What A...

A-Rod is truly a (INSERT EXPLETIVE HERE).

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 might go down as one of the most telling days in the championship-less career of arguably the greatest player of our generation.

It started with a night with a coed in Toronto as reported by my Bible and one of the things I miss most about New York City, The New York Post.

After being caught my paparazzi spending a night out with a woman not named Mrs. Rodriguez, A-Rod had such a generous response to offer the media:

"I hope it's not a distraction to my teammates. (Or Something like that).

How bout this A-Rod?

How about something like, "I want to apologize to my wife for embarrassing her and my family."

For years, A-Rod has been a walking cliche. He has said and done everything that "a superstar" is supposed to do.

Kobe did the same thing for much of his early career. Then he was accused of rape in Colorado and though proven innocent, he still did cheat on his wife.

"Kobe was just taking care of Kobe."

On Wednesday, A-Rod was revealed. He is not the perfect family man. We all could have guessed that.

But, on Wednesday he proved to be not only a classless family man, but also a classless baseball player.

Up 7-5 in the top of the 9th with Matsui on 2nd and A-Rod on first, Jorge Posada sent a screaming pop-up to third base.

Matsui ran home and A-Rod rounded 2nd, heading for third.

Right before Howie Clark could make the routine play, he jumped out of the way. It appeared as though A-Rod called for the ball.

The Blue Jays SS was going to attack him but was restrained. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons almost took care of A-Rod himself. And whether or not this was a smart play, it defined classlessness (if that is a word).

I think back to A-Rod trying to hit the ball out of Broyo's glove in the 2004 playoffs and now I think about him making a cheap play in 9th inning with a 2 run lead.

I don't know what to say, other than this guy needs to be called out.

How is it that our game's 2 best players, A-Rod and Bonds, are so hateable? These guys need publicists or something.

A-Rod is just a joke. Maybe desperate times call for desperate measures. Maybe that is why Joe Torre continues to bring in Mariano Rivera in the 8th inning of games when he swore before the season he wouldn't do it.

Doesn't he realize that these innings in May are what lead to embarrassment in October?

I know you guys are quick to write off the Yankees, but I'm just going to play it safe. The day they are eliminated from the playoffs, I'll be the first to celebrate. But until that day comes, keep your ear to the grindstone.

Or for that matter, just watch out.

They may be a million games back of the Red Sox, but they are only 7.5 games out of the Wild Card. Are you really ready to write them off from that?

I'm not. But I am confident that A-Rod will continue to be the saddest superstar of our generation. That I can say with a ton of certanty.

Vaya con dios.

Sip

(Pics courtesy of cnn.net, blohardsblog.com)

The Yanks, the Sox, Armando and Del-Got-It!

Things just keep getting better and better for those of us here at Y2K. What a day to be a Mets fan! The sun is shining, the Mets are 5 games up on the Braves in the NL East, the Yankees are tied for last in the AL East, 14.5 games behind the MLB-best Boston Red Sox.

There's just so much to be happy about, let's touch 'em all.

The Yankees: Can They Rebound?

Ridiculously early as it is, I feel no hesitation saying the Yankees will not win the AL East. For one thing, the Red Sox (36-15) are simply too good, and for another thing, the Yankees just aren't good enough.

Games back is a critical, handy statistic, but it can lead to false hope. All you Yankee fans out there can trust me on this, I'm a Mets fan. As a Mets fan who suffered, in turns, at the hands of the Braves or our own team's front office, I have a lot of experience convincing myself that that 14.5 game deficit can be overcome.

The thing about being 14.5 games back is that there's a big difference between the club that's 14.5 games up and the one 14.5 games back. In this case, the difference is evident just by looking at the records.

The Red Sox are 21 games over .500, the Yankees are 8 games under it. That's after 50 games. It's not early anymore. It's not late, but it's not early, and after nearly a third of the season, the Yankees haven't just been mediocre, they've been bad. Like Tampa Bay Devil Rays-bad.

(You ever feel like you can look at a guy and know it's just not going to work out?)

As bad as things look right now, Yankee fans have convinced themselves they've got two reasons to hold out hope of yet another division title: 1) we're talking about the Red Sox here, and 2) 1978.

Regarding 1, the whole dynamic of Red Sox-Yankees changed in 2004, at least for me, admittedly somebody on the outside looking in. The biggest choke in Yankees-Red Sox history is either 1978 or the 2004 ALCS, and to the extent that the ALCS is a head-to-head showdown, I think that's gotta get the nod.

But speaking of 1978, Sweeny Murti over WFAN penned a great piece yesterday on his blog about what makes 2007 so different from 1978; for Sweeny as for me, it comes down to records:

"The 1978 Yankees, at the point of their largest deficit of 14 games, were 6 games over .500," Murti writes. "That was a team playing okay, just not as well as those red-hot Sox were playing. These Yankees are 13 ½ games behind Boston after losing Memorial Day. They are 7 games under .500."

Things have only gotten worse from there.

The Red Sox pitching is too good, their lineup is too solid. Sorry Yankee fans, it's just not happening this year. May 30 and I have no second thoughts about saying it.

There's always the wild card.

What a Game!

Yesterday played host to the most thrilling night of the season (at least so far) as the Mets won a pitcher's duel thanks to a familiar meltdown from an old friend.

I'll be honest: I'm not one of these Mets fans who's happy when Armando Benitez enters the game. I never say to myself, "well we know he melts down in big situations" when the big guy trots in from the bullpen. After he melts down? Sure. Not before. Maybe it's because he owned us that first year with Florida. Who knows.

So it was with no confidence that I saw Benitez take the mound. Afterward, flush with surprise that the Mets had pulled off a victory down a run with two outs, I clapped my hands and shouted to no one in particular: What a fucking finish!

And how about Oliver Perez with the mutton chops last night? The look that defined the late-90s Mets was back yesterday as Mostly-All-Sometimes-Nothing Ollie took the ball.

To Boo or Not to Boo?

Me and the Hound are heading out to Shea tonight to see Tom Glavine take on Barry Zito. The question is, is it worth booing Barry Zito or not?

I tend to think it's not worth doing. It's one thing when the Mets offer the same amount of money as someone else, and then the player goes and signs with the other team. That's a full-fledged spurning.

In this situation though where the Mets weren't willing to offer nearly as much as the Giants did, how pissed could you really get? I wanted Zito too, but not at that price, and if the guy ended up going for the money, well, as a young and hungry professional myself, I can understand that well enough.

Anyway, that about does it for the Glass Man. See you out there tonight. Can't wait for the crowd to erupt into another "You Take Steroids" chant for Bonds before wildly cheering Mota. That'll be fun.

- A.F.O.M.G.

(Images courtesy of nycsportsnews.com, cache.deadspin.com, sfgate.com and crankygreg.typepad.com)

Golden Arms Coming to Shea

With every loss my smile widens.

This Memorial Day weekend was basically the perfect baseball weekend for the Sip. The Mets swept. The D-Backs swept. The Yankees got swept. Three-for-three.

Watching Joe Torre get booed after pulling Scott "Everyday Till My Arm Falls Off" Proctor on Sunday may have been the highlight. Or maybe it was Monday when I can honestly say that the Yankees played baseball like they were going to lose. The body language was there. 25 guys who looked like they were sitting naked in a classroom.

If the Yankees get swept in Toronto, Joe Torre will be out of a job. That's a guarantee.

As you can see there is a lot to be excited about. This Mets/Giants series has me about as excited as any we have had in recent weeks.

It's not because Barry Bonds is in town. The same Barry Bonds who, when asked about donating memorabilia to Cooperstown, replied: "I'm not worried about the hall. I take care of me." (Espn.com)

Honestly, is there a bigger prick in the world?

But it's not Bonds that has this baseball geek excited for three games at Shea. And it's not the rest of lineup surrounding Barry Bonds, maybe the worst supporting cast in the history of support.

Nope, Sip is fired up to see what may be the best starting pitching rotation in the National League and 2 of the 5 or 10 best young pitchers in all of baseball.

This week we're going to see Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito and Matt Cain, just missing a pair of 5-game winners with sub-3.00 ERA's in Noah Lowry and Matt Morris.

First, Lincecum. Lincecum went 10th overall in the 2006 draft, but not because of his talent. I remember watching some draft previews all of which had Lincecum as the best pitcher in the draft.

Fear of signing bonus demands caused the former Washington Huskie star to slip to the Giants at 10 (Read: Jered Weaver, Scott Kazmir). It took him less than a year to make it to the bigs and he has already impressed. He has 25 K's in 26.1 innings and is an impressive 2-0, 3.08 ERA.

Wednesday, we get Barry Zito. I can't remember the Mets ever facing Zito at Shea, can you? That should be cool to watch. I've always liked Zito and would still love to have him at Shea. But not for the 7 years, $126 million joke that he signed in San Fran.

Thursday, Matt Cain arrives. First off, this dude is a Hoss. He's just a truck, a brick shit house, a beast.

This guy is 22 and in his third big league season. When arguing with my buddy KFC I claimed that Matt Cain would be the second pitcher that I would take based on age, durability and contract of any pitcher in baseball (Danny Haren, #1). This guy has electric stuff. His fastball hits the mid-high 90's and he can make some secondary pitches, too. When he is on, he is unhittable.

