Off-Day Blues

After yesterday's thrilling game, in which everything except David Wright's throw and Brian Bannister's hamstring went our way, there's an off day. Sure, we're flying to Hotlanta to face Larry, 'Druw, and Adam LaRoche. But what does one do on an off-day? I was first thinking about writing poetry, but Endy and trendy really shouldn't rhyme.
Then I was thinking about offfering up a Delmon Young crack. That's a funny story.
How about Keith? Played, I think.
But then I remember a story that Newsday broke earlier this week.
I'm sure you heard it too. If you didn't... click it. But inquisitive blogger that I am, I tried to dig into the history of conversations between Marlins GM Larry Beinfest and other trade partners.

2006:
Larry Beinfest: We've got this kid Willis. Whaddya say we trade him for David Wright?
Omar Minaya: Are you crazy? Get off the phone.

2005:
Larry Beinfest: Hey Ed! Ryan Howard! I love him. Whaddya say Jason Vargas for the big kid?
Phillies GM Ed Wade: Come now, Larry. Hang up.

2004:
Larry Beinfest: Dave Littlefield! My man! How's it going? Anyway, we've got this kid Hee-Seop Choi. You ain't never seen anything like him. I was thinking Jason Bay might be a fair deal?
Pirates GM Dave Littlefield: Not a chance! We can't build this team without core players like Jason, and, uh, John Van Benschoten!
LB: Whatever.

2003:
Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty: Hello?
LB: Jockstrap! It's your boy Beinfest! How's it hanging down in the STL? I'm about to offer you the greatest package for Al Pujols you've ever heard.
Jocketty: I'm listening.
Beinfest: Two words: Tim. Spooneybarger. Hello?

2002:
Giants GM Brian Sabean: Who's calling? I'm on the other line with Greg Anderson.
LB: Sabes! It's Beinfest. How goes it in the Sucka' Free? Anyway, Barry Bonds. Ya dealing him?
Brian Sabean: What are you offering?
Beinfest: Prepare to be blown away. Can you guess what I'm thinking?
Sabean: Josh Beckett? A.J. Burnett? Brad Penny? Carl Pavano? Cliff Floyd? Derrek Lee?
Beinfest: Close...
Sabean: Luis Castillo? Preston Wilson?
Beinfest: Sabes, ya almost had it. Braden Looper. How's that sound? Loopy and a mid-level prospect. Brian?

2001:
then-Expos GM Jim Beattie: Qui c'est?
LB: Voulez-vous couchez avec moi, ya sonofabitch! It's Beinfest!
Beattie: Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé, cher Larry?
LB: No mas, amigo. Anyway, Vladimir Guerrero! You listening to offers for him?
JB: Non, mais j'aimerais écouter ceux que vous va dire!
LB: That's great, because I was just considering trading John Mabry. Maybe we could work something out!
JB: Vous etes un homme très bête.
LB: You too, my good man. I'll fax it to Selig. Tell the kids I said "Bonjour!"

2000:
Seattle Mariners GM Woody Woodward: Beinfest! What can I do ya for?
LB: Well, I'm pretty okay now, we just got Charles Johnson. He's gonna save the franchise.
WW: Sounds good. Anything else I can help you with?
LB: Yeah. A simple trade. Just a little swap in a couple of names.
WW: Lemme guess. A Mike swap? Cameron for Redmond? That's crazy talk.
LB: I was thinking an Alex swap. Rodriguez for Gonzalez? Gonzalez has power and speed and A-Rod's at his peak.
WW: Throw in Cliff Floyd.
LB: Get lost!

1999:
Walt Jocketty: Beinfest, my boy. How goes it in sunny Florida?
LB: I love it. We're on our way to a 64-98 season.
WJ: Ouch. There anything I can do for you?
LB: Yeah. Actually, do me one favor. I did give you Renteria.
WJ: Fine.
LB: Kevin Millar for Mark McGwire. Millar's a clubhouse spark, and, that McGwire, he's going to forget the past quickly.
WJ: I'll meet you in the middle. You hang up and I'll buy Braden Looper back.
Beinfest: I won't get off this phone until you trade me McGwire!

