Mike's Mets: Mike Steffanos Archives

We Have Seen the Future and His Name Is Hisanori Takahashi

Despite the fact that he has made only one spring training start we here at Mike's Mets are ready to completely give up on Oliver Perez. Sure, at first we actually were impressed that Perez was pitching with better balance and throwing strikes. We were also happy that he was...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Checking In

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. We had a probate hearing for my mom on Wednesday and I've picked up a new part-time job. I'll be heading to that in a few minutes. I have something that I've been working on that I expect to get posted this...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

You Don't Need Rose-Colored Glasses to Believe

When I decided to start blogging again early last month I felt that my starting point would have to be the Mets' bizarre hot stove strategy of allowing almost all of their targeted free agents to sign with other teams at relatively low cost. The things that the Mets did...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

A Note about Comments

It's become a common practice these days for spammers to attach comments to blog posts that are merely attempts to hijack some free advertising. The problem has become so prevalent that these comments, if completely unchecked, would quickly overwhelm most legitimate comments on a blog. I've been using Movable Type's...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Back In High School

Back in high school there were always a few people who liked to instigate fights. They would go up to a guy and ask, "Did you hear what Jimmy is saying about you?" He'd say something back, which of course would get back to the other guy, and eventually...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Job Insecurity

In his Daily Scoop column today at SI.com, Jon Heyman doesn't travel very far out on a limb when he pronounces Mets manager Jerry Manuel as "on the hot seat." I'm going to preface what I say next by noting that I am not a "quick trigger" guy when it...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Looking Back, Looking Ahead (Part 2)

[Note: This is the conclusion of a 2-part article. For Part 1 of this article, please click here.] For all appearances, the Mets operated this past winter without a real plan. Despite claiming that they were putting together a team that would contend for the division title in 2010,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

A Quick Note about Link Exchanges, E-Mail, Etc.

Just some quick housekeeping here. One big mistake I kept making last year when I tried to pick up blogging again was to try to catch up on all of the things I felt that I should have been doing while I was gone. This time around I have...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Third Man?

I'm still trying to finish Part 2 of my Looking Back, Looking Ahead post. Hopefully I will have it up Sunday night, possibly Monday. I've been spending a lot of time job hunting this week and that has cut into writing time. In the meantime, I've had a few...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

About a Bay

I received an email earlier this week from a blogger from StalkingStevePhillips.com who thought I might be interested in his take on Jayson Bay and Johnny Damon. Actually, most of the piece was on Damon, with the following on Bay towards the end: Mr. Bay, at your press conference,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

35 Subscribers Just Can't Be Wrong

In November I wrote a piece about the Dolan's decision to charge $5 per week to access Newsday's website for anyone who wasn't a print subscriber or a customer of the Cablevision's Optimum Online cable internet (also owned by the Dolans). I knew I wasn't going to be paying $260...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Benefit of the Doubt

Sorry it took so long to get this first one posted. I haven't written much for the past few months and the words still aren't quite flowing freely. I promise we'll get to some talk about the Mets off-season soon, but for my first official baseball posting since my return...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

This Blogging Life

The last thing I posted in this space was a piece about Newsday's new pricing model back in mid-November. Since then, I've probably started a dozen or so posts running the gamut from the Bay signing to reaction to Mark McGwire's shocking "admission" that he did, indeed, use steroids. However,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Life Beyond Newsday

I live in Waterbury, CT, about 70 miles or so away from Shea Stadium. The local paper doesn't offer any Mets coverage at all outside of the standard wire service stuff, so I need to go elsewhere to find my New York Mets news. Thanks to the Internet, I've been...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Wrong Move

I'll give the Mets some credit yesterday for trying to prove to all of us that the organization is determined to fix what has been broken over the last couple of years, but it seems to me that they've already made their first mistake of the off-season by electing to...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Please Spare Me Another Quick Fix

Just a quick note before I get started here. I want to take a minute to thank those of you who continue to support this blog despite the circumstances in my life that have led to what was essentially a lost summer. I'd also like to thank the contributing bloggers...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Savor the Irony

As I watched the Mets come from behind to just about dash the Fish's dwindling playoff shot, I was surprised that it didn't mean just a little bit more to me. For two straight years the teal-clad bunch played loose with nothing of their own to lose and ended the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Future of Daniel Murphy

Whether you like Daniel Murphy, as I do, or not, his 2009 season has inarguably been a disappointment. The Post's Joel Sherman went as far as identifying Murphy as "one of the key faces of the Mets' failure in 2009", but that strikes me as just hyperbole. In my last...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

We're Back, and This Time We Mean It

Last night I was fortunate enough to attend a Mets game with Dana Brand, Greg Prince and Matthew Silverman. Dana was kind enough to provide the tickets and ride to the game (we live about 20 miles apart up here in Connecticut), and Greg and Matt kicked in some great...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Going Forward

There was a lot of hoopla over Jayson Stark's "break it all down and start over" prescription for fixing the Mets at ESPN.com last week. I don't think Stark got everything wrong, but the piece read very much like it was written by a Phillies beat writer, which is indeed...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Cruel September

I started writing this blog in August of 2005. The Mets under rookie manager Willie Randolph had treaded water around the .500 mark for most of the season, and then put a little run together in late August to force themselves into the pennant race. The highlight was the end...

