First off I would like to wish all involved in the Global New York Mets Empire a Merry Chirstmas. I hope all you good boys and girls got what was coming to you, and all you naughty children…well hopefully you got what was coming to you also. This Christmas I didn’t ask my parents for much, and I didn’t ask Santa for anything; but privately to myself, all I really wanted was to see a certain few things from not only my beloved Mets, but from some of my other beloved sports teams. Here’s what I am hoping will be a late Christmas present.

Omar Makes A Move: This was is quite obvious. It seems like our fearless leader is having a lot of fear this off season. Our top priority going into the off season was to sure up our pitching. Since then the only moves we have made involve some guy named Matt Wise (we’ll see), and resigning Juan Padilla (and here we thought he vanished). Dan Haren has gone to Arizona for a bunch of prospects, and the push for Minnesota ace Johan Santana seems absolutely useless. We still have a hole to fill in our rotation, and numerous holes to fill in our bullpen, because Aaron Heilman can’t do it all.

The Next Anna Benson: There is no man in this network of Mets fans that does not miss Anna Benson and her brilliant off field distractions. I actually dressed up as Santa Claus for little kids this year and all I could think about was “Man, I wish Anna Benson were my Mrs. Claus.” Yeah I’ve heard that some guys have hot wives, but all baseball players have hot wives, I want my Anna Benson back, and I want my sexy Mrs. Claus back.

A New York Mets Christmas Song: Can you imagine how awesome a New York Mets Christmas song would be. I’m talking all out here, with horns, and a giant choir, and electric guitars like those Siberian dudes. Too bad we won’t have the hip hop styles of Lastings Milledge to grace our New York Mets iPod play lists. I can hear it now. “Omar’s making his list, he’s checking it twice, and three times, and four times, and five times, and six times, and he’s still not going to sign a pitcher for our roster.”

A World Series Win For Our Last Season At Shea: I think this is what we all want. Shea does have to go, especially if we want attract players further down the road. It’s also about time that New York City got into building new sports facilities for their mostly awesome teams. Shea needs to go out with a bang though. It may not be Wrigley, or Fenway, or that other ballpark in New York, but it’s our masterpiece. Shea is where we built our first baseball memories as children, and the only fitting way for the giant rainbow to go out is with its third World Series trophy. So Omar, Willie, team, get it together for us, for one more run, let our stadium go out with a bang.

In Other Sports…

A Run First Offense From The New York Football Giants: In case Coach Coughlin forgot, the New York Giants have been successful in doing two things when they win championships; defense and running the ball. This philosophy was proven in Buffalo (WIDE RIGHT) last weekend when Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw made mincemeat of the Buffalo defense. Even when the legend Phil Simms was our QB, he wasn’t Montana, Elway, or Marino; but he didn’t have to be. We won ballgames by running the ball and Simms playing smart. Maybe if Eli, who is no better or worse than Simms, was able to run his offense like that, we might win more football games.

P.S. Down with New England

Rangers Fans To Stop Speaking Forever: For the past twelve years all I have ever heard from Rangers fans is “Wah the Devils play the trap, wah boring hockey, wah, wah.” Save it big guys. Let me let you guys in on a dose of reality. For the 12th straight season your team consists of overrated, over paid, over the hill, over on the wrong side of the Atlantic hockey players. For the 12th straight season you are inferior to the Devils, and the way you guys are going you are even almost inferior to the Islanders. No matter what rule changes you guys make in the NHL, there is always one constant and that is the Devils on top of the Atlantic Division (keep in mind that we let Philadelphia win every now and again). Check the stats, more total goals are scored in Devils games then in Rangers games this season…SO TRAP THAT!!!!

A New Start For Junior At Hendrick: Daytona is less than two months away, and my boy Dale Jr. is now teamed with Gordo and JJ (I smell juggernaut). Hopefully Dale can keep his car moving this year, and his engine from exploding. That alone would be an awesome Christmas present.

