A Tale of Two Citis vs. St. Louis

Alright everybody, let’s all just take a deep breath. There’s not much else we can do this season but laugh. Just when the Mets get our hopes up, they find new ways to let us down. And vice versa. It’s a real Tale of Two Citis…..

Tuesday 8/4: Pujolus Blasts Cards to a 12-7 win in the 10th

After 8 so-so innings pitched by Santana, the bullpen, who’d been so good as of late, came in and lost the game for the Mets. K-Rod blew a save, and the pen gave up 5 runs in the 10th – 4 of which were on a grand slam by the mighty Pujols. We’re thinking about taking away a number on our Benitez Meter, it was that bad. The game looked like it was ours but as us Mets fans know, nothing is a given.

Except, of course….injuries. Tuesday night saw a new type of off-field injury, when Castillo fell down the dugout steps and sprained his ankle. You can watch the clip below….a total America’s Funniest Home Videos blooper moment.

What Would Bob Saget Say?

I hear they're installing these in the dugouts now

It was a truly disappointing evening on many levels.

Wednesday: Mets Decide to Win One, 9-0

A day after a pathetic loss, the Mets turn around a deliver a 9-0 shutout and limit the Cards to just 6 hits. Not before, though, they lose yet ANOTHER player to injury. Oh wait, did I say player? I meant playerS.

Jonathan Niese left the game in the 2nd inning, after tearing his hamstring on a play covering first base. Nelson Figueora came in to pitch 4 1/3 innings and redeemed himself with a fine performance on the mound….and a 2-run triple to boot. Parnell pitched 3 innings, earning his first save and a potential spot in the rotation. Word came that Niese is out for the season and will have surgery on his torn hamstring.

Gary Sheffield, only a few days off the DL, aggravated his hamstring and had to come out of the game in the 6th. He doesn’t think it’s serious, but boy, have we heard that before! And of course, Castillo was out of the game today with his sprained ankle.

Maybe the Mets should try Dr. Tinycat?

So, where do we go from here? I’m afraid these Mets will continue thier bi-polar season right on through September. Last week my eyes were on the Wild Card standings. But after this week, my eyes are (cautiously) on 2010.

A 2010 prospect, perhaps? Why not?!

Posted by Emily Doran

Mets Silence Rockies in First Game of Double Header, 7-0 (7/30/09)

Today’s afternoon game, part of a day-night double header, was big. How big, you ask?

It's 5 wins in a row, big!

Santana was back to his old self, throwing 7 scoreless innings. The bullpen gave up no runs ( and yes, that was Tim Redding pitching!). And after a 5-run 2nd inning, the Mets weren’t done – they tacked on 2 more runs in the 5th and 7th.

The boys are doing something right, having managed to claw themselves within 5.5 games in the Wild Card race. Maybe it’s thanks to the fact that they’re still not shaving until they reach.500?

Leave it to men...only they can score when they don't shave!

Ladies and gentlemen….Meet the Mets!! Let’s see what they’ve got in store for us tonight!

There is still hope

Posted by Emily Doran

Bill Evans’ “Get to the Game” Forecast – Week of July 27th

New York’s favorite weatherman, Bill Evans from WABC, has once again provided us with his “Kiner’s Korner -Get to the Game” forecast! If you plan on attending a game this week at Citifield, be sure to read Bill’s forecast before you go!

Wow!!!! Real Deal Red Hot Baseball Weather is On the Way!!!!!!

The Hot Dogs will be Hotter Alright! We are looking at very humid, sticky, warm, muggy (get the idea yet???) even hot weather as we go through the week.

Take your appendix out and replace it with central air! You will need to drink lots of water or your favorite sports drink – not too many beers or caffeine, as that will dehydrate you at the game. Wear loose fitting, light colored clothing, hats and sunscreen for the afternoon games.

The weather today through Sunday is sunny, warm and muggy, with a thunderstorm possible each afternoon. The real threat will be tomorrow (Wednesday) when we could get some flooding tropical rain. Take your rain gear to the game!

Highs will be in the upper 80s with reel feels in the mid-90s. Night time game time temps will be starting around 85 with high humidity. The temps will drop off into the upper 70s during the game, but the humidity will remain.

Have fun, be safe and stay cool and dry!

-Bill

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And be sure to check out Bill’s new book “Frozen Fire” at a bookstore near you!!

Breaking News: Mets Trade Ryan Church for Atlanta’s Jeff Francoeur

Wow, who saw this one coming??  Thoughts?