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

Let's Get Some Perspective on Sheffield

If you don't mind, I'd like to weigh in briefly on the Sheffield situation. I read something today by the Post's Joel Sherman that I strongly disagreed with. Let me preface this by telling you that I consider Sherman one of the most worthwhile reads on baseball in the local...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Crying in Our Beers

As yours truly struggles to find the time to pick apart this ball club, I pass along this info from Greg Prince regarding tomorrow's "Amazin' Tuesday" get together: Date: Tuesday, July 21 Location: Two Boots Tavern, 384 Grand Street (@ Suffolk St.), 212-228-8685 Time: 7:00pm Admission: Free; also first drink...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mets at the Crossroads: Be It Ever So Humble

Note: This is the first of a series of articles on the current state of the Mets. David Wright has 5 home runs in 327 AB. Of course, only 2 Mets have hit more this season -- the disabled Carlos Beltran and 40-year-old Gary Sheffield. Among all the theories on...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

French Twist

Okay, we're going to try this again. My Mom is now settled in a convalescent home, but her finances are a mess. Things are still kind of nuts, but I figure if I'm ever going to get back to blogging this season it's pretty much now or never. I have...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Greetings from Your Missing Blogger

First of all, a sincere thanks to all of you who contacted me with your best wishes on my current situation with my Mom. At some point I'll catch up on all of the email, but in the meantime please accept my thanks. Others who missed my post on what's...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

A Question of Trust

As I was watching last night's game against the Braves slip away from the Mets, I can't say I was all that surprised. Despite the 7-game winning streak I never had the feeling that the team had put it all together. I should clarify, though, and say that I wasn't...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Jonathon Niese 2009 Season Pitching Stats

Updated Monday, May 11, 2009 Jonathon Niese (1-0) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 5/8PIT62275003.001.17WND May (1 Games)62275003.001.171-00-0 Season (1 Games)62275003.001.171-00-0 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG May16.010.57.50.00.03.00.292.292.333 Season16.010.57.50.00.03.00.292.292.333 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its only writer for the first 15 months of existence. Although I am...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Pirates Series Game 3

Game 30: Mets 8 - Pirates 4 The Mets' first true series win of the season extends their winning streak to 7 and puts them four games over .500. Last year it took the Mets until July 10 to get 4 games over, in game 6 of an eventual 9-game...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pirates Series Game 2

Game 29: Mets 10 - Pirates 1 Jon Maine was fairly hard on himself after this one, but I was happy to see him pitch a game with only 2 walks. Although obviously still not at his best, Maine is starting to look like a dependable starter again. For all...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pirates Series Game 1

Game 28: Mets 7 - Pirates 3 I personally found the most significant number from Jon Niese's first start of the season the 67 strikes thrown out of 95 total pitches. Niese made three starts for the Mets last September, and the one he was effective in was the one...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Phillies Leave Empty-Handed In Actual Wins

Game 27: Mets 7 - Phillies 5 I was somewhat amused reading around some of the Phillies sites that somehow the Phillies have left Citi Field with a moral victory. Hey, no problem, I'm happy with two wins that count in the standings. Some things do concern me, though. The...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

25 + 1 Games In

Note: This is a conclusion to this piece posted yesterday, where I share some thoughts on the Mets 25 26 games into the season. J. J. Putz (continued) I mentioned yesterday that Putz' fastball has topped out at 92-93 mph this season, which is a drop from where he was...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Insert Superlative Here for Johan

Game 26: Mets 1 - Phillies 0 I'm old enough to remember all the great Mets pitchers: Seaver, Koosman, the underrated Jon Matlack and Gooden. There were many near-greats who put up some great seasons: Swan, Darling, Ojeda, El Sid, Viola, Saberhagen, Leiter, etc. There were guys that could have...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

25 Games In

Now that we're caught up on all the games, I thought I'd take a few moments to share some random thoughts on the first 25 games of the season. The Backup Catcher Remember how popular Ramon Castro was here a couple of years ago? Now his propensity for going on...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Mets Hold On For a Series Win

Game 25: Mets 4 - Braves 3 Glass half empty: The Mets left some men on base and made a couple of bad errors, including one by Delgado in the ninth that turned it into a nail biter. Glass half full: Livan Hernandez actually pitched into the seventh, David Wright...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Amazing!: Mets Come From Behind

Game 24: Mets 6 - Braves 4 The Mets were playing in Atlanta, their starter was struggling early and allowed the Braves to put a crooked number up in the second inning, and looked dead offensively against a Braves starter who was pitching very well. All the ingredients were in...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Phillies Series Game 2

Game 23: Phillies 6 - Mets 5 (10) Ollie Perez was once again awful in a supposed make or break game, but the Mets scored some runs off Jamie Moyer, who usually pitches well against them. 40-year-old rookie Ken Takahashi gave them 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief while they...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Phillies Series Game 1

Game 22: Mets 7 - Phillies 4 Losers of 6 of their last 9 games, the Mets limp into Philadelphia looking for a tonic to get May off to a good start. They found one in Phillies starter Chan Ho Park. The Mets score all 7 runs against Park, then...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Checking In

I'm not going to title this, "I'm Back", because I did that last week and then wasn't. Some people have been expressing concern about my lack of posting, so I thought I'd check in. I've been having some health problems over the past few months, and then my mother had...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Marlins Series Game 3

Game 21: Marlins 4 - Mets 3 The Marlins score 2 off Santana to open the game, but he shuts them down through seven and gives the Mets a chance to win. Unfortunately, J.J. Putz is awful in the eighth and the Mets 1-11 with RISP comes back to haunt...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Marlins Series Game 2

Game 20: Marlins 7 - Mets 4 The Mets jump out to a 3-0 lead after two, but only score once more the rest of the way. Sean Green, rapidly establishing himself as the weakest link in the bullpen, allowed the game to get away in the seventh as the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Marlins Series Game 1

Game 19: Mets 7 - Marlins 1 By far John Maine's best start of the season. He allows the Marlins an unearned run in the first, but the Mets score 6 in the bottom of the frame when Omir Santos hits a grand slam for his first major league homer....

