Over at Metsblog, Matthew Cerone asks the question Should the Mets add a character race like the Brewers Sausage race or the National President Race?  Now to me, all these racing games at the ball park reek of the bush leagues but if the Mets were to have one at $iti Field why not use rats ?

First, this city is known for it’s rat population (4 legged and two legged) so finding rats to work cheap wouldn’t be a problem. There are also plenty of cats on 126th St who frequent the shop shops and sometimes meander over to the ball park so you could have a cat chasing the rats just to speed up the festivities.

Have one rat per boro.

The Manhattan Rat could have on a Brooks Brothers suit to represent Wall St

The Brooklyn Rat could be a hipster type who has just discovered Williamsburg and Greenpernt (also known as GreenPOINT)

The Queens Rat could be Hiram Monserate

The Bronx Rat could be decked out in a Highlander uni

And last but not lease the Staten Island Rat would have tons of hair gel and a humongous crucifix around his neck .

I’m sure Shelly Silver could find a way to have para-mutual betting on these contests.

5 days until pitchers and catchers

Seems Ken Davidoff agrees with me about Johnny Damon and it seems that Davidoff and I are the only ones’ who think it’s a good idea, even Matthew Cerone, who I hold in high esteem said he’d rather have Angel Pagan over Damon YIKES!!!!

From reading some of the comments here and on Metsblog I’m kind of shocked at the level of disrespect towards Damon. Yes he has a rag arm and his power that he displayed as a Highlander most likely won’t play the same at $iti Field but he walks into your clubhouse a two time World Champion a high profile player on two of the highest profile teams and matching him with Frenchy would finally turnaround the Mets Clubhouse.

This would not be a long term deal, 2 yrs at most. The bottom line here Mets fans is Jason Bay doesn’t love you or your team, in fact he can’t stand your losing ass’ even for 4yrs/$60 mil

Now if you excuse me I have to baste myself in Ben-Gay after shoveling my driveway and sidewalk

It’s time to tell Jason Bay and Bengi Molina we’re not interested. Call both their bluffs in fact just tell Bay’s agent “sorry we’ve had second thoughts” then call Molina’s guy and Rod Barajas guy and the first one to say yes to a 2yr incentive laden deal gets that deal.

The reason I’m ready to “Bay-O, Bayyyyyyyyyyyy-O we’ve got no deal so you gotta go home”, is I want the Mets to sign Johnny Damon to play LF in 2010 and 2011

Now I’m not saying that Damon is better than Bay, he’s not, but the drop off is not so fierce that you could get Damon for half the money you’d spend on Bay and with less commitment. Then of course there is the all important intangibles. Damon is a dynamic presences in the clubhouse, he has dissed publicly by the Highlanders so you know he is going to come to camp ready to make a big statement, and he wears two world championship rings from two of the highest profile team sin sports. Not to mention the good will you would build up with Scott Boras for making his client look good after he (Boras) dropped the ball with the Highlander negotiations.

I’ve come to the conclusion that the last team Jason Bay wants to be a part of is the New York Mets. There is no mystery team, there is no competition for his services, now would be the time to tell Bay and his agent we’re going in another direction and announce the signing of Johnny Damon to a 2yr/18 mil deal with incentives to get the money over $20 mil. Damon is a winner and those types of players are in short supply I Queens.

Enjoy Camden Yards Jason.

Baseball’s garage sale begins tonight A/K/A the non-tendered players go on the free agent market and there are some players on the list that would help the Mets immeasurably like:

RHP Kevin Corriea

The Padres are trying to have the lowest payroll since the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings started paying players so a very good #4 pitcher like Corriea will be sitting out there to the highest bidder. Right now Corriea would be better than anyone other than Johan Santana in the Mets rotation.

Garret Atkins/Ryan Garko

Either player would be an excellent compliment to Daniel Murphy as a right handed hitting tag team partner at first base.

RHP Chien-Ming Wang

Yes he is coming off injury and yes he is a Highlander but Wang is perfect for the Mets if sound as a ground ball pitcher, Wang won’t be ready to pitch until May but Omar has signed bigger question marks than Wang so he’s worth an incentive laden contract. I’ll be surprised if the Highlanders let him go though.

Alex Cora is in mid season form. I guess the Mets will extend his contract now.

