Chapter 91.3: The 2012 Season

As a Mets fan, it's hard to be excited about this year. If my team surprises people, we might -- emphasize might -- do well enough to compete for that new wildcard slot as a third-place team. But I seriously doubt we'll come anywhere near third place.

To make matters worse, the Phillies still look strong, though I have some questions about whether we're starting to see the downside of Roy 'Doc' Halladay's Hall of Fame-bound career. He's still strong, as are the Phillies, but it's possible that Doc'll struggle to reach 19-20 wins. Of course, when Cliff Lee is your second-best pitcher and Cole Hamels is in a walk-year, your team's management shouldn't worry about too much about its pitching staff. However, the Nationals have quite an exciting team and could push their way into wildcard contention. While the Braves are strong and the Marlins are much improved, I think both teams will have some struggles to overcome -- especially in Miami, where I expect Hanley Ramirez to chafe under the thumb of Ozzie Guillen until he gets to return to SS, after Jose Reyes's hamstrings explode again.

So what's a Mets fan to do? Well, I think the New York area will have quite a season, seeing as how the other team in town -- the one with a bunch of MLB hardware and records stored in its museum -- will be hard to beat. I think the question marks in the Red Sox rotation, coupled with the strength of the Tampa Bay Rays, will make that additional wildcard an interesting race to watch. Even the Blue Jays could compete. So a Mets fan can root against the Yankees. I know I will.

But no matter what people around here might say, there's more to major league baseball than what happens in New York and in the Eastern Divisions.

Out in the mid-west, some excellent baseball should be brewing (though not in Brewers town, where someone left the door open). I think the Cardinals have a bunch of question marks about their pitching staff, but the division will likely come down to them or the Reds, who have some of the best young hitters around. In the American League, the Tigers remain the class of the division, both in terms of pitching and now moreso in terms of hitting, but I'm looking to see if the Royals can surprise people -- especially with Eric Hosmer establishing himself as the latest superstar to get his start in KC. The Indians might also surprise people, but I fear the White Sox and Twins are on the downswing.

In the AL West, the Angels are the team to beat, despite the Rangers being the two-time defending AL champs. With Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson, the Angels have strengthened both their offense and their pitching staff. While I expect the Mariners to be better than they were in 2011, I don't think they'll be sniffing post-season play. And are the A's still in Oakland?

The NL West ought to be very exciting. The Giants still have the best pitching staff west of the Mississippi, but Clayton Kershaw is the reigning Cy Young Award winner. With potential MVP Matt Kemp in the lineup and stability in the owners' office for the first time in years, perhaps the Dodgers can redefine what Dodger Blue means. Not that the Diamondbacks will let that happen easily. And even though it's hard to take a team that has a 49-year-old in its starting rotation seriously, the Rockies have a lot of talent and know-how. Yes, it's been five years since their magical 2007 run, but this team has been through a lot and still has much of what it needs to make their presence known.

As a baseball fan, it's a good year to live out West.

My predictions:
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Angels
wildcards: Rays vs. Rangers

NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Reds
NL West: Giants
wildcards: Diamondbacks vs. Cardinals

Chapter 90.5: Turning on the Hot Stove

Ok, I have about three minutes to squeeze in a blog post (which is often the case, and a big reason why there are few posts here lately.) Anyway, I was just chatting with a work friend, who like me is a baseball fanatic.

He asked where I thought Luis Pujols would end up. I told him I expected that he'd remain in St. Louis, but I could also see him heading out to Anaheim, despite their young first baseman Mark Trumbo. "What St. Louis needs to ask itself," I said, "is whether signing a 31-year-old Pujols, who may be on the downward side of his career, or Jose Reyes, who is 28 but prone to injury." I don't think they have the capacity to sign both to the contracts they will command on the open market. Basically, do you sign a top-notch shortstop, a position very hard to fill with quality, or a Hall of Fame first baseman, a position that is easier to fill.

My friend talked about how Pujols might be willing to offer a "home-town discount." Of course, for a guy who's already earning upward of $20 million a year, a hometown discount is still more than $20 million a year! And I don't think Reyes could command that.

For the record, I don't think my Mets will resign Reyes. I also don't know that he's definitely staying in the National League. But his market will not be as large as some people seem to think. The teams that might be able to sign him mostly have a solid shortstop in place or are unlikely to be attractive to Reyes, who I woudl expect wants to go to a perennial contender.

What do you think?

Chapter 89.3: Baseball 2011

For those of you who aren't baseball fans, I'm sorry. You'll probably gain very little in your life from this post, and I permit you to leave. I hope you come back for the next post, which shouldn't be too long from now, and I'm pretty sure it won't be about baseball, since I've already begun writing it.

