12 posts tagged “alex rodriguez”
I keep reading and hearing about it.
- Because of the obnoxious arrogance displayed by both their longtime fans and their legions of bandwagon boobs and douchebags who feel that they are absolutely entitled to always win.
- Because of the sheer absurdity of "26 rings!!! 26 rings!!!" When the reality is, they have 7 rings since 1962, the first year of the Mets' existence. 7 is still a lot more than 2, but it's not 26. The last thing we need is "27 rings!!! 27 rings!!!" or... 8 since 1962.
- Because they are a team whose latest dynasty (1996, 1998-2000) was built upon performance enhancing-drugs, and the Mets LOST to that roided-up team in the 2000 World Series.
- Because Alex Rodriguez is another steroid-using lying cheating prick who is in love with both Kate Hudson and Derek Jeter's ass.
- Because of the lunacy of the "aura and mystique" horseshit.
- Because of the fucking Steinbrenners.
- Because in New York City, the media will always treat the Yankees as numero uno because they've been around since 1903, and as a result, have a longer history. Why should any Met fan be happy about that?
- Because while I don't believe that the Yankees "buy championships" as no team can do so, they definitely do attempt to buy postseason berths. What makes that unfortunate is that many Met fans believe their team has to follow suit and continually lead the NL in highest payroll, instead of constructing the best team period.
- Because Roger Clemens intentionally beaned Mike Piazza, and later threw a bat at him, you fucking forgetful fruits!
- Because the Yankees and their fans represent all that is wrong with baseball, and they are known as the "Evil Empire" for many reasons, some of which I've already mentioned.
But first, a quick rundown of the LCS predictions I made and how they turned out.
A whole lotta talk about the weather in the Bronx, but so far, the sheets of rain have not fallen from the skies. The tarp is not on the field, and while it's still just as cold as it was 24 hours prior during Game 1, it looks like the game will get started on time. Whether it finishes today, is another story entirely because the rain is expected to get heavier into the night.
- Chone Figgins desperately needs to snap out of his 0-for-16 postseason slump, only getting on base once when Jonathan Papelbon walked him on a 3-2 count in Game 3 of the ALDS. If the old cliche for the New York Mets is, "As Jose Reyes goes, so do the Mets," then the same (mostly) holds true for Figgins and the Angels. They beat Boston in spite of his inability to get on base, but that likely won't be enough to beat the Yankees
- The weather conditions tonight are generally the same as they were last night. Whatever blame the Angels may have been able to put on "not used to the cold and rain" can't happen again. You only get the one mulligan in situations like these.
- The Angels' normally stellar defense must return in this must-win game for the Halos. They cannot afford to leave New York without a split of the first two games. The Yankees won Game 1 of the 2002 ALDS and 2005 ALDS against the Angels. Both series were won by the Angels. But they also had to win Game 2 of those 5-gamers.
- Joe Saunders hasn't pitched a real game in 2 weeks. He also gives up a lot of homers. Pitching Saunders instead of Kazmir in Yankee Stadium when Kazmir's history against the Bronx Bombers strongly favor him over Saunders, could prove to be a mistake. But Saunders isn't chopped liver. He posted a 16-7 record with a 4.60 ERA this season, with a very strong 2nd half going 7-2.
Round 1 of the 2009 MLB Playoffs has completed, and I did not do very well in my predictions, which you can point and laugh at here.
Of course, predictions are just that. Results you expect to occur, hopefully with some rhyme and reason to back it all up. Whether they actually become reality or not, is a whole nother story.
So first, a little wrap-up of the ALDS and NLDS before moving onto the ALCS and NLDS.
Reality: Yankees in 3 games
The only prediction that I got right, and I suspect that a lot of people got right too. The Twins weren't good enough to compete with the Bombers, and even during the games that they might have actually taken from the Yanks, they couldn't win. Game 2 was the ultimate in that case, with the Phil Cuzzi blown call in leftfield taking center stage, but the Twins had numerous opportunities to score in that game and never did.
Closer Joe Nathan continued his terrible postseason by giving up a game-tying HR in the bottom of the 9th of Game 2 to A-Rod, and also gave up 2 hits to the Yankees in the 9th inning of Game 3. Those hits led to 2 Yankee runs which were charged to other Twins relievers, but Nathan couldn't stop the Yankees from scoring. As great as Joe Nathan is during the regular season, he's been quite awful in the postseason, posting a 7.88 ERA.
Never so happy to be so wrong on both counts.
The Angels were supposed to be shut down by Jon Lester and Josh Beckett. Instead, it was the pitching of the Angels in the first two games that shut down the Red Sox. Lackey in Game 1, Weaver in Game 2. The Angels' gave up 1 run to Boston in the first two games.
Game 3 was probably the best game of the entire Division Series, because of the unlikeliest of unlikely comebacks against Boston's closer Jonathan Papelbon leading the Angels to a 3-game sweep over their nemesis. I could write more about it here, but my liveblog of the game says it all.
Reality: Philadelphia in 4 games.
Right number of games, wrong team.
The bottom line in this series was Cliff Lee, the Phillies bullpen not blowing things, especially Brad Lidge notching 2 saves in the series. That, plus the Phillies' offense out-hitting and out-running the Rockies, and the inability of Rockies closer Huston Street to stave off the Phillies' comeback in Game 4.
I definitely figured this series was going to be a lot more competitive than it turned out. Although I was correct in that the Dodgers needed to survive by hitting off of St. Louis' shaky bullpen. I didn't however, expect Matt Holliday to drop the ball in Game 2, and then Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin to be unable to get any of the additional batters out despite having 2 outs. That game was a heartbreaker if you're a St. Louis fan, or a Dodgers despiser like me.
I'm not gonna lie.
This is going to be a pivotal game for the New York Mets in numerous ways. They've already lost the season series against the Yankees, having lost 4 out of 5 games so far. Will tonight be 5 of 6? Or can they escape with a 2-4 season record against the Skanks? If the Mets lose tonight, they'll have been swept at home by the Yankees.
The first Mets-Yankees game this year in which 2B Luis Castillo dropped what should have been the final out and put the Mets up 1-0 in the series, is looming larger than it has in a long while.
But it's more than the Yankees now. If the Mets win, they're going to fall to a record of 37-37, and 3 games behind the NL East-leading Phillies. Falling to .500 at this point in the season is only slightly palatable because the rest of the NL East (not including Washington) are all within 5 games of each other.
This is a Mets offense riddled with injury, and the reserves are not holding it together they way they need to. David Wright may lead the NL in BA, but his power numbers have dropped so far down, that he can't carry the team anymore.
The minor league callups like Argenis Reyes (2B) and Fernando Martinez (CF) have been perfectly fine in the field, and absolutely dreadful at the plate. The middle relief has become a little burnt out, and the minor league callups like Jon Switzer and veteran Elmer Dessens haven't helped any.
The key to the Mets winning games is that the "everyday players" need to step things up at the plate and begin to manufacture runs. You don't have to hit longballs to win games, but you do have to execute when runners are in scoring position. For a team to be 1-hit by AJ Burnett and shutout by the Yankees last night is discouraging. But the Mets only amassed 3 hits and 1 run on Friday night. So they've been outscored 14-1 by the Yankees in 2 games, and
40-15 over the 5 games played so far. Disgusting.
Tonight's pitching matchup pits Chien-Ming Wang (0-6, 11.20 ERA) aginst Livan Hernandez (5-2, 4.05 ERA). While Wang is winless this season, and hasn't won a game since June 15, 2008, he IS looking better than he did in the beginning of the season. He gave up 3 ER in 5 IP in each of his last two starts (Washington, Atlanta), and while that's nothing great, it's a lot better than the way he was pitching to begin the 2009 season.
Livan has become a solid #2 for the Mets. In his last two starts, he pitched 7 innings each game, giving up 2 earned runs each time out. However, he was the starting pitcher against the Yankees in the first game between these two ballclubs in 2009 in what is forever going to be known as "The Castillo game," and he got rocked hard in that outing for 6 ER in 5.1 IP.
