According to Phils Fans: "Santana Know Longer Scary!"

Well it's pretty obvious that Mets fans are excited. We've had a record number of posts in the last few days. We've had a record number of traffic in the last few days. There's a buzz around everyone's offices, schools, homes, etc because the Amazin' Mets are Amazin' again. Not only that, but we're about to head into Philly to face a true rival, a team I hate more than almost any team out there. The Mets are about to walk into a lions den of degenerate fans, face a team that has won the NL for the last two seasons, and take on the hands down favorite to win the NL again this season. If it's good enough for the Mets, it's good enough for our blog, so we took to the message boards over at Phillies.com to pour them a glass of Koolaid and see what they had to say. As intelligent and well-spoken as I know Philly fans to be, I was pretty excited.

My first stop was to find out some thoughts on tomorrow's series opener, so I got to a thread started by user Julius May - the official thread of tomorrow's game on the message board. I had a little trouble as there were actually 2 official threads. Well, actually there was "Mets vs. Phillies 4/30/10 OFFICIAL GAME THREAD," but there was also "Mets vs. Phillies 4/30/10 OFFICIAL GAME TREAD." I guess Julius may be a little nervous about Kyle Kendrick testing his 7.71 ERA against Jon Niese in the opener tomorrow night. Maybe Kendrick isn't used to the weight in his hand anymore now that he gets to wear those rings. Hopefully Pelf and Johan won't have the same effect on them next year after wearing their 2010 World Series rings. Not to worry Julius, whether it's an official thread or tread, the Mets are going to be beating up your pitcher.

Next, I decided to post a little something up on the boards since the Philly fans are in need of a little Koolaid here. Well, the response on a prediction for Game 2 brought out the enthusiasm and positive thoughts from pfosty who said, "Game 2 goes to the Phillies (Halladay is pitching, nuff said)." Sorry to tell you this pfosty, Halladay is facing Mike Pelfrey, the best pitcher in the NL statistically right now. And speaking of statistics, I hope for the Phillies sake that the Mets can't keep up their .337 clip they are hitting against Halladay in his career. Between the short porch everywhere at Citizen's Bank, the way the middle of the Mets' order is hitting the ball, and the way Mike Pelfrey is pitching, you are going to have to love this game.

Finally, for the third game, the Sunday Night game, the ESPN game, you had to figure Phils fans would be a bit shook up considering they'll probably be facing a potential sweep with Johan on the mound. Lucky for Philadelphia, they have our good friend 1diehard pouring their own brand of Koolaid saying, "I agree santana know longer scares me either. Mark this down if phils win game 1 it will be a clean sweep." I'd respond, but I don't think that's English. Someone should go back to second grade and learn their "no" vs "know" rules. Although in Philly I'm sure they teach vomiting on opposing fans or throwing snowballs at Santa Claus instead of grammar. Don't worry 1diehard, we don't have to worry about your prediction anyway because we already know the Phillies aren't winning game 1.

So it looks like we are all set here. 3 more wins for the Metropolitans, more evidence to the abomination that are Phillies fans, and a great day for the Mets Koolaid blog. In all seriousness though, let's get pumped for an awesome series this weekend, let's get out that blue and orange shirt you haven't worn since the first week of September in 2007 (that's right we're welcoming back the bandwagon fans), and let's watch our boys extend that lead in the NL East. Drink it up, and LET'S GO METS!!!!

The "OH YEAH!" Award...Last Chance to Vote!

April has been great for the Mets, so don't miss your chance to vote for the first ever "OH YEAH" Player of the Month award. The award goes to the player who inspired Mets fans to drink the most kool-aid this month.

Here is a quick rundown of the standings so far:

1 - Mike Pelfrey
2 - Jeff Francoeur

3 - David Wright

4 (tie) - Jose Reyes, Rod Barajas

No love has been shown for the likes of Santana, Takahashi, or Nieve (don't worry, Ike Davis will qualify in May).

Remember, two packets of kool-aid (one blue and one orange) and an OYPOTM certificate will be sent to the winning player. So get out and vote!

The Beat Goes On

Life is good, Mets fans. Our team is officially on fire after cementing their seventh consecutive win earlier today. Gone are the days when the kool-aid had to be forced down the throat of Mets fans against their will. Nowadays, it’s flowing from the pipes of Citi Field and everyone wants a drink.

Once again, the Mets followed the recipe for success that we have been preaching on this blog. The middle of the lineup produced, the starting pitching was great, and the bullpen shut the door. The end result was another win, the best home stand in team history, and a spot atop the NL East for yet another day.

This time it was John Maine's turn to join the parade of Mets who have broken out in the past several days. Maine came back from the dead to keep a dangerous Dodgers lineup in check, striking out nine in the process. He has the talent to pitch like this the rest of the year, and if he does the Mets rotation will be one of baseball's best.

Even with the Mets hotter than an Icelandic volcano, the naysayers – “experts” in the media, Phillies fans, and even some pessimistic Mets fans – are bound to come out in full force. They will cry that the Mets have beaten bad teams and have caught good teams at the right time. They will claim that the Mets bullpen cannot survive being used so much. They will say it’s too early in the season for a good record to mean anything. After all, some people just don’t like the taste of blue and orange kool-aid.

