Cliff Lee or Generation K? Win Now or Wait Until Later?

Last night I missed the first part of the game but was able to catch the last few innings, and I have to say, after a nice little comeback, a loss like that doesn't sting as bad. In fact, I think looking good in losses is the sign of a team that can win...now. Last night's game reinforced in my mind what I've wanted to believe all season - this team is ready to WIN NOW!  How do we do this?  A trade at almost all costs...

Going into this season, just like any other Mets fan, my expectations were low.  In an attempt to keep myself sane through this baseball season, I predicted 80-85 wins with a "you never know" caveat.  Well, after 9-1 runs, players breaking out, players playing to their potential, rookies making the difference, veterans showing spunk, and everything else great that's happened this season, "you never know" is within our grasp. 

Last night was a perfect example.  The Mets scored 6 runs and with a good start, that's a definite win and a chance to take the series tonight with Pelf on the hill.  Instead, Takahashi is sent out there to start when he really belongs in the bullpen relieving someone like Roy Oswalt or Cliff Lee in that spot.  It's fine to do that to try and catch lightning in a bottle, but I think we've gotten what we are going to from Takahashi. 

So, it's time to stop worrying about what we may be losing for the future when we can win right NOW!  Cliff Lee could just be a rental, but he could be a rental that takes us to the World Series.  Also, if he wins the World Series in NY, who's to say he wouldn't stay.

Remember a couple years ago when we got Pedro?  He was good for a bit, he got hurt, the hitting prospects came up (Reyes and Wright then) and then Pedro was too old to do anything about it.  We end up not making the World Series and complain how we dont have starting pitching which leads to us getting Johan Santana.  Well, how much longer is Johan going to be an ace?  He is now, Pelf is good now, injuries are low, this team can win!

If the Mets wait for all these prospects to materialize, we could be waiting for a long time.  Let me give you a list of previous "untouchables" - Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra, Yusmeiro Petit, Matt Peterson, Alex Escobar, Jay Payton, Alex Ochoa, Generation K.  How many of those guys are/were stars, let alone even regularly starting for their teams now?

I say, unless a guy has shown you he can perform well at the MLB level, no one is untouchable.  Ike and Pelf stay for anything.  Niese can go as long as we get a non-rental.  Everyone else can go tomorrow for a Cliff Lee deal.  Lee puts us in the playoffs.  3 years from now Fernando Martinez, Wilmer Flores, and Jenry Mejia could be playing great for the Mets and we'll be wondering who we're going to get to go with Mike Pelfrey and Jenry Mejia in the rotation - and that's if we're LUCKY!

Have a tall glass of kool-aid and realize this is a good team now.  All they need is one more top of the line pitcher and in this so-so NL, the Mets are as good as anyone else.  Let's not play the waiting game - let's play the winning game.  Drink it up.

Jerry's Juice

After last night’s loss to the Marlins, Jerry Manuel said the following:

"Statistically you can find some things that say, 'Hey we're this, we're that,' but I think the last road trip showed that we can play on the road.”

You can’t argue with that one.  The Mets went 7-2 on their last road trip, putting to rest all talk about them being a bad road team.  Critics will still argue that six of those wins came against two of the worst teams in baseball, the Orioles and the Indians, but they are still major league teams that play in major league stadiums.  And we have already established that Puerto Rico is a strange place to play, so you can disregard this lost series.

For those who are still not convinced, here is the good news.  The Mets have 13 more road series this season, and six of those are against teams that are guaranteed to finish well below .500 (Nats twice, AZ, HOU, PIT, CHC).  If they can sweep each of those series, which is basically a given if the last road trip proved anything, that’s at least 18 more wins.  If the Mets can win just half of the road games against the better teams and continue their torrid home pace, we are looking at a 90-plus win playoff team.

The math is admittedly fuzzy, but the bottom line is the Mets are in great position.  They have proved they can win on the road, something that looked impossible just a few weeks ago.  If you still don’t believe that road wins against two terrible teams mean anything, you need to drink more kool-aid.   


This post was written by Mike Simon.

Jerry's Juice

After last night's loss to the Marlins in Puerto Rico, Jerry Manuel said the following:

"I do think there was a lot of activity…There’s just a lot of, you know, the band is going on, songs going off, there’s a lot of people, and that’s OK, but you’ve still got to remain in character, and that’s something we didn’t do. 