1998:
Brian Cashman: Cashman here. I hope you're calling offering us some burnt-out superstar. George really wants one now.
Beinfest: Sorry. I already traded Bonilla, Sheffield, Piazza, Renteria, the whole gang. I've got Craig Counsell though.
Cash: Why are you calling then?
LB: I really need Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams. I will gladly offer up Gregg Zaun. The 10 fans that come to our games don't tolerate 100-loss seasons. Though I'm pretty sure they're Fidel's guys trying to capture Livan and bring him back.
Cash: I'm sorry. We had them euthanized after they kept shining lasers at El Duque's forehead.
LB: I'd try that, but we can't afford euthanasia. What about Ginsu knives?

1997:
Steve Phillips: Hey baby... I've been waiting for your call. What are you wearing?
LB: Uh... It's Beinfest.
SP: Holy crap. Don't tell Wilpon.
LB: I won't if you do me one favor.
SP: Anything.
LB: I want $220,000, Mr. Burkle, ah just kidding. I want you to trade me A.J. Burnett.
SP: For what? Castillo? Moises Alou? Kevin Brown?
LB: Wrong, wrong and wrong again. Al Leiter!
SP: You must be off your rocker!
LB: Oh, Mrs. Phillips..., Oh, Mr. Wilpon....
SP: Fine. Geez.

now it all makes sense...

I'll be back on topic for the big series at Jesus Freaks Stadium tomorrow.

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In Defense of Mex...

I thought about it.
Honestly, Keith Hernandez didn't do anything wrong. He just didn't.
I tried to see it in the eyes of my mother, sister, and Patricia Ireland.
But think about the atmosphere of baseball. No female baseball operations execs exist except over in Chavez Ravine.
No female trainers, especially not Miss Calabrese, who was a massage therapist.
There's only one female professional, and I'm only guessing about that one based on the Paula Abdul get-up from spring training and the Clomid prescriptions.
Baseball is, at least to all outside observers, a man's game.
In a dugout where sweaty, muscular and violent athletes spit into the ground, are women even totally attune to the situation?
And, no, just like Keith, I'm not used to having females in the dugout.
It's not offensive to say that.
And I applaud Keith for citing the rulebook, noting that only the head and assistant trainers are permitted, because Calabrese is neither.
Let the haters continue to whine, but Mets fans and fans of Mets broadcasting know that Mex is loved for his frankness.
He, and to a lesser extent, Gary Cohen, is all that is honest and accountable in this franchise's media coverage. They employed Fran Healy from 1984-2005! Fran Healy! Upon being called a Kool-Aid drinker, Healy remarked, "Come out to Shea and watch Jose Reyes run after he hits a Geico triple that bounces off the Amtrak Acela sign! And in between innings, grab some Kool-Aid! The food is great!" I just made that up, though it sounds all too real.
So worry not about the neighborhood misogynist, Mets fans, because Keith is just too suave for it all. For example, take after he was chided by Padres manager Bruce Bochy.
Upon being criticized, Hernandez and Walt "Clyde" Frazier shouted in unison, "Re-Jected!"

Pee (for moises) S.
The Mets really need a win tonight. Get out of the funk. And please don't walk Barry.
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Sitting on a lead by the Bay...

Look at that turnaround. One second I'm blogging about Victor "Forget Carlos" Zambrano, and the next second I'm smiling about a potential head-to-head up north. Optimism.
After an underwhelming series split in "America's Finest City", the Mets head north to face a bunch of geriatric ex-steroid users, and one of the oldest starting outfields imaginable on some days. "BoneChips" Bonds will undoubtedly hit some balls to the fence and blame Pedro Gomez, and Moises Alou will still pee on his hands. The games will be played at Pac Bell SBC AT&T Park, where Xavier Nady will surely have trouble hustling to balls in the rightfield corner. I'm hoping for a Cliff Floyd splashdown reminiscent of that game in a lost 2004. Surely you remember: Saturday afternoon into night at then Pac Bell when Todd Zeile hit a ball that rightfielder Dustan Mohr lost in the sunlight, scoring the immortal Vance Wilson Delgado. Oh, you don't? Fortunato got the save. Mike Stanton the win. And Eric Valent (ERIC VALENT!) was leading off and playing first. Anyway, this series is kind of important for the Mets. Important to go to the Ted on a high note over the weekend.

