There are a few lessons taught to me by my old man regarding sports that will stick with me forever.
-Always support your team no matter what their record
-If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'.
-Never be upset about a victory.

Sorry, pops, but I can't help but be unimpressed with the performance put on by the Mets in last night's 3-2 victory over the Reds. There is no doubt that it's always a plus to start the second half of the season with a victory. However, despite the (un)expected release of hitting coach Rick Down and the call-up of everybody's favorite son Lastings Milledge this was the same Mets team we've seen throughout the 2007 season. A miscue on the bases, a poor effort in the outfield, and the lack of clutch hitting that has plagued the 2007 Mets was still prevalent in last night's victory. Truth be told if the Mets wouldn't have been playing one of the worst teams in baseball last night the outcome of the game probably wouldn't have gone in the Mets' favor.

It would be foolish for me or any other fan to believe the Mets are going to pull a complete U-turn and magically become the 2006 squad that dominated the National League. What bothers me, I suppose, is just how many fans are waiting for that exact thing to take place. This is 2007, everybody, and it's not going to be that easy this time. Be prepared for a fight that's going into September this season. It should be fun.

As much as I enjoyed spouting off "Julio Franco facts" during games this season it caused me great delight to see Franco's departure. What he has been able to accomplish at his age is indescribable and perhaps he will find a niche with another team. The future is now for the Mets and I'm ready to see if Milledge is as good as advertised. Time will tell.

There is absolutely no way that Alex Rodriguez is worth $30 million a year. I will go into further detail about this on my other site but, simply stated, the man still hasn't won anything. I'm a big believer in team chemistry and I see him as a negative in the clubhouse especially if he is making more money per year than (at least) half the roster. Major League Baseball really needs to move more towards contracts based upon incentives, but as I said I'll get into that at a later date.

The team I'm most worried about in the National League? The San Diego Padres. They have a much better lineup than many people give them credit for along with arguably the best pitching in the NL. East-cost bias has caused many to not notice this team. That could be a big mistake come September and October.

And finally, as many of you reading this already know, this Saturday is the first ever Facebook Global New York Mets Fan Group game, where over 50 people will be gathering at Shea to watch the Mets take on the Reds. I cannot begin to express just how amazed I am at the growth of this group (over 14,000 members now). I'm also unashamed to say that I have met some great fans through this group, and have even gone to a few games with one (thanks for the tickets, Steph). This blog is even further proof at how far the group has come. As one of the administrators of the group and a writer of this blog I can speak for my colleagues when I declare that we have only begun to scratch the surface. Stay tuned.

The Mets are 2.5 games ahead of the Braves for first in the NL East. That's a great way to end any post.