Well said, Jerry.  It was exciting to see baseball played in Puerto Rico last night but the Mets appeared to be somewhat caught up in the spectacle, especially since a few of the Mets are Puerto Rican and several others are from neighboring countries.  Throw in all the in-stadium distractions and it’s easy to see why the Mets were not at their best.  It’s hard enough to hit a 95 mph fastball or throw an effective knuckleball when it’s deafly quiet; it’s nearly impossible when you can barely hear yourself think.  Only Canadian Jason Bay seemed to be comfortable in blasting two home runs, but if the Mets played a game in Canada he would probably be flustered too. 

Expect the Mets to bounce back these next two days now that it’s out of their system.  They will get back “in character” like Jerry said, which means that they will be the fundamentally sound, never-say-die team that we have come to know and love this season. 

But if they don’t, the good news is that after this three game series their remaining games will all be played in the United States, where they are 43-32.  They won’t have to deal with loud piped-in noises while the ball is in play.  After all, the craziest an American baseball crowd during a game in June is when “the wave” makes it all the way around the ballpark.  And next time they face the Marlins on the road there will be 10,000 people in the stands, most of which will be Mets fans anyway.

So chalk this one up to an aberration, Mets fans.  Back in the states, R.A Dickey’s knuckleball will dance again.  Jose Reyes will be stealing second rather than getting picked off.  And Fernando Nieve will…well, you get the idea.

Post written by Mike Simon

Finally Al-Wright

Personally, I see the first Yankees series as the turnaround for the Mets this year.  Since then, they are 24-10 and haven't lost a series in Citi Field.  I know we had a 9-1 run in there earlier this season, but there were some losing streaks in there and you just didnt feel the same chemistry you feel now.  Since that Yankees series, the Mets have proven a loss will not turn into a downward spiral.  Most of all, I think we've seen that what's happened in the past, is truly in the past.  Injuries, bad luck, and certain players who really weren't up to snuff all contributed to a year or so of failure.  However, now that almost all the parts of this team are functioning together and healthily, we can see each of the parts working as they should - case in point, the turnaround of David Wright.

After being hit in the head by Matt Cain at the end of last season, Wright did not seem himself.  Pitchers were able to pitch him up and in and then beat him low and away for the K.  We are used to Wright flirting with 30-30 and hitting around .310.  Early struggles and strikeouts after last year's disaster made Mets fans start to talk about how Wright couldn't lead this team, his time was over, etc.  There was even talk of trading Wright and Reyes and starting over with a rebuild. 

This season, until May 20, David Wright wasn't having a terrible season offensively, but he was striking out way too much and his average was not up around and above .300 like Mets fans were used to.  His average was at .262 and had a respectable 8 HR and 26 RBI, but he also struck out a league leading 55 times in only 141 ABs.  Since that series,  he's kept up the power to hit 6 more homers, but he's exploded in just 132 ABs to hit 35 more RBIs and hit at a clip of .341 getting his average for the season up to .300.

There is no reason to think this is going to stop, but instead, he could get even better.  I'm not trying to count our chickens before they're hatched here, but it's time to pour a little kool-aid of the David Wright variety.  Right now, David has had only 9 games in June without an RBI.  This is pretty great, but not even as great as the fact that he's had the same number of games with multiple RBIs also with 9!  Carlos Beltran is coming back eventually to provide even more lineup protection for Wright who's only really being protected now by a rookie (who hits bombs) and Jason Bay in somewhat of an off year to this point.

Jose Reyes's re-emergence will also keep runners on the base paths ready for David to knock them in.  Wright is leading the NL and is 2nd in majors in RBIs, is in line to hit 30 home runs, and his average just keeps going up.  Sure, he's in 2nd for NL All-Star voting now, but obviously Philly has made a mockery out of the voting process here and David deserves the start.  Finally, you'll hear it here first...M...V...P.

Starting in 2006, it seemed Wright could fly out and the fans would chant MVP!  Maybe I havent been out to Citi Field in a while, but I haven't heard that at all - and you should.  Look around the league.  There is no one that much better, and like I said, Wright just keeps producing.  If he keeps it up and the Mets continue to do well, there is no reason that he shouldn't be voted MVP.

