Yeah, I know it was just a thought, but you have to give the Florida Marlins credit for thinking out of the box. The Marlins, while in the mist of trying to trade for Boston Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez had some internal conversations about offering Ramirez to the Yankees. CBSSports.com’s Scott Miller is reporting that the Marlins came to the conclusion that the Yankees would not be interested so the idea was dead on arrival…

While attempting to work the three-way trade with Boston and Pittsburgh, the Marlins, on a parallel path, explored the idea of flipping Ramirez to the New York Yankees, sources with knowledge of the club’s thinking told CBSSports.com. The idea never took flight, partly because the Marlins determined that the Yankees were not receptive to the idea.

The story goes on to say that Ramirez’s agent, Scott Boras, would not have gone along with it. Boras said,

“There were a lot of teams we knew were talking about doing this or doing that, but we weren’t going to make Manny a postcard.”

Of course, Boras is going to say that after the fact, but I doubt he would of stood in the way of Manny coming to NY. If Manny were to go on and have the success we all know he is capable of, on a stage like Yankee Stadium or Shea Stadium for that matter, it would only increase his value come the off-season. Like I opened this post with, you have to give the Marlins credit here. They shocked everyone just getting involved in the Manny saga and then they actually thought about adding to it. Good stuff.

The Mets travel to St. Louis to face the Cardinals tonight, starting at 7:10 EST. The pitchers for tonight’s game will be John Maine (8-5) for the Mets and the surprise of the year Kyle Lohse (9-2) for the Cardinals.

Keys to the Game

• Crucial Road Trip: Starting tonight, the Mets begin a grueling eight game stretch where they play the Cardinals and Phillies four games each. Maine will need to get the road trip off on the right foot tonight against arguably the Cardinals top pitcher this year. The Mets face four guys in this series that you would look and say “Wow, the Mets have a great chance to sweep”. This is not the case, as Dave Duncan has done wonders for the likes of Lohse, Todd Wellemeyer, and Joel Pineiro. Rookie Mitchell Boggs, who is also 3-0, will pitch the finale.
• Time To Play: In order to win 90 games this year, the Mets will need to go 50-31 over the last 81 games. With this roster, the talent is there and it can be done. It is a question of whether they will play up to their billing at the beginning of the year. A healthy Moises Alou would help too.

For a lineup, head to John Delcos’s blog for the Journal News.

As always, head to the The Hot Foot Bleachers to chat during the game.

The Mets (40-41) defeated the Yankees (44-38) by a score of 3-1 today to split the four game weekend series. Oliver Perez (5-6) got the win for the Mets. Darrell Rasner (4-6) took the loss for the Yanks.

A few notes from today’s game.

• Perez was masterful, pitching seven innings of one run ball all while allowing only four base runners all game. The lone run was given up on a Wilson Betemit solo homer.
• Luis Castillo got three hits on the day, including an infield rbi single.
• Carlos Delgado hit a mammoth shot off the scoreboard in right center field to put the Mets up 2-0.
• David Wright added a sac fly scoring Jose Reyes in the 6th.
• Billy Wagner pitched a scoreless 9th for his 18th save in 23 chances.

The Mets begin a crucial four game set tomorrow vs the Cardinals in St. Louis. John Maine will face off against the 9-2 Kyle Lohse.

After a split of the two stadium doubleheader yesterday, the Mets and Yankees will battle it out again today hoping to take control of the four game set. John Santana will go for the Mets, and opposing him will be Andy Pettitte for the Yankees.

Keys To The Game:

• Score Some Runs for Johan: Granted Johan hasnt pitched lights out baseball, but he has also pitched better than a sub .500 pitcher, which is what his record shows (7-6). Many predicted Johan to win 20 games easily, but if we don’t start scoring some runs for him, he may be hard pressed to get to 15.
• Consistency: Again, consistency, consistency, consistency. This team showed why they are a .500 team currently during the doubleheader yesterday. In the day game, they went out and scored  a season high 15 runs. In the nightcap, they had eight left on base in the first three innings against Yankees starter Sidney Ponson. After leaving the bases loaded twice without cashing in, the team looked like it just rolled over, as it has many times this year. Today would be a nice start to go on a nice roll into St. Louis and Philly.
• Welcome, Andy: Andy Phillips will be making his 1st start for the Mets today in LF, batting 6th. Go get em man.