With Zito, Cain, Lowry and Lincecum all locked up for at least the next 5 years, Brian Sabean has put together what could be an unfair rotation out in San Fran for the rest of the decade.

Fortunately for the rest of the National League, this team has probably the worst lineup ever. It is frighteningly bad.

Randy Winn, Omar Vizquel, Rich Aurillia, Pedro Feliz, Bengie Molina. This would be a decent lineup if this was 1998. The Giants have no one to protect or setup Barry Bonds.

Of course, this shouldn't really matter. After all, Bonds will take care of "me."

Vaya con dios,

Sip

(Pics courtesy of cnn.com, Laist.com, mlb.com, rosinbag.com)

Do You Realize?

That the Washington Nationals (12 games back) are closer to first place than the New York Yankees (12.5)?

Wow.

- A.F.O.M.G.

Return of the Inferiority Complex?

I thought a lot about October last night. Octobers past, Octobers still to come. It started when, randomly, I took a little trip through Y2K history to October 2006.

What a month it was. Pedro was lost so we told ourselves that Glavine-El Duque-Trachsel-Maine could get the job done. Then El Duque was gone and with a gulp we told ourselves Glavine-Trachsel-Maine-Perez was enough. And in the end it was; Trachsel aside, the pitching wasn't the problem, the problem was Jeff Suppan, Jeff Weaver and Yadier Molina.

More interesting than rehashing the particulars though was reading posts from Sip, Cheddar and myself, as well as comments posted by Lister, Nails, Happy Will, Worndownboyboy (RIP), etc. The words on the screen really brought me back to the moment. The thrill of not knowing how it would all play out, the excitement, the fear. It's a special time of year.

And then as the Mets took the field against the Braves last night I couldn't help but think of the October that is yet to come. Somehow you've gotta think both the Mets and the Braves are gonna be there. Barred from playing each other in the first round, the soonest we'd see them would be the NLCS, a rematch of the classic 1999 tilt.

After winning 2-1 last night, the Braves have now won each of the first 3 head-to-head series with the Mets, taking 6 of 9 overall. We can piss and moan all we like about the umpires -- and believe you me, I was pissing and moaning last night -- but the umpires aren't the reason we're 3-6 vs. the Braves.

Is there a reason? Are the Mets once again shook of the Braves? I certainly don't think they were coming in to the season. I can't imagine why we would have been after winning the season series last year and sweeping that series at Turner Field in early August I believe it was.

But this is a Mets team that constantly talks about wanting to beat the best; in order to be the best you've gotta beat the best, they say. Only the Mets haven't done that against the best competition they've faced, which is, as far as I'm concerned, the Braves.

Now don't get me wrong, I think the Mets are a better, more complete team than the Braves. What concerns me though is whether there the taste of 3 straight series defeats against the Braves will resonate in August, the next time the Mets face the Braves, or October, if both teams should get that far.

Every psychological edge is important, and right now, even as they trail the Mets 1.5 games, the Braves must have gained some confidence by beating the reigning NL East champs in 6 of 9.

There's still time for the Mets to gain the upper hand against the Braves. God knows that handling Atlanta in the second half of the season would make everyone forget about the early-season struggles real fast.

But as for now, as a Mets fan it's been discouraging to watch the 9 games unfold, and hopefully we get a chance to improve our fortunes against them before the inferiority complex that plagued the late 90s teams returns in all its ignominy (and, for that matter, the Braves' superiority complex).

And on that gloomy note, have a good long weekend everybody.

- A.F.O.M.G.

(Images courtesy of artfiles.art.com)

Some Great, Some Good, Some Not So Good

THE GREAT

AFOMG - Kudos to my main role dog. You guys have no idea what you got every Wednesday and Friday when the big fella comes to the blogosphere. Not to mention every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday when he attempts to turn my gibberish into English (cheers pal).

He may be the brightest man in blogs and he is certainly the smartest kid I know. So let me use these few lines which our thousands of readers will read because it is so close to the top, to congratulate the big fella on the new job.

Whats awesome is that we here at Yankees2000.com believe in the idea of community. As of 6/1/2007 we will be pooling all of our salaries together and then divying up the money between the three of us. Solid news for Sip. My bank account may go up by about 1000000%.

STILL GREAT

Oliver Perez. Is this guy for real? With each big start we love this guy a little bit more. Last week he did it against the Yankees, this week he does it against the Braves.

Not only has he looked solid all season (sans 7 walk game against the Phils in early April) but he has proven really without exception to be huge in big-game starts. You can argue that the losing Pedro, El Duque and tiring of Steve Trachsel in the 2006 playoffs may have saved our 2007 rotation. It solidified the confidence of John Maine and Oliver Perez who, near the end of May, both should be all stars.

A LITTLE GREATER THAN THE LAST ONE

The NBA Lottery.

Of course I was rooting for the Bulls to get a top 2 pick so that the misery that is Isiah Thomas would get more press. But I'll settle for the Celtics picking 5th.

Could not be happier that the Sports Guy is whining his way all the way back to LA and that the Celtics won't touch Oden or Durant and instead find room for Al Horford, Joakim Noah or Julian Wright.

You people in Boston have the Pats and Red Sox. Stop complaining.

STILL GOOD

Roger Clemens had a shaky outing on Wednesday in his second minor league tune up.

102 pitches of bleh against my beloved Portland Seadogs, the home of the Portland Rumble and neighbor of the Yarmouth Clam Festival (I spent a lot of my youthful summers in Maine).

LESS GOOD

A big series victory for the New Yanks. They got a huge win against Curt Schilling on Wednesday night. They've won 3 of 4 and have done it with a ton of solid pitching. This is not the Yankee team we saw for the first 6 weeks of the season.

That my friends, is salt.

I said it on Monday. That Jose Reyes flyout to left field may have saved the Yankees' season.

THE BAD

I am pretty damn bored in Arizona. First person to come visit gets all the Powerades I have left in my kitchen cabinet.

VCD,

Sip

(Pics courtesy of rain-delay.com, mlb.com, flickr.com, mvn.com)

Exciting Day for the Glass Man

I hate to do it, but I'm gonna have to short change you all a bit here. See, the Glass Man received some exiciting news today. Staring down a July 31 termination date in my current job, I got word early this afternoon that I had been offered a new job at my company.

Needless to say, the last couple hours have been filled with talking with my current coworkers about the new job, giving family members the good news, that kind of thing.

So I'm a little giddy at the moment. Relieved that I won't be out on my ass come August 1. Excited about the new position. Somewhat wistful for leaving my current job and coworkers behind. That kind of thing.

One thing I haven't thought much about the past few hours is the Mets. I know, I know, blasphemy. I promise you it's a one time thing. By this point I'm falling behind in my work so I can't really go on and on abuot the Mets as per my usual wont, but here are some quick thoughts:

1. Carlos Delgado... when is "not a slump, just not not a slump" just a plain old months long slump? And do I even want to know... when is a plain old months long slump a sign of the long kiss goodnight that is late career decline?

For the record, I don't think Delgado is done; nobody just falls off a cliff in their late career years, but something's clearly up here. Injury, confidence, something... do we ever worry that age is a factor?

(That's what Delgado looks like when he makes good contact!)

2. It's probably not possible to forget it, but two of the Yanks' last three games have really underscored the old saying that baseball is a game of inches. On Sunday the Yankees parlayed a piece of crap single in to 4 runs -- if Damon's bloop is 10 inches deeper, maybe Shawn Green catches that ball.

Today Yankee fans are complaining that Coco Crisp was called safe on a bang-bang play as he attempted to steal second base. A couple inches less and Crisp is clearly out at second. Game of inches. It giveth and it taketh away.

3. It'd be nice to win a series against the Braves, wouldn't you say? We've got All-or-Nothing Ollie going tonight; he's been more all than nothing his past two starts, and he's dominated the Braves this season. Let's hope he has it tonight.

As for now, gotta get back to work.

- A.F.O.M.G.

(Image courtesy of usatoday.com)

A Very Interesting Day

Today was a big day for your third favorite blogger on Yankees 2000.

A lot was going on, most important for me, was that it was my first home game working the ball park. More on that in a second, seeing that you guys are not here for me (sans Sippy Sr./ my hundreds of blogging groupies) as much as you are here for information.

So, first, what appears to be the New "New Yankees."

Jonah Keri of ESPN.com had the stones to say - would you believe this - the Yankees could turn it around. Thanks Jonah. It's no wonder I've never heard of you before and don't plan on hearing of you any time soon. That's like me saying Borat "may be" a hit smash. Really laying it on the line there.

But, the fact is, shockingly, Jonah Keri may be on to something.

Two impressive wins in a row by the Yankees and in each case, the game was won with dominant pitching. It had been pitching that had eluded the Yankees for much of the young season and it will be this pitching that will be their only means for clawing their way back into the playoff race.

Here's the thing to remember: The Yankees could be the best team in the American League for the rest of the season. They could win 70-75 ballgames out of their last 119 and it really wouldn't shock too many people.