Yippe! New York, here I come...

Posted by Emily Doran

Mets Get Schooled by Dodgers, Lose 11-2

I scream, you scream, we all scream cause the Mets are sucking HARD!  So instead of rehashing the ugly night all over again, I’ve decided to try my hand at poetry for this recap. Wish me luck, here we go….

——————————————————————————-

There’s not much to say about last night’s game,
the Mets got killed and everyone’s to blame.
The pitching was shit and no one could hit -
it seems like for Washington these players are fit!

Of the last six games played the Mets have lost five,
and so these Bad News Bears still struggle to stay alive
If Omar won’t trade, then with these players we’re stuck
and I’m afraid us Mets fans are shit out of luck.

—————————————————————————-

Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all night.

I know what I'm getting the Mets for Christmas!

Posted by Emily Doran

Hey Kids*! Grab a Friend and Play the New Kiner’s Korner Drinking Game!

Grab a friend!

Ok, here’s how it works. Every time the Mets do something stupid and leave you feeling sad, angry, embarassed, tired, hungry, desperate, shameful or lonely…..take a drink!!

What’s special about this game is that you can really tailor it to your own feelings. Upset at a dropped pop-up? Take a drink! Ashamed watching them get silenced by a 21-year old pitcher? Bottoms up!

And after 9 innings……well, you get the idea.

Remeber – Ollie Perez is pitching tonight for the first time since May 2nd…… Cheers!!
______________________________________

Ok ok, obviously we at Kiner’s Korner don’t encourage or promote excessive and reckless drinking. But when so many drinking games are based on “take a drink every time someone (fill in the blank)”….I think the Mets have been doing the same thing over and over enough to warrant their own drinking game.

*By kids, I mean fans aged 21+.

"I'll take a drink for my performance in June." "And I'll take a drink for just being on the DL since May!"

Posted by Emily Doran

Revenge of the Fallen: Mets Transform Into Winners, Beat Cardinals 11-0

Two things are very clear: 1) I need  a lesson in Photoshop, and 2) The Mets will not go down without a fight.

The Mets shocked and impressed, just one night after a 3-0 loss, with their own shut-out thanks to:

Damn-good Pitching

Fernando Nieve made a strong case for himself after pitching 6 scoreless innings and allowing only 3 hits. Now 3-0, it’s hard to imagine that he’ll be going anywhere once Ollie and Maine return. Most likely, we’ll see Perez working the pen while Nieve sticks around for at least a few more well-deserved starts.

Bad-ass Offense

Nick Evans decided to show off during his first start of the season by hitting a 2-run rocket to left in the 4th.

David Wright had 4 hits, scored 3 runs and had one stolen base.

2 RBIs for Church on 3 hits, 3 for Tatis on 2 hits.

I could keep going, but you get the picture. Everyone did their part last night – Reed, Nieve, Schneider, A. Reyes…Guys were hitting. As a team!

Personally, I don’t like shut-outs. Sure they make you proud, but tight games are more exciting and give you better bragging rights in the end.

However, last night was something special. The “Little Team That Could” from Flushing, NY proved to the world (ok, at least the NL) that they are not going down just yet. Win or lose, there is still some fight left in this team.

Philadelphia lost last night, moving the Mets 1.5 games out of first place. Tonight, the Mets’ other ace, Johan Santana, takes the mound and tries to win the first series for the Mets since the June 5-7 Nationals series.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....

Posted by Emily Doran

K-Rod Leads Mets to Loss, 5-4 (6/18/2009)

Is there anything worse than walking in the tying run in the bottom of the 9th? Aside from a dropped pop-up, probably not. Another strong outing from Livan Hernandez (7IP and 2 runs) was wasted by none other than K-Rod, who walked in the tying run and then gave up a single to Aubry Huff to end the game.

This one's all you, boy

Frankie Says Relax
While last Saturday’s save was blown thanks to the drop hear ’round the world by Luis Castillo (who, I should mention, did his part by making a spectacular diving stop in the 8th, temporarily holding off the O’s), last night’s was all Frankie. Rodriguez was upset at his performance, but chalked up his second blown save in a week to being “… a human being. Unfortunately, days like this are going to happen.” Disappointing as it was, I can understand. But let’s hope he doesn’t stay human for too long. K-Rod just couldn’t throw a strike to save his life last night- he was looking more like Frankie Muniz than the Frankie Rodriguez we know.

I'm the single season saves leader, grrrrr!

