With the USA team making it into the second round of their pool, I started to think about the importance of the World Baseball Classic and whether it is really gaining the attention of more fans.

Many people think it’s useless and believe it should have fizzled out by now and judging by ratings, I can understand that. But the World Baseball Classic needs to work on gaining a stronger presence. They have to fight it out against basketball and hockey seasons right now and that’s tough competition. Plus, games are only being offered on MLB Network. Does that sound like good odds? Probably not. And I can understand why fans aren’t embracing it- big names aren’t playing and nonsense rules are in play such as low pitch counts for pitchers or pitchers can’t pitch in three games straight. I love the World Baseball Classic and I’m one of those fans that hopes it gets better ratings and builds itself up to a higher status among global events, just like the World Cup. 

But how will this happen? For one thing, the only way to attract more U.S. fans is to get bigger names to play and adjust these stupid rules. This is a constant problem with sporting events such as these. Players aren’t getting paid and fear getting hurt, so they decide to sit it out. Maybe it’s because I’m not a player, but playing for your country seems like a big deal and it’s understood that you have other priorities, but whatever happened to the fun of the game, rather than the business side. Feeling that sense of pride, engaging players from all around the world, seeing how different countries play their baseball, and just playing for love of the game. It’s every four years, not every year or every day, so why not take part and help this World Baseball Classic capture more attention. 

I missed the U.S. game versus Italy where David Wright hit that grand slam to win the game, but when I heard about it and saw the recap videos, I was overly excited and filled with pride. Part of it was because he’s a Met,  but then there’s that part that felt a really strong sense of pride in this country. Rooting for players I normally put hexes on during games seems foreign, but it‘s all in good fun! I hope that the World Baseball Classic draws in better ratings and finds a way to show fans that it’s not just some nonsense competition. 

METS NEWS– Closer Frank Francisco finally threw off a mound, Zack Wheeler was sent down to Triple-A Las Vegas most likely because of a strained oblique injury along with 9 others, and Jordany Valdespin is tearing it up on the field showing he’s ready for the season, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JEREMY HEFNER!!!

Am I surprised? Yes and no. I knew there were going to be bumps in the road, but Johan Santana‘s schedule has already been pushed back two weeks and it’s only Spring Training. He was supposed to make his first Grapefruit League appearance on March 2nd, but GM Sandy made the announcement that Santana’s appearance will be pushed back at least two weeks. Alderson said they were aiming for a start around March 10-15th.

Alderson is completely denying any “structural issue,” but then says things like it’s a possibility Santana may start the season on the DL. WHAT?! You name him the Opening Day starter, but now the doctor says he should slow things down. The season hasn’t even started and we are already having problems. If Santana ends up on the DL, Jeremy Hefner, Zack Wheeler, or Jenrry Mejia would likely take his spot on the roster.

“Again, there’s no structural issue. It’s a matter of just getting into a developmental progression…It’s not a soreness thing. I wouldn’t even call it a weakness. It’s just where he is in his program is somewhat behind based on his winter and the injury from last year and his loss of the second half of the season. So he’s just a little behind schedule.”–Sandy Alderson on Santana

I love Santana and I want him to be healthy, but it’s hard not to be frustrated. He is set to receive $25.5 million in the last year of his six-year deal, plus a $5.5. million buyout of his 2014 option. Shouldn’t we be getting everything possible out of this pitcher. If this was any other pitcher, and we weren’t talking about Johan Santana, wouldn’t you expect more for that kind of money? In order for our rotation to be effective, we need Santana to be at his best, especially with losing R.A. Dickey.

In more news on our medical issues– outfielder Jamie Hoffman and reliever Pedro Feliciano were shipped off to New York for what was described as “non-orthopedic” followups. Due to “privacy issues,” Alderson could not elaborate on the situation other than these were followups to their initial team physicals. Hmm, that doesn’t sound shady at all…

And lastly, Frank Francisco will begin tossing on Monday or Tuesday following his elbow inflammation problems since arriving at camp. Terry Collins gave Bobby Parnell word that he will be taking the closer spot if Frankie ends up on the DL to start the season. If Parnell could just harness his fastball and build up some consistency that didn’t leave me with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever he steps to the mound in a close game, I wouldn’t be so worried about the closer position. But it’s a new season, so we’ll have to be optimistic despite these setbacks.

