Justice, Persistence, Courage

FLUSHING, NY - The New York Mets today announced plans for a new addition to Citi Field that will address the fans' wishes to acknowledge the rich history of the franchise. The brand new "Angel Berroa Rotunda" will be a tribute to the values and tools that Berroa brought to the New York Mets during his time in New York.

"This rotunda is going to be spectacular," said former Berroa teammate Joe Randa while choking back tears at today's dedication. "This ensures that future generations will never forget the contributions of a great man and a great shortstop."

Berroa won the A.L. Rookie of the Year in 2003, beginning a journey that would ultimately lead him here to New York for fourteen games that would define a legacy.

"At my stage of life you're looking for permanence, you're looking for things that sure up the future," said manager Jerry Manuel via conference call, who managed Berroa with the Mets. "When kids and families and children walk through that rotunda, I hope they're going to reflect on not just what they see Angel Berroa accomplished, but also think about themselves and say, 'What am I doing? How am I recognizing a curveball? What was my lifetime batting average against the Diamondbacks?"

The Angel Berroa Rotunda will be located at the new centerfield entrance, and will contain images and memories of Berroa's time with the Mets and with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who moved from Brooklyn in 1958. Berroa, who was designated for assignment on Thursday, could not be reached for comment.

"Today's announcement and the ceremonial groundbreaking for this new addition to Citi Field represent the latest milestones in the significant progress and development of the Mets' new home," said Jeff Wilpon, Senior Executive Vice President and COO, New York Mets. "Angel really affected everybody in the organization during his time here, and we thought it was appropriate for our new home to reflect that."

The club provided digital renderings of some of the highlights of the Angel Berroa Rotunda, due to open in 2011:

Springtime In San Diego

Seems as if the Padres have some things in common with the Mets ... if you believe the Pods' scout that told Gary Cohen and Ron Darling that their roster is littered with guys who belong in AA. That sounds mighty familiar.

The Padres are last in baseball in the following categories: Batting average, runs, hits, runs batted in (or, rib eye steaks), and slugging percentage. Oh, and they're third from the bottom in on base percentage. Livan Hernandez, sadly, turned this AA roster into the '93 Blue Jays on Thursday night. I'm guessing that takes some work. I saw what Livan was throwing, and I threw grapefruits that were harder to hit (and Jeff Francoeur swung at every single one of them.)

Congratulations, Livan. You got beat like a rented mule by the San Antonio Missions.

The only thing New York's AA roster could accomplish on Thursday was add another AA player who can't hit. But at least he's been here before and he has a lame nickname. Yeah, Anderson Hernandez will save the day.

This probably means the end of the Angel Berroa era in New York. As if I wasn't dying a slow death already, now I'll have to experience a life without Angel Berroa (sheds tear).

This whole season, from Snoop Manuel's "let's get everyone some at-bats" strategy to the roster that's straight from the 1997 All-Star game, is starting to feel like seven months of extended spring training ... only the weather sucks.

(No Mets were injured in the making of Thursday's monstrosity ... or this blog post.)

It's So Big ...

Johan Santana: You know Nelson, this big chipotle cheesesteak sandwich from Subway restaurant is so big ...

Nelson Figueroa: Yeah, it's playing in the majors big.

Johan: No no no, it's winning the Cy Young big.

Nelson: No, it's pitching a no-hitter big.

Nolan Ryan: No no Nelson, it's pitching seven no-hitters after you leave the Mets big.

Angel Pagan: No Nolan, it's constantly holding at third base on singles to the outfield big.

Luis Castillo: No Angel, it's falling down the dugout steps and spraining your ankle big.

Hospital for Special Surgery: No Luis, it's diagnosing your injury and having people who know nothing about medicine prescribe a cortisone shot big.

Snoop Manuel: No doctors, it's not needing tendons to play baseball big.

Jose Reyes: No coach, it's not being able to run because of that tendon that I supposedly don't need big.

K-Rod: No Jose, it's blowing a 7-5 lead in the ninth big.

Johan: Wait a minute Frankie, it's not that big.

Sean Green: No Frankie, it's hitting the first batter you see in a tie game with the bases loaded with your first pitch big.

Albert Pujols: No Sean, it's hitting a grand slam to put the game away while playing lion to your christian big.

Johan Santana: Come on guys ...

David Wright: No Albert, it's having your season end in August big.

Carlos Beltran: No David, it's having your season end when all of your stars eventually land on the disabled list big.

Oliver Perez: No Carlos, it's having your season end when you let Derek Lowe go to Atlanta to sign a mediocre lefty to an overpriced contract big.

Fred Wilpon: No Oliver, it's having your season end when you get taken for $700 million on a ponzi scheme big.

Johan Santana: Yeah, I guess you're right.

Johan Santana: Hey, who took my f***ing chipotle cheesesteak sandwich from Subway restaurant???

Angel Berroa: (Mumbles with mouth full of sandwich) What?

You Don't Ingest The Gift

Sean Green got himself into a sticky situation in the eighth inning ... hitting Justin Upton and walking Mark Reynolds to load the bases with nobody out. But then, Green's guardian angel handed him a "Get out of Jail Free" card as Miguel Montero grounded into the 3-2-3 double play.

Green promptly took the card and ate it. His guardian angel gave up and went to Blue Smoke.

Green's wild pitch immediately following the 3-2-3 double play was the deciding run in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Diamondbacks, part of baseball's second easiest schedule down the stretch that the Mets were supposed to dominate. Oh well, another plan gone awry. What else is new?

Ooh ooh, I know what's new: Livan Hernandez second guessing the manager for pinch hitting for him:

"I don't like to come out of games. But it's not my decision. They made, I think, a bad decision."

As was pointed out, Hernandez was pinch hit for by Angel Berroa, who's average was 17 points lower than Hernandez. Oh good, another washed up veteran who had one good night and has fooled Snoop Manuel into thinking he's got another Hollywood script on the roster. Awesome. Coming up next:

(... Livan Hernandez comes in for defense at first base in place of Angel Berroa ...)

Who Are These Guys?

And what have they done with the New York Mets?