Bleacher Report - Articles by Andrew Mees

A Realistic View of the New York Mets' Latest Collapse

Andrew Mees — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:44:59 -0400

I haven't written on Bleacher Report in a while, partly because society dictates that I need to work in order to survive, and partly because I wanted to take this month of New York Mets baseball in, so I'd have a lot of earth-shattering material when I finally sat down to write.

And what a month it was. I cheered, I cried, I lost my dinner almost nightly. For every memorable win, there was a loss that made you feel like you just got a crushing blow to the stomach.

And when it was all said and done, the Amazin's once again collapsed in another September and again missed out on a postseason that seemed destined to have games played at Shea.

There's been a million articles written about it, from Bleacher Report to the New York papers. I don't know if I'll ever get over the way the past three seasons of Mets baseball have ended, and it's certainly not going to help going over every missed opportunity and blown lead of the season.

At this point, I'm just too fragile.

The articles that have been written about this team on this site have all had great points, but one really needs to be driven home in my opinion: Despite what some fans think, this team was lucky to be in position to be vying for the postseason.

People, this team had the worst bullpen in the majors after the All-Star break, before they lost their closer for the final two months of the season to injury. They had 29 blown saves. 29 blown saves. That's over a month's worth of games.

They lost nine games in which they were leading after eight innings, most in the bigs. Their playoff hopes rested on a reliever that the Washington Nationals couldn't wait to get rid of closing games. Does that sound like the bullpen of a playoff team to you? Didn't think so.

They lost one of their top three starters, John Maine, for the season with almost two months to go. They had bench players play more than 50 games at second base and both corner outfield positions.

For a large portion of the season, they relied on a platoon of two rookies in left field, both of whom were never supposed to be anywhere close to the majors this season. Then, they lost their two best bench players, Fernando Tatis and Damion Easley, in the season's final month.

Rookie left-hander Jon Niese made his first three major-league starts for this team—in September. Yet, in spite of it all, this team was up three-and-a-half games with 17 to play in the National League East.

Did they collapse? Sure they did. Nobody can deny that. They had a chance to get in to the playoffs, heading into the final game of the season, and they blew it with another choke-job performance.

But with all that happened to this team over the course of the season, it could have easily been a meaningless final game at Shea. While the result hurts more than words can describe, it's important to understand that despite being so close, this team wasn't really playoff-caliber.

They had an incredibly talented core and an unmatched ace, but a horrific bullpen and a laundry list of injuries proved to be too much for those players to overcome.

New York Mets' Bullpen Is Not the Only Problem

Andrew Mees — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:24:20 -0400

Don't get me wrong people. The Mets' bullpen is bad.

In fact, it's horrible. I'm not going to rehash the unit's stats since the All-Star break; they just make me want to get myself back into playing shape, walk up to Shea Stadium, and demand a tryout.

There isn't one guy that doesn't make my stomach turn every time Gary Cohen says "(fill in the blank) is warming up in the bullpen." It takes a truly special group of men to create that kind of angst on a nightly basis.

But last night, the bullpen gave up three earned runs over the final seven-and-one-third innings of the game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Not spectacular by any means, and the final two runs cost the Mets the game.

But this is not all the bullpen's fault. It's easy to pin the loss (and the lion's share of the Mets' struggles) on them, but an alarming trend has been forming over the course of this roller-coaster season of New York Mets baseball.

I'm talking to you, David Wright.

You too, Beltran. Even you, Mr. Comeback Player of the Year, Carlos Delgado.

I'm talking about the Amazin's offense. This group looks like the second coming of "Murderer's Row" for the first three innings of every game, only to take their foot off the gas for the remaining six.

The club has scored the most first-inning runs of any team in baseball and has the biggest run differential over the first three innings in the majors.

But over the last third of a game, the boys from Queens have one of the five worst run differentials in the league.

Some of that falls on the bullpen, sure. But certainly not all of it.

The Mets' offense went into a nine-inning-long coma last night at Citizen's Bank Park. Wright and Delgado hit into inning-ending double plays with runners in scoring position. The hitters' approach at the plate changed dramatically once they mounted a big lead, and the small-ball tactics and running game that allow them to get out in front early became completely nonexistent.

