Centerfield

I guess it makes sense that the lefty is a Glavine fan.

From ESPN: The only downer for the Mets: First baseman Carlos Delgado left the game in the third after getting struck on the right knee with a pitch from Hudson. But X-rays were negative and he was day to day with a painful bruise.

Nice win. I don't like how Fox didn't give us a Delgado update.

Yup. No hesitation.

I said no, but mine wasn't as emphatic as everyone here. I'm thinking of October, when the NLDS is tied 1-1 and we have El Duque scheduled to start Game 3 on the road. Would you trade Milledge for Zito then? Even if it was just to make that one start? The answer is no, but it's a hell of a lot tougher than I thought it would be. It makes no sense logically....but post-seasons are few and far between here in Metland.

I like when announcers dance around the words. It makes it feel like they're one of us. And like I said before, I have no problem with homers, I don't like announcers who lack perspective. And I know logically superstition is silly. But it's part of what makes baseball fun. We all know rally hats don't do dick either...the fun is in wearing your hat like a fool and pretending it's helping your team.

I don't know about meds, but one thing that could help your psyche is to stop listening to sports radio. Or at least taking anything that is said seriously anyway.

Yay Valentin!

Come on guys. This is Glendon Freakin' Rusch.

Beltran 3 run HR coming up. You heard it here second.

Beltran 3 run HR coming up. You heard it here first.

What's worse is that the TV head guy has to lug around that clunky outdated TV while the rest of the world switches to flat panel.

Zambrano had a few to spare.

Vic Sage wrote: ]But here's why Yankee fans love the 'Captain': he's all about team and there is no "I" in Derek Jeter. wow. did he actually pull out that hoary old chestnut? What style! And while he's correct that there is no "I" in Derek Jeter, lets see what there IS: DEREK JETER jerk drek terd jeer eek reek retj deter eet drek der jerk That's alot of bad stuff in Derek Jeter, even without an "I". Don't forget RED TERD...something for which you should consult your doctor right away...

Last night they were talking about LoDuca's thumb, and though it's really bothering him, he won't get it checked out because he says he's not coming out anyway. I'm all for the old school tough guy thing, but not even getting it looked at seems pretty idiotic to me. It could be something a week or two will heal, and considering the lead, it would be dumb not to sit him down. And if it shows it's something that won't go away with a little rest, at least they'll know what they're up against and if by playing he risks injuring it further. Remember, this guy is under contract for next season too. I say get it checked.

By now, Rodriguez has been so thoroughly crushed by Derek Jeter in the PR referendum, the side-by-side comparison no longer merits debate: Yes, Jeter is hipper, cooler and more dependable in the clutch, even with less talent. I can't speak to who is hipper or cooler, I will leave that to experts like Klapisch, but as far as hitting in the clutch, here's what I see. ESPN has close and late stats going back to 2002. From 2002 to present, A-Rod is 97 for 379 in the clutch. Jeter is 90 for 351. That works out to .256 for both players. So much for that. Klapisch is right about one thing...considering the difference in power numbers, it seems obvious that Jeter has less talent. Oh well, at least he's "hipper".

There are a number of reasons Jeter and Rodriguez stopped hanging out. One is married, the other is still single. Jeter has a cold-blooded side to him, both athletically and socially. He is unafraid. Rodriguez, on the other hand, is obsessed with what others think of him. Jeter decided he could no longer put up with what he considered A-Rod's fatal flaw. What a bunch of garbage. I hate how A-Rod is painted as some sensitive weenie while Jeter is canonized. Jeter bristled at the comparisons as it became more and more obvious that A-Rod's superior power numbers and superior (at the time) defense made him head and shoulders above Jeter. Jeter bristled more when A-Rod basically mirrored that sentiment by saying Jeter doesn't warrant as much money because of the lack of power. Jeter cares what people think about him just as much as A-Rod. Especially when people think A-Rod is better. Still, that doesn't mean Jeter should be watching in silence while Rodriguez comes apart. It's time for him to act as captain and become A-Rod's advocate, the same way he and other Bombers defended Jason Giambi in 2005. Of course he shouldn't, but he is because anyone who is watching can see that little rat is taking some pleasure in watching A-Rod's struggles. He is feeling vindicated (although not rightly so) by A-Rod's errors because there were many who said it should have been Jeter who should have moved. (A-Rod, once upon a time, was a Gold Glover at SS). One veteran sarcastically asked a group of reporters on Tuesday, "Hey, did you guys make it to the team party in Central Park?" It was an obvious reference to A-Rod and his self-absorbed ways. Was it Bob? Or was it a dig on the media for making news out of A-Rod's private time with his family?