I love how well this team is doing, but it makes even that much sweeter to see Wright leading the way.  Drink it up.

Jerry's Juice

Following last night's 6-5 loss to the Tigers, Jerry Manuel said the following about his team:

"That's one of the strong characteristics of this team -- this feeling they can come back," Manuel said. "We put ourselves in some pretty good positions. We didn't get it done, but you've got to like the fight."

Jerry is spot on. The Mets may not have won, but they showed yet again that they will fight to the end of each and every game.

Let's face it, moral victories mean nothing in professional baseball. And if David Wright had come up with a bases loaded hit, we would be talking about another stirring comeback win instead of just a valiant effort. But the ability to come back from behind is a quality that every good team must possess, and this Mets team certainly has it. Countless times this year they have overcome deficits to make things interesting, and several times they have climbed the entire mountain top to steal a victory.

Recent Mets teams have lacked this ability. Especially last year, if the Mets were losing early on you were better off watching paint dry. This year, we expect the Mets to comeback and are surprised when they don't, a sign of how far the team has progressed. Last night I missed the first few innings but made sure to catch the rest, even though the Mets were down 6-1.

The Mets pension for rallying is just another part of the excitment that this years team is creating. There is nothing like a come from behind win to spring a hot streak and pull the clubhouse even closer. More importantly, the Mets starters can pitch without trying to be perfect, knowing that a few runs won't be insurmountable.

So while last night was a loss, it was still another step in the Mets process of becoming a very good and exciting team. Next time, Wright, Reyes, Ike or someone else will come through and make it a victory. We'll all be surprised if they don't.

Please note this was written by Mike Simon.

Robert Alan "R. A." Dickey = Knuckleball Greatness

Last night Met fans were treated to a stellar pitching performance by Robert Alan Dickey. This comes as no surprise to me or the rest of the Kool-Aid staff who expect outings like this when R.A. takes the hill. He dazzled batters with his fastball in the early innings when his knuckleball wasn't sharp and came back strong with the knuckleball in the later innings to completely baffle the Tigers. He pitched 8 innings of shutout ball against one of the hottest teams in the American League (which the Mets currently own) and could have easily gone for a complete game shutout. Mr. Dickey also blanked Miguel Cabrera (0-3 against R.A.) who is one of the best hitters (if not the best) in the MLB.

Dickey is now 6-0 with a 2.33 ERA, and more importantly the Mets are 6-1 when he takes the mound. Here is a fun fact for you: the most runs he has given up this year is 4 (all earned) in 7 innings to the Brewers in a game in which he won. Pretty good for guy who was a Spring Training after thought.

When called upon this year to fill in for clubhouse cancers such as John Maine and Oliver Perez, R.A. Dickey and Hisanori Takahasi (leave him for another post) have delivered big time. R.A. is doing what all good pitchers do when they take the hill and that is throw strikes, which is something that can't be said about Maine or Perez. This is a man who saw an opportunity to turn his career around and he took and ran with it. I believe he is another player who embodies the spirit of the 2010 edition of the Mets which is hard working/fun loving team.

Sell High on Angel?

Today was an exciting day for the Mets and one that poses a number of questions for the future.  Besides the Mets beating the Tigers tonight in a laugher, fans got some great news that Carlos Beltran is ready to start a rehab assignment.  This announcement also came on a night where Angel Pagan went 4 for 6 with 4 RBIs and only a home run short of the cycle with Pagan even admitting he was motivated by the news of Beltran's return.  Having too much talent on your roster is a nice problem to have, but if this is a legit breakout of Angel Pagan, let's take a look at some of the potential scenarios in the Mets' ongoing search for another top arm for the rotation:

Trade Carlos Beltran and let Angel Pagan keep playing in CF:
This doesn't look to be a likely scenario.  Beltran is making way too much money to be a real option for most teams even with a contract that expires after next season.  Also, I think adding Beltran to this lineup is too tempting a situation where you can now extend the middle of your lineup with quality top to bottom.  Finally, he's got a no trade clause, so it'd have to be a place he'd agree to before he went.  With a healthy Beltran and a move for a pitcher, the Mets would move into a situation where they'd be the favorite to win the NL.