This team lacks the killer instinct to go for the throat and put a team away. It's been a known fact that the bullpen is the "weak link" of this club, so that should create even more of a sense of urgency to keep scoring runs and maintain the approach that allows them to jump out to early leads

If the Mets want to play in October, they need to eliminate "Cruise Control" as one of their speeds, and play with their foot to the floor for nine innings.

The bullpen may truly be the weak link, but without their offense developing the killer instinct necessary to put teams away, the arms in the 'pen won't be the only ones drawing blame when this team misses out on October baseball.

Jose Reyes: Your 2008 National League MVP?

Andrew Mees — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:14:27 -0400

Yes, you read that headline right.

And no, I haven't been drinking. Before you laugh this article off and consider it nonsense from an ignorant Mets' fan, I'll preface this piece by pointing out there may be no writer on this site that's been more critical of Jose than me.

There have been points in 2008 where he's been a space cadet, in the field and on the bases, but if the Mets win the National League East, Reyes should be on the short list of candidates for the National League Most Valuable Player Award.

Trust me, I never thought I'd be writing a column dedicated to this topic after the month of May. Through the first two months, Reyes was driving Mets fans the world over towards their friendly, neighborhood drinking establishment.

But for the past two and a half months, this guy has been nothing short of the elite player we all thought he could be.

He has not only turned his season around, but he's become, without question, the most important player in the National League East race and the most important player to the "Amazin's" success.

Still think I'm smoking the funny stuff? Let's take a look at how his numbers stack up with whom most believe is the front-runner in the MVP race: Mr. Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Through yesterday's games, Reyes' 161 hits are tops in the national league (Utley has 133). His .304 batting average is 10th in the league, and second among NL leadoff hitters by a single point (Utley's .284 average places him 30th).

While Utley smokes Jose in homers (30 to 13), Reyes trails only Hanley Ramirez of the Marlins in homers among NL leadoff hitters, as well as RBI (Jose has 53). His 40 stolen bases make him second in the league (Utley is 33rd with 10), and his 14 triples are also tops in NL (Utley has three, putting him 23rd).

You might say to yourself, "Well, Utley is a power-hitter, and Reyes is a contact hitter, so he's going to have more hits and a higher average." And while that's a fair argument, you can easily refute it by checking out their total bases for the season.

Utley is only ahead of Reyes by three, 262 to 259, putting Jose fourth in the league. Reyes' 88 runs scored put him third in the NL, and he only trails Utley in doubles by two (33-31) and on-base percentage by .007 (.368 to .361).

After a shaky first few months in the field, Reyes has also raised his game defensively and, barring a terrible final two months with the glove, will be in serious consideration for the Gold Glove at shortstop.

While all these numbers are pretty telling in determining who's more deserving of the hardware at this point in the season, the true measure of the Most Valuable Player—at least in my opinion—is how important he is to his team's success.

Talk to any knowledgeable Mets' fan and they'll tell you Reyes is by far the most important position player to the team's success. He is the engine that makes the offense run—when he's getting on base, they are an extremely dangerous group.

Because of this, he has become (along with Hanley Ramirez) the player in the NL East that simply cannot go down with an injury if his team wants to make the playoffs.

That, to me, is an MVP.

I'm not saying Jose will win the trophy. Lance Berkmann is having an amazing season—he tops Jose in every offensive category except hits and triples. But his team isn't going anywhere, and if Jose keeps going at this pace, his team will still be playing come October.

All I'm saying is that as you watch the season wind down, keep in mind the season Reyes is putting together. What once seemed like it could be a lost year for Jose could become the one that ends with the MVP trophy coming to Queens.

New York Mets State of the Union Address: Trade Deadline Edition

Andrew Mees — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:59:02 -0400

It's July 29, and you know what that means. Peter Gammons is drinking Red Bulls like they're going out of style and Jayson Stark looks like he hasn't slept in weeks.

That's right people, the trade deadline is under 48 hours away and everyone is anxiously awaiting the moves they hope their team will make for the stretch run.

With that in mind, I've decided to bring back the State of the Union Address after an extended hiatus (due in large part to me entering the working world and enjoying the pleasures of being treated like an indentured servant) and give you my thoughts on the boys from Queens, their current situation, and the moves they'd be pursuing if yours truly was the General Manager.

Like always I'll break it down good, bad, and ugly style and open it up to your thoughts. So let's get this baby started with how the past month has gone for the Amazins.

The Good

There have been so many good things that have happened over the past 40 games with this club that it's difficult to figure out where to begin.

