the Mets were tucked away in their hotel beds (Duaner Sanchez ordered room service instead), the ax fell.

Yes, the Mets made their manager twist, turn, and fly 3,000 west where he led his team to a final victory before they mercilessly pulled the plug.

Although I have publicly advocated for Randolph's dismissal during a cameo on the FERRALL Show, I would have never wished for it to happen in such a classless, disjointed manner.

Randolph wasn't dismissed or fired in the wee hours of Tuesday morning; he was humiliated.

In addition to needlessly embarrassing their former manager, the Mets successfully created another distraction for a club that has appeared distracted all season long. Now, instead of working on producing a winner, the organization will have to focus its energy to deflecting the barrage of questions and criticism that awaits as a result of management's mismanagement of the Randolph saga.

Whether it was the Miracle Mets of '69 and '73, the "bad boys" of the 1980s, or Piazza's delivery at the turn of the millennium, the Mets' time is the spotlight has always been short lived.

Now after the ruthlessly teasing their fans in 2006 and 2007, the Mets are disappointing once again. They sit 6.5 games behind the surging Phillies in the NL East and have created a huge PR mess on top of that. The Mets seem headed back to the place they have known all too well during their 46-year history, that undesirable destination in baseball's doghouse.