Trade Angel Pagan when Carlos Beltran comes back:
It will be interesting to see if the news of Beltran's return spark talks of including Pagan in a deal for top starting pitching talent.  With Beltran signed through next season, he's going to be entrenched in CF as long as he's healthy.  After Beltran's big money comes off the books, the Mets will have room to resign him at a discount or get another top OF free agent.  The Mets also have Fernando Martinez at the current time with hopes of him being the future CF star in Queens.  So, while I like Angel Pagan, now may be the time to sell while he's looking like this could be a potential breakout.  Pagan is only 28 and was considered a top prospect with 5-tool talent when he was the age to be still called a prospect.  Even still, he could be an interesting piece in a deal with a current top prospect like Jenry Mejia and maybe another prospect for say a Cliff Lee or Roy Oswalt.

Keep Beltran and Pagan and see what you can get for just the prospects:
This gives you a lot of insurance in your lineup.  Even though there isn't a lot of room in the outfield, you are left with a lot of depth.  Pagan can platoon with Jeff Francoeur and spell Beltran to make sure he stays healthy or in case he gets a relapse of his injury.  The Mets already planned to use the prospects to try and get a pitcher sending Mejia down this weekend to become a starter and knowing Jon Niese, Fernando Martinez, and others are options for the trading block.  I still feel the Mets need to make a move for a major pitcher to become real playoff contenders (can you believe how excited we'd be to say that at the beginning of this season?), so hopefully some hodge podge of prospects will be enough to land one.

Of course, these are all hypothetical scenarios right now.  Carlos Beltran is just starting his rehab, and who knows when he'll be back.  Angel Pagan is on fire right now, which is why we can talk like this.  Lots of pitchers are still available on the trade market.  All said, the season is still in its first half, the Mets are just 1.5 games out of first, we just won a great game off of Justin Verlander, and it's a good day to be a Mets fan.  So, instead of worrying who's going to play where, who we're going to get, and what's goin to happen, drink a nice tall glass of Mets kool-aid and enjoy winning baseball in Queens again.  Drink it up!

A New Mindset for Mets Fans

Look how far the Mets and their fans have come.

Two weeks ago, back-to-back losses would have lead to Mets Armageddon. Fans would have been rioting in the streets of Flushing. Sports radio callers would have been screaming for each player, coach, and front office member to be traded, fired, or just plain executed. Even an avid kool-aid drinker like myself would have lost some sleep.

Yet here we are after losing consecutive games to the hated Yankees, during which both of our co-aces were beaten, and believe it or not the sky is not falling in Metsland.

That's because the Mets have finally started to change our collective attitude about our team. They just completed a 7-2 road trip and are nine games over .500. They are leading the Wild Card and are three games ahead of the Phillies, our measuring stick for NL East success. But most importantly, the Mets are playing good baseball.

Sure, losing to the Yankees is about as fun as a Lady Gaga-free clubhouse. But at least this time, unlike in the recent past, we can rationally believe that the gloom and doom will not be prolonged. The 2010 Mets get solid pitching and defense just about every day, fight to the last out, and with Reyes and Wright returning to form the offense is coming around. This formula has worked wonders at Citi Field and is finally starting to pay off on the road as well.

Even the most pessimistic fans now angrily predict the Mets to finish just slightly over .500, which seemed like quite an accomplishment to most just a few weeks ago. The believers among us think that this team is actually pretty good and can become very good with just one key pitching addition.

So now the Mets come back home to face the Tigers and Twins, two more good teams from the American League. Yet rather than hoping for a split like usual, I get the feeling most fans now expect the Mets to win more than they lose.

It's about time we could have high expectations for our team.

New Writer With Mets Kool-Aid

Here's the last bit of housekeeping today on the blog; good use of a Mets off day.  In case you noticed a new name writing on the blog, we wanted to introduce David DeSario, our new writer.  Since we have had a few lulls on the blog when Mike or I have been busy at work, we decided Dave would make an awesome addition and provide another great Met fan point of view while helping with the writing.  Look for a nice Mets Draft Review coming soon from Dave.

Mets Kool-Aid Accepted to Join Baseball Bloggers Alliance

We're listed on this site now.  Check out some of the other blogs on there too.  Good stuff. 

http://baseballbloggersalliance.com

Join Mets Kool-Aid on Facebook!