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nationals Series Game 3

Game 18: Nationals 8 - Mets 1 The Mets score in the first and do absolutely nothing else offensively on the day. Oliver Perez is terrible again, allowing 9 hits (including 2 home runs) and 7 earned runs in 4-1/3 innings. The Mets miss a chance to notch their first...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nationals Series Game 2

Game 17: Mets 8 - Nationals 2 Mike Pelfrey returns after skipping a start due to forearm tendinitis and pitches effectively into the sixth. Although the Mets score 8, they still manage to strand 15 runners on base. For only the second time in 17 games the Mets string two...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm Back

I'm not feeling 100% yet, but I feel okay enough to catch up on the games that happened since I got really sick. My plan is to update those and the starting pitchers stats, and then some point tomorrow I'll do a regular post. Thanks to all of you who...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Nationals Series Game 1

Game 16: Mets 4 - Nationals 3 Johan Santana pitches six strong innings. Coming into the game with a 4-1 lead, Frankie Rodriguez gives up a couple of runs to provide some late inning drama, but then nails down his fourth save. The four game losing streak is history as...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cardinals Series Game 3

Game 15: Cardinals 12 - Mets 8 Livan Hernandez gets shelled. The Mets were down 12-3 after 6, then scored 2 in the seventh and 3 in the eighth to make it somewhat less pathetic. Sean Green allows 5 runs in 2 innings of relief. The Mets fourth loss in...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cardinals Series Game 2

Game 14: Cardinals 5 - Mets 2 John Maine struggles with his control and the offense sleepwalks for 8 innings against Joel Pineiro. The Mets third loss in a row drops them 2 games under .500. [Note: This was posted May 3, 2009] View John Maine's Full Season Stats Box...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Uninspiring Mets Drop Back Under .500

Game 13: Cardinals 6 - Mets 4 Several things have contributed to the light posting by me the last couple of weeks. One is ongoing personal health issues, another is related to my Mom's health problems, and I've also been extremely busy at work. The work backlog is slowly clearing...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Mets Drop Final in Brewers Series

Game 12: Brewers 4 - Mets 2 I know I'm late with this, but I'm posting it with a link to the box score for archive purposes. Regular posting will resume Wednesday. I will not do a stats page for Nelson Figueroa at this time. Not only are we not...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another Near-Perfect Performance from Johan

Game 11: Mets 1 - Brewers 0 I don't know what's more amazing -- the fact that Johan Santana has only given up 2 earned runs in three starts or that if he allowed another 4 runs in those three games he could be 0-3 and his ERA would still...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A Good Win

Game 10: Mets 5 - Brewers 4 This game featured important roles for three players for whom I have some concern. Livan Hernandez had a good first outing against the Marlins, and looked good for about 4 innings last night. Then he just seemed to lose his control and started...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Close Games an Early Concern

Game 9: Padres 6 - Mets 5 Sorry to be so late with this. I've been pushing myself way too hard lately, and wound up passing out on the couch last night. I'm tempted to make something out of the Mets poor start this season, but then I read all...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Down on the Farm

Not much time for a big post today, so here's a quick look at how some of the Mets minor league prospects closest to the majors have been faring in the early going. Buffalo (AAA) OF Fernando Martinez: .267/.353/.567, 1 HR, 3 RBI In only 30 AB this season, Martinez...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Perez Bounces Back

Game 8: Mets 7 - Padres 2 It wasn't the most electric stuff I've ever seen from Oliver Perez, but he pitched intelligently and under control. During the game both Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez were very complimentary of the split finger pitch that Perez was using as a changeup...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Overcoming the Home Field Disadvantage

In 2006 the Mets won 50 games at Shea Stadium and 47 on the road en route to a 97 win season. The following year, the Mets road record was 47-34 -- identical to the previous season. The difference between going to the playoffs and watching them at home was...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Opening Sputter

Game 7: Padres 6 - Mets 5 I was driving around listening to this game on the radio while running some errands last night. When I got home I sat down and tried to write this piece and just didn't have the heart to do it. You can dissect this...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

No Support for Johan

Game 6: Marlins 2 - Mets 1 Not really much to say about this one. I had a bunch of people over for Easter and could only sneak away every so often to peek in on this game. I didn't see Murphy's error live, or much offense at all for...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Livan Gives Them What They Needed

Game 5: Mets 8 - Marlins 4 Sorry I didn't get something up on this last night. Unlike last year, I've been trying to get these short game pieces up fairly quickly so that people can gloat, vent or otherwise comment on the games. I didn't get a chance to...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Livan Hernandez 2009 Season Pitching Stats

Updated Monday, May 11, 2009 Livan Hernandez (3-1) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/11@FLA6.22264302.701.35WW 4/17MIL54473017.201.40WND 4/23@STL4.177901314.542.31LL 4/28FLA5.13335215.060.94LND April (4 Games)21.116162512656.751.452-21-1 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 5/5@ATL6.11172201.421.42WW 5/10PIT62275403.001.83WW May (2 Games)12.133147602.191.622-02-0 Season (6 Games)33.2191939191255.081.514-23-1 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April45.310.55.12.52.16.75.298.341.500 May26.210.25.14.40.02.19.318.392.409 Season65.610.45.13.21.35.08.305.359.469 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Big Hits Prove Elusive

Game 4: Marlins 5 - Mets 4 Tough one tonight. I guess some will harp on the fact that Maine allowed those two solo home runs, but I came away from his 5-inning stint fairly satisfied. Hopefully it's something he could build on. If Maine returns to his form from...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

John Maine 2009 Season Pitching Stats

Updated Monday, May 11, 2009 John Maine (3-2) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/10@FLA52225123.600.60LND 4/16SDP566743010.802.00LL 4/22@STL5.25572507.942.12LL 4/27FLA61014300.000.67WW April (4 Games)21.2141317151225.401.341-31-2 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 5/4@ATL63337604.501.50WW 5/9PIT61133211.500.83WW May (2 Games)1244610813.001.172-02-0 Season (6 Games)33.2181723252034.541.283-33-2 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April45.47.16.25.00.85.40.218.326.346 May26.04.57.56.00.83.00.150.306.250 Season65.66.16.75.30.84.54.195.319.314 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mets Media Coverage Has Become Monotonously Predictable

Before I get into today's rant, I'd like to take a moment to pass along news from Lynn Cohen that GaryKeithandRon.com has just come out with a cool new Ralph Kiner t-shirt. According to Lynn: Just in at GaryKeithandRon.com comes their first t-shirt honoring baseball legend--and Mets broadcasting hero--Ralph Kiner....

