Sending You Along

Hi Mets Fans....
I am now wandering the world and am blogging about my adventures. Rest assured, I am still a hardcore NY Mets fan and will occasionally spout off about baseball. So check me out at:
www.firstworldwhitegirl.com.

LET'S GO METS!
Jill

Wishes For 2009

I know I was a crappy blogger this year, so just say it. Almost as crappy a blogger as the Mets were crappy ballplayers in September. But it's over, I'm not watching anymore baseball and will only occasionally blog during the off season as circumstances warrant. I will, however, offer my thoughts on what is needed for next year.

1. I like Jerry. Keep him. He came along late, but he definitely pushed the Metropolitans in the right direction.

2. I am becoming skeptical on the youngins' - Jose Reyes and David Wright. Yes they is cute. Yes they can make the plays - most of the time. But when it comes to being clutch, Jose ain't your guy and neither is David. You may all boo me, you may call me a traitor. But face the facts... they have a been 50 percent of the nucleus of the team for the last 2 years (and '06 too, of course). And I don't have to tell you how that went down. One more year I say. Maybe maturity and the last two years can give them the confidence to pull it out when we need it most.

3. Pitching. Disastre. Need I say more. Closer, another solid starter (at least one), a setup man. We need more help in our bullpen than George Bush will need building a positive legacy.

4. Leave the Carloses. I know they ain't young, but they're good. Keep 'em another year.

5. Shop for a second baseman, Castillo has sucked. Would be nice to get someone that can hit AND play second base, especially since we haven't seen either from Luis all year.

It was a hard baseball year, almost harder than the '06 collapse. I think this was because July gave me hope. And then September crushed it to bits. It's all a little Hillary Clintonian. Everyone talked about you, you were the one to beat. But in the end, fizzle. She fought, we fought. But in the end, our adversaries proved to be stronger.

At least for some of us there's always next year. 

Optimism in the Face of Impossibility

After the crap that has been going down, I know what you expect from me. Crying. Whining. Bitching. Moaning. Because the Mets are on the verge of doing the worst possible thing they could - repeating last year.

Instead of the usual bitch session, I am going to try something different. No complaints. I am going to do what Jerry Manuel is doing... say it is possible. Say anything is possible. No, the Wilpons are not paying me. I've decided that if we tell them they are no good, they will be no good. Kind of like children.

Besides, it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings and she is still making her way over from the Bronx.

Groundhog Day in September

I went to last night's Mets-Nats game in the lovely new Nats stadium here in DC. Sat in the best seats I had been in this season, courtesy of a good friend/recovering Mets fans.  As we watched the game last night, he told me how his spirit had been broken during the 2000 World Series.

I get his pain circa 2000. Flashback.... The Mets were right there (against the Yankees no less) in the big time. And they screwed up. They let it slip through their gifted little fingers in the 12th inning in Game One, coming back in the 9th in Game Two only to lose, winning the third and crumbling to the end. That was the Mets of 2000.

Fortunately he gave up then. He didn't have to live through 2006 or last year. Instead of feeling like it was Groundhog Day in September, he was yippin' it up with the fans of the lovable losers and yet again Mets spoilers. Hadn't I been to this same game in September already?

Sadly, it wasn't deja vu. It was another Mets loss. In September. Against the lousy Nats. The only consolation is that it wasn't the Yankees.

Oh and those beautiful seats. 

Pitching, Pitching, Pitching

I am back in the comfort of my sprawling apartment in DC, back to the giant TV and every baseball game a girl could want.  So last night I watch the nail biter of a game v. the Brewers. This nail biting thing has become a little too de rigeur these days. While it makes for great baseball, it has been giving me heartburn for the last week or so. As was early in the season, the culprit seems to be pitching. 

Pitching, pitching, pitching.

They got through it last night, by the skin of their pretty little asses. But mostly because of the incredible defensive play of the team. Amazing catches by little Nick, badass throws as fast as gunfire from Endy!, David tackling the ball more like a defensive end then a third baseman. 

Last night was all about saving themselves from a melting bullpen. And they did it. Ten innings, 6-5. As long as the bats are alive, they may survive September.

As for some of the candidates, I am not quite as certain. 