Hey everyone,

Come enjoy a nice glass of Mets Kool-Aid on facebook!  We'll post links to the blog everytime we update. 

http://www.facebook.com/metskoolaid#!/group.php?gid=129560087075699

Time for Johan!

Since the Mets did the unexpected yesterday and lost a game (comeon now we all expected a sweep). It is now time for their Ace in the hole to pick this team up and put them on his shoulders once again. The last time Mr. Santana went against Yankees he dazzled the prime time crowd with a full battery of pitches. What was his line you ask? 7.2 innings (105 pitches), 6 hits,1 run (earned), 3 walks, 5 punch outs. That's just another day at the ballpark for Johan Santana against arguably the best lineup in the MLB. I expect more of the same today from OUR Cy Young winning pitcher.


So what's my prediction for Johan's line today? 7 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs (both earned), 2 walks, 9 K's.

What's my prediction for the game today? Easy a Mets victory 5-2, and another W for Mr. Santana.

A NEW Core 4 in NYC

This weekend is a huge series for the boys in blue and orange. As Mets fans, we've been programmed to hate the Yankees. Really, we're one of the only franchises in existence who are made to feel like second class citizens in our own town! And, it's all their fault. It's true, we hate them. Why? They win. We've watched them win so many times with their players, lose when they tried to buy championships, and win again. What was the same through all that? The esteemed "Core 4." They are the guys we love to hate but secretly want for our own. So, here are some comparisons to the Mets' home grown core 4 that will keep us winning for years to come.

Mike Pelfrey is the new Andy Pettite:

When a team finds home grown consistent pitching, you have to hold onto it and appreciate it. The Yankees have done that with Andy Pettite since the mid-90s. With Big Pelf's breakout season in 2010, the Mets should do the same. Pettite was dominant at times, but moreover consistently good. He is a guy the Yanks always trust to pitch a big game. He's such a professional that he even made admitting to using HGH look like it was no big deal. He wasn't always #1 in the rotation, but Yankee fans know, if Pettite is on the mound, we've got a good shot to win. You hear the same things from the mouths of Mets players and fans this year. Pelf has turned into a confident professional and there's no reason to think he won't be for years to come. And as a plus, at least Pelf isn't best friends with Roger Clemens. With Pettite on the downward arc of his career, it's good for him that he is having a good season before he's finally put out to pasture and lets the new consistent professional take over in New York, Mike Pelfrey.

Ike Davis is the new Jorge Posada:

It's very early in the career of Ike Davis to be predicting anything, and I hope he turns into the new Albert Pujols instead of Jorge, but they have a lot in common. When I think of Posada, I think good power, okay defensively, and depending on the year, potential dominance at the plate. Of course it's a lot easier to do things like that when you're in a stacked lineup every year and can bat in the lower half of the order. That said, I think we can expect the same from Ike Davis looking at the small sample size we've seen from him so far. Davis has made some great plays falling into dugouts, has hit some really clutch homers, and looks like he's going to consistently kick some ass at the plate for many years to come. Granted, Davis won't necessarily have the luxury of batting 6th or 7th as he becomes the phenom the Mets hope. He's done an excellent job jumping in at cleanup for this year's Mets team. So, for the sake of this comparison, we appreciate the offense from Posada, especially out of a position like catcher, but I think we can expect even bigger things from Ike in years to come (and rightly so with him playing first base). As injuries creep in and Posada is relegated to DH'ing, his sun is setting as Ike and the Mets are ready to begin a winning generation for years to come.

David Wright is the new Derek Jeter:

Well here is the most controversial comparison because of every Yankee fans' obsession with their Captain down to the consistently atrocious job of John Sterling calling his "Jeterian" plays for "El Capitan." Jeter is probably one of the most argued about players in the majors from how overrated he is to how he's the main reason the Yankees have won so many championships. While he can't go to his left in the field and has never had to be the best player on his team, you can't deny Jeter has come through in some big spots and is the face of the Yankees. The best comparison here is David Wright. Well, Yankee fans are going to say, Wright can't hold a candle to Jeter - he's not nearly as clutch, not as good, Wright strikes out too much, blah, blah, blah - go sit in your corporate $20,000 box seats and front run some more. David Wright is the face of the Mets. He can't be expected to carry a whole team when everyone is injured (hence the down year last year), and every year other than that he's had great stats and is turning into a great leader. It's about time that the Mets give him the captain's C because this is really his team. Jeter is the face of the Yankees, but he is also on the other side of the hill at this point also, so now it's time for another pretty boy to be the leader and face of baseball in New York and his name is David Wright.