For the rest of you, this is what I'm thinking about when it comes to baseball 2011: Transition.

I think we're going to see a major power shift in the divisions. Let's start in the AL East.

AL East: The Boston Red Sox still have a great pitching staff, but even there the word of the day is transition. This staff isn't about Josh Beckett and it's certainly not about Diasuke Matsuzaka. The question is going to be whether the Cy Young Award goes to Jon Lester or Clay Buchholz. Combine this great staff with an improved lineup — which added Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez — and the Sox should be a powerful team.

But now I see a major transition. My sleeper team is the Baltimore Orioles. They played excellent baseball after Buck Showalter arrived in late August. Sure, they had nothing to lose at that point, but they played like they actually wanted their jobs. It's hard to say they're improved enough to actually take the AL Wild Card, but they might be able to keep the Yankees from taking it. I see the Yankees having problems with their starting rotation. Let's face it, the back end of their rotation (Freddy Garcia and Ivan Nova) are a has-been and a not-yet. The front end will do fine, but in the mostly improved division, the Yankees bats will need to step up to overcome mediocre starting pitching. The bats are capable, even those that are aging, but this is a team on the decline. And if they fall behind, how long will it be before CC Sabathia's contract status (he can opt for free agency at the end of the season) becomes a distraction?

The Blue Jays have a lot of question marks in their rotation, too, and it'll be interesting to see if new manager John Farrell, the former Red Sox pitching coach, can help put this team on the same page. They have bats, they have arms, but I'm not sure they have enough of either. The Tampa Rays took a major back step. They've still got stars and will be asking them for more productivity, but I don't think they can compete this year.

My picks: Red Sox; Yankees; Orioles, Rays, Blue Jays

AL Central: Here's another area of transition, but this division has been rather flexible the past few years. The Twins still have a solid core, but injuries may have slowed down Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer. Can a pitching staff that relies heavily on Carl Pavano really continue to thrive? I think the White Sox have improved their lineup and have a strong enough rotation to at least give the Tigers and Twins a run for their money. I like the additions the Tigers have made in their lineup, and this team is still capable of amazing people. The Indians, not so much. Who pitches for this team? The Royals have some amazing talent, but there too it may be too green to flourish in this division.

My picks: White Sox, Twins, Tigers, Royals, Indians

AL West: The home of the AL Champion Rangers could be headed for a new leader, and it's not the team you'd expect. It may not be too thin a limb I'm going out on, but I think the A's have the arms to win what has been a remarkably successful division the past ten years despite having such terribly weak teams. The Rangers lost their ace when Cliff Lee departed, and I'm not just sure their revised rotation can handle it. There was a lot of talk of moving stud closer Neftali Feliz to the rotation and if this team starts off poorly, expect that talk to regain momentum. They may struggle to hold off the always tough Angels. But this team is far removed from its world championship in 2002. As for the Mariners, they have the reigning Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez and former MVP Ichiro Suzuki, but not a whole lot more. It's possible Eric Bedard might make a resurgence, but it seems more likely to me that the team will once again languish and come July we'll see them shopping Hernandez and maybe even Ichiro.

My picks: A's, Angels, Rangers, Mariners

Now to the National League.

The NL East. Only a fool would bet against a rotation that consists of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, (an aging but capable) Roy Oswalt, and Joe Blanton. Sure, things could go wrong, there's a lot of age and with age come injuries. But I think the Phillies will start off strong and the league will fall by the wayside. Fredi Gonzalez takes over a changing lineup in Atlanta, where I expect we'll see Chipper's final go-round the league. But this team won 91 games last year and could do so again. They'll have to fight off Gonzalez's former team from Miami. The Marlins keep winning 80-plus games, but I think this year they boost things up a notch. Their pitching staff has talent — not Phillies-level talent, but it'll be interesting to watch. My Mets are a mess, but if new manager Terry Collins can get them moving and keep the team's play in the papers rather than the ridiculous nightmare in their owners' offices, perhaps they can surprise some folks. I'm not holding my breath. The Nationals have made major improvements, but it still comes down to pitching, and they don't have a whole lot, with Stephen Strasburg recuperating.

My picks: Phillies, Braves, Marlins, Mets, Nationals

NL Central: This could get very interesting. In St. Louis we have a potential problem as the Albert Pujols contract watch will continue throughout the season. The Reds, last year's surprise, are losing pitchers by the day. The Cubs still have personality conflicts to resolve in the clubhouse. The Astros have little hitting and the Pirates have little of anything (though I think Clint Hurdle will find a way to make some magic happen.) Almost by default, I think the Brewers, which improved themselves by acquiring former Cy Young Award Zack Greinke, are ready to take control.

