My head is spinning from all the Beltran v. Mets stories. There are some who blame Beltran, some blame Mets management, some blame the doctors, some blame the agent and some blame the fans (just Jeffey Skill Sets feels that way) but the one thing all the groups have in common is the belief that we root for one fucked up organization.

After sifting through all the stories and conversations and comments, I can say I am definitely on Carlos Beltan’ side in this mess. I believe Beltran when he said he spoke to Dr Altchek who in turn spoke to Dr Steadman who told Beltran his knee was not getting any better and surgery is required to clean out the fragments floating in the knee. But the real document that tells me the Beltran/Boras version of the events are true, is the fact that Dr. Steadman sent the Mets Workers Comp  and insurance forms in ordered to be PAID for conducting surgery. Without those papers signed off by the team, no surgery would have been done.

Now here is where everything comes back to the obvious. The Mets front office is such a cluster fuck that I expect Krusty the Clown to be named to a VP position soon. Jeffey Skill Sets claims that Dr.Altchek and Ray Ramirez are not authorized to ok a player to undergo a medical procedure, and why should they? Just because Dr. Altchek has a medical degree and Ramirez is a licensed physical trainer what makes them think they know more that Jeffey and his running mate David Howard?

So Beltran goes to Dr Steadman, one of the most renowned orthopedic doctors in the country, and his diagnosis is to have arthroscopic surgery to clean out Beltran’s knee. Beltran tells Dr. Steadman to consult with Dr. Altchek , which he does. Altchek agrees with Steadman to do the surgery. Steadman though before doing the procedure needs the Workman’s Comp and all insurance forms to be filled out and verified because this ain’t no charity case, he wants to be paid. The forms are faxed to Queens. The medical people Altchek and Ramirez look them over, everything is cool, send them back to Steadman, he’s cool with it, then he checks his calendar and tells Beltran, you’re a lucky guy, I’m free tomorrow at 7AM. Beltran then claims he calls Omar Minaya (remember him?) who wishes Beltran luck and speedy recovery. So where does this story turn for the worst?

Jeffey Skill Sets was not consulted, and he is pissed off because “nobody puts Baby Jeffey in the corner” Instead of letting the people he hired to run such things do their jobs,  Jeffey says “hold the anesthesia” “we need a third opinion” uhhhhhhhhhh a little late there Junior, Beltran is already in recovery after successful surgery on his knee. But instead of keeping his pie hole shut, Jeffey goes off that this is not acceptable and decides this would be a good time to embarrass the organization again and piss off one of his best players and because it’s been about a whole two weeks since any dumb shit has come out of Flushing.

If you were Carols Beltran would you wait for a third opinion? If you worked for a competent employer, who actually gave a shit about your well being you would. But Beltran works for a bunch of assholes. Assholes who put a concussed Ryan Church on an air plane to Denver and then treated him like an outcast. Assholes who kept telling Jose Reyes to play through and injured calf and forced him to come back for meaningless games in September because maybe 100 people may buy tickets for a game at $iti Field to see him play and then he tears a hammy in the process. Assholes who did the same thing to Beltran and have now put the team in the jackpot they are in now. If anything Beltran and (I hope your sitting down and not drinking anything if not please sit and do not sip that coffee) and Scott Boras are heroes as someone with clout has finally told Jeffey Skill Sets to fuck himself.

The bottom line, maybe it’s time for a 3^rd baseball team to play in NYC because I’ getting close to filing for a baseball divorce on the grounds of mental cruelty.

Have you watched any of the baseball post season? I have, especially the NL games and after last night I’ve come to the conclusion that the best thing the Mets could do this off season is not sign any big names free agents or make a block buster trade. I don’t know who the Mets can sign or trade for that would make that big an impact to make them a contender. Who is our Chase Utley? It’s not David Wright. Who is our Ryan Howard? Frenchy? He’s not even Jason Werth. You think I enjoy writing this? I’m ready to puke.

We have two players out 25 that have any championship timber, Johan Santana and Frankie Rodriquez.