Starters:
Game 1: Monday, 10:15
Tom Glavine, LHP (2-1, 1.38 ERA) vs. Matt Cain, RHP (0-2, 6.75 ERA)

Edge: Glavine. Tommy might be old enough to be Cain's father, which would make him Adam. Biblical humor? Anyway, Glavine is one of the NL's hottest pitchers (second probably to Greg Maddux, strange, eh?) and the young Cain has been hit hard in the early going.

Game 2: Tuesday, 10:15
Steve Trachsel, RHP (1-1, 3.71 ERA) vs. Jamey Wright, RHP (2-0, 2.91 ERA)

Edge: Push. Two crusty veterans take the hill, though Wright is much younger and much less accomplished. Trax pitched well the last time out.

Game 3: Wednesday, 3:35
Brian Bannister, RHP (2-0, 2.35 ERA) vs. Jason Schmidt, RHP (0-2, 5.33 ERA)

Edge: Bannister. My honest opinion: Jason was never that good. He is once again out of shape and is facing a youngster with a lot to prove. Brian should look to post something more like his start in Washington.

SF Breakdown: Record- 10-8
This team is old. It's also not very good. Most of the historical power on this team was generated erstwhile by performance-enhancing drugs (see: Bonds, Barry and Finley, Steve) and most of the other players are skinny (see: Vizquel, Omar and Durham, Ray). So far they've been pretty good, but their offense has not been generating much output. Vizquel has been pacing the offense for the light hitters and a resurgent Moises Alou has been packing the power. Randy Winn has also been strong in the early goings of his first full Giant season. The team's pitching staff is full of freaky stats: Tim Worrell (2-1, 6 saves, 8.31 ERA), Armando (0.00 ERA, 1 Save), Jack Taschner (6 G, 2.1 IP, 34.71 ERA). This leaves a doorway of hope for the Mets' bats, which have gone cold. Hopefully, they've got the hits (HITS!) and they'll score some runs (RUNS!).

Players to Watch for:
SF: Ray Durham. He's been cold so far this year, hitting only .208. Look for him to break out of his slump against these few pitchers.

NYM: Jose Reyes. Well that love affair got old quickly. Reyes, listen to me. You need a hit. ASAP. And preferably a lot of them, and some triples and maybe an inside-the-park home run and, if you could, some stolen bases.

Player of the Series: Kaz Matsui (stay hot!)

Picks: Two of three for the M-E-T-S Mets Mets Mets.

Sex can wait! Prognosticate:

Maybe you read my article earlier, but Victor Zambrano needs to go down to the minors. It doesn't matter who fills his spot, but if he can't step it up, his rotation slot will remain a problem for the Mets.

Brian Bannister might have to join Zamby in the minor leagues if he can't work his control problems out.

I was rejuvenated as a fan of Carlos Beltran's after this year's hot start, but he can't have all these nagging injuries. He needs to play and get Endy "Of Your Rally" Chavez out of the starting lineup.

Let's go Mets! We've got the teamwork... to make the dream work...

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Why I Can't Blame Victor Zambrano