With only 4 days until pitchers and catchers report, the Mets have made what seems to be their final move to finish off their bullpen “makeover” this offseason by giving a one-year contract to the veteran right-hander, Brandon Lyon. With Bobby Parnell as the setup man and presumably Frank Francisco still at the closer position (we’ll see what happens in Spring Training -_- ), Lyon could be slipped in next to Parnell or possibly fill in as a closer if needed.

Lyon has had some injury problems- right shoulder and biceps tendon surgery in 2011- and split time with the Astros and Blue Jays last season. He racked up a 3.10 ERA in 67 appearances with 63 strikeouts and 20 walks in 61 innings pitched.

I don’t know what to make of this so-called improvement especially since our significant changes to the bullpen last year led us to be 29th in the league in ERA. As Spring Training comes around, there are several pitchers fighting it out for spots on the Opening Day roster. Hopefully the competition will bring out the best in all of the contenders and maybe…just maybe…our bullpen will improve this upcoming season. **Trying to think positive thoughts!!**

FOR YOUR READING/LISTENING PLEASURE… Check out (here) ESPN’s Adam Rubin interviewing David Wright as he discusses his hectic offseason, which included a big contract making him a Met for life (Oh, HAPPY DAY), the long negotiating process, his engagement (BOOOOOO!!), and his recruitment call to a certain player on the Mets radar (cough**BOURN**cough). It’s a good read even if you don’t watch the short clip, so take a look!

JASON BAY is the man of the game, sealing the Mets sweep of the Marlins in Miami, with a GRAND SLAM in the first inning!! You read it right! His 5th career grand slam accounted for 4 of the 5 Met runs this afternoon and that’s all Mets pitchers needed to get the job done. Chris Young, Bobby Parnell, Josh Edgin, Jon Rauch, and Frank Francisco held Miami to one run to reel the Marlins in and serve up a nice win. Unlike most of the season, the Mets bullpen is dominating recently! They are getting outs and throwing scoreless innings. This is what they should have been doing all season! 

This was a great series for the Mets. It was their first three game sweep since June 18-20 against the Orioles at Citi. Dickey got his 17th win off a complete game shutout [his third shutout and fifth complete game of the season] on Friday night (CY Young Award ::cough, cough::), the Mets rallied back yesterday with a 4-run 9th innning, and an unlikely offensive surge from JBay swept up the Fish today. I have to say, I love seeing the team play like this. They may be out of the playoff race, but they are not giving up on this season. Terry Collins made it clear that players are still working hard to get a spot on the team next year. Other players are determined to show what they are made of in tough situations. I would love to see my team in first place, getting ready for the playoffs, but if I can’t, then seeing them work their butts off to get wins at the end of a terrible season is the next best thing. 

Now, I can’t end this post without talking about Jason Bay. He has had a miserable three years with the Mets to say the least. Fans, especially myself, have been understandably frustrated. But no one can say he has not been trying. This man works harder than any player out there and still does not get results, but he keeps at it. Met fans boo him and he takes it. Terry decided to completely cut his playing time, take him out of games for defensive subs and pinch runners, and Bay does not complain at all. Obviously, these were warranted decisions by the Mets skipper given Bay’s lack of production. But Bay continues to work on his game and tries to figure out how to come back from whatever went wrong when he came to the Mets. He runs out every play, he gives up his body to make a catch (as we saw today, even ones that are foul), and never shows signs of giving up.  He tries to find ways to contribute to the team, even when he’s not on the field as often. I see this just from watching games! I can just imagine what the team sees. So when Bay hits a grand slam to help the Mets go up 5-0 this afternoon, rounds the bases with a giant smile on his face, and his teammates are ecstatic to congratulate him, I can’t help but be extremely happy for him and proud of the team that stands behind him. Keep working hard, Jason! There are still fans, including myself, that see what you are doing out there and really want you to succeed! #BelieveinBay

NEXT GAME– Tomorrow, Sept. 3rd: Mets take on the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium at 2:15PM. #LGM 

Follow the Mets on Twitter (@Mets) to keep up with the team!