My picks: Brewers, Cardinals, Reds, Cubs, Pirates, Astros

NL West: The World Champion Giants look pretty much like the team that took it all last year, and that's ok, but when other teams improve, it's tough to keep winning when you're standing pat. The question, then, is how well have the Colorado Rockies improved? I think it's enough. They already have a surprisingly decent pitching staff and a powerful offense. But the Giants GM, Brian Sabean, has never been one to stand pat for too long. So I think it will be interesting to see how this division progresses throughout the season. It'll also be interesting to see how Don Mattingly fares as a manager. Usually, teams like to shift managerial styles when changing who heads the team, but Joe Torre retired, so the circumstances are a bit different. Still, the Dodgers were an underachieving team and I can't help but wonder if they need more of a fire-breather to get them going. The Padres, who fought the Giants to the wire last year, have fallen far and I wonder if Buddy Black will be packing his bags soon. And the Diamondbacks will need to show they can pitch.

My picks: Giants, Rockies, Dodgers, Padres, Diamondbacks.

Wild Cards: Rockies, Twins

Playoffs:
AL: Red Sox defeat Twins; A's defeat White Sox
NL: Phillies defeat Rockies; Giants defeat Brewers

ALCS: Red Sox defeat A's
NLCS: Phillies defeat Giants

World Series: Phillies in 6

Chapter 85.4: Perfect Imperfection

A moment to write on this blog. Perfect.

You know what else was perfect? Armando Galarraga's performance against Cleveland the other night. By retiring 28 consecutive batters — including the call that umpire Jim Joyce screwed up — he accomplished something few others have done. But more important, I think, was the class with which he comported himself. He could have been furious. Instead, he spoke with graciousness and understanding. He's a credit to the game, the Tigers, and to his family.

As a baseball fan, I totally understand the desire to rectify the situation so that he could have received official credit for the perfect game. After all, he deserved it. But personally, I think there's no recourse. It was not a rule violation that caused the incorrect call; it was simple human frailty. A mistake. This was not akin to the Pine Tar game, when George Brett's home run against the Yankees was initially ruled an out because the pine tar on his bat extended beyond the allowable amount. In this case, the umpire made the wrong call — and he's a guy who usually makes the right call.

Jim Joyce will probably be remembered forever for this call, which is unfortunate. But I bet the next time something comes along in which he's making an instantaneous decision about something that affects a game in which Galarraga's playing, he'll do the same thing. I don't mean make a mistake, I mean call it the way he sees it. He knows what he's doing, and in this case, so does baseball.

Instead, Galarraga will go down in history as having almost pitched a perfect game. As Casey Stengel used to say about the oddities of baseball, "You can look it up."

Chapter 85.1: Initial Thoughts on the 2010 Baseball Season

As usual, my life has been a fast-paced, loony series of days that band together to call themselves weeks and months. They get larger and more unruly as I get older.

For example, not many years ago I'd have been incredibly excited about the beginning of baseball season. I'd watch spring training games on television, read up on the next Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays coming up through the ranks, and prepare for a fantasy baseball draft or two. These days, I grumble about how my fantasy draft got moved to the girls' bedtime and whine (to myself) about how I rarely get to see an inning of baseball, what with the Elmo and Barney DVDs that play almost nonstop on our TV these days.

I can't even prepare for my usual World Series predictions properly any more. I don't know who half the pitchers are in baseball these days, and without that, such forecasts are about as accurate as predicting the weather for August 22 while looking out on the darkened streets on an April evening.

So here goes — my abridged predictions for the 2010 baseball season.

Division leaders
NL East: Philadelphia Phillies.
I don't think my Mets will do any better than third place. Even that might be tough to achieve. The Phillies, Braves, and even the Marlins all appear to be more potent than my inconsistent favorite team.

NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals.
Strong pitching and weak competitors should make it look easy for the Redbirds.

NL West: Colorado Rockies.
Because the whole division sucks.

NL Wild Card. Atlanta Braves.

AL East: Yankees.
I hate them, but they're strong.

AL Central: Minnesota Twins.
They've kept Joe Mauer. If they can pitch well enough, they might be able to do some serious damage to other AL teams.

AL West: Los Angeles Angels.
I wanted to pick the Mariners, who've made some great acquisitions during the winter (and one terrible one by getting Milton Bradley). But even I have heard about the injuries that keep happening.

AL Wild Card: Boston Red Sox.

World Series: Phillies vs. Red Sox
The Red Sox will win in seven games in what will be a classic.

Ok, for all you non-baseball fans out there, I suspect you'll be able to keep following this blog because this could be the last baseball-related item I'll be able to write, seeing as how my Mets will embark on a seven-game losing streak by the beginning of May and I'll just lose heart.