Now I know you’re all saying “hey asshole, what about Wright, Beltran and Reyes” and I say, “Yeah what about them”? Beltran is right on the cusp of joining Santana and Rodriquez and maybe he bounces back in 2010 and puts up a Beltran kind of year. Or maybe this past injury was the beginning of the end. Reyes, even healthy we’re still waiting for that bust out year that may never come. In the mean time who would you rather have at short for the Mets, Hanley Ramirez, Troy Tulowitzki, Jimmy Rollins or Reyes? Shit at this point I’d take JJ Hardy.

Now to Wright. Look I love D-Wright, really I do and maybe I want him to become something he can’t be, a team leader. I don’t think Wright can be the guy because I don’t think he feels comfortable being the guy. He needs help, he needs the reincarnation of Cliff Floyd to bring out the best in him or could Jeff Francouer be “the guy” to bring out the leader in Wright. Wright needs a tag team partner the way Marty Jannetty needed Shawn Michaels , or Hawk needed Animal or vice versa. Whatever, Wright needs a confident and guy to lean on a guy to be his sounding board.

I’m probably talking out my ass about this as I could just be jealous of watching teams and fans whooping it up in October. I have the realization that my team is not making any major changes to its front office that has presided over two major collapses and a season where excuses were standard operating procedure rather being aggress and shipping out the corpses in baseball suits for young, hungry and baseball savvy players.

I’m reading some sites today asking who should the Mets go after Jason Bay or Matt Holliday? Are you kidding? Neither guy is a difference maker plus both will ask for long term deals at big bucks that will become albatross’ around the team’s financial neck. Instead of signing Bay or Holliday how about cutting Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez now that would be money better spent.

Wake up and smell the second division Mets fans, we are no where near a championship team or even a playoff team and if you think I’m full of shit just go back and watch the Jeffey, Omar, Manuel press conference from the Monday after the season ender and then tell me how confident you are.

Two out of three deep in the heart of Bush Country and now the Rox come to town for a foursome (I’ll be at the game tomorrow night to celebrate my 51^st birthday. My kids tell me they will go and get me my Shake Shack burger and Box Frites and even give me back the change) so what would happen around here if the Mets by some strange super natural force took the 4 games?

Maybe if he close our eyes and click our heels three times, Reyes, Beltran and Delgado will report for duty today and demand to play. With Tony B standing at the club house door telling the trio “Get lost we can’t make three roster moves at one time” and Delgado rips off his shirt and say “Move out of the way bus driver, we’re going in”. It’so nice to dream isn’t it.

Greg Prince with a spectacular post shows why he is in the pantheon of not just Mets bloggers but Mets fans. Even when we say the team has no chance we never believe it.

Remember the Mercury Mets? I’d like to but The Mets Police revisits July 27^th 1999 so we can never forget. Does anyone have one of these awful jersey’s ? In the hundreds of games I’ve been to in the last 10 years at Shea/$iti I have never seen anyone wearing a Mercury Mets shirt?

The Star Ledger today looks at the empty seats at $iti and the glut of tickets on the secondary market. Remember when Mets fan were up in arms over the 15,000 less seats at $iti Field over Shea and the fear of not being able to get a ticket to a game? Not only is the seating capacity fine, Mets tickets are as common as weeds growing out of the Manhattan sidewalk.

Saturday was not a very proud day for Philles fans. First, during the National broadcast of the Phillies-Cardinals game, some dick head had a laser pointer in the stands and decided it would be fun to point the beam at Cardinal players. This resulted in a stoppage of play while fat guys in mustard stained shirts with the word SECURITY on the back searched out the culprits along with the umpires and players. The pointers weren’t pointed out but play resumed without further incident. But the real tragedy was after the game in McFaddens bar which is located on the CPB property but not a part of the ball park where a bunch of fans who were tossed out of CPB for being drunk and disorderly, continued that behavior into McFaddens (it seems from the stories in the Philly papers this kind of behavior is condoned in the bar) A fight broke out between the two groups (seems they were both fractions were from Philly) and one man was killed as he was pummeled with fists and feet. I guess some towns can handle success.

