Mike's Mets: June 2008 Archives

A Tale of Two Lefties

Game 80: Yankees 3 - Mets 2 (Saturday) Game 81: Mets 3 - Yankees 1 (Sunday) Sorry for being so late on this. Work is crazy again this week. In the two weekend games, the Mets sent a pair of southpaws to the mound -- one named Johan, the other...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Mets Trades of the Past - Dumping the Heroes of '69

The 1969 Miracle Mets inspired dozens of books and for those of us who were Mets fans then, they represented an iconic team that will live in our memory forever. What made them so special was that pitching aside, they were primarily a very ordinary team of journeymen, disappointments, and...

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By Barry Duchan, posted at 1:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Win One, Lose One

Game 78: Mets 15 - Yankees 6 (Afternoon at Yankee Stadium) Game 79: Yankees 9 - Mets 0 (Evening at Shea Stadium) I was talking to my mom after the afternoon victory. While I was happy with the effort, I told her I was worried they fall into pattern and...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Mets-Yankees Pics

Gary Sparber has some pictures posted from last night's subway series game: View Gary's pics Gary tells us he wishes he was at the afternoon game instead. I'm sure all the Mets fans who were at Shea last night feel the same way. Support Mike's Mets by shopping at our...

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By Mike's Mets, posted at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's Time for Someone to Be an Adult

Being a true leader demands the ability to make truly tough decisions. Often the right decision is not the popular one. Yankees GM Brian Cashman has taken a lot of heat in the local papers for electing to go with young players this season. At least until the season started,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Mariners Series

Game 75: Mariners 5 - Mets 2 (Monday) Game 76: Mariners 11 - Mets 0 (Tuesday) Game 77: Mets 8 - Mariners 2 (Wednesday) I wish that I was shocked that the Mets played down to the level of their opponent again after a promising road trip. Sadly, though, this...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Equipment Failure / Sanity Break

The monitor of my 6 month old computer system died an untimely death a couple of nights ago. Dell was quick to send out a replacement, which I received today. I spent the last couple of days with my laptop, which isn't an especially powerful system, and that put me...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:59 PM | Permalink

Defending Johan

I have spent a good part of today defending Johan Santana. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending giving up a grand slam to an American League pitcher. I tried talking myself through that last night. It didn't work. I'm defending that I'm happy he is a New York Met....

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By Joyce Mandelkern, posted at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The Willie Watch Comes To a Merciful End

To run, manage or play on a professional baseball team in New York is becoming more complex every day. There is no rumor that is not worth discussing and/or printing. There can be no honest mistakes (or any other type of error). And there is absolutely no place to hide....

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By Dave Mills, posted at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A Regrettable Piece of Journalism

I know many other bloggers have already weighed in on this, but I'd like to add my two cents. I thought this piece by beat writer Bart Hubbuch in yesterday's New York Post was really borderline disgraceful. Some who have shared their opinion on this have been inclined to give...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:40 PM | Permalink

Another Step for Mike Pelfrey

Game 74: Mets 3 - Rockies 1 I wrote the following back in March: Mike Pelfrey It's amazing how some pundits and fans have totally written off a 24-year-old with a fastball you can't teach. I still think the winning formula for Pelfrey is to follow the John Maine path...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:25 PM | Permalink

Tough One for Pedro

Game 73: Rockies 7 - Mets 1 I had a long day working in the yard yesterday. It was real back-breaking stuff, and I'm nowhere near as young as I used to be. Last night I dragged my tired old body to the couch in the hope of another solid...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Is There Life After Mediocrity?

Game 72: Mets 7 - Rockies 2 The .500 mark seems to be an ongoing theme for the 2008 Mets. They've spent most of the year around it, and their win yesterday brought them back to break-even for both the month (9-9) and the season. They've never been more than...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:59 PM | Permalink

News From Gary, Keith and Ron's Charity Web Site

We received the following press release from Lynn Cohen that we'd like to pass along: Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez & Ron Darling's "Pitch in For Good Cause" Website and Anonymous Donor Make It Possible for Underprivileged Children to Attend Mets Games on July 10 Website Also Offering $10 Mets Tickets...

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By Mike's Mets, posted at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Second Season

I love a man with a plan. I also love a man with a sense of humor. We seem to have gotten both in Jerry Manuel. I know it is way too early to shower the newly minted Mets manager with accolades, but I'm feeling giddy. I feel like a...

