Friday, June 08, 2007

Phil Leotardo and Terry Pendleton: A Bond Shared In The Depths Of Hell

I know how The Sopranos is going to end!

Before the New Jersey crew can be whacked by the New York crew, the Philadelphia crew comes out of nowhere and whacks the New York crew!

Oh wait, that already happened!

I don't think you're giving enough credit to Philly (certainly the Met broadcasters were). They did it all...starters, bullpen, clutch hitting, defense. They really made a statement in this series. -Benny Agbayani
Yeah, they made a statement all right: "Go f**k yourselves, New York!"

(Let's assume that's the real Benny Agbayani...because it's more fun that way. Besides, my wife always liked him.)

All right Benny, here's the credit I'll give the Phillies: Chase Utley is a hell of a ball player. He plays the game the right way and he's a legitimate major league baseball superstar. Yeah, he's a Met killer, but not in the "I'm Pat Burrell and I'm a lifetime Met killer but against the rest of baseball I couldn't hit the broadside of a glacier" Met killer kind of way, but he's a Met killer in the sense that he's an equal opportunity assassin.

Jimmy Rollins? Yeah, he pissed off a lot of Met fans including myself. But let's face it, we've got a complex about not getting the respect we so richly deserve in this city. So when Jimmy Rollins made that "best team on paper" remark, we didn't exactly take it in stride. But Jimmy Rollins never said anything bad about us...no matter if he thinks these things or not. And why should he care what we think? He's a damn good ballplayer too.

Cole Hamels? Damn good.

Ryan Howard? Even though we're not seeing it this season so far, he's also a mighty fine ballplayer.

And if you offered me multiple Aaron Rowands I'd take them (as long as I could still have Jose Reyes and David Wright and both Carloses and Paul Lo Duca...so I'd really only need two or three.)

So now here's what pisses me off about the Phillies...

Who is Yoel Hernandez and why can't the Mets hit him?

Mike Zagurski? Are you kidding me? I know the Mets are down to their fifth, sixth, and ninth outfielders, but Mike Zagurski??? Guy looks like Terry Forster on an Atkins diet.

Antonio Alfonseca? Three saves out of three chances? He replaced Brett Myers as the closer because Brett Myers...you know I mind as well tell you the truth: Antonio Alfonseca ate Brett Myers (before picking the remnants from his teeth with both of his extra fingers).

Oh don't get me started on Pat Burrell...
"It's one of those things...I can't explain." -Pat Burrell
Yuk yuk, oh shucks...I don't know? Which way did he go George?

Jeez, now watch him torch the Royals pitching staff for a big fat 0 for 14, can he explain that?

I can't get on Country Time. He's been money for the Mets all season, and it really, really, sucks that this was his hiccup. I mean, what a way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Terry Pendleton home run...by reaching back through time and shaking hands with Roger McDowell. (Ironic that on the Yahoo! front page, the lead story has to do with how Billy Wagner gives the Mets an edge over the Tigers and their struggling bullpen this weekend...meanwhile the Mets lost three games because of their bullpen, and the Tigers won tonight. That's just what I want to see...greeeeeeeat!!!)

And I can't even get on Scott Schoeneweis. Normally, I would...you know me. But damn, how insensitive would I be if I railed on a guy who, it was just revealed, has been pitching with a severed tendon in his leg? Severed!!! I can't do it. Can't! He's going out there pitching in complete pain and there's nothing he can do about it. You can talk about the contract all you want and how he's not living up to it. But he's trying to work through it through pain. And it's not like the pain that two weeks rest is going to help (or not, if you're Moises Alou...would it help if he peed on his quad? Hey, I'm just asking). It's the kind of pain that just has to be negotiated and worked through. His stats suck, but the guy's got a little warrior in him...I gotta give him that.

But I'm still peeved at Aaron Heilman.

Don't tell me I have no right.

And I'm peeved that on a night where the Mets hit three dingers in a row, they turn around and let them recover from it...while the Mets can't recover from any big hits that the Phillies get...especially against the Phillies bullpen. It's awful. And if the Mets can't hit it, they're awful too...at least they're awful right now. But it can't last, can it? Jose Valentin is back, albeit with a brace (and no mustache...don't mess with the karma gods, Jose...remember what happened when Keith Hernandez shaved his mustache in '87...damn these 1987 parallels)...and Shawn Green is coming back on Sunday. Lastings Milledge is even out of his boot. The troops are coming back...it's going to get better, right?

Terry Pendleton, please get out of my life...please?

10 comments:

Mike said...

The Mets need outfielders. Pat Burrell sucks against everyone but the Mets. Far as I know, he can't hit anywhere but at Shea.

And . . . awful relief pitchers seem to do alright for the Phils.

Do I hear a Schoeneweis for Burrell at the trading deadline? Let's make this happen Metstra.

Anonymous said...

I do NOT like asking a closer (especially a Wagner-type closer) to do a 4-out save, if it's not the 7th game of the World Series.

And Mike - since you're dreaming, why not throw in Cole Hamels in the Schoeneweis for Burrell deal? We can give Philly the rights (and payments) to Mo Vaughn and Bobby Bonilla.

Anonymous said...

Again, Reyes needs LoDuca to bat second.

The slip by the Jacket on WFAN to Russo exposed the Mets' Minaya as a fraud; they dumped an "injured" Bradford and signed an openly sliced-tendon inoperable Schoenweiss to a three-year contract. I thought this ended with the Zambrano debacle.

All the fans who knew Alou would be a disaster are correct. Trade Heilman for Nady--mediocre, but can handle NYC--and you have a backup corner OF and we can dump Franco bcse Nady can back up Delgado, too.

Delgado tripped by the Phillies catcher in the first game and no payback? Gutless.

2006 had guts. 2007: Pussies.

I don't blame the OF injuries; most of these games were very winnable.

Krup said...

normally after a series like that, i would be fit to be tied, but thanks to lines like "Which way did he go George" i have a sh*t-eating grin on my face. you sir will get me through this season. much gratitude...

Ceetar said...

Utley, can we steal this guy away to play second? Shame he's not a free agent till 2010.

I know schoeneweis is hurt..but maybe sitting for 15days would be a good thing at this point. It's getting to look like the Mets would be better of putting him on the DL and never talking to him again..

Anonymous said...

M.D.

You and I are the only ones that concur that sometimes Willie is just AWOL.
Yes I like that he does not randomly flip-flop folks (ala BV), but he is hypocritical:
a. He plays hunches...'The ONE thing he had done right this yr with the pen was NOT ask wags to pitch more than one inning. 'joe smith would have gotten the call in the 8th after Feliciano. I do not like lefty after lefty. Joe also likes pressure situations.
b. Good call on Johnson hiiting 2nd, but I still think Beltran should hit 2nd.

Interesting: This group minus Green and Alou is the last Aug version of the Mets...

Anonymous said...

Mark my words: Alou won't be back.

And they won't dump Moses until he's ready to retire.

I can't even talk about Shoensucks or Newhan.

Anonymous said...

Moises Alou: Omar's Mo Vaughn.

Scott Schoenweiss: Omar's Victor Zambrano.

Detroit's Stadium: Seating capacity about the same as CitiField's will be. Fred Wilpon's revenge against the poor. Rich people only at mets games in the future. Where will you be in 2009? Scalping a mediocre seat for $100.

Mike said...

My, my. Such negativity.

C'mon, folks.

Jaap said...

We're at least a year behind on Sopranos episodes in England man, don't spoil it for we few who aren't privy, like. Please.