zOMG. i just turned it on. bases load no outs. Cards are ghey. Go mets
zOMG wild pitch. WTFzORS!!!!!111!!!ONE!!111WON!!11
woot triple!
hopefully so.
OP
Slammed
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Striking Accord
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http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/baseball/15785247.htm
With lofty goals, Minaya not satisfied By Jim Salisbury
ST. LOUIS - If the New York Mets don't get to the World Series this year - and right now it's not looking good - there's always 2007 and 2008 and 2009.
That was the clear impression that general manager Omar Minaya imparted before Game 5 of the National League Championship Series last night.
If the Mets, one loss from seeing their season end, don't recover from a three-games-to-two deficit, they intend on being back for more next year.
"I don't think you ever get there," Minaya said.
There. It's that abstract destination all teams shoot for, as in: "We're there. We're ready to succeed at a championship level. And we're ready to do it over and over and over."
Good teams get there. Great franchises never do. Great franchises are never satisfied with one run at a title, or even one title. They want to do it over and over and over. They never sit back and go to battle with the same talent year after year. They are constantly evolving, constantly evaluating, constantly adding and subtracting, constantly reaching for the there that they know never comes.
That's what Minaya means about never getting there. You win 97 games one year, you want to win 107 the next.
"It's about always trying to excel, always trying to be the best, trying to find the best at every position," Minaya said.
That ideal led him to trade for Carlos Delgado last winter.
"We needed what I call a true cleanup hitter," Minaya said. "I thought Carlos personified that his entire career."
The Mets needed a closer, so Minaya signed Billy Wagner.
Now, the Mets need starting pitching. That much has been clear in this series, in which the team has been let down by Steve Trachsel and John Maine, and forced to use Oliver Perez in Game 4. Sure, Perez won that game - with the help of 12 runs - but he may not even have been on the roster had Pedro Martinez or Orlando Hernandez been healthy.
Last night, the magic ran out for Tom Glavine, spinner of two earlier gems this postseason.
The Mets will be players this winter for Barry Zito and Daisuke Matsuzaka, the two pitching prizes on the free-agent market. You can bet on that. Minaya, backed by wealthy owners willing to spend, can't help himself. If there's a big talent out there, he'll get involved. If he lands Zito or Matsuzaka, that will only make life a little harder on the Phillies.
Pitching isn't the only area in which the Mets will look to improve.
Minaya thinks he needs another cleanup man.
"In an ideal world, I'd like to get three cleanup hitters," he said.
And that, folks, is probably Minaya's way of saying he's going to make a big run at Alfonso Soriano. This season, the Mets ranked third in the NL in runs and slugging percentage and fourth in homers. Good, but not good enough for the GM constantly reaching for the there he knows never comes.
Soriano had 46 homers, 95 RBIs and 89 extra-base hits in 2006. Imagine him in the middle of the Mets' lineup. Imagine him in the middle of anyone's lineup. He'd be perfect behind Ryan Howard.
Carlos Beltran, Delgado and David Wright were a powerful middle three for the Mets in 2006. They combined for 105 homers and 108 doubles.
But Minaya wants more. He wants a team that will get to the postseason year after year, like the Yankees, the team the Mets forever are compared to.
"I think David Wright could be a cleanup hitter someday," Minaya said. "Beltran could do it, but I think his role is more of a third hitter.
"I think championship teams want to have three guys you can consider cleanup hitters. Then you're talking about some serious offensive attack."
In the first four games of this series, Beltran and Delgado teamed for six home runs and 13 RBIs. Last night, they had two singles and no RBIs in a combined seven at-bats. The Cardinals weren't given a chance in the series because they lacked the pitching. Led by starter Jeff Weaver, the pitching was terrific last night. Now, the 83-win Cards are one victory away from the World Series, and the 97-win Mets, everybody's pick as the NL entry in the Series, are staring at winter vacation.
The series shifts to New York tonight, and the Mets need two wins to stave off Old Man Winter. It will be Chris Carpenter's job to hold off the Mets. He can help himself by containing Delgado and Beltran, as the Cards did last night.
Carlos-times-two is not easy math.
"You've got to be aggressive with them," Carpenter said. "But if you leave one over the plate, they'll do damage."
That is precisely why they were brought to New York, Delgado last winter, Beltran the winter before.
The Mets will bring in more talent this winter, you can bet on that, but first they have to make sure winter doesn't arrive tonight.