For a lineup, head to John Delcos’s LohudMetsblog.

As always, to chat during the game head to The Hot Foot Bleachers.

Game will be televised nationally on FOX and is slated to start at 3:55

LETS GO METS!

After delivering their largest offensive output of the year, the Mets look to build and sweep the twinbill doubleheader tonight at Shea. The pitchers for tonight’s game will be Pedro Martinez for the Mets and Sidney Ponson for the Yanks.

Keys to the Game:

• Pedro Needs To Show Up: Martinez has been shaky since coming off the DL after missing close to two months due to a hamstring injury. Pedro was rocked last time out, allowing six runs in a loss to the Colorado Rockies. All six runs were scored off Pedro in the 5th, after looking dominant through the first four innings. The Mets will need a good outing from Pedro to sweep this DH.
• A Delgado Encore?: After setting the Mets single game record for rbi in a game, Carlos Delgado will look to build upon this and try to turn his season around. Although Delgado has been dismal for most of the year, he now has 13 homers and 44 rbi. That puts him on pace for close to 27 homers and 90 rbis, not bad #s for an aging Delgado who has done very little this year. If Delgado can get hot, and he has shown throughout his career that he can, than watch out NL.

Lineup courtesy of Mike Nichols at Metsblog.

As always, to char during the game head to The Hot Foot Bleachers.

The Mets defeated the Yankees by a score of 15-5 at the Stadium today. Mike Pelfrey got the win, Dan Giese took the loss, and Carlos Delgado set the club record for the most rbi in a single game.

Pelfrey didn’t have his best stuff today, but he battled. He labored through the day, as each Yankee starter had an at bat with a runner in scoring position. Pelfrey limited the damge to four runs in five innings, and got his fifth win of the year.

Wow, what a day for Mr. Delgado. Carlos put the Mets in front for good in the 5th, when he hooked a Ross Ohlendorf fastball into the left field corner, scoring Luis Castillo and Carlos Beltran. On the day, Delgado went 3-5 with two home runs, one a grand slam, and NINE rbi.  Beltran didn’t have a bad day either, going 1-4 while hitting his 12th home run of the year.

Castillo scored five runs and stole two bases, by far his most productive day at the dish this year. David Wright went 4-5 with three rbi. Wright is 6-8 with two home runs and 6 rbi since Jerry Manuel sat him down on Wednesday.

The bullpen was strong, as it went four innings and allowed two runs,on an Alex Rodriguez solo homer off of Pedro Feliciano and a Johnny Damon rbi single off of Carlos “Heath Bell Express” Muniz.

The same two teams are at it again tonight, this time at Shea. Gametime is slated for 8:10 EST with Pedro Martinez facing Sidney Ponson.

In the first game of the two stadium double header, the Mets cross town to face the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Gametime is slated for 2:05 EST. The pitchers for today’s game will be Mike Pelfrey for the Mets and Dan Giese for the Yankees.

Keys to the Game:

Big Pelf, Keep it Going: As the guys in the booth said during Pelfrey’s last start. “If you went to a different country for two months, and came back and saw this guy, you would say who is this? This is very much the truth, as Pelfrey has come a long way and is pitching alot better than he has ever in his short career. Pelfrey has been throwing his two different fastballs more, and it has equaled a ton of grounders and alot of success. Keep it going pelf, the way Perez is going were going to need you.

