Die Hard Sports Fan

I’m feeling confident right now that the Mets can take this series from the D-Backs.  Rather than building Citi Field, they should’ve just swapped ballparks with the Diamondbacks because the Mets have won 14 of the last 15 games at Chase Field by a combined score of 114 to 36.  That’s some serious whoop @$$.  Just imagine how the Mets would steamroll the NL by playing 81 games in the Valley of the Sun.  Citi/Chase…a bank is a bank, right?

Mets.com:

What a difference one man makes - Anthony DiComo wrote up a game recap about last night’s game between the Mets and the Diamondbacks.

Pelfrey to face one of game’s best - Anthony DiComo put together a pregame analysis for today’s game between the Mets and the D-Backs.

Mets rejoice in Alou’s return - Anthony DiComo tells us what he thought of Moises Alou’s ‘08 debut last night.

Mets stick with Schneider - Anthony DiComo reported that Gustavo Molina was sent back down to Triple-A before last night’s contest.  The Mets decided to keep Brian Schneider on the roster even though he hasn’t healed enough to play yet.

Wagner, Perez clear the air - Anthony DiComo found out that Billy Wagner’s comments about Oliver Perez are no longer an issue.

Newsday:

Reyes, Mets defeat D’backs - David Lennon also summarized last night’s Mets-Diamondbacks game.

Randolph wishes Wagner kept comments in-house

Alou returns to Mets’ lineup

New York Daily News:

Mets still on fire against the Diamondbacks - Adam Rubin summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Diamondbacks as well.

Willie & Billy have a ‘private’ chat

New York Post:

‘BACK IN BUSINESS - Bart Hubbuch pointed out that Jose Reyes led the Mets to victory.

WILLIE TO BILLY: KEEP IT IN-HOUSE

New York Times:

Alou Sparks the Mets to a Welcome Victory

Wagner’s Public Scolding Earns Him a Private One

The Star-Ledger:

Back at Chase

Wagner taken to task

Online-only edition: Alou’s return sparks Mets victory in desert

Alou returns and Mets roll

Game 27: Mets at Diamondbacks - Jeremy Cothran provided the lineup for last night’s game.

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The New York Mets (14-12) are playing Game 27 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Arizona Diamondbacks (20-8) at Chase Field.  It’s the first game of a three-game series.  The game began at 9:40 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Church, Wright, Beltran, Alou, Delgado, Casanova, Castillo, Maine.

Diamondbacks Lineup: Young, Byrnes, Hudson, Jackson, Reynolds, Drew, Upton, Montero, Owings.

At the Plate 

Micah Owings (4-0) was the starting pitcher for the Diamondbacks.  In the Top of the 1st, Reyes led off with a triple off the wall in right center.  Ryan Church hit a sacrifice fly to center field which brought Jose Reyes home.  Wright lined a one-out single up the middle.  With Beltran at the plate, Owings threw a wild pitch so Wright took off for second.  Beltran drew a one-out walk.  Moises Alou grounded an RBI single under the glove of Hudson and into center field so David Wright came around to score and Beltran went first to third.  Carlos Delgado grounded an RBI single through the hole on the right side which brought Carlos Beltran home and Alou advanced to second.  Casanova flied out to center, and the runners held up.  Castillo grounded a ball that rolled in front of home plate, and Montero made the out at first to leave two Mets on base.  Owings gave up 4 Hits, 3 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Maine grounded out to third.  Reyes dropped a one-out double into shallow center.  Ryan Church drove an RBI double into the gap in right center which scored Jose Reyes (Church has 2 RBIs in 2 attempts already which further confirms that he should be in the 2 spot).  Wright popped up to shallow right, and Hudson made the catch.  Beltran popped up to second, and Hudson made the catch.  Owings gave up 2 Hits, 1 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Delgado drew a one-out walk.  Owings caught Casanova looking at strike three.  Castillo grounded to second, and Hudson made the out at first to end the inning.  Owings gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Ryan Church lined a two-out solo shot to deep right field.  Wright pulled a two-out double down the left field line.  Beltran grounded out to first to end the inning.  Owings gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Delgado dropped a one-out single into right field.  Casanova flied out to center.  Castillo grounded to short, and Drew tagged second for the force out to end the inning.  Owings gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Reyes lined a one-out opposite field single into left.  Church popped up in foul ground along the third base line, and Reynolds made the catch.  With Wright in the batters box, Reyes stole second.  David Wright pulled a two-out 2-run jack over the left field wall which scored Jose Reyes.  Beltran drew a two-out walk.  Owings gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  Owings left the game after pitching 5.2 innings allowing 11 Hits, 7 Runs, 7 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 2 SOs.

