The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good:

Whenever Fernando Tatis is in the lineup (just our perception - but the clutch numbers from last year appear to confirm this)

The box frites at Citifield, despite the $5.25 price tag

Seats in the Ebbets Club field section (private bathrooms!)

The pictures of Mets yearbooks from the past that line the walls in the VIP section entrance (yeah, we know, but it's a once-a-year occurence that we can use it)

The Bad:

Being surrounded by corporate types who only care about drinking beer and checking their Blackberrys

David Wright getting booed. Let us explain. Mr. LadyMet and I moaned, groaned and cursed at every stikeout, DP ball and fielding error yesterday. We, however, simply cannot boo a member of our beloved team. It just feels wrong. Like telling your child he/she stinks at Candyland. Do you not want said player to do well? Wish to contribute to the pressure sitting squarely on the shoulders of a 26 year-old who, by all accounts, works harder than anyone at improving his game? Then you are not rooting for your team. Rather, you are venting your own personal psychological shit onto the Mets. In that case, proceed directly to the nearest therapists' couch. Or to Citizen's Bank Park, just down the turnpike. Desperate times call for desperate measures; let's try a little positive reinforcement.

J.J.'s pitching yesterday. It happens.

The Ugly:

Team RISP numbers.

Team ERA (outside of Johan, of course)

The feeling we cannot shake that the division will not be ours this year.



Anybody got anything more to add to the "good" list? We're listening. Please. The warm glow from the box frites isn't gonna last long if we keep losing.



Here's hoping Jerry's kicking some serious ass on the bus down the Philly.

J.J. Putz Gets A Love List

Hey..cool - the man signing my check is short enough that I can squash him like a bug!

(Bear with the Ladies as we ignore our Mets' slow start - we find that denial can be a very comforting place to be)

You knew it was coming...this means, of course, he is officially a Met in our hearts! (Don't laugh, it's not automatic, you know. You have to earn this kind of love)


Any player who can render WFAN's Mike Francesa sputtering and speechless (you DARE to tease the Pope?) is worthy of our adoration.

An incurable practical joker, uses all the classics - pie in the face, shaving cream, etc. Managed to get Kevin Burkhart on-air with a pie.

Doesn't care when people mispronounce his name. (For the record, it's puts)

Allows his wife to pick the name of their new son (she ended up with Joseph) What a family man!

Played in the WBC like it was the World Series - a complete competitor

Happily took on the set-up role; just wants to win!

Has a blog dedicated solely to him. Note the hunting videos.

When he puts men on base before finally ending the inning, he is merely giving Mets fans some cardio exercise. It's a public service, not lack of skill.


So, kisses to you, J.J.

Mets Minituae

As spring training rolls to a close, and our Metsies are finally at full strength, we turn our attention to the truly important things about our team. The Ladies are content to leave the stats, lineup projections, rotation and bullpen concerns to those who are much smarter than us (Metsgeek and Amazin Avenue come immediately to mind, although there are many others) and will instead concentrate on the little things we have learned over the course of this very long spring training that make our beloveds the fine men they are. In no particular order, here you go:

Carlos Beltran is opening an academic/baseball academy in Puerto Rico.

David Wright paid for an Iraqi war veteran to fly to LA for the WBC semi finals.

Carlos Delgado has the cutest son ever!

Ryan Church is now slightly less wise.

J.J. Putz doesn't care how people pronounce his name. He loves a good, childish practical joke. Rapidly becoming LadyMet's favorite pitcher. (Besides, he let his wife pick the name of their new son - how does any woman not love that?)

Francisco Rodriguez does not want to be called K-Rod. Someone needs to inform the Mets and MLB of this.

Golf and pitchers do not mix.

Please note that all these fine tidbits are gleaned from various blogs/news sources, but LadyMet is far too lazy on this Sunday to link to all of them. She will now go back to arguing with hubby as to why the Mets will be fine in the offense department this year.

Till next time!

Rockin' The Cherry

Now it's posts like this that give female baseball fans a bad name (double standard, anyone?) but LadyMet's 13 year-old alter ego cannot let go of pitcher Rocky Cherry, who was offered back to the Orioles yesterday. They declined, and the Mets are trying to re-sign him to a minor league contract. Omar, just do it! A Cherry and a Putz in one organization? Priceless! (and LadyMet knows from 13 year olds, as she has one)

And now back to our regularly scheduled adulthood...

Road Trip!

David Wright: 100 bottles of beer on the wall, 100 bottles of beer...

J.J. Putz: Oh God! How long is the ride to Clearwater?

DW: Three hours. C'mon, sing along! 99 bottles of beer on the wall...

J.J.: Where's my rifle?

Seriously, this is the ride that carried J.J. Putz and David Wright to Clearwater for Team USA, to start the WBC. I hope they remembered the corsages for their dates.

Fifteen of our gangstas are now scattered throughout Florida and beyond, preparing for WBC action. The Ladies would like to remind you guys of one thing: The METS pay your salaries! So don't do anything stupid that will get you hurt, like, you know, sliding. Or throwing hard. Or running, for that matter.