The trick to Livan's success tends to be fiddling around a wider strike zone, and taking advantage of relatively inexperienced hitters who aren't easily fooled by his 80 MPH fastballs and 60 MPH curveballs. Livan has been enormously successful for the Mets against other NL East opponents this season, less so against the crosstown rival Yankees. We'll see if he can save this team from sinking tonight.
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(All times Pacific)
Top of 1st Inning:
5:11pm: Not a good way for the Mets to start a ballgame. Derek Jeter pounds a shot to deep left-center field which bounces off the wall for a leadoff double.
5:13pm: Nick Swisher grounds a ball to 1B Daniel Murphy who is playing in a little. Murphy seems to have a little trouble getting the ball out of his glove. He throws to 3B David Wright to get Derek Jeter at 3rd base, but Jeter makes it in safely. I don't fault Murphy for trying to make the play, but the sure out at 1st was probably more wise. Swisher safe at 1st.
5:16pm: Mark Teixeira strokes a double down the leftfield line scoring Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher. 2 runs across so far. Yankees up 2-0 and still nobody out.
5:18pm: Alex Rodriguez walks. Livan Hernandez is looking pretty bad through 4 batters. He may end up settling down but he's gotta limit the damage ASAP.
5:21pm: Robinson Cano grounds into 2B Luis Castillo, who throws to SS Alex Cora, and then onto 1B Daniel Murphy for the double play. However, Daniel Murphy drops the ball out of his glove, and his foot was moving off the bag anyways, so it looks like Cano woulda made it safely to first base no matter what. Daniel Murphy can't afford any more mental mistake at 1B. Mark Teixeira to 3rd base. 1 out.
5:24pm: Livan Hernandez almost picks off Robinson Cano at 1st but he dives back in just ahead of the tag.
5:25pm: Jorge Posada hits a sac fly to CF Fernando Martinez. He finally makes a two-handed catch and makes a nice throw home to catcher Brian Schneider, but Teixeira is safe without a problem. Yankees up 3-0. 2 outs.
5:26pm: Robinson Cano is caught stealing by Brian Schneider who throws onto Alex Cora, getting Cano easily. 3 outs. Livan has GOT to settle down, and no more fucking errors from the Mets defense.
Bottom of 1st Inning:
5:29pm: Daniel Murphy leads off and flies out to CF Brett Gardner. 1 out.
5:30pm: They just showed footage of Livan Hernandez in the Mets dugout after the top of the 1st. Schneider told him he did well, and then Livan gave Castillo a pat on the back for his nice play in the inning. Livan then went into the clubhouse to vomit.
5:31pm: Alex Cora gets hit by a pitch from Chien-Ming Wang and takes his pass to 1st base.
5:34pm: David Wright strikes out at a slider in the dirt. Lovely. 2 outs.
5:36pm: Gary Sheffield singles up the middle, sending Alex Cora to 3rd base.
5:37pm: Fernando Tatis flies out to RF Nick Swisher. 3 outs.
Top of 2nd Inning:
5:42pm: ESPN shows an interesting stat about Livan Hernandez. During the 1st inning this season, Livan has posted a 6.00 ERA. The rest of the game? A far more manageable 3.90 ERA.
5:43pm: Melky Cabrera strikes out swinging. 1 out.
5:44pm: Brett Gardner flies out to SS Alex Cora in shallow leftfield. Cora uses two hands baby. 2 outs.
5:45pm: Fernando Martinez may suck with the bat, but he makes a superb diving catch in centerfield to grab a sinking liner off the bat of pitcher Chien-Ming Wang. 3 outs.
Bottom of 2nd Inning:
5:50pm: Fernando Martinez grounds out to 3B Alex Rodriguez who is perfectly positioned in the 3B-SS hole, away from the line, makes a short dive to his left and throws to 1B Mark Teixeira for the easy out. 1 away.
5:51pm: ESPN shows a replay of A-Rod on the last play wincing a bit after the throw. Did he just hurt his hip a little? I FUCKING HOPE SO!!!!
5:53pm: Brian Schneider takes a 3-2 pitch low for a walk.
5:55pm: Luis Castillo grounds into a 4-6 forceout. 2B Robinson Cano to SS Derek Jeter to get Schneider. Castillo is safe at first as there was no throw from Jeter since Luis can still move.
5:56pm: Livan Hernandez swings at the first pitch he sees from Wang, grounding it to SS Derek Jeter who tosses to 2B Robinson Cano for the force. 6-4. 3 outs.
Top of 3rd Inning:
5:59pm: Derek Jeter hits a solid and hard line drive into the glove of CF Fernando Martinez. 1 out.
6:01pm: Nick Swisher crushes a ball off the FOXBusiness.com sign just on the foul side of the rightfield foul pole.
6:02pm: Swisher hits a line drive on the next pitch into the glove of RF Fernando Tatis. 2 outs.
6:03pm: Mark Teixeira lines out to LF Gary Sheffield. 3 outs. Livan looks like he settled down. But this Mets offense needs to come alive and not allow Chien-Ming Wang to get his shit straight today of all days.
Bottom of 3rd Inning:
6:06pm: Daniel Murphy strikes out swinging at a low pitch in the dirt. Posada drops it so Murphy runs but Posada completes the strikeout by throwing down to 1st. 1 out.
6:09pm: Alex Cora works out a walk.
6:10pm: David Wright hits into a 6-4-3 motherfucking double play. 3 outs. Wang can walk everyone he wants as long as the Mets keep grounding into these fucking DPs.
Top of 4th Inning:
6:14pm: Alex Rodriguez rips a ball into CF for a single. That makes him 12 for 20 off of Livan Hernandez.
6:15pm: Robinson Cano hits into a tailor-made 4-6-3 double play. Castillo to Cora to Murphy. 2 outs. Whew!
6:16pm: Jorge Posada grounds out to 2B Luis Castillo. 4-3. 3 outs.
Bottom of 4th Inning:
6:22pm: Gary Sheffield takes a leadoff walk.
6:37pm: Melky Cabrera crushes a 3-2 pitch to one of the deepest parts of right-centerfield, but Gary Sheffield makes a nice catch on a 400-ft flyball. 1 out.
- Daniel Murphy's fumfering in the 1st inning. He attempted to get Derek Jeter at 3rd base on a groundball, and it was close. But it was the wrong play. I won't kill him on that only because it was close, and it would've been great had he nailed him. However, dropping the ball on the Cano double play AND having your foot off the bag when neither of those things should have occurred.
- Manager Jerry Manuel. Despite needing to make a couple of moves, having lefty Fernando Martinez face lefty Phil Coke in the 6th inning was a bad call. Martinez can't hit lefty pitching, and looked like a fucking joke doing so in this AB where he struck out at a ball at eye level. The right move was pinch-hitting for him using Nick Evans, and then either moving him into CF, or then putting Jeremy Reed into CF instead. I can understand not wanting to sub in 2 bench guys for one, but it had to be done, and Jerry didn't.
The other ridiculous managerial call was pitching to Derek Jeter in the 9th with Mariano Rivera on deck. Even Jeter thought this was retarded. Seriously! While ultimately the Mets lose the game either way, the fact that Jerry didn't call for the intentional pass to Jeter immediately was one of those huge "Is this guy for real?" moments. The only defense I can imagine Jerry Manuel might have for not walking Jeter initially was a reluctance to put Melky Cabrera on 3rd base, capable of scoring on any wild pitch or passed ball that got away from catcher Omir Santos.
Now, if you want to go with that defense, fine. Well, not fine, but... I get it. But then on a 2-1 pitch, he changes his mind and gives Jeter ball 4.
- Frankie Rodriguez. Despite Cora and Castillo not figuring out who should make the catch on Jorge Posada's flyball into the Bermuda Triangle, he's given leadoff hits before and gotten out of jams. However, walking Brett Gardner couldn't happen here, and walking Mariano Rivera was unforgivable. The only saving grace was that they were already losing the game 3-2, so what's another run at that point?!! Still, tough to take.
