Mike's Mets: August 2008 Archives

Old Time Mets - Warren Spahn

Editor's Note: I've been privileged for the last couple of years to run Barry's pieces on Mets history on this site. Barry isn't blogging currently, but I will rerun some of my personal favorites of Barry's writings once or twice a month for the benefit of new readers. - M.S....

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By Barry Duchan, posted at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Blue and Orange Knight

(with apologies to Monty Python) Sir James and his trusty servant Phanatic "ride" along through the woods, Phanatic smacking together two cheesesteaks and making a rhythmic "clop-clop" noise. They come to a stream in a clearing, where two knights are battling in a heated duel with giant wooden bats. One...

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By NostraDennis, posted at 1:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

We Sincerely Hope Jimmy Rollins Wasn't Offended By Last Night's Mets Win

Game 134: Mets 6 - Phillies 3 The Mets record in the first game against of all series against the Phillies this season: 1-4 The Mets record in all other games against the Phillies this season: 9-1. God bless you, Carlos Delgado and Daniel Murphy. So could someone please explain...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Chose Your Scapegoat

Game 133: Phillies 8 - Mets 7 (13) Last night the game Mets lost a game in a manner that we've seen too many times this year. While the loss certainly stung, I've gotten beyond any personal need to hang responsibility for it on any particular player or players. One...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Pelfrey

Game 132: Mets 9 - Astros 1 In many different ways we've talked about the strides Mike Pelfrey has made this season. As I began my long trek out to Shea yesterday afternoon I realized that I was excited about the opportunity to see Mike pitch in person. While I've...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Bad Mets Return

Game 131: Astros 6 - Mets 4 (10) First off, I have to confess that I was sick all weekend and didn't watch much of this game. I can't really dissect what I saw from Oliver Perez or provide answers on why this offense can be so completely shut down...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Shut It Down

Game 130: Astros 8 - Mets 3 I appreciate John Maine's toughness and desire to help this team down the stretch. The problem is that John Maine without his explosive fastball is very unlikely to provide much help. While the Mets say Maine is unlikely to hurt his shoulder further...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Return of Luis Castillo...

... won't be today. I guess this will be cause for celebration for those fans who somehow became convinced that the veteran second baseman is the Antichrist. As for me, I actually believe a Castillo who is reasonably healthy would benefit this team. Don't get me wrong. I'm a big...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Santana Outduels Oswalt

Game 129: Mets 3 - Astros 0 You can't beat a true ace when you're looking to win a game where the other guy pitches well, too. Other than the first two innings, Roy Oswalt undoubtedly outpitched Johan Santana, but it was the Mets that were able to come out...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:29 PM | Permalink

The Eighth Dwarf: Sweepy

Game 128: Mets 5 - Braves 4 For some reason I got the idea for the title and picture on the train home from the game last night. I hoped a good night's sleep would get it out of my head, but it didn't. Sometimes you have to run with...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Pelfrey Finishes

Game 127: Mets 7 - Braves 3 For the second time this week a Mets starting pitcher gave the entire bullpen a night off. After managing and surviving his sixth inning hiccup, Pelfrey needed only a combined 25 pitches to navigate the final 3 innings. The sixth inning was undoubtedly...

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

The Other Bullpen Collapses

Game 126: Mets 7 - Braves 3 Billy Wagner isn't coming back anytime soon. Maybe not at all. Every ninth inning that the Mets manage to hold a lead going into will be an adventure. As I mentioned yesterday, I have accepted the above facts after having moved through the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The Angst Returns After a Short Hiatus

Game 125: Pirates 5 - Mets 2 After a nice 6-game winning streak, the Mets had all of their warts on display in the finale of this road trip. Lack of timely hitting kept them from building on a 2-0 lead. It's obvious that John Maine will be a somewhat...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:37 PM | Permalink

The Perfect Bullpen Solution

Game 124: Mets 4 - Pirates 0 The obvious jokes about the bullpen not being able to blow games that they don't pitch in aside, Santana's complete game shutout of the Pirates yesterday afternoon couldn't have come at a better time. It was the thirteenth game in a row without...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Ayala Deal -- First Thoughts

Not exactly the reliever acquisition that most fans dreamed of, it seems to me the Mets picked up a competent, experienced middle reliever for a player (Anderson Hernandez) who really isn't in their plans any more. Of course, Ayala is having a brutal year, and it remains to be seen...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Mets Bullpen Saves a Pedro Win!

Game 123: Mets 7 - Pirates 4 Yesterday I made the point about the similarity of the setup of the ninth inning to last Monday's grim loss. The Mets bullpen carried that thought a little further last night and turned what should have been a laugher into an anxious nail...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:50 PM | Permalink

I Liked This Ending Better

Game 122: Mets 2 - Pirates 1 One run lead in the ninth. Playing against the Pirates. Aaron Heilman on the mound carrying the hopes of both Mets fans and a starter who had pitched effectively. Sound familiar? This one had a happy ending, though, as Heilman notched his third...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

You Don't Necessarily Gotta Believe

Game 121: Mets 9 - Nationals 3 I'm not one to indulge in excess angst regarding the Mets, but I had a bad feeling that they were going to lose Wednesday night's game in DC. Of course you already know they won that one 12-0. I was unable to watch...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:40 PM | Permalink

A Rare Laugher

Game 120: Mets 13 - Nationals 0 For one of the very few times in the last couple of seasons, the Mets had a victory that looked and felt easy for most of the game. The Nationals are a struggling team. With a lot of key injuries to a roster...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Winning One for Johan

Game 119: Mets 4 - Nationals 3 On a day when he didn't have his best stuff, Johan Santana handed a couple of leads back to the Nationals. For a change, though, the lead that was handed to the bullpen was preserved, and Santana was finally able to notch his...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Pig Pen Does It Again

Game 118: Pirates 7 - Mets 5 I was watching this game off and on while trying to get some work done. There were a couple of occasions that the Mets had opportunities to push more runs across and didn't. Those of us who have watched this bullpen night after...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Game: Lousy. A Chance To Spend An Afternoon With Your Fellow Bloggers: Priceless.