The more I think about it, I think they can never tell the truth on TV. Joe Buck: Hello everyone, along with Tim McCarver and Centerfield, we are live at Shea Stadium for Game 1 of the NLCS. Tim, let's talk about today's pitching matchup. For the Mets, Orlando Hernandez tries to re-capture his past success. McCarver: El Duque has been uneven this year, but New Yorkers know that come October, he becomes a Big Game pitcher who- CF: Excuse me Tim, actually, there's very little evidence to show that El Duque performs any differently in any particular type of situation...and if in fact, there is any discrepancy, it is likely a product of small sample size rather than any ascertainable personality trait. McCarver: Um, ok. But New York fans will remember his incredible performance in the 1998 post-season. Mets fans will be hoping... CF: Actually, Tim, sorry to interrupt again, that was eight years ago. And while Met fans will be hoping for a repeat performance, a handful of starts from nearly a decade ago is hardly a better indicator of tonight's performance than the 30 starts he has made this season, and this season he has been inconsistent with his control. (uncomfortable silence) Joe Buck: Putting aside the pitching for the moment, Tim, tell us how these teams match up against each other. Can the Mets, who rely so much on the home run, have any success here in the post-season? McCarver: Yes, and no, while the Mets power is certainly formidable, to have success in the post-season, the Mets will have to manufacture runs- CF: Actually, again sorry Tim, there's nothing that suggests a team is any less likely to score runs via home runs in the post-season than in any regular season game. McCarver: Yes, but the Mets will be facing more formidable pitching than they have at other points- CF: Actually, history suggests that not only is there no magic formula for winning in the post-season, there is no real good indicator of who will win the series...not even regular season records. In fact, the entire post-season is somewhat of a crapshoot, so although we have 20 minutes of pre-game to fill, we really cannot give you any meaningful analysis. (more uncomfortable silence) CF: I mean, I'm just saying. Joe Buck: And look, there’s Teeny Sitcomstar, from the Fox Hit Series...

I get incredibly frustrated when people in the media talk about how clutch Jeter is, while A-Rod struggles "in these types of situations" when one can simply look up the numbers and see that their performance is identical. Do the media guys not know this? Are they that clueless that they can write articles, run segments, spout on and on about this apparent "truth" without doing some research? Or, do they know all of this? They know that there is no difference between Jeter and A-Rod...they know Benitez is not a choker...but they continue to paint things in that light because it makes for a more interesting story? Admittedly, the truth is kind of boring. Telling people that there is no such thing as "clutch" or "chokers" and that eventually most people balance out toward their career averages is not very compelling at all. Telling people that a leadoff walk is no more likely than a leadoff single to score, makes it harder to place blame on a pitcher. Tough to say...I know some of these guys aren't the brightest in the world, especially the local rag guys, but I find it hard to believe that no one out there knows the truth.

Buchholz vs. El Duque. Coming down pretty hard right now. I'm not sure they get this one in.

It's amazing. The minute A-Rod made that error last night, you knew it was going to end up on the cover despite the fact that it did not tie the game or give the Jays the lead. Imagine if that had been a Jeter error with Armando giving up the HR in the 10th...I wonder who would have been labeled "choker".

What KC said. Clemens and Jeter come to mind as players I would have difficulty rooting for. Maybe whiny little Maddux too. I have always liked Glavine...even when he was with the Braves. But I think that's mostly because he looks and acts just like my friend Eric.

I would grab a bat and take BP. Depending on how well that went, I may or may not put myself in the lineup tonight.

I agree with nearly everything the writer said.

Mets are getting Jarrod Washburn for Brian Bannister and Victor Diaz.