Blue Sky, sunshine, what a day to take a walk in the park.
Ice cream, daydream till the sky becomes a blanket of stars.
What a day for pick-in’ daisies and lots of red balloons.
And what a day for hold in’ hands and being with you.

Lot’s of stories coming out of Camp Kumbaya where everybody is in “great shape” and ready to fulfill everyone’s expectation of championship baseball. Ah yes, Port St. Lonesome in March, where Johan Santana wins 20 games and the Cy Young Award. Where Big Pelf steps up to throw 200 innings and win 17 games. Where Oliver Perez and John Maine form the best 3-4 spots in any rotation in baseball. Where David Wright, with hard work and a new physique will return to 30 HR’s 100+ RBI. Where Jason Bay and Jeff Francouer prosper on the field and off it as both BAY 44 and FRANCOUER 12 jersey’s can not be produced fast enough by little girls in some third world country to meet the demand of the Mets fans filling $iti Field to capacity every night. Where Daniel Murphy leads the NL in batting with a .350 average and 40 doubles and 20 HR’s. Where Kelvin Escobar and Francisco Rodriguez form the most intimidating late inning relievers in baseball. Where……..what?…….what do you mean both guys haven’t pitched yet this spring?………..Escobar isn’t healthy and Rodriguez has pink eye?…….How do you know Rodriguez has pink eye? He was diagnosised  by who? ED COLEMAN?????? But Escobar is fine isn’t he????????? He’s not?

NO NO PLEASE DON”T SAY IT…….. PLEASE DON”T SAY SAME OLD METS!!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

As you know I made reference to Joe Mc Donald proclaiming on PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL last Thursday that the Mets will be a 90+ win team in 2010. His reasoning was that Oliver Perez will revert to his Good Ollie personality. I did say, it was encouraging news that OP, under the urging of both Scott Boras and Carlos Beltran, has spent the off season in Arizona, training hard to lose both the stigma of bring mentality and physically inept to pitch in the big leagues.

I’ve been looking around at the team as it now is constructed and have tried to make the case for 90 wins. It all starts of course with the pitching staff:

#1 Santana 15-17 wins

#2 Pelf/Joel Piniero/Bronson Arroyo/Aaron Harang/Gil Meche 10-12 wins

#3 Pelf/OP/Maine/Doug Davis/Jon Garland 8-10 wins

#4 one of the above at #3  8-10 wins

#5 Maine/Neise/Neve/Holt/Stoner/(Gulp!) Smoltz 8-10 wins

That comes to 49-59 wins from your starting rotation

Now from the seven relievers you figure will be in the pen:

Frankie Rodz

Ryoto Igarashi

Bobby Parnell

Kelvin Escobar

Sean Green

Pedro Feliciano

Lefty to be named later

You figure you can and average of 4 wins from each. That’s an additional 28 wins, brining my projection to 77 to 87 wins.

Now say I leave the bullpen projection alone but I up the ante on the #2 pitcher to 12-14 wins and the #3 to 10-12 wins, that would put the team’ record between 81-91 wins. Of course all this is predicated on the Mets signing one of the remaining free agent pitchers, of which just Joel Piniero is desirable if he comes cheap or can trade for the one of the Arroyo/Harang/Meche troika.

So what do you think? Am I out of mind thinking there is a way the Mets could be a 90 win team and contend? Am I drinking the Omar/Jeffey Kool Aid? Has Joe Mac brainwashed me?  Or am I just tired of freezing my ass off this winter and dying for spring and summer and baseball season? Could be the cold has made me delirious.

I have a nasty chest cold today and feel like shit so I’m hoping the Mets keep their trade hand pat as I’d hate for them to pull off a blockbuster today like getting Albert Puljos and Adam Wainright for Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez and Tony Bernazard’s wife beater, as my energy level as now at dragging ass.

