Two things

Just a quick post for two things: first, I'm happy to see that the Cards won today. It means that Will Leitch's friends can abandon the suicide watch, at least for another night (though, if Houston loses, it's over for good). Now, even though the Mets are going to beat the Cards like red-headed stepchildren come the postseason (if the Cards draw the short straw and have to play the Mets, that is) I'd still hate to see Will T.O. himself and leave deadspin without an editor.

What I really wanted to post about was the Nationals announcers. I'm hoping the guy that runs the Awful Announcing blog is reading this (probably not) but these homers are just pitiful. So get this: Julio Franco comes up for the Mets in the first inning tonight with Beltran and Greene on base. He hits a monster shot to dead center. Now, this wasn't just a home run. Nor was it just a three-run home run. It was a monster shot to dead center field hit by a 48-year old man. It was history making. Ok, I know you're thinking that he already made history back in April when he hit a home run against San Diego at age 47 - but this is new history, because now he's 48. And those asses in Washington don't say a damned thing about it. They don't mention that Julio Franco started his major league career before pitcher Beltran Perez was even born. Nothing at all. Jerks. This is why I hate the Nats announcers. They are homer idiots.

Incidentally, we're in the third inning and Franco has 5 RBIs so far tonight. I envy those of you who get to hear this game on SNY, because at the pace he's going, Franco might break some other record, and I doubt the Nats announcers will pull their heads out of their own asses long enough to notice.

And that's all I have for now. Back to the game....

Edited at 11:32pm to add:
Offense + Momentum going into playoffs = happy Mets Fan

Thinking happy thoughts...

I'm trying really hard not to freak out. It was good to see some hitting last night, though Roberto Hernandez and Billy Wagner tried their best to undo everything the Mets hitters (except for Shawn Greene, dp sucka & LOB King) accomplished. I thought Hernandez was more a setup guy than a middle reliever anyway? I guess Willie just slotted him in because he needed the work. Anyway, on to more important matters:

As as much as I'm distraught over losing Pedro for the entire postseason, the Mets failure to sign another starter before the trade deadline is looming large right now. Of course, I'm not going to second guess Omar, because he's consistenly about 1000 or so steps ahead of me and frankly most Met fans, pretty much all the time. I trust him as much as I didn't trust Steve Phillips (that's quite a lot, by the way. A loooot.) Right now I think most of us are worried about the postseason roster. And I think it's safe to say that most of us are very, very afraid of Oliver Perez. It seems like Willie really believes in this guy, and that he might be willing to give him a roster spot over Dave Williams. And I'm hoping that's just crazy talk on my part, and that it'll never happen. Actually, I don't care if he's on the roster, I just don't trust him with the ball, ever, unless we have like a 15-run lead. Maybe then. It's just that the Mets have had too many headcases on the mound in recent years, blowing it in stupendous fashion, for me to have any faith in Perez when the fate of the Mets postseason is resting in his arm. Last night during the broadcast, even Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez both admitted they'd be "shocked" to see Perez in the rotation come October.

Finally, what ever happened to Brian Bannister? Is he even part of the rotation discussion anymore, or just a bullpen guy? I think I'm just out of the loop where he's concerned. Anyway, I'd personally like to see the rotation go something like this: El Duque, Glavine, Maine, Trachsel, Williams. Everyone else in the pen.

In sum, I'm still worried. Not ready to jump, but sitting on that ledge, on the balls of my ass, as they say.

Cut it out guys, you're scaring me!!!

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? I just had to turn off the game. I couldn't stand to watch any longer (or merely listen, thanks to Fox or Turner South or whoever you people are, and your stupid video problems). As if getting shafted out of the final few games on SNY wasn't bad enough - you guys are not only stinking up the field, but you are violating the Prime Directive: BRAVES MUST NOT MERELY BE BEATEN BUT MUST BE DESTROYED! What is wrong? Y'all are leaving men on base, hitting into dps, and generally playing like you didn't just completely dominate the National League and OWN the best record in baseball for most of the season! (oh, shut up, Detroit).

Over on the YES network, which comes in just fine on my Ohio television, the Yankees are pounding the Orioles into a pulp. They have this thing called Momentum. And also, Guys Who Can Consistenly Hit Except A-Rod. It's like, the opposite of what St. Louis has? Yeah, that. The opposite of choke. The opposite of "hey, we just won the division, so let's sit on our asses and see how many games we can lose" and "hey, who needs 100 wins anyway? 93 is JUST FINE." Were you guys just feeling bad for all the poor slobs like me, who were too damned happy all season, and felt kind of lost because we had nothing to bitch about? Well, stop it!

Look, it's obvious before the tears on Petey's face even dry tonight that we are not going to have that pre-AllStar break ace with us this postseason. But we can't go moping around like Dr. Evil took our Mojo, and we're done for. First off, Steinbrenner had nothing to do with Pedro's injuries. Secondly, we have other pitchers, other good pitchers, and we have to believe that they can get us through the playoffs and into the World Series. You guys are playing like you think it's already over. It ain't over, goddammit. Not yet.

Now, I'm off to the Keith Hernandez shrine to anoint myself with glove oil and chant everything is going to be just fine ... everything is going to be just fine ... everything is going to be just fine...

I'm Going Back To My Happy Place Now

Ok, Adam Rubin's New York Mets Blog at the Daily News has some awesome celebration pictures from Monday night, so I thought I should link all of you folks out there reading my blog (hi Daddy!) to the site, because some of these are just priceless. Thank you Adam!