But here's the beauty. That may not be enough.

The Yankees are currently 7 games behind the Detroit Tigers for the Wild Card spot and 7.5 games behind my beloved Tribe. These teams are no slouches and are capable of playing .650 ball for the season.

All this means is that when you are AL scoreboard watching, you need to check out three teams now (Red Sox, Tigers, Tribe), and maybe 4, if you count the resurgent White Sox in the mix.

Hell, throw the A's and Twins in there and you have 5 and 6.

The American League is so tough that it will take a real run by the boys in the Bronx to make it back to October. You guys know where I stand. I think they'll be there just like every other year. But it sure will be a fun summer rooting for half of the American league every night.

And then there was my big day.

Yesterday was the first day the Diamondbacks had a home game since I jumped on board the Arizona train. I gotta tell you, it was one of the cooler days I can remember.

I watched the game evolve.

From the arrival of the ushers and concession staff to the early rounds of batting practice, to the seats being cleaned 150 minutes before the first pitch, I saw it all. I walked on the field during batting practice and soaked in the Arizona sun while I grilled the f**k out of Kaz Matsui (grilled = dirty looked the s**t out of).

It's amazing that Colorado has found homes for both Matsui and Jorge Julio. They have to be 1st Team All-Bum of the new millennium. Can you say Ben Grieve?

The best part of my day came when the game started.

See, I have a badge that I have to wear around work all day. It helps me get into doors, let's people know who I am (SCRUB), etc. The beauty of this badge is that when the game starts, everyone just lets me do whatever I want.

The stadium becomes my oyster.

Think back to all those days when you were a kid or a 40 year old and you wanted to move down to better seats only to go shunned by an usher. My badge is essentially a Get Out of Jail Free card for just this.

I can go anywhere and everywhere whenever I want. And not only do people let me do it, they let me pass with a smile as though I might be someone important.

There aren't many perks to being paid minimum wage (I don't think Arizona has a very high one at that), but this certainly is one of them. My summer at the ballpark will be like a kid in a candy store or AFOMG in a baggy pants shop circa 1998.

ONE FINAL NOTE

I told you all a few months back that my buddy Bannon dated a girl who went on the Bachelor. They went out a few times and then she told him that she had to go on a research project with her professor and would be gone for 2-6 weeks, with little or no e-mail/phone access. That was her lie.

And last night, Tessa won.

My friend was a little bummed when he first found out about Tessa going on the show, so I tried to be sympathetic. But now I find myself in quite the pickle.

Can I just go and make fun of my buddy? I mean, if there was ever a time to rip a guy over a girl, this has to be it, right?

He lost his girl to the dude on The Bachelor. This is straight out of a Freddie Prinze Jr. movie, no?

Let me know.

Vaya con dios,
Sip

(Pics courtesy of smh.com, cnn.com, mlb.com, abc.com)

The Pitch That May Have Saved the Yankees' Season

Life ain't perfect. But at least in a baseball sense, we sure did get close this weekend.

Up 1-0 in the third inning, up 2 games to none in the series, the Mets had the bases loaded and a 3-1 count to Jose Reyes. The Yankees' rookie starter had managed to sneak through the first couple innings relatively unscathed but appeared on the brink of a meltdown. A walk to Reyes and it would be 2-0 Mets. And the Mets, of course, had no need for more momentum.

We all know what happened.

Jose Reyes swung at what looked like ball four and hit a weak fly ball to left field, ending the inning. A Johnny Damon blooper to right field and a Derek Jeter ding dong and the game was lost. Oh well.

Here we are Monday and in retrospect, you have to look at the series as a success. We took 2 of 3 from the Yankees while the Sox took 2 of 3 from the Braves. We improved and the Yankees got worse.

Unfortunately, I am not too thrilled. Yes, we had a good weekend, but we were SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO close to something beautiful. A three game sweep and the culture of New York City baseball would have changed a whole lot.

We sat there all weekend watching Brian Cashman look like a little school girl, desperate for love and attention and praying that people would notice him. His job on the line, a job that he really hasn't been very good at.

So what if Jose Reyes took ball 4? What if the Mets broke the game open? What if Shawn Green played Johnny Damon a few steps in?

1. Joe Torre would not be manager of the Yankees. George Steinbrenner would have been so embarrassed by his team's efforts this weekend, the dismantling handed to them by the Mets that I gotta think his manager would have been out.

2. This whole Jason Giambi saga would have hit full media circus. Isn't it funny how when Jason Giambi isn't hitting we immediately hear about steroids? Why was no one complaining last year when he was arguably the most dominant hitting force in the American League?

3. The Yankees would be 11.5 games out of first place. They would be dreaming that they were J-Schubes' beloved Orioles.

4. And the Mets. All the momentum would be there. The ground would have finally been broken. 2006 was the start. But this abusive sweep would have cemented New York as Mets town.

As I said before, life isn't perfect. We all don't get to canoodle with the chick from Vegas that Tony did the No-Pants peyote dance with. We all can't have a jump shot like Tom Coverdale.

But we do have something pretty damn sweet these next three days.

We have the Red Sox coming into town to potentially finish what we started. The only thing more disheartening to George Steinbrenner than being swept by the Mets on national TV would be getting swept by the Red Sox on national TV, right after getting your shit handed to you by your crosstown rival.

For my money, there isn't a more enjoyable game in sports than a Red Sox vs. Yankees game. I would try to go to at least one a year at Yankee Stadium just because I loved to be a Met fan in the middle of it.

I recommend you all do the same.

Prices will be down. Yankee fans are scared to show up in their own stadium.

Go check out this series, and go root for the Sox. Because if things go for them as they almost did for us, then Thursday's paper will be one of the most beautiful backpages you've seen in some time.

Vaya con dios,
Sip

One more thing. It was really fucked for the Shea faithful to boo Dougy Mientkiewicz. Don't they know that that is AFOMG's guy? Come on guys, what did he ever do to us?

(Images courtesy of mlb.com and cbc.ca)

Our City

Normally, I wouldn't post on a Friday. But considering that this is the series that fuels a blog combined with some heavy boredom going down in Friendless, Arizona, I figured why not? I'll throw in a few more words.

The Yankees are down. They are watching their precious AL East disappear from them and their aura of perfection disintegrate.

What do we when a man is down?

In this case, we kick him like we were Ole Dogg from Menace II Society until he can't breathe.

The Yankees' season to this point has been abysmal. The Yankees have three jobs.

1. Win their division
2. Beat the Red Sox
3. Win the backpages of New York City

So far the Yankees are off to a fantastic 0-2.5 start.

They watched the Red Sox show them who is boss in the AL East in a couple of early season head-to-head series'. They have fallen behind 9.5 games to the best and most complete team in baseball (sorry guys, that's the Red Sox, not the Mets).

And they haven't exactly been doing much on the backpages of our favorite local periodicals.

This weekend can bring the Yankees to a very scary 0-3.

If the Yankees lose this series a lot of great things will happen.

Their fans will probably give up on them. Memorial Day means summer in the Hamptons and the Jersey Shore and no longer Yankee baseball.

Their owner will call for something drastic.

Joe Torre or Brian Cashman would be fired.

The Red Sox would most likely have a double digit lead in the division.

The Mets will be considered the best team in New York City.

A-Rod will be three games closer to opting out of his deal.

BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

IF the Yankees come into Shea and hand it to the New Mets, then their confidence could swing.

They would have the whole "we beat the Mets, this is still our city" thing going. They would have the confidence of a big series win. They would remain in hopeful distance of the Red Sox.

I know it is early in the season and we still have well over 100 games to go, but this is one of the more important Subway Series that I can remember.

The Mets have the opportunity to BURY the Yankees.

All I can say, let's get out the shovels.

These will be big tests for Oliver Perez and John Maine. They both rose to the occasion last October. Let's see how they do with all of New York glancing over them.

Vaya con dios,

Sip

(Pics courtesy of scabboy.net, nypost.com)

The Ace Killers

Let me tell you about Phoenix. They love their Suns, mustaches and being married young. I watched the Suns vs Spurs game with a couple of buddies and two married couples. My life is a little weird right now.

Let me tell you something about the Mets. They just destroy good pitching.

I looked at the matchup and saw Rich Hill and Jorge Sosa. I immediately pencilled in a loss. Jorge Sosa still needs to do a lot to prove to me that he is the '05 version and not the '06. But yet again Omar Minaya took a flyer on a guy who once upon a time showed signs of life and has appeared to have uncovered a gem.

But Rich Hill. He is probably the best young lefty in baseball. The guy has nasty stuff and has been nasty. I have found myself mlbtving Cubs game this year when he has started. Outside of Action Danny Haren and he may be the first starting pitcher I would take if I was building a team right now.

But yet again, the Mets got to a dominant pitcher.

Already in this young season, the Mets have knocked around some good ones.

Chris Carpenter, Freddy Garcia (who sucks), Dontrelle Willis, Randy Johnson, Brandon Webb, Matt Cain, Jeff Suppan and Chris Capuano.

The old adage in baseball is that "good pitching beats good hitting and vice versa." But most baseball purists would take the big arm over the big bat.