One announcement before I mainline Vick’s Vapor Rub, the Mets signed Japanese RHP and Tommy John surgery survivor Ryota Igarashi. Igarashi, 30 will be given the set up tole to Frankie Rodz to lose this spring as he possesses a 90+ FB and a killer spilt/sinker (or so they say)

Igarashi will also represent the Mets at the Nathans’ Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island on July 4th.

I really need to lay down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And general manager Omar Minaya – or whomever is in his role – will have to answer them one by one.

John Maine, though, may have made the team’s job just a little easier after his 7-inning, 5-hit, 1-run, and over 100-pitch  performance against the Houston Astros. The outing proves he is fully healthy from and back from his shoulder woes which kept him out for almost three months this season.

“I think you need to remain optimistic,” said manager Jerry Manuel, no sports betting pro in his own right. “He has shown improvement since his time back. He has been getting a lot of ground balls which means he is getting life on his pitches, which has been his trademark. When you see that against the one of the better hitting lineups in the National League, it gives us a lot of hope.”

Hope is what the Mets need as they head into this crossroads off-season. If you look at the Mets staff, it  is pretty much Johan Santana and lots of prayer. Yet, a healthy Maine may have saved Minaya a novena or two.

There’s no doubt the Mets will need another pitcher, no matter how good Maine plays and those are better odds than some college football odds. After Santana, the drop-off is just that large. But a healthy righthander will take pressure off Oliver Perez and Mike Pelfrey on the back-end. And if the team goes out and gets, say a Roy Holladay or some other 1A to compliment their ace, they still will need a guy like Maine as a No. 3.

“I want to go out and be consistent,” Maine said. “I am not going to win 20 games, but I want to be a guy who goes out there and gives the team a chance to win everyday.”

If Maine performs like he did tonight, then he will. The pitcher came in with a strong slider which complimented his fastball. When he does that, the righty becomes very hard to hit.

Yet, all of this will happen next year. The season is over, but Maine now has peace of mind, because he can go into this off-season knowing he’s fully healthy.

“I think I am feeling fine the last few starts,” he said. “I am feeling fine. I had some questions from this year and now pitching answers them.”

And with that, one off-season Mets question is now answered.

I took to the keyboard late today because after the morning chores, I sat down to watch Rangers in 60 on MSG. Yes that’s right I watched the Ranger-Bruins exhibition game from last night and after months of hardship watching the Mets it was good to watch young strong hockey players bust their ass to make a team where the coach is on the lunatic fringe and will only play the guys who give a shit and perform no matter their salary or experience. The exact opposite of how the Mets are managed you might say.

I would have ventured over to 33 st and 8 Ave last night to view the Blueshirts in person but I chose to go to Amazin Tuesday at Two Boots last night and I’m so happy I did. Our Master of Ceremonies Greg Prince did a fine job as usual as did the guest speakers, John Coppinger, Jon Springer , and Jeff Pearlman who told some terrific stories especially on his writing The Bad Guys Won and more tales from the John Rocker Files.

As each of the speakers got up to give their dissertation the TV screens around Two Boots were showing the Mets-Braves game from The Ted. For all our screaming and yelling about the suckyness of our Mets each person in the good size crowd had an eye and two ears on the speakers and one eye on the game, We can say we don’t care but we’re full of shit. We care, oh boy do we care!!!!!!

By the way someday I want Daniel Murphy to meet me and thank me for having his back.

Pedro Feliciano wants a multi-year deal from the Mets. This is the equivalent of your house burning down to the ground and when trying to figure out how to rebuild it your main concern is what type of door knobs to buy. Pedro, on the list of things to do your contract is not any where near the discussion phase.

Although his walk rate and his all round zaniness would concern me, if the Cubs were to take Oliver Perez and say Eddie Kunz for Carlos Zambrano, the Mets would have to make that deal. Zambrano may be nuts but he is effective when he healthy and motivated and coming to NY and tag teamed with fellow Venezuelan Johan Santana might just bring out the best in El Loco.