The End Of Isaih: You know, I’m not really a Knicks fan, but Isaihgate is embarrassing. Everyone involved in the New York Knicks upper management needs to be fired and banned from participating in any basketball management groups ever again. Isaih, you are brining shame to what was once a great basketball organization, with your stubbornness and unwillingness to just resign. Show some dignity and walk away now, before NBA fans forget how good of a player you once were.

A Led Zeppelin Show In America: Yeah I know this has nothing to do with sports, but Zeppelin has been the background music for Ultimate Highlight Reel for the past month, so I’m going to talk about it. You need to stop teasing us. You guys brought the house down in London, and you could be the best draw at Madison Square Garden this year (because nothing else really productive goes on at MSG). Get across the ocean, awaken the God’s with your power, and make my life complete.

That’s all I got. Merry Christmas and a Happy and safe New Years.


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It's been approximately 24 hours since the Mets officially traded Lastings Milledge to the Nationals for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider. During that time, Mets fans have been hitting the blogosphere voicing their opinions of the trade. It's quite obvious that most Mets fans are not happy with the deal.

Our most recent poll is indicating that about 70% of fans do not like the trade, while only 30% do. Our Facebook poll shows similar results, with 66% percent against the trade, 23% in favor, and 11% indifferent.

From what I can gather from various sources, most fans are more upset that we didn't get a pitcher in return than they are because we traded Milledge. Milledge has attitude problems, everyone knows that, but the fact that we got rid of him and didn't acquire the thing we need the most (a pitcher) in the process, has led to Mets fans questioning if Omar really knows what this team needs.

It was my impression that the Mets were inevitably going to trade Milledge this off season anyway, but I was pretty confident that he would be part of a package deal for a starter, or a straight up deal for a reliever. If neither of those two scenarios worked out, most fans would rather have kept Milledge and hoped for the best.

At the end of the day, the Mets traded a young outfield prospect with little trade value, for an older outfielder with similar numbers, and a third catcher.

But then again, this is Omar Minaya we are talking about, nobody seemed to like the Xavier Nady for Roberto Hernandez deal until "The Jacket" worked his wonders on Oliver Perez. Nor did anyone like the Kris and Anna Benson for Jorge Julio deal, until we met John Maine; so sometimes you never know how these trades are going to work out. We shall wait and see...
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The Mets have officially traded OF Lastings Milledge to the Washington Nationals for OF Ryan Church and C Brian Schneider.

Milledge, who was selected 12th overall in the first round of the 2003 amateur draft by the Mets, was always highly touted as a prospect, but was criticized for having attitude problems. This led to him being involved in more trade rumors over the past few years than any other player in the Mets farm system. After numerous rumors this off season which had him involved in trades for Johan Santana or Dan Haren, the Mets have settled for Church and Schneider.

Ryan Church, who got his first chance to play everyday for the Nationals last season, hit .272 with 15 home runs and 70 RBIs in 2007, and will likely compete with Carlos Gomez and Endy Chavez to be the every day left fielder for the mets in 2008. (That is of course assuming that Gomez or Church aren't traded before then).

In addition, the Mets also get catcher Brian Schneider who has been the Nationals starting catcher since their days in Montreal. In 2007, the 30 year old Schneider hit .235 with 6 homers and 54 RBIs. Schneider is known however for being a very good defensive catcher.

This deal tells me a few things; first, the Mets, and Mets fans, have seriously overestimated Milledge's value, second, the mets look like they will let Johnny Estrada become arbitration eligible in January and let him go, proving the deal for him was done solely to dump Mota. Third, I get the sense that the A's were never really interested in Milledge, and didn't want him in a potential deal for Dan Haren. Fourth, The Mets didn't have confidence in a Milledge Gomez platoon in left field for 2008.

Personally I'm not all that pleased with this deal, for all the hype Milledge has been getting the last few years, leading to the mets selling Milledge jerseys, and Met fans creating Lastings Milledge "facts" sites, all we end up with is a mediocre offensive catcher and an older outfielder who isn't that much better than Milledge to begin with.