Dan Giese, and Sidney Ponson?: Didn’t Ponson pitch for the Yankees a few years ago, and was released due to attitude issues? Well, now he’s back and is pitching game two if this doubleheader. Giese will be making his 2nd start of the year for the Yanks, after pitching well in his first start allowing 3 runs (0 earned) in 6 innings. The Mets don’t face Joba Chamberlain or Mike Mussina in this series, missing both of the Yankees top starters. We will need to beat up on these guys if we want to become the top team many tabbed us to be at the start of the year.

Keep the Yankees Lineup Down: The Yankees arent scalding the ball like they usually are this time of year, but they still a few guys who are bhaving nice comback years. Jason Giambi has arguably been their best hitter of the year. Giambi has hit 17 long balls and driven in 44 runs this year but is still hitting a pedestrian .266. Johnny Damon is the other, sporting a .323 average with six homers and 34 rbis.

For a lineup, head to John Delcos’s blog for the JournalNews.

As always, head to The Hot Foot Bleachers to chat during the game

Lets Go METS!

It’s only happened three times in history, and tomorrow looks to be the last time it specifically happens at Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium.

This 2000 Associated Press story remembers the first Subway Series twin-bill, all the way back in 1903 when the Brooklyn Superbas met the New York Giants. Attendees of both games could take the trolley and later an elevated train across to the Polo Grounds, but there were no subways then.

Of course, the modern day incarnation of the Subway Series has also happened twice: 2000 and 2003. The Ultimate Mets Database has all the results. In 2000, a year also featuring a Subway World Series, the Mets lost both games of a doubleheader to the Yankees, both by the same score of 4-2. Bobby J. Jones and Glendon Rusch took the losses. In 2003, the Yankees swept the doubleheader again, with Jeremy Griffiths and Tom Glavine losing. So history is not on the Mets’ side with these things.

On Friday, Mike Pelfrey and Pedro Martinez add their names to this unique list. They go up against Dan Giese and Sidney Ponson, respectively.

Giese has had limited experience in the majors, relieving 8 games with the Giants in 2007. He pitched in relief in three games for the Yankees this season before joining the starting rotation during its last turn. He gave up three runs, none of them earned, on four hits in 6.2 IP against the Cincinnati Reds.

Ponson pitched well for the Texas Rangers this season, going 4-1 with a 3.88 ERA in nine starts, but he was let go because of character issues. The Yankees subsequently picked him up, and this will be his first start as a Yankee. He had a previous stint with the Yankees in 2006. Ponson’s last few years starting have been abysmal. His last full season was way back in 2004 when he went 11-15 with a 5.30 ERA in 33 starts for the Orioles. He got worse in 2005, going 7-11 with a 6.21 ERA in 23 starts.

Johan Santana takes on Andy Pettitte in what looks to be the marquee matchup on Saturday. Pettitte matched up against Santana on May 17. Though Pettitte gave up seven hits and two walks in just six innings, the Mets only scored three runs. Pettitte’s seven strikeouts also contributed to his high pitch count early.

Oliver Perez meets Darrell Rasner on Sunday. Rasner was to pitch against the Mets during the first Subway Series, but his start was pushed back due to rain-out. Rasner has pitched decently for the Yankees on the year, but two of his last three starts have been ugly. Both the A’s (on June 11) and the Pirates (on June 24) scored seven runs off of him.

Perez is barely hanging on to his role in the starting rotation at the moment, and one has to wonder if Perez could become another Alay Soler. Soler lost his starting position in 2006 after an abysmal outing in the finale of a Subway Series at Yankee Stadium.

As with all Subway Series, it looks to be interesting at the very least. As far as public relations is concerned, this could be a make-or-break series for the Mets. It’s not “must win,” by any means, but the public outlook on the team and the fans’ morale could hit an all-time low with a poor showing.

Yankees right hander Chien Ming Wang suffered a sprained foot running the bases yesterday against the Astros. Wang had a shutout going but had to leave the game after throwing only 71 pitches. It’s now being reported that Wang could have suffered a LisFranc sprain, a serious foot injury that could keep Wang out for the rest of the year.

Tough break for the Yanks, hasn’t been a good first year for Hankie.