Chapter 83.5: Meaningful Games in 2011?

My Mets are so done they're using the lines from the grill as their pinstripes.

Remember April? Back then, this Mets team was supposed to be the one that fans would look back on and say, "Remember that '09 club? Johan, Cy Young Award. Reyes, MVP. Wright, a Gold Glove and the solid gold leader of the team. Gary Sheffield came in and hit his 500th homer in April and then Carlos Delgado did the same in September, like Hall of Fame bookends. Even Billy Wagner, expected to be gone for the entire year, came back in August to solidify the bullpen with the best late-inning one-two punch the game had seen in a decade. That was the final ingredient that perfected the recipe. New York Mets, World Champs of 2009."

But no. Not even close. The Mets haven't had a meaningful game since before the All-Star break. Every single one of their so-called "core players" went on the disabled list: Reyes, Wright, Delgado, Beltran, Santana. Add to them Brian Schneider and Angel Pagan, John Maine and Oliver Perez. (Don't get me started about Perez!) Hell, even Alex Cora was lost for the season!

Abysmal. Thank God for the Washington Nationals.

Back in March, I had meant to do my annual season predictions. I had expected the Mets to come in second behind the Phillies, win the wild card, and advance to the World Series. But I didn't write it. There just wasn't enough time. I'm glad. It's bad enough that I'll admit that I thought this was going to be a good team. What's worse, Omar Minaya was signed to a three-year contract extension that hasn't even begun yet. This team is bad. The mechanic hasn't proven he can be fully trusted after several years under the hood. What's a fan to do?

Chapter 81.6: Hot Dog and Rice

The Baseball Hall of Fame will have at least two new members. In my opinion, both Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice deserve the laurels they will finally wear. Henderson — baseball's greatest base stealer and the consummate leadoff hitter — was a no-brainer. The only issue for him was whether he actually was finished playing.

Though he turned 50 on Christmas day, Henderson probably could still hit .280 and provide 15-20 stolen bases and score 75 runs if he played in 2009. He was always in fantastic shape and his skills hadn't fallen apart like those of many older players. With more than 3,000 hits, 1,400 steals, and 2,000 runs, his election was a foregone conclusion.

Rice, on the other hand, required all fifteen of the annual ballots before he was elected. In my view, he was one of the greatest power hitters of the '70s and '80s. If you look at his numbers, you see that he was quite productive for at least ten years. The ongoing criticism of him was that he didn't get along well with the media. I just don't understand why that should matter so much.

I could write more (and better) on both these players, and hopefully I will, but if nothing else, I say congratulations to two of baseball's greatest.

Chapter 80: This Would Be Nice

It's been a difficult post-season for me. I have no vested interest — even less now that Chicago is out of it. But the Boston Globe put a smile on my face this morning. They reminded me that Don Zimmer is associated with the Tampa Devil Rays. Of course, he's been associated with several different teams; that's what happens when a guy's been in major league baseball for over 60 years.

Zim managed the Red Sox when Bucky F. Dent hit his infamous home run. He got tossed to the ground by Pedro Martinez during the 2003 ALCS. He was an original Met (and went 1-23, if memory serves). He managed the 1989 Cubs to the playoffs. He was on the Dodgers when Don Larsen tossed the only perfect game in World Series history. Even when he worked for the Yankees, Zim was fun to have around.

His stint with the Yankees really solidified his association with Joe Torre — not that they didn't know each other already, but when you serve as someone's bench coach and take over managing the team when that guy deals with butt cancer, you've kinda got a level of relationship that is above mere teammate. And he stood up to George Steinbrenner. Good for Zim!

So I for one would love to see the Rays meet the Dodgers in the playoffs. It would mean the Dodgers eliminate the Phillies, which as a Met fan would make me happy. And while I like the Red Sox and have family who are huge Sox fans, I can't help but like the baby Rays from the other Bay area. B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria, a surprisingly consistent starting pitching staff (which basically was the reason for my first fantasy baseball championship ever) ... what's not to love?

So that's what I'm rooting for: Dodgers vs. Rays in the 2008 World Series. Let the interviews with Don Zimmer continue.

Chapter 79.8: Playoff Predictions

Ok, I'm a little late on this, but honestly this is what I thought before the games began:

AL
Red Sox vs. Angels: Angels in five. I believe their pitching is simply better than what the Red Sox can muster at this point. And Papelbon hasn't been as sharp lately, which must concern Red Sox Nation.