It is hard for me to see the Mets from the side of the opposition but I know what it is like when we face the Yankees or the Red Sox. You look at their lineup and despite our solid pitching, you don't give them a chance. When teams don't have holes in their lineup, the pitcher, at least in my mind, that of intense pessimism, thinks the pitcher is defeated.

And it must be that that is the psyche of our opposition.

They see our lineup and get scared.

The Mets pitching will not hold up. John Maine and Oliver Perez will come down to normalville at some point. Jorge Sosa is no ace.

But this lineup is what will get us places.

In a few weeks we will get Guillermo Mota back. No telling how he will look post-juicing but if this guy looks like he did pre Game-2 of the NLCS last year, then our already great bullpen will only get better.

Our starters will need to get us fewer innings which we have to imagine will be the case.

But it will be our bats that will carry us.

That's all.

But one more quick thing.

A bunch of you were knocking the Sip for slurping the Yanks. That's just not the case. From my end, when it comes to the Bombers I expect the worst (them winning a lot) and am ecstatic for the best (when they lose a lot). It's been so long since the best has been with us, almost 15 years, that until the Yankees actually lose a lot, I can't imagine them not being the Yankees.

So easy on a blogger. I'm here for you guys, my people. But you know I can't take the rejection. I can't take the hate. I need my people. You and a bunch of married couples.

Vaya con dios,

Sip

Lastings: I'm on My Grind, Cousin!

This is the big one. This is the news that Nails and all the other Lastings Milledge bashers have been waiting for.

Apparently Thrilledge, who moonlights as CEO of Soul-Ja Boi Records, is featured on a song by the label's lone artist, Manny D, he of the gilded teeth. The song's title? "Bend Ya Knees". Oh boi. Boy.

I can't access MySpace from work, so I haven't heard the song for myself. MetsBlog described the song as "hard-core gangsta rap, with a ton of sexually explicit language," but noted that Milledge is not the lead vocal, and that his verse is "about on par with what is on radio these days."

For their part, the Mets have released a statement saying “We disapprove of the content, language and message of this recording, which does not represent the views of the New York Mets.”

I've always been a Milledge booster, but rightly or wrongly, this kid just doesn't seem to mesh with the club's culture. That culture begins with ownership. Fred and Jeff Wilpon are very image-conscious. They've always pushed the family-friendly thing hard with free agents the Mets were trying to woo. And look at the players the Mets have signed or traded for; if there's one bad apple in the bunch I can't think of who it is.

I don't have a crystal ball, but I'd be stunned if the Mets hung on to Milledge. Think of the circus that surrounded the release of Ron Artest's or Allen Iverson's rap album -- do you honestly think the Mets want any part of that? Whenever Manny D's album comes out there will be a media frenzy. Hell, I'm willing to bet that Mike and the Mad Dog are yammering on about this right now.

The Mets have so many positives going for them. A young, talented core of likeable, marketable players. A new network that's grown significantly on a year-to-year basis. A new stadium on the way. The last thing they want is a recurring distraction concerning the off-field activities of one player who, oh by the way, doesn't appear to be particularly popular.

(I realize, incidentally, that reports on Milledge's reception from his teammates this spring were positive, but casual fans don't know that -- they know "Know Your Place, Rook!" Life's not fair.)

I wanted this kid to be a star in New York, and maybe the Mets will prove me wrong with this one.

Somehow though I just have to think Lastings' bourgeoning rap career will be the straw that breaks the camel's back, the thing that convinces management (or ownership) to trade their young prospect.

And if they hang on to him? It's not all bad. I mean, if he makes it big in the rap game maybe he can pen the next "Our Team. Our Time." tune for the home fans at Citi Field.

Only time will tell. In the meantime, be sure to keep checking in with Y2K for Cheddar's review of Manny D's album... coming soon!

- A.F.O.M.G.

The Fan That Willed the Mets to Victory

I should feel banged up. A doubleheader in softball will do that to you.

But thanks to an old friend, and my fellow co-host on our short lived New York City public-access sports talk show, the New York Mets are a win richer.

You may remember the spotlight in the 8th inning. The guy with the hair that the boys from SNY so loved. I got about 7 phone calls about it from his adoring fans.

What you might not know is that the man with the hair that willed the Mets to a heroic win is none other than the lead singer of the official rap group of Y2K.

The group: Team Facelift.

His name: The Fat Jew.

With such hits as "Sexual Perversions", "New York is Dead", "New York is Hot" and a few other hits not quite kosher enough for the blogosphere, I cannot say enough about this man and the group that he is a part of.

It's ironic in fact.

I am 25 years old and a few weeks and today was the first day that I ever DROVE to work. For those who know me, you would know that I am not much of a driver nor much of a worker. Put two and two together and there you have it.

So there I was driving through the desert highway. It was 7:45 a.m. and there was bumper to bumper traffic. I sat there bobbing my head to some Team Facelift. Then I looked over and saw this dude looking at me. I must have looked ridiculous.

I was Michael Bolton from Office Space. I was Jack's menulo oblangata (sp?).

But it was Team Facelift, the Fat Jew aka Jew Diamond Phillips/Jew Piniella/Jewthur Vandross/Jewlysses S. Grant that got me through. They got me in the right place for my first day of work and it made my car ride that much more enjoyable. They also got the Mets a few walks in the 9th.

With Fat Jew we go.

Check out Team Facelift at myspace.com/teamfacelift and teamfacelift.com.

Word.

VCD,
Sip

(Images courtesy of synthesyssolutions.com, imeem.com, peglegnyc.com)

Know Your Audience

Carlos Delgado has not been hitting well lately. Carlos Delgado has been swinging and missing underneath anything up in the zone. He's in a season-long slump, his confidence is shot, and he has about a million holes in his swing at the moment.

So, with the bases loaded and the count full yesterday, with the game on the line and Delgado pulling a 10-pitch AB out of his ass, what does the Cubs' Michael Wuertz throw? He put up what I thought was an excellent pitch -- high and outside, just off the corner of the plate, the type of pitch Delgado has been waving at all season.

Now, it didn't work out for the Cubbies. But it was a sensible idea in the right situation, and it showed that young Mr. Wuertz had at least an idea of what he was supposed to be doing. Maybe it was good instruction from Sweet Lou or pitching coach Larry "The Butcher" Rothschild, or maybe the guy knew where Delgado had been struggling, or maybe it was just dumb luck. But I didn't mind it at all.

This is in stark contrast to all sorts of shit I'm seeing these days around the league, from teams who apparently have trouble knowing their audience. I'm not talking about bloopers or straight mistakes; I'm talking about areas where teams have enough knowledge and experience to know better. Like, why don't ...

The Mets just put Moises Alou on the DL already?

For God's sake, we all knew he was going to get banged up. That was the idea. Give us 400 ABs and the playoffs, and we'll give you $8 million. (I think that was the contract language). His hot start was a great bonus, of course, but it was never going to be a full-season thing. So why would you have him try to play through pain or have him in there to risk a cascade injury? Get him out of there!

The Mets have options in the outfield, plenty of them. Old Man Moises needs his time off, so give it to him, preferably with some warm tea and a copy of El Diario. What, precisely, is the mystery here? And speaking of the teams in Shea on Monday evening, why won't ...

The Cubs sign Carlos Zambrano to that extension already?

This is seriously stupid, and a case of ignoring everything you've learned about your stud pitcher of the course of, say, his entire career. Big Z is a horse, there's no denying that. He's also an immature hothead and a head case, not a bad guy but a feisty competitor with the hint of the lunatic about him. A cross between Guillermo Mota and Kerri Strug.

So, with the big guy ready to sign a below-market extension for five years, what does the Cubs brass do? They yank the deal out from under him because of the Trib's sale, and leave the whole thing up in the air. This results in about a dozen varieties of bad vibes floating around -- Zambrano gets upset because they're jerking him around/don't respect his decision/don't appreciate him, giving him ideas of testing the market (where he'd get a whole lot more than 5/$85m), and as with the sensitive types, his play suffers.

I understand some financial constraints get put in while a team is up for sale, and I know the owners just pumped a whole lot of money into the franchise during the off-season. But this is the ace here, his contract is up after the season, and you've got to find a way to get it done. If we were talking about a more stable type of guy, a leader/ace of the Dontrelle/Maddux genus, it might be more understanable. The Sox, for example, can count on Schilling to put up a great season even without the extension he wanted, because for all his other foibles, Mr. 38 Pitches has his head screwed on straight.

But why mess with a crazy person? It makes no sense. In a similar vein, why won't ...

The Yankees cut bait on Bobby Abreu?

I don't mean release him, although the longer this hideous slump lasts, the sooner that possibility becomes real. I'm talking about pushing him down farther in the batting order, the better that your offense (which has scored the second-most runs in the league) doesn't get caught with him at the plate in key situations. Where he will kill you.

This doesn't mean pushing him into the No. 2 slot, as Torre did against Texas and during this latest joke of an M's series. Again, you don't want to give players in a brutal .236/.312/.291 skid MORE at-bats; you want to give them fewer, in lower-leverage situations, and let them try to earn their confidence back. Abreu, for all his on-base skill, has likewise always been a guy you need to massage and manage, to make sure he's hustling in the outfield and so forth.

