Manny Being Traded

Red Sox ownership (and presumably Terry Francona as well) finally had enough of Manny Being Manny and sent him to the Dodgers in a 3-team deal which brought them my fellow 9/20 brother, Jason Bay.

As to whether the Sox are waving the white flag in the hopes of defending their world championship is a moot point, this is about something much more than that.

WARNING: Metamorphosis into self-righteous douchey middle-age columnist commencing now

As someone who follows the Sox, the way the whole Manny Era ended irrittates me. I'm not shocked, I knew they wouldn't renew his option, it's the reason it ended that bugs me and honestly, I don't know why, because while I am passionate about the game, how a player handles himself is his own choice.

I still don't understand why Manny felt the need to go through all of this. He's making $20+ million a year, he has 2 world championship rings, he's going to the Hall of Fame, a fan base that supports him and yet it wasn't enough for him. If you put a gun to my head, I'd say that this was about cash, but it doesn't look that way to me. It seems to me like Manny was acting like a kid who was tired of playing with the rest of the class and wanted to see how much he could do before the teachers put him in timeout. Obviously, the moment Manny stopped being a top-10 player, Theo Epstein, Larry Lucchino and Co. said enough's enough. Was it worth all the trouble, Manny? For what? To prove a point that you can get away with almost anything? That's worth getting run out of town?

Now, Manny has claimed that Sox management has portrayed him as the bad guy as they had done with Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez. The difference being is that I think Pedro and Nomar still have good standing with Sox fans, which, I can't tell you where they stand with Manny. When Pedro returned to Fenway with the Mets in 2006, he received a thunderous ovation and many tributes from fans and the Boston media. Fans appreciated Pedro and Nomar because of their constant balls to the wall effort and their appreciation of the fans. Manny, whether it's in his personality or not, just seems to be built for hitting and nothing else. That's why nobody begrudged Pedro for leaving and getting one more pay day and why Manny probably would've had the same treatment had he stayed down.

I just hope it was worth it for Manny and The Cyborg Agent. Now he's stuck on a pedestrian team that, at best, can make the NLCS and little else.

Night Before The War

I know, it sounds ridiculous to call a mid-July a series a war, but with the Mets and Phillies, it's headed that way. The Mets and Phags have always had a chance to be a great rivalry given the proximity between the two cities and that they play in the same division, Phillies fans hate the Mets because they get more attention and win once in awhile and the Mets fAns hate the Phags because Philly is like the ugly middle step-child that nobody wantes to deal with, a poor man's Sox-Yanks if you will. Problem is, the teams were never good at the same time. The closest it ever came was in 1986 when the Phils came in 2nd, granted it was 20 games and again 2006 with Philly finishing 9 games back in a division that was never in doubt.

That all changed in 2007. It started with Jiminy Rollins proclamation that the Phillies were the team to beat in the N.L. East, it looked like nothing more than cheap talk when Rollins' error led to an Opening Day victory, got interesting when the Phags came in and punked the Mets at Shea in June, became big when the Phils dramatically swept 4 at Citizens Bank Park at the end of August. The final dagger coming September 14-16 when the Phags swept the good guys at Shea to begin The Collapse.

Given the Phags' swagger and the way last year ended, The Phags have long passed the Braves for the top spot on the shit list of Mets fans. Seeing the Rockies absolutely clean the Phags' clock in the NLDS barely eased the shock of what had happened a week before. The damage had already been done, sort of like putting the guy who killed your brother in the hospital.

Since Game 162, the Mets' only focus has not been about a championship, it's about reclaiming what should have been theirs and putting the Phags in their place.

Even a 2nd week matchup felt like a chance to exact revenge, not matter how small it was. Now with the two teams tied for first, for the first time since last September, it actually means something. Both teams have their off- and mid- season arms ready for the challenge, and the Phags are bringing The Wife Beater back for Wednesday.

I honestly don't know if I'm psyched for this series or terrified. Given that nothing ever comes easy for the Mets, and especially against the Phils over the past year, there's little reason to believe it'll change now. All I know is, bring it on.