All that matters is that on April 28^th the Mets are in first place and playing great baseball. The players seem to be having fun every single inning, something we have not seen in a long time. Fan excitement is back to levels not reached since 2006. And the best part is the fun should continue all season. We have a potent lineup, several excellent pitchers, and players who are dedicated to proving the doubters wrong.

Now it's on to Philadelphia, where the Mets can really prove they are back on top. If the Mets continue to play up to their potential, the Phillies will still be looking up in the standings on Monday and beyond.

#1 in Your Hearts and Now in the Standings!

When we looked at this team at the beginning of the season, there were a few things the Mets needed to have happen in order for them to bounce back from last season.The Mets needed their lineup to be strong, their starters to step it up and give the team a chance to win, and the bullpen t be reliable to come in early if needed and finish out games. Yesterday's doubleheader sweep of the 2009 NL West Champion Dodgers (as predicted by brilliant readers DavidD and d simon) was a microcosm of everything that needed to happen this season for success, and there is no reason to believe that the Mets can't keep this up.

Across the two games yesterday, the Mets bats, especially in the middle of the lineup, were as dangerous as any in the majors. Jason Bay not only hit his first homer of the season in Game 1, but also hit a huge RBI triple in game two to help the Mets get an early lead. David Wright had baseball analysts everywhere talking about him in the last week changing his swing, after-effects of a Matt Cain beanball, and strikeout after strikeout. Well David showed that the negative koolaid by these analysts is ridiculous and he is the man to be counted on with men on base going 4-6 across the teo games yesterday with 4 RBIs. Jose Reyes has shown that he's not rusty, but needed some time to get back to his old ways and some new ones driving in runs from his new spot in the order. Ike Davis also continues to rake like
the rookie phenom the Mets were hoping for posting 3 RBIs of his own in the second game.

Bottom line, the 3 through 6 spots in this lineup are hot. This is exactly what the Mets need heading into Philly this weekend to take on the 2nd PLACE Phillies. Not only that but this is what the Mets need to hold on to their first place spot at the top of the standings for the rest of the season. Not that we need to pour any more koolaid here, but think about this 3 through 6 and add in Jeff Francoeur who has already shown flashes of offensive brilliance this year and is bound to heat up as this tends to be contagious. Now add Carlos Beltran to the mix. With reliable veterans that we're seeing at catcher and second base, this is going to be one of the best lineups in the league for the rest of 2010 and years to come.

We can't give all the credit to the lineup though as the pitching came through yesterday just as much as the hitting. You don't agree? I know. Johan only went 6 innings, even if they were scoreless, and Ollie Perez only went 3.2 innings and started walking the stadium. The thing is, not every start is going to be a gem. We love to be positive here, but even we can't say that. What you need is your starter to put you in a position to win even if he doesn't have his best stuff and then hand it over to your pen. That's what happened last night is what we need; performances like that of Fernando Nieve, Pedro Feliciano, Hisanori Takahashi, and Jenry Mejia. This will allow the Mets to win on days in between the Santana, Pelfrey, gems that we know will come more often than not, on the days when Ollie and Maine can't get it together, and to nurse along Jon Niese and let him have strong short performances until he works his way into a big league workhorse. All together yesterday, the pen went 8.0 innings giving up only 2 earned runs and striking out 9. They basically put together a gem themselves.

The Mets are picking each other up when someone is down. The team starts to hit and it make everyone hit. These are the qualities of a winning baseball team, and I BELIEVE that's what you're going to be seeing through an AMAZIN' summer. Ladies and Gentlemen, your FIRST PLACE 2010 New York Mets...drink it up!

NY Times Starting to Sip the Koolaid!

Drink it up!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/sports/baseball/27vecsey.html?emc=eta1

Let's Play 2!!!...What do ya say? We want to Know!!!!!!

With the double-header today, the Mets have a great opportunity to keep an excellent streak going and keep the koolaid flowing. With that, we want to hear what you, the fans have to say about the current streak and take an opportunity to pour some koolaid of your own. Let's hear your predictions for today's double-header and your thoughts on the season so far. You never know, maybe you'll be quoted in a future post or even be asked to guest write one?!

As David Wright says before every game at Citi Field, "Mets fans are the greatest fans in the world!" So, let's pour some koolaid together!

Back in Business

It’s time to up that dosage of kool-aid, Mets fans, as the team is surging like it’s 2006 again. Just a week ago everyone except this blog’s writers and loyal readers was ready to write off the Mets. Now the team has won six of seven games, including a sweep of their tomahawk chopping rivals from Atlanta, and the blue and orange is back in style.

During the past week the entire team has been impressive, but there are a few aspects of the Mets that can be credited for igniting the resurgence. For one, Mike Pelfrey continued to stake his claim as not only the Mets legitimate number two starter, but also as one of the best pitchers in baseball. His complete game shutout last night confirmed that the Mets have one of the best one-two punches in the league in Santana and Pelfrey. With that duo anchoring the staff, the Mets will never suffer a prolonged losing streak.

Then there is Ike Davis, the young phenom whose mere presence has helped turn the Mets around. Since he was called up, the Mets are 6-1. But don’t think for a second that this is a coincidence. Ike has contributed in his own right, batting .318 with a mammoth home run and playing gold glove quality defense. Mets fans have good reason to salivate at the thought of Ike in the lineup for the next decade.