Usually I go to the shower and no one says much but today I had on my BELTRAN 15 t-shirt, and my Mets Beach towel, along with my SANTANA 57 sling bag is I kind of put it out there that my allegiances lies with the Mets.

Now I love that I never know what has happen in Flushing until I hit the scout master lounge but today as I was shaving another scout leader comes in and sees my Mets regalia laid out on the bench and ruins my morning “Hey howa ’bout those Mets winning last night” UGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!

I’m very happy the MEts won and that Ollie P is back to being Ollie P with all the walks and all the drama and again adding to the lore of his by beating a top team in the league. I’m also giddy that Danny Murphy got a start and not only hit two doubles but made an incredible play at 1st Base. Please tell me Keith said that he i simpressed with Murph at 1st? Maybe now J-Man will let 28 play everyday. But my one pleasure while I scratch my mosquito bites, being suprised on the results of last nights game was ruined.

I hope that guy is in a kyack on the lake later so I can tip him over.

Guess what? It’s raining again. That’s all it does around here lately but it doesn’t look like it will be an all day rain just thunderstorms this morning and afternoon but foggy and overall shitty tonight as Johan Santana takes his perfect 3-0 mark on the line against the Phucking Phillies at $iti Field.

Santana will go up against J.A. Happ who is helping the Phillies forget Brett Myers by stepping up and going 3-0 in his lat 7 outings and in his 4 no decisions Happ was very effective.

It wil be interesting to see the lineup J-Man puts out there tonight. You would hope he goes with his best 8 guys:

Castillo 2b

Cora SS

Beltran CF

Wright 3B

Sheffield LF

Church RF

Murphy 1B

Santos C

Santana P

What a contest they have over at Oh Murph. As much as the thought of “getting with” Julia Alexandria would be on my bucket list, the price is much too steep.

Today is the MLB Draft and I really should have looked at the landscape of players out there to be taken. I’ll have to take out my Baseball America at lunch time to brush up on what amateurs that are out there. The Mets first pick is a number 72 and unlike other sports, the first round picks in baseball are usually overrated. In fact I feel sorry for the Washington Nationals as they have no choice but to pick Stephen Strasburg because of all the hype and then they have to go through holy hell with Scott Boras to get him signed and hope he lives up to his advanced billing and pray to God he’s not another first round flop.

Last night was a tough one but I’m trying to keep a positive outlook (which is very very difficult) as Livan Hernandez was outstanding throwing strikes in a great bounce back start of his stinker in SF. Wright and Beltran are still carrying the team on their offensive shoulders and lo and behold Daniel Murphy was Gold Glove caliber at first base (just makes J-Man putting Jeremy Reed at first look more stupid) I didn’t see the bot of 8^th as I passed out and when I woke up at 1AM saw the results and turned over for four hours of sleep but from looking at the Gameday charts it looks like JJ Putz was throwing hard as his fastball was low mid 90’s so that is encouraging but when your offense is lacking protection for your big boys your pitching walks a slender tight rope. Add in the fact that the Hollywood Bums are a good baseball team that has not lost a step from the loss of Manny and are tough to beat at home. That being said I don’t have a good feeling about going into Boston this weekend. It didn’t take much for my positive outlook to turn to shit.

One area that I will roast the front office is another in the many episode of not getting injured players looked at and put on the DL. Reyes should have been sent for tests while in SF or LA as I know those two major cities have competent doctors and MRI machines that work very well. From Church’s mishandling from concussion to Delgado being flown across the country with a hip that needed surgery to the newest fuck up with Jose Reyes now looking like a DL candidate makes the Mets look amateurish and is one of the reasons fans have no faith in Omar Minaya and his board of directors.

On that note with Reyes looking like he will be gone for awhile and Alex Cora gone for a couple of months as well, how about going after Jeff Keppinger or even Ramon Santiago of the Tigers? Or Nick Green on the Red Sox it’s time for Omar to get to work.

I’ll have a lot more to talk about tonight on Pro Baseball Central so join us at 9PM EDST live and call in with your rants and raves at (646) 595-4462 If you can’t join us then listen to the podcast on our PBC site or on the upper right on this page.   