Given that he's the turd in the punch bowl, and that your offense is humming along nicely without him, why wouldn't you just dump him in the No. 7 or 8 slot for the foreseeable future? You can a) afford to do it and b) it's the right move. Too simple for Joe, I guess.

Ten Sentences Cause I Gotta Get To Work

First day on the job. It's been a while since I've been in the show so I gotta be quick. Here's where Sip's at in 10 sentences.

1. Old Warriors!

2. This BK Kim for Jorge Julio deal = Less sexy than a threesome with Glenn Close and Barbara Streisand.

3. When Carlos Gomez and Lastings Miledge man our corner OF positions in '08 we will have 5 potential 25-SB candidates.

4. Does Damion Easley realize that this is not 1998?

5. Sunday's 8th inning will be in Ned Yost's head for at least 4-6 business days.

6. Who's better - Oliver Perez or John Maine?

7. Does everyone remember that our ace pitcher has been injured all year?

8. D Wright swiping three bags is the antithesis of sentence #2.

9. How many actors can you name that have been megawatt celebrities as long as Ian Ziering(since 1990)?

10. It was 106 degrees today, my first in Phoenix.

10A. Salt

10B. Haren vs. Meche Part II tonight - Tune In.

10C. Kind of hoping Medellin bombs so E goes totally broke.

VCD,

Sip

(Pics courtesy of Flickr.com, trippod.com, mlb.com)

The Best Team in the National League

I got so used to saying it last year: The Mets are the best team in the National League. It was such a bizarre thing to say. For a Mets fan my age it was unprecedented, at least as far back as I could remember.

But it was glorious too. We came of age in the early 90s, back when we were young enough to get all worked up about Jose Vizcaino, Tim Bogar, and players of that ilk.

Just as the Mets were beginning to turn around nearly a decade's worth of disappointment, the Yankees started winning everything. No matter how discouraging our own failures were, they were resoundingly worse for the fact that the Yankees were all of a sudden the best team ever.

A few years into the Yankee dynasty the Mets were legit again, but with the Yankees on the back page and the Braves atop of the standings, the Mets weren't the biggest fish in the pond.

An Art Howe, Jim Duquette and Scott Kazmir later, the Mets were finally reborn with the Next Year Is Now Mets, but that was just a prelude to the wonderful The Team. The Time. The Debilitating Playoff Exit. Mets.

All year long we romped through the National League. It was miracle finish after miracle finish. Beltran, Reyes, Wright, Delgado -- all of them were superb. Role players like Jose Valentin shined. It was a special season, and pretty much from the get-go we were the best the Senior Circuit had to offer.

I'll let you in on a little secret: I still think the Mets are the best team in the National League. But hold on a minute, how about these Brewers? Entering play on May 11, it's the Brewers -- not the Mets, not the Red Sox, not the Yankees (is it even worth listing them anymore?) -- who own the best record in baseball.

Entering play tonight, it's the Brewers who are the best team in the National League, at least record-wise. Say what you want about run differentials, potential, etc., but the Brewers have themselves the best record with one fifth of the season in the books. The Mets would have to sweep this series to end play on Sunday with a better record.

It's the surest sign yet that we're not in 2006 anymore. As much as we already knew that (hello Atlanta keeping pace), it's kind of upsetting for me to confront the fact as directly as we all have to today. The mantle of being the best at anything is yours until somebody takes it away, and right now, through 34 games, the Brew Crew has done just that.

Now in fairness, it's taken a 9-1 homestand against the shitty Cardinals, the shitty Pirates and the shitty Nationals to produce the vaunted 24-10 mark that Milwaukee brings to Shea tonight. But give credit where it's due: good teams beat up on lesser opposition.

All that said, I'm not ready to let the Brewers run with that whole "best team in the NL" mantle. I'm excited to see what the next three days will bring. We know the pitching matchups don't exactly favor the Mets, but hey, there's a lot on the line here, not the least of which is pride.

I'll bet this Mets team still feels like it's the best the NL has to offer, and I'll bet it feels like it's time to start putting on a better show for the crowd at Shea. This series gives us the team an opportunity to make a statement to the National League in front of the Shea faithful.

Here's hoping they make good on that chance.

- A.F.O.M.G.

10 Quick Hitters With The Sip

I got a lot racing through my head these day. I move to Phoenix on Saturday. That'll be the 4th major city I live in in 7 months.

The Mets look good. The Yanks look good. The NBA playoffs have been great. And Spider-Man 3 is breaking box office records.

Here's some quick hitters to make your Thursday a little bit more enlightened.

1. ABI Back in Full Force

Ahhhh...Armando Benitez. It's great to see ya, old friend.

Me and my cousin used to talk ABI: Armando Benitez Insurance. ABI was the amount of runs we needed to feel comfortable when Armando would come in the game. The guy broke our hearts a million times over and let's just say, I'm happy when we face him. Thank you Armando.

ABI '07- Ambriorix Burgos Insurance

2. Pedro Feliciano

This guy made Barry Bonds look bad on Tuesday. This year he dropped his delivery down a little bit closer to 180 degree and for the most part has been unhittable. Not to jinx him, but I am happy to argue that Feliciano is the best lefty setup man in the game.

3. All-Star Pitching Preview on Wednesday

Johnny Maine threw for the Mets. Danny Haren threw for the A's. Both pitched OK relatively speaking, but any way you look at it, Sip is sitting pretty.

His favorite pitcher, Action Danny Haren. And his Mets project, John Maine.

4. Delgado and Wright

These guys are heating up a little bit and that is scary. As great as it is to have Shawn Green mashing, it is a lot scarier for opposing pitchers to face a scary Delgado than a scary Green. The psychological factor of having a mashing thumper in the middle of your lineup really messes with a pitcher's head. When Delgado goes, the Mets offense is scary.

5. These NBA Playoffs

They are pretty damn sweet. Every night there is something great to watch. I HATE the NBA regular season but for my buck, the postseason is theater at its best.

This Warriors vs. Jazz series is about as watchable as any in sports. Even if you don't like basketball, this series will entertain you.

And if that doesn't do it for you then you should watch the series for Stephen Jackson. You remember the guy from the brawl in Detroit. Or the guy who after an altercation at a night club decided the best move was to pull out his gun and just start firing.

Well this dude is totally nuts and nothing has changed. For my money, watching him yell into the crowd at a heckling fan, "I make 10 million dollars a year," is about as good as it gets.

6. Tyler Perry's New Show

For those of you who do tune in to the NBA playoffs every night you will have seen about a million-billion ads for this new show by Tyler Perry, who apparently made a couple of movies that I have never heard of that were a huge success.

I wasn't going to watch this show to begin with, but now I encourage all not to watch as well. There are simply too many advertisements for this show and they are starting to drive me absolutely nuts.

We all get it. The show is coming soon. Anyone who doesn't know, will never know. Now please show me more ads for Dumb and Dumber on TBS. Thank you.

7. Derek Fisher

For those unaware, the Jazz guard Derek Fisher has missed the start of this series because his daughter has a rare form of cancer. Wednesday night, Fisher came into the game midway through the third quarter having showed up at the Arena around halftime. He greeted his teammates on the Jazz and his former teammates from the Warriors. He got a roaring ovation from the crowd.

All I can say is that it was a really really nice moment in sports. Sip got the chills, almost shed a tear.

8. White people in Utah

They are everywhere. I didn't see a single black person in the entire arena on Wednesday night.

Which leads to a question that I asked my buddy the other day.

If you could have your perfect job and make your perfect salary but have to live in Utah for the rest of your life, Would you?

I juggle this one in my head all the time.

9. Spidey 3

Box office records. I spoke to my agent last week and let him know I felt.

If Tobey wants out, then Sip wants in. I'll take a pay cut. I'll do it for $3 mil. Just sayin'.

10. Ugh

Time to watch the Yanks run off a lot of wins in a row. That's just what I think.

VCD,

Sip

(Pics courtesy of sfgate.com, NBA.com, boston.com, thefeed.blogs.com usmusicvault.com)

Through the Wire

I'm gonna level with you guys here. I had a root canal this morning and my mouth is throbbing. I'm in a great to very great amount of pain and I just don't think I can carry on for all that long, or come up with anything particularly clever. Instead, I'm just going to offer some observations.

Barry Bonds

Remember Mike Tyson's Punch-Out! for the NES? Remember fighting Iron Mike? If he landed a punch you basically went down right away. He was massive, he could dance, he could slug, it was cartoonish how good he was, but that was, of course, the point.

That videogame depiction of Mike Tyson is what I think of pretty much every time I see Barry Bonds in the batter's box. His body is so swollen and huge, he swings with such violence, he hits with such power that it's basically cartoonish.

Steroid-user that he is, that was probably the point.

Barry Zito

No regrets about not giving him the kind of lunatic deal that the Giants did, but good god, when that curveball is on it really is a thing of beauty.

The Buzzcocks

Count me and Sip as two dudes who were really happy to see the Mets pool together and shave their heads. Like Sip used to say, a man feels like more of a man when he's got a shaved head.