Early indications on the reactions of fans are mixed, we will be running a poll on your opinion of this trade later today.
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Alright ladies and gentlemen, I know it has been entirely too long...but TUESDAY TWO CENTS is back! As a lot of you might be aware I have been computerless for quite some time now. This mainly has to do with me being poor and not being able to buy one yet, but that will be changing soon. I would like to apologize to all that have wondered where I am, considering I am an administrator in this group. It's good to be back again. Anyways, on to business.


Well as we all know, the Mets blew it this season. Last Sunday was quite rough on us all, and I hope to never feel misery of that sorts ever again. Of course being the New York sports fans that we are, the first thing we seem to do is find a scapegoat. I would like to clarify one thing though, there is not just one scapegoat, but there are many scapegoats. Willie Randolph is not the only man to blame for the Flushing Flush.

While the team could have been more motivated, it is not entirely Randolph's fault. Blame must also be put on Omar Minaya who put together a bullpen that went from best in the league in 2006, to steroid users. Blame, in my opinion, must also be put on Rick Peterson. While Peterson is great at developing pitchers, he seems to take no part in managing pitchers. Willie's expertise is definitely at managing the lineup, as he was a solid offensive second baseman for a quite a long time. Willie does seem to have trouble managing the bullpen at times, but if Peterson gave him any sort of advice I think that problem could be alleviated. Instead the Jacket has his face stuffed in a computer worrying about pitch counts and all other sorts of jazz. Get your head out of your Mac and into the game Rick, and help Willie out in a place that is obviously his weakness. Then there's Tom Glavine. The name makes me want to puke. Just one day after Johnny Maine pitches damn near flawless, our "ace" decides to do his best Dave Mlicki impression. Seven runs given up in less than two innings against a team with a mascot named Billy is just horribly inexplicable. Go back to Atlanta. Thank you for three years, you basically just rendered them useless with that lackluster garbage excuse of a start.

There needs to be a lot of changes this off season. Carlos Delgado needs to go. We need to get younger at first base, and Delgado's best days are definitely behind him. I love Carlos as a player, and he won his respect back for me as a man when he decided to start standing for THE National Anthem again. Go to the American League, be a DH, and end your career. Luis Castillo was a useless acquisition this season. Ruben Gotay is without a doubt the front runner for the starting 2B job going into next season. Especially since Anderson Hernandez couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a beach ball. If Lastings Milledge isn't starting in right field next season then I am becoming a Yankees fan...alright that was a joke, but I think you guys can understand how serious I am about that. Finally we need to get a bona fide ace, and fix that pitiful excuse of a bullpen we got.

Omar is going to be busy this off season. Mets fans are going to expect nothing less than a division title and payback on the Phillies. A pennant would be nice considering we haven't won one of those in seven years. Dare I mention it has been 21 years since we have won a World Series. Next year will show what Omar and Willie have when it comes to leading this team. They are facing a lot of pressure and are under a microscope...ummm scratch that telescope from all of the Tri State to get the job done. Here's hoping for a great off season.

In other baseball news.....

HOW BOUT THEM ROCKIES! This is without a doubt the feel good story of the year in baseball. If you would have told me that the Colorado Rockies would be four games away from the World Series in May, I would have been calling Bellevue for you. Big up to the Rock Dawgs, and I would love to see them in the World Series. Plus it was great justice to see them beat up on Philadelphia. This just goes to show that the only thing useful to ever come out of Philadelphia when it comes to sports is a fictional character that fictionally ended Communism in the USSR. Reagan didn't bring down the Berlin Wall...Rocky did.

The fire your manager wave is hot all over New York City, as George Steinbrenner, in yet another act of ignorance, will be firing Joe Torre for taking his Yankees to the playoffs every season of his 12 season tenure. Joe Torre is a class act, and he gets treated with utter disrespect by The Boss. It is not Torre's fault that Alex Rodriguez is useless in October, and the ace of his staff didn't show up to this post season. You ask any player in that Yankee clubhouse and they will tell you firing Torre is a horrible idea. Have some class George.

