8/21/11

I May Be Wrong, But…




1. The reality for both the fans and the league is that the Wilpons need to operate as a small market team until they can balance their checkbook. That being said, a $400K/yr. salary for Chris Schwinden in 2012 sounds much better than the $7mil+ it would cost for Mike Pelfrey. 2012 is another transition year (waiting for Harvey, Familia, Wheeler, Mejia) and Pelf has no future in this organization past 2012.


2. I’ve also seen enough of Chris Capuano. I’m not going to bother to even check if this is correct, but I can’t remember a good outing from this guy. He never should have been a starter this year, regardless what pitcher went down when. I can’t wait for September when the rest of the Buffalo Soldiers can be called up and we can stop watching the same results from the same guys.


3. Do you think that Mets fans are beginning to figure out that the 2012 version of this team isn’t going to have enough to compete for a playoff spot? The plan right now: Bay, Pagan, and Duda in the outfield… Davis, Tejada/Murphy, Reyes, Wright, Thole in the infield… Santana, Niese, Dickey, Gee, Pelfrey/Young in the rotation. It’s a good team, but it’s nowhere near what other teams are putting out.


4. Do you watch the HBO series “The Franchise ”? Do you notice that no one hits on the Giants but they remain either in first or second place? Is it obviously the difference is their rotation? Things are not going to chance for the Mets until they can develop a dominant front end of their rotation. Four pitchers averaging 7+ innings per game, with a combined ERA under 3.50 wins you a lot of games, regardless of what your hitter do.


5. You may experience additional spelling errors here. It’s around 4am right now and I can’t sleep from the pain in my head. Additionally, I’m now experiencing small, popping sounds inside my head. It’s like there are 8-10 fireworks going on outside my house and I can hear the sound and concussion in the distance. Weird. I looked up on Google and it could be a number of things including something called “Imploding Brain Syndrome.” I’ll pass on that one.


6. The bad grammar will also continue, but that’s being done on purpose. This is how I write. David Rubin calls it “writing like I talk”. My wife, who is a syndicated food writer and is Associated Press trained, calls it “writing like I speak”. I just call it me.


7. This is the real frustrating part. I write “I May Be Wrong” throughout the week when I want to say something after it pops in my head. The problem is, by the time I have to get on the computer and punch up the Word page my roughs are on, I sometimes forget what I was going to say before I write it down. That just happened. And I know it was something good.


8. No fans are going to react if the Mets start playing the rest of 2011 with 2012 in mind. I really hope Lucas Duda plays RF every day instead of as part of a platoon. I’d also like to see Ruben Tejada playing second base every day next to a returning Jose Reyes so we can get a good look at the two of them in tandem. Lastly, start the shutting down process by bringing up either Pat Misch, Dylan Owen, or Chris Schwinden and create a 6-man rotation for the rest of the season. Let’s just get through this without any more injuries.


9. The general consensus of opinion is that RHP Wily Peralta is their top prospect in the minor league system. It’s also a fact that he was pitching like shit when the Brewers gave a list of five names they could pick two for a trade for K-Rod. Ya never know…


10. I need some prayers out there. One of my closest Mets friends, Johnny Lowe, was diagnosed recently with last stage pancreatic cancer (picture is Johnny and I at Duffy's in Port St. Lucie). Johnny and I go back to when he used to listen to me when I did sports on the radio and he was the premier poster (handle was: *62) on http://www.flushinguniversity.com/  , a wonderful site owned and run by Mike McGann. Johnny had “unsuccessful” surgery on June 17 and is resting at his Florida home. Please take a moment and say a prayer for him, his wife, and his young son.

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