Finally, we must acknowledge that Jerry Manuel has managed the Mets back to relevance. Jerry’s idea to move Jose Reyes to the third spot in the lineup has proved nothing short of pure genius. Since the switch both Reyes and Jason Bay are batting over .400, Jeff Franceour has been smashing balls to the deepest part of Citi Field, and even Luis Castillo has been a singles machine. Once David Wright gets going, the lineup will be downright scary.

The Mets are hot at the right time, with games against the Dodgers and the hated Phillies on the horizon. They are starting to catch and take advantage of some breaks, the sign of a good team. By the time next Monday morning rolls around, we could be looking at a first place team in Flushing. Until then, all we know is that the Mets are back in business.

Unusual Opportunity to start a Breakout

Many apologies to our brilliant readers for not posting yesterday after a beautiful performance on Tuesday night by Mike Pelfrey and Jose Reyes. We figured you all didn't need as much kool-aid after a great win like that because it was flowing through your veins already like it is for Mike and I at all times.

Last night's game was a rough one and I'll admit, I was a little disappointed in the loss as anyone who'd talked to me knows that since my visit to Citi Field on Monday, I was predicting a sweep of the Cubbies and giving us a ton of momentum going into the weekend. Well, my disappointment subsided this morning and the kool-aid started flowing again. Why? Well I'll tell you.

First, while last night's game was a loss, the Mets continue to show fight as a team and good individual performances continuing our hope that at some point in the future (and I think the very near future) the Mets are going to be have luck swing the other way and the W's are going to start coming. Even though we were down a number of runs, the Mets fought back with a late inning rally highlighted by back to back RBI hits in the 8th inning by Luis Castillo and David Wright. Additionally, Oliver Perez pitched another acceptable outing for a 5th starter giving up only 2 ER in 5 innings of work.

It is these continual great starts that are allowing the Mets to put themselves in a position to not only win, but have chances to put multiple wins together and go on a little run. With the wins on Monday and Tuesday night, we look at the schedule and see an opportunity. In the past, we've gotten a good pitching performance by Johan Santana and then have had many of our starters not come through for us. Today, because our other starters are stepping up, we have an opportunity to take 3 of 4 from the Cubs with Johan Santana on the mound. That has to give the Mets players, coaches, and fans confidence. The Mets are 37-25 with Johan Santana on the hill since he became a Met. Anytime he comes out to pitch, you have to love our chances. With a win tonight, we can have some great momentum going into a huge early season series with our division rivals, the Braves. With a good peformance this weekend, the Mets can literally turn some heads, get the confidence back, get the fans back, and be ready for a big turnaround on 4/30 when we head into Philly to take on the biggest bunch of scumbags I've ever seen.

Turn your TV's up tonight, grab a few beers (or koolaids), and get rowdy, because tonight is a big game, our ace is on the hill, and the Mets are ready to breakout. Drink it up.

A New Beginning

As Jon mentioned, last night the entire Mets Kool-Aid blog staff got its first live look at the 2010 Mets. With all the doom and gloom feelings surrounding the team lately it was time for us to sprinkle some blue and orange powder in person at Citi Field.

We left the stadium excited, not only because the Mets had won the game but also because they showed just how good they can be when playing up to their full potential. We saw Jose Reyes work his old magic by getting on base and distracting the pitcher into grooving a fastball to Angel Pagan, who crushed it for a most timely home run. Jason Bay finally showed why the Mets paid him the big bucks by doubling off the wall for a big insurance run. John Niese continued a string of great starting pitching with a masterful performance. And last but not least, Ike Davis confirmed our belief that he is a future superstar by having a historic debut.

The Mets have the pieces, and last night was a sign that they are ready to put those pieces all together. It was essentially a new beginning to the season. Even our Yankee fan friend was impressed by what he saw (he didn't have to say it; we could tell).

Heading into this season the dream of every Mets fan was to have the Jose Reyes of old, power in the middle of the order, contributive role players, a productive first baseman, and solid pitching. Last night's game proved that this dream is alive and well.

Time to go with the hot hand...even if it's young.

Well folks, as predicted, the Ike Davis era has begun. The Mets kool-aid team made it out to Citi Field for our first games of 2010 yesterday, and what a game to pick. We saw Ike Davis not only get a hit in his first major league at-bat, but we also saw his first career multi-hit game and his first career RBI. Needless to say, there was kool-aid being poured all over Section 114 last night.

Not only did we drink tall glasses of Ike Davis kool-aid, but we also saw an excellent pitching performance by Jon Niese marking an entire trip through the rotation with good pitching performances by all - an excellent development.

With these guys stepping up, we have to ask ourselves what the Mets have in store for their strategies coming up here. In this writer's opinion, Angel Pagan has deserved the nod as the everyday center fielder until the return of Carlos Beltran especially after that big 2-run shot to left center last night. No matter what you may hear from John Miller and Joe Morgan, Gary Matthews Jr. is not the answer. Furthermore, I think we can all agree that we don't want to see Ike Davis going anywhere. I think we also need to see a little F-mart up here. Mets fans want to see our future now and the flashes of Ike we saw last night have told us, the future may be now. Niese is pitching well, Pelf is showing what he can do (and hopefully will tonight too), Jenry Mejia is looking better and better.

As much as we spout the positivity, last night's game was one of the first times this season that I actually felt comfortable watching a Mets game in the late innings. This needs to become a regular occurrence and I think it will as long as the Mets go with the hot hand and not worry how much experience someone has, where they are on the popularity scale, or how much they're getting paid.

