Joey's Letter To Sandy Claus (2012)

Dear Sandy Claus,

Do you remember me?  I'm Joey Beartran.  I sent you a letter last year asking for various things, such as Johan Santana pitching an entire season, Jason Bay regaining his power stroke, and R.A. Dickey getting some run support so he could get some more wins.  That was not my entire list, but you get the idea.

Well, Johan Santana didn't pitch the entire season, but he did toss the first no-hitter in team history.  Jason Bay didn't regain his power stroke, but he did give Mets fan strokes with every strikeout, pop-up, or double play he grounded into with runners in scoring position.  ("But he hustles!!")  R.A. Dickey figured he wouldn't wait for you to grant me my Christmas wish for more run support, so he just went out and won himself the first Cy Young Award ever given to a knuckleball pitcher.  Then you traded him.

So it looks like I got some of the things I asked for in last year's letter, just not exactly in the way I wanted them.  I guess this year I'll have to be more specific with you.  I mean, I can imagine what it's like for you, doing double duty as the Mets general manager by day and gift-giver to all good girls and boys by night.  I do double duty here myself as the Studious Metsimus roving reporter and culinary expert, so I know that sometimes a detail or two might be overlooked.  Just don't do it with this year's letter, okay?  I mean it this time.

Anyway, here goes.  Pay close attention this time, will ya?

Hope I don't forget anything on my list this year.

I would like a brand-spanking new bullpen in 2013.  No, I'm not talking about the actual bullpen in right-center field where relievers warm up their arms (told you I was going to be more specific).  I'm referring to new relief pitchers who will be summoned from said bullpen.  We should not have to be subjected to the likes of Manny Acosta, Miguel Batista and Ramon Ramirez.  Were they being used because Mel Rojas wasn't available?  We need dependable relievers who can put fires out instead of the ones we employed last year, who came running in from the bullpen with their glove in one hand and a full gasoline can in the other.

I would also like a set outfield by Opening Day.  In fact I would just like one outfielder by the time pitchers (sans Dickey) and catchers (sans Thole and Nickeas) report to spring training on Bobby Valentine's Day.  Casey Stengel once said that the Mets had to draft Hobie Landrith first in the expansion draft because without a catcher, there would be plenty of passed balls.  Well, without an outfield, there will be a ton of inside-the-park homers hit against the Mets.  At least with one outfielder, the Mets will be able to keep the opposition to mostly triples.

Speaking of outfielders, I'd like you to re-sign Scott Hairston.  If it's a multi-year deal he wants, then it's a multi-year deal he should get.  Hairston was one of the team's most dependable power sources last season, hitting 20 homers in limited action.  That's an amazing number considering that no Met reached the 20-homer plateau in two of Citi Field's first three seasons.  When Daniel Murphy (Doubles Machine) leads the team in homers one year and Carlos Beltran leads the Mets in bombs another year - despite playing the final two months for another team - that should be a clear sign that the team needs a little more power in their lineup.  Scott Hairston can be paid with the money you wouldn't give to R.A. Dickey, and you'd still have some spare change left over to get yourself a Shake Shack burger or two.  Just don't touch mine.  I'm kinda attached to it.

You can have your cookies and milk, Sandy Claus.  I'll stick to my Shake Shack burger and fries.

I'd like Johan Santana to remember that this could be his final season in a Mets uniform.  Therefore, I expect him to make more than 21 starts, especially if he wants to get paid in 2014.  Santana will only be 34 on Opening Day, so he should still have plenty left in his tank.  Then again, Fred Wilpon's high school sweetheart (Sandy Koufax) was out of baseball by age 30, so you never know.  Regardless, if Santana is going to be on the active roster for all 162 games, he should not be pushed past his limit (which should be well before his 134th pitch) in any start.  With no R.A. Dickey in the rotation, Santana will once again be counted on to be the team's ace.  Aces make more than 21 starts.  Make a note of that.

As of right now, the starting rotation consists of Santana, Jonathon Niese, Matt Harvey and Dillon Gee.  You don't need Dee Dee Ramone to let you know that adds up to 1-2-3-4 pitchers.  Since these are the 2013 Mets and not the 1971 Baltimore Orioles, I'm going to need a fifth starter in the rotation.  Mike Pelfrey is now a Minnesota Twin.  Unfortunately, he does not have a twin of his own that the Mets can slide into their rotation.  Speaking of former Mets, Scott Kazmir just signed with the Cleveland Indians, so he's unavailable.  And now the Mets are talking to the Dodgers about bringing back Chris Capuano.  At least they're not thinking of signing former Yankee Carl Pavano.  (Oh, wait.  Never mind.)  In 2009, the Mets needed a fifth starter and signed everyone they could.  Freddy Garcia Tim Redding and Livan Hernandez all competed for the job in spring training.  None of them fared very well.  All I'm asking for is a dependable fifth starter and not a game of musical chairs where the last one standing gets the job.  And if the last one standing is Carl Pavano, then he cheated and should be removed from consideration.