Huff and Puff and Blow the Mets Down
Aubrey Huff stole not one, but two wins from the Mets the past two nights. Wednesday’s 2-run homer in the 7th was the difference in the game, and last night’s single in the 9th drove in the winning run. The Mets have supposedly been eying the first baseman, and based on the past two nights alone, I say go for it. At the very least, we know he’s clutch. And, news brief – the Mets can use some “clutch”.

The Mets have only won 1 of their last 5 series, and that was to the abysmal Washington Nationals. Let’s hope this is not a sign of things to come….the Metsies start a home stand tonight against the Rays, followed by the Cardinals and Yankees. And it’s anyone’s guess as to what we can expect.

Posted by Emily Doran

Kiner’s Korner is Now on Facebook!

Become a fan of Kiner’s Korner on Facebook. The page will be an extension of our website, with updates, recaps and news. It will also serve as a forum for our readers -tell us how we’re doing and offer suggestions on things you’d like to see!

See you on Facebook!

Utley Disappointing! Mets Falter in 11th, 5-4 (6/10/09)

20th-century sociologist Robert Merton coined the phrase “self-fulfilling prophecy”, saying “The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come ‘true’.”

For example, on December 11th of last year, Cole Hamels called the Mets choke artists. Many disagreed, and the Mets didn’t seem to care. “I couldn’t care less what he [Hamels] or anybody else says,” said Mike Pelfrey.

Exactly 6-months later, on June 11, 2009, Cole Hamels faced Mike Pelfrey and the Mets….and watched them choke.

Wipe that face off your head, bitch!

And that, my friends, is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Maybe the Phils’, or at least Cole Hamels, really are in the Mets’ heads after all (though not as bad as the Red Sox are in the Yankees’ heads. Ha!).

The Mets started off hot, scoring 3 runs in the 4th alone. The Mets were now up 4-1, and I sank into my couch feeling quite satisfied. Take that, Cole Hamels. But had I not learned anything from the past few seasons? Complacency does not look good on a Mets fan, and even less so on the team itself.

The bats packed it in – no runs were scored after the 4th. The defense got sloppy – an error by David Wright cost them another run in the 7th. And far too many runners were left on base (16 of them, to be exact!), leaving our hopes right there along with them.

Pelfrey had a decent night, lasting six innings and even helping himself out with two hits and an RBI. But after loading the bases 3 pitches into the 7th, he was replaced by Green. Three runs eventually came in, and the ballgame was tied. We saw another perfect inning from Pedro Feliciano, followed by K-Rod and eventually Bobby Parnell, who gave up the game-ending long ball to Chase Utley in the 11th. A bitter ending to a long night.

Have you ever seen this much smugness in one room?

Posted by Emily Doran

Santana es un hombre…Mets Out-Man Phillies, 6-5 (6/9/2009)

As Jerry Manuel walked to the mound in the 8th inning to remove Johan Santana after giving up a homer to Chase Utley, Johan reminded him that he was a man.

"Stay in the game, the way Johan...uh, tries to"

Sure, Santana gave up 4 home runs in what became a mini-Home Run Derby at CitiField last night (the Mets countered with 3 of their own, including a shot by Ryan “I’m Back” Church). But he also helped himself with a 2-run RBI in the 6th, and some fancy glove work in the 7th. You take the good with the bad, and you still come up with a win. So I believe him – Santana is a man, and he may just be the man.

The bullpen also put on quite a show, pitching two scoreless innings and producing K-Rod’s 16th save in as many opportunities- and yet another notch in our “Benitez Meter”  belt.

It was the most exciting game that CitiField has seen this year, and made me believe we’re in for a wild series with the Phils. Stay tuned!

Posted by Emily Doran

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Loser Fish…..Mets Beat Marlins 2-1 in 11th (5/29/08)

Let’s have a little fun this morning and take a look at last night’s game by the numbers, shall we?

Eleven -     Number of innings played

Ten -            Number of players the Mets left on base. This has been a season-long problem for the Mets. Stop it.

Nine -           Number of strikeout’s for the Marlins

Eight -         Number of innings pitched by Big Pelf. Nice to see him working hard and giving the bullpen a break.

Seven -        Number of hits for the Mets (Santos 2, Martinez 2, Castillo 1, Sheffield 1, Pagan 1, Wright 0)

Six -               The Mets only went 1 for 6 with RISP

Too Pretty to Hit

Five -            Number of at-bats for David Wright. Number of hits? Zero

Four –           Number of strike outs for the Mets (2 for David Wright)

Three –        Number of  scoreless innings from the ‘pen. Phew!

