Road Tripped

Victor Zambrano, with 110 pitches in 5 innings of tonight's 4-2 loss to the Marlins, fuels the fire of Met fans who wanted Steve Trachsel to be in the rotation instead of Zambrano.

But with Dontrelle Willis on the mound (and at the plate), would it have mattered?

Dontrelle is a monster...plain and simple. He owns the Mets. He's 7-1 against them in his career. So maybe the Zambrano/Trachsel decision would not have mattered tonight.

There will however be a time when keeping Zambrano in the starting rotation will truly make the difference between a win and a loss. The bottom line is...with Trachsel making simulated starts to keep fresh, he's going to be useless during games. Zambrano, although not really suited for the pen, has pitched there before, so Zambrano would not be a wasted spot on the roster as Trachsel is now.

The decision should be an easy one.

***

This suggestion reaks of desperation, but with the Mets 3.5 back of the Phillies, there's no reason not to try it. Now try to contain your laughter, because I'm not sure I can type this with a straight face, but I suggest the following:

Bat Doug Mientkiewicz in the second slot in the order.

(come again, Metstradamus?)

Bat Doug Mientkiewicz in the second slot in the order...the rest of the season.

What's so funny?

Willie Randolph is getting next to nothing from Migazuo Matcairo batting second. Mike Jacobs is slumping at first base. Mientkiewicz was batting well before going back on the disabled list, and has shown glimpses of snapping out of his slump with regular work. And when he's right, who better than a lefty contact hitter like Mientkiewicz to be at the plate with Jose Reyes at first base and a big gaping hole on the right side of the infield?

I'm not saying it's a cinch to work, but with the Mets scoring 12 runs in six games (six of those runs on Tuesday), it's as good a bet as anything else as Randolph as tried lately.

***

Tonight's Aflac trivia question during the Yankee game: What are the six current major league stadiums which formerly hosted NFL or AFL football teams?

The answer given: Shea Stadium (Jets), Yankee Stadium (Giants), Fenway Park (Patriots), Wrigley Field (Bears, or Cardinals...I'm not sure), Anaheim Stadium (Rams), and Busch Stadium (Cardinals).

Great question.

One problem...

Somebody at the YES network forgot that a long long time ago, the Washington Redskins played at RFK Stadium, the current home of the Washington Nationals.

D'oh!