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Dreams of an Undefeated Season Fade Away

Game 3: Reds 8 - Mets 6 I didn't catch this afternoon's game. So how did Ollie do? Just kidding. As I'm sure you know by now, after a couple of promising innings, Oliver Perez reverted back to the struggling pitcher we've seen all spring. The moaning and handwringing has...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Oliver Perez 2009 Season Pitching Stats

Updated Sunday, May 03, 2009 Oliver Perez (1-2) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/9@CIN4.188575116.622.31LL 4/15SDP61134201.500.83WW 4/21@STL4.24464507.711.93LND 4/26WAS4.177933214.542.77LL April (4 Games)19.1202023181539.311.971-31-2 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 5/2@PHI2.144526015.434.71LND May (1 Game)2.144282021315.434.710-10-0 Season (4 Games)21.2242428202139.972.261-41-2 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April44.810.78.47.01.49.31.295.411.462 May12.319.37.723.10.015.43.455.611.818 Season54.311.68.38.71.29.97.315.442.506 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its only...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

No Style Points Tonight

Game 2: Mets 9 - Reds 7 I had an ugly feeling of déjà vu watching the last few innings of this one. I can't say all that surprised, though, particularly by Frankie Rodriguez in the ninth. I've seen him pitch quite a few times, and he's always been the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Mike Pelfrey 2009 Season Pitching Stats

Updated Friday, May 08, 2009 Mike Pelfrey (4-0) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/8@CIN54452417.201.80WW 4/13SDP55583229.002.00LND 4/25WAS5.22261303.181.59WW April (3 Games)15.21111196936.321.792-12-0 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 5/1@PHI5.13370405.061.59WW 5/7PHI73380113.861.29WW May (2 Games)12.166150514.381.622-02-0 Season (5 Games)2817173461445.461.714-14-0 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April35.210.93.45.21.76.32.306.394.532 May26.210.90.03.60.74.38.306.382.408 Season55.610.91.94.51.35.46.306.389.477 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its only...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thoughts on Opening Day

Sorry I'm later than promised with more in-depth thoughts from yesterday's game. I find that I'm writing more often and with better quality this year when I try to do a little more than I think I can do. Sometimes I drop the ball, or in last night's case passed...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Just As Designed

Game 1: Mets 2 - Reds 1 The Mets used a decent start from Johan Santana, three relievers -- none of whom were here last season -- and a couple of terrific at bats from Daniel Murphy to win their opener in Cincinnati. I'll be back later with some thoughts,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Johan Santana 2009 Season Pitching Stats

Updated Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Johan Santana (13-9) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/6@CIN5.21137401.591.24WW 4/12@FLA720313100.000.57LL 4/18MIL70057000.000.71WW 4/24WAS611610111.501.17WW 4/29FLA72257312.571.14LND April (5 Games)32.2642244921.100.953-23-1 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 5/6PHI700610110.000.71WW 5/11ATL6.12076100.001.26LL 5/16@SFG764117015.141.57WW 5/22@BOS73278112.571.14WW 5/27WAS633311614.501.50WW May (5 Games)33.114930421132.431.234-14-1 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 6/2@PIT63373114.501.33LL 6/9PHI75582146.431.29WW 6/14@NYY399932127.003.67LL 6/20TBR7.12233312.450.82LL 6/25STL72173301.291.43WW 6/30@MIL66594417.502.17LL June (6 Games)36.1272543181486.191.572-42-4 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 7/5@PHI72233222.570.71LL 7/11CIN70055100.000.86WW 7/18@ATL70055200.001.00WW 7/24@HOU6.255123316.752.25LL 7/30COL70048100.000.71WW July...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Your Official 2009 Keys to the Mets, Part 1

As I mentioned Thursday, I think there are too many variables in place to make any effort to predict what might happen this season a crapshoot. I can see this team anywhere from around .500 to well into the 90s in wins. I don't have a really solid read on...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Sheffield

I was going to try to give my mangled right hand one more day off, but the Mets signing of Gary Sheffield is something to which I just had to contribute my two cents. I have my concerns about this signing, but not for the reason that many media types...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It Only Hurts When I...

Here's something to keep in mind that I wish someone had said to me last night before I washed the dishes: If you drop a wine glass, let it go. Don't try to catch it while it's shattering into a thousand tiny daggers against the counter. Sadly, no one was...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Your Opening Day Roster

Although it was somewhat of a surprise that the Mets made their final roster calls today, the players going north hold no surprises. ROTATION: Johan Santana Mike Pelfrey Oliver Perez John Maine Livan Hernandez (will be added to roster for April 11 start) Quick Thoughts: Santana has looked great his...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Some Thoughts with a Week to Go

I watched last night's game against the Orioles and came away impressed by several things I saw. Although Oliver Perez still wasn't throwing his best fastball, he certainly looked much better than he did his first couple of outings back from the WBC. The first thing that I noticed was...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Book Review: Maple Street Press Mets Annual 2009

Maple Street Press Mets Annual 2009 Edited by Matthew Silverman and Greg Spira Softcover, 128 pages, Maple Street Press A problem with most sports annuals is they try to cover everything and wind up doing a poor job of previewing anyone. Another problem is that these team previews are often...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sunday Reading, 3-29-2009

This will be a quickie Sunday reading column this week as I am in the process of finishing up a book review that I am committed to finishing tonight. Cut to the Chass Matthew Artus from Always Amazin' once again calls Murray Chass -- who seems to be on a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Formula for Bullpen Success Runs Deeper than Two Guys

One of the perks of doing a blog is the opportunity to develop friendships with my fellow bloggers. One of those was with Mets Today's Joe Janish. Joe and I have had interesting email exchanges, because while we agree on many things we don't completely agree on anything. More than...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The WBC Strikes Again

Three years ago I wrote several items critical of the World Baseball Classic for this blog. No matter what spin Selig and the pro-WBC crowd try to put on it, the timing of this in spring is just terrible. No other sport (or Commissioner, for that matter) would risk its...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Two Weeks to Go -- The Bullpen

It's not exactly a secret that the Mets bullpen was their downfall last September, so it's no surprise that most of us are wishing, hoping and praying that this year's edition performs as well as it looks on paper. In less than two weeks we will begin to find out....