The Dark Knight

Here at 7 Up 17 To Go, I'm usually not to the type to review movies, since I don't see as many as I should. I do recommend our friend over at The Blog Cabins (besure to check the links) though for your movie fix. That said, I have to give my two cents on the record-shattering Dark Knight.

If you are one of the 10 people who hasn't seen this movie, I'm not saying you should see, I'm commanding you. Excellent performances by all parties and did not disappoint at all. This will be the first movie I see in the theaters twice.

SPOILER ALERT

I will say I was a little surprised that they killed off Harvey Dent. When they show him as two-face in the hospital my first thought was "Well, there's the next movie."

That said, Heath Ledger has to be the odds-on favorite for Best Supporting Actor, Christian Bale for the lead and it better be in the running for Best picture, or the whole process has become a farce. No, this is not ESPN-esque hype. Trust me, go see this and get back to me.

Mets 1st Half Report Card Part 2

Before we begin, I know that people will largely will remember this All-Star Game for the fact that it nearly ended in a tie again, but that was the best played all-star game I've seen played in awhile. A lot of extra inning games can go 1-2-3 with an occasional runner at 1st for awhile, but extras last night didn't disappoint, whether it was stellar defense (except for you. Mr. Uggla) or guys stepping up even though they were out of position, it made staying up til 1:45 a little defensible. And say what you want about Billy, at least he's consistent when it comes to blowing games. Thank you and Dan Uggla for nothing. Now on with the 1st half grades of the hitters and coaches.....


Jose Reyes: B Reyes continues to be a flashpoint for the team with the media and fans. Some feel he can do no wrong and others (myself included) feel he can stand to mature a little bit. As demonstrated in 2006 and the first half of 2007, when he's locked in, this team is near unbeatable. When his mind wanders, mediocrity lurks in the shadows as seen in the first month and a half of the season. To his credit, Reyes is htting over .300 at the break and is starting to re-gain better patience at the plate that he had lost since last September which reminded fans of the 2004-2005 Reyes which would swing at almost anything and inhabited his ungodly potential. While he has still shown immature fits such as throwing his glove in the air during the game against the Hankees and storming off the field in Anaheim, Jose seems to be getting better on his focus and is fourth in the NL with 32 steals (but caught stealing 10 times, which is almost half his total all of last season) , which could be the difference as to whether this team plays in October or not.

David Wright: A While D-Dubs has yet to get on a tear of sorts, he is 5th in the NL with 70 RBI and an OBP% of .380 and a continued rock in the lineup. If not for the efforts of The People's Champ and Ryan Church, the Mets would've been behind Atlanta in June and ther optimism that is glowing right now certainly isn't happening. As stated, he and Beltran have not had their streaks yet and that's what makes this team so scary.

Carlos Beltran: B Sure, Carlos has his 4-5 game flashes of brilliance, but he has had 2004-like streaks here the last 2 years and we have yet to see that. Beltran continues to provide arguably the best centerfield defense in Mets history and the occasional 3-run blast, but we know he is capable of much more. Why a B you ask? Beacuse while it is not the 06/07 Beltran, it is certainly not the 05 Beltran and that's above average to me.

Carlos Delgado: C Ahhhhh, the man I have thrown much hateration on for the first 2 and a half months. While the real life Pedro Cerrano still can't hit a curveball to save his life (making the parallels between the two all the more eerie) and his defense is just about average, I have to give credit where its due. Delgado's recent surge is a key reason for the 9-game charge to within a half-game of the Phils. Plus, I always have to give credit to a guy who goes into "The Cathedral" (by the way, if I hear one more person say the real MVP of the All-Star Game is Yankee Stadium, I will assault them Kyle Farnsworth style) and punk the Hankees the way Delgado did in the doubleheader.