Jose Reyes is hustling game-in and game-out, the starting pitching has been outstanding for the most part, and Damion Easley, Fernando Tatis, Endy Chavez, and Ramon Castro have saved the season.

All of this must be credited to the change in the manager's chair. Jerry Manuel has done an outstanding job as the captain of this ship and anyone who thinks he's meant nothing has their head in the sand.

The team has played very good baseball since he assumed the position, but all of these good things can't hold a candle to the number one good thing going on with the Mets right now...

Carlos Delgado taking a trip down Memory Lane: Come on. You never saw this coming. Nobody did. Everyone in America including this writer had Delgado dead and buried as a top run-producer in baseball. The general consensus on this guy was that he wasn't even good enough to be a starting first basemen anymore.

Boy, has he proved us wrong.

The big fella looks as if he's morphed into the Delgado of five years ago, and is finally staying back and trusting his hands to do the work. A .386 average and eight homers in the month of July makes the Amazins not only out of the market for a new first baseman, but most likely seriously entertaining the notion of picking up Delgado's option for 2009.

Johan Santana: The fans calling in to New York talk radio need to get off this guy's back. He's 9-7, and could easily make a case for having 14-15 wins. His 2.97 ERA and 1.17 WHIP make him one of the top starters in the National League this season and every time the team has needed a big game out of him he's answered the call.

He didn't run up to the manager and beg to stay in the game after going eight innings, so he's not worth the money? Be serious people. If the Mets go anywhere in October, he'll be one of the main reasons why.

The Bad

Carlos Beltran's Power Outage: The second half of the Carloses has rebounded a little after his horrible April and is putting up decent numbers. His knees are clearly almost at full-strength judging by his ability to run down balls and make a ridiculous Web-Gem at the wall against the Cardinals Sunday night.

He's still on pace to drive in 100 runs, but his 15 homers are a cause for concern. He's not hitting the long-ball at the same pace we've become accustomed to and he is having a down year in terms of home runs. If he can find his power stroke again and get hot for the final two months, the Mets could easily run away with National League East.

Pedro Martinez and John Maine's Shoulder: First off, thoughts and prayers go out to Pedro and his family after the passing of his father.

On the baseball side, Martinez has been far from productive so far this season. He's struggled with the mental aspect in his outings, something he's always had incredible control over.

His health has also wavered at points, with hamstring and groin injuries and a cortisone shot in his hip. The Mets need Pedro to be healthy when he returns, and if he doesn't stay that way, they could be in serious trouble in terms of starting pitching when September rolls around.

Maine has had an up and down season, far from the break-out campaign some had predicted. He left last night's game with shoulder stiffness and if he's seriously injured the Mets will need to alter their course of action at the deadline and add a starter.

The Ugly

The Duke: Forgot about this guy, didn't you? El Duque hasn't thrown a pitch for the Mets this year and it's looking more and more like he won't. He left a rehab start, the last before he was supposed to rejoin the team, with a recurrence of his foot injury, and there hasn't been any definitive time table set for his return. Adding a healthy Hernandez to the bullpen as a long man would bolster a unit that will be addressed in three...two...one...

The Bullpen: It's feast or famine with these guys. Some nights they come in and are lights out, others they give the game away. They've had two meltdowns in the past calendar week and the Mets will never be able to distance themselves from the pack and have an extended winning streak if these guys fold like a cheap suite once a week. This makes for a perfect segue to our next portion of the program...

Thoughts on the Trade Deadline, and what the Mets must do: We know Omar Minaya is trying to make deals happen, so if nothing gets done, it won't be due to a lack of effort. With that in mind, here are a few names I'd be pursuing if I was calling the shots in Queens.

The top needs in order are reliever, left fielder, and starting pitcher. The caliber of left fielder the Mets go after will largely hinder on how Ryan Church comes back from Post Concussion Syndrome. If he's right, maybe Tatis will be fine there. If not, an upgrade is needed.

George Sherrill, Ron Mahay, Brian Fuentes: As previously stated in the Ugly section, the Mets need to add a bullpen arm badly. All three of these guys are having solid seasons, and all three would be great fits in New York. I like Sherrill the most out of the three, simply because he's tough as nails and you can never go wrong with a white guy wearing a flat-brimmed hat. Makes sense to me.