Finally, I'm just going to put it out there. NO ONE IS BEATING BOSTON. They are too good. They made the Angels look like the Reds in the ALDS. Their pitching is clicking on all cylinders, Manny and Ortiz look like Ruth and Gehrig, and that bullpen is awesome. Cleveland has nothing to match Boston after Sabathia and Carmona. Look for the Red Sox to take the series in 6. Rockies take out the D'Backs in seven. Both series' should be very entertaining to watch.

IN OTHER SPORTS...

I don't know about you guys, but it was very gratifying to watch the Giants front four demolish the Eagles on that horrible Sunday last week. It really saved my day, I'm not going to lie. My G-Men then followed up their demolition of Philly with a 35-24 comeback victory over the Paper Airplanes. Eli and Plaxico (STIFF ARM) looked great in the second half, and HOW BOUT THAT AARON ROSS. The G-Men, along with the whole NFC East is looking like the NFC East of the early 1990's. Everyone is good, except for the Eagles.

Also this calling time out RIGHT before a field goal is kicked. That bush league garbage needs to stop.

HOCKEY IS BACK!!!!

What seems to be the second most popular sport in the group has made it's triumphant return...unless you are a Devils fan of course. We look like garbage. Rangers are fans are already on my last nerve, as they are already running their mouths. The Rangers are the same story every season; a bunch of high salaries with no chemistry and no results by the end of the season. Until I am ever proved wrong I will continue with that philosophy. The Fishsticks are weak. I'll let Wassink handle the Pens.

THE CHASE IS ON!!!

Well not for Junior unfortunately. To add insult to injury my boy Dale blew his sixth engine of the year at Talladega (Man Race) last Sunday. At least he is sticking it to Theresa, the woman who is trying to ruin the Earnhardt name. Looks like Hendrick Motor Sports is going to be running 1-2 in points again as Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are motoring themselves away from everyone else. Wait until Junior joins that team next season...scary.

Finally I would like to give a shout out to my Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who finally won a football game this past weekend. Let's keep em coming boys. Oh and if anyone finds the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team, please return them to Piscataway. It would be greatly appreciated. USC lost...HAHAHAHA. That's my Two Cents. Later on. JD.
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Heartbroken, anger, and disbelief, are just a few of the many emotions being shown by the 15,000+ members in the facebook group after the Mets historic meltdown.

Who can really blame them? This wasn’t the ending we all planned on. Two weeks ago we held a very comfortable 7 game lead with 17 to play. We were sitting in the driver’s seat looking at the SNY pocket schedule, seeing 13 of our last 17 games against the lowly Nationals and Marlins. In a year full of injuries and so called disappointments this is when we were finally going to get it done. Guess what? It didn’t happen, but life moves on.

Though we didn’t win the World Series, there are many individual moments that us as fans can look back on and be very proud of. Watching things like the continuing development of young players Lastings Milledge and Mike Pelfrey, exciting plays like the Endy Chavez drag bunt or the Carlos Beltran catch in Houston, the scoreless inning streaks of Pedro Feliciano and rookie Joe Smith, Tom Glavine’s 300th career win, John Maine’s two near no hitters, Shawn Green chasing Hank Greenberg for the all-time Jewish home run record, the return of Pedro Martinez, etc… these are the things that when I look back on the 2007 Mets I’m going to remember.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m just as upset as the rest of you. But in a year in which 99% of us are going to call it a letdown, there are those little things that we should all take with us, that we can all look back on, and that we can all remember to put an instant smile on our faces. And if that doesn’t work? 2008 is just around the corner. Read More...

The Mets seemed down and out after being swept by the surging Phillies on Thursday, three days later, things couldn't look brighter. The Mets headed into Atlanta over the weekend knowing they had to come with their A game, and they did. Turner Field has never been kind to the Mets in the month of September, but the "new" Mets we're up for the challenge.

The Mets outscored the Braves by a score of 3 to 2 in the final game of the series on Sunday to put the Braves back an insurmountable 7.5 games with only 25 games to play.