Ryan Church: B+ The only reason I'm not giving Church an A is because he hasn't been around more to produce, which is no fault of his own mind you. As I said earlier, without Wright and Church's play in the first month and a half this is already a lost cause. Whether Church plays another game this year or not (and at this point it's day-to-day), the Mets have ripped off the Nationals for this season thanks to the efforts of Church and Schenider and the contuining Alex Ecobar impression from Lastings Milledge in D.C. *knock on wood*.

Moises Alou: Incomplete The one word that sums up the Alou Era in New York.

Luis Castillo: C+ Aside from his early season struggles, Castillo continues to do what he always does, slap hits, set up Jose on the bases, leg out the occasional infield hit, play solid defense and have his knee give out every 2 weeks or so. While signing him to a 4-year deal is ridiculous on so many levels, Castillo ended up being one of the reasons Johan decided to head to Queens, well that and 137 million ducketts. If Manuel keeps the platoon of Easley/Argenis together to ease the burden on Castillo's knees from playing every day, I'm fine with that.

Brian Schneider: B I was initially against the trade since I believed Milledge could be the key to getting Santana at that point, I'd like to declare here that I am a dumbass. My friend Anthony and I came to the conclusion before the season started that he and LoDuca were a wash offensively and the difference being that Schenider is a little better defensively and isn't a hothead. Schneider has proved much more than that by often shutting down the opposing team's running game, handling the pitching staff exceptionally and growing a goatee that makes him look exactly like my friend T.O'C. The only oddity with Schneider is that his walk-up song is "Sweetest Girl" by Wyclef, which is the 2nd most depressing song of the decade behind City High's "What Would You Do?" I'm wondering if he chose that or he requested nothing and in Shea's never-ending quest to have loud noise at all times (seriously people, enough with Kevin James screaming at us) came up with it. And even then, what the hell? How is that motivational?

Fernando Tatis: A In a season full of swings and misses, Omar pulled a rabbit out of his hat on this one. Tatis has filled in admirably at the corner OF's and at 1st and 3rd, hitting .292 with 4 homers and 19 RBI. He also has 2 of the biggest hits of the season, the GW double against the Marlins to start Willie's Last Stand and the homer in the 12th in Philly two weeks ago.

Damion Easley: C+ Aside from the recent surge and the go-ahead homer against Colorado last Friday, Easley's had a par for the course: Good for a fill-in for a few gamees, but not for a month straight, provides some hitting and just enough defense.

Angel Pagan: B- Another unsung hero of April and early May and another great scrap sign by Minaya. Pagan was great in the field and excelled in the 2-spot while Castillo was ailing. I hope Manuel will give Pagan his due playing time when he hopefully returns later this month. A guy like Pagan is essential to a winning team, he certainly won't put up big numbers (after all, he's yet to homer as a Met), but does all the little things that help in the long run.

Endy Chavez: B Endy continues to do what he has always done in his time in Queens. Provide stellar defense, a steady bat that will get him on base and have his only home run come in May that always comes in timely spot.

Argenis Reyes: Incomplete I can't give a grade on him yet because we have such a small sample to go on, but I like what I see. Don't know what we'll get from his bat, but his defense has been exceptional. If the Mets get ANY offense from him, he's a modified Anderson Hernandez and that cat was just as good with the glove.

Ramon Castro: C- Average year from the team prankster. The minus you ask? Well, that's what happens when you don't know game time.

Marlon Anderson: D+ While I love Marlon and wouldn't speak ill of him, he just doesn't have it anymore, which is a shame because his old clutch hitting is needed down the stretch.

Raul Casanova/ Robinson Cancel/ Gustavo Molina: D Casanova launching a few homers was the only thing that kept this group from an F.

Nick Evans/ Trot Nixon/ Chris Aguila/ Andy Phillips/ Brady Clark/ Abraham Nunez: F------------ I hate to lump the kid with the has-been and the never-weres, but they all equal skid marks.

Omar Minaya: B- The landing of Santana makes up most of this. He can make up for it by getting bullpen help before the deadline, which would make this team a legitimate contender as I've been saying since last November.

