Turn That Frown Upside Down

There are reasons to smile this evening...you just have to search for them:

• Armando Benitez pitched in the biggest game of the Giants season last night and had a two run lead pitching to Oscar Robles, who weighs as much as one of Benitez's thighs...and hit his second home run of the season. Benitez, meanwhile, skulked off the mound with the end theme to the Incredible Hulk in the background.
• Braden Looper won't be the Mets closer much longer.
• As far as we know, the Tony Tarasco marijuana flavored peanut butter pipeline is still closed.
• Art Howe is still unemployed.
• Gaby Hernandez, Yusmeiro Petit, Lastings Milledge, Mike Jacobs, and Brian Bannister are still members of the Mets organization.

I know it's not much, but it's a little something to help you sleep at night.

***

Now back to your regularly scheduled hate:

Kris Benson (9-6, 3.99 ERA) vs. Chris Carpenter (20-4, 2.28 ERA)
Jae Seo (7-1, 1.79 ERA) vs. Jason Marquis (11-13, 4.25 ERA)
Steve Trachsel (1-1, 2.35 ERA) vs. Jeff Suppan (13-10, 3.76 ERA)
Pedro Martinez (13-7, 2.95 ERA) vs. Matt Morris (14-7, 3.97 ERA)

It doesn't get any easier, does it?

***

I'm glad I wasn't a Binghamton Mets blogger this year...I might have jumped off a cliff.

Scott Lauber recaps the B-Mets season. In case you missed it, like me, here are some of the "highlights":

• "After mistakenly flying to Birmingham rather than Binghamton, reliever Lino Urdaneta finally arrived only to leave after one inning Aug. 21 with an elbow injury that led to Tommy John surgery" (Urdaneta was the fourth Binghamton pitcher to undergo TJ surgery...Phil Humber, Kevin Deaton, and Ken Chenard.)
• Speaking of Humber, his Binghamton debut "lasted all of four innings July 11 in Norwich before he blew out his elbow. We might see him again next summer."
• "Inserted to pinch-run late in a one-run game July 19, speedy Victor Hall was picked off first base. One day later, Hall, and his .207 batting average, was released."
• The B-Mets lost 22 games in the month of July, which only has 31 days.

Our future.

***

Major League baseball wants to play meaningful games in Europe.

Because the Mets need another possible stadium to lose to the Braves in.

Bad enough the Mets are haunted by domestic ghosts...now they'll get to tangle with paranormal activity caused by such luminaries as Romulus, Remus, and Nero.

Great.

***

I'm not the only one who says sooth.

John Sickels looks into his own crystal ball and predicts the future of Lastings Milledge.

Absoultely fascinating.

Just curious: Does Milledge get traded to Colorado in 2009 for a 35 year old, and no doubt broken down Todd Helton?

Or is he traded for 2 single-A prospects because the Mets are 35-81 and Milledge is up for arbitration?