Sorry for the little hiatus, but I’m back and don’t feel like talking about the current depressing state of the Mets…

So…the Mets decided to put Johan Santana on the disabled list with inflammation in his lower back. That means he’s done for the rest of the season. GOOD CALL from Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins! Normally I wouldn’t agree with putting a player on the DL just because of discomfort or just because the team has no chance of making it to the playoffs, but I agree with this decision. We NEED Santana to be healthy and effective next year, so why bother forcing him through the rest of this miserable season when he is already in a tough position with the discomfort in his back. Putting him on the DL means Santana can come back next spring healthy and not recovering from a surgery as he has the last few years. I give credit to Mets management for this one!

Something else I wanted to address— the constant comments surrounding Santana’s no-hitter in correlation with his poor pitching following it. Yes, Santana threw 134 pitchers during his historical no-hitter in June. Yes, he pitched terribly in the following games and had a stint on the DL with an ankle injury. That doesn’t mean his no-hitter was the reason for his pitching following it. He was in good health and had no physical problems. Santana just happened to be pitching un-Santana like after he gave Mets fans and the franchise one of his greatest outings. That’s all there is to it.

In my eyes, Santana can do no wrong, so maybe I’m a little biased! He could pitch HORRIBLY for the rest of his time with the Mets and I would still love him! HAHA But even when you look at this from a different perspective, other than a fan, you can see that this has been a successful season for Santana. The man had shoulder surgery and no one believed he could come back from it to pitch effectively, but we knew different! Santana is a work horse! He gave us a good first half with a 3-2 record (should have had more wins) and 2.38 ERA and the FIRST NO-HITTER IN METS HISTORY! He did have a rough rest of the season, but what more could we ask for from a pitcher recovering from shoulder surgery?! I say NOTHING! I appreciate the season Santana gave us and look forward to seeing him healthy and effective next year!

HEATED COOLER– Last night’s game was yet another losing effort from the Mets. As usual the team was sleeping through another game as the season winds down, their record gets worse, and their efforts dwindle. But I finally saw some life from Frank Francisco. After allowing two runs in the top of the 9th of last night’s game against the Colorado Rockies, Francisco freaked out in the dugout, throwing coolers and whatever was around him. I’ll be the first one to say I pegged Francisco as just another player who doesn’t care, but after seeing his outburst, I see him in a different light. I’m glad to see him show some emotion, especially anger at pitching badly. It gives me some hope that maybe he can pull it together for next season!

Matt Harvey was roughed up- giving up 5 runs on 8 hits in 5 innings against the San Diego Padres. Harvey couldn’t throw a breaking ball for a strike and most of the hits he gave up were extra-base hits. He struggled to find a rhythm and the strike zone all game. Harvey is a fierce competitor and you could see from his post-game interview that he was upset with himself. 

Harvey during his post-game interview.

But Harvey knows he needs to erase this one, keep working hard, and get ready for his next start.  Hopefully he uses this loss to motivate him and takes it out on Atlanta on Friday, which will be his debut at Citi Field. I’m sure Mets fans can’t wait to see the future of the organization first hand on the mound at home. 

Mets offense was definitely limited today. They’ve been struggling to get clutch hits. But Ronny Cedeño showed a little spark with a pinch-hit 2-run home run. (Check it out here…) That makes 8 pinch-hit home runs for the Mets this season. Obviously Valdie leads the pack with 5, followed by Scott Hairston with 2, and Cedeno joins them. 

BROOKLYN GETS A TREAT!– Fans at MCU Park were given a great treat this afternoon! Johan Santana made a rehab start for the Brooklyn Cyclones. I’m so upset I didn’t go to the game! But I’m happy he had a good outing! Santana threw 38 pitches allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts over three scoreless innings in the BK. He followed his three innings with further pitching in the bullpen to make it a 90 pitch outing.

Santana on his rehab start: “I feel good. My body had a chance to recover. I really needed that. I threw all my pitches and commanded my fastball.”

Can’t wait to get our ace back! 

BAXTER IN METS HISTORY– Mike Baxter drew five walks in last night’s game, setting the Mets’ record and tying the National League record for walks in a nine-inning game. Congrats Mike!

EDGIN TAKING CONTROL– After Frank Francisco was reactivated, Tim Byrdak was placed on the DL with shoulder soreness. With Byrdak going down, Josh Edgin will be taking on a larger role in the bullpen. It’s a lot to take on in your rookie season, but judging by his performance so far, Edgin seems like the real deal. I think he can handle it! 