Jerry Manuel: B+ Whether or not the recent turnaround can be attributed to the new manager is debatable, but one thing is for sure, the Manuel Administration is definitely more hands-on than his 2 predecessors. Manuel has not felt the need to manage by the payroll and give days off from time to time and brought some stability to the bullpen by assigning roles and has actually seen some improvement. The biggest difference amongst fans has been that Manuel has shown more emotion in one month than Randolph did in 3 years. Granted, this doesn't make that much of a difference, but it has certainly won over fans and players alike.

Dan Warthen: B Now I don't know if Warthen has been the difference in the recent production of the rotation, but you can tell that they've been more relaxed than ever. As I said yesterday, the biggest change has been with Mike Pelfrey, who Warthen told to trust has fastball more, which allows him to set up his slider. The jury's still out as to whether Warthen can be renewed for next year and beyond, but he's done a solid job so far.

Willie Randolph and Rick Peterson: C- Much like two of his old pupils in Oakland, the myth of Rick Peterson was debunked in the last year and a half. Whether he was too stubborn or he put too much pressure on the pitchers, the wonders that Peterson had once worked had long disappeared by the time the hammer came down. Not that Rick really cares, I'm sure he's in a hammock in the Turks and Caicos, smoking a pipe and reading Ivanhoe. One of Willie's faults, and a Manuel strength, was that he was insistent on pretending that The Collapse never happened, where as Manuel uses it as a motivational tool. Say you get mauled by dogs while you ride your bike by the pound, you keep in mind where not to go and how to get around it, you don't just keep going past the place. Let it be said that Willie is a class guy whose only fault was that he thought if he kept doing the same thing the result would change, and we all know what the defnition of that is.

Mets 1st Half Report Card Part 1

With the ceremonial halfway mark of the season tonight (did you know that this is the last year of Yankee Stadium? They really should publicize that), I figured I should hand out my 1st half grades for the team, starting with the pitchers. For the record, the boycott ended last Wednesday and thank goodness, so I can reasonably waste $160 for the team I'm rooting for.



Johan Santana: A- You can't ask much more out of the $137 million man. With the exception of his first home start against Milwaukee and the first post-Willie Era start against the Angels, Santana has put the Mets in position to win his starts, but has often suffered the same lack of run support that hanuted Pedro at his peak. His penchant for legendary 2nd halves have many Met fans extremely opitimistic on top of the current streak. You would be hard pressed to say he hasn't been worth it so far.

Pedro Martinez: C- And that grade might be generous. Pedro has made it to the 6th inning just once in 9 starts and has an ERA of 6.25, a WHIP of 1.63 and opponents are hitting almost .300 against him. Mets fans knew when Martinez signed a 4-year deal back in December 2004 that we weren't getting the greatest pitcher on the planet Pedro of 1998-2000, but a #1 wasn't too much to ask and a good #2 upon the arrival of Santana this season. Coming into this season, we were hoping to get at least the pre-injury 2006 edition of Pedro, but even that is wishful thinking at this point. His fastball barely tops 90 and while his changeup is still what it always has been, he has had to rely mostly on smarts and grit to get by, and while this would be enough 2 or 3 years ago, it now renders him to the latin equivalent of John Burkett. Met fans can only hope for one last blaze of glory to salvage his career here, but having his health should they make it to October would suffice.

John Maine: B Maine didn't quite have the stellar 1st half he had last year, but he and Johan have been the two rocks of the staff of an otherwise unstable staff and season. Maine's knack for winning games when they absolutely have to has continued and if for nothing else, should be the top reason why Omar Minaya or if there's a new administration need to re-sign this coming winter, though I wouldn't put it past any of the parties involved not to, remember, youth isn't a strong point of theirs.