I’m mean really,  this team, this organization is in real trouble and needs a full overhaul from the manager to the front office to ownership and of course the on field personnel.

This will be a big topic tonight on Pro Baseball Central with me and Joe McDonald. Joe and I have spoke about the direction of the organization before but we will have a lot more info on who is staying and who is going as Joe is our eyes and ears at $iti Field. So tune in tonight at 9PM EDT on Blog Talk Radio and call in as well with your questions and comments at (646) 595-4462. If you can’t listen live then check us out on the podcast right here on the Kranepool Society or at our Pro Baseball Central site.

Of course it is admirable that Carlos Beltran is a player of pride and wants to come back and play this season to both ease his mind about playing and because he feels he has an obligation to the organization to come back. But really does this make sense for the Mets to bring him back, if they intending to keep him around in 2010? My guess is if the Mets allow him to play again this season, its’ to showcase him for trade, otherwise what’s the sense in bringing him back?

Right now what is the difference between Oliver Perez and Big Pelf? Big Pelf has better knees. Has any team ever had two head cases like these two coconuts? After coming out of Tuesday game in which he shit the bed, Big Pelf storm out of Coors Field and ran around the parking lot. Is that how he handles adversity, running around like a dog chasing his tail? So Old School Warthen what do you think the problem with Pelf is?:

  ”I think he’s tense,” pitching coach Dan Warthen said. “I see him get irritated at one bad call. I don’t know if all these things that have happened over the year have worn him out mentally. Physically he’s fine. The delivery is in great shape. His bullpens have been fantastic. But the tension of this year has really beat him up.”

WOW what a great observation Dan? What else you have for us? Water is wet. Fire is hot. Then J-Man had to add his two cents in as well:

Manuel noticed yesterday that Pelfrey had reached a tipping point, which is why the manager called him into his office shortly before batting practice. During the half-hour discussion, Pelfrey said that Manuel “challenged” him to finish strong and let the pitcher vent a little of his anger.

OK that’s a little better. I hope Manuel used some strong words on Pelf as maybe the soft touch that’s been used on Pelfrey should be scraped and a good old ass kicking in it’s place.

I wish there was a baseball player equivalent to New York Rangers winger Donald Brashear:

Welcome to New York, Donald Brashear, where even at a friendly meet-and-greet the fans will boo the home team.

And welcome to Donald Brashear, New Yorkers. He’ll fight you.

The new Ranger was greeted at a “Meet the Blueshirts” event for season-ticket holders with a sizable smattering of boos among the several hundred in attendance, the residue partly of the former Capital’s vicious hit on Blair Betts in last spring’s playoffs, partly of Brashear’s years as the rival bruiser for Philadelphia and Washington, and partly, perhaps, of the free beer.

It made for something of an awkward moment – “Come on, now,” emcee Dave Maloney said – but also an opportunity for the Blueshirts’ new big man to provide his own introduction in his very own style.

“Those fans that are booing, I’ll take you one-by-one,” Brashear deadpanned when he reached the stage in the Garden Theatre’s anteroom.

That reaction from Brashear was met with laughs and cheers from the Garden Faithful. Brashear went on to say that he did not intended to injure Blair Betts last season during the Rangers-Caps playoff round but said his team needed a boost so he saw an opportunity to shake things up with a big hit. The Caps rallied back from a 3 game to 1 defict to beat the Rangers in the series. As piss off as I am about the hit on Betts (my favorite Ranger who is now an ex-Blueshirt) the first time he puts an opponent (Islander/Devil/Flyer preferred ) through the glass, he will be a fan favorite.

In the Mets world of ugly, Frenchy Francouer is starting to look beautiful to some Mets fans but be warned, it’s the lighting that makes him handsome when you get him home you will regret it. Don’t be swayed by Frenchy, it’s just lust in your heart, he is not the answer.