Every year, MLB begins their All-Star game balloting near the end of April, which is far too early. I advocate for voting only after June 1, as you simply cannot elect players to the All-Star game based on less than one month of baseball.
| 1st Base | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | PLAYER NAME | AL TEAM | TOTAL VOTES |
| 1. | Mark Teixeira | Yankees | 1,561,292 |
| 2. | Kevin Youkilis | Red Sox | 1,525,660 |
| 3. | Justin Morneau | Twins | 1,275,694 |
| 4. | Miguel Cabrera | Tigers | 944,855 |
| 5. | Chris Davis | Rangers | 632,895 |
| 2nd Base | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | PLAYER NAME | AL TEAM | TOTAL VOTES |
| 1. | Ian Kinsler | Rangers | 1,791,177 |
| 2. | Dustin Pedroia | Red Sox | 1,732,787 |
| 3. | Robinson Cano | Yankees | 1,062,863 |
| 4. | Aaron Hill | Blue Jays | 775,200 |
| 5. | Placido Polanco | Tigers | 660,693 |
| 3rd Base | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | PLAYER NAME | AL TEAM | TOTAL VOTES |
| 1. | Evan Longoria | Rays | 2,488,076 |
| 2. | Alex Rodriguez | Yankees | 1,165,243 |
| 3. | Michael Young | Rangers | 933,630 |
| 4. | Mike Lowell | Red Sox | 890,138 |
| 5. | Brandon Inge | Tigers | 535,226 |
So back to reality... A-Rod isn't hitting at a level worthy of election and he missed 6 weeks of the season. For him to be #2 on this list is a complete joke.
| Shortstop | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | PLAYER NAME | AL TEAM | TOTAL VOTES |
| 1. | Derek Jeter | Yankees | 2,563,093 |
| 2. | Jason Bartlett | Rays | 1,148,988 |
| 3. | Elvis Andrus | Rangers | 844,349 |
| 4. | Marco Scutaro | Blue Jays | 684,883 |
| 5. | Jed Lowrie | Red Sox | 459,732 |
| Catcher | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | PLAYER NAME | AL TEAM | TOTAL VOTES |
| 1. | Joe Mauer | Twins | 2,298,544 |
| 2. | Jason Varitek | Red Sox | 1,108,054 |
| 3. | Jorge Posada | Yankees | 947,887 |
| 4. | Jarrod Saltalamacchia | Rangers | 827,063 |
| 5. | Victor Martinez | Indians | 754,571 |
| RANK | PLAYER NAME | AL TEAM | TOTAL VOTES |
| 1. | Jason Bay | Red Sox | 2,077,504 |
| 2. | Ichiro Suzuki | Mariners | 1,455,266 |
| 3. | Josh Hamilton | Rangers | 1,385,212 |
| 4. | Torii Hunter | Angels | 1,186,097 |
| 5. | Carl Crawford | Rays | 1,172,241 |
| 6. | Jacoby Ellsbury | Red Sox | 1,051,270 |
| 7. | Johnny Damon | Yankees | 1,021,394 |
| 8. | Ken Griffey Jr. | Mariners | 1,009,584 |
| 9. | Nelson Cruz | Rangers | 956,294 |
| 10. | Adam Jones | Orioles | 894,664 |
| 11. | J.D. Drew | Red Sox | 818,459 |
| 12. | Nick Markakis | Orioles | 756,316 |
| 13. | Curtis Granderson | Tigers | 641,102 |
| 14. | Grady Sizemore | Indians | 626,014 |
| 15. | Bobby Abreu | Angels | 614,244 |
Starting Pitchers:
Jered Weaver (Los Angeles)
Brian Fuentes (Los Angeles)
| 1st Base | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | PLAYER NAME | NL TEAM | TOTAL VOTES |
| 1. | Albert Pujols | Cardinals | 2,934,794 |
| 2. | Ryan Howard | Phillies | 1,393,546 |
| 3. | Prince Fielder | Brewers | 1,155,529 |
| 4. | Adrian Gonzalez | Padres | 894,600 |
| 5. | Lance Berkman | Astros | 512,879 |
| 2nd Base | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | PLAYER NAME | NL TEAM | TOTAL VOTES |
| 1. | Chase Utley | Phillies | 2,922,796 |
| 2. | Orlando Hudson | Dodgers | 1,082,248 |
| 3. | Rickie Weeks | Brewers | 832,870 |
| 4. | Skip Schumaker | Cardinals | 729,722 |
| 5. | Dan Uggla | Marlins | 475,372 |
| 3rd Base | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | PLAYER NAME | NL TEAM | TOTAL VOTES |
| 1. | David Wright | Mets | 1,698,366 |
| 2. | Ryan Zimmerman | Nationals | 1,148,054 |
| 3. | Chipper Jones | Braves | 1,104,485 |
| 4. | Pedro Feliz | Phillies | 954,945 |
| 5. | Bill Hall | Brewers | 842,295 |
| Shortstop | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | PLAYER NAME | NL TEAM | TOTAL VOTES |
| 1. | Hanley Ramirez | Marlins | 1,648,482 |
| 2. | Jimmy Rollins | Phillies | 1,494,466 |
| 3. | J.J. Hardy | Brewers | 1,051,309 |
| 4. | Miguel Tejada | Astros | 834,754 |
| 5. | Jose Reyes | Mets | 754,579 |
| Catcher | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | PLAYER NAME | NL TEAM | TOTAL VOTES |
| 1. | Yadier Molina | Cardinals | 1,496,285 |
| 2. | Brian McCann | Braves | 1,180,312 |
| 3. | Ivan Rodriguez | Astros | 1,002,882 |
| 4. | Jason Kendall | Brewers | 995,633 |
| 5. | Carlos Ruiz | Phillies | 980,164 |
| Outfield | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | PLAYER NAME | NL TEAM | TOTAL VOTES |
| 1. | Raul Ibanez | Phillies | 2,465,539 |
| 2. | Ryan Braun | Brewers | 2,178,144 |
| 3. | Carlos Beltran | Mets | 1,779,344 |
| 4. | Alfonso Soriano | Cubs | 1,639,664 |
| 5. | Shane Victorino | Phillies | 1,371,362 |
| 6. | Manny Ramirez | Dodgers | 1,162,507 |
| 7. | Mike Cameron | Brewers | 1,140,167 |
| 8. | Rick Ankiel | Cardinals | 1,011,527 |
| 9. | Jayson Werth | Phillies | 1,008,256 |
| 10. | Corey Hart | Brewers | 959,614 |
| 11. | Ryan Ludwick | Cardinals | 950,662 |
| 12. | Adam Dunn | Nationals | 742,515 |
| 13. | Matt Kemp | Dodgers | 673,979 |
| 14. | Andre Ethier | Dodgers | 642,983 |
| 15. | Justin Upton | D-backs | 594,185 |
Jonathan Broxton (Los Angeles)
Not even 24 hours after one of the most crushing Met losses of the season thanks to 2B Luis Castillo dropping a pop fly ball where the Yankees then scored 2 runs to win the game in the most unfortunate and soul-sucking torturous manner we've seen in a long time...
A Sunday morning game on TBS means it's a Mets-Yankees game I actually get to see. That's pretty damn rare these days as I haven't the slightest idea when the Mets will be on national TV again. And they sure ain't coming to California again for the rest of the season unless they AND the Dodgers or Giants or Padres somehow miraculously make the playoffs.
But I'll take the few games I can watch and try to enjoy. With Oliver Perez on the mound for the Mets, the "try" part may prove difficult.
One thing I HAVE grown a bit tired of when watching the highlights of the last couple of games recently, is shots of little kids together. One wearing a Met hat, one wearing a Yankee hat, and the two kids are BEST FRIENDS! Fuck that, you can't be friends with the enemy! You have to bludgeon them with a bat! Even at age 7.
Tell little Antonio that the douchebag next to him wearing a Derek Jeter t-shirt stole his iPod, and watch the havoc ensue.
Onto the game!!!
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Top of 1st Inning:
10:11am: Johnny Damon goes down swinging. 1 out.
10:13am: On the off chance that Oliver Perez ends up pitching wildly today, I'd at least like him to hit Yankee batters in the face with the ball. Especially Derek fucking Jeter.
10:14am: Derek Jeter grounds out sharply to 2B Luis Castillo, 4-3. 2 out.
10:15am: Alex Rodriguez fouls out to 1B Carlos Delgado. 3 out.
Bottom of 1st Inning:
10:17am: Jose Reyes lines a 0-1 pitch into short rightfield for a leadoff single.