White Sox vs. Rays: Rays in four. With apologies to my friends in Chicago, I don't think there'll be a Windy City World Series because the Rays, while young and inexperienced, are simply too darn talented. And rested. But those Sox have pluck. They should be able to take at least one.

NL
Phillies vs. Brewers: Phils in four. I'd like to root for the Brewers, since the Phillies are the Mets' chief rivals these days. But I just don't see how the Brewers can do it with CC and God Save Us! as their pitching staff.

Dodgers vs. Cubs: Cubs in five. Ok, here's the one that got affected by last night's game. I honestly was surprised that the Dodgers beat Dempster, so instead of my prediction of Cubs in four, I've added a game. But this could easily be proven wrong. The Dodgers are almost as hot as the Rockies were last year.

Chapter 79.6: Shea Goodbye, Unless...

Today, the last regularly scheduled game at Shea Stadium is taking place. In fact, it has begun. I was fortunate enough to get a call just before I left work Thursday night with a free ticket to the Mets game against the Cubs. Pedro Martinez vs. Rich Harden. Game number 159 in the season.

And at many times during the rainy night, I feared they would lose. Indeed, the Mets never led until they won. It will probably be my last night at Shea.

I'll miss it; it was home of my favorite team. I have many memories: my first baseball game, watching Nolan Ryan almost throw a no-hitter against them, riding the #7 train to meet up to watch the Mets play the Cardinals when Mark McGwire his his 400th homer, feeling the entire stadium shake during the final game of the 2000 NLCS, using a ticket from a friend who died on 9/11 to attend one of the first games after that terrible day, running onto the field during the 1983 Simon & Garfunkel concert, watching Billy Joel at the final concert at Shea. There are so many more.

And there could be at least one more night, because the Mets and Brewers are tied for the wild card, courtesy of a three-hit shutout by Johan Santana yesterday and a Cubs win over the Brewers. If the Mets and Brewers both win or both lose today, then they play each other Monday night at Shea.

But after today's game, there'll be a celebrtion of Shea. Even if the Mets end up not going to the playoffs, I wouldn't miss the celebration. The stadium may be ugly and noisy and stinky, but it's been home.

Thanks, Shea. Citi Field won't be quite the same.

Chapter 79.5: Thanks!

Thanks to those of you voted in my first poll. At this point it remains to be seen who'll be right. Over the weekend, I'll post another.

Chapter 78.5: My, How Things Have Changed

Not so long ago, the next three Mets games would have been an electric series of games. The Braves are coming to town to play my beloved Mets. Alas, these are not the same Braves that won division titles every completed year from 1991 to 2005. (I still think the Expos would have won in 1994, but the strike killed baseball and essentially pulled the plug on that unfortunate franchise.)

One of the remaining stalwarts of those excellent teams from Atlanta that led the National League East for more than a decade is Larry Jones — better known as Chipper. In my opinion, he's a likely Hall of Famer, albeit not a surefire, first ballot honoree.

In an interview with the New York Times, he reflected on those heady days of 1999, when Bobby Valentine managed the Mets and Chipper was one of the most dominant bats in the NL. After taking two of three in a summer series, Jones commented about how Mets fans "can go home and put on their Yankees jerseys." While he was apparently inspired by some yo-yo who wore one of those split Mets/Yankees shirts, Jones was clearly not aware of how deep the divide can be between Mets and Yankees fans.

I suspect it's just as prominent between Cubs and White Sox fans, and maybe even between Dodgers and Angels fans.

Of course, the Braves can still hurt the Mets, who hold a tenuous 1.5 game lead over our latest chief rival, the Phillies. Losing the series to the Braves wouldn't destroy the Mets, but if they damage them in these dog days of August, the Mets could find themselves unable to shake off the inevitable questions about last year's epic, infamous demise.

We'll see what happens. For some reason, I think this could be an exciting season, regardless of how mediocre the Braves have become.

Chapter 78.4: Is Glavine Done?

Though the 2007 baseball season is long since finished, Mets fans have not forgetten the terrible way it ended. After weeks of bullpen failures and a lack of clutch hitting, John Maine took a no-hitter deep into the game, and while he wasn't able to toss the first no-no in Mets history that day, he was able to win the game and get the Mets back into a tie for first place.

The next day, Tom Glavine couldn't get out of the first inning.

So, while it may not be fashionable among Mets fans, I was saddened to read that his career may be over. Glavine's injured elbow has caused him to shut it down for 2008, and he hopes the Braves will take him back in 2009; he doesn't want to play anywhere else, he said.

Though I've never met him, I have a lot of respect for Tom Glavine. He always worked hard, he answered reporters' questions, and he genuinely seemed to understand a fan's perspective. Plus, he is and will always be a family man. Some of these players talk about how a decision has to make sense for their family, but then they take a few million dollars more to go elsewhere. He did it too, but for some reason, I believe his family meant more to him than the money.