Manny Ramirez: Call him a malcontent. Call him selfish. The fact of the matter is if this guy is on the table, the Mets need to be all-in. He's a game-changer, a season-changer, and a franchise-changer offensively, and if the Mets need to stack the prospects to get it done, so be it.

A change of scenery might be just what Manny needs to be re-energized and you know he's clutch in the postseason. Jerry Manuel can handle Manny Being Manny and there are enough veterans on the team that will not let it become a problem.

The Mets are hitting .226 with runners in scoring position and two outs. They need a left fielder and they need a right-handed bat. This move makes perfect sense because I'd be willing to bet that no player the Mets would trade would ever reach the caliber of Manny Ramirez.

Raul Ibanez: Plan B for the Mets if Manny is not moved. Ibanez is a solid player who would definitely help the Mets, fill a void in left field and put Tatis back in his back-up role, the role he's best suited for. The price may be too high, but look for the Mets to be in serious talks with the Mariners about bringing Ibanez (and possibly Arthur Rhodes) to Queens for a package of prospects.

Greg Maddux: Throw this one under the "Never Gonna Happen" title. Still, the Mets should make the call and see if Maddux would be interested. He's still a solid starter, he never gets hurt, and if his team scored more than 3.7 runs a start for him, he'd be winning a lot more games. If Pedro and Maine are not 100%, they'll need to acquire a starter. He probably wouldn't come to New York, but it's worth it to make the call.

Overall thoughts on the Amazins: This team is on the cusp of being one of the three or four best teams in the league. With the right additions at the deadline, the boys from Queens could easily be representing the National League East in the playoffs and maybe making a run deep into October. The pink elephant in the room is the bullpen, which is one more solid arm away from being a strength and not a weakness. The next three days will be very interesting for Mets' fans. Stay tuned.

Sports Agents: The Ultimate Movers and Shakers

Andrew Mees — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:48:10 -0400

Entourage's Johnny Drama once quipped, "An agent, by nature, is a lying, money-hungry c***sucker. That's the breed."

Professional sports in America have never been more lucrative than they are at the present time, with leagues earning billions of dollars a year from various revenue streams.

And who's there to make sure the athletes—the ones who bring in those billions of dollars—get the compensation they think they deserve?

Why, your friendly neighborhood sports agent. And all it will cost you is 10 percent.

While the nature of the profession has prompted negative comments from fictional characters like Mr. Drama and the most prominent writers of the sporting world alike, the fact remains the modern-day sports agent is the most influential non-athlete of American sports in the last 25 years, and the true embodiment of a mover and shaker.

Armed with the tenacity of an NFL linebacker, the motor of a top NBA draft prospect, and the negotiation tactics of a world-class attorney, sports agents go to war every day for their clients, making sure all their needs are met, and making sure they build their business empires one contract at a time.

The ultimate spin-doctors, they can turn a pitcher with a .500 career record into an $11 million a year second-coming of Cy Young (See: Burnett, A.J.).

They negotiate business-savvy clauses in their clients' contracts, everything from performance-based incentives to early-termination options, all of which empower their client and give them the piece of mind they so desperately crave.

What really makes the sports agent such a fascinating creature, though, is the multitude of mediums they must be solid in to represent their client to the best of their ability.

To get a client the maximum amount of money possible, an agent must understand not only the current market for his services, but also the inner-workings of the professional contract, all while taking into account the clients' needs and wants, which ultimately are priority No. 1.

The best of the best have an outstanding knowledge of the game and the ability to understand what his client can offer that no one else on the market can. He must be able to market his player and make him appear to be the player every team has to have.

Then, there's the underbelly.

The best agents in the world of professional sports are the ones who never tip their hand. The ones who'll pitch their client like a used-car salesman, neglecting the aspects that will turn a prospective buyer away. They'll tell you there's 10 teams interested, when in reality, there's one or two, or maybe even none. It's not lying, but it's not the truth either.

They are the ones who are vicious negotiators, making sure their client gets every single penny they feel the market dictates. And most importantly, they're the ones who general managers and owners cringe at the sight of, because they know they're going to have to open up their wallet a lot further than they'd like.

Professional sports are bringing in revenue in record numbers, and at the epicenter of the money train are the athletes. They're the ones bringing the fans to the stadiums. The ones whose jerseys you buy at the mall.

To ensure these players get their fair share of the astronomical figures, they need someone who's willing to fight for them, while gaining their own power and prestige in the process.

They need a lying, money-hungry c***sucker.