Finally, I'd like the Mets to continue to be patient with their minor league talent.  The team was right to keep Matt Harvey in the minor leagues for as long as they did.  When he was finally called up to the big leagues, he proved he was ready, striking out 70 batters in 59⅓ innings and posting a 2.73 ERA and 1.15 WHIP.  The team should do the same with Zack Wheeler and the recently acquired Noah Syndergaard.  Similarly, Travis d'Arnaud should not automatically be on the Opening Day roster just because he was the big prize in the R.A. Dickey sweepstakes.  That's what the Mets got John Buck for.  In 1979, the Mets suggested to their fanbase to "bring your kids to see our kids".  A third of a century later, it's time for that slogan to make a comeback.  But there's no rush.  The kids will be here ... eventually.  And so will I.

If only Sandy Claus checked Twitter more often, I wouldn't have to send him snail mail.

So, Sandy Claus, did you get all that?  Let's review.

I need a new bullpen.  I need Mel Rojas to be perpetually unavailable.  I would like three outfielders, but I'd especially like one of them to be Scott Hairston.  I'd like a Shake Shack burger if you're going to get one for yourself.  I'd like Johan Santana to stay healthy and pitch like an ace.  I'd also like to know what Fred Wilpon is getting Sandy Koufax for Valentine's Day.  I'd like a fifth starter, and if one of them has the DNA of one of the members of the 1971 Orioles, I wouldn't object.  I would like you to get a restraining order on Carl Pavano so he's not allowed to go anywhere near Citi Field.  And I'd like you to take it easy with your kids in the minors so that when this kid goes to Citi Field next season, they'll be ready to perform like the dependable major leaguers I expect them to be.

That's not too much, is it?  And I was very specific with my requests, unlike last year when you kinda sorta gave me what I asked for.  I'm not falling for your trickery again this year!

Thanks so much, Sandy Claus!  I was a good bear this year.  Don't you forget it!

Love and best wishes for the 2013 season,
Joey Beartran

P.S. In case you don't give me Scott Hairston as one of my outfielders, can you at least get him to come over to my house?  I really enjoyed playing with him the last time we got together on the field.

Photo by Sharon Chapman.  "O"-Face by Scott Hairston.

Former Mets Are Playing Key Roles On Other Teams

It's a topic of discussion that pops up every year for fans of every team.  A player who used to be on their beloved team has moved elsewhere and is succeeding for his new employer, causing those fans to say "why couldn't he have done that for us?"  As Mets fans, we are no strangers to this discussion.

Over the past 50 years, we've all been guilty of asking aloud why Jeff Kent couldn't produce for us the way he produced in San Francisco.  Some of us have even been overheard saying "did Gregg Jefferies really hit .342 with 16 HR and 46 SB for the 1993 Cardinals?"  (Okay, that was me inquiring about the former Mets clubhouse cancer from the late '80s and early '90s, but you get what I'm saying about former players succeeding elsewhere.)

It happens all the time.  Players who either didn't get a fair shot, were traded prematurely, or were run out of town end up carving a successful career for themselves once they leave New York.  This season is no exception.  Let's look at a few former Mets who have turned in some fantastic seasons for their new teams in 2012.

Angel Pagan

When the four-year veteran was traded to San Francisco this past offseason for Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez, many Mets fans were pleased to be rid of Pagan take a hike.  After a successful second half in 2009 and an unexpected great season in 2010 (.290, 11 HR, 69 RBI, 80 runs, 37 SB), Pagan became a liability in 2011.  He missed nearly 40 games due to injuries and when he did play, he reverted to the fundamentally unsound player that would give Keith Hernandez fits in the broadcast booth ("Fundies!")

When the Mets traded the player known as "Crazy Horse" to the Giants, they thought they were getting an adequate fill-in replacement in Andres Torres and a dependable reliever in Ramon Ramirez.  Neither player has performed to expectations.  But Pagan has been a key contributor for the NL West-leading Giants.

Through September 2, Pagan has been one of the Giants' spark plugs at the top of the order.  The centerfielder is batting .291 and is among the league leaders in triples (10; tied for second in NL) and offensive WAR (3.8; 9th in NL).  Pagan is also near the top ten in various other categories.  His 145 hits leave him only one hit outside the top ten.  He also has scored 76 runs (three runs away from the top ten), collected 30 doubles (two shy of the top ten) and stolen 23 bases (three away from the top ten).  Pagan is on pace to set career-highs in hits, runs scored, doubles, triples and walks.

