The Mets Police

So it's June 8th and the Mets are below .500 and suddenly today is a must win. This trip was well on it's way to being a huge success....earlier in the week everyone was felling great, but then the Mets snuck in three straight 2-1 losses to the Padres while we were all in bed. Well today they play at 4, and people will be listening in yards or while stuck in shore traffic, and all of a sudden it's a must win for Pedro Martinez and Willie. If you don't win today you come home with a losing streak, and a day off with bored writers and bloggers and the Fire Willie stuff starts all over again ('tho it never ends around here).

Please stop playing with Ryan Church's health. He is telling you he can't play and that he has a constant pounding in his head. Is this some sort of financial ploy so that you don't have to pay him if he asks out? Do the right thing and put this man on the DL and tell him to stay home. Home. Not in a dugout in uniform. Home. Saw an anonymous quote from a player saying they should DL Church to give him time to heal. Anyone else feel like this just isn't going to end well?

It gets late early, and sitting around wasting games doesn't help a team make the post-season. It's not just that you need your team to play well, the other teams get to play too, and there are lots and lots of days when two teams in front of you play each other (Phillies-Marlins for example) and you can't make up any ground at all. Cyclones Fan worked the math out for you a week ago here: http://www.metspolice.com/2008/05/post-season-not-looking-good.html

Surfing the blogs this morning, Mets panic is back! Y'all need to make up your mind if you believe in this team or not. I don't. I hope I'm wrong but deep down I know I'm not.

Here's 1: http://metsmerizedonline.com/blog/2008/06/im_really_starting_to_worry_no.html

Here's 2: http://dreamantilles.blogspot.com/2008/06/step-right-up-and-beat-mets.html

Here's 3: http://brooklynmetfan.com/?p=888



It's always great to wake up to this headline from Newsday:
Will Mets' Santana, hit by pitch, miss next start?



Seaver is in town. I wonder if he can be bothered to come by Shea. He likes his wine...
Really disappointed Big Brown didn't win. It would he been good for horse racing, and could have set up a fun Breeders Cup. So now horse racing goes back to being one of those "fun for five minutes" sports like soccer is every few years.

I think everyone liked Jim McKay. Surely we'll think of him again later this summer when the Olympics begin. The Olympics have never seemed the same since NBC took them over and started timeshifting everything with Costas in front of a CGI fireplace. You think of McKay and you think of the tape of Munich. In an era of sportscasters who are all about me, me, me and fake phony "signature" calls, Jim will be truly missed.

Conversely, does anyone actually like Brent Musburger? I liked a lot of ABC's coverage of the Triple Crown, especially when they left space and let the crowd noise tell the story....but then Brent would come on. Maybe he was fun in 1977 with Jimmy the Greek...but hasn't done it for me in 30 years.

Maybe Oliver Perez is just an OK pitcher. Maybe Omar can't just fleece teams left and right as was the legend created by Montreal. Maybe this guy is just a 4 or 5 starter.

Anyone get the feeling that 1965 might have finally come for the NYYs? Torre is gone. George is gone. Shep hasn't been around. Next the stadium goes. This team doesn't five me the feeling that it's going to rally, and there's only so many 12-11 comebacks a team can have.

Anyone get the feeling 1990 has come for the Mets? You know, a team that you'd think was going to make the playoffs and just isn't.

Anyone get the feeling the Red Sox are going to be there at the end? And those Rays haven't melted yet. Could they possibly hang around?

The Rays have a pitcher named Scott Kazmir who is 6-1. Amazin' how they develop young pitching these Rays. They must have a general manager skilled at fleecing people.

Good piece in The Times by Doug Glanville talking about the Cubs:

We felt, we’re the home team. And on paper, the scales were heavily tipped in our favor since, unlike the Marlins, we not only won our division outright but had the benefit of experienced players. The Marlins were a bunch of kids. Two reasons why our championship was inevitable.

Enter Game 6.

Mark Prior was cruising along with glove-popping momentum and stupefying mound presence. His body language oozed, “I am just the conduit of Cub destiny,” which told us not to worry, we were home, and we were in control.

The rest is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/opinion/07glanville.html?ref=sports



Lakers vs Celtics sure hits the spot for the NBA. It doesn't hurt when your sport gets the good matchup in the finals. Yankees-Dodgers would be a hoot with Joe in the opposing dugout. Hockey could use a Rangers-somebody to get New York ratings.



Nobody round here cares but NASCAR is local again today at Pocono and it will be hot as hell.

Speaking of which, the sun is now blazing down on Mets Police HQ. Time to hit the Mets Police Pool....enjoy your Sunday!