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Two Weeks to Go -- Starting Pitching

Two weeks from today the Mets will be in Cincinnati playing a baseball game that will count in the standings. Sometime between now and then the 25-man roster will be finalized. As of today it looks like most of the decisions are at least close to being made, with a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Belated Sunday Reading

I know, it's not really Sunday any more, but after missing a couple of days I thought I'd ease back into posting with the usual Sunday feature. Both my Mets-related reading and writing suffered this week due to a backlog of work and ill-timed back issues, but there were a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

More Thoughts on the Bench

In many ways, the battle for bench and bullpen spots have been the most compelling of the spring for the Mets, particularly since no one really seemed inclined to battle Livan Hernandez all that hard for the fifth starter's job. The latest speculation is that Nick Evans has forced himself...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Pelfrey Looks Strong

Sorry for being a little sporadic on the posting this week. I'm buried in work. I had a chance after dinner tonight to sit down in front of the TV and spend some quality time with this afternoon's game that I had DVR'ed. I was particularly interested in a chance...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

He Shall Be Livan

I watched a couple of innings of Livan Hernandez' start today, and DVR'ed the rest to watch later. I came away from it convinced of two things: one, that Hernandez has a huge lead in the fifth starter derby, and two, on a good day I can still bring my...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Things Going Right

Tim Redding won't be ready to open the season with the Mets. John Maine isn't throwing his curveball yet. Freddie Garcia looks like what he is -- a thirty-something pitcher trying to come back from shoulder surgery. Livan Hernandez can't break a pane of glass at ten paces with his...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Sunday Reading, 3-15-2009

We're going to do something a little different this week. I like to highlight 3 books, two of which are already out and one which is due out sometime this summer. Maple Street Press Mets Annual 2009 Edited by Matt Silverman and Greg Spira 128 pages $12.99 Available now More...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Irrational Thought Rules

It's becoming increasingly clear that rational baseball analysis in the local papers has joined the endangered species list. There was once a time when explaining the nuances of the game to the fans was an important part of what a columnist did. Now it seems proclaiming outrageous statements at the...

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

The Bullpen and Fifth Starter

By all accounts, Freddy Garcia had his best outing of the spring so far and still hasn't improved his chances of locking down a fifth starter's job that many thought was his to lose coming into camp. Garcia allowed the Tigers 2 runs in 2 1/3 innings, with one of...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Good News

I get on the media sometimes for their almost relentlessly negative coverage of this team, but I do understand that negative stories tend to draw more attention than the positive ones these days. As print media outlets in particular fight to survive, this is increasingly important. Still, though, when a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Setting the Record Straight

A while back I realized that setting a goal of posting 2 or 3 times a week wasn't going to work for me. I've been pretty busy for the last year or so, and I find that what I don't work to make part of my daily routine doesn't get...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Adios, Duaner

I was surprised to see the Mets cut Duaner Sanchez today. I wasn't totally shocked, but I expected them to wait until closer to the end of spring training. Sure, it would have cost them another $100,000 or so to keep him for another couple of weeks, but for a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Murphy and Sanchez

It's after midnight and I still have a couple of hours work to do before I hit the sheets, but here's some quick Mets-related thoughts for your pleasure (or displeasure.) When I get really swamped with works, it's often e-mails from readers that keep me up on what's going on...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Sunday Reading

Just a quick one tonight. I had a tough week of work that carried into the weekend. I don't link to as much stuff as I used to, mainly because I don't have time to read many other blogs or even some of the traditional media sources every day. When...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Commissioner of Selig

Sure, Bud Selig's official title is the Commissioner of Baseball, but his only real concern nowadays seems to be doing creative rewriting of baseball's history in regards to steroids in the hopes of removing the stain from his own legacy. Frankly, he has as much chance of doing that as...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Your Friday Spring Training Non-Update

Some readers have asked me why I haven't spent more time this spring writing about the spring games and the ongoing battle for the fifth starter's job. To tell you the truth, I'm coming around to the belief that the all of the scrutiny on spring training in recent years...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Burden of Proof

In our legal system you are considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In Murray Chass' world, zits are all the proof needed to brand you as a cheater. Chass was reacting to a column Joel Sherman wrote about the rumors of steroid use by former Met Mike...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

A Lot of Noise

I stopped listening to Mike and the Mad Dog in early 2006 after spending years listening to hours of the duo. I work at home spending hours a day on my computer, and for many years that show would keep me company, droning on in the background. What finally got...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Eating Innings

The battle for the fifth starter's job includes a couple of veteran pitchers who have shouldered a heavy workload in the past, Freddy Garcia and Livan Hernandez. By even the most exacting definition, Garcia was an absolute horse in his time with Seattle and the White Sox. He pitched over...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

You've Got to Change Your Evil Ways

All of the brouhaha over Johan Santana's tight triceps tendon brings a few varied thoughts to my mind. While I join most Mets fans in gratitude that this doesn't seem to be a serious problem, I find myself in agreement with The Eddie Kranepool Society's Steve Keane: I can understand...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Reality Check

I've been writing a lot of real long posts the last couple of weeks. I like doing it, but sometimes it's nice to make a simple point that doesn't require quite so many words. I've written about Luis Castillo fairly extensively, and I think most of us are in agreement...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Hold Your Horses

I was giving all my attention to some real work stuff today, so I skipped my morning Mets reading and didn't try to follow anything on the first exhibition game. When I knocked off for a break this afternoon I checked my email. One of the perks of writing a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Preliminary Thought on the Mets -- Conclusions

I understand that the team has a lot of question marks going into this season, but I can't help but feel more optimistic this year. I'm sure the revamped bullpen plays a part in this, but that's not the only reason. Although I defended him for quite a while, I...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Out of Left Field?

