The Mets apparently don't care about crowded houses. They're calling up nine guys for the September stretch drive ... and apparently the surprise is that most teams don't call up nearly that many players when the rosters expand.My surprise is that the Mets didn't use up all 15 of their extra available spots ... and that they were all relief pitchers. Need 12 outs? Use 12 pitchers. (Just make sure you pick up the 12 pitching arms from the side of the road in November.)
Conventional wisdom would tell you that our extra relievers ... Al Reyes, Bobby Parnell, Carlos Muniz and Ricardo Rincon would get the bulk of the work tomorrow so that our tired and our weary can yearn to breathe free in whatever huddled masses they'd like to join. Brian Stokes, for example, can join the huddled masses of the exhausted, having pitched in five straight games. Luis Ayala can join the huddled masses of those whose groins are tweaked. Aaron Heilman ... I don't even know what masses he's huddling in. I think they're giving him some bad advice.
But against the Milwaukee Brewers, that might not be possible. The good news is that Johan Santana goes for the Mets today, and he's capable of going nine. The bad news is that the Brewers slug .470 against lefties, and have an OPS of .820 (and against Johan and his longball tendencies that's trouble, not to mention Jon Niese makes his first start against these guys Tuesday ... welcome to the show, kid.) But here's the most important thing the Mets need to be mindful of this series: If they're lucky enough to make the playoffs, guess who they will probably get in Round One?
That's right, Milwaukee.
And while it's a relief that the Mets miss CC Sabathia this series, if they lose two of three or worse then they will have done so to a team that didn't have CC at their disposal over the next three games.
Good thing the cavalry is on its way (or is that calvary?) Maybe Labor Day isn't going to be so laborious after all.
5 comments:
You mean "cavalry", or horse soldiers, and not "calvary", or golgotha (site outside first century Jerusalem). Your miscue was divine retribution for your failure to mention yesterday's glorious Met victory.
I vastly prefer Calvary, Metstradamus, with it's crucifixion symbolism.
That was your subconscious speaking!
I feel like we can handle the NL East, but the Brewers and the Cubbies are going to crucify us.
Im looking for work. I could be available tommorow. I'll pay my own way...Put me in coach Im ready to play
This isn't a callup, it's an evacuation. Where is the rest of the New Orleans Zephyr diaspora headed? Hopefully above sea level.
Demitri - what a funny thought - the Mets are helping out FEMA! Now all we need is for George Bush to tell Aaron Heilman he is doing "a helluva job!"
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