State of the Season Part II: Midseason Report Card

The All-Star Game has come and gone and tonight we enter the second half of our potential dream season.

My guy Trevor Hoffman, of whom I have a $5,000 bet with Kenny From Camp that he will make it to Cooperstown (I say yes), blew what could be a very important save for the New Mets in the All-Star Game.

At the time, I was pretty pissed off. But, then I thought back to April and what I thought might happen to our boys and I can only think of positives. The Mo, only talking in positives. Well that is the kind of mindset you get into after watching the first half of the season that the Mets had.

53-36, 12 games up in the division and a powerhouse in the NL. Save one bad week and June and people might be calling us the best team in baseball.

So back to Shea.


Our home. The place where our young stars have emerged, our veteran stars have returned to All-Star form, and our role guys have been beyond stellar.

All positives so far for the New Mets.

Here, is my 2006 report card.

C. Paul Loduca - A-

You can see why this guy is loved everywhere he goes. He plays hard, understands his role, and appears to be an excellent receiver. While his throws remind us of the Monster, he gets a ton more respect.

Teams no longer run on the Mets. He made the All-Star game in a weak NL for catchers, but all in all, the guy is a rock. He hit .300 and has replaced killer Cam in the big 3, of Wright, Floyd, and now Lo Duca.

1b. Carlos Delgado - B+

Yes, Delgado has slumped over the last month or so, but a lot of us are forgetting how huge he was in the first 6 weeks of the season.


Back when Beltran was hurt, Wright’s power numbers were down and Reyes wasn’t getting on base, it was Delgado (9 HR, 20 RBI in April) and Xavier Nady that powered the Mets offense to the team's amazing start. Yes, he has slowed down considerably, but he, along with the big two, in the rotation are the reason we became New.

2B. Jose Valentin - A-

Since he has emerged as our starting 2b, Valentin has been great. He’s shown a solid glove and an amazing bat (9,36,.275). Considering what we had before he became the starter and what we've had over the last 6 weeks, this guy should probably be getting an A.

Kaz, I hate you! Yet, I miss you too.

SS. Mr. Glass - A+

As this guy goes, so go the Mets. Reyes has really found himself in 2006, especially in the month of June. His OBP is way up, he leads the league in runs (75), SB’s (39)and triples (12), and most importantly, he is the engine that drives the Mets. He has the ability to change a game with his speed and his glove has continued to improve.

3B. D Wright - A+

Not much more we can say about this kid here at Y2K. I think his performance over the All-Star weekend has only solidified him further as a star of the game. If only he starts canoodling with Cuthbert at Marquee, Uncle and Duke bopping their heads on the side. Then life would be perfect.

LF. Uncle Cliff - B-

Really, the one down guy on the squad this year, Cliff has slumped through much of the season. He has also been riddled with injuries and hit by more pitches per AB than anyone in MLB history. Still, he remains the coolest player on the team, and the mentor to D Wright. Ok Cliff.

CF. Carlos Beltran - A-

What a 180. Just when we thought this guy couldn’t get worse from 2005, he went through much of April on the DL with what Mets fans then assumed was a strained uterus.


Since then, we have seen the $119 million investment and more. Beltran’s numbers have been dirty (25, 68, .279, 12SB's). More so, it really feels like opposing pitchers fear him and when he gets on base, he may be the best baserunner in the game.

RF. X Nady - B+

X is the pleasant surprise of the season for the New Mets. While his D has been shaky, his bat and keen resemblence to Randy from The Real World San Diego have been a major surprise. Like Delgado, Nady was a big part of our fast start. With 12 dongs at the break, you can’t ask a lot more out of a No. 7 hitter.

The Rotation

P. Pedro - B

Pedro was electric through the first 6 weeks of the season, but has since cooled dramatically. All of my fears that Happy Will pushed away have come to fruition over the last 6 weeks; Will this guy break down? He broke down at the end of 2004, he broke down at the end of last year and he broke down in June of this year.

We need this guy to get us through October, so everyone get out their healing voo-doo paraphernalia.

P. Tommy ‘The Spy’ Glavine - A


After an awesome second half of 2005, Glavine has continued right where he left off. While he has struggled over his last few starts, Glavine’s 11 wins and overall consistency have been the biggest difference for the New Mets.