I promise to get to the conclusions for the 2009 Mets previews series, but I wanted to weigh in on some of the weekend's news. The biggest news was Jerry Manuel's pronouncement that Daniel Murphy was the Mets everyday LF and Ryan Church could find himself in a platoon in...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Preliminary Thought on the Mets -- The Bench

We'll finish up our initial thoughts on the 2009 Mets -- which was supposed to be a brief overview but somehow grew into War and Peace -- with a look at the bench today and conclude with a final summation tomorrow. The consensus seems to be that the Mets are...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Preliminary Thought on the Mets -- Position Players

Yesterday I shared a few initial things that I'm paying attention to this spring from the 2009 Mets starting rotation and bullpen. Today we'll take a look at the position players, tomorrow the bench. Catcher Brian Schneider and Ramon Castro will most likely share this job. Schneider will play more...

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

Preliminary Thought on the Mets: Pitchers

They haven't even played intersquad games yet, but while we're waiting for things to get underway here are a few keys I see early on, along with some from the gut picks on who I think might be on the opening day roster. Today we'll do the pitchers, tomorrow the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

It Still Hurts to Say Goodbye

On Metsblog I found a link to WCBS880.com's pictures of what is virtually the last piece of Shea Stadium that will be coming down in the next day or so. Far better writers than me have expressed their sentiments about losing an old friend that's been a part of our...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Sean Green and Bullpen Lessons

I remember at the time of the trade for J.J. Putz hearing some good things about the other Mariners reliever acquired in the deal. I remember checking his stats out and noting that he had really good numbers for the first four months of last season only to tail off...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I Don't Hate Luis Castillo

Whether I talk Mets with Mets fans or non Mets fans this winter, Luis Castillo's name inevitably comes up in the conversation. Over the last few seasons it seems like there are always one or two players designated to be the whipping boy for the most disgruntled elements of the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Chemistry Revisited

I had an "interesting" experience yesterday. Over the past couple of years Lisa and I have purchased a number of pieces of furniture that had to be assembled. You're probably familiar with the type -- they use cam-type fasteners to go together. It's a pain in the a** to do...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Fire Bud

Sorry for being a little sporadic in the posting, I've been fighting a pretty serious cold. I have a Mets piece that I'm working on and promise to have posted later today. I had not intended to write any more on steroids for now, but the Commissioner's idiotic statements to...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

'Roid Ramblings

I was impressed by the comments left on yesterday's piece on A-Roid. While we don't all agree on the subject, I appreciated the mature level of discourse in the comments section. Of course, that didn't stop the usual handful of crank e-mails I get whenever I write on anything even...

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

A New Scapegoat

With Barry Bonds out of the game, baseball badly needed someone to step up and be the face of performance enhancing drugs. Thanks to someone in the government who illegally leaked evidence obtained in the Balco investigation, the comically self-absorbed Alex Rodriguez has replaced Barry Bonds as baseball's new official...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

One Week to Go

I was going to write this post a lot earlier, but I wasted a lot of time running down the street shouting out to my Yankee and Red Sox fan neighbors, "We got Elmer Dessens! We got Elmer Dessens!" Oh sure, they pretended not to be impressed, but I knew...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Thoughts of Spring

It's been a rough winter where I live in west central Connecticut. Seems like I've been shoveling snow every other day since December, and as I write this my outside thermometer is registering a balmy 6.7 degrees Fahrenheit. However, now that the Mets have signed Oliver Perez and the truck...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Thoughts on the Perez Contract

I know there are Mets fans out there who desperately wanted to see them sign Ben Sheets instead of Perez, but I like the deal. If the reported figures of 3 years and $36 million are true, that seems like a reasonable risk for the enigmatic leftie. I think they...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

A Perez Deal Done?

According to Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal, as well as some other sources, the Mets are close to re-signing Oliver Perez. Of course, we've heard stuff like that before, but it makes sense that there would be a push to get something done with spring training almost here. I don't...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

It's Survival in the Citi

More congressional grandstanding over the naming rights contract: Reps. Dennis Kucinich and Ted Poe sent a letter to new Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday, urging the government to demand that the company drop its $400 million, 20-year agreement for naming rights to the New York Mets' ballpark. The stadium...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Failure to Spend Is Not the Problem, Part 4

The 2003 Mets began the season with the second-largest payroll in baseball, $117 million. While this figure was significantly less than the $152 million the Yankees spent, it was also $11 million more than the third place Braves. The 2003 Mets won 66 games. A housecleaning ensued, rightfully, as the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Failure to Spend Is Not the Problem, Part 3

Before I get into this, a reader named Cliff pointed me to a couple of User Journals he contributed to the MetsGeek.com web site: Dead Dollars and Dollars and Sense on the subject of payroll. Check them out. The New York Mets franchise was at a crossroad in the off-season...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Important Note on Comments

Like most other blogs, this site gets bombarded with thousands of SPAM comments every day. This spamming is done by automatic programs and often using compromised computers, so it's really hard to stop. If I had to go through all the comments manually and get rid of all the spam...

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

Failure to Spend Is Not the Problem, Part 2

Read Part 1 Despite signing the checks of a payroll that has increased substantially over the past four seasons, Mets owner Fred Wilpon is being accused of being a cheapskate again. I have my problems with the Wilpons. I think they're often guilty of thinking smaller than their team's market....

