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September 30, 2006

Perez on the Playoff Roster?

I was watching a little of the Marlins-Phillies game this afternoon and thinking ahead to the playoffs. One thing that has intrigued me somewhat is that whenever he talks about the pitchers on his playoff roster, Willie Randolph keeps bringing up the name of Oliver Perez. Although my personal opinion...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:59 PM | | Comments (8)

Even Worse Pedro News

From the AP: The New York Mets will be missing ace Pedro Martinez for more than just the postseason. The Mets right-hander will have rotator cuff surgery next week and be out eight months. The injury is expected to sideline him from any baseball activities until at least June. Martinez,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:39 PM | | Comments (2)

John Maine Solid in Final Tune-up

Mets 4 - Nationals 3 John Maine has had a solid rookie season with the Mets. When he has tripped up, it is usually due to losing concentration for a few batters or giving up the long ball. Despite encountering both of his personal tripwires last night, Maine managed to...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:24 PM | | Comments (6)

September 29, 2006

The Sun Will Rise Tomorrow, Too

I woke up this morning. Nothing really special about that, I've done it over 17,000 times in my life. This one was different, however, and at first I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then it hit me, the remarkable thing about this morning was that I woke up....

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:30 PM | | Comments (11)

Life without Pedro Begins With a Win

Mets 7 - Braves 4 The Mets replacement ace took the mound tonight and came away with a much-needed win. Although victimized at times by home plate umpire Joe West's miniscule strike zone, Orlando Hernandez gave the Mets 5 strong innings in evening his record at 11-11 for the season....

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:25 AM | | Comments (2)

September 28, 2006

Four to Forget

I'm back from New York City, and it looks like I picked the right 4 days to be away from watching Mets games. These were the only 4 games that I didn't watch live or on DVR all season. Perhaps some of my regular readers could share some of the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:38 PM | | Comments (5)

I'm Back...

4:00 PM Hi, everyone. Just a heads-up that I'm back from New York City and will begin regular posting again as soon as I can catch up on some email. As for the 4 games that I missed, I guess I didn't miss much... More Mets Stories: SportsSpyder Mets Continuous...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:04 PM | | Comments (2)

September 24, 2006

Intermission

I will be leaving in a few minutes for a short vacation in New York City with Lisa. We will return Thursday evening. I'm hoping to have some sort of internet access, but if not I may not be posting again until I return. If I can, I'll still check...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:45 AM | | Comments (9)

It Takes a While, but the Offense Finally Wakes

Mets 12 - Nationals 6 For 4 innings this afternoon, the Mets looked as offensively challenged as they have for most of September, managing only 2 hits and 0 runs off Nats rookie Michael O'Connor. A questionable baserunning decision by Jose Reyes cost them a scoring opportunity in the first,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:05 AM | | Comments (0)

September 23, 2006

Mets Drop Third Straight As Offense Slumbers

Nationals 3 - Mets 2 I understand the Mets have already clinched the playoffs and are resting players, but this streak of hideous offense is becoming ridiculous. When Pedro Astacio shuts you down at this stage of his career, and your only real offensive highlight is provided by Ricky Ledee,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:37 PM | | Comments (7)

September 22, 2006

Playoff Roster Revisited

We took a preliminary glimpse at what the 25-man roster for the Division Series might look like a week and a half ago. Things are starting to come into clearer focus since then, and I'm going to take another shot at making my picks. I will lean towards who I...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:52 PM | | Comments (13)

A Better Pedro, But Mets Still Fall

Marlins 5 - Mets 2 You'll forgive me if it's getting harder to blog about these games. It's almost surreal to be watching games that have so little meaning. Baseball teams don't usually have a month-long victory lap, but that's how this season has turned out. In an odd sort...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:28 AM | | Comments (6)

September 21, 2006

Oh, By The Way...