Defensively, Pagan has improved, leading the league in range factor, which is defined as (putouts + assists) / games played.  His 2.67 range factor is higher than other speedy centerfielders such as Michael Bourn (2.59) and MVP candidate Andrew McCutchen (2.46).  Pagan has also cut his errors in half, from ten in his final season as a Met in 2011 to five this year.

Carlos Gomez

When the Mets acquired Johan Santana from Minnesota in 2008, they sent four young players to the Twins in return.  In addition to Deolis Guerra, Kevin Mulvey and Philip Humber (who has had a Santana-esque fall from grace since his perfect game in April), the Mets sent speedy Carlos Gomez to complete the deal.  Gomez had a decent first season in Minnesota (.259, 7 HR, 59 RBI, 33 steals), but was undisciplined at the plate, striking out 142 times.  After a poor second season for the Twins, he was shipped off to Milwaukee for J.J. Hardy.  As a part-time player for Brewers in 2010 and 2011, Gomez was unspectacular.  But in 2012, his third season with the Brew Crew, he has finally blossomed.

In only 319 at-bats, a total he has not surpassed since his first season in Minnesota, Gomez has set or is about to set career-highs in almost every major offensive category.  The former Met prospect is batting .257 and has an on-base percentage of .303, the first time it's been over .300 in his major league career.  Prior to 2012, Gomez had averaged 13 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 29 RBI and 19 stolen bases over his first five seasons in the majors.  This year, he's become a darling of fantasy baseball enthusiasts.

Gomez has hit a career-high 15 HR in 2012, which has contributed to his .473 slugging percentage and .776 OPS, numbers that would represent career highs if he can maintain them over the season's final month.  But Gomez is also on track to set career-highs in stolen bases (his 30 steals in 2012 are three short of his single-season high), while approaching his personal best in doubles, triples, RBI and runs scored.  He's done all this while becoming far more disciplined at the plate.  Although he's only walked 17 times this year, his strikeouts have dropped dramatically.  After the aforementioned 142 whiffs in 2008, Gomez has cut those numbers nearly in half, fanning a total of 74 times in 2012.

How much could the Mets use Carlos Gomez now?  His 15 HR would lead all Mets outfielders (Scott Hairston also has 15 HR, but two of them came as a pinch-hitter.  All 15 of Gomez's home runs have come as an outfielder.) and his 30 SB would be more than double that of the team's current leader, David Wright, who has 12 steals.  Gomez's 60 runs scored would also be second on the team to Wright, who has scored 79 times, although Gomez has 215 fewer plate appearances than the Mets third baseman.  Fantasy baseball players love that Gomez is one of only two players in the majors with 15 HR and 30 SB (AL MVP candidate Mike Trout is the other), but the Brewers probably love him even more.

Chris Capuano

After not making more than 25 starts in any season since 2006, Capuano made 31 starts for the Mets in 2011.  The southpaw led the team in strikeouts with 168 and tied fellow lefty Jonathon Niese for the second-most wins on the team with 11, just two victories behind rookie Dillon Gee.  But when the Dodgers offered Capuano a two-year, $10 million deal during the offseason, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson balked at bringing the lefty back for a second go-round.

Although the team has fared well in the starting rotation with R.A. Dickey, Jonathon Niese, and most recently, Matt Harvey, injuries that have shut down Mike Pelfrey, Dillon Gee and Johan Santana have made this Mets fan wonder if Alderson did wrong in not bringing back Capuano.

Capuano has continued his renaissance in Los Angeles, winning 11 games for the Dodgers.  His 3.63 ERA is nearly a run lower than the 4.55 ERA he compiled with the Mets in 2011, while his 1.186 WHIP is far below his career WHIP of 1.332.  Prior to this season, opponents were hitting .266 against Capuano.  In 2012, that number is down to .247.  Capuano has also done a fine job limiting the extra-base hits against him, as the .394 slugging percentage against him in 2012 is far lower than the .448 slugging percentage he had allowed prior to 2012.

Although Capuano has struggled recently (six earned runs allowed in two of his last three starts), that has been the exception rather than the rule, as the lefty has allowed three earned runs or less in 20 of his other 26 starts.  It's too bad the Dodgers have scored three runs or less in 15 of his 28 starts, or else his record would be far better than 11-10.

Oliver Perez

I'll wager an autographed Brad Emaus baseball card that you weren't expecting to see Oliver Perez on this list.  But the former Mets pitcher/pariah has been absolutely amazing after redefining himself as a lefty specialist coming out of the bullpen for the Mariners in Seattle, which is about as far as he could get away from the media spotlight cast upon him in New York.

After being released by the Mets in March 2011, the Nationals scooped him up and kept him in the minors for the entire season.  Once the Nats finally came to the realization that they had signed Oliver Perez, they chose to let him walk as a free agent.  In January 2012, Perez latched on to the Seattle Mariners in the hopes of getting one final shot at the major leagues.  After the unexpected success he has had for the Mariners so far this season, it appears as if Ollie will be in the majors to stay.