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By Joyce Mandelkern, posted at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Angels Series

Game 69: Mets 9 - Angels 6 (Monday) Game 70: Angels 6 - Mets 1 (Tuesday) Game 71: Mets 5 - Angels 4 (10) (Wednesday) With all of the excitement over changing managers I neglected to post on the first two games of the series. I'll catch up on that...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:49 PM | Permalink

In Defense of the Hardwood Floor

Dana Brand, author of the book Mets Fan, had a post on his blog today about Rick Peterson's statement as he was walking out of the hotel yesterday. Here is Peterson's statement as transcribed by Newsday's David Lennon: "I don't really want to answer questions. I just want to say...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 7:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

A Post-Willie Reality

When I was a kid I had trouble fitting in. My parents were divorced at a time when divorce was still uncommon in my working-class neighborhood. My father chose not to be a part of my life, which left some scars. I was raised primarily by my grandparents, whose relationship...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Willie Freed; Manuel Labors

Sports fans always need to guard against the dreaded schadenfreude, a word whose definition I didn't know until I started frequenting Mets blogs. It means enjoyment taken from the suffering of others. Watching Charlie Chaplin slip on a banana peel in a movie is a simple and innocuous example of...

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By NostraDennis, posted at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Curtains for the Jacket?

Will Carroll at Baseball Prospectus is reporting that pitching coach Rick Peterson has been fired by the New York Mets: Sources tell me that Rick Peterson has been fired as pitching coach of the New York Mets. As yet, this cannot be confirmed, though reports this weekend have been leaning...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 9:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Answer is Not Blowing in the Wind!

This can't go on like this. I'm not talking about losing games, I'm talking about the indecision about the managerial and coaching positions on our team. Personally, I've had it with the way Omar and the Wilpons are handling the situation. Shame on them! I have made it quite clear...

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By Joyce Mandelkern, posted at 6:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Split Decision

Game 67: Rangers 8 - Mets 7 Game 68: Mets 4 - Rangers 2 The Mets split a pair of games with Texas on Sunday afternoon. Given all that has been happening with the team recently, that's probably fitting. If you looked at John Maine's pitching line from game one...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:34 PM | Permalink

You Gotta Have a Catcher

In the 1961 expansion draft, the Mets made Hobie Landrith, a journeyman catcher, their very first pick. Why Landrith rather than someone who could be considered a prospect? Manager Casey Stengel had a simple explanation - "You gotta have a catcher or you're gonna have a lotta passed balls". Throughout...

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By Barry Duchan, posted at 12:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Friday the Thirteenth Lucky For the Mets

Game 66: Mets 7 - Rangers 1 Two starts ago, Oliver Perez pitched against one of the worst offenses in baseball (SF) and was absolutely torched. When he went out there of Friday the Thirteenth to face one of the best offenses the confidence level of Mets fans was understandably...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Wagner: Oops, I Did It Again

Game 65: Diamondbacks 5 - Mets 4 (10) I'm not looking to kick a guy when he's down, but it's getting hard to defend Billy Wagner against the charge that he wilts in big spots. He did it in the 2006 NLCS against St. Louis, he struggled last season when...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

The Last Weekend?

From Ken Davidoff and David Lennon of Newsday: Willie Randolph doesn't have much longer to save his job as Mets manager. "He's got the weekend," a person familiar with the situation said. The Mets, having lost six of their last seven games -- all of them in heartbreaking, nerve-wracking fashion...

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

Slide Snapped at Five

Game 64: Mets 5 - Diamondbacks 3 (13) On April 15, Mike Pelfrey picked up his second win of the season vs. the Nationals. Almost two months later, he's still waiting for his third. Now, he certainly hasn't been perfect, but here are four starts since then that should have...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

As Bad As It Ever Was

Game 63: Diamondbacks 9 - Mets 5 When the Mets had the successful home stand against the Marlins and Dodgers, they had the look of a team that was finally ready to start playing consistent -- if unspectacular -- baseball. Now they have the look of a team that's looking...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Déjà Vu

Game 62: Padres 8 - Mets 6 This team is staring to make me flash back to 2002. High expectations to start the year? Check. A roster filled with aging, high-priced veterans who enjoyed their best years with other clubs? Check. A GM who is sitting on the hot seat...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Proposal for the Hofstra Conference on the 50th Anniversary of the New York Mets

Editor's Note: This piece is reprinted with Dana's permission from his site. The need to honor the past of the Mets is something I firmly believe in. I know that many of this site's readers do, too. If you haven't already done so, please take a minute to leave a...

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By Dana Brand, posted at 6:28 PM | Permalink

2-1 Hell

Game 61: Padres 2 - Mets 1 (10) (Friday night) Same score, just more innings to get there. Leave any comments below. I'm working on a longer piece for later on. Frankly, there isn't much to say about games like this anymore that hasn't already been said ad nauseam. View...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Weak

Game 59: Padres 2 - Mets 1 (Thursday night) Game 60: Padres 2 - Mets 1 (Friday night) Sorry for being MIA. I was planning to catch up on both games this morning, but I had to do some work outside for an hour. The heat was amazing, however, and...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Respect for the Past Shouldn't Be History

Dana Brand is the author of the terrific and highly recommended book Mets Fan. Dana is also a professor at Hofstra University. On his blog yesterday, in a post titled Honoring and Studying the History and Culture of the Mets, Dana talked about something near and dear to my heart:...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Is It Just Me, Or Is There a Draft In Here?