There weren't that many people at Citi Field last night, but with wins will come attendance and with wins will come popularity. And, as long as our offensive stars come around, we keep pitching like we have been, and we see more of guys that work hard and perform like Angel Pagan and Ike Davis did last night, those wins should start rolling in. I said it before, and I'll say it again - Get excited Mets fans, the tide is about to turn!

Jerry's Juice

After last night's loss 5-3 loss to the Cardinals, Mets manager Jerry Manuel said the following about starting pitcher John Maine:

"His fastball had a lot of life - well, not a lot, but more. I thought he was better."

If that's not high praise, I don't know what is. There is no denying that John Maine was better last night than he has been all season. He gave up only 3 runs on 6 hits and struck out 4, which sounds like a quality start in my (and Jerry's) book. He even retired Albert Pujols, the best hitter in baseball, every single at-bat. And as Jerry so confidently said, Maine's fastball had "more" life than in previous starts.

Slowly but surely, John Maine is improving.

A FUN New Flavor of Mets Kool-Aid to hit shelves in a matter of days...

You've been asking for it Mets fans and it looks like the new flavor of Mets kool-aid will be hitting shelves in as soon as a couple days.

With the rough and tumble start the Mets have had over the first 12 games of the season, we have to stay positive and look at all the potential we've seen. The Mets have had good starts to the season by Pelf, Johan, Wright, Frenchie, the bullpen, and many others. As my co-blogger Mike said in his post on Sunday, "Twelve games does not make a season." We've seen a lot to keep us positive in this weekend alone - a good start by Ollie, 20 innings pitched with one run given up in a single gameEven still though, with just one small thing in each game really deciding it for the Mets, holding Pujols to 2-14 with no homers or RBI. Even still, we look to where we need improvement and that would be at first base.

Mike Jacobs has struggled like the player who was released by the Royals, Fernando Tatis is playing like the 35-year old he is, Daniel Murphy still hasn't picked up a baseball since getting injured in spring training. This leaves us with one place to turn - the minors. In AAA, Ike Davis has crushed pitching through his first 10 games hitting .364 with 2 homers and 4 RBI staying on the hot offensive pace he displayed in March where he hit over .480 with 3 homers and 10 RBI over a dozen games.

Many are nervous to rush Davis to the majors, but in addition to a trustworthy first baseman, there has been one other thing missing from Mets games...fun. We've had a lot of fun on this blog sure and we have to be happy that just about all of the 12 games have been competitive, but where is that jumping around, smiling and laughing we saw from the club in years past? It feels like so many of these guys are back from war rather than playing baseball for a living. Why? They've been beaten up. The past few years will do that to you if you were a Met, and even if you weren't on the team, getting released by the Royals like Mike Jacobs did or going from a top contract player a few years ago to a platoon placeholder like Gary Matthews, you don't have much to be excited about.

Davis has none of those things. All he has is hope and an entire career ahead of him to play a game we all love. And, for this, he's starting at a place ahead of every Mets player on this roster. So, while many may be scared for him to pick up the the pale looks of his teammates, I see something else. I see getting excited when he steps to the plate with runners in scoring position instead of wondering why Mike Jacobs or Frank Catalanatto is batting cleanup. I see him knocking around Jose Reyes and David Wright. I see the lefty power bat we've been missing in the lineup. And finally, I see a level of freshness he can add to this club to turn some of those close L's into W's. Add that all together, us fans should expect some more fun. Get ready Mets fans and get excited. Ike Davis is coming to Queens.

The Mets are as good as the Red Sox

Well it was a tough week for the Mets as they lost a number of hard fought games that could have gone either way. They now stand at 4-8, which is not exactly the good start to the season we were hoping for. But don't fret, Mets fans, for the Mets are not alone in their early season struggles.

Several teams that were expected to compete for playoff births this year are off to a slow start. The Rockies and Dodgers, contenders for the NL West crown, are both just 6-6. The Brewers, many peoples' sleeper pick in the NL Central, are 5-7. The Chicago White Sox, who have a loaded rotation, are just 4-9. Everybody's NL West champion, the Seattle Mariners, are only 6-7. And then there are the Boston Red Sox, who are also 4-8. The Boston Red Sox!!

What's more, the Mets played well against two very good teams this week. In three of the four losses to the Rockies and Cardinals the Mets had a chance to win late in the game. We could easily be sitting pretty on Sunday night with a 7-5 record. Boston, on the other hand, has lost three in a row.

The moral of the story is that twelve games does not make a season. Nobody doubts that the Red Sox will eventually bounce back and contend for the playoffs. So why shouldn't we think that the Mets won't do the same?

180 Degree Turns

Last night's series opener against the Cardinals presented us Mets fans with a lot of 180-degree turns.

As the Mets got off to a 1-0 lead in the game and things were looking good, Mets fans were forced to spit up a little of their koolaid as Felipe Lopez went deep with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th inning. A crushing blow that the Mets could not come back from in the 4-3 loss last night. We were feeling good but this 180-degree turn was not a welcome one for Mets fans as we sit back, drink our koolaid, and wait for the potential we know this team has to come out and send us on that multi-game winning streak that will turn even the naysayers. Don't forget, even losing the lead and giving up the grand slam, the Mets fought back and almost made up the 3-run deficit. You can't help but love the fight that's still left in this team even when almost no one believes in them at this point (except us here at Mets Koolaid and, of course, our excellent readers out there!).

