Tonight at 10PM ET on Blog Talk Radio, it’s another edition of THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN . My guest will be Rob Castellano of Amazin’ Avenue. Rob writes the must read, Mets Daily Farm System Report, we dissucss the State of the Mets farm system and talk about some of the players in the system who may be playing at Citi Field in the near future.

You can join in as well by calling into the show at (646) 727-2465 as we open the phone lines

If you can’t join us live you can listen to the podcast right here at Kranepool Society as well as on the show page at Blog Talk Radio or download it at  iTunes

Don’t forget to check out the THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN store at Cafe Press  

Jeff Francoeur, “Frenchy” to his fans and teammates has always portrayed  himself as a man of the people, a guy the MSM loves as he fills a notebook with great quotes, and a teammate to die for. But in reality, Francoeur is just another selfish guy whose true colors come out when times are tough.

Francoeur has made it known that if he is not going to play everyday as a Met then it would be best to have his fan mail forwarded to a new address. What a guy. Just as the team is reeling in a horrendous hitting slump and watching the season slip away, “Frenchy” acts like a rat and wants to jump the sinking ship.

What makes this more of a story is the fact that some fans of the Amazin’s have killed Carlos Beltran for having the unmitigated gall to work his way back from a catastrophic knee injury and don a knee brace that reminds one of Joe Namath circa 1970 to make a contribution to the team with his bat an hopefully with his Gold Glove defense. The bat is still there but the range in center field is rusty, no doubt but there are still some fans and a guy who gets paid to be on the radio who think that Beltran is the reason the Mets are losing because the precious team chemistry has been altered. The only one altering the chemistry here is their beloved Francoeur who is living up to his nickname by retreating when times are tough.

I wonder if the other General Patton on the team, Alex Cora yelled at Jerry Manuel after his stand up act yesterday before the Mets-Dodgers game when Omar Minaya made his way into the Mets dugout to speak to the press:

Jerry Manuel sat on the bench in the visitors’ dugout at Dodger Stadium for five hot minutes Thursday afternoon, when Omar Minaya entered from the stands. With cameras, tape recorders and sun in his face, the manager once again faced questions about job security.

Manuel flashed a broad grin and employed his favorite coping strategy, humor.

“O, what’s going on?” he yelled to the GM. “Did you say two-year extension?”

I’m pretty sure Fernando Nieve and Manny Acosta are the same person

My baseball season ended last night as my Babe Ruth team was eliminated from the play offs a win shy of reaching this weekends Championship Game. Last year we made to the Championship Game and came up short so this season not making it back to the final game is a disappointment. I have one more season with this team so hopefully next year we can take the title. So now it’s time to ice my old tired left arm that has thrown a lot of bating practice and put my fungo bat on the shelf for a few months. Now this frees me up for more trips to $iti Field and to clean out my garage. I don’t know which is worse.

It seems Highlander fans have selective memory. Yesterday I went to the Brooklyn Cyclones-Little Highlanders game at the Richmond County Bank Ball Park in the Land That Urban Development forgot A/K/A Downtown Staten Island. Of course I was decked out in my Brooklyn attire because (a) the Cyclones are of course a Mets farm team and (b) I still consider myself from Brooklyn, I just happen to have a home in Staten Island and to tell you the truth I don’t know who Staten Islanders despise more Brooklynites who moved to the Island or Muslims but I digress. As I went into the ball park the Highlanders were leading the Mets 4-0 after a Mark Teixeira Granny against the suddenly ordinary Johan Santana. When the game ended the public address announcer comes on and asks for everyone’s attention. Now I’m thinking that since it was getting very dark and windy, looking as if a huge thunderstorm was on the way he’ll anounnce that  all the folks out in the open seating area should prepare to go to the concourse in case of severe weather, no that wasn’t the announcement. The big announcement was the Bronx Bastards beat the Mets 4-0 thus taking 2 of 3 from the Amazin’s.

Now a Highlander fan next me looks over and says “Well, now we know who the best team in NY is” so I say “We do? The season series  is now tied at 3 wins apiece” Mr.  Doodle Dandy (in his JETER 2 shirt of course. I swear to God, you can always tell the dumbest Highlander fan by what shirt the wear and it just seems like the biggest assholes wear JETER 2 shirts) looks at me and says “this is the only time they played each other this year” of course I say “Au contraire my simple minded friend, the Mets took 2 of 3 at Citi Field back in May” Then Mr. Doodle Dandy gave me the line of the day, week, month, year, decade and I’d add the century:

“I don’t pay that much attention to the team until October”    

STUNNING!!!!!  

By the way the SI Highlanders beat Backman’s Boys for the first time in this first three game series.

If you are a Highlander’s fan I am sorry to give you the bad news that the Era of the Bronx Robber Baron is over. It ended after Friday night’s game when that skanky Lady GaGa paraded herself into the Highlander locker room in her underwear after a loss to the Amazin’s. I can guarantee you that not only would Pee Wee Cashman been fired on the spot but Hank and Hal would have been put up for adoption if the Boss was still in charge. For an organization that takes such pride in its uniform to have a no talent trollop like GaGa wearing the Highlander jersey must have Marilyn Monroe rolling in her grave.

