Edgy MD

Days off are almost always a bad idea when you're pursing something with limited time to get it. The Mets lose a half game in the East, but gain a half in the Wild Card. The resilient Cubs gain a full game, however, and pull back into a virtual tie with the Mets. Very interesting this weekend as both the Mets and Cubs face teams at the top of the Central. The plummeting Padres would be a real story, if they weren't the Padres. Interesting that the president resigns, but Bud Black survives. He's got to be one of the longest-serving managers now. Eastern Division Standings, Though Divisions Are Tearing Society Apart TeamWLPCTGBNGBAtlanta5339.576��Washington4745.5116.06.0Philadelphia4647.4957.59.0New York4048.45511.019.5Miami3357.36719.051.5 Standings in Pursuit of the Card that is OUT of CONTROL TeamWLPCTGBNGBPittsburgh5436.600-4.0-4.0Cincinnati5141.554��Washington4745.5114.04.0Los Angeles4645.5054.55.0Philadelphia4647.4955.58.0Colorado4449.4737.516.0Chicago4149.4569.023.5New York4048.4559.023.5San Francisco4150.4519.527.0San Diego4152.44110.535.0Milwaukee3754.40713.562.0Miami3357.36717.097.0

Vic Sage wrote: so your saying, therefore, that I'm not a sports fan. No I'm not saying that at all. All evidence flies in the face of that nition. Or maybe not enough of a sports fan? or the right kind of sports fan? Or your kind of sports fan? None of the above. Vic Sage wrote: Yes, i know that "fan" is short for "fanatic"... I actually don't believe this etymology, though widely accepted, is correct. Vic Sage wrote: ..., but i don't think fanaticism, or blind optimism, or unquestioning loyalty to a sports logo is really a requirement to be a Mets fan. It's not a religion. At least not to me. Your mileage may vary. We're off the island here. You're constructing an argument I neither made nor implied, and taking offense at it. What I'm trying to do is avoid taking any offense at an argument you seemingly did deliberately imply, that by posting these standings and presenting what they could possibly mean, I somehow am irrational. I in no way seek to impugn your sports fanhood. You watch NBA basketball which bores me stiff, so I think any fair comparison would suggest you are the greater sports fan. What I mean to do is take any distinction of the perspective of the Mets' hopes out of the realm of rational-vs.-irrational., and in so doing somewhat defend myself against the implication that I either have an irrational mind, or have a rational one operating irrationally. The avocation of rooting for a sports team or athlete is neither rational nor irrational, but super-rational.

No sports fan is rooted in the rational. It's helpful to recognize that.

So, by "pitchers," you mean "starting pitchers." I wouldn't be so black and white, but if you must, I'd say having four guys you believe in is impressive, especially after losing the top three from most of last year.

Who are these four pitchers? Who are the non-pitchers?

Maybe Byrd is carrying around fewer defensive skills than Beltran, but has outperformed him nonetheless. We know for a fact that inferior batsmen frequently have better hitting seasons than inferior ones. For some reason, we're prone the belief that ability and performance align nicely on defense, even though we know better. Lord knows, the men who hand out the Gold Gloves have been historically so prone.

Frayed Knot wrote: The Mets have signed Venezuelan shortstop Luis Carpio, the No. 30 international prospect, for $300,000. Carpio, who turned 16 today, is 6 feet, 155 pounds and showed improvement in both his tools and skills as July 2 approached, which is why some scouts thought he was one of the more underrated players this year. He�s an athletic player who runs well, shows a line-drive swing from the right side and projects to play a premium position, with those highest on him believing he can play shortstop. Several sources raved about Carpio�s work ethic and hard-nosed style of play that should endear him to managers. Carpio trains with Andres Mujica. He's our Derek JeterTM.

I'm almost at the point where, if I don't get the home TV feed, I'm fine with muting the road feed and listening to Howie and Josh, even though the synching is rarely close.

Which brings to mind their strangely monikered African-American counterparts.

Yes, lunchpail guys. I just found it entertaining that Howie was aware of what Lewin was doing --- most announcers are too asleep and unreflective to consider that maybe they're giving you a weakly filtered version of the story --- and was willing to gently call Josh on it. Yeah, they are great together. I thought maybe Howie had jumped the shark in recent years, but Lewin has been the medicine for him the way McCarver was for Ralph Kiner.

