Be Kind To Small Animals

I figure it this way: to by hyper-critical of Bobby Parnell for only lasting into the third inning in his first major league start would be like smacking a puppy for no good reason. What good would it do? There will be plenty of time to rub Bobby's nose in it if he pulls a Trachsel in a future NLCS. But now that the final two months of the season are resembling extended spring training (much like the first four did except with less delusion), Parnell has a unique opportunity to build arm strength and learn how to negotiate full lineups and select from a whole catalogue of pitches rather than just from the front cover. Getting angry at the latest Mets malaise would be counter-productive, and create unnecessary stress.

Necessary stress, for example, would be to continue to wonder how Frankie Rodriguez ... aside from giving up a grand slam to an A ball player ... could walk Kyle Blanks, a man who at 6'6" has a strike zone the approximate size of a broadside of a barn. You know, the one Frankie couldn't hit.

But throwing small animals and kicking inanimate objects over Saturday night's 3-1 loss is counterproductive. I'm not sure when throwing small animals would be productive, but I guess you would have to ask Kevin Mitchell about that. Besides, I like puppies. I hope Bobby Parnell does too.