Mike Pelfrey: B+ The transformation of Pelfrey over the last month has been a revelation and proof that Minaya was extremely lucky to keep him out of the Santana deal. Throughout his struggles of the last 2 years, Pelfrey always maintained that he knew he was doing all the right things and that it would eventually lead to success, which was met with a lot of skepticism. Whether it was confidence in his stuff or just finding the right location, Pelfrey has become dependable for the last month and supplied everyone with the confidence that they can win that night. The most noticeable change in Pelfrey recently is that he's been more willing to trust his fastball in the upper 90s and go right after hitters, which sets up his nasty slider which has given him many a double play. If Pelfrey has officially turned the corner and keeps this up, the Mets have a real shot to take over the post in the N.L. East and fend off the Phils.

Oliver Perez: C+ The riddle wrapped in a mystery wrapped in an enigma that is Ollie continues. After having a solid 2007 that ended with a disappointing effort in Game 160, winning an arbitration case thanks to the efforts of Cyborg Boras and free agency looming, many felt this would be the year that Perez finally showed that he is a frontline starter, but instead has gone in circles so far. He continues to be money in big games, but starts like the ones against the Giants and the Mariners leave you going "What the fuck was that?" The inopportune walks and the frustration from him that follows have continued to haunt him. That said, he has shown marked improvement since the ouster of Rick Peterson who he reportedly did not see eye to eye with at all, whether Dan Warthen can finally be the one to harness Ollie's potential is the $6 million question that could help propel this team.

Billy Wagner: B Wagner's propensity for shooting off his mouth has overshadowed what has been a largely successful 1st half. His change to the wind-up has resulted in converting 22 of 28 saves, 3 of the blown saves coming in 4 days, a team leading 2.31 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and an opponent average of .193. With the recent announcement that Francisco Rodriguez will be a free agent, you have to wonder that even with 1 more season remaining on his deal, if this is Wagner's final season in New York.

Pedro Feliciano: B- The Other Pedro isn't the reliever he was in 2006 and occasionally gives you the shakes, but is still a safe bet out of the pen.

Duaner Sanchez: C+ The return of Duaner to the set-up role in 2008 had many Met fans (myself included) and while he went through struggles in May and early June, Sanchez has excelled since Jerry Manuel gave him the main 8th inning specialist. If he regains even 3/4 of his pre-injury 06 form, the bullpen is already upgraded from last year, then again Tug McGraw's corpse > Guillermo Mota.

Scott Schoeneweis: B+ From bullpen pariah last year to being booed at both Opening Days this year to reliable lefty now, Scotty Show has seen every emotional angle in the last 10 months. Whether he had recovered from a non-operable injury from last year or just caught the upside that relievers so often experience from year to year, Schoeneweis has posted an ERA of 2.65 aand an opposing average of .226.

Aaron Heilman: C To his credit, he hasn't whined about starting this season and given that his name is an trade rumor almost every other day, The Furher has handled it about as well as you can ask him. That said, Heilman's troubles against lefties have gotten progessively worse and his recent surge over the past few weeks is the only thing salvaged his grade.

Joe Smith: B Nasty has fit the description of situational reliever perfectly. He has an ERA under three and opponents are hitting near the Mendoza line against him. What Smitty's undoing last year was a poor 2nd half that ultimately sent him back to New Orelans and eventually a culprit of The Collapse, let's see if he learns from his mistakes.

Carlos Muniz: C+ This year's floater could be a key component of the bullpen if given the opportunity. Muniz has been called up 4 different times this season and his pitched mostly mop-up situations, save for a jam against the Dodgers at home in late May which he got out of without damage. He has the stuff and confidence to be a 7th or 8th inning guy, but he needs some experience to make it happen. I hope Manuel will give him the opportunity.

Claudio Vargas: C Grade fits perfect. Average.

Nelson Figueroa and Tony Armas Jr.: D Armas produced little following a solid opening start at St. Louis and Figueroa's most memorable moment came when he bitched out the Nationals for cheering like a Little League team. While he did have a point, it would've been nice had he not held a charity walk-a-thon every time he pitched. Thank you, Nelson, for nothing.

Jorge Sosa and Matt Wise: F In their defense, their other job is being a 2007 re-enactor, so in that sense, they're dedicated to their craft.