Most importantly though was the 180 made by Oliver Perez on the mound last night. Despite the gallons of koolaid we've been pouring, even the writers of this blog were a little nervous sending Ollie to the mound to face some of the most dangerous offensive players in the majors. With Ollie's recent track record over the past season and a half, we remained hopeful but with low expectations. Ollie went on to pitch 6.1 very strong innings and even limited the best offensive player in the game in Albert Pujols to an 0-4. He even got Pujols to ground into a huge doubleplay with runners on first and second in the 2nd inning. There was zip on his fastball, he was hitting corners, and out by out, Ollie started to win us back. If this is a sign of things to come for Ollie, Mets fans need to be ecstatic.

The rotation was the biggest question mark going into this season. The bullpen has performed with the exception of last night's hiccup. The hitting has shown signs of life and there's a lot to look forward to as Frenchie, Wright and others are doing well now, Reyes is getting back into the swing getting a late start, Bay adjusting to the NL, and Beltran expected back before you know it. At some point, if each part of the Mets play well, they will be able to put it all together and start pumping out the wins. That can't happen if you can't expect a good performance out of your bullpen.

So, Mets fans, which would you rather have had happen last night? Ollie get beat up and the offense squeak back to win in a bad performance? Or have Ollie pitch a gem and have the Mets get unlucky in a tough loss? This early in the season, I take the hope that can get from an excellent outing by Oliver Perez, pour myself a tall glass of koolaid, and wait for this team to do what I think it can. Here, you have a glass too.

Jerry's Juice

After last night's excruciating loss to the Cardinals, Jerry Manuel said:

"You have to applaud the fact we have at least in these first ten games given ourselves a shot to win."

I, for one, do applaud that fact. The Mets have only won 3 games so far, but they kept themselves in just about every game. More importantly, the Mets are playing baseball the right way. They have been patient at the plate, drawing the 9th most walks in the entire league. They have also been aggressive on the base paths and are 10th in stolen bases. And here's the real shocker -- the Mets have the best fielding percentage in the NL, a far cry from the error-plagued season of a year ago.

All you can ask is that the Mets continue to give themselves a "shot to win". Soon enough they will catch some breaks and those L's will turn into W's.

"...buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks...then I'll puke all over your back?"

Well Mets fans, another day to be happy you're a Met fan. Unlike some other division rivals, you can feel safe coming to Citi Field and know that while there may be some good natured ribbing from time to time, you'll never get treated like this:

http://deadspin.com/5518706/last-nights-winner-not-this-guy

At Mets Koolaid, we fully endorse drinking a lot of anything at a ball game - some beers, a soda, definitely some Koolaid, but all of that should stay inside you. Win, lose, whatever, Mets fans should take pride in their ability to enjoy a ball game somewhat civilly.

I hope this guy didn't get any vomit all over his 2008 World Series Championship T-shirt before he was hauled off to the police station.

Big Pelf a Big Piece for Mets

When Omar Minaya failed to give Johan Santana sidekick in the rotation this past off-season, most "experts" and Mets fans alike began writing the GM's ticket out of town. There was no Lackey, no Sheets, and no Arroyo - just an ace in Santana and then four Number 5 starters behind him. The Mets stood no chance without a legitimate Number 2 starter .

Well it appears that Minaya has finally found his Number 2 starter, and he didn't have to give up a single extra dollar or prospect to get him. After tonight's brilliant start, Mike Pelfrey is making everyone forget about John Lackey. He is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA. He has lasted more innings than any other Mets' starter, including Santana, and has the 10th best ERA in the Major Leagues.

Mets fans have always known that Pelfrey has the talent to be a very good starting pitcher. Just two years ago he won 13 games and looked like a star in the making. Pelfrey struggled last year, but now looks looks ready to reach his full potential.

With Pelfrey pitching like a quality Number 2, the Mets can become a force in the National League. After all, not many NL rotations are deep with talent. Even the Phillies, who most "experts" consider the class of the league, lack a surefire Number 2 starter after Roy Halladay. A good Pelfrey will take the pressure off of Santana as well as the rest of the rotation.

So, forget about Lackey and stop dreaming up mock trades for Carlos Zambrano. The Mets already have a Number 2 starter, and his name is Big Mike Pelfrey.

Jerry's Juice

Jerry's Juice is a new feature of Mets Kool-Aid. Any time Jerry Manuel pours a nice glass of Kool-Aid, especially following a loss, we'll make sure you get your fill.

Following last night's gut wrenching extra inning loss, Manuel said:

"We saw a lot of good things tonight. We have to keep positive."

He doesn't have to tell us twice. Manuel's right, the Mets did plenty of good things last night even in defeat. They once again showed fight in coming from behind. Aside from one pitch by Mejia the bullpen was great as always. John Niese only allowed five runs, which is no small feat in the rarefied air of Colorado.

The Met's showed they are this close to turning things around. Don't be surprised if last night's tough loss is a turning point that springs a winning streak.

As Manuel said, stay positive Mets fans.

Maine Street Leads Outta Town?

