Pigeons, Horses, And Brandon Webb

We all love die-hard Met fan Julia Stiles. But when it comes to omens, she's got nothing on the baseball team she roots for.

Not only have Met fans "flocked" to Arizona to watch the bludgeoning of the Diamondbacks season, but in the true style of Michael Sergio, New York's official bird made an appearance, dropping in behind Alay Soler before the seventh inning.

A New York City pigeon! In the desert! It even had a busted wing like Victor Zambrano!

Bring me more omens! Like Brandon Webb losing his first game of the season to the Mets, with the help of a Chad Tracy error in the first which led to three runs. Brandon Webb was 8-0. Webb wears 17, which adds up to eight when you add the digits. All this on the same day Jazil won the Belmont Stakes wearing number 8...the same number 8 that Barbaro wore during the Kentucky Derby, and the same number 8 that Bernardini wore during the Preakness.

Horses, pigeons, and Brandon Webb. How's that for a pool party!

Speaking of pool parties, with Alay Soler going all the way for a 5-0 shutout, the once overworked Mets bullpen is suddenly able to have barbecues and cannonball contests in the right field pool area...Duaner Sanchez brought potato salad, and Chad Bradford won the sack race. In fact, the 'pen is hoping that Pedro goes all the way on Sunday so that they can go out and finally catch that Da Vinci Code movie they've heard so many good things about.

But in actuality, the members of the Mets bullpen will be busy on Sunday. They'll be busy sneaking out the kiddie chair that Soler sat in during Saturday's game so that he can keep his good karma going. After tonight, I gather he'll be in that chair for every start, every non-start, interviews, family gatherings, Thanksgiving dinner, you name it.

As for the pigeon, the Mets hope he'll be cleared to resume baseball related activities so he can be optioned to Hagerstown. Dion James was not available for comment.

Tomorrow, it's Russ Ortiz on the mound for Arizona. Let the pigeons loose.

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Mike Oliver has ordered me to speculate on what the Kaz Matsui trade means to Xavier Nady...NOW!!!

When Mike Oliver tells me to jump, I need only ask how high.

The way that I see it, when Nady comes back, the same problem that existed with Kaz Matsui, exist with Eli Marrero. Someone has to go. But who?

Heath Bell is a possibility. So is Marrero. So is Lastings Milledge. Chris Woodward is also a possibility. Heck, Nady could go as well via trade.

Without Bell, the Mets would carry eleven pitchers...seemingly a small number in today's baseball world, and seemingly smaller than the number Willie Randolph would like. But with the emergence of Alay Soler and his newly discovered talent for eating innings, perhaps Randolph's choice has been made for him. Jose Valentin leaving the bench for the starting lineup leaves Woodward as the only bench player capable of playing the middle infield, so he's safe. Eli Marrero's versatility keeps him around. Lastings Milledge has proven that he belongs in the majors, and the Mets don't want to send him down and then have Cliff Floyd be more seriously hurt than he is. Conversely, the next to last thing the Mets want to do is trade Nady, and either have Floyd injured or Milledge remember that he's a rookie and stop hitting all together.

So Heath "The Movement" Bell will finally be free. Free to go to the minors, or more likely, to another organization in exchange for a minor leaguer.

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Robin Ventura has embarked on his new career, calling the Cal State Fullerton game in the NCAA Super Regionals for ESPN on Saturday night.