Jose Reyes is the new Mariano Rivera:

Now, when you look at this one, you're saying, "What are you talking about?!" If you think about it though, it makes total sense. Are there two players on the New York baseball teams that make you consistently say, "WOW!" Mariano Rivera has had success as probably the best closer being the MLB equivalent of a video game glitch bitch. He found one pitch that hitters basically just can't touch and has used it to make himself awesome. Sure, he's passive and calm compared to the jumpy and aggressive Reyes, but Jose and Mariano are always going to wow you and will consistently be the x-factor for their teams. If you ask Yankee fans how they've won all these years, Mariano always enters the conversation. If you're winning going into the 9th, it's over (unless you're Luis Gonzalez of course). What is the big thing the media and Mets fans always talk about with Reyes? If he scores, the Mets win - it's just how it is. When these guys get an opportunity and are on top of their game, the team has that much more chance of winning. They do things on the field that amaze you and make you happy you're a baseball fan. Mariano is almost done and is probably ready to blow at least one save this weekend, but Reyes will be running the bases in New York for many years (and wins) to come.

So Yankee fans, enjoy your Core 4 now because they are quickly becoming the Dinosaur 4, and there is a new core in New York that will turn the tides and make us feel like the mid-80s again, when the Mets were kings of New York. Enjoy the weekend, because if you can't beat the 3rd place team in the NL East, you're not going to beat the 2nd place (and soon to be 1st place team). Drink it up!

Offense and Pitching Together Will Keep the Mets Consistent

What's the difference between the Mets 9-1 run to first place earlier this season and the 10-1 run toward first they are on now? A nice balance of offense and defense.

On the 9-1 run in May, it took top notch pitching performances by everyone to make it happen. 8 of those 10 games had the Mets giving up 2 runs or less. This is something that just can't be sustained for an extended period of time. Yes, Pelf is doing awesome, we have one of the greatest pitchers in baseball in Santana, and the other three guys are doing great, but if you think the Mets as a whole will be able to limit opponents to 2 runs or less on a regular basis, you're drinking koolaid even better than you'll find here.

Over the past 11 games on the Mets current streak, the team has given up 4 or more runs 5 times. That said, the Mets have scored 5 or more runs during that span 6 times. Obviously, the Mets aren't always going to score a ton of runs either.

The big difference is the Mets are going from streaky baseball to just good baseball. Everyone is hustling, smiling, and having fun. Sure, this happens always when a team is on a winning streak, but this one feels different than last time. Last time, I think all Mets fans had in their heads was, "This is great, but when is this going to end?" This time, I don't feel this way and I'm guessing you don't either.

I started to calm down with Pelf's game on Sunday (don't you love that him giving up 3ER is now an off game for him?). He gave up a few runs and I was all ready for the Mets to not back him up offensively, but they went out there and put up 11 runs on the game and made it a laugher. This is not a streak. It's not even something out of the ordinary for a successful baseball team.

Over the course of a long season, teams are going to have great pitching performances and great hitting performances. There are going to be bad days for both too, but as long as any day can be a good day, the team has a chance to win, and the fans are going to have fun. Thanks goodness baseball is fun again for us. Drink it up.

Nice and Clean: The New Look Mets

There has never been a more effective house cleaning in the history of mankind.

Since June 4th, the day that kicked off Mets Spring Cleaning Weekend 2010, the Mets have won nine out of ten games. They have swept the rival Marlins, taken a series from the first place Padres, and won four straight games on the road.

Coincidence? I think not.

You may recall that weekend marked the end of the road for two fan favorites named Gary Matthews Jr. (forever) and Oliver Perez (hopefully forever). Both were dragging down the Mets, Matthews with his total inability to hit and Ollie with his terrible pitching and horrible attitude.