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Joe Janish Interview, Part 2

Read Part 1 of this interview Could you tell us a little more about your year catching Jim Bouton? See, if I was REALLY inspired by Bouton, I'd have written a book about that summer by now. Maybe some day I will. The league was, at the time, one of...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Failure to Spend Is Not the Problem

I'm going to start this off with a brief confession, so please indulge me. When I started this blog in 2005, I was just starting to deal with a serious bout of Lyme disease. Although I was in pretty bad shape for a year or so, I also had a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Joe Janish Interview, Part 1

Editors Note: While there are now untold thousands of Mets bloggers (okay, I exaggerate slightly), I am fairly confident that there is only one who has both played and coached at a high level and spent a season catching Jim Bouton of Ball Four fame. My hope with the series...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

The Freddy Garcia Signing

I'm in the process of writing a longer piece with some thoughts on the Mets' off-season moves. I hope to have that up by tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some quick thoughts on landing Garcia. Assuming that the Mets sign Oliver Perez, which seems to be in the works,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Debut of Mike's Mets Interviews

After about three and a half years of doing this blog, I thought that I needed to start doing some different things to keep the blog (and its main writer) fresh. Interviews are something I've considered doing in the past, but I've shied away from them for a couple of...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:54 PM | Permalink

Cap Thoughts

I'm exhausted tonight after a punishing day of work, so I'm not going to try to be too profound here. With all of the talk lately about a salary cap in baseball, I thought this article on SI.com Unconventional Wisdom: Busting the myth of the salary cap was right on...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Crowded Outfield

Sorry that the promised daily posts aren't happening yet, but there's only so many ways to say that nothing much is happening. The Mets appear to be content to wait out the market for a starting pitcher right up to training camp. There's a lot of speculation now that the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Pitch Counts

When I linked to the Rick Peterson article on FullCountPitch.com a couple of days ago, I found it interesting that what sparked the most comments and debates was Peterson's belief in and defense of pitch counts. Pitch counts have seemed to be one of baseball's hot-button issues of the past...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Wisdom from Professor Rick

I always liked Rick Peterson. It probably was time for him to go this year, but I thought he did a real nice job in his time here, particularly with some marginal pitchers and guys like Roberto Hernandez. Apparently Professor Rick will sharing some of his philosophies on pitching with...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Ah, Those Whacky Nutritional Supplements

Do you remember that "innocent" nutritional supplement that caused Phillies reliever J. C. Romero to spend the first 50 games of the season watching? From BP Unfiltered: Barely more than a week after Major League Baseball suspended Phillies reliever J.C. Romero for 50 games for using a banned substance, the...

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

Mets Sign Cora

The Mets reached a deal with Alex Cora to slot behind Johan Santana in the starting rotation. He'll also be redesigning the infamous Citi Field patch which has become an object of ridicule on the internet, to the shame of Mets fans everywhere. In an exclusive interview with Mike's Mets...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

(No) Friends in Lowe Places

Before I get into this, I wanted to take a moment to thank you guys for all the great comments over the past few days. It's been fun for me to read them -- even when you don't agree with me. Thanks, guys. The news that Derek Lowe has signed...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Odds and Ends

Sorry for not getting a post up for Sunday. The idea is still to try to post every day, but I expect I'll miss a few here and there. I don't think I have a full post in me on any one matter, but here are a few scattered thoughts...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The End of the Pedro Era

With multiple sources confirming that the Mets and pitcher Tim Redding have agreed to a one-year deal, it would seem that there is no room left at the inn for Pedro Martinez -- assuming the Mets will sign Derek Lowe or Ollie Perez to be their fourth starter. I know...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 7:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

What If Lowe Goes Elsewhere?

The whole Derek Lowe saga is taking on some of the aspects of the Santana pursuit from last year. Everything you read on the subject seems to contradict what you have just previously read. You can't help but ask yourself at this point what might happen if Lowe signs somewhere...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

An Innocent Man?

This is going to be somewhat of a quickie tonight as I've had a pretty rough day. Perhaps you have been following the drama surrounding Phillies reliever J.C. Romero's 50-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance. There have been several articles written from Romero's point of view, including...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

All Quiet on the Free Agent Front

Here's something that I'm sure a few of you out there can identify with -- a project that takes on a life of its own. Back in December Lisa and I decided to upgrade our home entertainment experience. After some research and some shopping around I picked up a big...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Larry Ages like a Fine Whine

I saw the following quote from Chipper Jones today and had to laugh: Chipper on the Mets acquiring relievers Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz: The rich get richer. It's becoming more and more apparent that the bigger markets are crushing the smaller markets with these signings. From a Mets standpoint,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Time to Get a Lowe Deal Done

Happy New Year, everyone. Let's hope this is our year, Mets fans. With the bullpen picture much clearer with Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz holding down the back end, it seems like we're within days of settling the rotation questions. Apparently Derek Lowe has (not surprisingly) turned down the Mets...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bullpen Thoughts

A couple of weeks ago, FoxSports.com's Dayn Perry weighed in on Francisco Rodriguez' "team to beat" quote. I myself didn't feel the need to weigh in on it at the time because I think this whole Mets-Phillies back and forth has become rather silly. The obvious truth is that the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Mets Need To Spend Intelligently

I know I've said this before, but recent events compel me to restate this: if I wanted to be a Yankees fan I could have been one. With the Yankees recent signings of C.C. Sabathia, J.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira, some in the local media are proclaiming that the Mets...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Merry Christmas, Everyone

Merry Christmas to all of our readers who celebrate this day. All the best to you and your families. About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its only writer for the first 15 months of existence. Although I am grateful for the excellent contributions of...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

My Face on a Milk Carton?

