John Delcos of LoHud is reporting that long time injured Ryan Church has been placed on the DL. For those scoring at home, Church suffered a concussion on May 20th, or 20 days ago.

This move would have made the most sense approximately twenty days ago. I’ll even be gracious, 16 days ago. Let him sit for three or four, see how he feels. Then retro DL him. He’s obviously been having issues lingering since his last incident, the second of the season. And you screw around with that, who knows. Mike Cameron claims he still suffers lingering affects from his season ending collision with Beltran from back in his Met days. Sure, Church had a few good appearances since then, but being that he was the most consistent hitter, were those contributions worth it if he’s now lost for a prolonged time because he and/or the team rushed him back?

At this point the team is pretty much a bad injury away from a fire sale at the All Star break. Personally, I’ll give them $40/wk for Delgado to come mow my lawn and do some cleaning inside the house.

As the saying goes, sometimes you’re the windshield, and sometimes you’re the Mets.

The Padres completed a four game sweep of the Mets, but on the plus side, the Mets finally scored enough runs to use the word in its plural sense. So hooray for that.

Carlos Delgado had his 1900th career hit, on a 3 for 4 day including a double and a triple, Endy and Jose pulled a double steal, even Easley had hits. The team had 3 doubles, a triple, and four stolen bases. Four of their RBIs came with two outs. And…they still lost.

Pedro was…lets say, respectable. He gave up ten hits (a lot), but struck out four and kept it to a reasonable four runs. Which since the Mets had six runs, was acceptable. The bullpen started off well enough, Vargas took down the sixth inning nice and quick, and Show gave up one hit and no walks in the seventh. Then Dirty struggled a bit, and Billy came in early to pull a nice little four out save. Instead, he gave up a three run homer to Clark, and goodbye victory.

Such a tough loss, since until that homerun it was actually looking like the Mets would avoid the sweep. Considering how well Wagner has pitched thus far, its hard to put too much fault on him. Sanchez put him in a tight spot, and after that not much more to say then maybe it just wasn’t Wagners night. Being that entering the game he had an ERA of 0.36, if anyone is carrying their own weight thus far this season, its him.

The team is off tomorrow, but the day should be filled with rumors of firing, demotions, and thoughts on moving players to AAA.

The Mets look to not get swept in San Diego, where the offense has gone to die in lovely weather. Pedro Martinez takes the mound to face off against Wil Ledezma.

Keys to the game:

• Hitting. Oft considered the primary skill needed in a baseball player
• Scoring more than one run. Clearly the Padres are not capable of scoring 3 runs, so the Mets need to learn to score 3, or even if possible, 4 runs. No need for greed. Just 3 or 4, which is more than 2, and therefore enough to win.
• Pedro to survive. In just his second start of the season, Pedro needs to remain in one piece so that he could possible pitch at least ten games over the course of the season.

Gametime is 4pm, and is aired in most of NY on the CW, and can be heard on WFAN. As always, visit the Hot Foot Bleachers during the game to talk the game, Mets baseball, and the chance someone in Mets management loses a job tomorrow.

For those who haven’t heard the news, Jose Valentin , The Stache, has been moved to AAA. Valentin, who said he would retire rather than waste a half season rehabbing, has spent the season to date rehabbing in St Lucie. One would assume if he was moved up, it’d be at the expense of Nunez .

Its a tough call here. I like the Stache. Who doesn’t. He’s one of those tough guy old school players. He seems like he’ll play through most anything, hustle, and enjoys a good laugh. He’s a guy that could probably bring in some of the mentality the Mets need, the get out there, bust your ass, kick butt, take no prisoners type of deal. No offense to the Carloses, well, no offense to Beltran, but they just don’t bring it. Beltran too will generally quietly play through sprains, pulls, pain, etc, but he doesn’t bring the ability to push other, younger players. Plus, there’s the Stache. Its pretty sweet.