Hitters and coaches tomorrow.......

The Cubs Get A Hard-en

In what has to be classified as a reaction move, the Cubs traded for Rich Harden from the A'S, surrendering Sean Gallagher, the 4-year "future star" Matt Murton, Eric Patterson and minor leaguer John Donaldson. I don't think it's a panic move just yet because I think Gallagher could fit in that rotation, other than that, there's no risk involved on the Cubs' side of things.

Now given the fact that Harden makes Mark Prior look like Tom Glavine in terms of durability, the immediate comparison to former Cub overpitched flameouts Mark Prior and current closer Kerry Wood is brought up. There's a big difference between the make up of those 03-04 squads and this Cub unit and that is a competent bullpen. No longer is Joe Borowski, Kyle Farnsworth, Dave Veres, Mike Remlinger, LaTroy Hawkins or Mark Guthrie standing along the left-field line as the Cub starter apparoaches his 110th pitch. Now, 7 innings is no longer a demand but a luxury for the Cubbies. If it were up to me, I'd put Harden on a Joba-like pitch count til Labor Day and go from there, remember Grant Hill feels sorry for this cat.

If Harden should end up shattering like the glass he is made of, Billy Beane should appear on the 6 P.M. SportsCenter smoke a cigar, put it out on Josh Elliott's face, do his best Kool Moe Dee impression and shout "How you like me now?". Actually, I'll do the 2nd part myself. I'm interested to see who he gets to fall for Joe Blanton, trouble is, he's submarining his trade value this season. If I was Billy Beane, after watching Mark Mulder last 16 pitches tonight, I'd spend the next week patting myself on the back.

The thing is, many scouts, anaylsts and players believe Harden has the best stuff of any pitcher in the league. If the stars align and Harden makes it through October unscathed, the Cubs have to the odds-on favorite to win the World Series. A rotation of Zambrano-Dempster(he'd have to start at home)-Harden and a not too shabby 4th starter in Ted Lilly would be ungodly. As I said, the Cubs didn't have anything to lose because of who they gave up but I think they are still the best team even without Harden. I'm interested to see what the Cards will do in the next week or so, whether they will go after alleged "ace" A.J. Burnett. But that's another entry.

When Does Fandom Reach Insanity?

As I continue my boycott of the Mets, I'm starting to wonder whether I've legitimately lost my mind. As many a baseball fan are, I am quite the superstitious type when it comes to my teams. When the Red Sox made their epic run in 2004, I wore an old basketball tournament t-shirt with a mexican eggs stain on it, shorts with a hole and played Trick Daddy's "Let's Go" for every game from Game 4 of the ALCS through their sweep of the Cards a week later. But the last few days are starting to creep me out.

The Mets have put on an offensive explosion over the past week when I haven't been watching but when I step out to see if they can put their foot on their opponents throat, the usual foul-out at 3rd arrives with me. It all came to a head last night as I watched the bottom of the 9th to see if the Mets could finish the Phils and take 3 of 4 from the Phags. I watched with my mouth agape as the Phillies put 2 on and then Beltran's throw sail past 3rd and all of a sudden the horror of the 4-game sweep last August came rushing back. My friend in Oklahoma said it best at that moment "If they lose this game, I'm not watching them again this season." Luckily, Wagner was able to get Jayson "My facial hair is gayer than Scott Spiezio's" Werth to fly out to Endy to end the game and I proceeded to pant for 2 minutes afterwards.

I know its ridiculous to think that I have a reverse King Midas touch on this team and that the actions of one individual out of millions of fans would change a game, but this is starting to get weird. But that's why we become die-hards in the first place, because we believe we jackasses can have an effect on the game because of some stupid we're doing thousands of miles away.

Highway Robbery 2008

You have to hand it to the Cleveland Indians, for the 2nd time this decade they've been able to deal an Ace Round Mound for future cornerstones. I know, you're expecting me to make a joke about how could Minaya trade Sizemore and Lee for Colon but it's not like Montreal was going to keep any of the 3.

