We've made it through 2/3 of the season and somehow, the Mets are still clinging to first place. I have been patient; I have not panicked; I still believe this can be a good team. There were a lot of things I could write about: Lastings Milledge, Trade Deadline Hangover, Glavine's failed attempt at 300. But today, August 1st, Willie Randolph and I are no longer on speaking terms.

I know Willie is still a fairly new manager and I respect him for what he has done with team since he came to the organization. I try to stay away from being an "armchair manager" to keep frustrations at a minimum. Frankly though, I can't listen to the speech anymore.

I realize that Willie Randolph comes from the School of Joe Torre, which can be maddening. I'd like to see a few more instances that he comes out of the dugout to go to bat for his guys, yet I appreciate that he maintains an even-keel attitude in the New York spotlight. Willie tends to be a bit of a broken record when speaking with the media after each game, which can be expected in a long season, but I cringe now when I hear "Well, we come out and get a win tomorrow."

Baseball is a long season, with a lot of ups and downs. We all know this. With two months left to the season, tomorrow's are becoming a bit numbered. I have a hard time knowing that my team rolls over after every loss and just waits for tomorrow. If this is the message that Willie is sending, I am officially annoyed. It is okay to turn the page, but when have you reached the point of the season where you play for today? When you're in a playoff series, tomorrows are not endless. It makes me wonder about this team that has looked to the next game throughout the regular season. Assuming they make the playoffs, will they be able to turn on the ability to play like there's no tomorrow in October? I'm not so sure I'm convinced this team has that killer instinct or if they are a gang of incredible procrastinators.

Despite the prospects we do have in our system, this team is built to win this year. The division (a weak one at that) is going to come right down to the wire. It's time to win today.

On a sidenote, Pedro will thorw in an intra-squad game in St. Lucie tomorrow due to rain. I am as excited as anyone else to see his progress, yet I'm not sure if I could have actually watched SNY's coverage tonight. All year the Mets have been trying to stumble through until Pedro's return and we still cannot be certain that Pedro = instant success. I am holding my breath and hoping that he continues to show positive signs, yet I can't get my hopes up for Pedro who is still a bit away from the big club. We know how I feel about tomorrow.