10:18am: Luis Castillo squares to bunt but pulls back at the last second. Jose Molina can't catch the ball and it goes to the backstop. Jose Reyes takes 2nd on the Passed Ball.
10:21am: Luis Castillo fails to bunt or even make contact as he watches strike 3 go by him on the outside corner. 1 out.
10:22am: David Wright hits a long long flyball to deep right-centerfield, but RF Justin Christian pulls it down just in front of the wall. Jose Reyes tags up to 3rd. 2 out.
10:25am: Carlos Beltran walks. Runners on 1st and 3rd with 2 out.
10:26am: Jose Reyes is dancing off 3rd to a ridiculous degree.
10:27am: With Carlos Beltran running on the 0-1 pitch, Carlos Delgado flies out to CF Melky Cabrera. 3 out.
Top of 2nd Inning:
10:31am: Jorge Posada strikes out. 1 out.
10:34am: Wilson Betemit strikes out swinging. 2 out.
10:36am: Melky Cabrera groundsout to SS Jose Reyes, 6-3. 3 out.
Bottom of 2nd Inning:
10:39am: Ryan Church returns!!! And now endless second-guessing about the concussion handling resumes...
10:40am: Ryan Church lines out to 1B Jorge Posada. 1 out.
10:42am: Endy Chavez hits a ball into the shallow right-centerfield Bermuda Triangle that no one can get to. Chavez on 1st with a single.
10:44am: Brian Schneider hits a groundball between 1st and 2nd for a single. Chavez to 2nd base.
10:45am: Oliver Perez lays down a sac bunt towards 3rd. Alex Rodriguez fields it and throws to Posada at 1B for the 2nd out. Schneider and Chavez move up a base.
10:46am: TBS lets us know that Yankees pitcher Darrell Rasner's has an 0-3, 10.93 ERA over his last 3 road games.
10:47am: Jose Reyes takes an intentional unintentional walk to load up the bases.
10:51am: Luis Castillo works a full count from Rasner and hits a chopper up the middle for one of his patented infield singles. Derek Jeter makes a nice play and throws to Posada at 1B but Castillo beats the throw. Endy Chavez scores. Mets up 1-0. Bases loaded for David Wright with 2 out.
10:54am: David Wright grounds out to 3B Alex Rodriguez, who runs to third base for the out before Jose Reyes gets there. 3 out.
Top of 3rd Inning:
10:59am: Jose Molina strikes out swinging. 1 out.
11:00am: Justin Christian pops out to 1B Carlos Delgado. 2 out.
11:02am: Pitcher Darrell Rasner strikes out looking. 3 out.
Bottom of 3rd Inning:
11:05am: Ron Darling reminds us that no Met has ever pitched a no-hitter. *sigh*
11:06am: Carlos Beltran pops up to 2B Wilson Betemit. 1 out.
11:09am: Carlos Delgado hits a mammoth HR just to the right of the Apple, which hits off the scoreboard. 2-0 Mets.
11:10am: Ryan Church hits a flyball into shallow LF that SS Derek Jeter cannot get to. Church on 1st with a single.
11:12am: With Ryan Church running on the pitch, Endy Chavez hits a 3-1 chopper right down to 1B Jorge Posada, who steps on the bag for the out. 2 out.
11:14am: Brian Schneider is intentionally walked so Darrell Rasner can face Oliver Perez.
11:16am: Oliver Perez strikes out swinging. 3 out.
Top of 4th Inning:
11:20am: The lights are on at Shea with darkening skies and the threat of rain looming.
11:21am: Johnny Damon strikes out. That's 6 K's in 4 IP. 1 out.
11:22am: Derek Fucking Jeter breaks up the perfect game with a basehit to RF.
11:23am: Oliver Perez throws a Wild PItch that gets past C Brian Schneider, although it probably was a ball Schneider should have handled. Derek Jeter to 2nd on the WP.
11:24am: Alex Rodriguez hits a MONSTER moonshot foul into the mezzanine level. Perez better not give him another one like that.
11:25am: Perez is taking it to A-Rod in this battle. It's a full count and A-Rod is fighting pitches off. A light rain has begun in Flushing.
11:27am: Perez wins the battle by blowing one by A-Rod that he can't catch up to. 7 strikeouts for Perez. 2 out.
11:29am: Jorge Posada grounds out to 2B Luis Castillo. 4-3. 3 out.
Bottom of 4th Inning:
11:33am: Jose Reyes grounds out to SS Derek Jeter. 6-3. 1 out.
The rain is getting heavier. The Mets need to get through the top 5 of this game, as the thunderstorms forecast in the area may be too much for a simple "delay."
11:34am: Luis Castillo squibs a single down the leftfield line.
11:35am: David Wright flies out to RF Justin Christian. 2 out.
11:36am: Carlos Beltran strikes out swinging at slop. 3 out.
Top of 5th Inning:
11:44am: Wilson Betemit hits a 3-2 fastball directly at 3B David Wright for a lineout. 1 out.
11:45am: Melky Cabrera strikes out swinging. 2 out.
11:46am: Jose Molina flies out to LF Endy Chavez. 3 out.
Bottom of 5th Inning:
11:51am: Carlos Delgado hits a couple of hard balls foul, but ultimately foul pops out to C Jose Molina. 1 out.
11:52am: Ryan Church grounds out to 2B Wilson Betemit. 4-3. 2 out.
11:53am: Endy Chavez lines a single to RF.
11:57am: Brian Schneider flies out to LF Johnny Damon. 3 out.
Top of 6th Inning:
11:59am: The rain seems to have stopped for now, and the game is now official anyways. It's now the 6th inning, so this is either the time that Perez falls apart, or shows us greatness.
12:01pm: On a 3-2 pitch, Justin Christian flies out to RF Ryan Church. 1 out.
12:02pm: Chad Moeller pinch-hits for Darrell Rasner, as the Yankees need some runs. I hope they don't get shit, obviously.
12:03pm: Chad Moeller just misses a HR by a couple of feet, flying out to deeeeeep LF, but Endy Chavez pulls it down just in front of the wall. 2 out.
12:04pm: Johnny Damon lines a ball into deep RF. Ryan Church gets a glove on it but it deflects off the mitt to the wall, but Damon is held to a long single.
12:05pm: Derek fucking Jeter hits the first pitch he sees for a groundball to 2B Luis Castillo. Castillo flips to Jose Reyes at second for the 3rd out. 4-6. 3 out.
Bottom of 6th Inning:
12:08pm: David Robertson is making his MLB debut for the Skanks, pitching in relief of Darrell Rasner.
12:09pm: Perez goes flat on his back after Robertson throws high and inside, but it wasn't nearly as close as Perez' flop made it look.
12:11pm: Oliver Perez has a good AB but ultimately strikes out swinging. 1 out.
12:12pm: Jose Reyes singles to CF.
12:16pm: Luis Castillo singles down the leftfield line bringing him to 3-for-4 on the day. Reyes to 2nd base. Is a double-steal coming?
12:17pm: With David Wright batting, Robertson's first pitch is in the dirt and it gets away from Molina enough to allow Reyes and Castillo to move up 90 feet.
12:19pm: David Wright flies out to RF Justin Christian. Reyes and Castillo tag up on the play, Reyes scores. Mets up 3-0, 2 out.
12:20pm: Carlos Beltran flies out to CF Melky Cabrera. 3 out.
Top of 7th Inning:
12:22pm: The sun is shining bright at Shea Stadium again. No signs of rain for now.
12:24pm: Alex Rodriguez hits a first pitch that just goes foul down the LF line. The 2nd pitch he hits is a very high flyball just left of the pitcher's mound, David Wright catches it for the 1st out.
12:27pm: Jorge Posada hits a flyball to deep RF that Ryan Church takes a tough route to, but brings it down. 2 out.
12:29pm: Wilson Betemit hits a tape-measure HR blast over the picnic bleachers in leftfield. Yankees now on the board but trail 3-1.
12:31pm: Melky Cabrera hits a grounder to SS Jose Reyes who throws high to Carlos Delgado at 1B. Delgado should've caught it, but the Error goes to Reyes. The ball went into the dugout, so Cabrera takes 2nd base.