They need a sports agent, the ultimate mover and shaker in American sports.

New York Mets Fire Willie Randolph: Put a Tent Over This Circus

Andrew Mees — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:32:16 -0400

Remember that Saturday Night Live skit, "Celebrity Jeopardy"? I can't help but think of Will Ferrell as Alex Trebeck staring into the camera saying, "And the show has hit a new low," after the Mets' firing of embattled manager Willie Randolph.

My esteemed colleague Mr. Fennelly has done a great job in dissecting the timing of the firing, and I'd like to take it one step further.

I've been one of the writers on Bleacher Report that has been the most critical of Randolph, and I completely agree with his dismissal. What I do not agree with, however, is the gutless manner in which the trigger was pulled.

If you take away the three blown saves by Billy "master of the ultimate gag-job" Wagner, the Mets would be 12-5 over their last 17. You can look it up.

He took criticism from management over his handling of Mike Pelfrey in his start against the Diamondbacks—letting him start the ninth inning after totaling 110 pitches through the first eight innings—and not playing the percentages by bringing in Wagner in the middle of an inning.

That criticism alone shows me that there are a lot of people in the Mets' organization that have no clue what is going on. Randolph wanted to see what his young pitcher had, Pelfrey told him he wanted to finish the game, so Willie gave him a shot.

You would think the best left-handed reliever in the history of the game, a man who is in the top-five of all-time in saves could come in with a runner on and a multiple-run lead and nail it down. The moves were exactly what should have been done; yet management still had a problem with it.

If the Mets were going to fire Randolph, it should have been done at their famous meeting of the minds over Memorial Day weekend. Instead, he was given a dubious vote of confidence, while everyone knew the ice he was skating on was getting thinner by the minute.

Instead, they waited till the team flew to California to fire him, after the first game of the road trip (a game that they won, by the way). And to make matters worse, they waited until after midnight PST to drop the hammer.

In a move reminiscent of the Baltimore Colts, they put out an early-morning press release, as if it would somehow soften the blow. If you were asked to take a cross-country business trip, and were fired after the first day you were there, you'd be pretty upset too.

What this move has actually done is give us a window into the ultimate circus in Major League Baseball. The way Randolph has been treated over the last few weeks has not shown a shred of class, which is completely unfair to a man who has always carried himself with dignity.

This has been Standard Operating Procedure since the Wilpons became the owners of this club. The in-fighting and backstabbing amongst members of the organization have been rampant since the Steve Phillips era.

Think back to the infamous Scott Kazmir trade: How many different reports did you hear from an 'unnamed source' about the deliberations leading up to the move? Everyone was pointing the finger at someone else.

It's been this way for quite a while now, and the Mets will never win if their organization has more leaks than a post-iceberg Titanic. After the Memorial Day weekend meeting, reports of Randolph's candid evaluations of his players eventually got back to the team. What team is going to play well hearing things like that?

Randolph has been undermined time and again over the past month, and the way he's been treated before and during his termination is some of the most cowardly stuff I've seen in a long time.

The Mets made the right move, but how it was done shows you why no matter how hard this club tries, they'll never reach the Promised Land with an organizational philosophy like this.

So Long, Mike Piazza: the Mets' Hero Hangs 'em Up

Andrew Mees — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:34:30 -0400

I'm 23 years old. While I have watched the '86 Mets' championship video a million times over the course of my life, I wasn't old enough to truly experience the miracle season that was the '86 Mets.

I was a toddler for game six, and Bill Buckner's infamous error. I don't remember the emotions I must have felt at the time, watching the Mets celebrate on the field in one of the greatest come-from-behind World Series victories in history.

I was too young to appreciate the great Mets' teams of the 80's, only being able to understand how truly great they were through old highlights, books, and story-time with my dad.

I wasn't old enough to understand just how far Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden fell—shooting stars that burned out as incredibly as they shined.

I was coming into my formative years as a sports fan in the early 90's. The Giants had just won a Super Bowl, and LT was still flying all over the field—putting fear in the hearts of opposing quarterbacks.

The Giants had given me reason to keep watching, memories that I could hang on to in future years of futility.

The Mets, however, were quickly becoming one of the worst teams in baseball. I had been too young to understand their greatness in the 80's.

My father had taught me the most valuable lesson of being a sports fan—never abandon your team, no matter how bad they are, you never stop being a fan. Nobody likes a fair-weather fan, so I'd never have abandoned my Mets.