If C.C. Sabathia continues to pitch like he has for the last month and a half then the Brewers are a very legit threat to take the National League pennant. Much in the same way that Montreal acquired Bartlo Colon, the Brewers are going for broke this year with as balanced a team there is in the National League. With Ben Sheets a free agent following this season, Sabathia bolting town the instant the World Series ends and the inevitable trade of Eau Gallie's own Prince Fielder, this is the Brewers best (and likely only) chance of making the playoffs since they were in the American League. With a rotation of Sabathia, Sheets, and alleged postseason ace Jeff "Go To Hell" Suppan, the Brewers set up great in a short series. Their bullpen, however, still is a sinkhold of a problem that needs to be fixed.

The Indians were not able to pry away former Brevard County Manatees Mat Gamel and Alcides Escobar, but were able to get current Manatee Taylor Green, as well as graduate of the dark side, Matt LaPorta. It's not just my blind hatred of all things Gainesville, but many scouts did not think the Brew Crew were justified taking LaPorta at #7 in the draft last year. I can tell you from watching Green several times at Space Coast Stadium this season that he has the potential to be the future at 3rd Base for the Tribe. He hit over .300 until this past week, has 10 homers, 35 RBI, an OBP of .380, a SLG% of .444 which if you take into account that the Florida State League, especially Space Coast Stadium, is pitcher-friendly makes it all the more impressive.

Seeing Other Games: b-RAY-ve New World

No July 4th game, but tonight I would like to declare that, yes, I am a bandwgaon Tampa Bay Rays fan. However, if you watch this team reguarly you'd become a fan as well. They're young, talented, good chemistry and they play hard, something the Mets could really stand to try at some point.

My only previous experience at The Trop came in June 1998 when it was an unquestionable dump and the novelty of baseball being in Tampa was in full effect, not to mention the dfeinition of nosebleed seats. Needless to say, the experience sucked.

I was expecting a real forced atmosphere smilar to say Anaheim or Arizona, but that notion was immediatelty dispelled. Meeting up with a couple of friends before the game at Ferg's, a bar on Central Avenue just across from Tropicana Field, there wasn't anyone without Rays gear and the reaction in the place to the Yanks-Sox game, mostly when Jose Molina took a foul ball off the back of the neck was something can't imagine taking place even last year.

Inside, while some of the uppder deck was taped off, there were few empty seats in the place and the crowd didn't define trendy at all. The best example was in the top of the 8th when Joey "Jumper" Gathright got to 3rd with one out as J.P. Howell struggled to find the strike zone. The entire place stood as Howell recovered to strikeout Mark Grudzielanek and erupted into the bottom of the inning as Alex Gordon went down looking to end the inning, more on him in a second. Watching the Boston series during the week, you could feel the energy of that crowd coming through the TV, but I imagined that it would've dialed since it's the Royals and a series against the defending champs for 1st place is pretty big, but I was quite surprised.

Watching Alex Gordon during the game, you could tell that he's exhausted from trying to live up to the lofty expectations placed on him since the spring of last season. I remember watching Gordon get a standing ovation before his 1st career at-bat on opening day last season and thinking there's no way anyone can live up to that kind of hype and the expectation of saving a franchise as Gordon was proclaimed to do.

Evan Longoria had similar hype among scouts but he was fortunate in that he has several other young stars in the making and already established stars such as Carl Crawford and Scott Kazmir to help ease the burden.

Whether or not the Rays are able to make it to October remains to be seen, but the A.L. East is no longer just the Red Sox, Yankees and a bunch of tomato cans. The Rays are for real and with new ownership that's willing to spend money, they're gonna be here for a while.

Seeing Other Games: Day 1

Since the Mets have felt the need to do their best Miggs impression every other game this season, I'm going on a Met hiatus for the next week and will be profiling a different game every night and giving my thoughts on each game. I'll begin with last night's game between the surprisingly 2nd and 3rd place Red Sox and Yankees.