I was proud to see him win his 300th game as a Met. I'm happy he played for my favorite team and that I saw him pitch a few times.

So if this is the end, I'm sad for him and for baseball. But I don't think he's too worried. He's got a family that loves him and he's got nothing to be ashamed of overall — not even that last 1/3 of an inning in 2007 (though I didn't think that at the time).

Chapter 77.7: Bobby Murcer, One of the Good Yankees

In my family, being a Yankee fan has never been an option. I've heard from my brothers that they rooted for Mickey Mantle, but not for the Yankees per se. Indeed, by the time the Miracle Mets won it all in 1969, we were already a family of Mets fans and I never knew anything but rooting for the Mets, despite the terrible teams of the late 70s.

Around the time the Mets were stinking up the National League and I was collecting baseball cards, Bobby Murcer was moving toward the tail end of his career. I remember watching Murcer play against the Mets when he was a member of the Cubs, and my older brothers told me about how he was always their favorite Yankee after Mantle retired after the 1968 season.

When he returned to the Yankees, I was able to watch him a little more regularly. (Just because I hated the Yankees didn't mean I wouldn't watch them. It was baseball, after all. I rooted for their opponents.) But it was always hard to root against Bobby Murcer.

I was rooting for him to beat the cancer in his brain, but I think any fan knew it was not quite the same as when he stood at the plate during the game after he'd delivered the eulogy for his close friend Thurman Munson. Murcer hit a homer and drove in the winning run that day. Yesterday, Murcer succumbed to the disease.

I'm a Mets fan and a Yankee hater, but there is always room on a team for a player like Bobby Murcer. He was known for his class and wit. I believe that most non-Yankee fans regarded Murcer as one of the good guys. My thoughts go out to his family.

Chapter 76.8: Buy Me Some Peanuts and Crackerjack

This is the type of helpful travel tip that even non-baseball fans can sink their teeth into. The New York Times has posted an interactive map of the culinary delights available at all the major league baseball stadiums throughout the United States (and Toronto).

While I feel bad for my friends who are fans of the White Sox (not one item on their menu is recommended; the Times says bring a six pack and barter for a dog outside), I can agree with the assessment that the dogs at Shea are edible but way too expensive. (I think everyone can buy a full pack of hot dogs and possibly also the buns for less than the price of one dog at the game.)

I've gone to enough games and eaten enough expensive hot dogs to have decided that I don't need to have a dog and a beer at every game I attend any more. At the prices these days, I'm hard-pressed to attend more than one or two games anyway. But it's nice to fantasize, and if you do go to a game, why not have a game plan about the stadium menu!

Chapter 76.5: Another Day, Another Month...

Soon we will enter June, but in the final beautiful days of May, I sense a calmness in the New York area. For the Mets have started to win.

The streak is modest, to be sure; three game winning streaks should be commonplace for good teams. But these are Willie's Mets. Willie Randolph, who many fans thought would be fired this week, has survived so far and has his team looking more stable (albeit at the .500 mark) than they've looked since banging the Yankees ... my goodness, was it only two weeks ago!

As coincidence would have it, Willie's former colleague, Joe Torre, was back in New York as well, his Dodgers competing against the Mets, which allowed for an interesting article to appear in the New York Times. Harvey Araton, in his column, noted that the Yankees weren't quite as whiny when Torre was being insulted last fall as was being remembered this spring.

Araton writes:

Last October, Mike Mussina said of Torre, “If we don’t perform, it shouldn’t be a reflection on his ability.” Johnny Damon said: “We’re not just playing for him. We’re playing for a bunch of players in there.” ... Alex Rodriguez was too busy opting out and begging back in to worry about a manager. Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera were supposedly factoring Torre into their free-agent strategy, but the Yankees substituted an alternate Joe (Girardi) along with keys to the Steinbrenner vault. The band played on.

And the Mets fan looks at the standings, recognizes that the team is 3.5 games out of first place after taking two of three from the first-place Marlins (who are on their own three game losing streak), and says "Ok, Willie's safe for now. But don't let it happen again!"

We're fickle, we Mets fans.

As I've said to fellow Mets fans, who else is there right now? Short of importing Bobby Valentine from Japan, I don't think the Mets have a clear option that's better than -- or more importantly different from -- Willie. Jerry Manuel was a decent manager in Chicago (Cammy, Frank, correct me if I'm wrong), but his casual approach eventually allowed the players to get lazy. Laziness and complacency are killing the Mets. As for other options that have been voiced: Ken Oberkfell (Mets AAA manager) might have the chops, I really don't know; Gary Carter shot himself in the foot, which he'd already shoved in his mouth; Jim Fregosi doesn't impress me; and Tom Kelly is too smart to leave retirement for the New York circus.

