EVIL~! alkeiper

Hard to bet against a SS who hits .350+. Right now, I have my doubts. His stats are not so impressive as a corner infielder. Ryan Howard I'm going to say around 400-450. I doubt he plays far into his late 30s.

Showed up at 2pm for a 7pm game? That can happen at Wrigley.

Because hot streaks and slumps are only as good as your next start. Ask the Yankees and Red Sox about hot streaks.

Besides, the Mets can't blame Billy Wagner for their failings. He didn't pitch the first three games and he was only a factor in this one because the Mets' pitchers gave up eight runs before he came in.

Wagner's given up runs in four straight outings, so maybe there's something physically wrong. It could just be a bad stretch. He went two months (June 15-August 18) where he gave up runs in one lone outing. As for how he does it, yes that's important. A ground ball is 10 feet to either side and we're not having this discussion.

Concerning Romero, it's worth remembering he worked four days in a row (counting this game). The Phils may not have wanted to stretch him.

Wagner went two innings. He gave up three hits in the ninth, all singles. It's not like they teed off.

Heck with that. Bring in J.T. Smith.

I'd say the steroid hearings/fallout, along with the suspensions that occurred today.

Holy crap! Phillies sweep!!!

I can't blame Wagner for this one, except that he can't hold runners.

Big ups to Jayson Werth!

1. Mesa came in after the disaster and immediately walked the first batter on four pitches. That's maddening. 2. Mesa sucked four years ago when his meltdowns cost the Phils a division title. He's four years older and still sucks. There's no reason to carry a washed up pitcher with a 5.65 ERA on the club. It would be more efficient to put Shane Victorino on the mound and have him lop baseballs into the outfield.

There is a lot of good information, but ultimately it reads like a collection of term papers. It's not an easy read, and I think it's heavy-handed nature might turn off some readers. A common complaint about BP is they tend to use a lot of graphs that look like gibberish if you've never taken a course in College Statistics.

His peripherals for the second half aren't too impressive, except that he cut his home run rate. I would doubt it based on his current stats, but he is just 23 yet. Brady hit a lot of home runs but he was always a very good player. My vote goes to Willie McGee, hitting .353, slugging a hair over .500 and winning the MVP in 1985.

Learned a lesson today by the way. Do not watch Jose Mesa pitch with a baseball sitting nearby. I now have a dent the size of a baseball on my bedroom wall.

Yeah, the Mets pinch-hit with Moises Alou and Charlie Manuel went righty/righty.

Salvatore Sincere? That was Tom Brandi, an indy wrestler in the 1990s.

I don't want to hear complaints about the Mets' bullpen again. Our season may now rests on the right arm of Jose Mesa. Shouldn't we have fixed this given four years? 3-0. God Fucking Damnit.

Sad thing is, I would love that park. Prices, convenience and such are more important to me than aesthetics when visiting a park.

My mistake.

The idea is that a pitching prospect, no matter how elite, is subject to the risks of injury. Pitching prospects as a whole reach the Majors at a lower percentage than position players. I think one way to illustrate the point is by looking at the pitchers drafted first overall. Bryan Bullington, Matt Anderson, Kris Benson, Paul Wilson, Brien Taylor, Ben McDonald, etc. Andy Benes was the best of the lot. Another place to look is Baseball America's top 100 prospect lists. They have done the list since 1990. In that time, the top pitching prospects in baseball have included Todd Van Poppel, Brien Taylor (twice), James Baldwin, Paul Wilson, Kris Benson, Rick Ankiel (twice), Jesse Foppert and Edwin Jackson. Hardly a group that has racked up multiple All-Star appearances. Generally, pitchers are unpredictable in nature, and what looks like a sure hit isn't as sure as the best position prospect.

Minor detail, it was pinch runner Endy Chavez running from third.

That was an awful play by Marlon Anderson there. I have both the SNY and Comcast Philly broadcasts, and both agree it was correct to call interference.

Pretty much. He was too undisciplined at the plate.