12:33pm: Jose Molina hits a flyball to RF Ryan Church. 3 out. We move into the 7th-inning stretch with the Mets up by a score of 3-1.
Bottom of 7th Inning:
12:38pm: Carlos Delgado hits a high flyball deep to RF, but Justin Christian catches it on the warning track. 1 out.
12:39pm: Ryan Church singles to RF.
12:40pm: Endy Chavez hits the ball the opposite way to LF for a base hit. Church to 2nd. Both Castillo and Chavez are 3-for-4 on the day.
12:42pm: Brian Schneider hits the first pitch into a 4-6-3 double play. 3 out.
Top of 8th Inning:
12:45pm: Met manager Jerry Manuel makes a double switch. Pedro Feliciano is on to pitch the 8th inning and will bat 5th in Carlos Delgado's spot, Fernando Tatis replaces Carlos Delgado at 1B.
12:48pm: Justin Christian flies out to LF Endy Chavez. 1 out.
12:49pm: The golden-thonged mustache Jason Giambi pinch-hits for David Robertson, and promptly hits the first pitch to LF Endy Chavez for out 2.
12:52pm: Joe Smith warming up in the bullpen in case Feliciano can't get Johnny Damon.
12:53pm: Pedro Feliciano strikes out Johnny Damon looking. 3 out.
Bottom of 8th Inning:
12:56pm: TBS announcer Chip Caray says that they were mistaken earlier about a double switch being made. There were two player changes (Tatis for Delgado, Feliciano for Perez) but they were not changed around in the lineup. Edwar Ramirez now pitching for the Yankees.
12:57pm: Marlon Anderson is in to pinch-hit for Pedro Feliciano. He flies out to CF Melky Cabrera. 1 out.
12:58pm: Jose Reyes flies out to shallow LF with SS Derek Jeter running it down. 2 out.
1:00pm: Luis Castillo flies out to LF Johnny Damon. 3 out.
Top of 9th Inning:
1:03pm: Enter Sandman. Billy Wagner is on to close out the game for the Mets. But he'll be facing Jeter, A-Rod and Posada in doing so.
1:05pm: Derek fucking Jeter lines a single up the middle that 2B Luis Castillo dives for but can't get to.
1:06pm: Billy Wagner throws a Wild Pitch in the dirt, Jeter to 2nd as the ball goes to the backstop.
1:07pm: A-Rod hits a shot that makes it to the LF warning track, but Endy Chavez catches it. 1 out.
1:08pm: Jorge Posada grounds to SS Jose Reyes, 6-3. Derek Jeter can't advance.
1:11pm: Billy Wagner throws a slider down Broadway and Betemit is frozen. Strike 3, 3 out. Game over. Mets win 3-1.
--------------------------------------------
- Oliver Perez has his best start of the season, with only a Wilson Betemit solo bomb to taint an otherwise great performance. 7IP, 3 H, NO WALKS, 1 ER, 8 strikeouts.
- Carlos Delgado's moonshot HR to put the Mets up 2-0.
- Both Luis Castillo and Endy Chavez knocked out 3 hits each, accounting for half the Met offense. Ryan Church and Jose Reyes had 2 hits each.
- Feliciano perfect in the 8th, Wagner scares us in the 9th by allowing a leadoff single from Derek fucking Jeter, who then gets to 2nd base thanks to a Wild Pitch, but ultimately Wags gets the job done by then retiring A-Rod, Posada and Betemit.
The Mets finish up the first 81 games of the season at 40-41, and win the season series from the Yankees 4-2.
The MLB All-Star game is a little over a month away. Voting began on May 1, which is way too early to make All-Star picks, but as of June 10, with the latest results available, and the timing right, here are my votes and analysis for the 2008 All-Stars.
Keep in mind that there is still a lot of baseball left to be played between now and the end of the initial voting period which ends on July 2. Player performances can drastically change over that time period, so a ballot submitted then could look a lot different than one submitted on June 10.
American League:
1B Current Leaders (as of June 9, 2008)
1. Kevin Youkilis (Boston)
926,758
2. Justin Morneau (Minnesota) 678,037
3. Jason Giambi (New York) 437,656
4. Carlos Pena (Tampa Bay) 296,769
5. Paul Konerko (Chicago)
270,410
My Pick: Justin Morneau (Minnesota)
Kevin Youkilis is practically neck-and-neck with Justin Morneau in stats across the board, so either one is a fine choice.
The Angels' Casey Kotchman should be getting more votes than he has, leading all AL 1B in BA (currently .307) and has been consistently good all season. The Tigers' Carlos Guillen is also a good pick, but he's since been moved out of 1B for the defensively-challenged Miguel Cabrera, who this year would be a terrible pick at any position.
Paul Konerko isn't remotely reasonable in that spot when he's been hitting under .220 practically the entire season, and doesn't have the power numbers that a Jason Giambi has to justify the votes. Carlos Pena is also a bad choice here, as he has more HRs than Konerko, but similar BA. Pena leads all AL 1B in strikeouts, and is also on the DL. A terrible choice.
2B Current Leaders (as of June 9, 2008)
1. Dustin Pedroia (Boston) 809,114
2. Ian Kinsler (Texas)
512,894
3. Robinson Cano (New York) 512,045
4. Placido Polanco (Detroit) 333,336
5. Brian Roberts (Baltimore) 233,752
My Pick: Ian Kinsler (Texas)
Red Sox nation may be stuffing the ballots here, but these results are completely absurd. Kinsler has better stats than Pedroia across the board to the point that it's ridiculous to vote for anyone BUT Ian Kinsler at this point. Brian Roberts would be a better pick than Pedroia, but still not close to Kinsler.
Robinson Cano is having a terrible year and doesn't even belong in the top 5. This category is a joke if Kinsler doesn't win. There's not a single justifiable reason for anyone else to get it.
SS Current Leaders (as of June 9, 2008)
1. Derek Jeter (New York)
1,218,881
2. Michael Young (Texas)
533,582
3. Edgar Renteria (Detroit)
365,269
4. Julio Lugo (Boston)
281,408
5. Orlando Cabrera (Chicago) 271,702
My Pick: Michael Young (Texas)
Derek Jeter is in this spot for two reasons. One, legacy at the position. Two, the All-Star game is in Yankee Stadium, so he's getting a LOT of hometown voting. But again, the fans are completely wrong and should be ashamed for voting this way.
This is a terrible pick when Michael Young's numbers trump Jeter's across the board in the same way Kinsler's stats obliterate the entire field at 2B.
The Rangers' middle infield is clearly getting short-changed in the voting because they're not a major market like New York or Boston, even though Young and Kinsler are the ONLY reasonable choices at these two positions.
3B Current Leaders (as of June 9, 2008)
1. Alex Rodriguez (New York)
1,109,916
2. Mike Lowell (Boston)
584,563
3. Miguel Cabrera (Detroit)
379,813
4. Joe Crede (Chicago)
334,024
5. Scott Rolen (Toronto)
204,472
My Pick: Alex Rodriguez (New York)
A-Rod's stint on the DL makes his stats this season seem on the weak side. What, ONLY 10 HRs? But he's still the best pick at the position. Mike Lowell also spent time on the DL this season, but his stats don't compare to A-Rod's in the least.
Miguel Cabrera isn't at 3B anymore, and even if he were, doesn't have the stats to warrant the votes.
The only other slightly reasonable pick at 3B is Chicago's Joe Crede, who leads all AL 3B with 14 HR and has a very good .291 BA.
C Current Leaders (as of June 9, 2008)
1. Jason Varitek (Boston)
681,451
2. Joe Mauer (Minnesota)
630,372
3. Ivan Rodriguez (Detroit)
505,645
4. Jorge Posada (New York)
445,455
5. Victor Martinez (Cleveland)
321,063
My Pick: Dioner Navarro (Tampa Bay)
Based on stats, there are only two reasonable choices at what is a fairly weak field of catchers. Joe Mauer, and the Rays' Dioner Navarro, who despite a .349 BA leading all catchers, and has been hitting well over .300 all season, doesn't crack the top 5, which is ridiculous.