I'd love to hear other people suggest other managers for the Mets, because I'm not convinced Willie's going to remain regardless of this little winning streak.

What I'd really love to see are Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran start to hit like they used to, Luis Castillo demonstrate why Omar lavished millions on him this past winter, and the pitching staff to work consistently and well into the latter third of the game. Is that too much to ask of a "championship-calibre team"?

Chapter 76.2: Time to Strike the Match, Willie

I'm sorry to say this, but I think it's time for Willie Randolph to go. I won't belabor the point, because the arguments I'll make are pretty much the same ones that have been bandied about already.

The fact is, the Mets are playing like an uninspired, mediocre team. Billy Wagner is right that the players need to be held accountable; moreover, he's correct in saying he's not the one who should be answering reporters' questions about what's wrong with the team. (He's a reliever, already! He's not the reason the bullpen has been so bad. The guy hasn't given up an earned run all year.) But there's more to it than just that. The team is listless.

Don't blame the injuries, either. No one really expected much from Pedro or El Duque. The team should be hitting better than this. Part of the problem is that Carlos Delgado is past his prime. We could tolerate a .260 batting average from him with 20-22 home runs and maybe 80-90 RBI if Carlos Beltran were hitting, but neither of them are producing as expected. For that matter, neither is David Wright at the moment. Thank God for Ryan Church! But what has happened to Jose Reyes?

What kills me is that the way the Mets are playing is not what I have come to expect of a Willie Randolph club. When he was playing, Randolph was a hard-nosed, strong-willed player, proud of his abilities and too stubborn to accept losing. Ask him if he's worried about his team's performance now, however, and he gives an answer of "No, not yet. ... It's just one game. ... You can't judge a season on a couple games..."

Willie, a quarter of the season is behind you. If you can't get this club playing like champions by now, why should you be allowed to keep at it?

Ignite that fire in your belly, Willie. We all know it was there in the past. But if you don't find the fire, you'll find yourself fired.

Chapter 75.9: Re-Energized

It's rainy and miserable outside, I've not had my supper yet, and I am daunted by the great number of things I hope to accomplish during the weekend and the challenges that face me at work next week. So why do I feel so energetic?

I won't go through all the details, but I feel like I'm accomplishing things. The book is moving along again and will soon be ready to venture out on its own, tapping on the shoulders of agents and trying to call attention to itself. They're so cute when they're precocious. While I had my difficulties on the train this week with balky outlets that refused to power my laptop, I still was able to make headway on these final edits.

I also received a nice comment on The Elephant's Bookshelf on a post from last August. Little things like that make me smile ... hint hint hint.

Perhaps I won't get into the 200s with my final revisions tomorrow. I might not run as many miles as I intend in the morning. Who knows, I might forget to change the storm windows or clean out my car. The Mets might lose. I may have to perform CPR on Sunday. But for now, on Friday night, before I've poured a smooth dram of scotch, the weekend is looking good. Clear!

Chapter 75.4: Admiral Nelson

Tonight's game was a pleasant change, and perhaps is the start of a poignant baseball story. Brooklyn-born Nelson Figueroa won his first start with the Mets -- his "hometown" team, which drafted him in 1995. Beyond the joy of the Mets' three game winning streak, I'm pleased by their ability to beat some good teams.

The Phillies messed up opening day (which I was lucky enough to attend!), but the Mets took the next two -- due in large part to poor play by the Phillies on Wednesday and a call that could have gone either way on Thursday. Tonight they took their first meeting with the Milwaukee Brewers, who should compete for the NL Central Division crown. So things seem to be looking good for now.

But what really pleased me tonight was reading the story that appeared in the New York Times after the game. During the game, Figueroa's dad, a Brooklyn electrician, was interviewed. He told the guy from the Mets network, SNY, "This is fantastic. I died and went to Heaven." And later his mother said, "You don't know how proud he made us tonight. That's his dream. His dream was to play on this team." It's simply nice to hear things like that. These are real people. It's hard to root against a guy like that. Keep it up, Nelson!

Chapter 75.2: Are You Ready for Some Baseball?!

It’s that time again. Baseball season!

There are several enticing stories surrounding this season, not the least of which is that it’s the one hundredth anniversary of the last time the Chicago Cubs have won the World Series. My White Sox fan friends in Chicago notwithstanding, I think most baseball people would be pleasantly surprised to see them at least make the Series if not actually win it. Personally, I believe they lost their chance in 2003 – though I don’t blame Bartman, I blame their pitching and inept fielding.

