Pathetic Mets Schneid into Second Place

First things first: Brian Schneider lost this game for the Mets. You can blame the lame offense, or point to the shitpen, but all Mr. Defense had to do is catch the relay from Easley, wait a beat, and tag out the runner to end the game. That's all. I've seen enough of Brian Schneider, who I would prefer not to see in a Mets uniform next year, not that I'm as high as others are on cream puff sleepyHEAD, who left the game with some kind of leg injury. Schneider's defense is underwhelming, and his reputation for prowess is certainly the creation of some clever agent. This loss is on him.

As for the other half of that dreadful trade of Lastings Milledge, Ryan Church looked positively concussed tonight, going something like 0 for 100. Mets "stars," outside of Jose Reyes, did their familiar dissappearing acts, David Wright falling all over himself in the field and failing at the plate in key situations. Wright, Delgado and Beltran, as they have during so much of the season, were content to leave most of the offensive production to Easley and Tatis.

It was pretty clear that the Mets were going to lose this game. No one can be suprised at the outcome of a game left in the hands of the Mets shitpen. But to draw it out until the 13th inning was maddening. They ruined my night, and perhaps their season tonight.

But this is condition critical for Omar Minaya. Perhaps you think his hands are tied. But there is no earthly reason to keep bringing Mssrs. Sanchez, Feliciano, Heilman, Smith into games. Their names are on the roster, but they cannot get the job done. My dog could tell you that. September 1, the Mets need to bring up anyone who can grip a baseball, and find three guys who can pitch worth a damn, no matter what their contracts say.

When Luis Ayala came into the game, things seemed to be looking up: he was a chump, but at least he wasn't one of our chumps, one of the usual suspects. Operating in a different culture all season, albeit a culture no more sucessful then the Mets', perhaps he would step up and make the nightmare go away. Then he blew the game too. Well, now he can take his place amongst the other chokers.

You can give Aaron Heilman all the credit you like for prolonging this August baseball misery as long as he did. But the Phils did everything short of sending Strawberry Shortcake up to the plate. Had pitcher Cole Hamels been a bit luckier, Heilman's traditional goat role would not have trickled down to Shownblow, the man with one ball who pitches like he has none.

Note to SNY: Put the fucking pitch speeds up after each of the pitches, not just some of them. They're a key part of the broadcast. You're really pissing me off. Also, someone remind Keith that he can't decide the umps been consistently giving the low ball strikes when his own booth was discussing how the ump was not being consistent on those pitches while Pedro was pitching.