It is time to hit the panic button? The Mets and Yankees keep losing to bad teams. The Yankees lost 12-2 to Baltimore after losing 11-2 to the Mets on Sunday. The Mets got swept in a double header in Atlanta, losing to a pitcher who has never won a MLB game. Add insult to injury, the Mets top hitter, Ryan Church went to the hospital with a reaggravation of his spring training concussion.

It is almost June. Almost time to hit the panic button.

Posted by Steve, sitting next to the panic button.

Subway Series (MLB)

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 8:59:38 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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There were some signs of life this weekend in the Bronx, but not from the hapless Yankees, the signs of life were from the hapless Mets. After losing 3 out of 4 to the hopeless Nationals, Billy Wagner called his teammates out, the second public outburst this year by Wagner (who trumps Joba or any other relief pitcher in the league with a 0.00 ERA.)

The Mets out hit, out pitched and out played their crosstown rivals at Yankee Stadium. They stole bases, they hit and ran, had 2-out RBIs, home runs and also dead on pitching. They were firing on all cylinders. They even touched the unhittable Joba for a run. More importantly, they looked like they were having fun. The look on Jose Reyes (two home runs in two games) face in the dugout was the Jose of old, the wise guy joker. Even Carlos Delgado looked like he was having fun. (Even after an obvious three run home run was called back.)

We will see if this was a weekend sighting of the spunk that the Mets need or a real change. The Mets head to Atlanta to play a team that is not as good as them, but seems to be inside their heads. The NY Media was all over the Nats and Yankees series being "tests" for the Mets, a test that they get a collective B- on (D+ against the Nats, A+ against the Yankees, but the Yankees is weighted higher due to the pressure and national stage.)

The real test begins at 1pm tomorrow against their old friend Tom Glavine. A pounding on Tom would just what the doctor ordered.

Posted by Steve in Washington, DC

Mets Analysis (MLB)

Monday, May 19, 2008 4:33:13 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Chien-Ming Wang has gotten a rap as someone who does not win the big games. While it is only late May, the Yankees have lost 4 out of the last 5 to bad teams (Mets included), and are 3 games under .500 and also falling further and further behind in the AL East.

While it is not October, the Yankees are in a rut and it is also the final game in an abbreviated subway series with the crosstown rivals Mets. While it may "just be another game" the Mets already won the first game and will be going for the series win tonight on national TV. If ever the Yankees needed a big win (as the Mets did yesterday), the do tonight.

The Mets had their stopper, ace Johan Santana pitch yesterday. He did what he was paid to do, going 7 2/3 innings and stopping the losing streak with a big win at the Stadium. Chien-Ming Wang is 6-1 this year. Can he do the same as Johan Santana and stop the Yankees' slide? Or will he still earn his big game rap. We'll know in an hour.

Posted by Steve in New York

Subway Series (MLB)

Sunday, May 18, 2008 6:00:53 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Hola Johan,
    Amigo, hermano Dominicano.  Escucho que no quieres hablar con media ingles.  No problema.  Esteban Y El Tanque comprendemos Espanol.
                                                                 
Hi Johan,
    Friend, Dominican brother.  I've heard that you don't want to speak with the English speaking media.  No problem.  Steve and The Tank understand Spanish.
                                           
    Question Uno: Piensas que Los Mets no se anotan mas carreras para ti?  (Claro que no.)
   
    Question One: Do you think that the Mets score enough runs for you?  (Of course not.)   

    Question Dos: Que piensas de Guillermo Wagner criticando Perez?  Quieres a gritar a Billy?  

    Question Two: What do you think of Billy Wagner criticizing Perez?  Do you want to yell at Billy?

    Question Tres: Te gusta los umpires?

    Question Three: Do you like the umpires?

El Tanque escribe en Nueva York.

Written by The Tank in NY.

Interviews | Mets Analysis (MLB)

Saturday, May 17, 2008 1:09:19 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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After Steve and I were rained out last Friday night at Shea, I didn't even bother going to the Stadium tonight for the Subway Series.

As blogged in 2006, the Yankees and Mets dropped the ball in NOT putting retractable roofs on the new stadiums opening next year.

Posted by The Tank building an Ark.

Environment | Mets Analysis (MLB) | MLB | Subway Series (MLB)

Friday, May 16, 2008 11:13:25 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Aaron Heilman is not an effective 7th inning man. Nor is he happy being a reliever, he whines and complains almost daily that he is not a starter. The Mets need consistency in their rotation. Pedro is never going to return, I'm sorry to say. If his hamstring ever heals, he will go on to the DL sometime in August for his toe or something else.

Orlando Hernandez's return is still a mystery but he will come back. When he does, he should fill Sosa's role in the bullpen. Let's face it el Duque is old, nobody know how old. He can't give you 150 innings any more. So put him in the pen and expect only 65 innings a year from him. This will extend his career and make him much more effective tossing less innings. Then you can swap his spot in the rotation with Heilman. If Heilman still does not perform, then you can trade him away.

Posted by Steve in New York

Mets Analysis (MLB)

Thursday, May 15, 2008 9:38:46 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Forget the win last night over the Nationals. Forget the 14 hits and 6 runs and rock star performances from Ryan Church and John Maine. The signs of life are from the passion displayed.

Monday night Nelson Figueroa got rocked by the Nationals. Yea, those thigns happen. But what was bad was the Nationals, led by Lastings Milledge, were in the dugout tormenting Figueroa. He said after the game: ”They were cheerleading in the dugout like a bunch of softball girls. I’m a professional, just like anybody else. I take huge offense to that. If that’s what a last-place team needs to do to fire themselves up, so be it. I think you need to show a little bit more class, a little bit more professionalism. They won tonight, but again, in the long run, they are who they are.”

ex-Met Lastings Milledge said: “Well, what were we supposed to do? We’re not supposed to cater to anybody on the opposing team. We’re not going to cater to him or anybody else. We’ve been down the last couple of days and we wanted to get something going. And if he doesn’t like it, then he’s got to deal with it. Anybody don’t like it, they just have to deal with it.”

On Tuesday night, John dealt with it. Maine hit Felipe Lopez with the first pitch of the game. Take that Lastings Milledge. The Mets then followed with a victory and Maine had another brilliant performance. This is what you have to do, hit the batter to set the tone, send a message. There are some signs of life in Flushing after all.

Posted by Steve in New York

Mets Analysis (MLB)

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 8:44:56 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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A-Rod's right quad is still not 100% and he will not be off the DL before the weekend series at the Stadium vs the Mets. There has been a buzz about the Subway Series this year (well there is always a buzz) since it is the last year at both stadiums.

I say, who cares? This is like the Sears and K-Mart merger. Both teams are no fun to watch anymore. they seems to give up, even against bad teams. The Mets can't beat the last place Reds and Nationals and the Yankees can't beat the hapless Rays. The Yankees will limp into the series maybe at .500 and the Mets will be no better. I was watching the game last night and at one point it was 3-3 and then the Nationals took the lead 6-3. Last year (pre-September) and definitely in 2006 I would have said "no problem, we'll get those 3 runs back, epically against a 0-3 pitcher." Not this year. The Mets seem to give up when they fall behind. The Yankees are even worse.

I have been saying for weeks now that the Mets and Yanks have to beat up on bad teams. So now they can beat up on each other.

Posted by Steve not excited by the Sears Series.

Mets Analysis (MLB) | Yankees Analysis (MLB)

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 9:52:33 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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