So Mets fans, it might be time to start getting realistic in Queens. We are already a couple games below .500 and there's no real hope in sight here. WAIT! That's not how it works on this blog! Let's try to pour it on and shed some light on last night when we need it most right?

So John Maine was roughed up again. This time for 8 earned runs in just 3 innings. Maine hasn't pitched effectively now for 2+ years but that seems like 2 million for Mets fans. It's at this point, we're going to pour the koolaid in a different way. There is good that can be taken out of this. Hopefully, this is the point that the Mets realize it may be time to move on from John Maine as a starter for the New York Mets. Maine is on a one-year $3.3 million deal that makes him relatively negligible as money goes as compared to someone like Oliver Perez.

At the end of the day, you have to look at how we got John Maine, who he is, what he's done, and realize we've gotten more than we've paid for already. Maine came to the Mets before the magical 2006 season as the Mets sent another starter that didn't really work out in Kris Benson (and mostly his wife) to the O's mainly for Jorge Julio to provide some bullpen help. Well, we know Julio went on to become El Duque and both him and Maine proved crucial down the stretch for the Mets in 2006 and into the playoffs.

Maybe now it is Maine that should be sent on. Who knows what we can get for him? Who knows what unexpected prospect is ready to step up like John Maine did in 2006? It looks like the Mets have a few options here. In the short term, they can skip Maine's spot in the rotation and get to Johan Santana a little quicker. They can send Maine down or even to the bullpen.

Over the course of a 162 game season, there are going to be some bad days. For John Maine it looks like there may be more bad days ahead, but for the Mets, this may be the straw that breaks the proverbial camel's back and a new direction is potentially upon us. Who knows what direction that will be except that with a little koolaid added to the mix, we can all remain hopeful.

Ya Gotta Believe

Don't pour that blue and orange kool-aid down the drain just yet, Mets fans. The first week of the season did not go well, but there are plenty of reasons why you should still believe in the 2010 New York Mets. Here are the top 5:

They are inches away from a good start. The Mets are 2-4, but they could just as easily be 4-2. If Matthews Jr.'s throw home or Barajas's line drive were just six inches to the left they probably would have won those games against the Marlins and Nationals, respectively. You have to think the Mets will soon get karma on their side and finally catch some of those breaks.

There is relief. Anyone who was watching in 2008 knows just how important a good bullpen is. Well, so far this Mets bullpen has been lights out. Nieve, Igarashia, K-Rod, Feliciano and Valdes are all sporting ERAs of 0.00, while Mejia and Takahashi have both bounced back nicely from early struggles. Now that Sean Green is gone, there is nothing to worry about on this front.

Frenchy. Jeff Frencoeur has been playing like an MVP candidate. He is batting .481 with 2 homers, 6 RBI, and, amazingly, 4 walks. If Francoeur can continue to produce the Mets lineup will be unstoppable, especially when Beltran returns.

Help is on the way. Everyone seems to forget that the Mets are without their best all-around player in Carlos Beltran. Another of their best players, Jose Reyes, just returned after missing 11 months. Once Reyes returns to form and Beltran gets back on the field, the Mets will be a much improved team on both offense and defense. Keep in mind that the last time the Mets were at full capacity, on May 10, 2009, they were 17-13.

They were panicking in '69 and '86. In each of Mets' championship seasons, the team got off to a slow start. The 1969 team started 3-7. The 1986 team was 2-3. Call me crazy, but I sense a trend developing here.

He's Baaaaaack

There's not much more to say, so I'll just leave you with some images to get you excited for the return of the Man, the Myth, the Legend...Jose Reyes! As if you needed any help.

Announcing the "OH YEAH" Player of the Month Award!!!!

Mets fans, it's your turn to decide who's had the most kool-aid worthy performance every month with the "OH YEAH" Player of the Month Award. As you can see to your left, we've added a poll listing all the players on the Mets' active roster. Come back everyday and vote for who deserves the vote that day.

You choose who has helped us serve up the most kool-aid and at the end of the month, we'll tabulate the scores and send that player 2 packets of kool-aid - one blue and one orange as well as a certificate as the OYPOTM.

Our Cup Runneth Over...with Kool-Aid!!!

It was an excellent first shabbat of the season for the Mets at Temple Jerr-Emanuel as we witnessed Mike Pelfrey give the blessing over the kool-aid in the Mets' 3rd quality start out of 4 in this young season.

Pelfrey went 6 strong innings giving up just 2 runs on 4 hits with 4 Ks and 4 walks. The biggest question mark of the spring is giving us hope and leaving us with a superb dose of kool-aid. If the Mets rotation can continue to perform at this level, and if Maine and Ollie are able to work out some of their early season issues, there's no reason they can't be contending for a playoff spot come fall.

And, "Why is this?" you say. The Mets have shown that 0-16 stretch with runners in scoring position was just a fluke as they brought out the big bats tonight with not one but two players going deep twice in this win. Rod Barajas continues the trend of Mets success with offensive production at catcher that this blog has been touting all year. Jeff Francoeur early in the season continues to show flashes of greatness at the plate. After his two jacks tonight, he, for the first time in his career, has more home runs than strikeouts at any point in a season only having one K on the year through the first four. Again the Mets show that from top to bottom everyone is a threat to make a play offensively and every inning is a scoring opportunity.