Anyway, I open this season as I’ve opened each season since I started this blog: My annual predictions. Since it takes too long to actually report on every single team, I’m going to give more general statements.

NL East: As usual, I hesitate to predict the Mets will take the division because – as they proved last year – it’s always within their capacity to screw things up and steal defeat from the jaws of victory. That said, I believe the Mets pitching staff is much better than it was last year. Johan Santana is quite possibly the best pitcher in the game today, and by placing him the admittedly weaker National League, he should be able to dominate. I’m looking for an excellent season and the first Met Cy Young Award winner in more than twenty years (Dwight Gooden, 1985). Mets to take the division. Their competition will be Atlanta and Philadelphia. I have no faith in Washington or Florida.

NL Central: This division will be fun to watch. It’ll be either Chicago or Milwaukee, both of which are fun to watch. I can’t trust Milwaukee’s pitching however. Even their ace, Ben Sheets, is a risk given his injury history, though Jeff Suppan is usually steady. After them, their current staff is Dave Bush, Carlos Villanueva, and Manny Parra – not exactly John Maine, Oliver Perez, and El Duque. Plus their bullpen has more questions than a four-year old. They can hit, and it should be fun to watch Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun lead their offense. The Cubs have a better pitching staff going in: Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly are fairly solid. Jason Marquis, Ryan Dempster, and Jon Lieber seem like the likely other starters if Rich Hill isn’t able to hold onto his spot in the rotation.

The other possibility in this division are the Reds, though I honestly don’t expect them to do much of anything. The rest of the division has become pretty much a joke. It’s hard to believe that the Astros were in the 2005 World Series and the Cardinals won it all in 2006. Like most teams these days, they don’t have enough pitching. Pittsburgh doesn’t count. Cubs to take the division.

NL West: This division is a crap shoot because there are several teams with enough talent to win. The worst of the west, the Giants, actually have pretty decent pitching – and if Barry Zito can return to his old Cy Young form, they may actually be able to find enough offense to contend. But I doubt it. Coming from the West are the NL Champion Colorado Rockies as well as the resurgent Dodgers, the much improved Diamondbacks, and last year’s second worst chokers, the Padres – all of which have the ability to sneak out with at least the Wild Card. I think we’re going to see the baby snakes prove themselves. Diamondbacks to take the division, Rockies take the Wild Card.

AL East: This remains a Red Sox and Yankees division, but the Blue Jays are ready to surprise people. Their pitching staff sports former Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay as well as Dustin McGowan and A.J. Burnett. Their bullpen is a little sketchy, but should be ok, especially if BJ Ryan returns with anywhere near his past accomplishments. Both the Yankees and Red Sox remain quite well stocked, however, so anything less than second place for either must be viewed as a terrible failure. The Rays (formerly from hell, but now simply hailing from Tampa) have greatly improved but won’t reach 75 wins. Baltimore will probably find themselves in the basement of the division. Red Sox take the division.

AL Central: The Tigers are scary! They have pitching, they have "mad offense," and they have one of the game’s best managers. I expect great things from them. The Indians will be strong again as well, though I would be impressed if C.C. Sabathia can retain his Cy Young form in his walk year and especially if Fausto Carmona can match his accomplishments from last year. The White Sox should be improved, and if the Royals can pitch at all, they may surprise people; they’ve got some great young hitters like Billy Butler and Alex Gordon, who had a strong second half last year after an awful beginning. I don’t think the Twins can compete with these guys, though they always play hard and have lots of talent still. Tigers take the division, Indians win Wild Card.

AL West: Like its NL cousin, I expect this division to be fairly tight most of the season. But I don’t think it’ll be for the same reasons. The Angels could have run away with the division, but they’re already struggling with their pitching, which has been hit by injuries. John Lackey – out. Kelvim Escobar – out, possibly for the full season. Jon Garland is toward the top of the rotation now. He should be stronger than he was in hitter-friendly US Cellular in Chicago, but he’s got to prove himself again. The Mariners have replenished their rotation with young stud Erik Bedard, who along with Felix Hernandez, Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista, and newcomer Carlos Silva should make the Mariners the biggest unexpected surprise of the year. The Angels could still squeak it out if they get their pitching back, but I’m going to go out on a limb. Mariners take the division.

I’ll update these predictions after I’m proven wrong. But with these eight teams, I’m making the following predictions. NL playoffs: Mets defeat Rockies, Diamondbacks defeat Cubs. Mets defeat Diamondbacks. AL playoffs, Tigers defeat Mariners, Red Sox defeat Indians. Tigers defeat Red Sox. Tigers beat Mets in World Series.