OFF DAY– The Mets have an off day tomorrow before Jose Reyes and the Marlins come into town for a three game series on Tuesday. Can’t wait to listen to all the comparisons between Reyes and Tejada…NOT. Ugh, please! Don’t forget to check out the game at 7:10PM! 

Did we just win a series? Yes, I think so! It wasn’t pretty, but the team was able to get it done. 

In Wednesday night’s game, Jon Niese gave a great performance. He had good command on his fastball, which was a very good sign. He was able to bounce back from his worst performance of the season and showed the fight in him. Even when the defense made some terrible plays, Niese composed himself and got outs. It was great to see Niese pick himself up and brush off that bad start. We need him to be at his best because Niese is an extremely important part of our starting rotation. I think he could be a monster pitcher, a force to be reckoned with.  I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of growth from him.

Oh, and Ruben Tejada Jose who? hit a home run on the second pitch he saw from Giants pitcher, Matt Cain. That’s right! Tejada showing some power! I wouldn’t mind seeing more of that. 

Of course, we left the bases loaded for three consecutive innings (7th, 8th, and 9th) and could have scored countless times, but let’s not be a negative nancy. I found it hilarious how Gary Cohen called the game “bizzaro.” Oh Gary…this isn’t the 90s anymore. No one says that! HAHA Check out this game recap from the Daily News.

And then earlier today, the Mets ran the Giants into the ground with a 9-1 win! Chris Young was DOMINANT! You have to give this guy credit. Another pitcher recovering from his worst start of the year, Young pitched seven innings and gave up four hits, four strikeouts, and NO walks today. It’s obvious that the Mets are at their best when their starting rotation is at their best. Getting a good outing from Young was a recipe for success. Not to mention Cedeno‘s bat was on fire. That kinda helped. Here’s the Gameday recap from mets.com.

Even Jason Bay got in on the action with a two-run single in the first inning. Every blog, website, broadcaster, and analyst out there has something to say about Bay. It’s true that the Mets are not getting anything in return for their investment in Bay. But he is a member of the team. I don’t think there’s anyone out there who is harder on Jason Bay than Bay himself. I doubt he wants to be in such a terrible slump. I doubt he wants fans to boo him every time he comes to the plate. All spring he was talking about trying to break out and you could tell he has been working hard. I feel bad that his hard work isn’t paying off. Maybe he needs to go down to the Minors to prove he still has something to offer, but as long as he’s here, we need to support him. (Tweet #BelieveinBay and show him some support)

ROOKIE, CAN YOU TAKE A JOKE? After coming to the game yesterday in a white T-shirt, veteran players decided to teach the rookie, Jordany Valdespin, a lesson in proper pre-game attire. The team enforces a “collared shirts only” policy in the clubhouse prior to games, but I guess Jordany wasn’t warned. He found his shirt with shredded sleeves after the game. The players also wrote “EL HOMBRE” on the back and “NY <3′s Valdie” on the front. Jordany was very upset when he saw the shirt, but eventually calmed down and took it as a joke. David Wright pulled him aside and explained the whole thing. (That’s right, #CaptainWright showing his leadership skills) Don’t worry, Valdie! It’s just a joke! Take it in strides, rookie. I’m glad this didn’t cause any unwanted drama in the clubhouse. 

COMING BACK?– Frank Francisco is making the trip to San Diego and should be back with the team, closing out games starting tomorrow. I guess Bobby Parnell will have to take a back seat. Let’s see how Francisco fairs taking back his closer position. And Johan Santana will be throwing another bullpen session on Sunday, working on his own return from the disabled list. Terry Collins will not put a date on Santana’s return so we will have to wait and see how his rehab goes. 

ANOTHER WEST COAST CHALLENGE: The Mets start another West Coast series against the San Diego Padres beginning tomorrow at 10:05 ET. We’re going to need R.A. Dickey at his best for another win! Take a look at this game preview from CBSSports.com Let’s Go Mets! #LGM

Matt Harvey gives another impressive performance, setting the Mets record with 18 strikeouts in his first two starts and proves he’s here to stay. Showing us a different side, Harvey threw a lot more changeups than in his first start, relying on that pitch for most of his outing. I’m sure we can credit Dan Warthen with the change. He predominantly threw the heat in his debut. No doubt adrenaline played a role in that, but his second start gave us a different view. Harvey gave us versatility and proved he has what it takes to adapt and get big leaguers out, no matter what the pitch. He ran into trouble a few times, but kept his composure even when Ruben Tejada threw wide to first base in the 2nd inning on a double play ball, allowing two runs to score. Harvey was handed his first loss in the Majors against the Giants, but his exceptional pitching effort was not lost. Harvey represents the future of this organization and judging by his last two performances, I’d say we have some light shining through.