I was surprised to read this in the Times today: The Marlins may be fading from the wild-card hunt, but they do not lack for confidence. While Manager Willie Randolph was speaking with the news media before the game, Miguel Cabrera poked his head into the interview room and said,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:43 PM | | Comments (5)

Decent Start for Perez in Losing Cause

Marlins 6 - Mets 3 The lateness of this post is due to actually going to last night's game and not getting home until around 1:30 AM. Although the game itself lacked a happy ending for a Mets fan, it was a good game to watch. I was at the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:07 PM | | Comments (6)

September 20, 2006

Going To the Game Tonight

I will be at the game tonight with Greg Prince. Hopefully the weather will cooperate, unlike last time. We'll be sitting in the Mezzanine, section 3, Row L, seats 13 and 14. I'll have an orange Mets cap on. Stop by and say "hello" if you get the chance. I'm...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:20 PM | | Comments (8)

The A-minus Team Pulls One Out For Glavine

Mets 3 - Marlins 2 Tom Glavine went 8 strong innings against the Marlins tonight, and was rewarded with victory number 289 in his career when the Mets staged an eighth inning comeback to overcome the Marlins. The big hits came from Lastings Milledge, who tied the game with a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:19 AM | | Comments (8)

September 19, 2006

A Special Night with No Apologies

I'm still somewhat numb from last night, working to get my mind around the fact that the Mets have won the eastern division championship. At times like this, I always find myself looking back to all of those times when it wasn't great to be a Mets fan. You don't...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:47 PM | | Comments (20)

Your 2006 NL East Division Champs

Mets 4 - Marlins 0 The Mets clinched the NL East tonight with Steve Trachsel on the hill and Jose Valentin powering the offense. What were the odds against these words being written 5 months ago. It was a playoff atmosphere at Shea Stadium tonight, and Steve Trachsel responded with...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:53 AM | | Comments (4)

September 18, 2006

Looking Ahead While Waiting For the Clinching

This past weekend was certainly frustrating for Mets fans, but not unprecedented. For those of us who were around and paying attention twenty years ago, we suffered through much the same sort of thing as we waited for the Mets to clinch in that magical season. That really doesn't make...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:45 PM | | Comments (9)

September 17, 2006

The Lost Weekend

Pirates 3 - Mets 0 When the Mets get around to drinking that champagne it's bound to be a little flat. John Maine overcame a rough start to pitch a good, gutsy game, but once again the Mets offense was non-existent. The inability to get the big hit killed us...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:57 PM | | Comments (6)

September 16, 2006

Mets Come Up Short Again

Pirates 3 - Mets 2 The Mets offense wasted a terrific outing by Orlando Hernandez tonight, and as a result instead of celebrating clinching the east, had the pleasure of watching the Pirates celebrate like the 62-87 last place club had just won game 7 of the World Series. Just...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:43 PM | | Comments (7)

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

As we wait around for tonight's second chance at clinching the NL east, I'm looking for things to occupy my mind. Although I pulled for the Phillies to hold on and win last night so that the Mets would have a second chance to clinch on the field, I've decided...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:55 PM | | Comments (6)

A Dream Deferred, At Least for a Little While

Pirates 5 - Mets 3 Sigh. Pedro looked very much like a guy who hadn't pitched in a month. The Mets offense didn't do much of anything. Jose Reyes looked like he was playing by himself out there tonight. The Mets lost, the Phillies won. We'll have to do it...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:20 AM | | Comments (3)

September 15, 2006

Just Enjoy It

The last time the Mets were this close to clinching a National League east title was September of 1988. I was still a month away from my thirtieth birthday, no longer a kid but not yet ready for a mid-life crisis. The Mets were on the verge of clinching the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:59 PM | | Comments (16)

September 14, 2006

And Then There Was One...

The Phillies were beaten by the Atlanta Braves tonight 4-1, lowering the Mets' magic number to one. Their fate is in their own hands tomorrow night in Pittsburgh -- if they win, they can celebrate their NL east title on the field after the game....

