While addressing the media at Shea Stadium, Scott Rolen told reporters that he expects to be in the lineup throughout the NLCS…
Rolen missed Game Four of the NLDS due to fatigue and soreness in his left shoulder…

Willie Randolph recently addressed members of the media from the interview room at Shea Stadium…
At his blog for the Daily News, Adam Rubin provides a written transcript of the discussion…
…i have no idea how you get this up on your site so fast, but i am glad that you do, buddy…

Speaking with WFAN, the station’s beat reporter, Ed Coleman, essentially said that if Willie Randolph had to fill out his roster card today Cliff Floyd would be on it.  However, the team will wait until the absolute last minute, says Coleman, at which point many suspect Floyd will not make it…
If the team does not carry [...]

Willie Randolph recently told reporters that LHP Oliver Perez will start Game Four of the NLCS…
In three starts against the Cardinals this season, Perez is 1–2 with 4.82 ERA while striking out 10 in 18 innings.  Albert Pujols was 3–for-6 with two HR and three RBI against him in the three games…
Meanwhile, in a poll conducted [...]

At his blog for Newsday, David Lennon writes that the Mets will wait until tomorrow to decide whether Cliff Floyd will be on their roster for the NLCS…
Lennon also provides an update on Carlos Beltran, who recently complained of a small abdominal tear…
…thanks, david, and good luck with the upcoming book…
The Mets must submit their [...]

At Cardinals Diaspora, a top Cardinals blog, the site’s blogger says, among other crazy comments…
“Ever since I was knee high to a corn-stalk’s eye, I’ve hated 3 things: chicks that wear too much make-up, Haley Joel-Osmet and that freaking apple that pops out of a top hat in Shea Stadium.  That place looks like it’s just [...]

In the New York Times, Ben Shpigel points out that the 2006 Mets are the total opposite of the team from 2000, which also faced the Cardinals in the NLCS…

NLCS Game

2000

2006

One

Mike Hampton

Tom Glavine

Two

Al Leiter

John Maine

Three

Bobby Jones

Steve Trachsel

Four

Rick Reed

Oliver Perez

Set-Up Man

John Franco

Aaron Heilman

Closer

Armando Benitez

Billy Wagner

…i get ben’s point…however, this season, glavine and trachsel had one less [...]

According to CBS Sportsline, RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka has been given permission by the Seibu Lions to pursue a career in MLB…

The Mets reportedly sent a scout, Russ Bove, to Japan to watch Matsuzaka early last month…
…the early buzz around baseball suggests that a team can expect to pay $30 million to the lions, simply for the right [...]

The Mets have officially told reporters that Tom Glavine will start Game One of the NLCS…
…surprise, surprise…

In three starts against the Cardinals this season, Oliver Perez is 1–2 with 4.82 ERA while striking out 10 in 18 innings.  Albert Pujols was 3–for-6 with two HR and three RBI against him in the three games…
Meanwhile, Dave Williams started three games against the Cardinals this season, as well, during which he went 1–1 with [...]

For what it’s worth, WFAN reports that Joe Torre has recently told the media that he and George Steinbrenner agree that Torre will manage the Yankees in 2007…

As we speak, or type, the Mets are in full workout mode at Shea Stadium, and the team’s outstanding beat writers are on the case…
At his blog for Newsday, David Lennon puts forth a pretty negative quote by Cliff Floyd, who makes it sound like he’ll be unable to play during the coming series with [...]

At his blog for the Daily News, Adam Rubin posts a few photos, courtesy of Howard Simmons, of the team’s post-game celebration in Los Angeles last Saturday…
…the last shot of reyes says it all…wow…

FOX Sports will air both Game Two of the ALCS and Game One of the NLCS at 8 pm ET on Wednesday…
According to FOX, “Areas of natural geographic interest receive ALCS Game 2 on their local FOX broadcast affiliate, while a simultaneous live feed of NLCS Game 1 is available on the FX cable network.”…
Go to FOXSports.com [...]

Mets Walkoffs goes crazy with information about games between the Mets and Cardinals, from the two team’s classic games to a variety of rivalry minutiae…
…my only addition, to what is already an outstanding collection of blog posts, would be to add the out-of-control giddiness displayed by the crowd in shea stadium during hampton’s shut-out in game [...]