I'm a sucker for a free ticket, especially to anything baseball-related. As noted celebrity dancer and running back Emmitt Smith was fond of saying, "If it's free, give me three". So naturally, I spent Thursday afternoon at The Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida...

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By NostraDennis, posted at 9:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

More Positive Signs

Game 58: Mets 5 - Giants 3 Nine days ago the Mets followed up a dismal road trip against Atlanta and Colorado by dropping the opener of their home series vs. the Marlins. Their record dropped to 23-26, 6.5 games behind Florida in fourth place. As a matter of fact,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Return of Pedro

Game 57: Mets 9 - Giants 6 Watching Pedro last night was amazing. He was obviously rusty and lacking pinpoint command of his pitches, but his fastball velocity was in the high 80s to low 90s. If he could keep that up and regain his usual command, we could be...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Ollie Says Uncle

Game 56: Giants 10 - Mets 2 This was a game practically screaming for a strong start from Oliver Perez. The Mets were on a nice mini roll, and Perez really needs to turn his season around if he hopes to have a nice payday next winter. I've never held...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

More Johan Santana Pics

Gary Sparber has pictures posted from Johan Santana's start vs. the Dodgers Sunday night: View Gary's pics Gary described Shea as "electric" that night. Support Mike's Mets by shopping at our Amazon Store...

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By Mike's Mets, posted at 3:49 PM | Permalink

Leave 'em Smiling

Game 55: Mets 6 - Dodgers 1 There were a lot of things that have gone right for the Mets all of a sudden since their return home this week, and that carried over into last night's win. Once again, timely hitting, good pitching and some really solid defense carried...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Those Crazy Comeback Kids

Game 54: Mets 8 - Dodgers 4 The Mets were 6 outs away from a 2-game losing streak and a plunge back to 2 games under .500. They looked dead all day against Chad Billingsley. It was that close to losing those good vibes from the little 3-game winning streak...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 7:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A Different Kind of Trade Talk

This is the time of year that everybody proposes trades. Now that there are so many blog writers that allow for instant feedback in the form of fan comments, it's interesting to note that the same trade proposal usually gets back at least one comment that it would be a...

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By Barry Duchan, posted at 1:11 AM | Permalink

Mike's Mets

New York Mets discussion, news and historical perspective -- now getting by with a little help from my friends.

June 30, 2008

A Tale of Two Lefties

June 29, 2008

Mets Trades of the Past - Dumping the Heroes of '69

June 28, 2008

Win One, Lose One

Mets-Yankees Pics

June 27, 2008

It's Time for Someone to Be an Adult

June 26, 2008

The Mariners Series

June 25, 2008

Equipment Failure / Sanity Break

June 24, 2008

Defending Johan

The Willie Watch Comes To a Merciful End

June 23, 2008

A Regrettable Piece of Journalism

Another Step for Mike Pelfrey

June 22, 2008

Tough One for Pedro

June 21, 2008

Is There Life After Mediocrity?

News From Gary, Keith and Ron's Charity Web Site

June 20, 2008

The Second Season

June 19, 2008

The Angels Series

June 18, 2008

In Defense of the Hardwood Floor

A Post-Willie Reality

June 17, 2008

Willie Freed; Manuel Labors

June 16, 2008

Curtains for the Jacket?

The Answer is Not Blowing in the Wind!

Split Decision

June 15, 2008

You Gotta Have a Catcher

June 14, 2008

Friday the Thirteenth Lucky For the Mets

June 13, 2008

Wagner: Oops, I Did It Again

The Last Weekend?

June 12, 2008

Slide Snapped at Five

June 11, 2008

As Bad As It Ever Was

June 9, 2008

Déjà Vu

June 8, 2008

The Proposal for the Hofstra Conference on the 50th Anniversary of the New York Mets

2-1 Hell

June 7, 2008

Weak

June 6, 2008

Respect for the Past Shouldn't Be History

June 5, 2008

Is It Just Me, Or Is There a Draft In Here?

More Positive Signs

June 4, 2008

The Return of Pedro

June 3, 2008

Ollie Says Uncle

More Johan Santana Pics

June 2, 2008

Leave 'em Smiling

June 1, 2008

Those Crazy Comeback Kids

A Different Kind of Trade Talk

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