Hummmm let’s see mow the lawn during the hottest part of the day or watch the Mets and Oliver Perez pitch ? I think I’ll mow the lawn and take my mother in law shopping !

I watched the Red Sox-Tigers game last night and yes I was very happy to see Youk charge the mound and even go extreme and throw his helmet at Jersey Rick Porcello ( I was waiting for the cage and ladder the come down on Fenway for an old time ECW throwdown) as it was not just the fact that Victor Martinez was hit by a pitch (in retaliation for Miguel Cabreara getting plunked on the hand) but this was the second game in a row Youk was HBP and add in the fact that the Sawx have been struggling lately it gave his team a lift. Yeah, that’s right bench clearers have a way of lifting the team same as a good beat down in hockey does. I know a lot you folks love to watch sports while knitting a sweater and like it when the fella’s play nice-nice but the truth is a big part of competition is intimidation. That’s why our favorite baseball team is so disrespected because they are intimidated and need to grow some balls not just physically but mentally as well. This team, since that Adam Wainwright curveball to Carlos Beltran in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS has been neutered. From the owner to the front office to the players this is one passive bunch that has a disconnected with it’s fan base and this city because we don’t tolerate passiveness and excuse makers which is what the New York Mets are now.

Word to Jerry Manuel: Neither you or Gary Sheffield are coming back to the Mets next year. In fact if Sheff is re-signed I won’t be coming back to $iti Field next year same goes if Carlos Delgado is re-signed as well.

Word is that Billy Wags will be activated to the big league roster this Sunday and now the speculation begins, is it better to trade Wags before the 31^st ? Or keep him and let him file for free agency and get a supplemental draft pick for him? I’d take the draft pick. Sorry Billy but it’s a business decision.

Keep a good thought for Scott Schoenwiese as he tries to deal with his life’s tragedy.

I’d say by the next two weeks most of the newspapers in this town will stop covering the Mets with more than one writer and in fact don’t be surprised by the next road trip all you get is the AP game story. With the financial crunch and the fact that the NFL pre-season is starting the big stories in this town will be The Highlanders, The Giants, The Jets and The Highlanders. Unless something Bernazard like happens the Mets will be a fart in the wind to the fish wraps..

 Most stories in sports don’t shock me anymore but I have to admit this story shocked the shit out me. I admired this guy but now he is just a no good scumbag

As for last night a win is a win but that was a Susan Boyle win, dog-ass ugly.

I know Livan threw only 75 pitches but J-Man did the right thing going with Bobby Parnell in the 7^th. For all the angst this team has given us the first month of the season the Parnell, Putz, Rodriguez back end of the pen has made every game with a 6 inning lead tilt in the Mets favor. I don’t think that’s it’s to much to ask for the starters not named Santana to give the Mets a quality start each time the take the mound.

I have to disagree with Mex about Castillo showing emotion on the field after making an error in the 8^th inning haven’t we Met fans been clamoring for someone other than us to get pissed off?

I think I need Carlos Delgado to come to my practice today so I can yell out to him “TWO HANDS, ALL-STAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

With all the hand wringing over Daniel Murphy’s defense has anyone noticed he is hitting .313/.379/.470. Plus the kid gets to the ball park 6 hours before game time taking fly balls and now he is also taking ground balls at first base so it’s about time we pat him on the back instead of jumping on it.

Only a matter of time before Gary Sheffield takes over as the regular right fielder.

Maybe J-Man is a master of motivation since the embarrassing pinch hitting episode in Miami Shrek has been on a tear. Maybe the flame has finally hit his ass.

The Oliver Perez situation is looking more sticky by the day. On one hand Omar Minaya looks gutless by having Scott Bora$ dictate how to him how to run his team and on the other, Ollie is such a fucking head case that maybe he is better off in the bullpen so Santana and the Carlos’s can be his caretakers not to mention he is fond of Old School Dan Werthen. If OP comes into a game a starts walking the ball park or gets shelled then it will be time for Omar to man up and take back his team from Agent Bora$ and do what’s best for the Mets and not OP.