Since his call-up to the Mariners in June, Perez has been uncannily good.  In 24 games, Ollie has allowed only four earned runs for a sparkling 1.71 ERA.  He has also exhibited fine control of his pitches, walking only seven batters in 21 innings.  But it's what Perez has done over the last two months that has really opened some eyes around the league.

Since allowing a run to become the losing pitcher in a game played on July 8, Perez has put up nothing but zeroes.  In 16 relief appearances since the July 8 defeat, Perez has allowed no runs in 11.1 IP.  He has also been very stingy against opposing hitters, limiting them to singles and an occasional walk, as evidenced by the meager .295 slugging percentage and respectable .327 on-base percentage against him over the past eight weeks.  It's no surprise that Perez's resurgence since mid-July has coincided with the Mariners' hot streak, as Seattle has gone 29-19 since July 8.  Only the Oakland A's have a better record in the American League (33-14) than the Seattle Mariners since that date.  And Oliver Perez is part of that recent success.  Go figure.

These guys were teammates of all four players listed above, then joined them as former Mets.

The 2012 entered the season with Carlos Beltran having been traded away during the previous season and Jose Reyes taking his business to Miami.  Beltran is having a tremendous year in the first post-Pujols campaign in St. Louis, while Reyes isn't going to win a batting title, but he's still having a Reyes-type season.  But those players did well for extended periods of time as members of the Mets.

The four players detailed above were barely Mets (Carlos Gomez, Chris Capuano), had supposedly already played their best ball (Angel Pagan), or were winners of the Bobby Bonilla MVP Award (Most Vilified Player, which Oliver Perez won repeatedly).

There will always be players like Angel Pagan, Carlos Gomez, Chris Capuano and Oliver Perez to suit up for the Mets.  And those players will continue to be former Mets who will have wonderful seasons elsewhere.  So the next time you see a player and say "I wish we still had him", you're not alone.  The Mets have had a number of those players who have been responsible for those quotes from fans.

Is R.A. Dickey An All-Star?

Photo by Ed Leyro/Studious Metsimus (Yeah, that's right.  I took it.  Not bad, huh?)

On Sunday, R.A. Dickey pitched 7⅓ innings of shutout ball against the Padres, allowing three hits, walking one and striking out ten batters.  The 10-K performance gave Dickey 29 strikeouts over his last three starts (20⅓ IP).  It also helped in lowering his ERA to 3.06, a number Dickey had not seen since his sole bad start of the year in rain-soaked Atlanta on April 18.  On that day, a day in which Dickey admitted the weather conditions made it seem like he was throwing "a wet water balloon", the knuckleballer allowed eight runs in 4⅓ innings, ending his streak of consecutive quality starts at 14.

Since his damp debacle against the Braves, Dickey has been magnificent.  He has made seven consecutive quality starts, giving him 21 in his last 22 starts.  In those seven quality starts, he has a 2.09 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and opponents are batting a measly .193 against him.  The most important number in Dickey's line is the big fat zero in the loss column since April 18.  Over the past six weeks, Dickey is 5-0, helping the Mets improve to a season-high six games over .500.

For the season, Dickey is 7-1 with a 3.06 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 64⅔ innings.  His seven wins tie him with Gio Gonzalez, Cole Hamels, Lance Lynn and former Met teammate Chris Capuano for first place in the National League, as does his .875 winning percentage.  Dickey is also ninth in the NL in innings pitched and eighth in strikeouts.  He is also an excellent fielder, as evidenced by his 16 assists in ten starts.  This is nothing new, as Dickey led the league in assists by a pitcher in 2011 and was second in 2010.  He is currently third in the National League in assists by a pitcher, picking up his 16th assist on Sunday after making a beautiful diving stop to his right on a ground ball by Chase Headley.

Given all this data, the question must be asked.  Should R.A. Dickey represent the National League in the 2012 All-Star Game?

Every team must be represented by at least one player, but David Wright's scalding start has pretty much made him a lock for the All-Star team.  Therefore, Dickey would probably not be chosen because he "has to be" chosen as the Mets' sole representative.  He would have to earn his spot on the roster.

Looking at his numbers, you would think that he already has earned a spot on the roster.  Seven wins, 61 strikeouts, low ERA, low WHIP.  That just screams All-Star, right?  Not so fast.

Two years ago, Mike Pelfrey pitched seven shutout innings against the Phillies on May 27 (the same date Dickey pitched 7⅓ shutout innings against the Padres this year).  After Pelfrey's masterpiece, his record improved to (you guessed it) 7-1, the same record Dickey has on the same date Pelfrey had it in 2010.

