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Honestly, given the state of the Mets right now, and the level of frustration and paranoia that is bubbling up around the team’s fans, I have no patience for manufactured giddiness regarding the Subway Series, which, to me, was played out years ago.
Right now, considering the standings, I’d rather the Mets play three games against the Marlins, Phillies or Braves, as opposed to the American League’s Yankees.
That said, if you’re interested in the Subway Series and the hype surrounding it, check out the New York Post, the Journal News, New York Sun, Daily News, again the Daily News, and again the Daily News.
Lastly, in a post to his blog for the Journal News, John Delcos is asking Mets fans to let him know why they hate the Yankees.
I’m taking this Subway Series off from baseball and encourage other frustrated fans to do the same. When it gets to the point — and it has, for me — that the Mets losing a couple games in May, 2 games out of 1st place, ruins your day and leaves you just as bitter the next one, its time for a break. What better break than the overhyped Subway Series against overhyped Yankees.
Being a fan is supposed to be fun, not a mental drain. Watching every minute of these lacklusters games has not been fun, but I hope the Mets are back in gear when I come back from the break.
I would, but I can’t miss a Santana start. …and I’m getting to the point where I can’t miss a Maine start either. I will turn off the top half of each inning though as I cannot stand to watch this offense flounder.
I’ll regret not watching if I miss a Johan or Maine no-hitter, or Delgado taking Joba yard. That’s about it.
Actually, I want to see Joe Smith take Joba over the fences..
Seriously. Check the two of them out on one of the stats sites. They are nearly identical on the year.
Their stats were nearly identical last year for the same stretch of innings, but Joba is the second coming and Joe Smith is….well, just plain old Joe Smith. Joba and his fist pumps and yelling can stay in the Bronx. I’ll take Joe Smith and his potty mouth any day.
I think of this as a good opportunity for a wake up call. Perhaps the players will take their heads out of their collective a$$e$ for 3 days and play baseball.
If not, then oh well. Maybe we’ll get a good draft pick.
I’m no fan of the “SUBWAYSERIES!!!!!” either, but maybe what this team needs right now is a litlle more spotlight.
If they fail miserably in this manufactured glare it will only serve to further highlight the faults we all see, and perhaps speed the change that seems to be fast becoming increasingly necessary.
If they rise to the occasion of the back pages, then maybe it will be the start of something good and the momentum will carry them into the games that “count” against the Braves.
We shall see …
I’m in the minority, but I still look forward to the SS. And to me, it couldn’t be coming at a better time. I’m tired of watching NL East games and not only myself, but the Mets could use a distraction…and what better distraction than focusing on the Yanks for a weekend thats supposed to be fun?
Oh look… another last place team for the Mets to lose a series to. Fun.
The way the Mets are playing, the last thing I want is a series with the Marlins, Phillies, or Braves.
Face it, this team has major motivational issues. 3 games in the spotlight of the Subway Series are probably their best chance to focus for 9 innings and win a few games. We’ll be sure to ‘play down’ to the competition when Texas is in town.
I wonder if the game is rained out today (and all indicators are that it will be):
1) Would they play Monday, since both the Mets and Yanks have off days that day?
2) Would the Yanks be tempted to skip Rasner and throw Pettite as originally scheduled?
They will most certainly do another obnoxoius day-night, both stadiums doubleheader in June. Another thing that’s gotten old.
And Rasner is in their rotation, they can’t really just skip him as if he were a spot starter.
Besides, they are above stacking the rotation for the Mets. Cashman seems to be implying it by stating as fact the Mets pushed back Santana “just for us” when in reality Pelfrey and Santana pitched the same day last weekend and he’s essentially taking his regular turn.
No, but they could decide they’d rather put a better pitcher on the mound, have Pettite go on regular rest, and save Rasner for the finale. It’s not skipping him, it’s just pushing him back a day or two.
The Yanks might say they’re “above” such things, but they’ve been scuffling too. If they lose this series this weekend, at home, to a struggling Mets team, they’re gonna hear it in the press and from Hankenstein.
I doubt they do the double header, because they have a mutual off day on Monday, and I don’t think either team wants to play a double header–particularly, the Mets, who just played a double header last weekend and are set to play another one on Tuesday.