I want to blame Victor Zambrano for this. I really do. I want to say it's all his fault and make him feel guilty about stinking it up on the hill. I want him to feel bad about being the weak link in the Mets rotation-- the only thing that can keep the 2006 team from greatness. But it honestly isn't his fault.
Victor didn't ask to be a Met. Victor has pitched his guts out, frustrating as he may be. Victor's biggest problem was being traded for Scott Kazmir.
Some act like they don't think it matters who you're traded for. But the fact that the Zambrano trade is already indented in our minds as a horrendous swap has hurt him. It makes the fans mad. It makes the talk radio bums mad.
It really isn't his fault. He began as an infielder in the New York Yankees system, someone who just couldn't play his position up to snuff. He then signed on as an original Devil Ray minor leaguer in 1996, joining the pitching staff of the Gulf Coast League Rays. He was promoted to Low A Ball in 1998, going 6-4 with a 3.38 ERA. The next year he was tossing in AA, going 7-2 with a 4.59 ERA in 40 games (4 starts). In AA for the next two years, he went 1-8 with an ERA of 5.03 in his first season and a 2.06 in his second, during neither of which did he start a game. With a strong bullpen showing during that second year, he was promoted to the D-Rays, going 6-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 36 relief appearances.
The next year was slightly uglier, going 8-8 with a 5.53 ERA in 42 games (11 starts). At one point he was demoted to AAA, but he put together a nasty stint at Durham, putting up a 1.93 ERA in 10 relief appearances.
In 2003, he was back up to the show, going 12-10 with an ERA of 4.21. This was his first year as primarily a starter, as he threw in 34 games (28 starts). The next year was 2004, where he went 9-7 with a 4.43 ERA in 23 games (22 starts) for the D-Rays before being shipped to Flushing. He went 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 3 starts before going down with a flexor muscle injury.
We all remember 2005, but his career serves as an important blueprint. Zambrano was never a consistent starter. He has been a consistent reliever, despite high walk rates, and he is, by all observations, about an average pitcher. He's not Pedro, and, no, he's not Scott Kazmir.
But people want to blame Victor, as Brian Giles' grand slam lands in the right field seats. They want to curse Victor, when all he meant for was success. He wants to succeed.
I blame many people. I blame Jim Duquette. I blame the Wilpon/Katz family. I blame Chuck LaMar. I blame every writer who put pressure on Duquette to trade for a starter. I blame Al Leiter and John Franco, for accusing Kazmir of having a drinking problem and a love for marijuana. It bothers me that they were upset that he commandeered the clubhouse stereo. I blame Anna Benson, for not marrying Victor so that he would have been traded. I blame Rick Peterson for having 10 minutes take 3 years.
It's come to the point where it's foolish to expect anything out of Zambrano. He needs to go down to AAA and learn how to pitch, so, maybe, just maybe, he can be a key part of this 2006 rotation.
It's not his fault anymore. He never said he could be fixed in ten minutes. I recall stories of him in tears, apologetic for concealing his injury at the time of the trade. Victor Zambrano isn't guilty of anything besides being traded for someone better than he.

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Houdini was a Braves fan...

I'm starting to get sick of Brian Bannister really quickly. As a former big fan of his, I'm exercising my biggest flip-flop in print since I turned on John McCain in the 2000 Republican Primary. Brian Bannister's performance last night was once again ugly. He put himself in jams and had a BB/9 rate of 10.80 in last night's start. He has a BB/9 rate of 5.87 on the year. For comparison, Pedro Martinez had a BB/9 of 2.50 in his age 25 season (Bannister is 25). In Pedro Martinez's 2000 (age 28), a BB/9 of 1.33. In Victor Zambrano's 2005 (which, unfortunately, was a career year for him) he had a BB/9 of 4.16. The pattern I'm trying to establish is that Bannister is walking way too many batters. And the problem is that history easily shows that his Houdini act can't stand up much longer. Last night he killed the Mets, tossing 100 pitches in five innings, giving up a run in his final inning of work. Willie cannot, in good faith, send him out for the sixth. He then remains resigned to burn the bullpen.
Darren Oliver throws an inning. Then Sanchez tosses two. Then Heilman is run out to throw another. Then Wags pitches two in a non save situation. Feliciano faces 2 batters. Then ChadBrad finishes Feliciano's inning, pitches another inning, and is run out for a third inning of work. This one didn't go so well. But Bradford is a ROOGY, not a set-up man.
And while this decision means Jorge Julio will have to buy the shots this time because he didn't pitch, it is fair to say he did pitch last night (like Sanchez, Heilman and Feliciano).
I'm also a bit incensed by this story I just linked. I thought we got rid of Benson to get rid of his party-hard habits and his party-harder wife and get a pair of projects in Julio and the Maine, but it turns out we got a man downing shots while lying on a bar.
And, since when were third base coaches having such crazy bashes? Sandy Alomar, Sr., you turn 63 this year. How's about a little invite for the "press"?
Anyway, do not despair. Tonight Pedro's on the hill, and he'll throw all 14 if he has to.