But Pelfrey didn't fall off the face of the Earth after improving to 7-1.  In fact, on June 25, 2010, he defeated the Minnesota Twins in an interleague matchup to improve to 10-2.  He was also the proud owner of a spiffy 2.71 ERA.  Please note that June 25 was only two weeks before pitchers were to be selected for the All-Star Game by players, coaches and managers (fans do not participate in the pitcher selection process).  Pelfrey did not make the All-Star team in 2010, despite his outstanding first-half performance.

Pelfrey isn't alone in recent All-Star snubbery.  (Yes, I just made up that word.  What are you going to do, kick me off the All-Star team?)  In 2007, John Maine won his first five decisions and was 10-4 with a 2.71 ERA on July 5.  Just like Pelfrey, he also did not make the National League All-Star team.

So where does that leave Dickey?  If I had a vote, I'd give it to the Mets' resident knuckleballer.  But I don't have a vote.  And the people who do have a plethora of choices amongst pitchers.

There are currently ten pitchers in the National League with an ERA of 2.50 or less.  Dickey is still above 3.00.  Seven pitchers in the National League have a WHIP of 1.00 or less.  Dickey is just barely below 1.10 (1.098, to be exact).  And some players, such as Houston's Brett Myers (12 saves, 1.59 ERA, 0.82 WHIP), might "have to be" chosen before a player like Dickey is.  No other Astro hitter or pitcher is having an All-Star caliber season, so Myers might force his way onto the team as the sole Astros' representative, taking a roster spot away from another deserving candidate, someone like R.A. Dickey.

If R.A. Dickey is going to become a first-time All-Star in 2012, he's going to have to keep pitching the way he has since his one poor outing in Atlanta.  He'll need to get his ERA below 3.00.  He'll need to continue striking out batters.  He'll need to keep piling on the wins.  Then again, as recent history shows with Met pitchers, that doesn't guarantee anything when it comes to making the All-Star team.  To me, R.A. Dickey is an All-Star in 2012.  Let's hope the players, managers and coaches feel the same way.

Broken News: Joe Nathan Could Be The Mets' Closer

Welcome to the latest edition of Broken News, where we take Mets news that has already been broken by someone else, then we break it some more.  In today's edition, we'll be discussing the news that Twins' closer Joe Nathan might have interest in playing for the Mets.

Joe Nathan has been the closer for the Twins since being traded from San Francisco to Minnesota on November 14, 2003.  Nathan's 24-10 won-loss record while pitching in middle relief for the Giants was very good, but his 4.12 ERA and 1.38 WHIP left a little to be desired.  Once he became a Twin, his career took off.  In just eight seasons in Minnesota, Nathan has become the franchise's all-time saves leader.  His 260 saves are six more than former Met Rick Aguilera achieved in 11 seasons as a Twin.

Nathan did not pitch in 2010 because of Tommy John surgery and was erratic upon his return in 2011.  He was replaced as the Twins' closer by Matt Capps in April and was placed on the disabled list in late May when he strained his right flexor muscle.  However, after a particularly brutal stretch by Capps in July (10.80 ERA and a .406 batting average against him in his first eight July appearances), Nathan returned to the closer's role and did well.

From June 28 to September 25, Nathan's ERA was 2.63.  Opposing hitters struggled mightily against Nathan, batting .170 over the three-month stretch and reaching base at a .224 clip.  Nathan also regained his control, fashioning an excellent strikeout to walk ratio (26 K, 5 BB).  More importantly, he proved he could be a successful closer in the major leagues, recording 11 saves for the Twins after he returned to his familiar role.

For his efforts, the Twins decided not to pick up his $12.5 million option for 2012, choosing to buy him out for $2 million instead.  Nathan would prefer to be a closer in 2012 and not go the Francisco Rodriguez route, going from closer on one team to set-up man on another.

In light of this broken news, the question must be asked.  Would it make sense for the Mets to give Nathan a shot as their closer in 2012?

Sandy Alderson has already shown that is not shy to sign low-risk, high-reward pitchers who have been injured in recent seasons.  His reclamation projects in 2011 included Chris Young and Chris Capuano.  Young was brilliant in four starts before succumbing to a season-ending injury.  Capuano, however, stayed healthy all year, pitching 186 innings in 33 games (31 starts) for New York.

The left-handed starter also led the team in strikeouts (168), while walking only 53 batters.  Out of the five starters, only Jonathon Niese walked fewer batters (44).  However, Niese ended his season on the disabled list and made five fewer starts than Capuano.

Although Joe Nathan was born in Houston, he grew up in New York rooting for the Mets during his youth.  Since Nathan is still trying to prove to his suitors that he is not an injury risk, especially since he will be 37 by Opening Day, he will more than likely not sign for big dollars or a multi-year deal.  Rather, he will probably sign a one-year deal for a few million dollars and hope he can re-establish himself as an elite closer so he can get one final big payday in 2013.