I guess sore calf is a euphemism for benched for bone headed base running.

Mets Geek has a great piece on J-Man’s use (over use? miss use?) of the bullpen so far this season. One of the commentators made a good point that the Mets play so many close games that it dictates more bullpen moves than usual.

I stopped trying to figure out what management is thinking about with Carlos Delgado’ hip. It has cone from stiff, to sore, to a rip in a ligament , to arthritis, to total hip replacement okay we’re not at hip replacement yet but you know if he did need a new hip the Mets would still list him as day to day. Same with JJ Putz. The rumors were true that his was hurting for certain and now we find he has a bone spur on his elbow. No surgery is needed say the Mets which means the elbow was be hanging by a string. Not good not good at all. How can you start a 10 games road trip with just 23 players? Call up Baltimore or DC and see what the price is for Aubry Huff or Nick Johnson oh wait that would be a ballsy move by the GM gee I forget what team I root for a second.

This would be my lineup for tonight

Reyes SS

Castillo 2B

Beltran CF

Sheffield LF

Wright 3B

Murphy 1B

Santos C

Church RF

Hernandez P

Only reason I bat Church 8 is the lefty/righty scenario. Time to let Murphy play so 1^st if he can handel it and start to hit leave him there as I am getting ready for the word that Delgado is done for the season. Of course I’m a pessimist there is no such thing as an optimistic Mets fan. If you think your one then you’re to damn young to understand it.

Don’t forget tonight PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL tonight at 9PM EDST and on the pod cast afterwards as Joe McDonald and I preview tonight Mets-Giants game and look at Tim Lincicum-Livan Hernandez tale of the tape. Plus I get to vent on all things Mets for this week Listen live here or on the podcast later here.

Also this Sunday night at 7PM EDST I will be a guest on Seven Train to Shea radio show so tune in and turn on!!!!!!

Get ready for an ass whipping on Sunday Orlando you will need more than “Magic” to beat the C’s in Boston in a Game 7.

From switching back and forth during between periods and commercials of the Rangers-Caps game it just seems that every game that is not a Johan Santana start are all the same. Starting pitching stinks, no one can get a big hit, and a miscue or two in the field. So I guess I really didn’t miss much last night.

What more is there to say? J-Man will alter his lineup today with Dan Murphy getting a day off (WOW how the fan base has turned on this kid. Folks it’s not his fault ) in favor of Sheffield, Omir Santos gets the start behind the plate (take your time getting back Brian Schneider) and Beltran will go to the 3 hole with Rob Deer, I mean David Wright going down to 5. But really who cares? Unless Livan Hernadez goes 7 innings today odds are the Mets will lose again today.

The worst part here is I’m not even mad anymore. It’s three weeks into the season and I’m borderline apathetic about this team. You know how they say a team takes on the personality of its manager ? Well I’m close to becoming a fan taking on the personality of my favorite baseball team by not giving a shit if they win or lose.

Let’s face it sure it’s April but what have we seen so far that says this season won’t end like the last two? The last two editions of the NY Mets talked the talked but could never walk the walk and this one looks headed in the same direction.

The good thing about a complete failure of this team is all of the Anti-Omar contingent (and the numbers of loyalist to this group grows with every uninspiring loss) will get their pound of flesh as anything less than a Wild Card berth would have to trigger a total house cleaning.

I can’t believe I just wrote that. It’s April and I’m contemplating cleaning house in Flushing but how else can you think as this Mets team is so uninspiring.

You must check out Dave Singer’s NY Sportsdog for his Keith Hernandez “Slumpbuster” I want one to wear this weekend at $iti Field.

Check out Brooklyn Mets Fan as he has video of his interview with former Mets star and graffiti artist Dwight Gooden and also check out the pilot of a show he’s pitching to SNY called “Stars and Fans of the NY Mets”

Don’t forget tonight Pro Baseball Central at 9PM EDST on Blog Talk Radio.