Melvin replaced Owings with Brandon Medders with two outs in the Top of the 6th.  With Alou at the plate, Beltran stole second.  Alou drew a two-out walk.  Delgado flied out to left to leave two Mets stranded.  Medders gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.

Melvin replaced Medders with Doug Slaten to begin the Top of the 7th.  Casanova drew a leadoff walk.  Castillo grounded to second, and the Diamondbacks turned the double play.  Easley is pinch hitting for Maine, and Easley grounded out to third.  Slaten gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.

Melvin replaced Slaten with Juan Cruz to begin the Top of the 8th.  (Reyes is in need of a Home Run to hit for the cycle) and Reyes drove the ball off of the high wall in dead center, and he attempted an inside the park home run but got thrown out easily at the plate (so he only ended up with another triple).  Church flied out to center.  (Wright is in need of a triple to hit for the cycle) and Wright struck out swinging.  Slaten gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Melvin replaced Slaten with Tony Pena to begin the Top of the 9th.  Pena pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Pena gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.

On the Mound

John Maine (2-2) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Young led off by grounding a single up the middle.  Byrnes popped up to second.  Hudson flied out to left.  Jackson grounded hard to third, and it bounced off of Wright (Error on David Wright) and went into left field so Jackson is on first and Young advanced to second.  Reynolds grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first to leave to D-Backs on base.  Maine gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Upton drove a one-out stand up double off of the wall in dead center.  With Montero in the batters box, Maine threw a wild pitch so Upton moved over to third.  Miguel Montero drove the ball over Beltran’s head for a one-out RBI double, and Justin Upton came home to score.  With Owings at the plate, Maine threw another wild pitch so Upton is at third now.  Owings drew a one-out walk.  Chris Young grounded an RBI single up the middle which brought Miguel Montero home, and Owings moved over to second.  Maine fanned Byrnes.  Hudson popped up in foul territory along the left field line, and Wright made a beatiful diving catch to end the inning.  Maine gave up 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Maine pitched his first 1-2-3 inning of the game.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Owings drew a two-out walk.  Maine fanned Young.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Hudson pulled a one-out double down the right field line (Hudson injured himself on the play and had to leave the game so Ojeda replaced him.  Jackson lined the ball off of Delgado’s glove, and the ball went into right field so Jackson ended up with a one-out single and Ojeda advanced to third.  Maine fanned Reynolds.  Drew flied out to left to leave runners on the corners.  Maine gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Maine retired the side in order.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.

Randolph replaced Maine with Joe Smith to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Smith pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Smith gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Drew drew a two-out walk.  Upton grounded a two-out single under the glove of Reyes, and Drew went first to third (I thought Wright tagged Drew in time).  Upton advanced to second when the throw was made at third.  Smith gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  Smith left the game after pitching 1.2 Innings allowing 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs.

Randolph replaced Smith with Pedro Feliciano with two outs in the Bottom of the 8th.  Montero grounded out to third to leave to D-Backs on base.  Feliciano gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Feliciano with Duaner Sanchez to begin the Bottom of the 9th.  Sanchez slammed the door on the D-Backs.  Sanchez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 9th Inning.

Final Score: New York Mets 7 - Arizona Diamondbacks 2.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  John Maine (3-2) got the win and Micah Owings (4-1) got the loss.

So all it took for the Metsies to get hot was a little bit of sunshine.  The Mets continue to play unbelievable baseball in the desert.  You can just look at the scoreboard to see what type of game it was, and it went quickly for a game with 9 runs.  Maine was struggling, but he pitched 6 innings and only gave up 2 runs.  The bullpen put up gooseggs with Smith, Feliciano, and Sanchez.  The offense was smokin’ hot.  Reyes and Wright each nearly batted for the cycle.  Church batted in the 2 spot, and you know what that means…the Mets win.  It was Alou’s 2008 debut, and he had 1 Hit, 1 RBI, and he had 1 walk.

The Amazins’ stole a win from the D-Backs because the pitching matchup was in their favor.  Tomorrow, it’s in their favor again.  However, it’s in the Metropolitans favor on Sunday with Santana on the mound.  It was a great game.  The Diamondbacks were 20-8 so they can afford to take a few losses.  Maybe Pelfrey can steal another win from Arizona tomorrow so Santana can steer New York to an unlikely sweep.

