Brave turned Met turned Brave Tom Glavine has thrown his last pitch of 2008, and possible career. In his first start since early June, lasted four innings and gave up seven runs, which while an improvement over his previous start that lasted just three innings, still considered not that good.

Glavines injury is yet another blow to the Braves, with Smoltz and Hudson already down for the season, leaving them with a rotation of rookies and Mike Hampton. Luckily for them, Hampton is the Cal Ripkin of pitching. And he almost has his ERA below 8. Almost.

This will be only the second time Glavine failed to throw 100 innings, the first being his debut season in which he only appeared in nine games. Oddly enough, his ERA then was equal to his current one: 5.54. Since 1995 Glavine has proven able to break the 200 inning mark almost every year, his 183 innings in his Met debut being his ‘worst’ season.

I know he says if he doesn’t require surgery and is feeling healthy, he’d consider coming back for 2009, but it just seems that Tommy is done. He really didn’t seem that interested in coming back this year, he’s clearly struggled the last two seasons, which have included his worst five games of his career. Its time to pack it up, maybe accept some minor league coaching position in the Braves system, and start writing that Hall of Fame speech. Ignoring the bad taste he left with the NY Fans on his way out, there’s no arguement: Tom Glavine is a Hall of Fame pitcher, probably the last 300 game winner we’ll see for quite some time, and proved you could dominate with smart pitching instead of using PEDs. He was a class act, and someone who was good for the sport. But its better for him to stop now, use this new injury setback as an exit, rather than return in 2009 for a season that would most likely do nothing but leave a blemish on his career.

In a move that seems so desperate, its amazing the Mets didn’t do it last season, the Braves have signed Julian Tavarez . Tavarez has been released by the Red Sox and Brewers already this season. So far this season, his ERA is 7.20. In his last appearance on June 14th, Tavarez walked three and gave up four runs in just over an inning.

If this doesn’t work out, I bet Jose Lima is available, assuming Omar doesn’t sign him again.

The Phillies beat the Cardinals in a game that could best be described as interesting, by a score of 20-2. The game including three solo homeruns in the first, nine runs in the fourth, and ejections a plenty. La Russo and Russ Springer were both ejected after umps felt Springer intentionally hit Ryan Howard. To top it all off, Cards infielder Aaron Miles pitched a hitless ninth inning, giving him the teams best pitching line of the night.

I’m interested in hearing more about this Aaron Miles. Will the Cards take Castillo and a reliever for him?

In Braveland, Chipper Jones was hit below the eye during batting practice yesterday, but test results show no fracture.  Reports say Chipper claimed to be ready to play last nights the Angels, but the team sat him. Chipper is currently hitting .414 for the season.

Its good to see some teams understand the importance of forcing a player with a head injury to sit. Best of luck to Chipper though, the Braves may be our Rivals but to see a player in todays game hit over .400 for the season would be quite the accomplishment.

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.

Enough is enough.

That’s how I feel as a Mets fan. I can’t speak for every Mets fan out there, and I’m not going to try. What I am going to do is tell everyone how I feel about this team at this point.

I’m a man that deals in facts. The fact of the matter is that this team has been playing like a .500 baseball team since June 2006. The record has shown them to be playing a bit better at times, but I’m talking about their style of play. Call it laid back. Call it what ever you will. However, for over a year this team has not played with the killer instinct that gave them a huge lead in 2006 and had them dominating and getting up for big games. I’ll give you an example.

Think back to May 5th, 2006. The Mets are playing the Atlanta Braves. A team that has cursed this organization for over a decade. A game in which the Braves had taken a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the 7th, we saw the 2006 Mets rally in the 7th to tie the game. The game would go on to the 14th inning, where ironically a Jorge Sosa gave up the game winning run to David Wright. The point here is that the 2006 Mets fought for that win. They didn’t take it for granted. Don’t be deluded that the team’s talent was better, because it actually wasn’t. Remember, the Mets had a rotation that was falling apart. The bullpen was being used every day. Floyd also had been in a funk and no one knew what Xander Nady was. Sound familiar? The difference here is that the 2006 Mets had no taste of championship. They wanted this win and fought for it. Now can anyone point to me a game in the past year where this team wanted to win as bad as the fans want them to win.