How To Go From Pure Joy To Abject Horror In Just Two Days:

I heard on the radio today that Columbus signed a two year deal to bring the Triple A affiliate of the Nationals to Columbus. I felt it necessary to put my reaction into art rather than words. And so:


Do the Buckeyes have a baseball team?

Where's Everybody Going?

Just read an interesting article on MiLB.com about the game of affiliate musical chairs going on in the IL right now. Looks like there is a good chance that the Mets might come to Columbus - but only for two years. Now, the more I think about that, the more I wonder why the Cleveland or Cinci affiliates would want to sever the relationships with their respective teams and come here to Columbus. Yeah, we're getting a new stadium, and Columbus is a great market for just about everything. I get that.

Right now, Cleveland's AAA affiliate is the Buffalo Bisons. They have really nice digs out there- the largest minor league ballpark in the IL, and a legion of loyal fans. And, Buffalo is only about a 3 hour drive from Cleveland. Geographically, Columbus is not much closer to Cleveland than Buffalo. And the Louisville Bats, the Cinci affiliate, are less than two hours from Cinci in Louisville, KY. Their ballpark ain't too shabby either. I know, I know, there's more to the decision making process than just geography. I guess I'm just hoping that all this speculation is nothing more than the delusional rantings of Cinci and Cleveland fans too lazy to drive a few hours to go see a ballgame.

This is the thing: Columbus has its own identity. We hate the fact that Cinci and Cleveland get all the attention. This may be why we're so fiercely loyal, to the point of insanity, to our Buckeyes. It's probably why we embraced the Blue Jackets with such fervor when the NHL came to town, and why people are still filling Nationwide Arena even after the strike failed to kill the NHL. So why would we need Cinci or Cleveland baseball teams? I say, screw them! We don't need your leftovers! We're the 15th largest city in the country - bigger than the both of you! We don't need your damned baseball teams!

What we need is the Mets. Is anyone with me? Anyone at all??

Mets Clinch Division - The Day After

This morning, I just wanted to point out two blogs that I absolutely love: Faith and Fear in Flushing, and Metstradamus. First, Jason's post last night (ok, it was actually this morning, at 12:32am) on FFL is just wonderful. He shares what it was like to be at the stadium, the whole experience of being there in person, surrounded by about 40,000 friends, and it's just beautiful. The comments are great too. For those of us living out of town, who couldn't be there but were lucky enough to get the game broadcast on SNY through MLB extra innings, it's a treat to read about it. Speaking of watching it on TV, Metstradamus posted his account at 1:30 this morning, about what it was like to take it all in on the tube. It's such a great post, there's really no point in me adding anything else. From a fan perspective, those two pretty much said it all. Except this: what's not to understand about luncheon meat? It's salty and delicious. What more do you need to know? (Actually, do you really want to know?)

JOY!

Blackout Rules: I Hate Them So Much

Tonight, there's a really good chance the Mets will, for the first time in 14 years, clinch the National League Eastern Division. I won't see it on TV though. Why? Because the $160+ I paid for MLB Extra Innings wasn't enough to get me the game, which is in Pittsburgh, PA - about 3 1/2 hours drive and 200 miles from where I live in central Ohio. Blackout Rules, they tell me. Nevermind that I, living in central Ohio, am nowhere within television orbit of Pittsburgh, PA. I don't get a single Pittsburgh TV or radio station. I've never even been to freaking Pittsburgh. When it comes to blackout rules, the MLB is just an organization of greedy bastard people, and that's all there is to it. I hate them and their ass faces.

Meet The Mets... in Columbus, Please?!

Well, there's finally something to be happy about in this crummy little town I've grudgingly called home for the past ten years. The Yankees are movin out! The Yanks have ended their relationship with the Triple A affiliate Columbus Clippers. Yes, George has finally gotten tired of shipping his players out into The Middle Of Nowhere (also known as Columbus, Ohio) for rehab assignments. In fact, what was good enough for the likes of Bubba Crosby (who?) and Aaron Guiel (wha?) and even, once upon a time, HRH Mr. Yankee Baseball Personified Derek Sanderson Jeter, is no longer good for the Yankees organization. [Did anyone see Hideki Matsui rehabbing here last month? No, you didn't.] The fact is, Columbus is just too darned far away from NYC to be convenient. Oddly, this took the Yankees 28 years to figure out.

Now, people like this guy, a sportswriter with the local paper, seem convinced the Columbus Baseball Team, Inc., will jump on either Ohio team once they get the chance. So, let me get this straight: it'll be perfectly A-OK with the MLB team looking for a triple A affiliate right now to set down roots here next year, knowing they'll be kicked out in two years. Seriously? Dude, I so hope you're completely, utterly, fantastically WRONG about that. Besides, why would we need a Reds or Indians affiliate here when the real Major League Thing is just a few hours away (North for Indians, South for Reds - take your pick). Finally, and probably most importantly, everyone knows this town is too hopelessly, craptastically Buckeye-crazed to care which minor league franchise it gets.

Which finally brings me around to my point. There are three teams looking for Triple A affiliates right now: The Orioles (yawn), the Nationals (please, god, no) and..... The Mets! Yes, the Mets are apparently looking to leave Norfolk. Or at least, they have not, for whatever reason, renewed their contract with the city. So tonight, I shall say a prayer, and do a ceremonial Mets happydance in the livingroom. I may even light a candle in my Keith Hernandez shrine, chanting Columbus Mets... Columbus Mets... Columbus Mets!