Benjamin Grimm

]Mets trade OF Church to Braves for OF Francoeur July 10th, 2009 @ 4:04pm NEW YORK (AP) - The slumping New York Mets have traded outfielder Ryan Church to the Atlanta Braves for outfielder Jeff Francoeur. The deal came Friday, with the injury-ravaged Mets trying to avoid falling farther back in the NL East race. Church is hitting .280 with two home runs and 22 RBIs. Francoeur is hitting .250 with five homers and 35 RBIs.

Misch 1 Stokes 1 Sheffield 1 Wright 1

There's a game in September my daughter really wants to go to. I guess we'll probably go, but I have a feeling that place will be a tomb by then.

="Willets Point":2dzk64p5]I'd like to see interleague play trimmed back to just six games: one three game series versus the "natural rival" (ex. Mets v. Yankees) and one three game series against another opponent that changes annually.[/quote:2dzk64p5] I like that. If they were to do that, I'd expand it to eight games. (Four two-game series, home and away.) The problem, though, is that two-game series are always scheduled mid-week, and these high-profile interleague matchups will always want to be played on weekends. Frayed Knot Jul 10 2009 12:01 PM The stupid thing is, interleague was originally 18 games (or close to it) only because it started as East vs East, Central vs Central, etc. Now that that format has been done away with they're still sticking with 18/year as if that number came down on a stone tablet and can never be altered. Years ago I suggested a compromise (since I know they'll never kill it altogether similar to the one Willets just did. Mine was to cut it down to 10/per; 4 between "natural rivals" plus 2 other 3-game series at random. That keeps both the automatic sell-outs and satisfies those who want a random new opponent thrown in. Then I'll take it one step further and say that the 'natural rival' series should be right after the AS break. That weekend virtually demands a 4 game series (close rivals can go NL - AL - NL - AL so both get a weekend game; more distant ones can alternate the 2 + 2) and both squads should have their best pitchers lined up to go head to head. Fman99 Jul 10 2009 12:06 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":1tzn2pxy]I wasn't advocating for the balanced schedule. I don't like that at all. I'd eliminate interleague play, and have the Mets (and other teams in the NL East and West) play each team within their division 16 times, and each team outside the division 9 times. (That adds up to 163, so an exception would have to be made here or there.) And I don't know how that would affect teams in the 6-team Central division.[/quote:1tzn2pxy] I like this also. The 16/9 plan, sans interleague, works just fine for me.

I wasn't advocating for the balanced schedule. I don't like that at all. I'd eliminate interleague play, and have the Mets (and other teams in the NL East and West) play each team within their division 16 times, and each team outside the division 9 times. (That adds up to 163, so an exception would have to be made here or there.) And I don't know how that would affect teams in the 6-team Central division.

Well, the alternative is to have the Astros come in to Washington to just play a half inning. I can think of two ways to make this necessity a lot less likely: 1. Go back to the old days when teams would visit cities outside their division twice a year, instead of only once. 2. Repeal the recent "no tie games" rule. That original game would have then been a tie, and the Astros and Nationals would have had to make up an entire game, which, at least, makes a trip to DC by the Astros seem less pointless. (And it creates another game date, with additional ticket sales.)

Did the Nationals wear home whites? I'm guessing not.

I turn on the TV. It's 4-0 Dodgers. I turn off the TV. Sheesh.

Other than that Roger Clemens clip, I don't think I've heard her voice in 20 years.

The Philadelphia Inquirer ran an editorial this morning endorsing the candidacy of Shane Victorino.

Is Cohoon the guy Ron Darling was plugging last night during the telecast?

Used-to-be, anyway. I remember her at Shea Stadium singing a song about Tom Seaver (to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame") in 1988 on the day the Mets retired number 41. Someday there may be another With strikeouts and shutouts and such But there'll never be one like Tom Seaver Our ace number one in the clutch That aside, is the birth of WFAN anything to celebrate?

You're not alone in that, it seems.

It was only five innings, and he walked too many guys, but he only gave up 2 runs. (That's a 3.60 ERA for the day.) I think that's worth a point or two.

Perez 2 Wright 1.6 Murphy 1.6 Reed 1.6 Schneider 0.8 Castillo 0.8 Parnell 1 Green 0.3 Rodriguez 0.3

VOTING FOR THIS GAME IS NOW CLOSED Totals for July 5, 2009 (8 votes) Philadelphia Phillies 2, New York Mets 0 NameTotal PointsPoints AwardedPlayer PerformanceJohan Santana36.944.62(L) 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO.Luis Castillo10.531.322-2, BB.Bobby Parnell5.770.721.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO.Daniel Murphy0.970.120-2, BB, SO.Jeremy Reed0.500.061-3.

VOTING FOR THIS GAME IS NOW CLOSED Totals for July 4, 2009 (9 votes) Philadelphia Phillies 4, New York Mets 1 NameTotal PointsPoints AwardedPlayer PerformanceFernando Nieve16.151.79(L) 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 3 SO.Alex Cora10.461.163-4.Pedro Feliciano8.850.981.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO.Brian Stokes7.690.851.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO.Omir Santos3.390.381-1, BB.Nick Evans2.750.311-4, R, 2 SO.Pat Misch1.760.200.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO.

VOTING FOR THIS GAME IS NOW CLOSED Totals for July 3, 2009 (7 votes) Philadelphia Phillies 7, New York Mets 2 NameTotal PointsPoints AwardedPlayer PerformancePat Misch18.672.673.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO.Ryan Church12.391.773-4, R, 2B.Brian Schneider7.901.131-3, 2B, RBI, BB.Nick Evans4.930.701-4, R, 2B, RBI, 2 SO.Bobby Parnell3.710.531.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO.Elmer Dessens3.210.461.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO.Gary Sheffield0.770.111-3, BB.

VOTING FOR THIS GAME IS NOW CLOSED Totals for July 2, 2009 (7 votes) New York Mets 9, Pittsburgh Pirates 8 NameTotal PointsPoints AwardedPlayer PerformanceFernando Tatis23.673.383-4, 4 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, SB.Ryan Church16.422.353-6, 2 R, 2 RBI.Brian Stokes7.611.092.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO.Daniel Murphy4.950.711-1, 2 RBI.Sean Green4.280.611.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO.Nick Evans2.900.412-6, RBI, SO.Elmer Dessens1.730.251.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO.Alex Cora1.700.242-6, R, 2B, SB.Pat Misch1.580.230.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO.Francisco Rodriguez1.400.20(W) 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO.David Wright1.400.201-5, 2 R, BB, SO.Jeremy Reed1.000.140-0, RBI.Gary Sheffield0.800.111-4, RBI, BB.Argenis Reyes0.560.080-0, BB, SB.

VOTING FOR THIS GAME IS NOW CLOSED Totals for July 1, 2009 (10 votes) New York Mets 1, Milwaukee Brewers 0 NameTotal PointsPoints AwardedPlayer PerformanceMike Pelfrey53.945.39(W) 7.2 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO.Ryan Church12.391.241-3, RBI, BB, SB.Luis Castillo10.841.081-4, R, 2B, 2 SB.Francisco Rodriguez9.560.96(Sv) 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO.Sean Green9.110.910.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO.Brian Schneider1.790.181-3, 2 SO.Nick Evans1.610.161-3, 2B, BB, SO.

I think the Schaefer Mets Player of the Month for July will end up being the middle reliever who pitches the most scoreless mop-up innings.

Dessens 1 Green 0.4

You're very optimistic about baseball, and very pessimistic about election results, I've noticed.

They should promote him to the Mets. He (wait for it...) can't be any worse than what they already have.

GET SHUT OUT!