Now, I’m not a psychologist and I’m not going to attempt to be one. However, I can tell you this. The majority of the players on that team still play on this team. I honestly hope that last night in the closed door meeting, some form of this point was discussed. It’s one thing to lose, it’s another to completely give up. That’s exactly what we’ve been seeing over the past two months. The 2006 Mets played a lot of ugly games. The difference was that they overcame their mistakes and found a way to win

The mantra that this season is early is true and should give some hope to all of us. There are a lot of games to play and the Mets are one game back in the loss column. It’s not like this team is in the situation of the Yankees (heaven forbid). What better way to turn this season around than with your ace on the mound? This is more than wins and losses. This is about attitude.

I wish I knew how to adjust this attitude. There is no one reading this that can do anything about it to be honest. All the booing and yelling on the local sports radio won’t do anything to change the mind set of this team. Nor can a manager. Any manager. This is about the players. Plain and simple. Either they all want it or they don’t. Simple as that.

Just a quick look around the NL East, to see how the other teams are faring on this Wednesday evening.

John Smoltz, the former Braves closer turned Braves starter, might be headed back to the bullpen, once his stint on the DL ends. The Braves have suffered some blows to their pen due to injury, but according to ESPN, manager Bobby Cox likes Smoltz where he is. Meanwhile, Mike Hampton is still out, and left his last AAA start early with soreness. Tommy Glavine is back, giving up 2 runs and getting a no decision in a Braves loss to the Nats.

In DC, Nats reliever Chad Cordero is headed to the DL. Cordero threw just 13 pitches against the Braves before a trainer came out to the mound and brought him in for good. Cordero has no saves yet this season. Cordero has been struggling with injuries all season, and was almost DLed after the series against the Mets, and is expected to now miss at least four weeks.

Ex Met Jeff Kent had an RBI single to help the Dodgers beat the Marlins in the ninth last night. The Marlins had rallied back from a 6-1 deficit before losing anyway.

The Mets (12-11) defeated the Braves (12-12) today by a score of 4-3. The winning pitcher was John Maine (2-2) and the loser Tim Hudson (3-2). Billy Wagner got the save (5). Maine went five innings, allowing two runs on three hits, while striking out seven. Hudson allowed four runs, all of which came in the third inning.

During that third inning, Endy Chavez singled to right field and David Wright followed with a single past Mark Teixeira, putting two men on with one out. Carlos Beltran than doubled to deep center, scoring Chavez and Wright. Ryan Church followed with an rbi triple, and the slumping Carlos Delgado got the final run in on an rbi groundout.

Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano, Scott Schoweneweis, Duaner Sanchez, and Billy Wagner combined to throw four innings of one run ball.

Great game, was nice to see the bats come alive against Hudson.

The same two teams are at it again tomorrow. John Smoltz will face Nelson Figueroa.

The Mets (11-11) fell to the Braves (12-11) in game one of their three game set tonight by a score of 6-3. The winning pitcher was Jair Jurrjens and the loser was Mike Pelfrey. Jurrjens went six innings, allowed three runs on two hits and walked four. He set down the last 10 batters he faced. Pelfrey was not so good tonight, going 5.1 innings, allowing five runs, including a Kelly Johnson home run. The Mets scored their three runs in the third inning. Jurrjens unraveled and went on to walk in three runs, but got Angel Pagan to pop out to end the threat.

The Bullpen: Scott Schowenweis, Pedro Feliciano, and Duaner Sanchez allowed no runs in their appearances. Joe Smith allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

David Wright went 0-3 and Jose Reyes went 0-4

No One is hitting in the lineup right now, you just can’t win when the only guy in your lineup who’s producing is Ryan Church.

The same two teams are at it tomorrow. Tim Hudson (3-1) and John Maine (1-2) will be the pitchers.

According to the AP, Bobby Cox and the Shea Management will be meeting to discuss the smoking ban at Shea, and its effect on Cox ability to smoke his post game cigars.

Or as we call it here at the Foot, a slow news day.

But since the stories already out there, Bobby Cox is the enemy. I say, make him walk off of Shea property so smoke. I’m sure there are some residents of Flushing that could lend him a light.