We already knew the Mets had great clubhouse chemistry. But I like seeing this kind of thing because it's basically the kind of shit that a high school team or summer camp team would pull. I for one don't mind ballplayers treating it all like a game.

As I've written before, all season long it's seemed to me like this Mets team was searching for an identity. I don't know if a communal hair-cutting is going to do the trick (chances are it won't), but hey, we started the game yesterday with 3 straight doubles, so who the hell knows? Maybe this is the start of something beautiful.

Of course, a team that hasn't clicked on all cylinders that nonetheless produces a 20-12 record is still pretty good in my book.

The Rocket

Was in the car with Cheddar Ben on Sunday when we first heard the news that Roger Clemens had re-signed with the Yankees. My initial reaction was anguish, and I groaned.

But then I thought some more about it, and in some very little way, I was happy he signed with the Yankees and not the Red Sox.

I think this Mets team has World Series potential. The Red Sox look loaded. Generally speaking I agree with Lister that the Yankees are better than their record, and that they'll be in the playoffs when all is said and done.

But I don't fear the Yankees in the playoffs -- they're cursed, remember? The Red Sox though, that's a team with moxie, and I sure as shit wouldn't want to face a Clemens-Schilling-Beckett-Dice-K rotation in a Mets-Red Sox Fall Classic.

As for now though, my mouth is killing me.

- A.F.O.M.G.

(Images courtesy of media.lawrence.com and en.epochtimes.com)

Clemens Part II: Sip's Response

A quick excerpt from a post on 3/22/07:

Without Roger Clemens, the Yankees pitching just won't be there. With a weak bullpen before an aging/less dominant Mariano Rivera, the Yankees will rely heavily on the arms of Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte and Chien Ming Wang.

In Wang, the Yankees have their best bet. He pounds the strikezone with a mid 90's sinker and fresh off a very impressive 2006 campaign appears ready to follow up in 2007 with another impressive showing.

But what happens when the rusting Mussina and Pettite hurt themselves or show wear or slow down or do whatever it is that all pitchers north of 35 do? (PLEASE NOT TOM GLAVINE)

The Yankees would then rest their hopes in a 21 year old kid, Phil Hughes, an overpaid crappy Japanese pitcher (Kei Igawa) or a guy who hasn't pitched in two years that has really only pitched one good season in his career (Carl Pavano).

Without Clemens, the Yankees might not make it to October. Not after losing Sheffield from the lineup and watching the Red Sox and Blue Jays continue to improve in the offseason.

But with Clemens... well, we might be changing the name of this site to Yankees2007.killme.org.

Add Clemens to a rotation and you get a power arm who will be fresh in September and October and push back Mussina and Pettitte to 3 and 4, respectively, in a short series. The Yankees rotation goes from solid to scary and all of a sudden, the Yankees are the team to beat.

Brian Cashmen has done everything in his power to De-Yankee this Yankee team and make them the new Cashman Yankees. The team has the most money but spends it wisely. The team develops talent as opposed to stealing it.

But what happens come May 15th when the Yankees are 3 games back of the Red Sox and tied with the Blue Jays?

Pretty close.

Monday's post, #600 in Y2K's history was met with a lot of controversy. Please allow me to elaborate and clarify.

We've seen it so far this year. It doesn't seem like the Yankees can get anyone out. Their starters can't get out of the 5th inning. Their middle men can't hold a lead. Mariano Rivera isn't Mariano Rivera.

The end result? The Yankees are in 2nd place, 5 games out of the wild card and 6 games out of 1st place. They're tied for 2nd in the AL in run differential (Red Sox are 1) and have scored the most runs in baseball. In short, the Yankees are good.

Before Roger Clemens joined the Yankees they were a playoff team. Say what you want about their slow start, the injuries, etc., the Yankees would have bounced back. If their pitching went from terrible to mediocre they'd be an 88-92 win team.

Now, they are a 92-96 win team.

Assuming Roger Clemens gets 22 starts, starts that would have otherwise gone to Igawa/Rasner/Wright/Momo/Kelly Kapowski, it's probably a safe bet that the Yankees will win about 15 or 16 of those vs. going .500 otherwise.

Again, this is all conjecture, but there you have your 5-6 wins.

Assumption # 2: Clemens gets you 6 innings per start.

Say what you want about what went down in Houston. You forgot two major factors. First, Clemens doesn't have to hit. There are no pinch hitters or baseball strategy here. No one is pulling Clemens for his stick. He is there to pitch and pitch only.

Second, this is Joe Torre and Joe Torre wants to win now. He will do nothing to save Roger Clemens. He does not care about his welfare.

He cares about getting his giant shnoz off of the backpage. He knows his middle relief is his Achilles heel and he will stretch Clemens as long as he can. And for good reason. The guy makes a mil a start or roughly 150k per inning.

Corrolary to assumption #2: The bullpen will save about 20-25 innings because of Clemens.

An inning or so a game for 20 games. The math makes sense. That is pretty important.

Assumption #3: The reason why Clemens is truly important is the postseason.

Assuming the Yankees get there, which they always do, now they are looking at four potentially solid starters: Clemens, Wang, Pettitte, Mussina.

This does not even factor in Phillip Hughes.

This provides insurance for one of Pettitte or Mussina going down. It also means that opponents will be seeing Roger Clemens twice a playoff series as opposed to one of the other three.

That is huge.

Finally, think about the psychological factor. The Yankees now have the best pitcher of our generation pitching for them every 5th day as opposed to a kid fresh off the AAA bus. You go from hoping your pitcher doesn't implode to assuming a W with every start.

The marginal gain for the Yankees here is much greater than it would have been for the Sox. The Sox have servicable 5 men. The Yankees do not. The Sox have starting pitching depth. The Yankees do not.

Writing off the Yankees before they got Clemens would have been foolish. Assuming Clemens won't be a huge lift over a terrible #5 starter is silly.

Put it all together and I stand by Monday's column. That is of course assuming that Roger Clemens will be as good this year or even close to where he was the last couple of years.

Vaya con dios,

Sip

PS- De La Hoya v. Mayweather was fixed to be inconclusive. They'll have another one and we'll all get it. It's crap. Still, the show on HBO, 24/7, which documented the weeks before the fight is the best TV I have ever seen.

(Pics courtesy of Allposters.com, mlblogs.com)

A Hero's Welcome

Well hardy ho! Roger Clemens is back in pinstripes. And to think, it only took $28 million dollars (prorated of course) to get it done.

Last week I spoke too soon. I told you that things like karma were shifting for the Yankees. Whoops.

With one desperately large paycheck, the Yankees immediately became the dominant team in the American League and maybe all of baseball.

Only in New York can you say you want to "rebuild," say that you want to trim your exorbitant payroll and build from within, and then throw $4.5 million/per month for a starting pitcher because you have thrown out a few too many Darryl Rasner's and Chase Wright's. Only in New York.

This signing really killed my weekend. It made too much sense and it is too good of a move for the Yanks.

Assuming Clemens '07 resembles 2005-2006, then the Yankees are getting a top 5 starter in baseball. They are getting the power arm to put at the top of the rotation. The guy to eat innings and intimidate opponents.

Say what you want about the Yankees starting pitching, but Clemens-Mussina-Wang-Pettitte -- there isn't a team in baseball that can rival that. Salt.

This move is so Yankees.

One question. Roger introduced himself to the Bronx faithful during the 7th inning stretch. The hero returns! But isn't this a tad disrespectful. Isn't this when the Yankees are supposed to play "God Bless America." Isn't this time for patriotism? To think. These guys sure do have nerves.

That's just Sip being dumb. But seriously. This move could not have come at a better time for the Yankees OR a worse time for those who hate them. The Yankees are starting to roll with their recent cake walk through Texas and Seattle and now they make the one move that can change a season.

More importantly, Rocket as a Yankee means that Roger can't be a Red Sock (??? How the hell do you make Red Sox single?). This is clearly why the money got in the range that it did. The Hendricks brothers had bsaeball's greatest bargaining chip.

The Yankees vs. The Sox.

Rocket's favorite team vs. Rocket's first team.

The Evil Empire vs. America's sweetheart.

$28 million dollars later and Roger Clemens is a Yankee.

$50 million dollars later and Kei Igawa is a longman.

Old Yanks, meet the New Yanks.

Vaya con dios,

Sip

(Pics courtesy of cyyoungpitchers.com, sportsecyclopedia.com)

Fire in the Sky

So, the Mets stomped the D-Backs for the millionth straight time last night, winning 9-4 in the desert. Yeah, they needed to do it with a comeback against the closer, Jose Valverde. This brings their win streak in Phoenix to 11 straight, scoring 93 runs against 24 allowed during that run.

But why, exactly do the Mets like playing at Chase Field (nee Bank One Ballpark, nee a sandy hole in the ground) so much?

The park's dimensions suit their hitters

Sure, this is part of it. Chase goes 376 to both right- and left-center, but pulled back to 412 near the centerfield fence. This makes it both a good extra-base-hit park for teams that like to hit the gaps (the Mets), and a good home run park for teams that like to turn on the ball (the Mets). Shpigel sez they like the black batters' eye as well, so take that into consideration.

