Better Know an Enemy: Rockies Revisited

[G-Fafif]

Holy crap, are we playing the Rockies again? Who made this schedule?

What can I tell you about the Rox since we lost two of three to them about ten minutes ago?

Well...

1) They're 11-12 since the Mets rolled over and died in Coors Field in late May. By comparison, the Mets are 12-11. The Mets' edge, of course, is attributable to changing managers.

2) They're in a dogfight for third in the N.L. West with the Giants and Padres, despite a crummy record of 31-42. They're only 3-1/2 behind the Dodgers for second and, because lightning struck last year, a manageable eight behind the sagging D'Backs.

3) Matt Holliday, this corner's choice for NL MVP last year, came off the DL on June 10 and has been, � la the discredited Jeff Torborg, hitting the dickens out of the ball, .343, albeit with little power yet.

4) Brian Fuentes, who lost the closer's job to Manny Corpas in 2007, has it again. His last seven appearances have resulted in six saves plus one 1-0 win: the stuff of Tugger circa September '73, though I don't think Fuentes throws a scroogie.

5) Second baseman Jeff Baker was on a tear in the Rox' most recent series against Cleveland, a rematch of the 2007 World Series that many were booking after the Tribe took a 3-1 lead on the Red Sox last October. Three-game series, a home run in each game, 5-for-12 with a walk. Dude was batting .200 when we last saw him. He's now up to .277.

6) Two of the three scheduled Rockies starters in this series gave us fits in May: Aaron Cook threw a complete game four-hitter and hasn't lost since (10-3). Greg Reynolds, who started the Friday night extra inning game I fell asleep on, has gone in the opposite direction, watching his ERA rise by almost two runs in less than a month, though his last start was quite solid� 6 IP , 5 H, 0 BB, 1 ER. In between Cook Friday vs. Maine and Reynolds Sunday vs. Pelfrey, we'll see Ubaldo Jimenez take on Pedro Martinez. It's his first appearances versus the Mets, so beware. Pedro, come to think of it, has never faced the Rockies as a Met. Maine struggled in Denver. Pelfrey is either due for a letdown or, to be optimistic, is in total excelsior territory.

7) Todd Helton is in a big-time slump. Doesn't Todd Helton seem to have been around since the Rockies played in Mile High? I thought Mile High looked shabby for baseball on TV, like the kind of game Howard Cunningham would have taken Richie to, like it was baseball in the '50s, with bad lighting and unfathomably misshapen outfields. Never saw a game at Mile High. Drove by it once, I think. Anyway, Helton's not hitting well. Hasn't driven in a run since June 10, was benched Thursday, and Hurdle played Baker at first.

8) Willy Taveras has 32 steals, most in the N.L. He had five in one game recently versus the White Sox. Rox won that game 2-0, but Taveras didn't score either run.

9) A guy I worked with once was in St. Louis and stayed in the same hotel as the Rockies. He saw Dante Bichette in the lobby. Bichette was wearing a BICHETTE HAPPENS t-shirt. "What a dick," was the guy's assessment.

10) Ryan Church was presumably kept off this month's charter flight to Denver, even if he said he felt fine.

[Guest AG/DC]

The Rockies' next stop is Kansas City, a city they've never ever played in.

It'll be Clint Hurdle's first visit back since 1981 when he left as a phailed phenom. His bench coach is old KC teammate Jamie Quirk.

After the series, the Rocks reactivated secondbaseman Clint Barmes, who was hitting .343 when he went down. We dodged that bullet, except that his replacement, Jeff Baker, went 5-11 with a walk, double, a homer, two runs scored, and three RBI in the series.

[bmfc1]

I saw this KTE at the top of the threads and thought that the Mets were playing the Rockies again. It sure seems that way.

[Benjamin Grimm]

="AG/DC"]The Rockies' next stop is Kansas City, a city they've never ever played in.

I'll have to check this, but I think the Mets have visited every American League city since interleague play has begun

Is anyone aware of any cities the Mets haven't visited?

[batmagadanleadoff]

It depends on your definition of American League City. The Mets played the Brewers in Milwaukee, but only after the Brewers had realigned to the National League. (The Mets also played the Braves in Milwaukee).

[Benjamin Grimm]

That's clearly (I think) not what I mean. (Did Steve Rogers sneeze on you or something?)


Let me state it more explicitly:

Are there any teams the Mets have yet to visit since interleague play began?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: (Did Steve Rogers sneeze on you or something?)

Oh. Is that what did it to me? Cause I've had the flu all week.

[Benjamin Grimm]

And the answer is no. The Mets have visited all 14 AL teams:

Eleven times: Yankees
Four times: Orioles
Three times: Blue Jays, Red Sox
Twice: Angels, Devil Rays, Tigers
Once: Indians, Rangers, Royals, White Sox, Athletics, Mariners, Twins


Which is why it surprises me that there are some teams that still haven't visited other teams. I guess it's probably because some divisions have six teams and some have four, while the Mets are in a five-team division that has a five-team counterpart.

[G-Fafif]

The White Sox are the only AL team that has never come to Shea to play the Mets.

Cowards.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Actually, they once showed up at 3 a.m., when they knew the Mets wouldn't be there.

Cowards!

[Fman99]

How ironic.

I met a ChiSox fan this past weekend at Home Depot and struck up a conversation with the guy. If there's any team's fan base that can identify with Mets fans, as the second most popular team (nationally speaking) in a big city, it's White Sox fans.

[Guest AG/DC]

The Yankees trip to Pittsburgh is being reported as their first since Bill Mazerowski.