Fernando Nieve has provided Mets fans with a nice shot to the pitcher of kool-aid we need filled out in the bullpen at CitiField. KRod and Feliciano were the trusted arms out there coming into the season, but Nieve is showing he can potentially be the workhorse the Mets need to come and gets out for them in the middle of games.

That's right, the Mets are looking good. Things are getting exciting, but we haven't even gotten the best part yet - the spoon that's stirring our pitcher of kool-aid on this first weekend of the season. The soccer cheers won't have to wait until the World Cup in a few months as Citi Field will be booming with chants of "Jose-Jose-Jose" tomorrow as #7 returns to the Mets lineup against Washington for the first time since May 20th of last year. The catalyst will be back terrorizing pitchers and catchers alike on the basepaths and providing that spark that Mets fans have come to love. I can't wait.

Things are on the up and up and our cups are full. Drink up Mets fans because if Ollie can pull a shocker tomorrow and give us even more hope for a comeback season in 2010, you're going to need room in those cups, because there will be kool-aid for everyone.

Year of the Comeback

My fellow blogger Jon may have jinxed the Mets perfect season with his 162-0 article, but Mets fans can still take solace in one fact: this team has heart. Last year, an early five run deficit meant you could change the channel or go to sleep without missing anything. That team was lifeless, and did not make up for their injury-caused lack of talent by playing their hardest to the very last out.

The 2010 Mets have already shown they are fighters. Yesterday, even when facing a seemingly insurmountable deficit, they were patient at the plate and aggressive on the base paths. Instead of giving up they hung around long enough for the Marlins to make enough mistakes to let them back, and then took advantage of those mistakes to get back into the game.

Yes, it was just one game, but the makeup of this years Mets’ clubhouse makes me think resiliency will be a theme of the 2010 season. David Wright, Jason Bay, and Jeff Francoeur play every second like their jobs depend on it. Gary Matthews Jr. has already established himself as a clubhouse presence. Rob Barajas and Alex Cora are veterans who just seems to command attention from the young players. Throw in the energy of Jose Reyes and the quiet leadership of Carlos Beltran, and the Mets will be able to overcome any adversity.

So, call 2010 the year of the comeback for the New York Mets. They can never be counted out.

That's not the situation....THIS is the Situation

And if we didn't have enough reasons already why the Mets were going to have a nice comeback this year...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W-nCmN_Ovk

More Than Just a Loss

Last night's game can be looked at in one of two ways. You can carry your sour feelings of last year's team and the end of season collapses of the previous two years and say to yourself, "Same old Mets." If you're going to do that though you came to the wrong place because this blog is going to pour you a tall glass of koolaid. Last night I watched a game that had a disappointing ending but a lot of positive to take away.

Remember last year when we'd have men on base and you'd get a sick feeling in your stomach because you had no confidence in our hitters to not ground into a double play or even get on base to keep the inning going? In a short sample size, the Mets are showing us that you can rely on almost anyone in the lineup to work the count and keep the inning going.

I was more than impressed with the amount of 3-2 counts we saw last night - many of which resulted in walks that kept the innings alive and brought power hitters up with men on base. All of this allowed the Mets to come back from a multi-run deficit and force extra innings.

Think of how valuable a player like Jeff Francoeur will be if adds on-base percentage to his repertoire. He's always been a dangerous hitter and excellent fielder and free swinging has been a weakness. Again, a small sample size but looks like a move in a positive direction.

How about guys like Gary Matthews Jr. and Mike Jacobs stepping up? They are helping now and could be used as great trading chips later in the season to get some pitching help once Reyes and Beltran come back. Or, maybe they will stick around and be really strong bench players for the Metropolitans.

That's another thing, just because Maine had a rough outing to start the year doesnt mean that guys like Pelfrey and Niese won't turn things around and be effective pitchers, they haven't even gotten a chance yet.

Stay positive Mets fans, keep drinking your Kool Aid, and remember, in a 162 game season there will be losses and while last night was one of them, it wasn't a bad one. Let's get pumped for Niese tonight and take this first series and Let's go Mets!

More Than Just a Win

For one team in Flushing, Opening Day was a showcase of sloppy defense, wild pitching, and an inability to score runs. It sounds like a typical day at Citi Field, but something made it vastly different from last season – this time it was the Mets’ opponent, and not the Mets themselves, that looked like a little league team.

The Mets, on the other hand, played nearly perfect baseball yesterday. They pitched well and made no costly errors. They flashed some power, picked up timely hits, and made productive outs. Most importantly, they won the game. Basically, the Mets did everything they failed to do for most of 2009.

It’s only a blip on the screen, but Game 1 was a great start to the 2010 season and a potential sign of things to come. David Wright is already one-tenth of the way to his 2009 home run total, and appears to have good protection in the lineup from newcomers Bay, Matthews Jr., and Barajas. Jeff Francouer demonstrated a new-found plate discipline by hitting a sacrifice fly and even drawing a walk. Once Reyes and Beltran return the offense (and defense) will be even better.

On the mound, Johan Santana confirmed he is fully recovered and K-Rod showed his dominance, with Fernando Nieve bridging the gap. If the Mets can get six solid innings from their starters and three from their relievers they will have a proven recipe for success.

So, with just one game in the books, the Mets have given their fans reason for hope. If the Mets can continuously repeat the sound, fundamental baseball they played on Opening Day, 2010 will be a very good year.

162-0?