Two –           Number of runs scored by the Mets. Coincidentally, this also happens to be the number of RBIs by our new #2 catcher Omir Santos…. Yeah, he is officially “my boy”.

One -           One lonely run for the Marlins, driven in with a sac-fly by second baseman Dan Uggla in the 4th

Zero –           Well, would you look at that! Zero errors by the Mets tonight. David Wright just isn’t himself without one!

Dynamic Duo

This game was a little bit of a deja vu of last Saturday’s game at Fenway Park. Pelfrey and Santos make an exciting team – solid pitching and late game heroics. I think I could get used to this!
Also as Nik mentioned last night, the Mets traded Ramon “Shrek” Castro to the White Sox for RHP Lance Broadway. And for all you ladies out there ….talk about an upgrade!!

Let me be the first to welcome you to the Mets...

Posted by Emily Doran

Omir, Oh My…Mets Make 9th Inning Comeback, Win 3-2

It was my first visit to Fenway Park on Saturday night, and the Mets managed to make it a memorable one. After nearly 3 hours sitting in the bleachers, surrounded by the worst fans on the planet (yes, worse than Yankee fans), I needed a victory to make it all worthwhile. And what better way to soothe my headache than the deafening silence that rushed through the Red Sox fans as crew chief Joe West returned to the field in the 9th and singled a home run on Omir Santos’ ninth inning blast to the Green Monster! Thank you, instant replay. And thank you, Omir Santos.

"Take your time, Brian Schneider....I got this."

Mister Yips

After that last painful outing, Mr. Yips (aka Mike Pelfrey) righted the ship and pitched an admirable game against one of the American League’s strongest teams. He gave up 2 runs in the first, off a 2-run single to Kevin Youkilis, but then silenced the Sox until his exit in the 7th. (Please allow me to make an observation: If Nintendo’s “Mike Tyson’s Punchout” were a baseball game, can’t you picture Kevin Youkilis being one of the characters?)

Soda Popinski...or Kevin Youkilis?

 

What team?

The Met’s starting lineup is making me more and more nervous as the days go on. David Wright and Luis Castillo were the only core players on the field last night, although Beltran was hitting as DH. We can all agree that Omir Santos is no cause for alarm… but Martinez, Pagan, Murphy, Reed? This is getting scary. Luckily, though, there were some fine defensive plays made by these reserves last night (like Martinez’ interception of Mike Lowell’s shot to end the game). Maybe all they need is some extra playing time to get them in the groove. And with the injuries plaguing this team left and right, they will certainly have the opportunity to prove themselves.

 

Doctor, Doctor, Gimme the News

The few Mets fans surrounding me at Fenway all let out a collective “GASP” when they saw J.J. Putz warming up for the 9th. “Where’s Frankie?”….little did we know that Frankie was loading up on muscle relaxants in the clubhouse after he started to suffer from back spasms. They became so severe that he collapsed after the game, when he was taken by ambulance to the hospital. We’re are all keeping our fingers crossed that this is nothing too serious and he’ll make a fast recovery. The Mets really can’t afford to lose him too.

 

I had a great time at Fenway, and enjoyed a great game (which, by the way, was another notch on our Benitez Meter!). 

 

Note: Before the game, I was by the bullpen when Dan Warthen came over. He was a super friendly guy, and humored us fans by making small talk. When asked about Perez, he said that Ollie is about 10 days away from making a return (though I’m not sure if this is good news or not).  I’ll also be posting some pictures from the game soon.

 

 

Not so scary

 

 

Our Thoughts Go Out To Former Met Scott Schoeneweis

Former Met pitcher Scott Schoeneweis’ wife, Gabrielle, was found dead in their Phoenix home on Wednesday. She was just 39 years old, and the cause of death has not yet been determined.  Our thoughts go out to Scott and his 3 children during this difficult time.

Bats Finally Show Up For Santana, Mets Win 9-6 (5/16/09)

On a day when Santana didn’t necessarily have his A-game, the Mets did what they haven’t been doing in his past starts – they hit! While the defense was a little shaky, the Mets played hard enough to deny Randy Johnson win number 299.

The Mets scored early, as they like to do (3 runs in the 1st), but they also eeked out 2 runs in the 9th, cushioning themselves with a 3 run lead. Playing without Delgado and Reyes, and leaving the 9th in the hands of J.J.Putz, success was still an option. This team has really stepped up in the past few weeks. Where they show weakness, they are finding other ways to make up for it. This game was weak on defense but strong on offense. And that’s what a championship team will do.