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A Comeback Unlike Any Other

-----Original Message-----
From: Schuyla (sdickey[at]andover[dot]edu)
Sent: Fri 4/21/2006 4:16 PM
To: My Boss (jschuerholz[at]atlantabraves[dot]com)
Subject: RE: Missed Work on Tuesday/Wednesday

Dear Mr. Schuerholz,
Last night was exhilarating.
It was beautiful, delectably savored by all of the Big Apple's night owls.
The Mets were in San Diego.
It was everything a great game could be: tension, great bullpen shows and a late-inning comeback.
Steve Trachsel and Jake Peavy locked horns in a duel of formidable righties.
Trax went six strong, allowing a couple of runs. Peavy seven: the only run was Kaz Matsui's inside-the-parker. Despite this, Steve left with two on and no out.
Chad Bradford comes in. Ben Johnson hits a nubber! No one gets it. Bases loaded.
In Feliciano. Geoff Blum is vaporized on a weak pop out.
Up comes Eric Young to pinch-hit. Here comes Sanchez. First pitch is a ball.
Second pitch, Young whacks it to third. David Wright makes a diving stop and throws it to Kaz at second.
The runner bears down on Kaz. He hangs in there. The throw to Delgado. Young is out. The Mets escape, trailing by only a run.
In Scott Linebrink. X-Man hits a leadoff double. KazMat, at the plate, grounds it weakly to third. Runner can't advance.
And now, a pinch-hitter. Willie was going to use Jose Valentin. I could feel it.
Instead, Father Time, Julio "Generalissimo Francisco" Franco steps to the plate.
'Brink threw him something away.
And you don't do that with a short right-field porch.
Ju-Franc jacks a shot the opposite way. The Mets are up. 3-2. Up Heilman.
Jose Reyes to the plate. A hit. A steal against defensive replacement Doug Mirabelli.
Then comes the Duck. A long fly ball! Could it go? No. Reyes tags. To third.
In Alan Embree. Up steps the 119-million dollar man. Wait? Isn't that... No... It couldn't be... ENDY CHAVEZ?
He was hitting .069 going into that at-bat. I prepared myself for a nailbiter.
Instead, the most graceful of drag bunts. The suicide squeeze. He's safe. Reyes is safe. 4-2.
Then up comes big, bad, Carlos Delgado. The lefty, Embree, toes the rubber.
And Delgado kicks him. Hard. A long two-run homer. 6-2 Mets.
Up Wright. He walks, steals second. Cliff Floyd to the dish. In a funk? An RBI single to center. 7-2.
In Sean Cassidy. X-Man whiffs.
Bottom eighth. In Heilman. Two whiffs and a groundout.
To the ninth...
I think I remember Jose Valentin getting a hit while I slumbered.
Jorge Julio slammed the door. 2 whiffs and a groundout.

In all this mess, I must have forgot to turn on the alarm. Sorry.
You can throw all of the three-hitters you want, but there's nothing sweeter than a Julio Franco-led comeback.

See you in Atlanta a week from this evening, Mr. Schuerholz.

First placely yours,
Schuyla.

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Holy crap.




For the third consecutive year, Kazuo Matsui has hit a homer in his first at bat of the season.

This is crazy.

Father's Day(s)

For the first time in a long while, Mike Piazza would be doing his job to suffocate the Mets. In '03 and '04, his long DL stints hurt the team. Now he and Mike Cameron will try to unleash their bats against their former employer. The Mets will head to sunny southern California to face the Friars after an extremely disappointing series against the Braves, where, for the first time this year, the Mets lost two in a row. The squad is currently battling injuries, including Cliff Floyd's ribcage, Carlos Beltran's hamstring, and the tumor that Kaz Matsui will be on this team. While I am as big of a fan of Kaz as any, where's Keppy? Haven't we established that he's better defensively than Matsui (though with a little less range) and better than KazMat and Andy Hernandez offensively as well? (Yeah, Andy's the best I could come up with.)

Starters:
Game 1: Thursday, 10:05
Steve Trachsel (1-1, 4.09 ERA) vs. Jake Peavy (1-2, 5.50 ERA)

Edge: Peavy. He's one of the top young pitchers in the game, despite his slow start, and Trax is coming off a game where he gave up a long double to Tomo Ohka.

Game 2: Friday, 10:05
Brian Bannister (2-0, 2.50 ERA) vs. Woody Williams (1-0, 4.50 ERA)

Edge: Push. I didn't much care for BB's last start. WW's an established veteran. Good curveball. I just like all the initial repetition.