On the other hand, lets face it, he won’t be contributing much offense. Sure, he’ll have no problem sacrificing himself to get men over. But I wouldn’t expect much more than a low to mid 200 average. If he could muster up some hits while starting the one or two times a week Castillo needs to rest his knees it would be worth the consideration. But for a team thats showing signs of struggling in part due to an aging hurting roster, is bringing back an aged hurting utility man worth it for the leadership he’ll bring?

Overall, a Stache return could be good in the short run. If his words and example can help motivate what often seems like an aimless offense, then I’d say sure, let Stache join the club. But temporarily. That roster spot needs for the long term go to a younger, less likely to break in two player.

There is no need to beat around the bush, the baseball draft is boring. Super boring. Mind numbing boring. I’m surprised any part of it is televised.

Its not that I don’t care, well. Not entirely that I don’t care. I understand the importance of restocking the farm system. I grasp that these prospects do in fact come from somewhere. But as far as that process is considered, lets face it, most of you don’t really give a damn. Sure, all six Andrews that write for this site, and that new guy all seem pretty excited. All giggly and giddy like school girls, making their predictions. Me, I couldn’t even name one college baseball player, and I know a guy who plays college baseball.

Here’s the thing. College football has all these long standing traditions (like Duke sucking), and old school rivalries. College basketball has March Madness and young phenoms that will go straight to the NBA after their freshman year. Baseball….seriously, can you watch college baseball without physically being at a game? I spent a good, lets call it five, years in college. Baseball games I attended: 0. I even went to more college hockey games. When push comes to shove, no one cares about college baseball. Which means, no one knows college baseball players. So basically, the draft to me is meaningless.

I don’t know Ike Davis or Brad Holt. I didn’t know who David Wright was till he joined the Mets organization. Anyone who gets drafted today most likely won’t be seen at Shea for at least two to three years. So who cares about all the hype, let Omar do his job and wake me up in two years when its time to misspell their names in posts.

If next year they expect me to get all excited, I expect the draft to be exciting. Maybe they can wear really ugly suits, Jalen Rose style. That sometimes makes the NBA draft worth watching. Do they have a draft room? Can we watch top prospects cry when they keep getting skipped over, then end up signed by Kansas City? I promise all of you one thing, I will never write about or watch the draft ever again, until it becomes un boring. Starting….now.

I would like, at first, to take this oppurtunity to once again say that West Coast games are evil. West coast night games, because end times of midnight are either slept through, or watched, in which case I tend to be unpleasant in the morning. West coast day games are worse. They tease you, like a girl who merely wants free drinks at the bar. Maybe you see a little skin, the eight and ninth inning after getting home from work. Just enough to get you in the mood, but you end up with not enough baseball, and dissapointment.

Anyways, the Mets won, since Oliver Perez was in the dugout and not on the field. Another nice start from John Maine, who gave up two runs, one earned, and seven hits in six innings. His unearned run came off a Reyes error in the third. But he’s keeping his walks down, and he managed to only give up one run via the error, where lesser pitchers would get all frazzled and implode. I’m still looking at you Mr. Perez. Dirty Sanchez went two, and gave up one run. Billy gets the save, giving up one hit. His ERA is now 0.38.

Aside from making his tenth error of the season, Reyes looked good. He started the game off with a double, then scoring on a Beltran double. And made up for the error via a two run homer to score Maine. Apology accepted. He finished 3 for 4 (no triples) and stole a base. David Wright got hit by a pitch, which is kryptonite to him, as he then went 0 for 4. Delgado went 2 for 4 with a double and a RBI, and Beltran went 2 for 4 with a double and 2 RBIs. The resurgence of the Carloses continues to prove a key in the Mets performing, hopefully they can keep it up. If both they and Reyes have finally found their groove, then the team will be able to handle things such as Ollie not knowing how to pitch easier.

Coming into the season, most were looking at Atlanta’s potential starting lineup and seeing it as one of the best. Afterall, with two future Hall of Famers in Smoltz and Glavine, mixed in with Tim Hudson and the finally returning Mike Hampton, it was a starting rotation that could be of juggernot proportions.

