So when we last spoke, I called out not only the Mets line up, but the Mets bullpen to step it up in this week of games against the Washington Nationals and the Philadelphia Phillies. A week later, it seems that my challenge was answered by David Wright and company, as the Mets just completed an impressive week of baseball that included a sweep of Washington and a series victory against Philadelphia.

On Tuesday night Mike Pelfrey took the mound on yet another Jackie Robinson Night at Shea (and yes that was said in a negative way). I'm just going to make a quick public service announcement about Jackie Robinson, that I know some of my fellow bloggers share with me. Jackie Robinson was a great player, he was a great American for his contributions to not only baseball and society, and he was a great BROOKLYN DODGER. Listen I am a fan of history, and the Brooklyn Dodgers for that matter, but it seems with the pending opening of Citi Field, Mr. Wilpon is kind of forgetting that we are the NEW YORK METS. My point being, it would be nice to see some more Mets history invovled with not only this ballpark, but the organization in general. Instead of celebrating the last season at Shea with another Robinson Night, let's have a Seaver Night, or a 1969 Night, or something Mets related. I mean, we are the Mets for God's sake, not the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Now back to Tuesday's game. Ladies and gentlemen can we have a standing ovation for Mike Pelfrey please? Where has this Pelfrey been all of the past two seasons. I mean seven shut out innings from him was just what the doctor ordered on Tuesday night. That was the type of start the Mets needed, and the 6-0 victory was the game the Mets needed to kick off the new week. Pelfrey is starting to earn the respect that I so have wanted to give him for the longest time. Even though he didn't pitch as well on Sunday night against the Phillies, he still got himself out of some tough jams. Can you really fault the man for getting burned by the best second baseman in the league. I'm critical, but not that critical.

After a come-from-behind win on Saturday, the Mets and Nationals played themselves a half marathon of a baseball game on Thursday night. Just to put things in perspective, I was already at my third bar of the night once the Mets finally "pushed" across the winning run in the bottom of the 14th inning at Shea. Trailing 2-1 in the eighth inning, Carlos Delgado did something correct for the first time all season by pushing across Ryan Church to tie the game. In the 14 inning it wasn't even a heroic RBI base hit, but a wild pitch by Washington's Joel Hanrahan that ended the game. The Washington reliever, already in the midst of a sloppy inning let one get away allowing Damion Easley to score the winning run.

Sloppy was the only way to describe the game, but if there is one positive we can draw from it, that would be the bullpen. Six Mets relievers threw seven scoreless innings to keep the Mets in the game. The bullpen in general looked pretty damn solid this week. Billy Wagner looks dominant as usual (along with his awesome wad of dip), we welcomed back Duaner Sanchez, and Aaron Heilman has seemed to settle down. Once again Joe Smith is having another solid start to the season, we can only hope he keeps it up for the whole entire season this year.

So after making waste of Washington it was off to Philadelphia for another round with the Phillies. Johan Santana made yet another important start in this young season as him and Phillies ace Cole Hamels met up for a highly anticipated Friday night showdown. Seven innings later Santana had struck out 10 Phillies and only gave up 3 runs as he led the Mets to a critical 6-4 victory, extending their winning streak to four games. Oliver Perez had himself another great start on Saturday, but in typical Mets fashion the bullpen went and made things interesting. After Scott Schoeneweis and Smith each gave up a run, Billy Wagner put the meat of the Phillies line up in their place and the Mets walked out with a 4-2 victory. Sunday night as I stated ealier Chase Utley made Mike Pelfrey look normal for the first time this season. Utley drove all of the Phillies first four runs. A solo home run in the first and a three run job in the fifth. The Mets made it interesting by tieing it up in the sixth, but the long ball was our downfall all night as Pedro Feliz hit the go ahead home run to give the Phillies a 5-4 win and end our hopes of a sweep in Philly.

This week was exactly what the Mets needed. Jose Reyes has returned to classic Jose form, Wags looks good, Wright is awesome, and even Beltran is starting to come alive. With road games against the Cubs and Nationals, and a three games series back at Shea against the Braves, it has been the perfect time for the Mets to wake up. If the Mets can win two at Wrigley, it would be a huge momentum push coming into the huge Atlanta series this upcoming weekend. Once again I would like to think that we will steamroll the Nats. All-in-all the Mets get a solid A for their efforts this week, and hopefully the effort they have put forth will continue this week.

P.S. As much as I hate to say it, well done to the New York Rangers. I still hate you though.
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I can't lie. I almost forgot it's Wednesday. I haven't much to say about last night's performance from the Mets; or the night before for that matter. To add to that, I haven't had cable for about a week as I just moved. Listening to the game on WFAN only does so much for me.

What I do want to rant about it Citi Field. Normally I'm a bit indifferent on the happenings beyond Shea's center field wall. I'll miss Shea...but not too much. I'm ready for something new, something that is comparable to the other beautiful parks out there. No matter what they call it, Citi Field is going to be that thing. So each time I go to Shea I try to soak in the steep fatal stairs of the upper deck, the seats that slant towards the field because they're broken, and the never ending concrete ramps. April 2009 cannot come soon enough.

Last trip to Shea I had some time to kill in the horrendous August weather and check out the Citi Field preview. Those of you who have not gone through it, it's basically a small sample of what the field will be like. They fill you in on all the quirks, the decorative scheme, replica lockers of Reyes and Wright that will be in the clubhouse, an actual suite, etc. Unfortunately I came away a little disappointed, despite how nice and incredible in all seemed.

The seats, a 360-degree concourse, suites I'll never sit in, elite seats right above the bullpen, a right field porch that hangs over the field, restaurants abound, a new apple...it's going to be great folks. But with all this is a ballpark this is so dedicated to Ebbets Field, it's appreciative and almost offensive at the same time. The bar and grill area on the first level is named after Ebbets Field, which won't be called Field Level, rather some uppity name for Field Level. The glass will even have etched photos of Ebbets Field. The tile in the bathrooms and concession areas is a feature taken from Ebbets Field, yet adapted in blue and orange. Of course the outside of the park is derived from Ebbets Field as we all know. And then the rotunda with the tribute to Jackie Robinson. It's all well and good. I get the connection from the Dodgers to the Mets and I appreciate the attempt to honor the history. Yet at the same time I almost felt ignored as a Mets fan.

The only obvious tie over in this preview from Shea to the new ballpark was that the carpet that will be in Citi Field has the neon men from the outside on Shea on it. Okay, that's a clever touch. But even the apple will be new at this point. I know Shea is a dump; but it's been the place that the Mets have called home for the majority of their existence. Fans have come to Shea to root for their Mets for years; to watch a World Series, a Game 7, Opening Day, or just a regular Tuesday night. Some of us attended our first ballgame at Shea. There are Mets fan who are fans simply because they used to be fans of the Brooklyn Dodgers. So I understand the special place that both the Dodgers and Ebbets Field hold for many. At the same time, those of us who will be filling the seats at Citi Field for years to come grew up as Shea Stadium grew old. Shea Stadium is what resonates with us and that is our history. I want to know that part of that history will be recognized when we move next door. A new park is more than necessary. But after walking through that preview, I felt now more than ever that when Shea comes down piece by piece, a part of being a Mets fan will be gone for good. Read More...