Beat Me, I Can Take It

Alright, I know... you are going to accuse me of being a fair weather fan. Sure, the Mets are hanging on by a thread in June and July. And where was I? Galvanting across a continent, forgetting about where I come from and the important things, right? No, it's not true. In fact, I spent three months in South America, wearing my Mets hat. Consider my time not blogging as being an ambassador for the Mets and for American baseball. Not sure if I recruited anyone, but let's just call it "general awareness".  And I did check the scores when I was anywhere near civilization. 

Ok, so back to it. It's September, crunch time. I am now praying daily for the bullpen. Cause it's nothing short of a miracle that keeps them hanging on. Kinda like how it felt to support Barack Obama or John McCain a year ago, right?

Believe.

You Turn Your Back for a Second and Then What?

I realize I have not been keeping up with the blog. I know. Have gotten some private comments about it. I apologize. First, you should know that I have been watching everything from here. Every last thing. Reading before I go to bed (extremely late, mind you this is Buenos Aires where you have dinner at 11 pm), getting up a bit before my Spanish class to make sure I miss nothing. Really, I promise.

As for Willie, you know I always liked him. A Brooklyn boy, a good ball player, a good guy. But I totally get why he was given the axe. When things stink, the smell eventually leads to the top. And in my mind this is not limited to Willie... Omar and the Wilpons also need to take a hard look in the mirror. The last couple of weeks of public bullshit, the hemming and hawing, the soap opera like dramas that have enveloped the team certainly don't help. I don't now about you, but blood in the water doesn't bring me any day to day relief.

I will say this... I like what Manuel is doing. Sometimes tough love is needed. And with the benign neglect of the last regime, maybe the hands on approach is what we need.

Now that you've gotten my two cents on the most pressing issue in Mets baseball, I have to figure out how to talk about politics and my trip. Hmmm.. well, the President of Argentina recently proposed an increase in a tax on farmers. And boy, the farmers are pissed... so pissed that there was a massive protest (which I checked out). There was a concession, with the President agreeing to let the Congress debate the tax. But a la a situation we are all familiar with, a concession does not mean victory. It only means wait and see.

At Least Someone's Winning

Ah Metsies...you're killing me, killing me. The series of losses endured against San Diego have been tragic... matzo bats are the death knell. Oh well, at least the pitching hasn't fallen apart, right?

The good news is that yesterday I toured Buenos Aires on a bicycle and just loved it. Although the drivers are a bit sketch, it was thankfully a weekend and I managed to survive without incident. On the tour, we went through a neighborhood called La Boca, which is the namesake of the soccer team. The team- the Boca Juniors - seem to be quite the rage in BsAs and even throughout Latin America according to my sources. All over you can see people in Boca Jr's gear. I daresay they are the New York Yankees of soccer. But this year, they lost to Brazil.

There's another team in Buenos Aires. But it appears they are less adored by the throngs of soccer afficiandos across the land. River Platte they are called and they suffer from second class status. In fact, I have yet to see more than a splash of red and white around town. Sound familiar?

But, how tables turn. They are now the team that is making stuff happen. Today they beat Olimpo for the Clausura Tournament. And La Boca? Done. Toast.

So while maybe the boys of River aren't as popular, it appears they are better. At least the less popular boy wins sometimes.

Changes

The Mets have changed and hopefully for the better with the glorious return of Pedro. We can only hope this is the spark that lights the fire that unlocks the potential of this team.

The Democratic race for the presidential nomination is over. Last night's results leave the Democrats with one choice, one that will hopefully allow them not to lose (something, it should be noted they excel at doing - giving it away - not unlike the Mets so far this season).

And for me, a big change. Instead of bringing you Mets commentary from Washington DC, I will b bringing it to you from South America. I write you today from Buenos Aires, where I just arrived to my hostel in San Telmo. It is a bight lovely onld house with brightly painted walls, skylights and Aussies traveling around the world, not shocking.

Change is good for the Mets. Let's just hope it's good for both me and the Democrats.

Beautiful

It was a beautiful spring evening when the Mets took to the field to play the Marlins. I watched the first inning, saw the Mets score two and decided it was too beautiful to stay in watching baseball.