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 10:24 PM | | Comments (4)

Willie Should Be Manager of the Year

There has been a lot of discussion over this recently, and I thought I'd throw my two cents in. Apparently, Joe Girardi is the favorite for manager of the year in the National League because the Marlins were such a surprise this season. What Willie Randolph has accomplished with the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:35 PM | | Comments (14)

Mets Come From Behind Again In Florida

Mets 7 - Marlins 4 (11) The Mets came from behind in the ninth inning, then rode some sloppy Marlins play in the eleventh inning to score 3 times and put a serious hurt on the post-season aspirations of the Fish. It was victory number 90 on the season for...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:13 AM | | Comments (5)

September 13, 2006

Don't Let Your Tomahawk Hit You on the Way Out, Boys

I felt as if I had already written enough on the Braves this year, culminating in this piece where I dared to say that what happened in Atlanta this season was far from a shocking outcome. When the Mets came back to win and eliminated the Braves from any possibility...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:57 PM | | Comments (4)

Late Inning Heroics Fry the Fish

Mets 6 - Marlins 4 On the verge of another flat September loss, the Mets rallied in the late innings to come back and defeat the Marlins on a long, rainy evening in South Florida. Oliver Perez started for the Mets. He wasn't as sharp as he was in shutting...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:33 PM | | Comments (13)

September 12, 2006

A Preliminary Look at the Playoff Roster

With so little left to play for in the regular season, auditions are fully underway for the honor of playing for the New York Mets in the National League playoffs and (hopefully) beyond. I thought it might be a good idea to start thinking about who gets invited to dance...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:33 PM | | Comments (8)

Ugly Night in Miami

Marlins 16 - Mets 5 Dave Williams couldn't do anything right, and he wasn't getting much help from his defense. Williams gave up 9 runs in 3+ innings of work, with Heath Bell and Royce Ring also taking their lumps. Only Roberto Hernandez escaped this game without his ERA going...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:11 AM | | Comments (4)

September 11, 2006

The True Lack of Class is Shown by Those Pointing Fingers

For the past decade, I have experienced the vicissitudes of owning a small business. Mostly, it was a positive experience. At the end of this year I will likely be moving on in my life, but I will never forget the lessons learned from the last ten years. Dealing with...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:30 PM | | Comments (6)

September 11

It's the old wound that seems to be opened up fresh every year just from a date on the calendar. You can't ignore it. Cable television networks still do specials every year, ostensibly to commemorate the date, but also cynically to cash in on our continued fascination and sell a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:35 PM | | Comments (7)

September 10, 2006

Will The Real Fourth Playoff Starter Please Stand Up?

Dodgers 9 - Mets 1 I had a nice day today. Lisa and I went to my niece's christening and spent a nice relaxing afternoon with my family. It bothered me some when I heard the Mets final score, but it's not hard to shake something like that off when...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:57 PM | | Comments (8)

Down and Out in Atlanta?

When I was a kid and first starting to follow sports, I didn't have a father to explain things to me, so I had to figure everything out on my own. I would devour the sports pages from the Daily News and Post, convinced that the columnists like Dick Young...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:47 PM | | Comments (6)

September 9, 2006

Orlando Hernandez Outduels Maddux

Mets 3 - Dodgers 2 All I have been reading lately is how the Mets have no starting pitching, and for the most part I've watched one solid start after another from this club. Orlando Hernandez' start this afternoon was no exception. He stood toe to toe with Greg Maddux,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:14 PM | | Comments (8)

It Wasn't John Maine's Night

Dodgers 5 - Mets 0 Shutouts are wild this week. The Mets were held scoreless for the second time the day after registering their second consecutive shutout. As for John Maine, I think it would be accurate to say that he didn't do much to make his case for a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:35 AM | | Comments (2)

September 8, 2006

Another Important Start for John Maine

With all of the questions as to who might be on the playoff roster and who might be watching in street clothes, every start for John Maine is an important audition. Maine has had an eye-opening first season with the Mets, with a 5-3 record, an ERA of 3.44 and...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:21 PM | | Comments (4)

Mets Make Dodgers Blue

Mets 7 - Dodgers 0 Tom Glavine gave the Mets a strong 6+ shutout innings, and Jose Reyes had the first inside-the-park home run of his career as the Mets pummeled Brad Penny and the Dodgers. The Mets jumped on Penny quickly in the first, with the first 4 Mets...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:36 AM | | Comments (7)