The Mets pitching was superb, allowing only 4 runs the entire series, and keeping the Braves big bats of Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira and Andrew Jones in check throughout the series. The Braves only got one extra base hit the entire series, which was Brian McCann's double in the 9th inning Sunday against Billy Wagner. The highlight of the weekend had to be the fantastic outing by Mike Pelfrey, who earned his first win of the season on Saturday allowing just 1 run on 1 hit over 6 innings. We hope to see more of this in the future from Pelfrey.

The hitting was equally as good, scoring 15 runs on 28 hits, with 2 home runs from Carlos Delgado, who seems to have his swing back, as well as homers from Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Lastings Milledge and Jose Reyes.

The Mets will look to keep the hot streak going, as Pedro Martinez will make his long awaited season debut tomorrow in Cincinnati, he will be faced by Reds ace Aaron Harang.
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With some shuffling of the lineup and getting everyone healthy, the Mets may finally have everything they need to play some good baseball. The bullpen will hold its own and if Beltran can stay healthy and find ways to produce, Mets fan may be able to sleep better at night.

One of the most needed lineup changes has come with Willie giving Lastings Milledge more playing time. I have never been crazy about Milledge, but it has been obvious that he needs to play. Shawn Green is probably at the end of his road, which is unfortunate, but that's the way the game goes. Milledge provides this team with much needed youth and defense, while Green has proved to be a liability for the Mets is every sense. Let me add, I really have no idea what the Mets expected out of Green is signing him last August. From '98-'02 he put up significant power numbers and have seen an incredible drop-off since. I know the Mets had a hole to fill in RF last summer, yet all he has provided is a random 4-4 day, awkward belly flops, and a flying hat. Hopefully, Milledge will embrace this opportunity to prove himself to this organization once and for all.

Yesterday I posted an update on Pedro's 2nd rehab start and although all of us have been warned some Mets fans still believe that Pedro is going to come back and be a savior for this ball club. Do not hold your breath friends...you may end up turning blue. If Pedro continues to progress, he will be at best an average pitcher when he returns. The energy that is Pedro should be a shot in the arm if he returns to New York, but he will not be a front end starter who will go deep into games. If he can provide the Mets will quality starts during the stretch run, that would be a success for this season. Expecting too much from Pedro Martinez may only be setting yourself up for disappointment.

Moises Alou used to make me see red. While he was injured, his status was always the biggest mystery of the early summer. What's even better is that while we have no idea if he would return this century, the Mets tease me on the scoreboard with "Moises Alou's favorite vacation spot in the Dominican Republic." Well, that's nice Mo, but could you find your way back to NY? Thankfully he did, and I take back any anger I had towards him in June. If he stays healthy and continues to come up in clutch situations, I am officially an idiot.

Last but not least, some red flags. I still have faith in John Maine and Oliver Perez, but there is some concern regarding these 2 young arms. John Maine has never thrown this many innings, and should we get to the postseason, I don't know if we'll see the Maine of last October. Oliver Perez could be suffering from fatigue as well, yet he has some more experience from his time in Pittsburgh. The Mets do not have the luxury of rest their starters as they did last August with a 15 game lead. These kids need to dig deep and come up big for the Mets as we head for the home stretch.

We're 75% of the way there...keep the faith Mets fans! Read More...

The Mets placed outfielder Carlos Beltran on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 25, with a strained oblique.

Lastings Milledge will be the Mets' regular center fielder while Beltran is out, guaranteeing that Shawn Green stays in the lineup for at least another 10 days. Beltran will be eligible to return Aug. 9. Read More...

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. Read More...

Fox Sports is reporting that the Mets have talked with the A's about starting pitcher Joe Blanton, but Oakland wants Milledge and more, and the Mets can't deal Milledge right now with all of their outfield health issues...In fact, the outfield issues have the Mets sniffing around for available outfield bats. They like Baltimore's Jay Payton, and may have a better chance to get him now that the Cubs' interest in him seems to have waned. And yes, believe it or not, they've spoken with the Rangers about Sammy Sosa, who could platoon in right field with Shawn Green. Sosa has clobbered left-handed pitchers this year, but the Mets are wary of bringing him in because of the controversy that surrounds him...The Mets also have spoken with the Rangers about Gagne, though they would need Texas to drop its asking price. Read More...