The All Star break is over and we head for the second half of the season tonight on Pro Baseball Central we will discuss the Mets disappointing first half and what direction this team needs to take which  is one of the great complex question of our time, plus we will monitor the Mets-Braves game live. We will also talk about the NY Highlanders with our guest Rebecca Glass the author of the Highlander blog This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes. Join us live at 9PM EDST on Blog Talk Radio live or listen to the podcast at your leisure at our site or right here at TEKS.

After The Used Car Salesman ranted and raved about Manny Ramirez going to the bushes to get in shape before ending his 50 game sentence the Phillies after signing Petey to a $1.5 mil deal was placed on the 15 day DL with a “strained (wink-wink, nod-nod) shoulder. This was done because Petey wouldn’t sign a minor league deal so the Phills skirted the issue with the bogus DL placement. Am I a bitter jilted Mets fan? YES. Yes I am. I’m not rational when it comes with Petey going to the Cheesesteakers I’m the jilted lover who will now try to make his life miserable.

I should thank Brunet and the Highlanders though because with all the injuries and bad play of late my enthusiasm is running a bit low but with the win yesterday and Bruney’s big mouth and the team rallying around Castillo and David Wright kicking ass, I’m one stoke Mets fan and from reading stories n the fish wraps this morning a win today with Johan and the Mets could just become the darlings of New York.

As I type this checking out Twitter, David Lennon reports that Frankie Rodriguez just went after Brian Bruney to give him an ass kicking Now we got something here. With Johan pitching could we see a bench clearer?

Join us tonight for Pro Baseball Central as we follow the action of Mets-Phillies and talk about everything going on in MLB, with Manny and his little malfunctioning Manny and the return of Alex Rodriguez (to bad he can’t pitch as the Highlander bullpen is atrocious) so tune in and call in at (646) 595-4462. Listen live here at Blogtalk Radio or later on the podcast at our PBC site.  

The only thing better than the Mets winning on opening day is winning on opening day when the next day is an off day as my pals who are Highlander supporters are all walking around aimlessly muttering “What the fuck, what the fuck” after going 0-1 <dancing like Michael Flatley>

I am calling for an all out boycott of FOX Game of the Week this Saturday and every Saturday the Mets are not a participant if they black out the Mets-Marlins game in NYC. The biggest problem he is the dipshit Marlins management starting the game at 6PM due to a concert that’s schedule for after the game. Be that as it may, this black out rule is total bullshit and even though FOX has a contract with MLB and has this exclusive window, it would be nice if the Used Car Salesman would step up and come to the aid of the one franchise that walks lock step with every edict handed down from his office and get FOX to lift the ban in NYC. The game is not scheduled to be televised in South Florida (let that roll around in your head for moment a local baseball game not televised. Yeah I’m stupefied too) but I guess all five Marlins fans don’t care but not us Mets fans as I’m ready to take hostages if I miss an hour of Saturday’ game.

Good post by The Mets Police on the Mets management dropping the ball (which they do as well as the ’62 team) in not putting more historic markings in the parking lot that was once Shea Stadium.

Tim Marchman (one of my fav writers and I do miss the NY Sun sports page) has a great column on WSJ on the cutting back of sports coverage in newspapers. In cities like Pittsburgh the Post-Gazette may not even send a beat guy on the road to follow the Pirates and even the Old Grey Lady is cutting back on-site reporting. Marchman points out how bloggers and other web based writers have really taken over in covering games either being at the games or just covering them from TV but are able to file a story or opinion as soon as the game is over. It is stunning to guy of my generation who had to wait to get the NY Post when it was an afternoon only paper, to read about games on the West Coast, now I can read those stories with my Cheerios, first thing in the AM.

Quick observations on yesterday’s game:

I was nervous in the first inning as Johan had trouble with command but he adjusts brilliantly after that to pitch a gem.

Yes, The Gangsta’ left a ton of guys on base but please come off the ledge and stop with the “here we go again” lament at least until the end of this series 

Highlander fans won’t tell you to your face but they love our Daniel Murphy because he reminds them of Don Mattingly and it kills them that they have Douche Bag Rodriguez and we have not only D-Wright but Danny Baseball.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE I’m beeeggggggggggggginnnnnnnnnngggggggggggg you NO MORE BLACK UNIFORMS!!!!!!! And ditch those two-tone hats!!!!!!! Mex and Ronnie hit it out of the park, the Mets gray roadie is CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!

Now that’s a bullpen!