Varitek is a poor choice here, as he is every year. Red Sox Nation continues to try and flood the All-Star team with their players, even when very few of them should be involved.
Both Rodriguez and Varitek get votes based on how they performed 7 years ago, instead of in 2008. Jorge Posada spent a fair amount of time on the DL this season, and while he is hitting .311, hasn't played enough this year to matchup with Mauer and Navarro's stats.
DH Current Leaders (as of June 9, 2008)
1. David Ortiz (Boston)
1,261,879
2. Hideki Matsui (New York)
672,267
3. Jim Thome (Chicago)
403,881
4. Gary Sheffield (Detroit)
192,557
5. Frank Catalanotto (Texas)
188,622
My Pick: Hideki Matsui (New York)
David Ortiz is a great pick except he's on the DL and may be done for the season. Gary Sheffield is also on the DL, but is not a good pick at all this year.
Jim Thome has very good power numbers but that's about all. He's hitting .212 and strikes out at a very high rate.
Matsui is hitting .323 with 6 HR, 29 RBIs and a 1-to-1 BB/K ratio. With Ortiz out of the mix, no one else should get a vote except for Hideki Matsui.
OF Current Leaders (as of June 9, 2008)
1. Manny Ramirez (Boston)
1,179,884
2. Josh Hamilton (Texas)
922,220
3. Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle)
696,176
4. Vladimir Guerrero (Los Angeles) 610,877
5. Bobby Abreu (New York)
545,852
6. Magglio Ordonez (Detroit)
512,245
7. Johnny Damon (New York)
444,973
8. Melky Cabrera (New York)
439,893
9. Torii Hunter (Los Angeles)
421,694
10. Grady Sizemore (Cleveland)
410,465
My Picks: Josh Hamilton (Texas), (write-in) Carlos Quentin (Chicago), Manny Ramirez (Boston)
Josh Hamilton is having an amazing season so far, 17 HR, 69 RBIs (wow), and .315 BA. Clearly deserves the vote.
Carlos Quentin is an unfortunate victim of not being on the ballot, so he's not getting the votes. He'll definitely make the team thanks to the players' voting, but fans should be writing him in at a faster clip. If I could write-in Milton Bradley (Texas) as well, I would.
And Manny Ramirez is a fine choice this season based on his numbers.
There are a good number of options for the AL outfield. I have no quarrel with guys like Ichiro, Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu making the top 10.
There are still people on the list though, who shouldn't be. Vladimir Guerrero is having a very mediocre season. Melky Cabrera is good, but is no All-Star. Torii Hunter isn't having the season that other better players are.
Pitching:
Fans of course, don't get to vote for pitchers in the All-Star game. But here
are my 10 picks in case the players need some guidance. J 5 starters, 5
relievers, in no particular order.
Starters: Cliff Lee (Cleveland), Roy Halladay (Toronto), Ervin Santana, (Los Angeles), Scott Kazmir (Tampa Bay), Jose Contreras (Chicago).
Relievers: Mariano Rivera (New York), Frankie Rodriguez (Los Angeles), Jonathan Papelbon (Boston), George Sherrill (Baltimore), Joakim Soria (Kansas City)
So, in conclusion, my AL ballot:
C: Dioner Navarro (Tampa Bay)
1B: Justin Morneau (Minnesota)
2B: Ian Kinsler (Texas)
SS: Michael Young (Texas)
3B: Alex Rodriguez (New York)
DH: Hideki Matsui (New York)
OF: Josh Hamilton (Texas), (write-in) Carlos Quentin (Chicago), Manny Ramirez
(Boston)
Overall, the fan voting is leading to some absolutely terrible choices so far at 2B, SS and C positions, picking 3 guys who don’t belong starting.
Onto the National League Ballot!!!
National League
1B Current Leaders (as of June 10, 2008)
1. Lance Berkman (Houston) 1,046,249
2. Derrick Lee (Chicago) 771,516
3. Albert Pujols (St. Louis) 700,777
4. Ryan Howard (Philadelphia) 368,012
5. Prince Fielder (Milwaukee) 317,039
My Pick: Lance Berkman (Houston)
Berkman is the best pick of them all by far, although I wouldn’t necessarily spit on someone for voting for Pujols, Lee, or San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez.
Ryan Howard doesn’t deserve to be on the All-Star team with a .214 BA. Prince Fielder isn’t putting up the numbers that other more worthy candidates are.
2B Current Leaders (as of June 10, 2008)
1. Chase Utley (Philadelphia) 1,284,961
2. Mark DeRosa (Chicago) 589,637
3. Kazuo Matsui (Houston) 523,335
4. Dan Uggla (Florida) 366,848
5. Orlando Hudson (Arizona) 333,998
My Pick: Chase Utley (Philadelphia)
Up until recently, no one was even remotely close to being a reasonable option OTHER than Chase Utley.
Florida’s Dan Uggla has experienced an offensive surge which is still short of Utley’s numbers, but would make a good option as a backup. DeRosa is a good hitter but doesn’t have the power of Utley or Uggla.
SS Current Leaders (as of June 10, 2008)
1. Miguel Tejada (Houston) 726,835
2. Hanley Ramirez (Florida) 607,528
3. Ryan Theriot (Chicago) 583,433
4. Jose Reyes (New York) 498,007
5. Jimmy Rollins (Philadelphia) 442,885
My Pick: Hanley Ramirez (Florida)
Up until he went on the DL in early May, Rafael Furcal of the Los Angeles Dodgers was having an All-Star caliber start to his season. Alas, he’s been out for over a month now and there’s no definitive timetable on when he’ll return.
With the current field of shortstops, it’s really a 2-man race and the fans have it right for once. Miguel Tejada and Hanley Ramirez are the best options. Jose Reyes has improved greatly from his slow April, but he’s still not as good a choice as Ramirez or Tejada.
I give the edge to Hanley because of the power numbers (14 HRs compared to Tejada’s 7), but don’t find Tejada to be a bad pick since he’s been hitting hover .300 most of the season.
Ryan Theriot and Jimmy Rollins are good choices, but not the best. Atlanta’s Yuniel Escobar is at the same level.
3B (Current Leaders (as of June 10, 2008)
1. Chipper Jones (Atlanta) 1,110,171
2. Aramis Ramirez (Chicago) 726,973
3. David Wright (New York) 655,105
4. Ty Wigginton (Houston) 359,989
5. Mark Reynolds (Arizona) 292,702
My Pick: Chipper Jones (Atlanta)
Open and shut. Chipper Jones is hitting .420 on June 10 and leads all NL 3B with 15 HRs. Any other vote is retarded. Seriously. And I HATE Chipper Jones.
C (Current Leaders (as of June 10, 2008)
1. Geovany Soto (Chicago) 969,853
2. Brian McCann (Atlanta) 578,276
3. Yadier Molina (St. Louis) 458,084
4. J.R. Towles (Houston) 367,248
5. Russell Martin (Los Angeles) 350,694
My Pick: Brian McCann (Atlanta)
Brian McCann and Geovany Soto are the top 2 in the voting, and either one would be a good choice at starting catcher. Currently McCann has the better numbers, but they’re so close, either one would be fine.
Yadier Molina is hitting .295, but older brother Bengie Molina is hitting .333 with better overall numbers. Bengie isn’t in the top 5 votegetters.
J.R. Towles might be the most ridiculous pick ever, with a .145 BA. Embarrassing.
Russell Martin is hitting very well but doesn’t have the
power numbers of Soto or McCann. He still should be higher in the voting than
Molina or Towles.
OF (Current Leaders (as of June 9, 2008)
1. Alfonso Soriano (Chicago) 1,088,866
2. Kosuke Fukudome (Chicago) 918,262
3. Ken Griffey Jr. (Cincinnati) 775,759
4. Carlos Lee (Houston) 587,027
5. Carlos Beltran (New York) 518,838
6. Ryan Braun (Milwaukee) 514,913
7. Matt Holliday (Colorado) 507,628
8. Hunter Pence (Houston) 500,857
9. Pat Burrell (Philadelphia) 487,131
10. Rick Ankiel (St. Louis) 478,136
My Picks: Ryan Braun (Milwaukee), Alfonso Soriano (Chicago), Ryan Ludwick (St. Louis)
This is an interesting result that the fans have put together. Kosuke Fukudome has become a fan favorite of the Cubs and had a very good start to the season but has cooled off considerably. He’s probably good enough to be a reserve OF, but in no way should be a starter.