Game 117: Marlins 8 - Mets 2 I went to Shea for this game as part of a group of bloggers that were the guests of MetsBlog's Matt Cerrone. Zoë Rice has some pictures and a nice write up on her blog Pick Me Up Some Mets!. Unfortunately, the game...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:33 PM | Permalink

Buying a Seat

As everyone knows by now, the Mets, beginning August 25, are going to start selling 16,000 pairs of seats from Shea to the general public at the cost of $869 a pair. This number is designed to remind Mets fans of the two world championships the Mets won, in 1986...

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By Dana Brand, posted at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Rollercoaster Heads Back Up

Game 115: Mets 3 - Marlins 0 (Friday) Game 116: Mets 8 - Marlins 6 (Saturday) Sometimes the Mets play so badly against second division clubs that it's almost impossible to see them as a true playoff contender. Then they go into a series like this with a shaky bullpen...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Turn Back The Clock - Mets' Top 10 Prospects 40 Years Ago

Editor's Note: I've been privileged for the last couple of years to run Barry's pieces on Mets history on this site. Barry isn't blogging currently, but I will rerun some of my personal favorites of Barry's writings once or twice a month for the benefit of new readers. - M.S....

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By Barry Duchan, posted at 11:57 PM | Permalink

Alas, Poor Johan

In 2006, Steve Trachsel tied Tom Gl@v!ne for the Mets' team lead in wins with 15. This total was one win behind the National League lead (six different pitchers had only 16 victories each). That factoid itself illustrates that victories are one of the most misleading statistics to determine a...

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By NostraDennis, posted at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Riding the Rollercoaster

Game 113: Padres 4 - Mets 2 (Wednesday) Game 114: Mets 5 - Padres 3 (Thursday) In a season where nothing comes easy, the last two games of the Padres series were representative of what we've seen the last four months. The Mets pitching staff continues to give up home...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An Uncomfortable Win

Game 112: Mets 6 - Padres 5 Billy Wagner's season has featured huge ups and downs, and the ninth inning has been a nervous time for Mets fans. Now that Billy is on the shelf for two weeks it has become clear that there are actually even less dependable options...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Astros Series

Game 109: Astros 7 - Mets 3 (Friday) Game 110: Astros 5 - Mets 4 (Saturday) Game 111: Astros 4 - Mets 0 (Sunday) Hey gang. Your intrepid blogger is getting over his bout of food poisoning. I'll be back tomorrow with something on tonight's "easy" win over San Diego....

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:46 PM | Permalink

MET*S - the AfterMath

It's unfair to compare the members of the Mets' growing disabled list to a M*A*S*H unit. Unfair to the M*A*S*H unit, that is. At least there, thanks to the surgical skills of Captains Hunnicutt and Pierce, an occasional wounded GI actually got better and rejoined his mates in battle. These...

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By NostraDennis, posted at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Future Is Now

Doubtless, the All-Star break was the worst thing that could have happened to the NY Mets and their fans. It is analogous to, but not quite as heinous or impactful as the Colorado Rockies nine-day break between their sweep of the D-Backs and the start of the World Series. And...

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By Dave Mills, posted at 10:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Omar Shows Restraint

Staying away from moving quality young talent for two month rental players is not a discipline familiar to some general managers. Omar Minaya showed restraint and respect for what may actually be a very underrated talent pool. In fact, most of the so-called baseball experts say the Mets are devoid...

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By Dave Mills, posted at 1:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Mike's Mets

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

August 31, 2008

Old Time Mets - Warren Spahn

August 29, 2008

The Blue and Orange Knight

August 28, 2008

We Sincerely Hope Jimmy Rollins Wasn't Offended By Last Night's Mets Win

August 27, 2008

Chose Your Scapegoat

August 26, 2008

Pelfrey

August 25, 2008

The Bad Mets Return

August 24, 2008

Shut It Down

August 23, 2008

The Return of Luis Castillo...

Santana Outduels Oswalt

August 22, 2008

The Eighth Dwarf: Sweepy

August 21, 2008

Pelfrey Finishes

August 20, 2008

The Other Bullpen Collapses

August 19, 2008

The Angst Returns After a Short Hiatus

August 18, 2008

The Perfect Bullpen Solution

August 17, 2008

The Ayala Deal -- First Thoughts

Mets Bullpen Saves a Pedro Win!

August 16, 2008

I Liked This Ending Better

August 15, 2008

You Don't Necessarily Gotta Believe

August 14, 2008

A Rare Laugher

August 13, 2008

Winning One for Johan

August 12, 2008

Pig Pen Does It Again

Game: Lousy. A Chance To Spend An Afternoon With Your Fellow Bloggers: Priceless.

August 11, 2008

Buying a Seat

August 10, 2008

The Rollercoaster Heads Back Up

August 9, 2008

Turn Back The Clock - Mets' Top 10 Prospects 40 Years Ago

August 8, 2008

Alas, Poor Johan

August 7, 2008

Riding the Rollercoaster

August 6, 2008

An Uncomfortable Win

August 5, 2008

The Astros Series

August 4, 2008

M*E*T*S - the AfterMath

August 3, 2008

The Future Is Now

August 2, 2008

Omar Shows Restraint

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MET*S - the AfterMath