With those team cancers gone the Mets look like they are playing loose and having fun, two qualities often found on a winning team. Guys like Reyes, Wright, and Francoeur have emerged from slumps and constantly have a smile on their face. Guys like Cora, Pagan, Bay and Ike are doing the little (and sometimes big) things to help the team win even when they aren’t hitting at their best. This group of Mets clearly has a winning attitude, something we have not seen in a while. It helps to know that you have a chance to win no matter who is pitching, and this current Mets rotation has fit the bill.

This confident attitude has even spread to the fans. I, for one, truly feel that these Mets can now win any game on any day. If they don’t, they will win the next day. And whatever happens, we know it will be fun to watch.

After all, Ollie can’t ruin winning streaks while in DL exile, and Matthews Jr. can’t kill late inning rallies while sitting at home on his undeserved pile of money.

Best Weekend Ever

In case you blacked out this weekend (from drinking too much Koolaid, of course), I'm here to tell you that it was one of the best in recent memory for the Mets and their fans. For both on and off the field reasons, the last three days could very well serve as the turning point of the 2010 season.

On the diamond the Mets swept the Marlins, a team that gets more and more annoying every year. For some reason every Marlins player seems to take particular joy in making the Mets suffer, and they even threw in a couple of dirty slides to boot. This, coupled with the fact that neither Santana or Pelfrey threw a single pitch, made the three game beatdown even sweeter. Whether it was holding a small lead, mounting a big comeback, or just plain dominating from the start, the Mets showed they can win ballgames in a variety of ways.

But it was really the off the field news that had Mets fans giddy and hopeful. During what will forever be known as Mets Spring Cleaning Weekend 2010, the front office FINALLY took out the trash that is Gary Matthews Jr. (cut) and Oliver Perez (DL'd). The removal of these two players undoubtedly helped fuel the sweep. Heading into the games, Mets players for once did not have to think about the inevitable late inning Matthews Jr. strikeout or watch Perez hang his head in shame while getting shelled in a blowout. And while Luis Castillo is nowhere near as atrocious as those two, his placement on the DL opened the door to an exciting, young, athletic, and all-homegrown infield that can play together for years to come.

If the Mets are playing serious fall baseball, we will look back on June 4-6 as the weekend that sparked it all. They not only disposed of a pesky division rival, they also removed two major buzz kills and took another step towards getting younger.

For Mets fans, it was a weekend to remember.

According to the Dictionary...

Team Cancer [teem kan-ser] noun. A player or coach on an athletic team that is not only bad personally, but has an adverse affect on the other players around them by both bad performance as well as attitude. Generally it would be better for a team to release this player but they are often kept because of a large contract. An example would be Oliver Perez of the 2010 New York Mets. See Also: Bobby Bonilla, 1992.


I'm sorry, there is just no Kool-Aid to bring up my feelings on this guy. He's gotta go.

Road Warriors

By now we are all familiar with the Two-Face act the Mets are pulling this season. When the Mets are playing at home they are a thing of beauty to watch. When they hit the road, there is "bad lighting on the porch" (see Seinfeld).

The Mets are 8-18 away from Citi Field and amazingly have not won consecutive road games since last July. But here at Mets Kool-Aid, in case you didnt notice, we like to look at the bright side of things.

Take the upcoming schedule, for example. In two weeks the Mets play at Yankee Stadium, so they will not have to endure a plane ride, experience strange cultures, sleep in hotel beds, or do anything else that may be affecting them on the road. Then they have three games against the Marlins in Puerto Rico, where natives Angel Pagan, Pedro Feliciano and Alex Cora should feel more comfortable than ever. Hell, Carlos Beltran may even be inspired to play in front of his countrymen.

As for the real road games, team management might have to work some psychological magic. Let each player bring his own bed, wife, children, dog, etc. on the road. Blindfold each player before and after games so they don't know where they are. Bring water from Flushing Bay and record loud jet engines so that it smells and sounds like Queens at all times. Bribe the opposing team and umpires to get last licks. Whatever works.

With the way the Mets are playing at home, even slight improvement on the road will result in a great season. Seventeen of their last twenty-two games are at Citi Field, meaning there is the chance for exciting baseball in the fall.

Until then, the Mets must play better on the road. We need Game 7 of the NLCS to be in Flushing.