Recent spring training action has been a stew of good news, bad news. Which goes without saying, as that is the motto for Mets fans. Some highlights and lowlights:

Johan is hurt! No, he's not! Yes he is! No, he's not!

Metsblog's Matt Cerrone makes like Katie Couric and interviews everyone in sight.

Brian Schneider hits a grand slam. Yes, you read that right. Mets beat Houston, 13-1. Nice.

The Mets signed their 1,056th pitcher this year: Former Yankee Ron Villone.

Speaking of interviews, the lovely Zoe over at Pick Me Up Some Mets has some great TV moments from this week, as John Maine interviews Kevin Burkhart and Keith's moustache legend grows.

The Ladies must go now and dig out from under the 12 feet of snow that has fallen lately. Enjoy the sunshine, gangstas!

Kisses for now!

A Day In The Life Of A Groundskeeper At Tradition Field

Hi all! Groundskeeper Bob here, keeping you Ladies filled in on all the happenings down here in beautiful Port St. Lucie. Since I am but a lowly field worker, most of the players, coaches and staff don't notice me much, which is how I am able to get some good inside info for you all.

Like today, for instance. Jose Reyes was just inside the clubhouse, screaming in Spanish about how he is now batting third, then he goes out and hits two home runs, one of them a grand slam. I'm thinking maybe the knowledge that his back-row ho did not have his baby, as was rumored, contributed to his power surge. (I know, I need to take a shower now, I went and linked to The Dirty)

Ryan Church is plotting revenge against Mike Francessa during his Tradition Field broadcast tomorrow. Ryan apparently has agreed to be on the radio show, after the war of words the two of them had earlier this year. Ryan was showing off the I (heart) NY T-shirt some alert fan sent him, and cackling about how he's gonna wear it tomorrow for the interview, while he was enlisting some teammates for pranks on Francessa, designed to torture him until he admits he was wrong about the whole thing. I can tell you, David Wright is one of the players involved, as he has his own grudge against the fat man.

Speaking of pranks, I can tell you that J.J. Putz is quite the jokester! He and fellow pitcher Tom Martin (I know, who??) attached their hunting rifle to my rake, and made me use it on the field. Very funny, guys, I'm still digging buckshot out of my shoes. Speaking of hunting, that wild boar they shot and served for lunch at the clubhouse to the players and staff had all of us puking within an hour. We saved some and served it to the Marlins today when they came for a game. Probably why we beat them 9-0. Btw, congrats to J.J. and his wife on the birth of their son, Joseph Ethan!

Putz' past and current teammate Sean Green cracked a fingernail while pitching yesterday. I heard Dan Wharthen yelling him afterwards, about how he needs to keep his nails short, and to stop with the airbrush designs . Seriously, I like the guy and all, but that's a little effeminate, no? Maybe it's the Curse of Heilman's Uniform Number that poor Sean was unlucky enough to get.

Finally, there's Jerry's cracked car windshield. The team is under the impression that a Marlin foul ball into the parking lot did it. All I'm saying is, has anyone seen Willie Randolph lately?

So that's today's update, Ladies. Please put my check in the mail ASAP, as I'm a little short this week. The Wilpons aren't the most solvent of employers right now!

Thanks - Bob

Man, It's Cold Up Here

We're baaack! Mickey sends his love to all gangstas out there, and special big kisses to Lady G for keeping us in the loop while LadyMet frolicked with Pooh and his friends.

Since the David Wright Girlfriend saga has been covered (really, too big a story to ignore, even from Fantasyland), let's get back to baseball, shall we?

Recent developments coming out of Camp Gangsta are shocking! Well, maybe not, compared to Camp Steriod over in Tampa. (Allow us to digress a moment - Yankee skipper Joe Girardi is giving his team of me-first, overpaid spoiled crybabies the day off from baseball and taking them on a field trip. That's right, they have been in camp all of five days, and Joe feels they need a break to go play billards. The whole team. Now, supporters can call this a team-building exercise, the Ladies call this rewarding bad behavior)

Anyway, Head Gangsta Jerry is looking to shake things up this year. Changing the lineup, perhaps? Reyes hitting third? An intriguing idea. He's got enough pop in his bat to drive in some serious runs, although he'll have to be careful not to run down Castillo on his way to third. Speaking of which, Castillo has been making all the right noises this spring. He's humble, owning up to his Little League performance of last year, and appears much healthier and lighter. Perhaps he's been on the David Wright Girlfriend diet (eat only greens, get your exercise chasing David all over the country).