I received an email last week from a long-time reader asking me if I was going to stop doing this blog. I was a little surprised at first. I know I haven't been posting much since the season ended, but that made me look back and realize just how little...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Minaya Leaves Vegas with a Bullpen

What happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas, but Omar Minaya left there with a couple of arms that are likely to pay some dividends in Citi Field next summer. In a move that most of us expected, the Mets moved quickly in signing Francisco Rodriguez to a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Omar's Winter Meetings Haul -- A Closer and a Putz

When Billy Wagner went down last season the Mets were unable to find another closer. Should something happen to Francisco Rodriguez [insert your favorite superstitious method of warding off evil here] they'll have to look no farther than their own bullpen for another proven, established closer. The cost was fairly...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Winter Meetings Day Two

To the surprise of nobody, the Mets and Francisco Rodriguez are on the verge of a deal. However, still needing a bridge to K-Rod and a couple more starters, Omar's work has barely begun. There were reports that the Mets are pursuing Raul Ibanez, which still doesn't make much sense...

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

Winter Meetings Day One

I remember previous seasons reading complaints that Omar Minaya was impatient and too quick to overpay for the player or players he wanted. Now there is criticism about how none of the holes on this team have been filled yet. While I can't pretend to have any insight into our...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Pre Winter Meetings Thoughts

Sorry, folks. I had intended to get back to more frequent posting this past week, but work problems combined with a bad cold delayed my return. As we sit here in anticipation of next week's winter meetings in Las Vegas, there are no clear indications which players might be wearing...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Appearance on Seven Train To Shea Show

Just a quick note that I will be talking some hot stove with Matt Pignataro on his Seven Train To Shea Mets Radio Show this Sunday night, November 30, at 7 PM. You can call into the show by dialing (347) 215-8253. Also, our friend Gary Sparber -- game photographer...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Naming Rights Madness

Sorry. I know I promised to get back to regular posting now that the election is over, and I still intend to keep that promise. It's just that I have been really busy with a work project this month. Things are starting to loosen up a little, so I should...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Time for Some Stovin'

I've sat down at my computer a couple of times in an attempt to get back into more frequent updates to the site. The hot stove season has always interested me in the past, but I have to admit that I'm just not as into it this season. I suspect...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 7:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

On Blowhards and Blowing Up the Team

I had an email this morning asking me if, after my extended layoff from blogging, I was going to weigh in on all of the blathering that WFAN's Mike Francesa has been doing about the Mets this off-season. I have to admit that I haven't listened to Francesa -- with...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Posting to Begin Again

Looking back to my last post date, I've taken over three weeks off from this blog. This was never part of any plan, but simply reflected the fact that my attention was elsewhere. I turned 50 on October 20 (the same birthday as Keith Hernandez and Mickey Mantle, by the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Mini Book Review: Mets by the Numbers

Mets by the Numbers: A Complete Team History of the Amazin' Mets by Uniform Number Authors: Jon Springer and Matthew Silverman Paperback, 304 pages, Skyhorse Publishing I always try to be objective when I'm reviewing a book or a DVD. It occurs to me that someone might purchase them based...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Perception of Underachievement Trumps Reality

A couple of months into the 2007 season, I grew increasingly disillusioned with a New York Mets club that seemed to lose the sharpness and fundamental soundness that made the 2006 campaign a success. Even more irritating was a series of comments from players on the team that seemed to...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Stop the Talk Radio-Driven Insanity

If WFAN's resident blowhard Mike Francesa ever decides to switch careers and go into marriage counseling, I predict an immediate increase in the Metropolitan area's divorce rate. Apparently, el hombre gordo feels the Mets must trade one or more of their core players or be doomed to perpetually missing out...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Once Again, No October

Game 162: Marlins 4 - Mets 2 I'm going to be pretty brief today. I want a day or two just to not think much about the Mets, and then I'll be back with many more thoughts. Also, if I'm late to respond to an email you've sent me, I...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Stayin' Alive

Game 160: Marlins 6 - Mets 1 (Friday) Game 161: Mets 2 - Marlins 0 (Saturday) And now the season comes down to Oliver Perez on short rest. Somehow that seems fitting. Of course Johan Santana was all that and a bag of chips today. I've been watching this team...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Mike's Mets

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

March 8, 2010

We Have Seen the Future and His Name Is Hisanori Takahashi

March 5, 2010

Checking In

March 2, 2010

You Don't Need Rose-Colored Glasses to Believe

February 28, 2010

A Note about Comments

February 25, 2010

Back In High School

February 24, 2010

Job Insecurity

February 22, 2010

Looking Back, Looking Ahead (Part 2)

February 21, 2010

A Quick Note about Link Exchanges, E-Mail, Etc.

February 20, 2010

The Third Man?

February 14, 2010

About a Bay

February 12, 2010

35 Subscribers Just Can't Be Wrong

February 10, 2010

The Benefit of the Doubt

February 5, 2010

This Blogging Life

November 12, 2009

Life Beyond Newsday

October 6, 2009

The Wrong Move

September 28, 2009

Please Spare Me Another Quick Fix

September 26, 2009

Savor the Irony

September 24, 2009

The Future of Daniel Murphy

September 23, 2009

We're Back, and This Time We Mean It

September 9, 2009

Going Forward

September 1, 2009

Cruel September

August 21, 2009

Let's Get Some Perspective on Sheffield

July 20, 2009

Crying in Our Beers

July 14, 2009

Mets at the Crossroads: Be It Ever So Humble

July 13, 2009

French Twist

June 22, 2009

Greetings from Your Missing Blogger

May 12, 2009

A Question of Trust

May 11, 2009

Jonathon Niese 2009 Season Pitching Stats

May 10, 2009

Pirates Series Game 3

May 9, 2009

Pirates Series Game 2

May 8, 2009

Pirates Series Game 1

Phillies Leave Empty-Handed In Actual Wins

May 7, 2009

25 + 1 Games In

Insert Superlative Here for Johan

May 6, 2009

25 Games In

Mets Hold On For a Series Win

May 5, 2009

Amazing!: Mets Come From Behind

May 2, 2009

Phillies Series Game 2

May 1, 2009

Phillies Series Game 1

Checking In

April 29, 2009

Marlins Series Game 3