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The Mets are out in Arizona right now.  The first game between the Mets and the Diamondbacks is set to take place in about an hour.  The way the pitching rotations are matching up is clearly in their favor because our ace doesn’t pitch until Sunday.  Fortunately, the Metsies have had success out in Arizona over the past few seasons so maybe that will continue.  Here’s the probable pitching matchups for this series:

• 05/02/2008 - John Maine (2-2) - Micah Owings (4-0)
• 05/03/2008 - Mike Pelfrey (2-1) - Brandon Webb (6-0)
• 05/04/2008 - Johan Santana (3-2) - Dan Haren (4-1)

Mets.com:

Prized acquisitions square off on TBS - Steve Gilbert pointed out that Dan Haren and Johan Santana will lead their new squads in front of a national audience on Sunday.

ROBINSON’S NEW PLAQUE UNVEILING POSTPONED - Mets.com reported that this event ismto be rescheduled for a date during the summer.

Newsday:

On air, Mets’ Wagner continues criticism of Perez - Jim Baumbach found out that Wagner had more to say about Oliver Perez in his weekly interview with Michael Kay on 1050 ESPN Radio.  How annoying is it to listen to Michael Kay?  I was listening to 1050 ESPN one day when I was driving because WFAN was in commercials.  Michael Kay was explaining how he need his toilet paper to come down.  As soon as my mind began to process an image of this dude dropping a duece, it grossed me out and I changed the dial back to WFAN.  What does Michael Kay taking a dump have to do with sports?  Good thing I’m not a Yankees fan because it’s tough to listen to that guy.  Kay on tv is better than Sterling on the radio.  If you’re a Yankees fan then you have nowhere to go to listen to the game, except in the Stadium where they have the best voice in sports.

Mets’ second spot in lineup: Go to Church! - David Lennon believes that the Mets perform better with Ryan Church in the 2 spot rather than Luis Castillo.

Mets’ Wright needs to step right up, knock club - Johnette Howard believes that Carlos Beltran or David Wright should also be calling out their teammates like Billy Wagner did after Wednesday’s whooping by the Pirates.

THIS DAY AT THE OLD BALLPARK - Newsday tells us what happened at Shea Stadium and at Yankee Stadium on May 2 of another year.

New York Daily News:

Mets not afraid of Snakes - Adam Rubin reminds us of all of the success the Mets have had in the desert.

New York Post:

TRYING NOT TO TRIP OUT WEST

REYES CAN’T SHAKE SLUMP

The Star-Ledger:

Welcome to the artist formerly known as the BOB

Mets need to bring ‘A’ game to Arizona

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So April is over now.  The Amazins’ finished the month of April with a 14-12 record after playing 26 games.  If you prorate it through 162 games then the Mets will be 87-75.  At month end, the Mets are in a three-way tie with the Marlins and the Phillies.  The Braves are 2.5 games back, and the Nats are 4 games behind.

It’s May now, and hopefully a new calendar month along with a trip out west will get the Metropolitans heading in the right direction.  The Mets will go to Phoenix for three games and then to Los Angeles for three games.

After one month, all of you Mets fans keep on booing our team.  What’s up with that?  I understand some of it, but not all of it.  I understand booing Delgado, Castillo, and Heilman for poor performances.  I understand booing Schoeneweis for steroids, and I would never cheer for somebody that shouldn’t be allowed to play baseball anymore.  I hear callers complain on WFAN because they want Willie fired.  I think Willie is an average Manager.  He lacks to NL knowledge that Bobby V. had, but he still has had a winning record with the Mets.  Historically, that’s better than the majority of Mets managers.  I don’t think this is Willie’s fault at all.  He’s by no means perfect, but I’ve seen much worse.

I put more of this on Omar than Willie because all of the starting players that were part of the collapse are still on the field, with the exception of LoDuca and Green.  If these players don’t feel like they have something to prove this year then Omar should get rid of them.  Omar knows what type of heart these guys have.  Only Wright and Alou played through the end of 2007.  I’m was upset with the Mets as an organization for covering up whatever happened last year.  Like I said in the offseason, I wanted to know what happened to Reyes down the stretch so I can justify it if he was sent to the Twins in exchange for Santana.  If he was hurt and would be back healthy this year then I wanted him back.  If he just quit then I wanted him out.  Reyes said he slumped, and he’s still in a funk.  Maybe he shouldn’t be here anymore.  I hated the Castillo contract from the beginning.  He’s not worth more than $10/year.  He told the Mets he was 100% healthy in December when he got his contract, but he asks Willie for days off.  He still can’t bunt or hit the ball.  Pedro and El Duque lied to the Mets about how great they felt on Spring Training.  They’ve been doing that for years already, and that’s why I wrote the post back then called “Talking the Talk or Walking the Walk”.  Omar believes the lies that Pedro and El Duque told them about being healthy so we don’t have a backup plan in place.