I stayed up late last night following the Diamondbacks and Dodgers in extra innings, even though it'd be pretty hard find a game more inconsequential to the Mets. But standings-wise, yesterday was a terrific day. If you've been waiting to throw your heart behind this Mets team, waiting until a win came along that catapulted them out of the muck and into relevance, well yesterday was that win. By knocking off the world champs in a third straight game, the Mets passed three teams in the standings in one magic day. By putting that much of the pack behind them, the team has ensured that, if they can keep winning, there's enough folks behind them to make the competitors behind them catchable. It's a big IF, of course, and that's why your team needs you to get on board NOW!!! Even these three games against the suddenly mighty Pirates have grave import. Tune in, cheer, take a trip to Pittsburgh if you must, give your all to your Mets. Division TeamWLPCTGBNGBAtlanta5239.571��Washington4744.5165.05.0Philadelphia4547.4897.510.0YOUR New York Mets 4048.45510.519.0Miami3357.36718.551.0 Card of Wildness TeamWLPCTGBNGBPittsburgh5436.600-3.5-3.5Cincinnati5140.560��Washington4744.5164.04.0Los Angeles4545.5005.57.0Philadelphia4547.4896.510.0Colorado4448.4787.514.0YOUR New York Mets 4048.4559.524.0Chicago4049.44910.027.0San Diego4151.44610.530.5San Francisco4050.44410.530.5Milwaukee3753.41113.557.5Miami3357.36717.597.5 The following pairings represent the NL matchups in the National League before the break, with who you might want to root for underlined. =#408000]Today Nationals @ Phillies You can't go wrong by rooting against either of these teams, but as the Phils are behind the Nats in the standings, and the Nats seem most capable of finding a new wind, root for the Phils. Or don't. But... =#408000]Tomorry Cardinals @ Cubs Can't go wrong here either, but if they're gonna win the division they might as well fatten up by knocking off the team just behind the Mets in the standings. Or the Cubs, utterly incapable of getting out of the Mets draft, knock down a giant we'll have to face later. That's good too. White Sox @ Phillies Robin Ventura, in our time of need, we turn to you. And you too, Super Joe. Nationals @ Marlins Let's go, second-half Fishies. Beat up on the top of the division like you beat up on the Mets (and no one else) in the first half. Reds @ Braves Don't fail me now, Joey Votto. The Braves are pretenders and everbody knows it but them. Send a strong message for them to take into the break. Brewers @ D-backs The Mets are four up on the Brewers. Do you care how they do against the Western Division leaders? I'm not sure I do, and yet, I watached that Arizona-Dodgers game late into last night. Of little consequence, but let's root for the Snakes to get a little tenderized here. Rockies @ Dodgers Two teams ahead of the Mets. I'm going to go with Los Angeles here. The cash-rich Dodgers need their spirits broken. But with Colorado delectably sitting one spot ahead of the Mets, achieiving the unlikely feat of catching them them by the break would be some sweet cherry pie. Put them behind us and the Dodgers will follow. We all know Mattingly is like a magnet polarized to defect away any post-season glory. Giants @ Padres Two of the teams the Mets passed yesterday matching up here. I'm rooting for the Pads. With a recent 10-game losing streak and the resignation of the their president, I'm guessing they're done, while the champs may still have enough pride to make one more surge. Enjoy the weekend.

If only your typical radio announcer had a taste for mid-century pulp novels.

Not bad. Keep your ears peeled.

July 8: Mets 4, San Francisco 3 July 9: Mets 10, San Francisco 6 July 10: Mets 7, San Francisco 2 Mets go into San Francisco, take on the world champs, face both Lincecum and Cain, confront a red-hot Buster Posey, and walk out of there with a three-game sweep on the road. That's a nice one to take home with ye. Or to Pittsburgh as it were, where they'll have a day off before facing the astonishing Buccos.

It's still early out west, but it could be a big night.

Driving home with my wife today, we caught the last bit of the game as Lewin and Rose had this exchange. Lewin: "You know, Kent was always a tough interview. He was really intense." Rose: "Oh, he was intense, was he?" As they continued with a brief snicker, I cracked up, because I realized that he let us briefly peek behind a curtain of euphemism that I wasn't sure broadcasters even knew they were using. My wife realized what I was laughing about, because she asked me, "What are those three euphemisms again?" To review, as first outlined (I think) by Johnny Lunchbucket: If you're white, and you're an asshole, then you're intense. If you're black, and you're an asshole, then you're troubled. If you're Latin American, and you're an asshole, then you're fiery. My wife followed up with, "What about the Japanese players?" I didn't know. I guess there've been few enough, and we get little enough media engagement with them that a eupemism has never evolved. And heck, the important diplomatic nature of their careers here has seemed to keep any of them from anti-social behavior even if they're so inclined. The closest thing to a misanthropic Japanese player in the US that I can think of was from the early years --- Hidecki Irabu. And I'd be pretty intense myself if I had to put up with the shit he got.

Sheesh. Suddenly, we have two catchers who are hitting.

Word of Wheeler being a bust = premature Quintanilla = major league shortstop.

Frayed Knot wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Zvon wrote: Cains done? Thats weird. Cain was unAbel to complete the 1st. Oh brother. Where art thou sense of humor? Is Swanny his sense of humor's keeper?

Not getting with the suck agenda at all, Ike Davis walks and raises his post-recall OBP to, like, .500.

So, like, Eric Young has totally failed in the stinking department.

Untouchable Ordinals: NY NY 3 4 11 20 24 27 30 36 =#0000FF]42 44 Despite the Giants place in Mets heritage 24 (unofficially) and 42 are the only retired numbers they share with the Mets. OE: Well, they also share the "NY." But the Mets haven't retired that yet.

Chad Gaudin, making the scene in the emergency room. Beating the Giants today takes on a new moral urgency.

Skipping Harvey's last first-half start.

"It's about culture, not politics. We don't want anything political. We now present Black 47."