Start drinking it Mets fans, there's enough kool-aid for everyone! That's right, as predicted on Mets Kool-Aid blog the Mets started their season in prime fashion today knocking off the Marlins 7-1.

A few things to take away from this game:

• Fernando Nieve pitched 2 scoreless innings.
• Each new Mets player in the lineup (Bay, Barajas, Matthews) all had at least 2 hits a piece.
• Luis Castillo stole a base today
• David Wright homered in his first at bat of the season (he also homered in the first game of the season in 2006)
• Johan Santana got run support - even insurance runs!
• The Mets are on 162-0 pace here.

That's right folks. There were a lot of things to be excited about in Flushing today. Let's take a page out of Derek Jeter's book and say we're going to take this one game at a time...even though we're going to win that next game too. LET'S GO METS!

It's Just Spring Training...the Real Season Starts Tomorrow!

So we promised a preview at every position by Opening Day and here we are on the eve of the Mets' opener and we've only gone through two positions. All I can say is, don't worry about our blog, this is just Spring Training! These posts don't even count yet!

Hey, if it's good for the Mets, it's good for us, and yes, maybe the Mets didn't have the greatest spring statistically, but don't overlook the fact that everything that's happened so far this year means nothing yet. The Mets haven't even played a game in Citi Field now that it's been re-Metsified!

The Mets finished the spring with a .271 batting average good for 20th overall in the majors. Sure, 20th may sound bad, but guess who ranks at 21 and 22?-our hated rivals the Yankees and Phillies, that's who.

Pitching-wise, the Mets also ranked 20th in the majors in ERA with a 5.19 team ERA this Spring. Look below the Mets on the list and you'll see the Yankees with their perennially excellent pitching staff that includes CC Sabathia, Mariano Rivera, and newcomer Javier Vazquez. Keep going and you'll find the young, hip, pick of the Mariners with King Felix, Cliff Lee, and Erik Bedard.

Do we think the Yankees are going to finish in the bottom 10 of the majors this year? No! Why? Spring stats mean nothing! The Mets are ready to start the season against the Marlins tomorrow and this is a new beginning. Losing on the last day of the season is in the past as is the injury-plagued 2009.

The Mets have added weapons like Jason Bay, Mike Jacobs, and Rod Barajas to their starting lineup which will give a lot of the powerful pop that the team lacked last year. The Mets pitching is ready for a bounce-back year top to bottom. KRod is coming off an off year and is ready to get back to the same form he had just 2 short years ago when he set the record for saves in a season. Johan should be his usual self after off-season surgery that should put him back into those discussions of being the best pitcher in the game. Jeff Francoeur and David Wright are young players with unlimited potential and now playing together in a lineup with more protection, there is no doubt they can be superstars again. Pelfrey, Ollie, and Maine have all shown flashes of greatness in the past and there is real potential there. These guys will determine how this season goes, and are poised for huge comeback seasons. Finally, while the injury bug is not totally gone, we are definitely seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with Jose Reyes expected back to the team within a couple weeks and Beltran still on track to come back by the end of April.

Sure, you can look at the Spring Training stats of 2010 and not be excited for the season to start, but just wait until the first week in May when the Mets are a few games over .500 and ready to explode with a lineup and rotation that's the same or better than the one that was picked by many to win it all last year in the preseason. Regardless of the missteps of the Spring or the broken promises of our blog, there's one thing that will always be true - there will be plenty of Mets KoolAid to sip starting tomorrow - so get a glass and get pumped for baseball in 2010!!!

Season Preview: First Base

Omar Minaya's plan to build depth at the first base position should pay dividends for the Mets in 2010. Several players - young and old - have a golden opportunity to fill the shoes of Carlos Delgado.

Daniel Murhpy will be the starter as soon as he returns from injury. Despite struggling most of last year, Murhpy, led the team in home runs and made several dazzling plays in the field. Expect him to rebound to his 2008 rookie form, when he hit .313 and looked like a future batting champ.

Mike Jacobs, the front runner to start in Murhpy's absence, adds a menacing power bat to the lineup. People seem to forget that Jacobs is just 29 years old and has hit at least 17 homers in each full season, including 32 in 2008. The cavernous Citi Field will be no match for his towering blasts.

Jack-of-all-trades Fernando Tatis is another option to man first base. Tatis' biggest value may be his veteran leadership, but don't ignore his 34 homers and 107 RBI in 1999.

If these options fail, the Mets can inject youth into the position with any of three hot prospects. Chris Carter, obtained for Billy Wagner, hit .393 with 4 homers this spring. Nick Evans, once a highly touted prospect, should not be forgotten. And then there is Ike Davis, who appears to be a star in the making.

Other teams would love to have this kind of depth at any position. Lucky for us, the Mets are stacked at first base.

April Fool

Omar Minaya is expected to hold a press conference later today to say "April Fools!" to all Mets fans. He will explain that it was just a joke to go into the season with Pelfrey, Maine, and Perez as the 2-4 starters, and that the REAL Mets rotation will include John Lackey, Bronson Arroyo, and John Garland.

Minaya will likely also end the long running "injury" prank that he told players to follow. He will announce that Reyes, Beltran, and Murphy were just playing along and are penciled into the Opening Day starting lineup.

Finally, Minaya will apologize to Mets fans for tricking them for so long. I for one will accept his apology, put this long running joke in the past, and look forward to a great Mets season.