If they could stay healhty.
Which as it turns out, was the biggest if in baseball. Turns out, only Tommy Glavine is actually in the rotation at the moment. Hudson has a hamstring injury. Hampton has a…well, he’s Mike Hampton. And today, Smoltz announced he’s having season ending surgery.

Its cute and all, how he’s telling the press he plans on playing in 2008. Its not happening. Time to face facts Atlanta, Smoltz ever playing baseball again right now is just as likely as Carlos Delgado getting a contract extension. This newest injury just makes things look worse, as they’re already forced to use Jo-Jo Reyes.

Smoltz will make the Hall of Fame, easily. He excelled as a closer and a starter. He pitched well while 40s. He didn’t do drugs. But he’s 41, getting season ending surgery, and his contract runs out this year. With this latest setback, chances are the Braves will be going no where fast this summer. As Met fans, we know continuing to attempt to rehab aged starters is pointless (see, El Duque). Its time Mr. Smoltz. Hold your press conferance. Start writing your HOF speech. We’ll see you in five years. You’ll probably even get to stand next to our good friend Mike Piazza.

The best thing about the NY Media, is that its always someones fault. And luckily, they generally pretty much know who that someone is. Bad nights just don’t exist, nor funks. A player is not having an off season, clearly it is someone elses fault. And you might never have known all this, but luckily the various tv personalities and print folk know better than you, and will point this out. Probably using a large font for the newspaper guys.

For the most part, their hatred towards Willie is easy to understand: he’s not a publicly emotional guy. Like Beltran , in public he has a public face. Cool. Calm. Chill like ice man. He’s not going to throw things, punch stuff, scream and curse and get all wild and crazy. Some say he’s gotten all hot and upset when one on one, where he feels its more appropriate. But in public, its all business. And if you’re in charge of writing stories, well, thats no fun. Hey, this is a blog. We completely understand where they’re coming from. Nothing helps us bring the funny like someone flipping out. Paul Lo Duca goes all bug eyed and tosses his equipment on the field, thats six posts right there. Remember when Scott Proctor set his equipment on fire? Thats a week worth of jokes. And you could keep a blogger busy for years just by letting him follow Kyle Farnsworth around, or documenting Jose Reyes and his dances. So when Willie handles his reprimanding of players in his office instead of in front of the media, well, he definately needs to get fired.

What makes less sense, is now extra kindling seems to be getting tossed on the fire. That kindling, is Howard Johnson (who ironically enough, is made of wood). Cerrone reported earlier that his name has come up now as someone on the firing line. This, makes less sense. A more emotional guy, known for being from a group of scrappy, fiery players. Not to mention being known as one of the more well rounded hitters from teams filled with hitters. Apparently, he’s to blame for Delgado rapidly aging to his mid40s over two seasons. Come on HoJo, get on that.

I’ve lived in NY State my whole life, most of it on LI. I hope to one day spend some time in a small market. See what its like there. When player mistakes are the players fault. When the manager and coaches are not to blame when the players don’t perform, or they merely aren’t given the players they need. Where the newspapers don’t create rumors, which the tv guys then report as a story. It’ll be strange out there, in what I assume will be Milwaukee or Minnesota. One of those weird places that no one really lives and exist solely in fiction and wire stories. Hopefully I’ll get to see the way the do things there quickly too, so I can come back to NY, and find out who’s fault it truly. is.

When you lose by eight to the Giants, there’s really not much one can say. Ollie Perez pulled a Tom Glavine, giving up six runs while recording one out and then being removed. The bad news however, is that unlike Glavine, Perez will not be leaving the team to play for the Braves.

After that, its all kind of irrelevant. Everyone looked tired. Shocker there MLB scheduling crew. You have a team play a 8pm game, fly across the country and play another game, and they are tired. Hopefully they all got some sleep tonight, except for Ollie. Hopefully Ollie spent the night crying while reading his DFA papers.

Aside from that, Delgado and Reyes had doubles, Vargas officially became a member of the bullpen and went just shy of five innings of relief. Ryan Church, still King of the Mets, had two outfield assists.