Im not really crazy about the subway series anymore(at least for this season). Theres so many holes in our team that i really dont care to excersize our inferiority complex against the yanks. We got way to many problems inside our division that the yanks are the least of our concerns. Not to mention the yanks got alot of problems as well. The two most expensive teams but near the bottom of the standings in either league facing off. Beating the yanks i think will not prove a damn thing. I just hope the braves/phills/marlins get beat by there AL series. Ill watch because this is my team but not going crazy about it. The yank fans are not as pompus and arrogant as they usually are and Mets fans know there team isnt hot right now…Nobody has anything to toot their own horn about and for me anyway its not a big deal…
the weird thing is that a bunch of people say this exact same thing…but…i still can’t find tickets to the game (without paying 400 bucks)….weird
Here’s to the Mets going 0-3 in this series. I hope they lose to Rasner 1-0. This coaching staff needs to be shipped off to Siberia, and unfortunately, getting their a$$es kicked by the Yankees might be enough of an embarrasment to the Wilpons to let that happen.
here’s to the mets going 3-0 and kicking off a 12-4 finish to may.
Here’s to whatever you’re smoking
uh, a rooting-for-my-team blunt? it tastes a lot better than the sht sandwich you appear to be munching.
touche jamie.
Of course you never want to see your team lose but i think metsfan119 is looking at the bigger picture…
Possible failure this w/e get rid of Willy… Its like collapse last year… we get Santana…
A sweep either way has to be looked at in context, but I would be shocked if the Mets win more than one game. Worst case scenario is that they keep scuttling, and finish May 8-8 . . . any less, and they might expunge Randolph, which could kickstart them. If they go 10-6, hey, maybe they can get something going. . . . I guarantee you that they’re between 7-9 and 9-7 however. It’s just the way this team has been for the last year. The Wilpons will be afraid to make a move, and the mediocrity will continue unabated.
comeback of the year jamie…puff puff pass
DK, while I’ve had it up to my eyeballs w/ willie, there’s absolutely no guarantee the next guy – whoever it may be – will do any better with this group. In fact, I’d prefer the brass give him a vote of confidence, saying “this is who you’re playing for, so deal with it”. Then, if we don’t make the playoffs, by all means give him the axe. IMO, getting a new guy is just as risky, so send a message to the players.
TMU, maybe so. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and we’ll see when we get there.
khmustache, *pffffftt* here ya go mon.
I usually am one to get wrapped up in the subway series. But to me, this year theres something lost to it. In recent years both teams were doing well (well not so much the Yankees, but everyone knew they would be good) and you wanted to win to better yourself in the standings and beat the hated rival. Even when the Mets were bad, it was about slaughtering the big monster, the yankees.
Now btoh teams are just floundering around, each shows promise and looks like it will turn a corner, then falls flat on its face again. I am less excited for the Subway series this year then any other year.
Maybe its cause I feel like I cant take any pride in my team right now…and neither can yankee fans.
At least the Yankees have an excuse — their third baseman, The Best Player In Baseball, is injured.
What was their excuse the past two post-seasons when they had “th best player in baseball?”. Sarcasm detector off.
Please… Everyone has an excuse.. What about 2/5 of the Mets starting pitching being injured? One of them a #2 pticher.. What about a .340 batter last year (and continuing on this year) being out most of the year?
Not to go all Billy Wagner, as I respect my fellow fans’ opinions, but when the day comes that you hope your team loses, that’s a good day to take a break from being a fan.
Let’s Go Mets.
indeed.
Winning this series would be the worst thing that could happen to the Mets.
Yeah, winning is horrible.
Especially if it gets the team believing in itself and starts some momentum going into the ATL-COL-FLA-LAD series. Man. That would suck.
you guys are right…i would hate to see this team win…
that would totally suck
Agreed! Everyone needs to lighten up and enjoy this weekend. Its supposed to be fun and not as important as a divisional series. Like I said earlier, it couldn’t have come at a better time. And I for one still think even our mediocre team will step it up for the weekend…if they get swept or lose 2 of 3 Willy be gone and maybe a player or two, anyway, so all of you Willy haters will get your wish and that might be worth watching alone …
It’s a great weekend for NY baseball. One of the teams has to win.
lmao
my predicitions for the weekend:
Johan vs. Rasner…Mets lose 5-1 (feliciano gives up 3 runs in the 8th, mets only score 1 run, and its off rivera in 9th after getting embarrssed by darrell fricking rasner)
ollie vs. pettite…Mets win 9-3 in a “do it for willie” game, however Ollie only pitches 5 2/3 innings because of pitch count and walks, Mets use all 7 relief pitchers to finish game
Maine vs. wang….Mets win 4-2, 2-2 game until top 8 when the Mets score 2 off of Farnsworth, we hear someone other than a Met get booed that loudly and Joe Smith gets the win, Joe Morgan calls game winning hit by marlon Anderson winning hit by Marlon Byrd and Jon Miller mispronounces everyones names…even Wright
don’t forget joba reacts like he just pitched a perfect game in the world series when he strikes out delgado in the top of the 8th in any or all of the games
please god.