When I write my article next Thursday all the MLB trade rumors will be over and done with, due to the Non-Waiver Trade Deadline passing this upcoming Tuesday. This means no more thinking that the Mets will acquire Dontrelle Willis for Scott Schoeneweis (hahahaha); or something else wild that we can only dream about. Of course with the trade deadline coming, the debate of "Do we trade prospects for ballplayers that are established?" will come into play. Will players like Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, and Fernando Martinez be a Met after July 31st? I most certainly hope so.

While thinking of what to write about before the deadline, I came across a great article on the SNY website; written by Ted Berg. It's almost like we share a brain, because I agree 110% with what he is saying. While we have our share of veterans like Delgado, Green, and Lo Duca, we also have a lot of up-and-coming players that have already contributed. Players like Gotay, Gomez, Reyes, Milledge, Maine, and Perez--all of which are between the ages of 22 and 26--could help out the Mets for a while to come. In addition to these ballplayers who have contributed, we also have Mike Pelfrey, and Mike Carp waiting in the wings.

Why trade any of these ballplayers for a guy who might only be here for 3 months, and then go back to his old team (Mike Bordick anyone)? Of course it's hard to tell if Gotay will pan out to be a great, like Wally Backman; or a dud, like Carlos Baerga. Will Lastings Milledge be the next Dave Kingman, or the next Alex Ochoa? Let's not make the same mistake that Jim Duquette did in 2004, by trading our stud Scott Kazmir for a broken Victor Zambrano. Let's make it so that we are not just contenders in 2007, but contenders for years to come.

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Over the last six weeks, us Mets fans have suffered as our beloved Mets have played .500 baseball, and have gone up and down like a roller coaster at Six Flags. It seems like ever since Delgado hit that walk-off off of Armando Benitez in the last week of May, Benitez formulated a curse in which the Mets would not be able to hit in a clutch spot. Of course, I am just looking for a scapegoat and still have the optimism like Willie does, and there is reasoning behind my optimism.

After this tough west coast swing, we have seven games against the Pirates and Nationals. This would be the perfect time to get going, as the dog days of August are approaching quickly. Also, during these seven games we will see the return of Moises Alou (Remember him?), who should give the Mets, as Mike Francessa said, "The Big Bat" that they need. With Alou coming back, this means Lastings Milledge will platoon with Shawn Green in right, and hopefully light a fire under him, and increase his production.

I would be extremely SHOCKED if within the three-week period Alou comes back, the Mets didn't go on a massive tear, especially with Delgado (yes Delgado) hitting over .350 in July. Winning ten out twelve games is not out of the question once Alou returns, and a win streak like that is exactly what the doctor ordered.

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So the All Star Break has come and gone, as have many in the New York Mets organization, including hitting instructor Rick Down and ageless wonder Julio Franco. Replacing the departed are baseball legend Rickey Henderson, who took over as the first base coach, while Howard Johnson was named the Mets new hitting instructor, and OF Lastings Milledge, whose ego and sense of cockiness in his first stints in Queens have rivaled that of Ricky in his prime (Well, at least Milledge isn’t talking in the third person yet).

While the hiring of Rickey is what’s dominating the headlines, it is Milledge that has made the bigger splash since the All Star break. Milledge finally started to show the signs of the great ballplayer that he should be this past weekend as the Mets took three of four from the Cincinnati Reds. His personal high point of the weekend was no doubt his game winning RBI on Saturday, a game which most all of us attended. The clutch performance on Saturday, plus steady performances the rest of the four games has got to have Mets GM Omar Minaya interested in what his top hitting prospect could be capable of…or sent away for.