But I never had a personal reason to love them. All I had were my father's memories, and old highlights of the good times.

All I had was Bobby Bonilla screaming at any reporter in his path, and Vince Coleman's pyrotechnic displays.

Year after year the Mets were a below-average team, and year after year I searched for a reason of my own to keep going through the inevitable down periods of the team's history.

Then, an event happened that changed the course of Mets' history, and of this writer's life as a fan of the Amazins.

The date was May 22, 1998, and the Mets had just traded for the best offensive catcher in the game—Mike Piazza.

Finally, the Mets had a player that commanded the ultimate respect from the opposition.

Here was a guy, in the prime of his career, the best at his position, playing for my favorite team. My team was no longer the butt of jokes, no longer a team where as a fan, I faced constant ridicule.

Over his seven seasons with the Mets, Piazza brought the club back to respectability, and even brought them to the Fall Classic against the cross-town Yankees—proving his stature as a franchise player once and for all.

He is second all-time in Mets' history in home runs and RBI, and was the face of the franchise for the better part of a decade.

He provided fans with some of the most memorable moments in Mets' history. I defy anyone to watch the highlight of his home run against the Atlanta Braves in the game following the 9/11 tragedy—and not get goosebumps.

All of these things made Piazza one of the best players to ever put on the orange and blue.

There may never be another Mets' hitter as outstanding, and as feared as 31 in his time at Shea.

But to me, he was so much more. He gave me a reason to hope. He gave me a reason to believe. He brought the Mets, the team I had learned to love unconditionally as if they were a member of my family, to the Fall Classic.

He had brought my team to respectability, and given a generation of Mets fans a reason to believe there would be good times in Flushing.

So thank you, Mike Piazza.

You have given me more memories and good times than I could have ever hoped for, even though you never won a world series ring in New York.

You gave me a reason to believe in the Mets, to believe that someday the glory days would return.

As you hang up your cleats and walk off into the sunset, just know you are a hero to an entire generation of Mets fans, and we are forever indebted to you.

State Of The Union: The Week that Was for the New York Mets

Andrew Mees — Sun, 18 May 2008 16:14:02 -0400

Welcome to the first addition of my State of The Union Address, where I'll give you my thoughts on the previous week of games played by the Amazin's.

I'll break this bad boy up into three categories—The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly—and players, games, or post-game quotes (see: Wagner, Billy) will fall under one of these three categories. I'll write about the week's games from Sunday to Saturday, so tonight's game against the Yankees will be included in next week's column.

I'll also respond to any comments I've gotten on my articles for the week, as well as give my overall impression of the team's direction and what I'd like to see more of as a die-hard fan.

Without further adieu, let's get this party started with the first-ever State Of The Union Address.

The Good

Even though my first two articles ripped the boys from Queens and their management, I really do love this team, and will be the first to write about the great things they do.

Friday's team meeting and Saturday's subsequent win over the Yankees.

The team held a 35-minute, closed-door meeting Friday, and I'm sure I could have devoted an entire column to what was said (obviously a sarcastic take). Whatever was said, though, it certainly looks like it cleared the air.

The Mets came out on Saturday with the emotion and fire that fans have been begging for since last September, and it immediately paid dividends with a 7-4 victory over the Yanks. The bench was alive, players were pumping their fists, and the team erupted when Wagner got the final out of the ninth inning. You could almost hear their collective sigh of relief through your television.

This team needed a win like this in the worst way. Hustle, emotion, timely hitting, good pitching, and solid bullpen work—we were once again reminded of the tremendous things this team can do, and hopefully this was a win that can carry them for a long stretch of good baseball.

Granted, the Yanks are in last place and missing A-Rod and Posada, but a win is a win.

Santana's as good as advertised.

The thought of Hank Steinbrenner sitting in his owner's box, seething as he watched Santana beat his team after he easily could have traded for him this winter, has made my week.

No. 57 wasn't at his best on Saturday, surrendering three homers—but he settled down nicely and kept his team in the game. The thing that has made me the happiest is the fact that this man is not even close to being in midseason form.

Santana is known as a pitcher who picks it up in the second half. I can see how he's gotten that reputation now that I watch him pitch every fifth day. He misses up in the zone frequently with his off-speed stuff—if you notice, the home runs he has given up have been mostly on off-speed pitches that he's missed with up in the strike zone.

