Feeeeelings. Nothing more than feeeeeeeelings

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Cockeyed Optimist Monitoring Every Situation with a High Outlook Theses (COMESHOT) of the Day. Or, reasons you can still be optimistic if you want to:

The Mets poor play over the last week + was all about anxiety over the trade deadline and with the threat of uprooting removed, they'll relax and rip off that 9 of 13 or 11 or 17 we think they might have in them, because they're eager to prove themselves worthy of being spared.

Doug Meintkiewicz awakes to find the field a better place than the bench and he knows why.

Mike Piazza makes the most of his final 2 months.

A new month begins.

Beltran intends to leave the booing in Houston.

A lack of activity at the deadline? Not really when, any day now, we solve our 5th starter and second base issues with a healthy Traschel & Matsui.

The August Schedule: Milwaukee (52-54); Chicago (53-52); San Diego (51-54); Los Angeles (47-58); Pittsburgh (45-61); Washington (56-49); Arizona (52-55); San Fransisco (45-59); Philadelphia (55-51). Combined: 456-495 (.484). 14 home, 13 away.

Reyes? He's good.

add yours...

[metirish]

Good stuff Johnny, I'll take that August Schedule.Beltran is the key, Cameron now that he's where he wants to be has a great final few months.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Ishii, his rotation slot perhaps yielded to Trachsel, becomes a useful part of the pen, or brings back more in a trade than expected.

The Mets, with pitching depth and fresh legs, just outlast other teams in the August heat.

David Wright becomes a raging naked monster in September's intra-division packed schedule.

[Centerfield]

Shades Padilla becomes the 7th inning man.

Pedro's toe that may or may not be injured suddenly heals and he throws 2-hit shutouts the rest of the way.

Reyes solves OBP problem by figuring out a way to steal first.

[seawolf17]

A refreshed Mike Piazza and a determined Ramon Castro become a two-headed catching monster.

Steve Trachsel comes back strong and wins seven games down the stretch.

The Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers, Pirates, Nationals, Diamondbacks, and Giants swoon in the heat and the Mets rip off a 16-6 stretch heading into the pennant race of September.

[Willets Point]

Eeewww! You guys are joining a group called COMESHOT.

[Guest Edgy DC]

That was Johnny. I got nothing to do with that sickness.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Beltran's a second-half player. His OPS pre-All Star is .794. Post is .891.

If injury strikes or a starter falters (more), we have a ton of talent ready to help in AAA in the form of Valent (.920 OPS), Diaz (.881, and he went 4-4 with a 2B, a HR & a BB last night), Lambin/Hernandez, Seo (4.29 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 8.21 K/9), Bell (0.71 ERA, 0.32 WHIP, 11.37 K/9) & Hamulack (1.44 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 8.28 K/9).

I could list even more solid potential contributors, but that'd just be overkill.

We might not have a lot of high-ceiling prospects in AAA, but we have a number of people who look like they can be solid contributors.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Daubach, Aybar. (Yeah, I'm stretching. S'what?)

They.pounded Hideo Nomo last night.

[Vic Sage]

that's not much of an accomplishment these days.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, 'twill serve for a AAA team.

And anything that dampens Yankee hopes...

[Theoldmole]

David Wright naked?

[MFS62]

This just in (from this morning's early Daily News, so th elink is probably gone).
A small comment by Willie saying that Diaz "hasn't quite caught on" to playing first, but he feels he eventually will.
This makes me think that if Diaz comes up, it will be as an outfielder.

Later

[Guest Rotblatt]

That's cool. Bring Diaz in as an outfielder and instead of using Woody or Anderson to give Cliff & Cam a rest, use Diaz. And maybe in blowouts, we switch Diaz over to 1B to get a taste or two.

Diaz only has 1 error at AAA in 35 games, but of course that doesn't mean much . . .

Given that we've been playing Anderson at 2B (not his natural position) and Lambin at 3B (not HIS natural position, and one which, by the errors he's gotten, he's struggled at) a decent amount--not to mention Basak (another shortstop) occaisionally--it probably hasn't been too easy for Diaz down there.

Nor will it get any easier, since he's now splitting time with Valent AND Daubach at 1st . . .

We have a serious logjam down there. September 1 can't come early enough, if you ask me . . .

[Guest Edgy DC]

Agreed.

Willie just seems to have a prejudice that middle infielders can play anywhere with little experience, but he seems loathe to use an outfielder at first, even Valent who got plenty of time there last season.

He's willing to live with the power dropoff when a shortstop plays a corner postition, but not the defensive range dropoff when a burlier guy does.

I've made this point, or at least this post. I should save everybody time and just give this point a number; and then just post the number --- say, 43 --- whenever I'm moved to re-iterate it again.

[Guest Edgy DC]

In a twist on It Happens Every Spring, Mike Cameron's line drives develop the improbable ability to repel leather gloves.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

He hit that thing hard enough to bend a glove and besides he was robbed twice on great plays in that game or he might have been 6-for-6.

Speaking of hard hits, Rickie Weeks absolutely killed that ball he hit off Santiago (I think it was). Everyone in the park took notice. It was like a vintage Piazza hit. BANG.

What an awesome game last night -- even with all the offense the defense for both sides was nearly flawless, with plenty of fine plays.

[Guest Edgy DC]

A lot of hard hit balls didn't go for hits --- two by Cammy, like three by Beltran.

Hall taketh away and Hall giveth.