So I walked. I walked through the city, people were outside drinking, running, biking, errand running. It was spring and everyone was soaking up the delicious weather. I come back in the 6th, only to see the Mets down 5-4. And then Endy! tied it up. NB: For those of you unfamiliar with my blog, I always call him Endy! after that amazing catch at the 2006 NLCS. It should be noted, I haven't had too much to Endy! about so far this season.

Maybe it was spring, maybe it was the pressure, maybe it was the self realization that they are a great team. They sure played like one. Second stringer Tatis with the clutch hitting, a fantastic bullpen, even Ollie kept it together. My personal favorite extra innings play was the Sanchez bunt; even after getting smacked by a pitch he came back, bunted and ran his mightiest to first. He didn't make it, but man... he tried. He tried so hard, as ever single one of them did.

And that my friends, is indeed beautiful. 7-6 beautiful.

Day to Day

Well... they did it last night. Won a game, that it. Beat the fish 5-3 with Johan getting it done, a good defense to back him up, a bullpen that held it together and stiff bats with 9 hits. Oh and a nice double steal to boot.

Yes, it was a victory. A victory that was nearly as hard fought as the Democratic nomination. But are the Mets Hillary or Barack? That we'll know in the coming days and weeks. I suppose that Willie has been given a reprieve. For today. Jack Curry in the Times has it right - Willie, like the Mets, is day to day.

Someone Else to Kick Around

Oh Mets. What can I say? The only thing that changed since I last blogged about you is that you are no longer clinging to .500... you're officially under .500 and are closer to competing with the Nats than with the Braves. You dropped three out of four against the Rockies. Something is outta whack.

Charges of racism (in a game that is more integrated than most workplaces or communities in America it should be noted) by Willie, our star players looking like Mitt Romney (over-hyped and under-performing), and of course the hitting. Or lack thereof.

My two cents on the Willie thing - I said last month that it might be time for him to go. I don't know if that will solve the problem immediately but there is something wrong at the core if a team built like this can't get things going. Sometimes those who are the most gifted are the most lazy laziest, which is why leadership and guidance are critical. I fear those things are missing and is that is precisely what is holding us back.

And it looks like tonight will be no different than the last couple of days. Another loss; I suppose the Marlins is an excuse. Clearly the boys aren't playing up to their potential, but in this case the perception fueled by the media have become the reality. Joe Girardi must be a happy guy - everyone is so busy trashing the Mets that the end of a five-game winning streak is probably not a contender for the sharp tongue of tomorrow's NY Post.

Almost in the Toilet

We're baacck! Yes, the Mets that played in April are back again in May. Yes, I know they disappeared over the weekend. But it seems like the scoreless, listless and even nearly unconscious (if you're Ryan Church) Mets showed up at Turner Field to drop two to Atlanta yesterday. Good times.

I can't decide what is more painful - my bathroom getting ripped out or my heart after watching last night's game. At least the bathroom is scheduled to be back in commission tomorrow. Too bad I can't say the same for the Mets.

Better Than Broadway

Oh New York. Such drama. The saga of the Mets has taken on a soap opera feel, with Billy Wagner playing Cruella de Vil in the locker room after the Nats disaster. Instead of a game against the Yankees on Friday, the team had a rain out meeting something like an AA gathering replete with recriminations, apologies and a vow to play like the $100 million plus team the Wilpons and you and me have paid for.

Something worked. Maybe it was the sharing of feelings, maybe it was the thrill of the subway series. Whatever the case, we've got yesterday's win and today's plowdown in the Bronx. 11-2. Now granted there's no A-Rod and no Posada in the Yankees lineup. But it wasn't about that. It was about Oli holding it together and more importantly the Mets bats performing (18 runs over the last two days, which is probably more than the last three weeks).

What's so amazing about the Willie-Billy-Delgado drama is that in any other town it wouldn't have escalated to this point. But other towns don't have the tabloids or the aggressive fans. At least the tale of these two wins after last week will give them what they are all looking for - a damn good show.

Disgusted

I didn't watch yesterday's "pitchers duel" between Mike Pelfrey and the Nat's Jason Bergmann (who was recalled from the minor leagues). 1-0. And not one for us.