These sort of things tell me he's not quite in mid-season form yet. And he's still 5-2 with a 3.30 ERA, and could make a case for being 7-1. When this guy really hits his stride, watch out.

Back-end of the rotation has great week.

Nelson Figueroa struggled in his final start for the Mets, but the other two starts from the back end of the rotation were phenomenal. Mike Pelfrey was outstanding in his start against the Nationals, but came out on the short end of a 1-0 loss. He took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and surrendered only one run on three hits in seven and two-thirds innings of work.

When he trusts his stuff and challenges hitters with his fastball, Pelfrey shows why the Mets took him with the ninth pick in the draft.

Also outstanding was Claudio Vargas, who made his first start for the big club on Wednesday night, and was equally impressive. He earned himself another start by turning in six and one-third innings of work, while surrendering just two runs on three hits.

14 innings and three earned runs from your fourth and fifth starters is a great turn through the back end of your rotation. If the Mets keep getting outings like that, they can certainly get on prolonged winning streaks.

Carlos Beltran has a pulse!

It looks like Beltran is finally starting to come out of his season-long funk. No. 15 went 10 for 27 this week, with a homer and six RBIs. More importantly, he's trusting his hands and letting the ball get deep, which can be seen by the amount of balls he's taking up the middle and the opposite way. If he can start to pick it up, the Mets can start to get on a roll.

Billy Wagner's Post-Game Tirade.

I'm not usually one to condone players calling each other out through the media—I think it's ridiculous and should be taken care of in-house. That said, I thought Wagner was 100 percent right. There is no reason why he should be standing there after a game he didn't pitch in, being asked a million questions about it.

Granted, he is one of the more outspoken players on the team, so reporters will go to him for a good quote, and he certainly didn't let them down. But he was right in what he said—these players need to be accountable for the way they have played, and they need to stand there and take the questions whether they go 0-4 or 4-4.

This has been a hot topic on talk radio and in the media in the past couple of days, and it was almost certainly what prompted the team meeting. If it took Wagner saying that to get this team playing the way it did on Saturday, how as a fan can I not approve?

See? I CAN be positive!

The Bad

While there were several good things that happened this week in Metland, there were even more bad things.

A homestand to forget.

This title doesn't even do it justice. Aside from Carlos Beltran realizing he's actually a really good player, and the two starts from the fourth and fifth starters, this homestand was the most frustrating one to date, even prompting this particular fan to write a column in the heat of of a post-game meltdown.

3-4 against the Nationals and Reds? Come on, guys. Losing three out of four to the Nationals? At home? Inexcusable. What's more, Pelfrey and Vargas's outtings were wasted, as the Mets' bats didn't show up for either game.

If this team is truly going to be the great group they think they can be, they need to beat the teams they're supposed to beat. They cannot play down to the level of their opponents. This is a scary trend that needs to stop, or this team won't go anywhere.

Jorge Sosa says goodbye.

The Mets have lost a valuable long man out of the bullpen in Jorge Sosa, who was designated for assignment. Or, at least, he used to be a valuable long man.

Sosa has regressed significantly this season, and his last outing against the Nationals sealed his fate. If he clears waivers, hopefully the Mets will send him down to Triple A and let him work out his problems. If he can get right, he could become a valuable part of the pen down the stretch.

Baserunning blunders.

Thursday's game against Washington saw several boneheaded mistakes on the basepaths, all of which were inexcusable.

Players not running out flyballs hard, not understanding the situation, and aggression on the basepaths to the point of stupidity—these types of things should not be tolerated from players of this caliber.

There's simply no excuse. The easiest thing to do on a baseball field is run, and you should do it hard on every play. A famous manager whose name escapes me is responsible for that quote, so I cannot take the credit, but it needs to be reiterated to this club. Mistakes like that are a sign of complacency, and that is certainly not a good thing.

The Ugly

Aaron Heilman.

Good God. It's just painful to watch this guy throw right now. As a pitcher myself, I understand when you're struggling the best way to come out of it is to keep throwing, and know your manager has the confidence in you to keep going to you.

Still, this man simply cannot be placed in a close game anymore. He came in Wednesday night's game against the Nationals with the score tied, and surrendered four runs—three credited to him, one to Vargas—on three hits, in only a third of an inning. Not exactly a lights-out setup man.