On the positive side, I love what I’ve seen out of Church and Pagan.  I never even liked Milledge because he’s a disgusting person so I loved that trade regardless of how any of the three players actually perform in the future.  Figueroa has been pretty solid as well.  And last but not least, Johan Santana is the man.  He finished April with 3 wins.  At three wins a month, he’ll end up with 18 wins at the end of the year.  Santana could’ve had more wins of the offense could put up more runs or if the bullpen could hold a lead.

That’s enough venting for me.  My point was that if the players weren’t good enough to win last year then why would they be good enough to win this year?  And heart is something that shows up on stats sheets.  I’m a Giants fan, and I just watched them win the Super Bowl with a bunch of rookies.  The Giants were picked to finish last in their division even though they made the Playoffs two years in a row prior to that.  The Mets are the favorites to win the World Series, but besides Santana what have they done?

Mets.com:

Citi Field recalls, renews sport’s legacy - Barry M. Bloom pointed out how Citi Field is a testament to NYC’s rich baseball tradition.

Wagner returns to site of scary incident- Marty Noble tells us a story where Billy Wagner got beaned by a comebacker by Stinnett about ten years ago in Phoenix.

Forgettable day for Perez against Bucs - Marty Noble summarized yesterday’s game between the Pirates and the Mets.

Mets know D-backs present challenge - Marty Noble put together a pregame analysis for tomorrow’s game between the Mets and the Diamondbacks.

Schneider at Shea, but stays sidelined - Marty Noble reported that Brian Schneider’s thumb is improving, but the staph infection is not fully healed.

Strawberry writing ‘Straw’ memoir - The AP informed us that Darryl Strawberry is currently writing a book titled “Straw” that will be released in 2009.

Newsday:

Mets lose, 13-1, to Pirates; Wagner calls out team - Jim Baumbach also summarized how the Mets stunk it up yesterday.  Billy had this to say about the team’s perfomance, or lack there of, “Today, we just didn’t show up. I’m not saying Pittsburgh can’t beat the New York Mets. But I’m just saying there’s no way we should have this lopsided of a score. Yes, you’re going to have games like this. It’s something that can’t continue to linger.”

Wagner rips Perez over poor outing - Katie Strang got this quote from Wagner about Oliver Perez’s start yesterday, “Perez honestly has to step up and know we used every guy in the bullpen the night before. He can’t come out there and decide he doesn’t have it today, so be it.”  I hope Billy has something to say about every player every time they mess up which is pretty often.

Wright can do no wrong in fans’ eyes

Schneider back with Mets, but not ready to play

Water main break at Citi Field delays Mets game

New York Daily News:

Pirates crush sloppy Mets, 13-1

September stench still reeks at Shea - Mike Lupica discusses how poorly the Mets have been playing.

Oliver Perez takes walk on wild side - Roger Rubin explains what things Oli was doing wrong yesterday.

Can’t put a finger on Brian Schneider’s return to Mets

New York Post:

METS SEND IN THE OOPS

SCHNEIDER LEAVES HOSPITAL STAPH BEHIND

THIS (BLEEP) IS MORE THAN A BLIP - Mike Vaccaro found out how other Championship teams took loses like the Mets did yesterday and moved on.

INEPT OLLIE FUELS AMAZIN’ FOLLY

New York Times:

It Was a Dark Afternoon for the Daydreaming Mets - Ben Shpigel also summarized yesterday’s Pirates-Mets game.

The Star-Ledger:

Wagner has harsh words for Perez

Pirates rip sloppy Mets

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The Mets dropped another Spring Training game to the Cards.  Like I said the last time the Mets lost to the Cardinals, I hate when that happens.

Once again, Die Hard Mets Fan would like to remind you that you can send us photos of you and your buddies in Mets gear so we can post it on the appropriate page above.  Click on one of the photo tabs in the header bar for more information.  Readers love to see pics of other Mets fans.  I can tell that many people find our fansite looking for photos of Mets fans and Mets tattoos, but there aren’t any yet.  We would greatly appreciate it if you send us some.