Now, don’t jump on my back, but Milledge can definitely be considered expendable for the right price; especially with guys like Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez in our system also. Minaya though is smart, and will not make a move unless it is for a stud, especially an ace. The problem is, Omar doesn’t have too many options to choose from in the trade market. It definitely seems like Astros ace Roy Oswalt is generating the most attention on the market, and the Mets are serious contenders for his services. We would basically have to give up the farm for Oswalt though, who is under contract for another four years after this season. If Omar could pull off a move while not giving up too much for Oswalt, it would be one of the more impressive trades in Mets history. Earlier in the season, free agent to be Carlos Zambrano’s name was thrown around in trade rumors, but with the Cubs playing like contenders, I can’t see him being on the market anymore. There are other pitchers out there, but none that is worth our top hitting prospect.

There is also the possibility that we keep Milledge and stick him in one of the corners as a starter next season. I mean I am not against keeping him if he continues to perform, and stay out of “trouble.” The marked improvement in his behavior from his earlier stints with the parent club, has only improved his credibility to the team and fans (yes this club is still credible and classy…even with Ricky and Keith on the same payroll). Plus, if Milledge blossoms into the player he should turn out the be, himself, Gomez, and center fielder Carlos Beltran will be one of the great outfields for a long time. Extra base hits for opponents would be a thing of the past with those three flying around there. And as I said, I cannot wait to see the “positive” influence of Rickey on Lastings.

As you can plainly see, there are pros and cons of putting Milledge on the trading block. A deal for Milledge better bring in some hard-core studs, such as Mr. Oswalt or Mr. Dunn (which I am not 100% in support of), or Mr. Griffey (who is still the man). If not though, it looks like that Milledge can become one of the best in the business if he keeps up the pace he has shown since the All Star Break ended. So let me hear back from ya, do we trade Milledge, keep him, tell him to jump off of a cliff. Let me know what’s up. Have a great day and pleasant yesterday.

JD
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The Mets made a number of changes over the All Star Break, starting with the firing of Rick Down and the addition of Rickey Henderson to the coaching staff. Many of us saw this coming, after the Mets’ hitting seemed to disappear during the “June swoon”. With Down out and Henderson in, the most likely scenario would see first base coach Howard Johnson take over the job as hitting instructor. Rickey Henderson would then become the first base coach, a job he will fit into nicely, as he has worked extensively with Jose Reyes and some of the other Mets speedsters during spring training.

Down has done a terrible job as the hitting instructor, I personally am glad to see him go.

Today, the Mets dropped the second bomb of the break by designating the 48 year old Julio Franco for assignment. Again, this was expected, as most fans are sick and tired of seeing Willie Randolph bringing in Julio Franco to pinch hit in a big spot in the 8th inning only to see Franco strikeout or ground out to second. While Franco brought amazing leadership and experience to the clubhouse, it was time to face the facts. Franco just cannot get the bat around anymore, and therefore, he has no place on a potentially championship caliber team. Franco will be looking for a new team in 10 days, as he will become a free agent. If he can’t find a team that wants him, he will most likely retire and become a coach somewhere.

Lastly, Metsblog is reporting that the Mets have signed former Met Marlon Anderson to a minor league contract. Anderson was DFA’d by the Dodgers last month mainly because of the Dodgers plethora of younger infield talent. Anderson could become a viable option for the Mets off the bench this season since we have had trouble in the pinch hitting department.

Could all these changes by Omar be the key to success for the Mets? Only the next 75 games will tell. Read More...

Now that the all star game is over, the Mets can settle into playing everyday again after their layoff. With the season more than half over, here begins the stretch run towards the playoffs. That first step in the stretch run is the trading deadline where teams can wheel and deal in attempts to make their team better, without having players pass through the waiver wire. Mets fans can remember numerous deadline deals made over the last several years including the infamous Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano deal (Kazmir is free in 2011 and a Boras client for those of you wondering.).

The most important thing for any team this time of year is to figure out whether or not you want to be a buyer or a seller. Obviously, the Mets are in a position to be a buyer whether that means acquiring a starting pitcher, reliever, or corner outfielder. This trading deadline is trickier than normal though. First off, we have several ballplayers that are coming back momentarily in the pitching and outfield department. For example, even though we were in a pinch for starting pitching before the all star break, Oliver Perez and Jorge Sosa are due to be activated shortly after the all star break. With Pedro Martinez starting his rehab assignment shortly, that will be adding a boost to the rotation. Hopefully, since Martinez is coming back that means that Scott Schoenweis is shown the door.