Ken Griffey Jr. is a nostalgia pick but doesn’t have the numbers to warrant being here.
Carlos Beltran is a ridiculous choice unless you’re voting for the best defensive CF of the bunch. Otherwise, he has no business on the team having the nothing season he’s having.
Matt Holliday would probably be one of my picks if not for him being on the DL.
Carlos Lee’s BA isn’t good enough to warrant so many votes, although Astros fans are clearly voting in big numbers when guys like J.R. Towles, Kazuo Matsui and Carlos Lee are garnering as many votes as they’ve gotten.
A lot of absurd people in the top 10 here, as opposed to the AL’s top 10, which are mostly good picks.
Pitchers:
5 starters and 5 relievers, in no particular order.
Starters: Edinson Volquez (Cincinnati), Tim Lincecum (San Francisco), Brandon Webb (Arizona), Ben Sheets (Milwaukee), Ryan Dempster (Chicago).
Relievers: Billy Wagner (New York), Brad Lidge (Philadelphia), Kerry Wood (Chicago), Matt Capps (Pittsburgh), Brandon Lyon (Arizona).
So, in conclusion, my NL ballot:
C: Brian McCann (Atlanta)
1B: Lance Berkman (Houston)
2B: Chase Utley (Philadelphia)
SS: Hanley Ramirez (Florida)
3B: Chipper Jones (Atlanta)
OF: Ryan Braun (Milwaukee), Alfonso Soriano (Chicago), Ryan Ludwick (St. Louis)
Overall, the fans have put together much better picks for the NL starters except in the Outfield, with only Alfonso Soriano being deserving of starting in the current top 3 votegetters.
I haven't done this since the 2006 MLB playoffs, but it's time for another rendition of a liveblog during a game.
Tonight's game is on ESPN from Yankee Stadium, Mets vs Yankees. The series is tied 1-1, and the Mets are desperate for not just a win, but a true rebound. Atlanta and Philadelphia are 2 and 2.5 games back respectively, and the Mets are barely clinging to the top of the NL East.
Remember, all times are Pacific.
5:05pm: Peter Gammons joins in the commentary as to what the Mets are trying to do while playing the Yankees, which has been to steal a shitload of bases. Jose Reyes has stolen 5 bases in the first two games.
5:09pm: Skankees take the field. Willie has put Paul Lo Duca back in the #2 position in the Mets lineup, which is a good idea. Not sure why he thought moving Lo Duca to #6 was the right call. Unfortunately, Carlos Delgado is still in the lineup, something which clearly needs to temporarily stop. Delgado is hurting this team more than helping. People want to call it a slump. I call it it hitting the wall. And I wonder if Delgado could even do that with a bat anymore.
Top 1:
5:12pm: Jose Reyes leads off and pops out to shallow rightfield. You can hear the Skankee fans in the bleachers doing their annoying "chant each guy's name" briefly. We get a nice blimp shot of the New Yankee Stadium being built. Paul Lo Duca is hit on the first pitch he sees from Wang. Looks like it got him on the left elbow. He's in a little pain.
5:13pm: Jon Miller informs us that this is the 5th batter Wang has hit all season, more than any other Yankee pitcher. Carlos Beltran is up, and he's not hitting much better than Delgado. Beltran has seemingly reverted back to 2005 form, and that's a terrible thing.
5:14pm: Sure enough, Carlos Beltran hits into a 4-6-3 double play. Beltran is REALLY frustrating.
Bottom 1:
5:18pm: El Douche gets leadoff hitter Johnny Damon to strikeout looking.
5:20pm: Derek Jeter hits a 3-1 pitch on the ground just under 2B Ruben Gotay for a single. Joe Morgan calls the Mets 2B Jose Valentin and Carlos Gomez before finally getting it right. Which is more than I can say for "legendary" Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully, who gets player names wrong more often than Ralph Kiner ever did.
5:23pm: Bobby Abreu flies out to centerfield on a 3-2 curveball. Gay-Rod up to the plate with 2 out, his boyfriend on first.
5:26pm: El Douche doesn't have his stuff tonight, again. A-Rod crushes a 2-run blast to leftfield, Yanks up 2-0 in the bottom 1.
5:27pm: Jorge Posada grounds out to shortstop for the third out.
Top 2:
5:30pm: David Wright is up to lead off the 2nd. He and Reyes are the only people on the team hitting in key positions lately. Lo Duca still has the high average but isn't driving people in.
5:31pm: Wright grounds out to Jeter for out 1.
5:32pm: Carlos Delgado hits a grounder the opposite way but A-Rod dives, stands up and throws out the slow Delgado easily for the 2nd out.
5:34pm: Jose Valentin is the DH today, which probably says a lot about just how bad the Mets are right now when a .263 hitter who is strikeout-prone, is DH'ing. This is not the 2006 Mets right now, nor is this even close to the 2006 Jose Valentin.
5:35pm: And to prove my point, Valentin strikes out looking.
Bottom 2:
5:38pm: Hideki Matsui leads off the 2nd and rips a single past 2B Gotay.
5:39pm: Robinson Cano grounds into a 4-3 FC. 1 out.
5:42pm: Melky Cabrera watches strike 3 go by. Very nice 12-6 curveball. 2 out.
5:46pm: Miguel Cairo hammers a 3-2 curveball into leftfield for a clutch double which drives Matsui home for a 3-0 lead.
5:50pm: Johnny Damon singles to rightfield which drives in Miguel Cairo. Shawn Green makes a horrible throw to the plate which is way off, and Damon scoots to 2nd on the throw. 4-0 Yankees. I'm now regretting my decision to blog this game.
5:52pm: El Douche gets Derek Jeter to swing at an outside pitch for strike 3, out 3. Go figure. El Douche is pissing me off.
Top 3:
5:56pm: Shawn Green leads of the 3rd and hits a long flyball to deep leftfield, for the first out.
5:58pm: Ruben Gotay his a short chopper towards 2B Cano, but is thrown out easily for out 2.
6:00pm: Chien-Ming Wang strikes out Carlos Gomez for the easy 1-2-3 inning. The bottom of the Mets order is all sorts of pitiful.
Bottom 3:
6:03pm: Bobby Abreu leads off the inning lining a ball down the leftfield line which caroms away from Carlos Gomez and turns into a triple for Abreu. Gomez is not a particularly good leftfielder, but to be fair, I'm not sure anyone other than Matsui might've been able to play that ball correctly.
6:04pm: A-Rod hits a ball to deep centerfield but Carlos Beltran tracks it down for the out. Abreu scores on the sac fly, Yankees now up 5-0. They've scored in all 3 innings so far. The Mets, have not. At this pace, the final score is going to be 15-0. This is not good.
6:07pm: Posada strikes out. 2 out.
6:08pm: Hideki Matsui grounds out to Carlos Delgado for the third out.
Top 4:
6:14pm: Jose Reyes works a 3-2 leadoff count against Wang before singling to centerfield. The ball was just out of reach of Derek Jeter, who even if he got it, would not have been able to thrown out the speedy Reyes. Finally the Mets get a hit. Now they just need 6 runs.
6:15pm: The Yankees pitchout on a 1-1 count, Reyes was stealing and gets thrown out easily. Smart play by the Skanks. FUCK!
6:16pm: Lo Duca grounds to Jeter for out 2. That would've been a double play had Reyes been on first.
6:18pm: Carlos Beltran strikes out to end the inning. I need to dunk my head in some acid.
6:20pm: Willie Randolph is interviewed between innings by Miller and Morgan. Willie notes that El Douche is not firing on all cylinders tonight. Gee, ya think? Now we learn that Paul Lo Duca is out of the game because his forearm started to swell up after being hit in the 1st inning by Wang. Ramon Castro is in to replace him.
Bottom 4:
6:22pm: Robinson Cano wallops a ball to deep center, but Carlos Beltran makes the catch.
6:23pm: Melky Cabrera flies out to shallow rightfield. Shawn Green makes a diving (but not pretty) catch for out 2.