Right now, the Mets don't really have a good internal candidate for the closer role.  Bobby Parnell tried last season and fell flat on his face.  Jenrry Mejia is being groomed to be a starter despite his electric "stuff".  Sandy Alderson has let it be known that the Mets may opt to look outside the organization for their closer in 2012.  If Joe Nathan wants to come here and is willing to accept a one-year, reasonably priced deal, then Alderson may have his man.

 Joe Nathan is pointing at you, Sandy Alderson.  Make this deal happen!

I like Joe Nathan.  I'm not afraid of his age or his recent injury history.  He came back for the Twins last summer and pitched well for a team that was out of the pennant race very early in the season.  As of right now, the Mets don't appear to be contenders for a playoff spot in 2012.  That would lift considerable pressure off Nathan's shoulders should he choose to sign with the Mets.  However, if the Mets somehow break their streak of fourth-place finishes and contend for a playoff spot next summer, Nathan has a proven track record of pitching well for contending teams, as his Twins were perennial contenders during the '00s.

If the Mets are going to compete regularly for the playoffs, they'll need to get younger.  They're already on their way to doing that.  However, every team needs veterans to guide their younger talent and help them succeed at the major league level.  Joe Nathan could serve as a mentor to the younger pitchers while serving as the team's closer in 2012.  It's a double duty the Mets should take a chance on.

Mets Pitchers Can Help Jose Reyes Win A Batting Title

Jose Reyes has been on the disabled list for a week and a half now, his batting average frozen at .336 since injuring his hamstring on August 7. Despite this being his second trip to the DL, he has managed to maintain his lead in the National League batting race, although he is facing fierce competition from Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, who is hitting .329 entering tonight's series opener at Citi Field.

The Mets have never had a batting champion in their first 49 seasons. John Olerud had the highest single season batting average for the Mets, hitting .354 in 1998, but he finished second to Colorado's Larry Walker (.363) in the batting race. Cleon Jones and Dave Magadan also came close, but fell just short of the crown. Jones hit .340 in 1969, finishing third behind Pete Rose (.348) and Roberto Clemente (.345). Magadan hit .328 in 1990, also finishing third in the NL batting race behind Willie McGee (.335) and Eddie Murray (.330).

So with Reyes clinging tenaciously to his slim NL batting lead, his teammates might be able to help him out this weekend. Ryan Braun, who has hit .375 (48-for-128) over his last 34 games, dating back to June 29, will be facing Mets pitching this weekend. If Mike Pelfrey, Chris Capuano and the Tweeter-rific R.A. Dickey can shut Braun down over the next three games, Reyes will increase his chances of becoming the first Met to win a batting title.

Braun is probably licking his lips with the knowledge that he's facing Mike Pelfrey tonight. Over his five year career, he is hitting .500 (3-for-6) against Pelfrey. (Then again, who isn't hitting .500 against Big Pelf?). However, he has yet to collect a hit against Capuano (0-for-3, 2 strikeouts) and Dickey (0-for-7). Against all Mets pitchers currently on the roster, Braun is hitting .245 over his career with only one home run in 56 plate appearances. The Mets will need to continue this trend against Braun if Reyes is to maintain his lead in the batting race before he comes off the DL.

Note: For a player to qualify for the batting title, he needs to accumulate 3.1 plate appearances for every game played by his team. Therefore, if the Mets play all 162 games this year (barring any rainouts not made up), Reyes would need 502 plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. At the time of his injury, Reyes had accumulated 462 plate appearances, leaving him 40 short of the magic number for batting title qualification, a number he should easily reach within the first week to ten days following his return from the disabled list.

Over their first half-century of existence, no Mets pitcher has ever been able to throw a no-hitter. At least if they can't pitch a no-no, they can help a fellow Met achieve something that no other Met has ever done. Holding Ryan Braun off the bases this weekend will go a long way towards making that a reality.

Joey's Small Bites: Putting The Band(box) Back Together

I attended Saturday night's middle game of the Subway Series at The House That Juice Built and I came home with whiplash. No, it wasn't because Bartolo Colon fell on my lap. It was because of all the times I snapped my neck turning to watch 250-foot home run after 250-foot home run leave the park.

The Yankees hit four home runs off Chris Capuano, one short of the franchise record of five set by Roger Craig on May 4, 1963. They have now scored 226 runs this season. Only 99 of them have scored without the ball going over the wall. That means the Bronx Bombers average 2.25 runs per game that score on something other than a home run. They better hope they never have to use Citi Field as their home ballpark (the Yankees called Shea Stadium home in 1974 and 1975 while the old Yankee Stadium was being renovated) because they'll score less than Steve Urkel there.

Despite my neck pain, I still enjoyed myself at the ballpark. Since my paws were unaffected by the barrage of Bomber baseballs, I'll still be able to recap the game for you, one small bite at a time.

To honor all the players in tonight's game who started the season at AAA-Buffalo, I decided to feast on Buffalo wings.

