Some Thoughts Going Into The Weekend

1. This is the team you root for. This is not run like a major corporation, nor is it run like a family owned and operated company like Pizza Hut. Think Tom Carvel and those hideous commercials a generation ago. Even better, think Crazy Eddie's.

2. Regardless of who owns what or which relative runs what, no baseball team wins a World Series without a quality starting rotation. Period. Doesn't matter who's hitting... and not that the Mets are hitting good right now... but even if they were, you can't win 90 games without quality innings eaters. The Mets don't have than, and haven't since the Mike Hampton days. God, I can't believe I just said something nice about Mike Hampton.

3. Flying into Atlanta and having a meeting with all the honchos, and coming out of it with an R.A. Dickey promotion, and an upcoming Jenrry Mejia demotion... well, it just isn't enough reason to do all these frequent flyer miles. Call information and find out where one of those Cisco setups are like the commercial that has the first grade class talking live to a class in China. Meetings like this is what the Tom Carvel's do, or that local company in your city that owns some carpet store and created god awful television commercials with relatives, especially brat young children... you have to have the tools to fix the boat... and, someone with the skills as well.

4. You, as fans, about to enter the abyss... after two games against the vastly improved Nats, you will play the Phillies and Yankees. There's a good chance you'll be eight games out before the Milwaukee series, still with no center fielder, two members of your rotation struggling, another banished to the bullpen, a pinch hitter with a two-year contract that can't hit his weight... and
N O T H I N G in the pipeline.

5. This is when that dude grabbed Charlie Sheen, in the movie "Wall Street" and walked him away from Sheen's office which was filled with police to take the kid away... was that Hal Holbrook?  Anyway' he told Sheen something like " this is when you learn your character after looking into the abyss, or some shit like that...

6. Your true test of being a Mets fan starts now. You thought it was rough when the team quit three years ago, and then got more frustrated the past two seasons, but this one may take this team back to the Hubie Brooks days.

7. You need a new owner and you're not going to get one. You need a new GM and Field Manager, but that doesn't seem to be on the agenda either. These guys operate as a... well, a small time family owned business with an under-qualified head of the family, and sons and brothers that barely graducated high school. They really like working with each other, work and run a team that can't lose money, and operate with inferior personnel at multiple levels.

8.  Omar is a very nice person, and Jerry seems like a capable manager given what he is given to work with. I've never met any of the Wilpons. I tried to when I sent them a confidential proposal in the off season, but all i got was a "thanks but no thanks" telephone call from an underling. It was a well thought out business proposal based on the 25+ years I ran radio stations, and major sports advertising programs, like the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, the Flyers, the Pittsbugh Steelers, and the University of Pittsbugh. I was going to ST for 10 nights. We were all there the same time. It wouldn't have killed Fred to walk to the other side of the back field, and say hello. I never expected a job, but I did expect some respect for my past accomplishments in the area they seems to not be maximizing.

9. You fans have only one way of effecting the future operation of this team. Stop buying new tickets to game you haven't already given them your money, spend close to nothing once inside the building if you are going to a game you have already paid for, and stop with all the purchases of Mets stuff at stores throughout the city and country. There's really not much more you can do at this point.

10. Maybe Mejia comes back this season as a killer SP4... mabye Niese heals and gets a grip... maybe Pelfrey and Santana keep putting out, waiting for some offensive support, and maybe Fred and Omar package 4-5 prospects for a decent SP 2 at the all-star break.  And maybe I flap my ears and fly to the moon. That's all you can hope and pray for and don't spend any time pissing and moaning who the team trades... you have to have 5 decent starting pitcher. Everything starts with that... get five guys averaging 7.0-IP with an ERA under 4.00, followed by Feliciano and K-Rod... and you're on the way in the right direction...

But, what do I know...

Mack