Think I’ll wear my BELTRAN 15 jersey to practice today.

I’d love to kill the Mets for not having the balls to ship OP’s sorry ass out to Buffalo but their hands are tied with OP having to give his ok for the demotion and it looked like he was ready to do so but Scott Bora$ got in his ear and OP revered course. Too bad.

OP can’t work on his problems out of the pen. J-Man won’t use him in a big spot so his days will be sitting idle in the pen eating licorice and sunflower seeds. At least in Buffalo he stays in the rotation and works with pitching coach Rickey Bones to get his mechanics straighten out.  Again, what will it take for OP to do the right thing, blowing a relief assignment and getting humiliated by the $iti Field crowd? It shouldn’t come to that.

 Singin: don’t worry bout a thing,

cause every little thing gonna be all right.

Singin: don’t worry (don’t worry) bout a thing,

cause every little thing gonna be all right!

AAahhhhhhhhhhhh ya mon, sing you little brides, and pass the Ganja as we look at the where da 25 mon rosta is as of today:

PITCHERS (12)

Johan Santana LHP

Mike Pelfrey RHP

Oliver Perez LHP

John Maine RHP

Livan Hernandez RHP

So much for worrying over Santana’s elbow as he was in Cy Young form yesterday. As I look at Big Pelf I keep a bucket of cold water near by to cool me off as I have visions of a Co-Ace running through my head. With all the bullshit Joba talk in the NY media they are missing the break out player of the year in this town in Big Pelf  FUCK JOBA!!!! Ollie Perez went on a Mexican Rumspriga with the WBC and came back all fucked up. His mechanics were a shambles causing him to pitch like he as back in Black and Gold, but between Old School Dan Werthen and OP’s role model Johan Santana he is back to just plain old unpredictable Ollie. If John Maine were hurting I’d be worried but he claims emphaticly that he feels fine but is having trouble locating pitches and finding his comfort level on the mound. Let’s hope he finds his “happy zone” in the next two weeks. The very svelte Livan Hernandez has grabbed the 5^th spot by the cajones and won’t let go. I’ve heard he’s an innings eater, any truth to that?

Frankie Rodriguez RHP

JJ Putz RHP

Sean Green RHP

Bobby Parnell RHP

Pedro Feliciano LHP

Darren O’Day RHP

Brain Stokes RHP

Sure this bullpen leans more to the right than FOX NEWS but if you’re going for quality then this is your pen. O’Day and Feliciano will be the new righty/lefty tag team and Stokes has earned a long man spot as well. Parnell has shown a high octane fastball that J-Man has fallen in love with. Warlord Jerry can go to this bullpen with confidence

CATCHER

Brian Schneider L

Ramon Castro R

Like Casey said, “without a catcher you’d have a lot of passed balls”

INFEILDERS

Carlos Delgado L

Luis Castillio S

Jose Reyes S

David Wright R

Alex Cora L

Nick Evans R

Time to tip my Mets cap to Luis Castillo who has been outstanding this spring. The only reason he will be relegated to the 8 hole is due to the lack of right hand hitting in the bottom third of the line up and that Daniel Murphy’ bat is to valuable to hit that low but days that Shrek catches or when Tatis plays that would move Castillo up to los dos. Is it better to be an everyday player in Triple A or a bench player in the big leagues? That’s the Nick Evans dilemma. I’d say bench player in the bigs 

OUTFIELD

Daniel Murphy L

Carlos Beltran R

Ryan Church L

Jeremy Reed L

Fernando Tatis R

If the Mets leave Livan Hernandez off the 25 man until he’s needed (which looks like the plan ) then Bobby Keilty has a great shot of going North. Just watching Murphy will be worth paying for an overpriced ticket to $iti Field. Between Murph and Big Pelf they will be the BIG story in NY Baseball this summer not those over priced mercenaries in the South Bronx.