The Big Unit himself praised the Mets as “the best lineup I’ve seen so far this year”. If we keep hearing that sentiment from other starters down the line, I think we’ll be in good shape.

A tip of the cap, boys... 299 will have to wait.

Posted by Emily Doran

Mets Drop the Ball in 8-3 Loss to Braves (5/11/09)

What a night for the Mets. After 7 wins in a row and claiming first place in the standings, the Mets failed to record an 8th straight win, even as their ace took the mound. Once again, the offense was conspicuously missing during a Santana start. Was Delgado’s absence partly to blame? Or was this just another example of the Curse of Johan?

"Um, guys? You know you signed me to help you win, right?"

Santana, as always, pitched to win. He went 6.1 innings giving up only 7 hits and no runs….well, no earned runs at least. He ended up falling victim to two, both due to errors. The 2009 Season marks the first time in Santana’s career that he’s ever lost a game after not giving up an earned run.

The two aforementioned errors came from Wright (throwing error in the first) and Reyes (a bobbled ball in the seventh that paved the way for 2 more runs). I wonder what it is with these guys when Santana is on the mound? It’s like they’re trying so hard to impress him that it just ends up backfiring. Take it easy, boys. Just act natural.

To Err is Human. Two Errors costs you the game.

The Mets’ 3 runs of the evening were courtesy of the B-squad : Tatis and Santos. What does that tell you? And with Delgado’s lingering hip injury foreshadowing a trip to the DL, we can probably expect to see a lot more of Tatis. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing…

One final thought on Derek Lowe:  It’s not a question of  “Is Omar kicking himself for not agreeing to a 4th year?”.  It’s a question of  “how hard?”.

Posted by Emily Doran

Well, Well, Well…Look What the Cat Dragged In! Mets Win, 7-5 (5/8/09)

Sure, it was a game of highs and lows (and bad calls), but on May 7th, it finally seemed like the pieces are starting to come together for the Metsies.

- Big Pelf! Pelfrey pitched seven innings, giving up 8 hits and 3 runs, but striking out none. As David Wright said “His streak of no strikeouts is still intact”. Hopefully this is something the big guy can work on. It’s all about efficiency…

This guy's got balls!

- Home Runs! Three of ‘em!!! Beltran and Wright each launched a two-run homer in the first inning, giving the Mets a cushy lead. One more single shot by Reyes in the 2nd, plus two runs in the 3rd, gave the Mets a cushy 7-1 lead. But then, the offense packed it in. The Mets seriously need their bats to show up in the later innings, because we all know what happens when we depend on our bullpen!! (Cough2007&2008Cough!)

- Obstruction! Ooh man, Shane Victorino. He got caught up in a rundown in the 8th inning, and unless my eyes are deceiving me, it seems like he clearly went out of his way to get in Reyes’ way. Jerry Manuel got ejected after going wild on first-base ump Bill Welke for what was clearly a call-gone-wrong. At one point during Jerry’s signature umpire-reaming head-bobbing, the brim of his hat hit the ump’s….this may bring suspension for Manuel, let’s wait and see. Watch the video here and share your thoughts on what really happened. (Watch video here)

This Flyin' Hawaiian' is Crusin' for a Bruisin'.

- Lights Not Necessarily Out, Per Se…. K-Rod came in to close, earning his fourth save in as many games. Though it wasn’t a lights-out performance (let’s say, more like lights dimming?)…it got the job done. And that’s what counts, right folks?

So go ahead, keep dimming those lights, K-Rod. Set the mood with some smooth jazz, pour a glass of bubbly and join us in the tub as we celebrate #8 on our Benitez Meter!

 

 

                    Posted by Emily Doran

Why Do You Build Me Up, Bullpen, Just To Let Me Down….? Mets Lose, 7-4 (4/28/09)

zzzzzzzzzzzz…..Oh sorry, is it 2009 yet? Cause I’m pretty sure I was watching a game from ‘08 last night. Yawn! The Mets gave up another loss last night to the Marlins and it was deja vu all over again…..hot start, disappearing bats and a shaky bullpen giving up the lead (but, please, be sure to throw some homers in there….cause it’s always more fun with homers!).

Doc, maybe try 1986?

Mets started off early, scoring 2 runs on a triple launched by Gary Sheffield in the first. Two more runs were batted in by Cora and Wright, in the 2nd and 5th, respectively…but that’s where it stopped. Jorge Cantu homered not once, but twice (why not?), driving in 5 of the Marlins’ 7 runs.