John Maine has become a problem. I had Tweeted that no way Maine goes back to the rotation if or when he comes back to the big league team and should be used as a reliever. But as General Manager Candidate Howard Megdal pointed out to me, Maine is still not throwing hard and he has not shown he’s suitable for bullpen duty as he does not show the ability to get up and get warm to come into a game. As always Howard is right on the mark and that’s why he needs to be named the nest GM of the NY Mets.

Mike Silva tackles the Maine question as to DFA or trade John Maine for a reliever from a team looking to start selling off talent. I think it comes down to John Maine’ Mets career is just about done.  In fact if the Mets can’t trade Maine and they do DFA him it will show they are serious about winning, if you don’t produce then you’re gone. Its PRO baseball no one gets hot dogs after the game.

Very nice feature in todays Daily News on Big Pelf and how between embracing fatherhood and working with Harvey Dorfman on the mental side of the game. Big Pelf also talks about his estranged dad  and how that has motivated him to be a better father to his son.

Happy Fathers day to all the Dads out there I don’t know about you but everyday for me is Fathers Day

Amazin’ Tuesday has a new home, the lower dining concourse of Grand Central Station as Two Boots has moved to this location so if your in area what better way to spend a Tuesday night with pizza, beer and fellow Mets fans

 

Now that we amateur GM’s are ready to get down to business fortifying the Mets roster for 2010, the one item that is marked ESSENTIAL is The Bill James Handbook for 2010 (published by ACTA Sports). The Handbook is loaded with stats and leader boards that you would hope the front office is studying like it was the college boards.

 

As bad as the Mets season has been there were a few (surprise) Amazin’s who were ranked in the top 10 in some important categories for the 2009 season like Angel Pagan:

 

 

Angel Pagan-4^th in the NL for most Triples (11)

                      9^th in NL Leadoff Hitters OBP (.358)

                      4^th in NL OPS by CF’er

 

If Pagan had some semblance of baseball instinct and the ability to stay healthy the search for the everyday LF’er would be a moot point.

 

Digits like this and much more are in the Handbook. You can get your copy by going to Acta Sports or at the book store or online vendor of your choice. When you’re curled up by the hot stove this winter, your 2010 Bill James Handbook will leave you with that toasty feeling.

 

When it comes to Daniel Murphy, I feel like a defense attorney who talks up his client as an outstanding citizen and gets him acquitted of all charges, then after getting sprung goes out that night and sticks up a 7-11. Daniel Murphy, you are making my job very tough around here.

 

It begrudges me to say Hats of to Petey, for that turn back the clock performance last night, I just wish it was for another team than those Phucks.  What makes it even more heartbreaking is that was the type of game we thought we’d see from Petey to complete our turnaround.  By the way I wonder, if Petey can comb his Jeri-Curls after tossing 130 itches last night.

 

Enjoy the adulation now Josh Thole because these fuckers around here will turn on you in a Manhattan Minute.

 

Far be it from me to stick up for Little Joe and Kate Hudson’ Boy Ho’ in Da Bronx but they had every right to go off on Asshole in Blue, Marty Foster for calling Alex Rodriquez out on a ball that was well off the plate, and then tossing him for arguing. With all the hand wiring over PED’s and revenue troubles in baseball, maybe we need a Congressional hearing on why the umpiring in baseball is so bad.

 

I went 2 of 3 on my NFL picks yesterday :

 

Even without the Stokley tip and run, I’d have lost with the Bengals. I think OchoCinco and me said it at the same time “CHILD, PLEASE”! after that catch.

 

Poor old Coach Spags has his work cut out for him in St.Loo. He is not accustom to his defense giving up close to 450 yards of offense. Rumor is Jim Balsille now has his sights on moving the Rams to Hamilton Ontario.

 

All I know is Derek Jeter is lucky Adrian Peterson doesn’t play in NY or he’d never see the front or back page of the tabloids.

 

Tomorrow night is the last Amazin’ Tuesday of the season at Two Boots Tavern 384 Grand St at 7PM. Now that the Mets are dead let’s have an Irish wake and there’s no better place for than Two Boots on Amazin’ Tuesday.

 

Drown your sorrows with your fellow Mets fans tomorrow night at Two Boots (384 Grand St Manhattan) at 7PM because even with the season going down the drain you still have to eat and socialze and not sit alone brooding over this season of dispair so what better exliar for Mets fans is this fine get together:

Every spring there are loads of baseball annuals at the newsstand but if you are a die hard Mets fan you need to pick up the 2009 Mets Annual published by Maple Street Press.

The Annual is chock full of information for every Mets fans taste. You like numbers? There are your basic stats and there are in depth numbers like pitch selection and hit placement all from the Inside Edge scouting service. There are articles on Shea Staduim and our birthplace the Polo Grounds.  There are stories on the 40th annivseray of the 1969 Amazin’s (by Greg Prince) and a great article by Howard Megdal on the Mets uncanny ability to finish in second place (that says it all about Mets fandom WE’RE #2!!!!)

Greg Spira and Matt Silveman have but the best sports annual out there so look for it at newsstands, bookstores or at the Maple Street Press web site