Check Your Inbox

"One pitch, one at bat, one play, one situation, think ‘small’ and ‘big’ things result, tough at-bats, lots of walks, stay up the middle with men on base, whatever it takes to ‘keep the line moving’ on offense, 27 outs on defense, the Mets know you’re better than they are. They remember last year. You guys are never out of a game. Welcome the challenge that confronts you this weekend. You are the stars. Good luck. #20."

-Mike Schmidt, in an e-mail to the Phillies before Friday night's 3-0 Met defeat.

Thankfully, the Mets family showed that once you leave the Mets, you never really leave the Mets. And they responded after the game with a flood of e-mails in support of the current team:

"Gosh golly boys, you can do it! Gee whiz! And just know that if you need me to manage, I'm a phone call away." -Gary Carter

"Hey you need that extra motivation against the Phillies. You need that second gear. Hey, tough guys, you need ... Shave Zone!" -Lee Mazzilli

"If they ain't startin', you ain't departin." -Garry Templeton

"Hey, just letting you know that now that my team is out of the running, that I'm rootin' for ya ... take 'em to school like that school was in Colorado!" -Mike Hampton

"F**k Whitey! F**k the f**king Cardinals. Wait, what? They're playing the Phillies? Oh. Hey, you need stock tips?" -Lenny Dykstra

"Show 'em the Bronx!" -Bobby Bonilla

"Hey guys, I know how to make this loss hurt a whole lot less ... if you're interested." -Tony Tarasco

"Does Von Hayes still play for them? No? Oh, good. Go get 'em boys! -Calvin Schiraldi

"As long as you battle you'll be winners in my book! -Art Howe

"I wish you the best of luck." -Brent Gaff

P.S. Yes, I did play for the Mets. Does anybody remember me?

"Gregg Jefferies sucks!" -Roger McDowell

"Don't worry about not scoring runs tonight. Your offense is so good you'll come out this series and explode ... like that M-80 that I hurled towards a school girl." -Vince Coleman

"Hey, you still need bullpen help?" -Toby Borland

"Just keep 'em off the scoreboard in the first inning next time and you'll be fine." -Tom Glavine

"What the hell is 'e-mail'?" -Kevin McReynolds

Dead Meat

Well that was ugly.

This game reminded me of a heavyweight fight...except the fight in question was Lang/Balboa I from Rocky III, where Balboa came out strong in the beginning (Jose Reyes' bases loaded triple and Paul Lo Duca's RBI single in the sixth), but once Lang got going (Shawn Green's misplay of the Scott Thorman's fly ball in the seventh), Lang connected with roundhouses (like Edgar Renteria's home run to finish that inning), Balboa could barely land any counters (Jose Valentin's error in the eighth) and all that was left was for Rocky to take that long fall to the canvas (Kelly Johnson's second home run of the game).

Of course, Lang/Balboa I was early in the movie, and the Braves taking four out of the first six from the Mets is early in the 2007 season. And the Mets come out of this only one half games back of first place. And the advantage that the Mets have is that their trainers were still alive after the game, unlike poor Mickey who went to that great boxing ring in the sky.

But I will say that the Mets' bullpen, in parts, still has something to prove in big moments. I'm not anti-Heilman, but something always seems to be off with Aaron, whether it be his mood, or his slider, or the McReynolds like demeanor his seems to possess most of the time. And Scott Schoeneweis, while victimized by Shawn Green's unfortunate battle with the baseball (why does disaster always seem to follow a Shawn Green close call?) to me, still needs to find his rhythm as a Met. Seven walks and two strikeouts in close to seven innings of work so far doesn't exactly instill supreme confidence...yet. Like I said: still a ways to go. But for a bullpen that was widely thought to be the strength of the team, the foundation is starting to shake ever so slightly.