For your consideration:

- Cora’s been doing a commendable job filling in for Castillo. Now who can we get to fill in for Wright?

Look, Ma....no hands!!

- The Mets “revamped” their bullpen this off-season, so goes the claim. But last night’s game made me wonder….how’s our old friend Scott Schoeneweis doing?

Scott Schoeneweis (ARI): 11 games, 7.2 innings, 6H, 2R…..2.35 ERA

Maybe if we dress him up like Bobby V, we can sneak him back in??

Sean Green (NYM): 11 games, 11.2 innings, 17H, 11R…..8.49 ERA

Do you think New York was in his head? Maybe he likes the drier weather? Or maybe, just maybe, Omar should have put his focus elsewhere and saved some money for another starting pitcher (not named Perez)….or Manny. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not longing for Scotty, it’s just fun to speculate since something’s not working! What are your thoughts?

By Emily Doran

Maybe He’s Just Not That Into You?

It’s turned into a great debate among Mets fans this off-season – whether or not to re-sign Pedro for 2009.

Some argue that he’s a future Hall-of-Famer, career ERA of 2.91 and a uniter in the clubhouse- a good guy to have around. Others look at his performance in 2008 and doubt there’s anyway he can come back and stay healthy for an entire season…not to mention the issue of salary.

Fans can go back and forth on this, but regardless of what we think, it all comes down to Omar. And Pedro, I’m starting to think that maybe Omar’s just not that into you.

The honeymoon's over.

On Tuesday, Martinez told reporters:

“If they want a fifth starter, I’ve been there,” Martinez said. “I don’t know how much they want me, but I’m available. That’s all I can say.”Yeah, I would like to be back [with the Mets], but I’m not just going to follow the Mets. They have their own plans and they have their own thought process. “Yes, I would love to go [to Citi Field] and hopefully have the same success I had at Shea. Shea was a great stadium for me. I hope the new Shea pretty much follows up on the old one. But I have my goals and I have my things that I want to achieve in life. If it’s not with the Mets, it will be with someone else.”

Um….Pedro? You’re kinda starting to sound a little desperate, like a scorned ex-girlfriend. You promise you’ll change, you can be all that Omar wants you to be. And then when you realize he’s not going to take you back, you turn it around and pull the “I can find someone else. I won’t stay single for long, you’ll see……but if you wanna work things out, baby let’s talk.”

I can’t help but feel bad for Pedro Martinez. One of the greatest modern pitchers in the twilight of his career, though no one wants him. Tommy Glavine, John Smoltz and my boy Randy Johnson are all similarly injury-prone AND significantly older…but they’ve got jobs.  So hang in there, Pedro….I have faith that someone will be into you.

Posted by Emily Doran

Ollie ollie oxen free!

As Mets fans, we have a reason to be nervous. Luckily, Omar has a chance to be the calming influence with one more signing.

He needs to sign Oliver Perez. Period.

The Mets have reportedly placed an offer on the table for Ollie and have now upped the ante-they’ve improved from their original thinking of a $30mil/3 year deal. Good news. I can’t imagine that Omar would let Ollie slip away, especially considering he’s the last real viable option for this team. As our friend Gene Anthony mentioned – Sheets, Wolf and Garland just really aren’t gonna cut it. And filling two spots in the rotation with Redding, Garcia, Niese and Parnell? Well, that makes me a little nervous.

But why shouldn’t re-signing Ollie make me nervous?

I recall sitting in the Upper Deck on April 11^th, 2007 to watch the Mets take on the Phillies. Game time temperature was struggling to get out of the 30s. As I sat there freezing, yet anxious to start the season, I watched on as Ollie struggled through 2 2/3 innings, allowing 3 runs and walking 7.

But then there was the June 29, 2008 Mets-Yankees game. On this beautiful summer day, I was witness to Ollie’s fierce A-game- 7 innings pitched, striking out 8 and allowing no walks.

With Oliver Perez, you take the good with the bad. But Ollie’s “bad” is still something I’d take over the “unknown” of Niese or Parnell.

We all remember yelling “Ollie ollie oxen free” on the playground as a child. According to Wikipedia, this phrase is used “…in hide and seek to indicate that players who are hiding can come out into the open without losing the game”.

Well, Omar….Ollie Ollie, he’s still free! You need to snatch him up while you can, call him out from hiding and assure him that he’s making the right choice.

Please don't burst our bubble, Omar.

Posted by Emily Doran