Charmed

How do you know you're living a charmed life as a baseball team?

• When you hit three first inning home runs in a park that Jose Vidro was complaining about as being too large before the game.
• When the opposing manager makes the right move in walking Fluff Castro with runners on first and third to get to a pitcher who has a career .228 average in his first 202 career at bats...and that pitcher gets a two run single.
• When Jorge Julio doesn't blow a ten run lead.

The Mets are now a mind-blowing 7-1 in 2006 as they have swept the owner-less Nationals by a score of 13-4. Carlos Beltran, David Wright, and Cliff Floyd all went deep in the first inning off of Livan Hernandez, and they were all monsters. Beltran hit the upper deck facade again, Wright hit his in the power alley in left center, and Floyd's first of the season was halfway up the right center field wall. The rout was on. Carlos Delgado's home run later in the game was merely gravy.

And then there's Victor Zambrano. He was serviceable today for his first win...three runs, four walks and six hits in five innings...but boy a WHIP of 2 isn't going to get it done ladies and gentlemen. But Willie keeps beating the Zambrano drum...and there's been a lot of consternation about it. My advice to all, as well as to Steve Trachsel, is to relax. A Met type will never go public slamming a guy who they're probably going to try to include in a deal to upgrade the rotation. I don't think the strategy of pumping up Zambrano as more than what he is will work, but the Mets have to give themselves every opportunity not to slam their pitcher, a potential trade chip.

Besides why would they? Gary Cohen is perfectly willing to do that for them.

During SNY's airing of Randolph's post game scrum which was done via tape, the microphones for Cohen and broadcast partner Ron Darling bled through the broadcast. When Randolph said that "you can't expect (Zambrano) to be on top of his game", Cohen was heard in the background saying something to the effect of "that's because he never is".

Funny stuff, but there may be some serious repercussions coming out of this.

First off, the bleeding audio is a problem that has plagued this new network before. Early on, while an SNY commercial would be superseded by a local spot, one could see and hear the local spot, while also hearing the commercial that SNY was running underneath. So this doesn't surprise me. By the same token, Gary has to be extremely careful. There have been plenty of television types that have lost their jobs by thinking that their mic wasn't live. And while Gary Cohen isn't going to lose his job over this, it certainly could put a strain on the relationship between broadcaster and team. With all of the problems that SNY has been having in the early going, Cohen has to be extra careful to mind his p's and q's...and his z's as well.

Tell ya what though, even though it's spectacular that the Mets have beaten two teams that they're supposed to beat, it's going to be great for the Mets to cut their teeth against teams other than the Nationals and the Marlins. Next come the Brewers, and then you know who at Shea. We're going to find out a little more about what we have here. The Brewers are, as you know by everything you read, are much improved, and the Braves are still the Braves. But that's another blog for another time...probably Monday.

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I know that SNY has an obligation to advertisers, and to making money. But for crying out loud do we have to see multiple Derek Jeter spots for Ford during the game? "The team...the town...and now a word from Derek Jeter." I mean...what?

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A thank you to reader JM for pointing out that former Met first baseman (and unlikely hero of the September 17th, 1986 division clincher), Dave Magadan is also a finalist for induction into the college baseball hall of fame. But by the same token, a "shame on you" to JM for even attempting to joke in the comment section about me being a "fair weather fan" who only "followed the team from 1999 until now". I didn't want it to come to this...but just as Tony Soprano made an example out of his roided up personal driver, I'm going to have to make an example out of you.

The picture has a little too much glare, but you can clearly tell that this is a custom made "Davey Magadan Jr." bobblehead doll, and you can clearly tell by all the dust and grime that has surrounded it that this was made well before the recent explosion of sports bobbleheads such as these:

No, Davey Magadan Jr. is a limited addition. One of one, and it's mine. Worth nothing to nobody in the Beckett collectibles guide, but worth a little more to me.


So a belated congratulations to Davey Magadan Sr. Now if you will excuse me, I need to spit up some blood in the restroom.