B E N C H DELGADO.
no more, please, please PLEASE.
“Strikes out Delgado”!? would this be considered an accomplishment?
no one has to strike him out, he’ll hit into the shift, right to the second baseman.
I don’t get down that easily, but its not too difficult to see a hard-luck loss in the cards for santana tonight.
I will have to miss most of the game, could be good news for them. They save the really pathetic perfomances for me.
Can we discuss why Billy was wearing a Pats hat last night? What is his connection with New England? If his words didn’t sting enough, his headwear choice put me over the edge.
No kidding. Next he’ll probably be wearing a Marlins hat.
He hates the Boston Herald?
Were you under the impression that he was a New Yorker? What football team’s hat should he be wearing? Since he is from Virginia, you’d assume he’s a Redskins fan, which I personally would find far more offensive.
Maybe he should wear the 2006 NLDS CHAMPS! hat.
Kinda like the 2007 NFC East Division Champs hat that Wade Phillips wore at Tom Coughlin’s charity golf tournament. The kicker is that he was playing in the same group as Coughlin. Hahahaha.
Giants fan here. I have no problem with the Pats. I’d like to thank them for being a worthy opponent in the Super Bowl. Hahahaha. 18-1. Built for the regular season I guess…just like the Cowgirls. Where is Pacman Jones when you need him?
All kidding aside though, I think these athletes have weird cross-sport friendships. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was asked about it and replied that he is good friends with Tedy Bruschi or something. Another thing is that he lives in Greenwich. Lots of Pats fans there.
Or maybe it’s one of those things where you look at a guy walking in NYC with a Kansas City Chiefs hat. It’s different in football. Even before the days of DirecTV, you could watch your team at any sports bar that had the satellite on its roof. Maybe he’s a lifer.
Who cares. He’s pitching well.
I’m well aware he’s from Virginia and that he has some sort of Emu ranch down in texas, what I couldn’t understand was why he would represent an area that he has no visible connection to and an area that so many New Yorkers despise.
Do they, though? Obviously, Yankees fans hate New England. I feel like most Mets fans are indifferent.
Jets fans hate the Pats, of course, but I feel like Giants fans don’t. I mean, they beat them, after all. How can you hate a team you humiliated?
Of course, New England hatred increases exponentially with every obnoxious Sox fan you encounter in a bar?
I for one, am a Mets fan who HATES the red sox and the patriots, and im orginally from new england. Just can’t stand the fans.
But maybe thats just because I’ve been surrounded by those damn fans in New England.
i’m with ya…i live in boston right now. the national media calls boston fans the best fans in sports, but all i see is a bunch of frontrunners who don’t pay attention to the sport. i cannot stand new england fans.
Couldn’t agree with you more. also live in Boston.
While Wagner is not the face of the frachise, I am as disappointed to see him in a Pats hat as New England fans were when Brady was spotted with a Yankees hat.
yeah it sucked seeing him wear that hat, but i’d say seeing brady in the yankees hat trumps that by a thousand percent. if david wright wore a pats hat i would be upset. he has come to represent the mets to most fans. unfortunately even that wouldn’t compare to brady. brady, even more so than ortiz and garnett (i won’t even mention hockey because these jackholes didn’t start paying attention again until the bruins made the playoffs) represents the region. i’d say the only comparison would be if jeter wore a pats hat.
Agreed.
Regarding hockey, I was appalled to see the way those fans came out of the woodwork when they made the playoffs this year. “Hub of Hockey” my a$$! Go Whale!
That statistical analysis doesn’t show luck. It just shows the ability of defenses to play according to how a player hits. This means that the Mets are jumping at balls and not going with the pitch. It means they aren’t spraying the ball around. To support this the very first thing I thought when I looked at the top person on this list (Delgado) was that Castillo, since he sprays the ball around, ought to be in the positive or at least about even. I was correct. This shows the anxiety of the Mets batters and only that. It doesn’t show luck.
The sad part about it is that it also shows the raw ability of the Mets and how they are underperforming. They need to focus on going the other way with the ball.
Agreed, Mets fans are indifferent, but I think the Giants and Jets found netural ground this year having to listen to Boston BS all season and leading up to the Super Bowl.
Time for the “appologist sunnshiner” to wake up and start posting this morning.
Look most on this site that are now being called appologist are fans who still want this team to win tonight, tomorrow, then next day and so on.