Game 3: Saturday, 10:05
Pedro Martinez (3-0, 3.66 ERA) vs. Chris Young (2-0, 2.95 ERA)

Edge: Pedro. Come now, Chris Young is a good young (again with these annoying names) pitcher. But Pedro's hot and is certainly capable of defeating this Padre lineup.

Game 4: Sunday, 4:05
Victor Zambrano (1-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. Clay Hensley (0-1, 6.00 ERA)

Edge: Hensley. Hensley looked very good out of the bullpen last year, but he's not even a reliever. He's racked up double digit starts every year in the minor leagues. Expect a strong performance from him and expect Zambrano to have Mets fans calling for Lima Time from AAA.

SDP Breakdown: Record- 6-8
This team has been made over. Big time. They are not close to an elite team, with Dave Roberts getting regular playing time when he should be speed off the bench and Vinny Castilla's old bat at cleanup. They have a pair of above-average rookies in Josh Barfield at 2B and Adrian Gonzalez at first. They also have the less impressive Ben Johnson doing time in center field. Brian Giles remains patrolling their deep right field and Khalil Greene will keep the game easy with his .375 career BA against the Mets at short. Mike Piazza will catch, and in an even stranger blast from the past, Shawn Estes was slated to start for them this year before he got hurt. Expect Mike Cameron to come off the DL sometime during this series and have some fun with his old friends like Cliff Floyd. Expect Mike Piazza to brood and expect Paul lo Duca to follow him wherever he goes.

Players to Watch for:
SDP: Brian Giles. His ridiculous patience and power will not face too many challenges with all righties toeing the slab for the Mets this series.

NYM: David Wright. After a disappointing series from D-Wright against the Tomahawk Choppers, he should be due for some fun against this San Diego crew.

Player of the Series: David Wright

Picks: The Mets will take three of four if Floyd and Beltran start tonight. If one of them starts, they will split the games. If neither of them start, they will only win one.

Sex can wait! Prognosticate:

Please stop insulting my intelligence by saying Jose Valentin is a better option in LF than Victor Diaz. With Anderson Hernandez going on the DL, VD can be recalled. Bite the bullet, and cut Valentin's million-dollar salary and horrible play.

Why doesn't Willie go to Woody as his premier pinch-hitter? He's a .412 pinch-hitter over the last three years and it makes no sense to let him rot on the bench while tossing Jose Valentin and Julio Franco (much as I love him) up there?

The Mets should swap Darren Oliver for Heath Bell. Old Man Ollie has no spot in this bullpen with the addition of Feliciano. It makes too much sense.

Steve Trachsel really needs to tell Zambrano the virtues of a minor-league stint to get everything straightened out. We cannot have games like the one against the Braves every five days. Get over the Kazmir trade and realize that something, even something small, must be done.

While you were sleeping...

While you were sleeping...

Pedro Martinez shredded the Atlanta Braves.

Duaner Sanchez was clutch.

Billy Wagner looked every bit the $43 million man.

Omar Minaya vindicated himself again with the Xavier Nady deal. X-Man has hit huge homers in back-to-back games, while Cameron and his salary seven million dollars greater than Nady's will play in a Single-A game tonight.

Pedro Martinez won game 200 of his career. He has the best winning percentage of any pitcher to win 200.

New Met Paul Lo Duca went 3-4 with a double.

Carlos Delgado clocked a big 2-run homer. Mike Jacobs is hitting .200.

The Mets got off to their best start in franchise history.

The Mets are 5 games ahead of the second-place Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

The formerly witty and creative marketing team went with their second choice to produce this hot record after Phil Spector was unavailable.

Tonight's Game:
The Vitals:
Kyle Davies against Victor Zambrano.
First pitch at 7:10 PM. Shea.
TV: SNY
Radio: WFAN

I don't really know what to expect of this game. Davies dominated the Flushing Nine when he pitched against them last year, though rookie pitchers have fared well against the Metropolitans the past couple years. Zamby, well, he's Brian Bannister without the Kaz stigma behind him. But if he can pitch well tonight, it will undoubtedly do something to increase fan loyalty towards him. Not to mention that it will put the Mets six games up on the Bravos... in mid-April.