With lofty goals, Minaya not satisfied By Jim Salisbury
ST. LOUIS - If the New York Mets don't get to the World Series this year - and right now it's not looking good - there's always 2007 and 2008 and 2009.
That was the clear impression that general manager Omar Minaya imparted before Game 5 of the National League Championship Series last night.
If the Mets, one loss from seeing their season end, don't recover from a three-games-to-two deficit, they intend on being back for more next year.
"I don't think you ever get there," Minaya said.
There. It's that abstract destination all teams shoot for, as in: "We're there. We're ready to succeed at a championship level. And we're ready to do it over and over and over."
Good teams get there. Great franchises never do. Great franchises are never satisfied with one run at a title, or even one title. They want to do it over and over and over. They never sit back and go to battle with the same talent year after year. They are constantly evolving, constantly evaluating, constantly adding and subtracting, constantly reaching for the there that they know never comes.
That's what Minaya means about never getting there. You win 97 games one year, you want to win 107 the next.
"It's about always trying to excel, always trying to be the best, trying to find the best at every position," Minaya said.
That ideal led him to trade for Carlos Delgado last winter.
"We needed what I call a true cleanup hitter," Minaya said. "I thought Carlos personified that his entire career."
The Mets needed a closer, so Minaya signed Billy Wagner.
Now, the Mets need starting pitching. That much has been clear in this series, in which the team has been let down by Steve Trachsel and John Maine, and forced to use Oliver Perez in Game 4. Sure, Perez won that game - with the help of 12 runs - but he may not even have been on the roster had Pedro Martinez or Orlando Hernandez been healthy.
Last night, the magic ran out for Tom Glavine, spinner of two earlier gems this postseason.
The Mets will be players this winter for Barry Zito and Daisuke Matsuzaka, the two pitching prizes on the free-agent market. You can bet on that. Minaya, backed by wealthy owners willing to spend, can't help himself. If there's a big talent out there, he'll get involved. If he lands Zito or Matsuzaka, that will only make life a little harder on the Phillies.
Pitching isn't the only area in which the Mets will look to improve.
Minaya thinks he needs another cleanup man.
"In an ideal world, I'd like to get three cleanup hitters," he said.
And that, folks, is probably Minaya's way of saying he's going to make a big run at Alfonso Soriano. This season, the Mets ranked third in the NL in runs and slugging percentage and fourth in homers. Good, but not good enough for the GM constantly reaching for the there he knows never comes.
Soriano had 46 homers, 95 RBIs and 89 extra-base hits in 2006. Imagine him in the middle of the Mets' lineup. Imagine him in the middle of anyone's lineup. He'd be perfect behind Ryan Howard.
Carlos Beltran, Delgado and David Wright were a powerful middle three for the Mets in 2006. They combined for 105 homers and 108 doubles.
But Minaya wants more. He wants a team that will get to the postseason year after year, like the Yankees, the team the Mets forever are compared to.
"I think David Wright could be a cleanup hitter someday," Minaya said. "Beltran could do it, but I think his role is more of a third hitter.
"I think championship teams want to have three guys you can consider cleanup hitters. Then you're talking about some serious offensive attack."
In the first four games of this series, Beltran and Delgado teamed for six home runs and 13 RBIs. Last night, they had two singles and no RBIs in a combined seven at-bats. The Cardinals weren't given a chance in the series because they lacked the pitching. Led by starter Jeff Weaver, the pitching was terrific last night. Now, the 83-win Cards are one victory away from the World Series, and the 97-win Mets, everybody's pick as the NL entry in the Series, are staring at winter vacation.
The series shifts to New York tonight, and the Mets need two wins to stave off Old Man Winter. It will be Chris Carpenter's job to hold off the Mets. He can help himself by containing Delgado and Beltran, as the Cards did last night.
Carlos-times-two is not easy math.
"You've got to be aggressive with them," Carpenter said. "But if you leave one over the plate, they'll do damage."
That is precisely why they were brought to New York, Delgado last winter, Beltran the winter before.
The Mets will bring in more talent this winter, you can bet on that, but first they have to make sure winter doesn't arrive tonight.
OP
Slammed
5,000+ posts
Striking Accord
- Thread Starter
- #39
it was a great season!!!
'07 is ours
//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061028&content_id=1726610&vkey=ps2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
'07 is ours
//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061028&content_id=1726610&vkey=ps2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
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