As an “appologist”
1) I want Willie gone, not for the irrational reasons that some on here post but for the fact that it is currently not working and worth a try.
2) I don’t like Heilman and wanted to trade him over the offseason for Brian Fuentes.
3) I don’t like the length of Castillo’s contract, I think he will be fine the first 2 years and he brings stability to a position that has not had it in the last decade. He will be a problem in years 3 and 4 but can be unloaded with cash if need be.
4) I think Wagner is a great closer, one of the best in the game but he will burn every bridge and throw his teammates off of it.
5) I think Omar has done a great job turning this franchise around but got caught up in the win now and signed or relied on too many Vets in key positions. Next year will be the year to judge him as all the stopgaps will be gone and it will be up to him to improve it, no improvement then byebye Omar.
6) I do think their may be a divide between the latin and nonlatin players on the team. I would suspect that is normal on every team and is not noticed when winning but will continue to show up when we are losing.
7) I still think that there is time to turn this season around but it will not be easy. This division is tough and for all that say that the NL is the weaker league, go look at the hitting and pitching stats of the 2 leagues this season.
8)STOP CALLING ANYONE WITH A DIFFERENT OPINION THAN YOU AN APPOLOGIST OR A KOOLAID DRINKER. You can do better than that. Cut out the personal attacks.
9) WE ALL KNOW THAT CERTAIN POSTERS WANT WILLIE FIRED, GIVE US A BREAK AND TREAT THE OTHER POSTERS WITH RESPECT. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO READ THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. Gip and I don’t agree that much but I have a ton of respect for him. He almost always gives reasons for his opinions and he knows how I feel about Willie and the team because he actually reads the comments and tries to be respectfu.
10) LGM
I think anyone who points out anything positive or thinks they can still win the division this year is somehow branded an apologist.
8)STOP CALLING ANYONE WITH A DIFFERENT OPINION THAN YOU AN APPOLOGIST OR A KOOLAID DRINKER. You can do better than that. Cut out the personal attacks….. YOU start respecting other blogger’s opinions. You are the first one to criticize people that disagree with you…..
9) WE ALL KNOW THAT CERTAIN POSTERS WANT WILLIE FIRED, GIVE US A BREAK AND TREAT THE OTHER POSTERS WITH RESPECT. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO READ THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. …… I have read some of your comments and let me tell you, they are very disrespectful….So, you are the last person that needs to ask for respect.
With the exception of the dope from yesterday I am almost always respectful to other posters.
There is a huge difference between critizing and stating a different opinion or reacting a post with no reason.
Go back and look for post in which I call people names first or ones in which I blatantly disrespect someone who comes on here and respects everyone else.
ahhhh .. dont sell yourself short .. you can be a bit condesending…. unlike myself..
Go back and look for post in which I call people names first or ones in which I blatantly disrespect someone who comes on here and respects everyone else……….. It would take me months to collect all this data.
recent stats show , respect dosnt really exsist over the course of a season..
Bring in one then besides the dope from yesterday.
Ah John I remember our discussion. We did have a good one. As for the “clutch” debate, I still believe that clutch exist but it continues to be disproven based on stats. So, I am trying to keep an open mind about it.
i know bro …. i enjoyed our spirited debate…. and even though i wasnt fully swayed, ya did gain my respect….
oh and i’m glad you saw my humor in the above posts….. and i absolutely agree with your main post here…
Bring in one then besides the dope from yesterday………..Nah, I am sure you’ll post some more like the dope one soon.
Why make you wait Dickendope? There, now you can go away.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…. Amazing go easy you fell for it… I thought it was going to take me longer….. ha ha ha
*how easy you fell for it…
Not an apologist. You’re an optimist. So am I.
I liked your list and agreed with most of it. The only problems I have are #2-4.
Start with #4. As far as I’m concerned, Billy Wagner is correct. Why do Beltran and Delgado get to skip out and leave before they have to answer questions? It doesn’t seem right to me. Wagner has a family to go home to as well. I also agree with the fact that he didn’t play. He gave his take on the game, but it has to be frustrating. He was right about Ollie a few weeks ago too. If the manager isn’t going to say anything, I have no problem with a player trying to be a leader and light a fire under someone’s ass. Especially a player that has been nothing short of spectacular this year.
#2. As bad as Heilman has been, I still think he has been better than Fuentes. Not to mention, we have 3 lefties in the pen already. Not sure if you need 4 lefties. I think the bullpen has good balance and should turn it around. Willie just needs to start using pitchers based on how they are pitching….not based on 7th inning guy or 8th inning guy. For example, Joe Smith should start seeing time in the 8th. Sanchez in the 7th. Heilman in the 6th (lord knows we need bullpen help in the 6th).