September 7, 2006

The Predictable Collapse of a House of Cards

Late this past winter, the task fell to me write a preview of the Atlanta Braves for another web site. I took the job seriously, so I put aside my own personal antipathy towards the club and wrote the most honest preview that I could. Although I honestly felt the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:50 PM | | Comments (8)

September 6, 2006

Sweeping Out the Braves

Mets 4 - Braves 1 (Game 1) Mets 8 - Braves 0 (Game 2) Game 1 Dave Williams doesn't really wow you when he takes the hill. He lacks overwhelming stuff, but he pitches quickly, throws strikes and has given the Mets a decent chance to win all of his...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:57 PM | | Comments (12)

My One Day Vacation

Thanks to a doctor's appointment and a game that was regrettably rescheduled by Mother Nature, I spent a whole day away from the blog for the first time in quite a long while. The day was far from a total washout, however, as the doctor's appointment went well, and the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:57 PM | | Comments (6)

September 5, 2006

A Quick Heads Up

Just a quick heads up to regular readers. I have a doctor's appointment today with someone who feels she really can help me with all of the complications that I've experienced from my bout with Lyme disease. I first came down with symptoms over a year ago, and things just...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:17 PM | | Comments (15)

September 4, 2006

Hey Mets, Don't Put Those Bats Away Just Yet

Braves 5 - Mets 0 After netting four hits in yesterday's finale in Houston, the Mets only managed one against the Braves tonight. This was honestly one of the hardest games for me to watch this season, and I'm not going to give you a lot on it. Trachsel didn't...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:03 PM | | Comments (8)

Happy Labor Day to All of the Faithful

Sorry, everyone. Today really got away from me, so I never had the time to write anything really profound -- not that I ever let a lack of anything intelligent to say stop me from posting. There are a couple of items of interest below to check out, if you...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:16 PM | | Comments (4)

September 3, 2006

El Duque's Strong Return Not Enough

Astros 2 - Mets 1 Although he struggled with his control, Orlando Hernandez showed no other ill effects from the tired arm that necessitated sitting out a couple of starts. Unfortunately for the veteran Cuban, the 1 hit and 1 run he allowed was enough to cost him a tough...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 10:06 PM | | Comments (7)

Myths and Legends about the Guy Hugging the Dog

In keeping with our holiday Myths and Legends theme, we'll finish up with a couple that I deal with personally while writing this blog. Myth 1: I am against statistical analysis of baseball I get this one because of my frustration with people who see this useful tool as the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:03 PM | | Comments (5)

Beltran Saves the Day

Mets 4 - Astros 2 Carlos Beltran made a game-saving catch at the wall in the ninth inning tonight, injuring his knee in the process as the Mets held on for a tough victory over the Astros. John Maine was perfect for 4 innings, and only wound up allowing 2...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:16 AM | | Comments (4)

September 2, 2006

More Myths and Legends

For the benefit of the dozen of you reading this on the holiday weekend, and in keeping with yesterday's theme, lets look at a couple of myths that have surrounded the Mets in recent history and have some fun with them. Myth 1: Beltran should bat second This one has...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:26 PM | | Comments (0)

Valentin Comes Through In a Pinch

Mets 8 - Astros 7 The Mets handed Tom Glavine a 3-run lead, but he couldn't hold it. Still, he managed to pitch 5 innings in his first game back in 2 weeks, and the Mets rallied late to pull out a game that may have important playoff ramifications. Glavine...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:53 AM | | Comments (6)

September 1, 2006

Myths and Legends: The Pitcher's Duel

As we head into the Labor Day weekend, I realize that most of my readers and almost all of the other bloggers will be taking the weekend off. I know there are a few of you diehards out there that appreciate having something to read over the holiday weekend, so...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:41 PM | | Comments (7)

The Not Ready For Prime Time Pitcher

Rockies 8 - Mets 4 I'm going to share a few quick thoughts with you tonight and then duck and run. I'm just plain exhausted after 3 late nights in a row. To anyone that envisioned Oliver Perez as a potential piece of the puzzle in the playoffs this year,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:52 AM | | Comments (6)

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