Heilman needs to get some work in in non-pressure situations so he can build up his confidence. Willie should be placing him in situations where he can succeed, and starting him at the beginning of innings so he has a clean slate.

Unless the entire pen has been used and is unavailable, he should not be the set-up man right now. Joe Smith has been lights out, and right now he can be more than a situational righty. Randolph's misuse of the bullpen, Heilman in particular, has been particularly bad recently. Which brings me to...

Nationals 1, Mets 0.

This game sent everybody over the edge, including myself. It even prompted me to write an entire column devoted solely to ripping anyone in my path—mainly Willie Randolph. I'm off the ledge now, and while I'm not as heated as I was, I still feel strongly that this game embodied every reason why Randolph is not the right manager for this club.

Poor baserunning, an outrageous call having Beltran going on contact in the ninth inning with one out and trailing by a run, and one of the more emotionless efforts turned in this season by the Amazin's was the breaking point for me.

Yes, Randolph called the team meeting that eventually cleared the air, but it only lead to one Mets victory. The fact of the matter is this team is still 21-19, and vastly underachieving.

Thoughts on Your Comments

I wanted to thank everybody for commenting on my columns, positively or negatively. As an aspiring sportswriter, feedback is what I'm searching for, so keep the comments coming!

The main comment that stuck with me was the one about my "passion blinding my logic and judgement" or something like that, in regards to me leaving out my thoughts on replacements for Randolph.

The article was intended to show why Randolph should be fired, with another column dedicated to his replacement coming later.

With that said, it's a part of the column that should have been included, and leaves my case incomplete. So for that I say thank you for the comment and if you want my take on a replacement for Randolph, just keep reading.

Replacing Willie

Unless the Mets go deep in the playoffs, I doubt very strongly Randolph will be the Mets manager in 2009, and he may not even last the season if they keep playing the way they are playing. I personally think a change needs to be made sooner—as in now—rather than later.

Yesterday's game aside, this team has showed no fire and no sense of urgency aside from a few players. Jose Reyes has creeped into the dreaded realm of "overrated." His approach at the plate is horrible for the most part, he has a .317 on base percentage, and he makes stupid decisions on the basepaths.

Randolph is considered "stoic." He rarely shows emotion and is always even-keeled, and his team follows suit. He has managed the team to a 75-75 record since June 1, 2007, and was at the wheel for the worst collapse in franchise history at the end of last season. I simply think his style breeds complacency with this particular group of players, and a new approach is needed.

Do the Mets need a Lou Piniella-type? I don't think so. I do think, however, they need someone whose intensity, and more importantly, enthusiasm is VISIBLE to them, every day. I'm not saying Randolph's not intense or enthusiastic, he just doesn't show it.

So, who is out there who's an enthusiastic and charismatic type who will show his emotions and help this team bring the intensity to the park every day?

As ESPN baseball writer Buster Olney wrote a couple of days ago, there really is no clear-cut replacement for Willie right now. But I can think of two names who could be great choices: Bobby Valentine, and Gary Carter.

Now, I'm sure there is no way Bobby V. is leaving Japan. He is a god over there, and he's having success. Still, would it kill the Mets to make the call? His enthusiasm is contagious, and he could be a shot of life, and rid the clubhouse of the complacency that has become a staple.

Gary Carter is much the same type of guy. Known for his enthusiasm as a player, Carter was a great game-caller behind the plate, and has had success as a manager in the Mets minor league system.

Carter's not managing in the Mets system this year, largely due to Omar Minaya refusing to move him up in the ranks. But if the Mets came calling with a major-league managing job, I'm sure The Kid would jump at the chance.

Lack of experience would be a downside for Carter, but Randolph had never managed a game when the Mets hired him. Carter has managed in the minors and had success, so why not give him a shot?

Overall Impressions

What started out as the week from hell could end up being the turning point for the Mets. Beltran is starting to look like the All-Star that he is, and Saturday marked the first time the Mets showed the fire and emotion we've all been waiting for.

Could the team meeting be what the Mets needed? Will they put forth that much effort and emotion into every game from here on out? Only time will tell, but the early returns on the meeting have been good.

I hope this column is well-received cause it's a lot of fun to write. If there's anything else you'd like to see in here feel free to leave a comment.

That's it for the first State of The Union Address. I'll leave you with this quote from Colonel Sanders:

"I'm too drunk to taste this Chicken."

Goodnight everybody, drive home safely.