Note: We are looking for a few more Mets Bloggers to become a better Mets blog.  We are looking to cover many aspects of the Mets daily so you can more or less choose to write where your strenghts are.  If you are interested then please click on the ‘Write for Us’ link in the sidebar for more information.

Mets.com:

Castillo reaps benefits of slow return - Anthony DiComo lets us know that Luis Castillo feels great in his Grapefruit League debut.

Johan, Mets remain vexed by Cards - Anthony DiComo summarized today’s game between the Cardinals and the Mets.  The Cards beat the Mets 10-3.  Johan Santana got the start.  The Mets are 10-7-1 in the Grapefruit League standings.

Vargas seeks second opinion on hip - Anthony DiComo reported that ”Jason Vargas traveled to Colorado on Saturday for a second opinion on his sore left hip, which may require surgery.”

Camp nearing end, Mets roster ailing - Marty Noble stated that the calendar is counting down and the lineup remains incomplete.

Which teams have the best defense? - Lyle Spencer pointed out that MLB.com produced a list of the five premier defensive units heading into 2008.  This list includes these teams: New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, and Kansas City Royals.  Spencer explained why each of these teams made the list, and here is what he wrote about the Mets:

Johan Santana, whose glove is a matching accessory to his golden arm, will enjoy watching his new teammates pick it. Jose Reyes is the game’s premier defensive infielder in the view of advance scouts participating in MLB.com’s survey, and his partner on the left side, Gold Glover David Wright, also is first-rate. Ryan Church enhances an outfield that features Gold Glover Carlos Beltran and arguably the game’s best all-purpose sub in Endy Chavez. There are no serious chinks in manager Willie Randolph’s defensive armor.

Pitchers row laughs are par for course - Marty Noble revealed that Pedro Martinez was never into golfing like most MLB pitchers are, but now Martinez brought a golf bag to Spring Training, and said this to his colleagues, “You guys are going to teach me. If someone can tell me where to put my feet, I’ll be all right.”

Newsday:

Mets’ Valentin makes a major plea about his role - Anthony Rieber wrote that “Jose Valentin knows the Mets have made him no promises. He knows they signed Luis Castillo to a four-year contract to play second base. He also knows he signed a minor-league deal that allows the team to send him down if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster.”  If Valentin does not make the team, he said, “I mean, I’m not going down there because they say I don’t make it. I don’t have to prove something in Triple-A. Money-wise, it’s not a big deal. I think that if I just shut it down right now and retire, I’ve still got enough money to live the rest of my life.”

New York Daily News:

Willie Randolph closes in on opener - Adam Rubin pointed out that Willie Randolph needs to get the full squad together in order to get ready for the season.

Jimmy Rollins repeats NL East boast - Here’s what Jimmy Rollins was quoted as saying in the April issue of Men’s Journal.  “That wasn’t a one-year thing. It’s still gonna ring true in 2008, and every year I’m with the Phillies. We’re going to win. It’s gonna come down to who wants it more, and we want to win more than the Mets do. Truthfully, I don’t worry about anybody in our division, or anybody in our league for that matter. I’m not worried about getting into the playoffs, because that part is accomplished. We’re a playoff team now. Our next goal is to win the World Series.”

New York Post:

BURNING QUESTION - Bart Hubbuch believes that Aaron Heilman has settled into the bullpen, but he still would prefer to be in the starting rotation.

AMAZIN’ STAFF HAS ANOTHER MAINE MAN

New York Times:

Soothsayer to Mets Won’t Brush Off Signs - Karen Crouse tells a story of a Mets fan in Floriday.

Castillo Feels No Pain in Spring Debut

Mets’ Schoeneweis Puts Painful Year Behind Him - Charlie Nobles discusses the injuries that Scott Schoeneweis suffered last season, and how he aims to put last year behind him.

The Star-Ledger:

Castillo plays, feels healthy

Getting Things Started Wright - Matthew Artus has spent the last few days pondering a debate that arose recently over at Shea Nation regarding where David Wright should bat in the Mets’ lineup.  In his article, he makes his case.

Castro is also a big hit on field - Jeremy Cothran revealed Ramon Castro as the prankster that placed the bubble gum on Castillo.

With 5 at-bats, Schneider feels he’ll be ready

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