The Great Showdown

note: sorry for the lack of series recaps. i was pretty much without internet over the holiday weekend.

Well, we knew this would come. Or rather, that they would come. The ridiculously consistent division champs will return to Flushing for the first time since Tom Glavine banished them with his complete game. The Braves have usually meant big problems for the Mets, as the Mets haven't had a winning season against the Tomahawk Choppers since that great 1997 squad took 7 of 12. Don't forget that Carl Everett played a huge role on that team. But maybe, just maybe, it's our year.

Starters:
Game 1: Monday, 7:10 (National TV: ESPN)
Pedro Martinez (2-0, 3.46 ERA) vs. Jorge Sosa (0-2, 11.37 ERA)
Game 2: Tuesday, 7:10
Victor Zambrano (1-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. Kyle Davies (0-1, 8.38 ERA)
Game 3: Wednesday, 1:10
Tom Glavine (2-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. Tim Hudson (0-1, 9.20 ERA)

ATL Breakdown: Record- 6-7
I don't really think much of this Braves team. Their pitching has not been sufficient, and their only starter to win a game was John Smoltz with his magnificent CG shutout of the weak Padres on Saturday night. They might have swept the series if it wasn't for a sophomore mistake by Ryan Langerhans. This rotation lacks the depth that made it dominant once, as they no longer have that consistency of last year and the year before. Mike Hampton is done for the year, and Kyle Davies and Jorge Sosa, both surprising wild card starters last year, have been shelled so far. Even Tim Hudson has been raped and pillaged by opposing hitters. I don't think a lot of this Braves pen, either. It's a motley crew of other organizations' castoffs, though some of them have been strong. The two relievers acquired in the deal that sent Johnny Estrada to the Diamondbacks, Lance Cormier and Oscar Villareal, have ERAs of 1.04 and 1.13, respectively. Villareal also has 4 wins. They've also brought in journeymen Peter Moylan, who was doing office labor in Australia no more than three months ago, and Ken Ray, a 31 year-old who pitched for five organizations but only made one major league appearance before this year. They also dropped Joey Devine, the first rounder of the 63.00 ERA, which is only a slight dropoff from last year's 12.60 ERA.

Players to Watch for:
ATL: Jeff Francoeur. The sophomore right fielder just broke out of his slump on Thursday, and continued his torrid hitting during the weekend series, raising his average by more than one hundred points. Expect him to have a little fun with the gopherball-prone Zambrano.

NYM: Carlos Delgado. This man is on the verge of mashing some already battled Braves pitching. No lefties pitching, no righties with gas. Heck, he hit 5 straight homers in 5 AB against Jorge Sosa during their AL days (thanks to MetsGeek for the info). I'd also like to see a nice show from Cliff Floyd.

Player of the Series: Carlos Delgado

Picks: The Mets will take two of three in this one, though Zambrano will have a bit of trouble with that Braves lineup.

Sex can wait! Prognosticate:

The Braves have no chance of holding Jose Reyes in check this series.

Willie Randolph really needs to stop using Jose Valentin. He looks really overmatched.

Jorge Julio will pitch in a close game during this series. He won't give up more than one run.

Billy Wagner will hammer down two saves this series. They will be painless.

The Mets will make a couple roster moves, snagging Kaz Matsui from Norfolk (in exchange for Jose Valentin), and Heath Bell will come up if Darren Oliver has another bad showing.

Anderson Hernandez will continue to start even when Matsui comes back.

And if any of you remember Get Metsmerized, isn't this a sign that this season secretly is 1986 again? Where's Tim Teufel?

Trash talk:

ATL 1B Adam LaRoche: "I bet their fans can remember 14 straight division titles." [MSNBC]

ATL C Todd Pratt: “I’ve been on the other side. The other side has been saying ‘This is the year’ for 14 years.” [MSNBC]

NYM RP Aaron Heilman: "I think we all know plenty about the Braves." [NY Daily News]

NYM 1B Julio Franco: "On the Braves they've never cared about records. They come to the park to beat you and they're not going to change anything about what they do just because the other team has more wins. After all that winning they believe in themselves." [NY Daily News]