I'm not giving the blow by blow, but yet again the matzo bats failed. Just call the Nats Mike Huckabee - unlikely to win it all, but certainly exceeding expectations.

Me, I'm just disgusted.

Eye on the Prize

Yes, I know the Nats are the worst second worst team in the National League. Yes, I know we should be kicking their butts. But it is not so. 5-3 at the hands of Heilman, who maybe should also be designated for assignment a la Sosa and Figueroa. Claudio Vargas, brought up from the minors, pitched a solid game before the Heilman giveaway.

What gave me a giggle was watching the broadcast on MASN (the Nats network) and the announcers commenting how they couldn't understand the booing at Shea when Heilman showed up on the mound. Couldn't understand?? Haven't these guys watched a single day of Mets baseball?!

Nevermind. I'm letting go. It's not far off from Clinton's West Virginia victory earlier this week... kinda futile. Phillies and Braves lost, so the half game sandwich remains.

Nasty as They Wanna Be

If the Mets were Sybil, last night would have been the appearance of their childlike personality. With pitching and fielding like an 11 year old slow pitch team, they were routed by the Nats (yes, the Nats) 10-4. Nelson Figueroa melted down early and often and Sosa (one of my favorite S's) gave the Nats the rest of it. Nice scoreless 8th from Sanchez, who was shaky the last time I saw him.

But overall, ugly. Ug-lee.

What seems to be the talk today (other than Figueroa's future) is Lasting Milledge and his crew applauding the Mets flubs. The Times writes all about it.

I didn't see it, but I'm not surprised. Milledge, who was once a Met, always lacked a little maturity. Showing up late, high fives with the fans - it just ain't classy. Hence his move to the Nats.

We got the better end of that deal (Church and Schneider) even if it didn't show last night. Oh well. The battle v. the war, right? I need something as I think about where we were last May (first place) and where we are now - three back, in a half game sandwich between our two biggest rivals. And who's number one? The Marlins. Look out world, it's as crazy as John McCain getting the Republican nod seemed 9 months ago.

The only consolation in that is McCain imploded early.

He's Lost Control?

That Oli. Always an enigma. Yesterday, a balls to the wall performance until the 6th. And then, out of nowhere the inning turned into a struggle a la the Democratic nomination. A gazillion pitches, every one of them more tense than the last one and unfortunately resulting in three runs.

It's ok. 8-3 ok. The Mets pulled it out with bats that are thriving better than mold in DC (it has rained nearly 5 inches in a day here). The Carloses are alive and well, David and Jose are starting to awake too. Even Scott Schoenweis pitched a blemish free inning.

But Oli, what's your deal? I know you still probably enjoy comic books and miss your hometown. But c'mon, you're in New York. You're playing in the big leagues. You're getting paid a lot of money. And you and your greedy ass agent want even more money come next year. So don't go the way of Romney or head down the path currently being forged by Hillary Clinton. You can do this. The good news is that unlike in politics, in baseball you can control about 85 percent of the outcome.

P.S. I didn't write about the whole series against the Reds, which the Mets took 2-1. Lovely play on Saturday, but the MLB package didn't offer the day game. This is the second time a Saturday day game was unavailable - bastards!

Clintonian

The New York Mets. When they are on, they are like Bill Clinton in 1992. When they are not, they are like Bill Clinton in 2008.

Today it's 1992.

Losing One Can Mean Everything. Or Nothing.

My favorite part about the MLB package is that you get to watch announcers from all over baseball. So I have been listening with glee to the Dodgers announcer who knows as much about the Mets as the current Congress and President seem to know about policy making.

This false sense of perspective must have worked on me. I fell asleep on the couch sometime in the 4th inning without too much agita. The Dodgers had a pitching meltdown that looked disturbingly Met-like. The boys were winning 4-1. I felt alright going to bed.

But I had ignored the warning signs - no hitting. David Wright striking out. Lots and lots of base runners stranded. I was so focused on the decent pitching and excellent offense, I ignored the soft underbelly... bats as cold as an office building in summertime. Mets lose 5-4.

As in life and in politics, you can't have it all. Sometimes you win one, sometimes you lose one. As this stage of the baseball season it's not just one that makes the final decision. As for politics, I guess we'll see in Denver.