#3. The length of Castillo’s contract isn’t the only problem with Castillo. Signing him was a mistake. Trading for him wasn’t a bad move last year. When you see this guy play everyday, you start to wonder how he was ever good. Bottom line with him is, if he can’t hit (which he has yet to do this year) and can’t field (which he has had some issues with since coming here), then he better be able to bunt (see 9th inning in game 3 at Philly) and he better hustle (see yesterday’s game). Personally, I think the Wilpons should show some guts and dump him. I would be happier seeing Marlon or Easley out there.
Thanks, and to repsond to keep intelligent dialogue going on here, Fuentes has been great this season. He has a WHIP under 1.00. Yes he is LH but he does well getting all hitters out. One of Heilman’s advantages used to be that he could get LH out. He is just not going to be successful here in the long run.
As for Castillo, I still say that considering the options he was fine for the next 2 years.
I know there weren’t too many great options out there. But who really has a great hitting 2B? I think it would have been money well saved had Omar decided to go with Anderson Hernandez (I know he hasn’t shown he can hit), which was the plan by the way in 2006.
Who knows, maybe Valentin can come back and give us something this year. I think he was the 2006 MVP. An 8 hitter that can hit for the power that he hit for. Huge advantage in the NL.
TRS86 i agree with most of your posts and ive agree that some people tend to take serious jabs at other blogers for expressing their opinions. This should not be the case as we are all met fans here and each one has their own opinions. I can say this is my first year on this blog and i have already learned so much from just about everyone here. This is an outlet for the fustrated and the optimistic. I think people should respect the personalities of both.
nice post dirty…i think seeing just how differently the fans of the same team can react to different situations is my favorite part of the blog
Amen.
and I still like Castillos defense, but 4 years was ridiculous. and Beltran has spoken alot, he is just….different. I can’t get inside wagners head (nor would I want to) but I think he wants the veteran position players to shoulder some of the load from the media, he proabably sees wright crumbling before his very eyes.
What would really take guts is starting Anderson at 1b for a week, and give wright at least a day off.
wonders will never cease…….. we agree…… well i guess we like the same bb team and where both square on the next pres….. so …
I have hated the subway series for eyars. One big problem has been the fact that most years the yankees were a top team, and the Braves/Phils often got to play an also ran instead. Just not fair schedule wise.
Although I can’t recall another year when both teams were reeling like this when the series hit (playing to the same level of ungodly ungood suckitude?)
Here’s some breaking news from rotoworld to brighten this gloomy day. (I’m so glad we didn’t get this guy.) Good job Omar.
Yorvit Torrealba filed a grievance Thursday against the Mets after his contract negotiations with the team fell apart during the offseason.
Torrealba alleges that he had signed a “term sheet” with the Mets before the team backed out of a three-year, $14.4 million deal over concerns about the health of his shoulder. Torrealba ended up returning to Colorado by signing a two-year deal worth $7.25 million, with a $4 million option for 2010.
They just need to win the series. That’s all I care about.
Win the series.
I can never bring myself to root against the Mets, but I kinda understand the guys who say the want the Yanks to sweep in order to expedite the departure of Randolph.
It’s like when fans of a sub-.500 NBA team who would prefer losing and making the lottery than continue wallowing in mediocrity. They’re not bad fans; they’re realists, just looking at the big picture.
That said, if the Mets get swept by the Yankees–THE LAST PLACE YANKEES–I think I’ll vomit.
Yes, me too.
But the difference here is this team is talented enough to win the division this year, as opposed to that sub-.500 NBA team.
again, whats everyone talking about?, with their long lists…
JUST BENCH DELGADO.
-for at least a week
that’s all.
Just Bench Delgado, Wright and Castillo…
see, the problem with this line of thought is that there is NO guarantee the next guy will do any better. People seem inclined to believe that firing willie is the magical solution to the problem, and just changing the drapes will turn a hovel into a mansion. It isn’t, it would be a move to placate the fans, more than anything else…and as we all know from reading this site everyday, we fans are for the most part capricious idiots who change our mind to whichever way the wind blows, by every couple of wins or losses (except for those dogmatic haters who just won’t rest til willie/omar’s gone, and the critical-yet-patient minority ).
Did anyone else see that LoHud blog about why us Mets fans hate the Yankees? Because it looks like Lenny Harris was posting in the comments.