You just have to love his competitiveness:

“I don’t like to lose…Whether I’m pitching or whether I’m not, I don’t like to lose. It’s how I am. In my world, I would have thrown up more zeroes and kept us closer.”– Matt Harvey 

I love the attitude! You just have to respect the competitive nature he brings with him. But you’re on the Mets, Matt, so you should probably get used to losing. =/

ANOTHER PROSPECT ON THE RISE– Dare I say the Mets are doing a great job of building up for the future! Another impressive outing comes from another Mets pitching prospect- Zack Wheeler. He struck out 11 batters in 6 2/3 innings and fell just one shy of his career high. Yes, you read correctly! That says ELEVEN! This could be his final start in Double-A Binghamton with reports flying that he will be promoted to Triple-A Buffalo for his next start. In the same game, Frank Francisco took the mound for a rehab start, striking out the side in the 8th inning. Our injured closer is inching his way back to the Big Leagues.

UPDATE!!- Zack Wheeler has officially been promoted to Triple-A Buffalo! Congrats Zack! Keep up the progress! 

TONIGHT– Jon Niese goes for the Mets tonight in the third game of the series against the San Francisco Giants at 10:15PM on SNY.

It took 10 innings, Scott Hairston saving us TWICE with two game-tying home runs, and every other twist and turn possible. It was a terribly played game and not a pretty win, but a win nonetheless. I guess at this point- we’ll take it! 

Let’s see all the things that went wrong for the Mets- Ike Davis had one of his worst games offensively (with his golden sombrero) and defensively (with some major fielding mistakes, including a misplay in the 9th that let the tying run score). Our reliable closer Bobby Parnell pretty much lost the game for us. David Wright is killing me this second half with his downward sliding offense. WHAT HAPPENED TO MY MVP! Cedeno bobbled that inning ending double play that would have gotten Jeremy Hefner out of the 5th inning after a really strong outing. And this game just reinforced my feelings about the Mets making the playoffs. Even if by some miracle we made it, how could we survive with our bullpen giving up leads and unable to make stops (aside from Josh Edgin who is pitching extremely well in his rookie season). 

YES, it was an incredibly long and drama-filled game, but I was extremely impressed by two things- (1) Scott Hairston has yet again proven how valuable he is, and (2) Terry Collins is a GREAT manager. Hairston (Mr. Clutch last night) used his bat to bail us out twice a midst rumors he could be traded. (Check out his home runs here!) He didn’t let what might happen off the field affect him on the field and that is deserving of respect. 

Terry Collins’ managing last night proved just how effective he is as a manager. His strategical moves, attitude, and passion stand out in every game and last night was no exemption. He made great moves including pinch hitting with Mike Baxter (who picked up right where he left off prior to his injury on that day in #HI57ory), bringing in Josh Edgin, and putting on the suicide squeeze in the 10th to get us an insurance run. Yep, Terry Collins has been making big strides with this team and I couldn’t be happier…well, unless we actually had a winning record and a spot in the playoffs. 

♥TURNNNN!!! I couldn’t end this post without mentioning Justin Turner‘s pinch hit RBI double to give the Mets the lead in the 8th inning. He came up big!! ‘Call Me, Maybe’ was playing in my head during his entire at-bat. For those of you who don’t know, Justin comes to bat to Carly Rae Jepsen’s extremely catchy (and my favorite) song! He is just a ball of energy and fun and I love it! Follow my favorite red-head on Twitter– @redturn2. You won’t regret it!

NO CHANGES FOR US– It’s pretty much set in stone that the Mets will remain the same as this trade deadline passes. 

FRANCISCO REHABBING– Frank Francisco is getting some playing time in Double-A Binghamton and looking to make his return this weekend. A little too late? 

GOING FOR HIS SECOND WIN!–The Mets look to make it three in a row in Game 2 of the series against the Giants tonight at 10:15PM (I’m not a fan of West Coast games =/) on SNY with our rookie sensation, Matt Harvey, on the mound following his outstanding MLB debut. #LGM #harveytime