- Despite the slumps and injuries, I still the Yankees made the right decision holding on to their young guns and I say that not just because the Mets were able to land Santana. Yankee brass, well the Steinbrenners anyway, have forgotten what built the winners of the late '90s, young talent growing and the right mixture of veterans to fit the pieces. I still believe to this day that the best thing that ever happened to the franchise was Steinbrenner getting banned for 2 years and allowing guys like Bob Watson and Gene Michael to build up the farm system with capable players like Jeter, Rivera, Posada and Williams. Had George been in charge the entire time, he would've traded Jeter and Rivera for Bob Tewkesbury.

- On that note, even though he was mired in a 1-for-19 slump coming into the game, I still believe Melky Cabrera is the future of the Yankees offensively. He is a great contact hitter who needs a little fine tuning with his plate discipline. While he may never been a real power threat, he doesn't need to be with that kind of offense, his main job will be getting on base and setting up the run producers, and he and Robinson Cano (highly underrated) are perfect fot the job. Not to mention, watching him, Jacoby Ellsbury, B.J. Upton and Grady Sizemore compete for Gold Gloves for the next decade will be entertaining

- Jon Lester is becoming a legitimate top of the rotation pitcher. He may not have the most overpowering stuff, but he has a very deceptive slider and a cutter allowing him to go to the slider to give him 8-10 strikeouts, the way he's able to mix his pitches together and with his command, reminds you of Tom Glavine of the last few years, except, you know, Lester actually got it done when it mattered. No I'm not bitter about Game 162 at all. There has also been a change in his demeanor on the mound since his return last season from lymphoma and it was very evident in his complete game last night. Lester will always have a high pitch count with shorter work and he can be a WHIP killer in fantasy, he appears more confident with himself on the mound, something that first became evident during his relief stint in Game 4 of the ALCS last year and culminating with his World Series clincher in Colorado. Much like Mike Pelfrey, he now looks like he knows that he's capable of being good on a profesisonal level and that he belongs here, which can make all the difference in whether a young pitcher makes it or not.

- I conclude with a . Jim Gray-esque moment with Joe Girardi in the post-game press conference. Unfortunately, it's not the entire exchange, but enough to give you the idea that Girardi was ready to lay a wuppin to the little weasel. Idiot.

Inflated Hoop Dreams

"Some people's heads are so big, they don't have dreams, they have motion pictures."- Anonymous

With the drafting of O.J. Mayo, the top 3 draft picks all being freshmen and the saga of Brandon Jennings, the culture of high school and AAU basketball and the pampering of the players.

Mayo has come under fire recently for alledgedly taking benefits during his lone season at USC. I honestly can't blame him for taking advantage of always being told you're the man. Mayo's been getting pub since he was in the 6th grade and at the age of 14 he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the headline "He'd be #1 in the NBA Draft right now!". No one can honestly expect any kid, especially one coming from Mayo's background, to maintain a level head when you're talked about like that. In high school, the best player on the team gets rock star status at the school even if his game would make him the 8th man on a powerhouse, so you can begin to imagine the type of attention such a highly-touted kid could get. Not to mention the coaches, parents and hangers-on, you can start to see where some of this sense of entitlement and selfishness comes from. The recent proof has come from AAU teams and camps, where the emphasis is more on the indvidual performance rather than the team result. Many high schoolers play their way into college through workouts, which helps their mentality of "I'm the man and everyone else be damned."

Being on the other side of the high school basketball culture and dealing with parents and coaches, I can say that the feelings are mutual. During a playoff game last season, a parent was more concerned with her son (who was going to Liberty) getting hurt than she was about the team winning the game was still in reach. Not to mention players defying coach orders just to pad stats.

I think the one and done rule for college is stupid and is just placating to those who complain about the kids jumping straight out of high school. If the NBA was serious about the issue, they would make it 2 years. But the larger issue here is the people that surround them or we'll see more undrafted flameouts or guys like Jerryd Bayless who leave too early.