· The Met Outfield Rocks
The trio of Endy, Beltran and Green is an Excellent Major League, Playoff-caliber outfield. I would start them for the rest of the year and even if Cliff is ok, I make sure Endy gets lots of ABs. With the lineup we fielded tonight, Endy is batting 8th … I guarantee you this dude is the most dangerous #8 hitter in baseball.
· Do NOT trade Milledge
Lastings was sent to AAA tonight making room for Brian Bannister and that’s just what the doctor ordered. Let him develop, get some seasoning. Perhaps he will beat up AAA pitchers for a bit and really get his mojo going. This kid has the goods and we have the luxury of waiting. Do NOT trade this guy. He is just 21 and is only going to get better and better. I don’t want to see this kid smashing balls off the right field wall for the Astors or Marlins next year.
· Let me get this straight….You’ll give me Shawn Green and Lots of money to cover his salary for Evan MacLane? Let me a t least buy you a beer out of gratritude
This guy will hit the ball hard for us and he will field Right Field cleanly and will win games for us both with his bat and his professionalism. Playing with his best buddy Carlos Delgado will make both of them better and more relaxed. What a terrific pickup. Outstanding.
· The Mets pitching staff has been absolutely bullet proof
Willie Randolph has had the Midas touch with Pitchers this year. With the exception of
· A Great Bullpen can make a less-than-perfect Starting staff much better (Especially in the Playoffs)
You can cry that we didn’t get Oswalt or Zito but when your bullpen is as exceptional as ours has been this year, there is less pressure for the starters to be infallible. While you can’t count on the starters other than Pedro to be Santana-esque every time they take the ball, you can count on this staff to go a solid 6 more often than not. If the starters deliver six, here’s what’s going to happen:
o Most of the time, we are going to enter the 7th with a lead. This met team can flat out hit.
o Most of the time, the opposition is going to be toast. They will be toast because…….
· The relief work by the Mets has simply been “text-book”
· Thanks to Darren Oliver, the middle innings have been a black-hole for opponents all year. Dave Williams, who will probably be bumped from the rotation when Pedro and Glavine return, looks like he could be a ravenous, mid-game, inning-eater from the right side. He frustrates the crap out of opposing hitters who see his 65mph slop and are furious with themselves for not hitting the ball hard.
· The Bradford/Feliciano righty/lefty “specialist” tandem has done everything the’ve been asked and much more.
· Mota has looked untouchable in the 2 non-save 8ths and Heilman IS untouchable in the must-win 8ths.
· On top of it all you have Billy Wagner who is the Billy Wagner I remember fearing as a Phillie and an Astro. Actually, he is that Billy Wagner, just with a better slider. He has really chosen the right time to put it all together.
· I guess the majors, unlike the schoolyard doesn’t have the rule about “Slaughter sides”
Who can go pound-for-pound with us:
· Reyes – 53 Stolen bases, 153 hits, 15 triples
· LoDuca - .312 average…FROM YOUR CATCHER!
· Beltran – 36 homers and 103 RBIS
· Delgado – 33 homers and 88 RBIS
· Wright – 22 homers and 91 RBIs
· Green – 119 hits (more than Beltran or Delgado this year)
· Valentin - .283 hitting, clutch, well-groomed switch-hitter in the 7th spot
· Endy – speedy, .300 hitting, exceptional bunter in the 8 slot
Who wants a piece of us….you? You want a little?
· We are going to be tough to beat
Bats, Gloves, bullpen, speed, balance, experience, youthful exuberance – this is a
championship- caliber package. The ’06 Mets are a well-managed group of guys that can
do it all…and they seem to have a lot of fun together along the way. In the last 37 years
of following the Mets, this is the most talented, most exciting, most well-constructed, ok I will
say it…the best Met team that I have ever had the pleasure of loving.
And thats the name of THAT tune.
