Driven

(Note: for all you Boston guys that aren’t looking to read about the Mets and just want some good old fashion Yankee bashing, skip to Part II. And by the way, that David Ortiz-Wily Mo Pena handshake was about the coolest thing I have ever seen. Even cooler than the day I found out they were making a sequel to Major League.)

The Trade deadline came and went with none of the big names like Alfonso Soriano, Barry Zito and last second rumor guys Roy Oswalt and Roger Clemens being moved.

However, the inability to land a marquee player was not the major disappointment that loomed around Shea and my local Mets listserve. In fact, I think the crowd was relatively split on not parting with Young Lastings.

It was losing Duaner Sanchez to a freak taxi accident that has provided the Mets with their first HUGE blow of the season.


In many ways, Duaner Sanchez has been the overall key to our pitching staff. With what has been a somewhat pedestrian rotation throughout much of the season, Sanchez has been the core of a middle relief group that has dominated the innings leading up to Billy Wagner.

With Aaron Heilman spiraling into mediocrity over the last couple of months, it has been Sanchez who has remained the most consistent of any Mets pitcher to the point where I can say the following: I am more comfortable with Sanchez on the mound in the 8th than I am with Wagner taking the hill in the 9th.

Losing Sanchez will be tough. The bright side is this. Contrary to early reports, it appears that Sanchez(5-1, 2.60, 44k’s) may be able to return in September or October, if doctors decide that the pitcher does not need surgery to repair his separated pitching shoulder.

How effective he would be in return is too hard to say, but in a season where pretty much everything has been going right for the New guys, maybe just maybe our handsomely rec-speced, should-have-been All-Star reliever can fight back.

To combat the loss of Sanchez, the Mets sent X, Xavier Nady, to the Pirates for old Met Roberto Hernandez and former left handed phenom turned overweight loser Oliver Perez.

Old Mets fans often forget that it was Hernandez who was probably the MVP of the Mets last season. He emerged out of 90’s closer obscurity to provide very competent relief in the late innings (8-6, 2.58, 61K’s).


While we have been spoiled all year by the dominance of Sanchez, who has three plus out pitches (fastball, slider, change), Herandez has proven to be an above average 8th inning guy.

The loss of X will be quickly forgotten as the soon to be platoon of Lastings Milledge, who will be recalled from Norfolk, and Endy Chavez should provide the Mets with more speed and defense in an already punch-filled lineup.

An interesting cog in this deal is Perez. Two seasons ago this guy looked like he could be something special (12-10, 2.98, 239 K’s, good enough to lead MLB in Ks-per-9).

After a 2004 season in which Perez shocked the National Legaue he has since floundered into Anthony Youngville.

Still, like so many pitchers who have struggled, a change of scenery may do him something. Look at John Maine. A high prospect who stunk and was cast away as a throw in. He looks pretty good, don’t you think?

That was all there really was for the Mets at the deadline. A potential deal for Scott Linebrink, the Padres setup man and member of Dom De La Swipe, my base-stealing, run-scoring bottom half payroll fantasy baseball team would have been nice. Despite a horrid month of July, Linebrink has been one of baseball’s better middle guys over the last couple of years.

The failure to acquire Zito or Oswalt bothers me but doesn’t kill me.


So many arguments have been made for why we need to make a push now. That this team is special, that you don’t get too many shots, that this may be the last great (?) season of Pedro.

But as I have said all along, this will be a decision that can only be made in hindsight. If Lastings Milledge becomes something special, we probably made the right decision. If Steve Trachsel gets blown out in Game 3 of the NLDS, we may regret our move.

That said, the deadline has come and gone and we are on our way to the postseason. Moves can still be made. I’m not sure who would block Livan Hernandez from clearing waivers with a year left on his contract. The guy could still become New.

For now, let's be happy with what we have. The best Mets team we have had since I was 4 years old.

NOW THE FUNNY PART

In a day where being driven to the hotel cost Duaner Sanchez his shoulder, Derek Jeter, New York’s third favorite bachelor (D Wright, The Real Sippy—DDS) has come to terms with Avon Inc. to launch his new cologne, DRIVEN.

DJ sure is driven. It was his endless motor that took him for that 30 foot run into the stands costing him some tarnishing to his handsome cheekbone in that series against the Red Sox.

He is driven to box out all teammates, especially a bitter A-Rod, to get to the front step to provide that ever so important high five to a Yankee teammate who has recently scored, coincidentally logging him some very precious TV time.


But as you all know, we here at Y2K are really done hating Jeter. He has been too good for too long, and all in all he is not that bad. Especially when you compare him to Y2K nemesis’ Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon, Randy Johnson, Big Sunglasses and mesh slippers with the flowers on the front.

What I am excited about is this. Little Bobbets from Westchester and Jersey (no disrespect to the greatest cousins of all time or Cousin Wayne -- basically excluding all of the great town of Edison) hitting up Macy’s around Christmas time and picking up their Bobby boyfriends (you know the type, the spikey-haired Gotti Boy wannabe’s) a new bottle of “Driven.” Now, not only will all Yankee fans look and sound alike, they will also smell alike too, like one big bowl of Derek Jeter.

“Yo bro, check out what Lisa just go me. Driven bro!” Said Bobby #1.

“No way bro, Carmen just bought that shit for me too, bro. Yo, Bobby Abreu is the man bro! Let's go Yankees!” Said his close friend Bobby.

Hey guys, our bullpen may be weaker and our rotation may be struggling, but at least we have our pride and we are not them.

Vaya con Dios,

The Sip