The outfield is another tough area right now to decide upon. Gomez, Alou, Chavez, and Milledge are all in the wings. Gomez is the farthest off as he probably won’t be seen until the early part of September. However, Alou and Milledge should be back shortly with Chavez coming back within the next few weeks. Do we continue to wait around? It’s inevitable that the surplus of outfielders and pitchers will happen, but how patient can we be?

So what is the answer to these questions? Nobody really knows but the Mets general manager Omar Minaya. I am positive that Omar is on the phone seeing who is available with regards to keeping Pelfrey and Humber. It should be an interesting next 3 weeks for Mets fans, especially if we become consistent.


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For those of you who have been keeping up with the latest baseball rumors, the Mets have been linked to left handed starter for the Chicago White Sox, Mark Buerhle. So far this season, in 14 starts for the Sox this season, Buehrle is 4–4 with 3.39 ERA, during which opponents are batting .238 against him. He has struck out 60 batters in 93 innings while walking just 17. However, there are a few catches to going after this guy.

1) Hes a free agent after this season. Which means it could turn into another Mike Hampton situation

2) Hes said repeatedly that he wants to pitch in his hometown of St Louis

So what do you do in this case? Well the New York Post is reporting that if the trade happens the Mets want a 72 hour time period to negotiate an extention. I like that idea. However, the Mets are not so thrilled with giving up Pelfrey and or Milledge.

If this does happen, one should keep in mind the influx of starters the Mets would have. What do we do if and when Pedro comes back this season?

My suggestions are as follows:

1) Try to get Buehrle for Milledge and a "Tier 2" prospect..someone who probably wont have an impact. We all remember what happened last time we traded our top arm. We got crap in return.

2) Get an extension. Absolutely nothing happens unless the extension has the potential to happen.

3) Deal with what we have and try to fill a spot in the bullpen. I dont want schoenweis or Sele on a potential postseason roster. Either Sosa or Pelfrey should fill Sele's spot.



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One of our more recent topics over at the Facebook group, and around the Mets blogosphere has been the possibility of the Mets trading young outfield prospect Lastings Milledge to the White Sox for Lefty Starter Mark Buehrle.

The White Sox are having a horrific season in which their hitting has been virtually non-existent, and their pitching has been dreadful (aside from an early season no hitter from Buehrle). Oh how the mighty 2005 World Series Champs have fallen. Can you say fire sale?

With Buehrle's contract up at the end of the 2007 season, he is a perfect candidate for a deadline deal that would land the White Sox with some young prospects, and some championship caliber team with a lefty ace who could have a huge impact in the pennant race or in the playoffs.

Buehrle is a 28 year old lefty with above average stuff, his arsenal includes; a fastball, curveball, changeup, slider and cutter. He won at least 16 games every year from 2001 to 2005. He won 12 games in 2006, and pitched a no hitter earlier this season in which he is 4-3 with a 3.45 ERA.

The Mets have talked about the possibility of building a trade around young outfielder Lastings Milledge who has thus far shown some immaturity, and an inability to handle the pressure of the New York Media. Despite this, scouts were still very high on him until an injury sidelined him earlier this season.

The downside to a trade like this for the Mets is that Buerhle is expected to be a short term renal, meaning he will most likely sign with a new team after the season, most analysts believe the Missouri native wants to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals.

I personally would be against a trade like this. While Buerhle would provide us with some help in the starting rotation, I feel as if Milledge may be too high a price to pay for a 3 month rental. Especially considering the Mets anticipate the return of Pedro Martinez, who almost certainly will be a part of the Mets rotation in September and October. If we were looking to trade milledge for some help before the trade deadline, it should probably to to a player the mets are more likely to sign long term, or someone who could provide us with some immediate bullpen relief, an area which the mets have struggled as of late. (did I hear someone say Eric Gagne or Brad Lidge?)

Discuss...
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