They like the weather

Are you kidding me? Los Mets love to soak up some early-season rays out in the pre-summer sun. Ron and Gary were saying during the broadcast last night just how perfect it was there -- 85 degrees, no wind, no humidity, clear skies ... nothing more you could ask for. After an April spent wearing ski masks and huddling together in the dugout for warmth, anyone could get down with a heat wave. Well, this is the perfect time for a four-game set in Arizona.

They like their hotel

Could be. Ron also mentioned this during the broadcast last night, that the hotel the Mets (and their broadcasters, natch) get put up in during the series is so luxurious with its spas and amenities and such that he thinks its a trick by D-Backs management to get the team over-comfortable. Hah! Talk about your all-time backfires. I'm pretty sure he said the hotel was the Arizona Biltmore, which is easily one of the nicer places in the country. Frank Lloyd Wright was a consulting architect on the structure, which looks exactly like his shit and has picked up various arts and crafts windows and doodads over the year to become more Wrightish. Seeing as how there are no other Wright hotels in existence, this one (though it really isn't one) soaks up all that credit. It's on a golf course, right next to a spa, and 20 minutes from the field. I'd like playing there too.

Tommy the Spy has a thing for cacti

This I'm not sure about, but it can't be ruled out as a possibility. Dude is 8-1 with a career 1.76 ERA in Phoenix, and that's including last night's deserved no-decision. Arizona catcher Chris Snyder hit an awful pitch from Glavine out for a two-run homer, and Tommy didn't really merit a win yesterday. That's a clear deviation from the norm, which is him turning into Walter Johnson while he's in-state. God help everyone if he ever decides to compete in the Grand Canyon State Games.

It's a convenient place to pick up steroids smuggled over the border

Kirk Radomski knows his business, and this is where to make the pickups. The Mets never played in Phoenix while he was with the team, seeing as how the D-Backs weren't yet in existence, but people get to talking, and sooner or later, everyone knows where the hot spots are. Guess what? They're 'round here. No wonder everyone walks around with smiles on their faces all the time.

By the way, the Radomski thing was yet another embarassment to the walking, talking joke that is Steve Phillips. He wasn't GM while Radomski was with the Mets, but he was sure as hell with the team during that stretch, and then later when probably a dozen of them were getting steroids from Radomski. He might as well have screeched out this quick ESPN column with the all-too-appropriate title, "If names are released, reputations might be ruined." Yeah, no shit. What about yours, Stevie?

I was often accused of being in the Mets' clubhouse too much during my years as general manager (1997-2003). I have to admit that I am hoping that there aren't any of my former players outed by this process as it would indicate that not only was I in the clubhouse too much but that I was also deaf and blind.

Heck, not a bad start. Of course, it's really a ground-softening move for when we start seeing names like "Agbayani" and "McRae" in the headlines.

None of the above

Maybe it's a big secret. Maybe they all have secret desert mistresses, or they're all pumped about Sun playoff basketball, or Phoenix is where Jose Reyes' alien masters choose to communicate with their prime specimen. Who knows? That's why it's such a fun time of year ... you never know why the Mets are going to cruise, but you know they will. Now that's good living.

The Cursed Yanks?

I spoke to my barber, Franco and he told me that young David Wright had read our piece on Tuesday. Wright hit up the shop, talked some sports, had a few laughs and $17 later he was not only back as the Mr. Wright we have all grown to love, but he had also found himself a new barber for life.

This my friends is the power of the blogosphere and more importantly, how things have gone for the Mets since the start of last year: in one word, opportune.

Save last year's NLCS, I can't think of much that has gone wrong for the New Mets. Say what you will about Pedro and El Duque going down last fall, but it was their injuries that led to John Maine and Oliver Perez. Again, not ideal, but still, things worked out.

This never used to be the case for the Mets. Something bad would happen and it wouldn't correct itself. These were the Old Mets and that is why I have grown in to such a pessimist.

However, this was always the case for the Yankees. Things always just worked for them. Be it the game winning hits from the Jose Vizcainos or Miguel Cairos of the world to the miracle call-up of Aaron Small right when the team was really starting to tumble, things always went right for the Yankees and I never was surprised.

Until this year, or really since this blog began. Y2K: Promote the Curse.

Tuesday night was so atypical of the Yankees dynasty that I almost didn't believe it. There we were, 7 innings in to his Phil Hughes' second start. I watched his first one and was impressed. While watching his second one, I was in awe.

The kid was dominant. He was unhittable. He had the command of a veteran and the stuff of a phenom. He was the savior to the Yankees' pitching woes.

I kind of snickered throughout the course of the game: "Of course," I would think to myself. While Mike Pelfrey authors weekly walkathons at Shea Stadium the Yankees' stud kid pitcher really is the truth. And the Yankees will use him to catapult their resurgence.

Then a funny thing happened. Maybe it's that steroids are no longer allowed or maybe it is the baseball gods finally having a laugh. But mid way thru the 7th inning after going 6.1 innings of no-hit ball, Hughes completed a pitch and then grimaced. And so went his hamstring.

The hamstring to a pitcher is the high ankle sprain to the NFL WR. It's an injury that takes time to fix and when it's fixed, it still takes more time.

Yeah it's not a shoulder or an elbow, but this is bad for Hughes. Doctors are saying 4-6 weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if he's not back until after the All-Star break.

But this is all just kind of comical.

The Yankees' million dollar baby, the kid they swore they wouldn't rush was rushed. No way Joe Torre can pull him 80 pitches into a no-hitter, even though they certainly would if he was pitching in the minors. Not this time. Noooo! The Yankees needed a win and the bullpen needed a rest.

You can't fault Torre, but you can fault the organization. Well, at least in hindsight.

Injuries kill pitchers. One injury leads to another injury and boom, Phil Hughes is Rich Harden.

These are the new Yankees. A team of desperation. A team in last place. A team that has bad things happen to it.

This used to be the Mets. But slowly the pendulum has shifted (or whatever it is that pendulums, pendula, do).

Why not?

VCD,

SIP

(Pics courtesy of mlblogs.com, sportsnetwork.com, riverablues.com)

Out of the Iron Triangle

I have fond memories of Opening Day at Shea in 2005. The day was April 11, 2005. That morning I had an interview that would ultimately land me the job I currently have now. Afterward I grabbed breakfast with the Hound near his office, and then it was back to the Upper West to pick up the car, Sip, The Kid, and Jawn-Jawn, and head out to Shea.

It was all going perfectly. We grabbed a couple 30 bangers at a deli, breezed out on the Triborough and we were on our way. The first sing of trouble came at Exit 9 (or is it 8?) towards Shea Stadium. Cars were piling on to the off ramp, the traffic went from zero to horrible in a matter of moments.

By the time we made our way past the off ramp and in to the Shea Stadium parking lot, all the spots were taken. Panicked that we would miss the player introductions before the start of the game, we dove head first into the Iron Triangle.

Not familiar with the Iron Triangle? Here's the only way I can possibly describe it. One spring break I was in the Dominican Republic with Denver D's and some friends. Good soul that he is, Denver D's had spent summers living and working in a remote, third world village called Los Conucos.

You've never heard of Los Conucos, and don't bother looking it up. When I Googled it for a picture, the horrifying image above was the first thing that appeared.

The people in Los Conucos are lovely, but the area is broke as shit. There's no sewage, no running water, the electricity is sporadic at best. The buildings look like they could collapse after a strong wind. You sleep under a mosquito net. It's the kind of thing that really gives you some perspective; it shows you how much you have, and it shows you what you lack.

Little did I know that instead of traveling a couple thousand miles for that kind of experience, all I had to do was hop on the 7 train and head out to the area right next to good old Shea.

The Iron Triangle is like visiting the third world; or it's the closest thing to it that you'll find in New York City at least. If you replaced the Iron Triangle with Los Conucos, nobody would be able to tell the difference.

Look, I love Los Conucos. The people there were incredibly warm and welcoming, and cheesy as it sounds, what they lack in material possessions they make up for in their community-mindedness. It really is enviable in a way.

But when it comes to the area surrounding Shea Stadium, well, I like the idea of Fenway/Kenmore or Wrigleyville more than I like the idea of Los Conucos. And so it was with excitement that I heard Mayor Bloomberg announce a massive, 10-year redevelopment plan for the Iron Triangle.

There's a lot to like here, even if the Robert Moses haters in the crowd might recoil a bit. Yes, a lot of people would lose their jobs -- 1,300 jobs would be displaced -- but evidently there is only one resident of the Iron Triangle, so only he would lose his home. On the flip side, the project would create 20,000 jobs during the building phase, and 6,100 permanent jobs.

But come on, that's nice and all but this is a baseball site. Think of how awesome it would be if there were a thriving, Mets-loving community flanking Shea. After a big win you could head out to the local bar and yuk it up with some fellow-feeling fans. Subway rides home after the games are great, but it's a means to an end. The chance to sit down and hang out with your own after a game is something I really envy Red Sox or Cubs fans for, and the idea that this could be coming to a ballpark near us somewhere down the line is a tremendously exciting prospect.