6:25pm: Miguel Cairo hits a routine grounder to David Wright, 5-3 for the 3rd out.
Top 5:
6:28pm: David Wright hits a soft chopper to Derek Jeter for the first out. Why do the Mets insist on making Wang look so good? He's really not!
6:29pm: Carlos Delgado is up, and he's likely an instant out.
6:30pm: Not only an instant out, but an instant strikeout. Delgado looked really bad swinging at a high fastball.
6:31pm: Jose Valentin lines a ball down the rightfield line for a double. Only the 2nd hit of the game for the Mets, and the first Met to reach 2nd.
6:32pm: Well that didn't last long. Green pops out to A-Rod for out 3.
Bottom 5:
6:34pm: Johnny Damon leads off with a solo shot to the short porch in rightfield which barely clears the fence. That ball probably went 330 feet. 6-0 Yankees.
6:38pm: Jeter gets struck out again on an outside corner pitch.
6:39pm: Bobby Abreu gets nailed in the high back on what seemed like a fastball, but can't see any reason why it would have been intentional. Now the NEXT batter, I recommend hitting in the fucking head.
6:40pm: Scott Schoeneweis is up in the Mets bullpen. The way Hernandez has been pitching today, Aaron Sele should have started instead.
6:41pm: El Douche walks A-Rod on 4 straight balls.
6:42pm: Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson has a meeting at the mound with Douche and Castro. Interesting trivia note from ESPN. The Yankees have won 18 of the last 19 interleague series played at Yankee Stadium. The one time they lost, was in 2005 against the Mets. If memory serves correctly, I think they won 2 of 3 from the Mets at Shea that year.
6:44pm: Douche gets Posada to strikeout for the 2nd out, but that's it for Hernandez. Willie Randolph going to lefty Scott Schoeneweis to pitch against lefty Hideki Matsui.
6:47pm: Jon Miller thinks El Douche got a round of applause for his performance from the Yankee and Met fans. No Jon, they (Yankee fans) applauded him for sucking ass and giving up 6 ER in 5 IP.
6:48pm: Schoeneweis gets Matsui to strikeout on 3 straight pitches to end the inning.
Top 6:
6:52pm: Ruben Gotay strikes out looking for out 1.
6:54pm: Carlos Gomez works out a walk, the first one given up by Wang in the game.
6:56pm: Reyes grounds out into a 3-6-3 double play. This is pretty much the norm for this team at this point.
Bottom 6:
6:59pm: Robinson Cano hits a chopper just past pitcher Scott Schoeneweis, who should have gotten it but doesn't. Infield hit for Cano.
7:03pm: Melky Cabrera flies out to Carlos Gomez, who manages not to run back and forth like a deranged monkey before catching the ball.
7:04pm: Miguel Cairo grounds into a 4-3 double play to end the inning.
Top 7:
7:07pm: Ramon Castro strikes out to lead off the inning. This is Wang's 6th K of the game, which is way higher than normal for him since he isn't a strikeout pitcher. In fact, he has 3.43 K per 9 IP, which is the lowest of any starter in MLB who pitches with any regularity.
7:09pm: Carlos Beltran grounds out to 2nd for out 2.
7:12pm: David Wright strikes out but reaches 1st base when Posada can't handle the ball in the dirt. 7 K's is Wang's season-high.
7:13pm: And here comes strikeout #8, Carlos Delgado.
7:14pm: Shock of shocks, Delgado doubles to rightfield, scoring David Wright, breaking up the shutout. 6-1 Yankees.
7:15pm: An airhorn is blaring a 3-horn beat, which is supposed to get a "LETS GO METS" chant going. The Skankee fans boo it.
7:16pm: Ron Guidry and Jorge Posada meet on the mound with Chien-Mien Wang to discuss things. The Mets probably have a better chance against the Yankees bullpen than they do Wang, unless he has just hit his breaking point and is going to give up a bunch of runs.
7:17pm: Jose Valentin scorches a grounder right to Robinson Cano who throws to 1st for the 3rd out.
Bottom 7:
7:23pm: Aaron Heilman is in to pitch for the Mets.
7:24pm: Johnny Damon grounds to Ruben Gotay at 2nd who almost takes the ball in the face before throwing to 1st for the out.
7:26pm: Jeter hits a hard grounder to David Wright's right. Wright dives, gets up and barely gets Jeter at 1st. Web gem, yes. Best web gem today? No.
7:28pm: Why is Andy Pettite throwing in the Yankee bullpen? Bobby Abreu grounds out to Carlos Delgado who runs to the bag for the third out.
Top 8:
7:31pm: Joe Morgan notes that Moises Alou has been gone for 3 weeks and no one knows when (or if) he's coming back.
7:32pm: Wang gets Shawn Green to strikeout. Peter Gammons notes that the Mets might be interested in Mark Buehrle on the White Sox. The camera has a shot of Omar Minaya, and right behind him is Spike Lee. Gammons also mentions the Mets interest in Brad Lidge, although that doesn't seem so likely right now. The Mets really need an outfielder who doesn't get injured easily AND can hit.
7:34pm: Ruben Gotay shoots a single into leftfield.
7:38pm: After fouling several balls off, Carlos Gomez strikes out swinging.
7:40pm: Jose Reyes swings through strike 2 so much that he almost injures himself.
7:41pm: Reyes strikes out. That's 10 K's for a guy (Wang) who usually doesn't strike out more than 3 guys in a game. The Mets truly suck.
Bottom 8:
7:46pm: A-Rod lines a double to the left-centerfield wall.
7:47pm: Jorge Posada is up, and he's due.
7:49pm: I called it. Posada lines a homer to the short porch for another 2 runs. 8-1 Yankees.
7:50pm: Willie Randolph has seen enough from Heilman, so it's time (presumably?) for Pedro Feliciano to pitch against Hideki Matsui.
7:52pm: The Yankees are going to expand their league-leading overall interleague record to 112-74 in about 20 mins.
7:54pm: Matsui hits a ball to leftfield which Carlos Gomez tracks down for out 1.
7:55pm: Cano grounds to Gotay for the 2nd out. Apparently Carlos Delgado thought that was the third out.
7:56pm: In a play typical of the Mets tonight, Melky Cabrera squirts a grounder down the first base line. Pedro Feliciano fields the ball cleanly and should have tagged Cabrera coming down the line, but instead tried to look to first. Delgado wasn't covering, thinking that Feliciano would've made the tag. That'll be scored an infield hit, but it really should be an error on the pitcher. At least he didn't throw the ball away into rightfield.
7:58pm: Peter Gammons talks about Eric Gagne being a reliever very likely to be traded before July 31. Several teams (Mets, Tigers) have interest in him, and it's a foregone conclusion that he won't be with Texas for much longer. Where he goes, no one knows yet.
7:59pm: Miguel Cairo is hit by a pitch on the leg. Runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 out.
8:00pm: Johnny Damon pops out to Jose Reyes at shortstop for the 3rd out. Mets last chance coming up and they're down by ONLY 7 runs... Uh huh.
Top 9:
8:04pm: Wang goes into the 9th inning, and why not, he's mowing the Mets down in one of his best starts of the season. However, Ramon Castro leads off the inning with a ground rule double to left-center.
8:05pm: Beltran scalds a ball to rightfield which ends up only being a single since Abreu plays it well, but Castro scores on the hit. 8-2 Yankees.
8:06pm: Lefty Mike Myers is up in the Yankee bullpen.
8:08pm: Just when the Mets might have somewhat of a rally going, David Wright grounds into a 5-6-3 double play.
8:09pm: With lefty Carlos Delgado coming up and Wang's pitch count being over 110, Joe Torre decides to go to the pen. The Yankee fans are booing since they wanted him to get the Complete Game (very valuable in fantasy baseball). They then give him an ovation for a fantastic performance (2 ER, 6 H, 8.2 IP, 1 BB, 10 K)
8:11pm: Mike Myers is now in to face Delgado, and will likely K him.
8:12pm: And Delgado strikes out again to end this miserable game.
The Mets now go back home to Shea for 10 games. They'll face the Twins, A's and Cardinals, and then go to Philly to finish out June.