P. Shitty Trachsel - B

Thanks to a ton of run support and his patented 6 inning, 3ER consistency, Shitty has 8 wins at the break. Good for me out of a #3.

P. Orlando Hernandez - A-

Another great surprise. Since becoming New, El Duque has been great. Most importantly, when the Mets started to lag over the last 3 weeks, it was Hernandez that emerged as our best starter. He came up big when we needed help from the bottom of our rotation.

P. Mike Pelfrey - TBD

His first start was shaky, but the stuff is there. We need this guy to be a #5 for this season. If he can step up and fill the hole, that would be huge. Let’s hope he only builds off his first outing.

The Pen

Darren Oliver - A+

The 2006 Pat Mahomes and one of the more pleasant surprises on the Mets. He has been phenomenal in his role as long man with a much improved cutter.

Duaner Sanchez, Chad Bradford - A

Sanchez has been incredible.


Save a few shaky outings and he has been a dominant 8th inning guy. He strikes batters out with a fastball that hits 94-96 mph and has awesome breaking stuff.

Bradford has been a miracle. He leads the league in stranding inhertited runners and has grown into a guy that can get more than 1 righty.

Pedro Feliciano - B+

Again, a pleasant surprise. The numbers have been great, but still, do we really trust this guy against a big lefty? I think this is the one area the Mets MUST target at the deadline. Could be very tough though.

Billy Wagner and Aaron Heilman - B

Wagner has looked awesome at times but has shown us way too much Braden Looper. He has blown 4 saves and looked bad doing so. Still, at the break he has 18 saves and a 2.43 ERA.

Heilman has been bright as day and dark as night for the New guys. Through May, he looked like an All-Star. June was a different story. His resurgence will play a huge role in the second half of the season and an even bigger role should we make it to October.

Henry Owens - TBD

So far, Kid looks unreal.

The Bench - A-

Lot of pluses out of the bench. Franco has hit, Woody has been all over the field, Castro roles with me at bars in Boston.

But the star of this squad has been Endy Chavez (.283BA). With all three of our outfielders missing significant time on the DL, Chavez has been the stop gap. He has played Gold Gove defense and brought a solid bat along with his amazing speed. He could be a huge factor if we make it to October as a late inning replacement on the bases and in the field.

Manager Willie Randolph - A-

I don’t know what it is about Willie. The Mets have been great under him, but I am still not sold. I don’t see the acumen of a LaRussa, the fire of a Guillen, or the poise of a Showwalter.


I feel like he is scared to make the risky move, instead, playing to the media. Again, he deserves plenty of credit for this year, but still, he’ll earn his Fresh toasted sub in October. If we get there.

The Rest -

Many have come and gone at Shea.

Kaz’s departure single handedly changed the mindset of this team.

Lasting’s homerun and a high-fiving of the RF fans was the best moment.

Heath Bell is friends with my cousin.

Alay Soler had a few good weeks in the show, just like my good friend and partner AFOMG.

Victor Zambrano, our half of what will go down as the worst trade in baseball history, may never pitch again.

Brian Bannister went on the DL for a few weeks and hasn’t returned in 3 months.

John Maine should probably be somewhere higher in this article. So far, so decent, and his last name is the state where I went to camp, so he cool.

Then there is Lima time. Never have I seen a guy like this, where even the happiest of Mets fans know that we don’t have a shot. Still, I love his flare. Lima is the symbol of the old Mets, and I like that.

Overall - A

Couldn’t ask for more out of the first half. Otherwise, you are just plain greedy. The rest of the season will be determined by the rotation. Can Glavine and Pedro return to form? Can Trachsel and Hernandez remain solid? And what about Kid K?

The lineup will score runs and the Pen has the parts to stay solid, though we can’t expect a repeat of the first half.

This team will go with its starting pitching. All we can pray is that we have a big enough lead in September to get Glavine and Pedro rested and ready for October.

As always, being the Sip that I am, I remain highly cautious, but a little more optimistic than I've been in years past.

Vaya Con Dios,

I love you guys.

Sippy Momo