A.J. Burnett entered the game with only four wins in 18 career starts against the Mets (six losses, eight no-decisions), and the Mets started the game as if they were going to make it four wins in 19 starts. They plated two runs in the first inning, the second coming off the bat of Justin Turner, who broke Ron Swoboda's franchise record when he drove in Daniel Murphy with an opposite field single.

But then the Yankees clicked their heels and said "there's no place like home (runs)". First, Russell Martin tied the game with a two-run homer in the second inning. An inning later, Mark Teixeira launched a two-run blast to give the Yankees the lead. After the Mets tantalized their fans by cutting the lead to one in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Carlos Beltran (I'm surprised it wasn't a home run. It was hit softly enough.), the Yankees homered twice in the sixth inning, as Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez connected off Capuano.

The Yankees added a new word to their vocabulary in the eighth inning, when they learned how to manufacture a run, as the less famous No. 2 in New York singled, stole second, took third on a fly ball, and scored on a sacrifice fly.

The Mets' offense went to sleep after scoring their final run in the fifth, despite the fact that Le Grand Justin Turner batted twice in the late innings.

At least there was a bright side to the Mets' 7-3 loss, as Frankie Rodriguez didn't get to finish the game. (K-Rod has finished 18 of the Mets' first 45 contests, putting him on pace to finish 65 games, or 10 more than is needed to make his contract vest for the 2012 season.)

The Mets will try to do something on Sunday that they have not done well against the Yankees - winning a rubber game. Since 1997, the Mets and Yankees have split the first two games of their series 13 times. The Mets have only won the rubber game three times. They'll look to buck the trend on Sunday, sending the improved Mike Pelfrey to the hill. His counterpart will be Ivan Nova, who has never faced the Mets or any other National League team, for that matter.

The Mets spent an entire month taking small bites to get back to .500. Now that they're back on the south side of the break-even point, they'll need to make room for one more bite against the Yankees on Sunday. Gluttony is the only way to go for the Mets in this series.

Joey's Small Bites: Do You Believe In Miracles?

Last night, I took a one-day sabbatical from watching the Mets. In lieu of watching the team with the worst record in baseball, I did some light reading, ate some Chinese food and went to bed without knowing the outcome of the game. This morning, I woke up refreshed and ready for my day's activities, which began with a quick check of the morning paper.

As I was perusing through last night's boxscores, something caught my eye. At first, I thought it was a typo, but upon closer inspection, I realized that it was not. Faster than I could say "holy chicken nachos, Batman!", it hit me. The Mets had actually won last night's game.

Click on the photo to enlarge the boxscore so you can see that my eyes didn't deceive me.

It's not just that the Mets won. It's how they won. The 9-1 victory over the Houston Astros represented the Mets' largest margin of victory of the season. It also gave the Mets their second one-game winning streak of the week (the team rolled off another such streak when they defeated Atlanta last Sunday).

Many things happened in last night's game that hadn't been seen in quite some time. If you didn't see the game, here are some small bites of what you missed.

Jason Bay returned to play in his first major league game since introducing his noggin to the Dodger Stadium left field fence last July. In four at-bats, Bay hit a ground-rule double and scampered around the bases when Hunter Pence made a Metsian error in right field.

David Wright proved that every once in a while (and by a while, I mean every hundred or so at-bats), he actually can provide a clutch hit. With the Mets holding on to a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, Wright's home run (which broke an 0-for-20 slump) ignited the offense. In the fifth inning, Wright's two-out double plated two more runs and knocked J.A. Happ out of the game.

David Wright is stunned that he could produce two extra-base hits in the same game at Citi Field.

Ike Davis proved once again that Citi Field isn't as cavernous as some third basemen think. Davis' 456-foot eighth inning blast was hit so far to center field that the home run apple had to duck for cover. It eventually dusted off its cobwebs and made its third appearance of the game (Mike Nickeas had started the home run parade in the third inning with his first major league homer) as Davis rounded the bases.

Chris Capuano pitched seven strong innings, allowing one run on six hits. He walked two batters and struck out four to notch his second victory of the season, which leads all Mets pitchers. Not bad for a pitcher who was supposed to be the No. 5 starter on the team.

Terry Collins was ejected from the game before the tens of dozens of Mets fans in attendance had purchased their first Shake Shack burger of the night. The fiery manager was thrown out of the game after home plate umpire Doug Eddings had ruled that Mike Nickeas had not caught a foul tip cleanly. The Mets responded to their skipper's ejection by tying their season-high with nine runs.

Terry Collins doesn't look like he's arguing here. Perhaps he got thrown out for wearing black instead of the traditional blue and orange. (Photo by Andrew Theodorakis/Daily News)

Tonight, the Mets will attempt to do something they haven't done since last October 1 and 2. If they can pull off a victory in tonight's series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, it will mark the first time since those dates that the team has won back-to-back games at Citi Field.