On to pitching. Last year, speaking of the Met's pitching staff was enough to give LadyMet hives. This year, a different story.
J.J. Putz is a beast. He's also a character, and the Ladies look forward to many stories of clubhouse hi jinks. As if that weren't enough, he's a team first player, and doesn't mind setting up K-Rod. We see a Love List in your future, J.J.!
The starting rotation has more candidates than than the first round of American Idol. Beginning with Santana, natch, and on to Pelfrey, Ollie (Welcome back! Glad to see Bora$ let you come out to play), our boy Metallica John Maine, and a cast of thousands for the fifth spot. Freddy Garcia? Tim Redding? Jon Niece? Nice to have options!

The outfield is in a state of flux, but again, nice to have options. Although today, not so good to be Ryan Church. Gangsta Jerry is sticking it to our fav former National, by putting him on notice (though the media - really, Jerry?) that he may not be the full-time right fielder due to his lefty-hitting issues. Daniel (Don't call me Dan) Murphy will see the majority of playing time in left, leaving Fernando (The Stars Were Bright) Tatis to spell David Wright, Carlos Delgado and Ryan Church.

So the drama begins, and Jerry is stirring the pot. Plus, the team breaks up next week, as the WBC begins.

Baseball is back!!!

Spring Training - Week One

All Hail, the Big Donkey

The gangstas have only been at camp for a week and they have already picked their torture target for the spring. Pity poor Mike Pelfrey, the 6'7" newlywed and one-fifth of the starting rotation. He flipped a golf cart while playing with John Maine, Ryan Church and Brian Schneider and showed up for workouts the next day wearing this. Feel free to add your own punchline to this picture, it's too easy.

In David Wright news, he was cornered this week and asked for his reaction to the A-Rod fiasco. Oh, David, we feel your pain. Always trying so hard to do the right thing. Mr. Clean. Imagine his discomfort when asked to comment on the fall of one of the game's greatest players. Just listen here, and you can almost feel the sweat forming as our beloved tries to walk the fine line between defense of one of his heros, and condemnation.

On to the newbies. J.J. Putz has a nasty splitter, which even impresses the oh-so-cool, David Wright BFF bullpen catcher Dave Racaniello. J.J. Putz also has a sense of humor, as evidenced by his pie-in-the-face-on-live-TV of the lovely Kevin Burkhardt. The Ladies look forward to big things from Mr. Putz. (again, insert your own joke here)

Ryan Church. Mike Francessa. Mike, you're an idiot. And the Ladies don't listen to your show. So there.

Kisses till next time!

The Ladies Try Optimism On For Size

Maybe it's our recent weekend spent in Florida, perhaps it's the news that David Wright is headed to Florida himself this very week to begin his own early spring training, but the Ladies thought we'd go shopping for a new state of mind. Spring is right around the corner, and this has the Ladies feeling, well, almost giddy. Almost. Anyway, we've been wearing blue and orange pessimism for so long, perhaps it's time we gave something new a try. So bear with us while we pull it over our heads, look at it in the mirror, walk around in it for a while. It comes with a money-back guarantee, so we can return it at any time.

Some optimistic thoughts about the upcoming season:

The bullpen has been fixed. FIXED. The cause of last year's struggles (note I said THE cause, not ONE of the causes) is repaired. Had last year's pen not blown 29 saves (second worst in NL), the Mets, who scored the second most runs in the NL last year would have easily won the division. The Ladies predict K-Putz will ride in on their white horses and only let 15 saves go. (You've gotta give them some off-nights).

Johan Santana will repeat his stellar, Cy-Young worthy performance from last season. He's in his prime as a pitcher, and being the competitor that he is, he will be even more motivated this year.

David Wright will put up his usual spectacular numbers, and will have, thanks to his new fish-tank relaxation therapy, solved his clutch-situation problem. We predict a RISP of .310, a huge improvement over last years' .240.
Remember, David, the Ladies are here for you whenever you need a little extra soothing. Breathe in, breathe out. This will lead him to finally win the MVP he was cheated out of in '07.

Jose Reyes will finally come into his own, and live up to Jerry's gangsta ideals. His enthusiasim and talent will collide like two stars, and combine to become the unstoppable supernova we all know he can be. It would help if his stalker road beef would finally give up her desperate cries for his attention (boob surgery? really?) and move on to some other player. And no, we are not going to link to her site, it would only bring her more attention. Like giving crack to a cocaine addict.
We hear Derek Lowe is in the market for a new back row hoe, now that he's on the East Coast.

Ryan Church will not suffer any more concussions. Ever. We'll give him a line of .290/21/94. As well as defensive play so good Carlos Beltran will not have to play both positions anymore.

Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis will combine to become a formidible left field, with Fernando still giving thanks to the sky after every hit and Daniel finally allowing people to call him Dan. They will surpass Ryan's stats at the plate, and will continue to be the spark plugs they were last year.

John Maine will have an injury-free year, and be the #3 righty we all know he can be. He will win 16 games, with an ERA under 3. He will get another tattoo, and will become comfortable with his new hottie status.

The Ladies have other positive thoughts floating around which are colliding with the usual negative ones, and we are becoming dizzy. We are wondering if this new optimism thing comes with medication? If so, can we have some?

Love to all! (see? there it goes again...)