THE METS AND THE BULLPEN (updated)

Simply put, it's been unacceptable.

This pen has blown way to many games. No one feels comfortable when we see the starting pitchers pitch count nearing 100 with a 2 (or even a 5)run lead, because we know here comes the awful tandem of Heilman, Sanchez, Feliciano, Smith and Schoeneweis. They gotta go. Every last one of them.

There's still 2 weeks left in the triple A season...I DEMAND they all be sent down, and bring up Eddie Kunz, Al Reyes, Ivan Maldonado, Willie Collazo, and Nate Field.

This has to be done, I can't sit on my couch with a nifty 3-1 lead after 2 comfortable hours of baseball thru 7, then have to endure 1 hour of 5 awful pitchers trying to get the last 6 outs....AND FAILING!!!!

Faithful readers...have I let you down yet? No, I have not..Willie had to go, he went...I offer solutions, Omar needs to act right now, send them down and let them remember what it's like to ride the bus and play in front of 3,300 fans who care most about the sausage race (pardon). We play 2 key games against the Phillies today and tomorrow, in Philly...we know that band box is a nightmare to bullpens, and withthe worst pen in the game I see nothing good happening. I WANT COLLAZO TO GET OUT UTLEY TONIGHT NOT SCHOENWEIS. WHEN BURREL SOMES UP TONIGHT IN THE 8TH WITH 2 MEN ON AND THE METS UP BY 2 WE NEED NATE FIELD TO GET HIM OUT.

Omar...this is not negotiable.

Am I being extreme? Hell yea I'm being extreme, and that's because I was the same guy last year who stayed calm and said, "we have 17 games left to play, all we have to do is go 8-9 and then Philly has to go 15-2 just to tie us"...well guess what, we didn't even go 8-9 and Philly not only tied us but passed us...I WILL NOT SIT BY IDLY THIS YEAR AND FAIL. Wake up Omar, bring up the reserves, and let's win this thing!!!!

WEDNESDAY’S WEEKLY WILLIE WATCH

I certainly understand that a baseball season is a marathon and not a race. Having been a fan of the Mets now for 35 years (and no I wasn’t a fan of some other team for the 20 years prior to rooting for them), I fully understand there will be ups and downs, and it’s silly to take the team’s pulse after every game.

So as disappointed as we were this weekend when Santana and Perez couldn’t get the job done against the Brewers, it’s equally unrealistic to fell joy and elation this morning after what was probably their best overall performance of the season last night as Big Pelf had his second solid start of the year, Reyes got 4 hits, Wright drove in 5 runs and Sanchez pitched a solid 9th.

I’ve always said as good at Wright is, and as important as the middle of the line-up is, when Reyes plays like he played in 2006 and most of 2007, this team is a totally different team, if he can finally shed whatever it has been that’s been holding him back the last 6 weeks or so, dating back to September 2007, this will all be moot and the Willie Watch will be more about us watching to see when they clinch rather than watching to see when they choke.

I still miss the fire, and this team needs a leader, and at this point I have to point to Willie to be that guy. I know we have no idea what goes on behind the scenes, and I never hear a player moan or complain about Willie publicly, but again, he is the head, he makes all the moves, he needs to get wins, and he will be held accountable.

Wednesday’s on this blog are all about Willie, so what has changed since last week…not to much, although I will say I was happy to see a little switch last night with Castillo batting 8th, and church in the 2 hole, plus coming off a strong game last night, and not having any specific blame on Willie for the last weekend, I’ll give Willie a little boost today, but the watch is still very much in effect.

WILLIE’S CURRENT SCORE = 67