For a team that used to believe in home field advantage, consecutive wins at home have been hard to come by. I'll be watching tonight, hoping to see the Mets stretch that winning streak to two. Miracles do happen, right?

Izzy Lightning In A Bottle?

Jason Isringhausen was one of three members of Generation K, the triumvirate of young pitchers who were supposed to be the '90s version of Seaver, Koosman and Matlack. Isringhausen had the most success after his initial call-up to the majors in 1995, going 9-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 14 starts.

However, injuries took their toll on Izzy and he was dealt to Oakland at the trade deadline in 1999 for reliever Billy Taylor. Taylor's career with the Mets lasted all of 18 games, as his 8.10 ERA probably had something to do with the length of his stay in New York. Meanwhile, Isringhausen went on to become an All-Star closer with the Athletics and Cardinals, saving 293 games over the course of his career.

Had Isringhusen stayed in New York as a reliever (he picked up one save for the Mets in 1999), perhaps Mets fans would never have been subjected to watching Armando Benitez, Braden Looper or Luis Ayala putting the BS in Blown Save. However, that was then and this is 2011, a year that has brought Izzy's baseball odyssey back to New York.

This has happened before, when a pitcher who made a splash with the Mets went elsewhere, made the postseason repeatedly, including a World Series championship, and then came back at the end of his career in an attempt to close out his career where it all began.

David Cone pitched for the Mets from 1987-1992 and had some of the best seasons of his career in Flushing. But after being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for the underachieving Jeff Kent and Ryan Thompson (whose sole claim to fame was hitting a grand slam off John Smoltz in 1994 that preceded a bench-clearing brawl when Smoltz intentionally hit mighty mite John Cangelosi with his next pitch), Cone had his greatest success in the majors. He won the Cy Young Award in 1994 with Kansas City, threw a perfect game as a member of the Yankees in 1999 and won a total of five World Series rings (one with Toronto in 1992 and four with the Yankees in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000). He then came back to the Mets in 2003 and surprised everyone by making the team out of Spring Training. However, his comeback was short-lived, as he went 1-3 with a 6.50 in five games (four starts).

Jason Isringhausen, on the other hand, pitched for the Mets from 1995-1999 before his trade to Oakland in July of 1999. Because of the trade, he missed out on the Mets' first playoff appearance in 11 years. But beginning the following year (2000), Isringhausen would become a staple in the playoffs.

In 2000, the A's won the AL West and in 2001, Oakland made the playoffs as a 102-win wild card team. After signing with the Cardinals as a free agent, Izzy helped St. Louis win the NL Central division title in 2002. The Cardinals failed to make the playoffs in 2003, but then won three straight division titles, winning the National League pennant in 2004 and the World Series in 2006.

Injuries took their toll on Isringhausen following his last successful season as the Cardinals' closer (2007) and he required Tommy John surgery in June of 2009, while a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Now Isringhausen is back on the Mets, and he is impressing the coaching staff to the point where he might pull a David Cone and make the team out of Spring Training. Mets' pitching coach Dan Warthen has monitored Isringhausen closely in camp and had this to offer on his progress:

"I've seen a lot more than I expected at any time. The ball is coming out of his hand great. He still has the Izzy curveball, and he's added a nice little cutter and changeup. I couldn't be more pleased. If Izzy can come in and continue to do exactly what he's doing right now, he is a major part of this."

If Isringhausen does make the team, he may be wearing his old No. 44 (which symbolizes the fact that he was a 44th round draft pick in 1991). Right now, Jason Bay is currently wearing the number, but he has only worn it since being traded from the Pirates to the Red Sox in 2008. When Bay was making a name for himself in Pittsburgh, he wore No. 38. Although he hasn't said that he will go back to wearing his old number with the Pirates (currently new acquisition Chris Capuano is the wearer of No. 38), he has said that he would gladly give up No. 44 to Isringhausen:

“I’ve tried to hit against him and I know how good he is. I hope he makes it because he’s a great pitcher and he’ll make our team better. And if he does, I’m giving him the shirt. It’s his. I want him to have it.”

David Cone tried to recapture some of his old magic when he broke camp with the Mets in 2003 after not pitching in the major leagues in 2002. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't able to come back successfully. Jason Isringhausen didn't pitch in the majors in 2010 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Will Izzy be able to make the team and succeed in the bullpen? If so, the Mets might have found lightning in a bottle.

There are less than five weeks to go until Opening Day. If there is something left in Izzy's tank, now is the time to prove that he is still capable of helping a big league team. With the departure of Pedro Feliciano and Hisanori Takahashi, the Mets are going to need all the help they can get in the bullpen. Jason Isringhausen might be one of those relievers, and if he is, lightning will have indeed struck twice for Izzy in New York.