I’ve been consumed by all the Rangers news this morning that I haven’t scratched the surface on the news out of St Lonesome but I am starting to think that Warlord Jerry spent the off season studying psychology  books as early in this camp of ’09 it seems it’s all about the mental prep work as much as the physical.

Just from the early dispatches, it looks as though J-Man feels since I have the same cast of characters that ended the season save for the two studs at the back end of the pen, there has to be a different way to motivate this group by going after their weak points (in case you haven’t heard, the Mets choked the last two years, just ask Cole Hamels he’ll tell you)

With the bullpen fortified with Putz and Rodriguez, the other big reason for the two season collapse has been the lack of situational hitting and not scoring runs late in the game. The Mets biggest scoring inning last year was the first and the lowest was the ninth, so Manuel has put an emphasis on hitting behind the runner and giving oneself up for the team. It’s clear that J-Man felt the team he took over was a selfish bunch and he wants that mind set erased and he came right out a pointed the finger at the guys he felt fit that category.

The player Manuel went after first was Jose Reyes, who it seems was more worried about stealing bases just to pad his stats and was the least grown up of the Big Three of Wright-Beltran-Reyes so saying it was time for Jose to take a little more responsibility around the team really meant time to grow up . So to see what Reyes was made of J-Man declares the Reyes could be the #3 hitter and we all waited for the fallout. Well, we’re still waiting as Reyes came in and said all the right things just like a grown up.

Manuel then went on to Gimp Castillo but took a different tact, as everyone associated with the team from the fans, front office, ushers, $iti Field construction workers all felt Castillo needed to shipped out. So Manuel went the opposite praising the second baseman for coming into camp 10 lbs lighter and with a better attitude that moved Manuel to say that Castillo looked like his old Marlins self and would be used in the top spot of the order and so far everyday Manuel finds a way to get a positive quote about Castillo into the Mets news of the day. That makes Gimp a happy camper

I guess after watching the baseball version of a gym rat in Daniel Murphy, Manuel knew that even with ordaining Murph as the left fielder the kid would still continue to work his ass off and Murphy’ response of I have to keep working like my job is on the line, proved that Manuel made the right read.

Now it’s on to Ryan Church who has the carrot out in front of him by J-Man who stated that Murph was a better hitter than Church and of course that pissed off Church big time. Exactly what Manuel wanted to do, Sometime guys get a bit complacent and need a little nudge but instead of a nudge Manuel gave Church a shove.

What coaching comes down to his knowing the personalities of your players as fans we get a bit to wrapped up in the in game strategy when in reality when the game starts there is only so much a coach or manager can do as you can’t hit, pitch or field for your guys. I like what Manuel is trying to do here as he is looking to motivate each player individually to get them to come together collectively as a total team. This game plan might just work.

I wish I had some kind of good Mets news today besides Ryan Church signing for 1yr/$2.8 mil and Angel Pagan signing for $575K (how great a job is it being a fridge player on a ML team? Pagan was hurt nearly all season. When he was getting back in shape he got to play in Brooklyn, then his shoulder was still sore and he shut it down for the season for all that he gets a raise of a little less than $175K.) So now here is what the Mets outfield looks like:

Manny Ramirez (Ah, I’m just fucking with ya head!)

Really here are the outfielders:

Tatis, Murphy, Beltran, Church, Reed, Sullivan, Pagan.

If you take out Beltran you would have a real 1962 throw back kind of outfield. The lone true right handed hitter is Tatis with Beltran and Pagan going from both sides of the plate but Beltran hits all pitching but Pagan is a much better hitter  from where else but the left side of home plate. Hey it’s all right with the exception of Beltran they all work cheap. Oh and don’t forget The Teen-Aged Hitting Machine who hits (what else?) left handed.

  I’m at the point now where I want Omar to sign Ben Sheets and Randy Wolf and kick Oliver Perez to the curb. If by some outlandish way the Mets would over pay in years and money to OP it would have disaster written all over it. The longer OP holds out for a Mets contract the more pressure he puts on himself and the first game his gets his ass handed to him in the first inning and the $iti Field crowd boos him and calls him an over paid piece of shit it will be uglier than Amy Winehouse the morning after and all night bender.