Or as Sip put it yesterday when I e-mailed him the article from Newsday:

"would be a lifechanger...

UNFUCKING REAL"

He's got a way with words, that one.

Now come on already, let's take 1 of 3 at least.

- A.F.O.M.G.

(Images courtesy of nyc.gov and blogs.timesunion.com)

Easy Come ...

... easy go.

T.S. Eliot Didn't Know Shit, or, Y2K's April Recap

(Note: Sip knows what David Wright needs, and he's turning to his old pal Rick Vaughn to get it -- check it out immediately below this piece from Cheddar Ben.)

One month down, an undetermined amount of months to go. More is better, don't you know. Let's be clear about one thing -- as of now, the Mets are 15-9 and only a half-game out of first place. A .625 winning percentage is excellent. At the same time, there's still a lot to look at as the 'Amazins head into May flowers with some injuries, some question marks and some huuuuuuge studs. I'm talking sizable.

Here, then, is Y2K's April recap, done Eastwood-style.

THE GOOD
Reyes and Beltran raking

These guys had a joke of a month, each hitting .356 (tied for seventh in the league) and flat out sonning the NL's pitching. Reyes, the prodigal one, ran wild from Day Uno, finishing April with 16 extra-base hits, 17 stolen bases (against only 3 CS), and a 16-11 BB-K ratio. Plate coverage, patience ... everything we've ever wanted or imagined is coming to fruition in this guy, which happens to be extrordinarily bad news for everyone else in the league, as he's just dominating games in the early going.

Beltran, for his part, has followed up a career year the way you'd prefer -- by lining up for another one. His line is .356/.412/.663, which resembles a composite Jimmie Foxx season from the mid-1930s. He leads the team with six HR, and he's even swinging the stick well at Shea, hitting .347 at home through a month. That's a positive sign for the fans who want to see their No. 3 hitter do the damn thing in person. For once.

The Maine Event
Some of y'all were doubters. Some of y'all suggested that he wouldn't strike enough guys out, that last year was a fluke, that he wasn't even a dependable rotation guy. Well, fair enough, but it must hurt -- HURT, baby! -- to see John K. Maine put up those vintage Pedro numbers.

Oooh, it's nice. Five starts, a 4-0 record, and a 1.35 ERA with 30 Ks in 33 innings. That's what we call SUCCESS, suckers. Isn't it sweet? Mmmm! A revelation! [Seriously, the ERA will come up as the season goes on, as the peripheral numbers just don't support him allowing so few runs. But here's your NL ERA leader through April. Suck on that, Huddy.]

Contributions from unexpected quarters

Moises Alou's hot start you might have anticipated. The guy always hits when he's healthy, and while .349 was probably beyond everyone's expectations, it wasn't like this blindsided us.

Not so with our main mensch Shawn Green, who lit up my predictions and the eyes of every young Semite in the tri-state area with a wonderful start to the year. He came out in .355/.412/.538 fashion, knocking in clutch runs and scaring the hell out of pitchers who thought they were going to have an easier run through the bottom of the Mets lineup this year.

Hah. Caveat: the production is very batting average-heavy, he's only hit .300 once in his career, and his power numbers aren't up much from last year, so we can expect to see him come back to Earth as his BABIP does the same. But for now, he's replaced the ailing Sam Rothstein as the new Golden Jew around these parts. (Abe, call me!)

Also, I think the, ahem, 0.00 ERA from rookie reliever Joe Smith comes as something of a surprise, considering none of you except for me (and possibly Lister) had ever heard of this dude before he made the team, and I only knew him because it just so happens he's a former North Adams SteepleCat. The sidearm delivery is working for now, he's not only getting grounders but striking guys out (14 in 12.1 IP) and is doing it for pennies on the dollar. The kid looks like he should be delivering copies of Newsday out by Paul Lo Duca's girlfriend's house, but here he is with a sub-1.00 WHIP and Willie's full confidence. Not bad for a first month on the grind.

THE BAD
The worst third baseman in New York

For David Wright, the situation has deteriorated from A.F.O.M.G.'s formulation of "Not a slump, just not 'Not a slump'" to the less wordy and far less ambiguous "slump." Our All-American superstar hit like a bad Luis Castillo in April, shooting out a .244/.370/.311 line with a grand total of zero homers since what seems like the original Armstice Day. His mechanics look all screwed up, still too uppercutty and jumpy; Keith sounds like Bob Vila in the booth trying to get David to level out his swing. Who can tell from here, but the attitude seems positive enough, and there's no visible signs of panic from the dugout -- Willie hasn't been fiddling with his spot in the lineup yet, or calling for the Bobby Abreu-style bunts. But this will not stand. He's still got that square jaw going for him, I guess.

Bats in the Pelfrey (groan, slap, whimper)
This was covered very recently at the site, but rookie hurler Mike Pelfrey ain't getting it done at the moment. That is all.

THE UGLY
Delgado, Lo Duca sucking

My, I'm as blunt as a spoon, but there's no way around it. The Mets cleanup hitter, their big slugger, their first baseman and wise veteran presence, well ... not good. This was a whole month and more than 100 plate appearances with a line of .188/.262/.260, which would have killed a team that didn't have five red-hot bats backing each other up. I can't pretend I have any idea what's ailing him, so cross your fingers.

As for Lo Duca, all the productive outs in the world (and he's still tops at putting the ball in the right spots) aren't enough to help the team when you're hitting .237 with a whopping total of two extra-base hits and playing your characteristically mediocre defense. He may be scuffling with some minor injuries -- I'm pretty sure I haven't seen a game on TV where he doesn't take a bouncing pitch in the fingers or get whacked by a backswing or something else painful-looking. All the same, these two guys are anchoring the squad in the Davy Jones sense of the word.

Pain train a-comin'
The Mets have quite a few old players. In fact, the Mets have the oldest player, who looked like the ghost of Paul Robeson out there in the ninth inning against the Nats on Saturday night. Me, A.F.O.M.G., the White Phil Ivey and some assorted other peeps were watching from Kid Slick's hipster pad down on Bedford Avenue when the comeback started, and we straight giggled every time they showed a closeup of Franco's ancient torso. I mean, the guy looks like a wax carving of himself. Maybe it was just the RFK lighting, but nothing flattering was going.

Anyway, back to my point -- old players get hurt more easily than young players, and we saw the process start just yesterday. El Duque to the DL with bursitis. Valentin to the DL for a month with a knee. Even young Blastings went down for six weeks with a foot thing.

You can expect to see more of this coming in the future, which is why we're going to have to hope that Endy keeps hitting .368 (Endy magic!), Easley and Castro keep doing their thing and the pitching doesn't deteriorate much more. There's a good amount of depth built into the roster and the system, but let's keep our heads up and eyes open.

Look for the next monthly recap next month, stupid. Use your head!

The Next Wild Thing?!!!

Remember in Major League II when Rick Vaughn's shrink snapped at him?

"How can you throw him an 0-2 fastball when you know he'll swing at the ball in the dirt?"

For six months in Cleveland, Rick Vaughn had lost it. The year before he averaged 96 (mph), but this year he would reach back and it just wasn't there.

Vaughn got the big contract and rose to superstar status and he just got lost. He lost his moxie, his mojo, his panache. He lost whatever it was that he had in the first installment of Major League.

He needed to get it back.

A trip to the barber for his old school Vaughn haircut and a couple of minutes in his closet finding his old leather vest and Vaughn was back. He came back at the end of ML II to strike out Jack Parkman and save the day.

I tell you this story because we at Shea have a guy in need of a haircut and his old leather vest. A kid like Vaughn who exploded onto the scene, had the girls in love with him and the guys wanting to be him. Like Vaughn, he had a speedy lead off man as a running mate (Willie Mays Hayes/Jose Reyes) and like Vaughn he came into 2007 with lofty expectations.

This one shouldn't be a shocker to you. It's our old friend and fan-favorite, David Wright.

D Wright hasn't been the same since last year's home run derby. He had 6 homeruns in the second half of '06, struggled through his first postseason and has been a blackhole for RBI opportunities in '07, filling up the early stat sheets with 0 HR and 6 RBI.

There is only one word to describe his play. It's "sad."

We all love D Wright. He is our kid. He was the first Mets prospect to make it since Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry. He is a clean-cut class act, who may be the only person in the world to love the Mets more than AFOMG. Which is why it's so disheartening to see this kid struggle.

You know it's driving him nuts. He has watched Derek Jeter's Hall of Fame career unfold in the Bronx and knows that he is expected to fill those same shoes in Queens.

It's way too early to panic. A good month of May and everyone will forget the first 25 games of the season.

But whatever it is that he had, he needs to get it back.

I'm gonna call my barber Franco and see if he can do something different with D Wright's fade.

I'll call a few of my favorite fashionistas back in NYC who might be able to find a nice new leather vest for D Wright.

Whatever it is I can do from the west coast, I will try my best. I ask that you guys all do the same. We need this kid back.

Vaya con dios,

Sip

(Pics courtesy of Steelertribute.com, allposter.com, fridaysundae.com)