Mets Bench Provides Spark in Sweep of Twins

Cespedes shouldn't have played today, Collins had no business taking out Ynoa an out away from qualifying for a victory and I hate that we had two opportunities of bases loaded with nobody out and couldn't plate a single run. But we got the sweep that we needed and we're tied for the 1st place wild-card spot. That's all that matters.

Mets Can't Take Easy Schedule for Granted

Everyone's talking about the easy schedule the Mets have the rest of the way. I just hope that it doesn't get into their heads. I mean, who can't be excited about Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson hitting again? And who can't be excited about rookies like Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman stepping up and providing quality starts in the absence of DeGrom, Harvey and Matz? But regardless of their record, teams like the Reds, Braves, Phillies and Twins aren't just going to lie down for us and it's uo to Terry Collins to remind his team of that.

Mets Fail To Sweep Phillies, Still 2.5 Games Back of Wild Card

They're winning series', but also running out of time. Robert Gsellman pitched well, but Jay Bruce really needs to step it up and start hitting.

Yoenis Cespedes Homers to Back Stellar Noah Syndergaard

The Mets Just Look Really Bad Right Now

Injuries happen to every team so forget that. But not scoring when the pitching is great and scoring plenty, but getting worse pitching and losing. Guys unable to hit in the clutch, no speed, relying too much on home runs, unable to put together any kind of streak and losing series to bad teams....can you blame any Mets fan for giving up on the 2016 season? And what with 3 teams in front of them, is there a realistic shot at getting a wild card this year? I don't think so--thank goodness football starts soon.

Is T.J. Rivera For Real?

From Kevin Plawecki to Logan Verrett to Michael Conforto, Mets rookies have been pretty bad this season. But now after going 4-for-4 yesterday and hitting .364 in 7 games, the question begs to be asked: Can T.J. Rivera be the Mets rookie who can actually help this team get in the playoffs this season? Only time will tell.

It's Time For Jon Niese To Put Up Or Shut Up

Now back with the Mets fighting for a playoff spot, it's time for Jon Niese to step it up and prove to everybody that, at this point in his career, he's more than just a left-handed specialist. You'd like to think that Niese's return to a starting rotation would motivate him, but you never know. One thing's for sure: it's mid-August and the Mets need him to good, really good.

RIP Choo Choo Coleman

NYTimes.com:

Choo Choo Coleman, a catcher for the Mets during their comically dismal early seasons — and a fond, chuckle-inducing memory for Mets fans — died on Monday in Orangeburg, S.C.

The cause was cancer, The Associated Press reported, citing a niece who said he was 80, born on Aug. 18, 1935. Public records say his date of birth was a week later, Aug. 25. Numerous online biographical sources, however, say he was born on Aug. 25, 1937, indicating he was 78.

Coleman had a brief big league career, playing in parts of four seasons, and his performance was undistinguished: Appearing in 201 games, he hit just .197 with nine homers and 30 runs batted in.

But he had the good (or ill) fortune of playing for the Mets in their history-making first two seasons, 1962 and 1963, when the team won 91 games, lost 231 and became legendary in its ineptitude. 

He stood 5 feet 9 and played at 165 pounds or less, slight for a catcher. His hands were suspect — he “handles outside curve balls like a man fighting bees,” Roger Angell observed in The New Yorker — and in 1963 he finished third among National League catchers in errors (15) and fourth in passed balls (11) despite starting just 66 games behind the plate. He was known for his hustle, and, Angell observed, he was speedy on the bases (though he added, “This is an attribute that is about as essential to catchers as neat handwriting”).

Coleman was a Met fan’s Met, an emblem (like so many of his teammates) of a team that returned National League baseball to New York and was welcomed by New Yorkers still heartsick at the departure of the Dodgers and Giants to the West Coast after the 1957 season.

Lowly Mets Get Swept At Home By Last Place Arizona Diamondbacks

Terry Collins certainly deserves to be on the hot seat and the Mets just need to accept that Travis D'Arnaud is a bust. However, my question is: for all the inept hitting this outside Cespedes, Walker and Cabrera, why isn't the hitting coach, Kevin Long, getting any share of the blame?

Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto Need To Prove They're Not Busts

For all the talk/criticism going on about Yoenis Cespedes going on the DL partly due to his off-the-park golf habits, no one seems to want to talk about how one man shouldn't be expected to carry a team's offense for the entire season. Or that besides a couple of stretches from Neil Walker, Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Conforto early in the season, Cespedes and perhaps James Loney since he came to the Mets, have been the only consistent offensive performers. Then too is the fact that for all the hype surrounding them in the minors, Conforto (who's looked especially bad at the plate of late) and Brandon Nimmo have done little to contribute to the Mets this season. With the Mets struggling for playoff contention it's long past time they both step up.

Congrats To Hall of Famer Mike Piazza

Not the greatest Met catcher ever (that distinction belongs to Gary Carter RIP), but still a great player, great Met and a definitive HOF'er.

RELATED: Homer No. 1? 352? 10 greatest moments of Mike Piazza's Career

Mets Just Need To Concentrate On Winning Series

That's really all they can do: just do what it takes to win as many series' as they can and let the chips fall where they may as far as the postseason is concerned. If the Mets do their part, they'll be there in October.

Mets Need To Stop Pitching To Daniel Murphy

A Christian who's always worn his beliefs on his sleeves, I truly believe that it wasn't just Daniel Murphy's at times poor defense that made the Mets choose to not offer him a legitimate contract in the off-season (after all, the Mets do play in uber-liberal New York City). And because of that Mets fans have to deal with Murph 18 to 19 times a year in their own division as a member of the front-running Nationals. As I write this Murphy has 7 home runs against the Mets, while hitting at a more than .400 clip. Call it a coincidence or not, but it's why politics should never mix with sports and it's why the Mets need to start treating Murph like Barry Bonds in his heyday and stop pitching to him.

The Daily News Does Jose Reyes Dirty

Since his return to the Mets Jose Reyes has been totally contrite. He's in counseling and even went out of his way to speak to minor leaguers about the seriousness of what he did. He's been punished and banned by Major League Baseball too, as he should've been. But apparently all that's not enough for the holier-than-thou's in the New York Daily News offices who want to condemn the man for life for making one very bad mistake. Any wonder why professional athletes don't want to be bothered the press sometimes? Good thing Mets fans did the right thing and gave Reyes a standing ovation in his return, because we all make mistakes and he deserves a 2nd chance.

Mets To Activate Jose Reyes on Tuesday

Of course, Reyes was going to be called up eventually, but I don't know about right now. I mean, the Mets are at home and with a 5-game winning streak, playing really well. What's impressed me the most is the professional at-bats they've been taking, especially James Loney's RBI groundout against the Marlins today. Then too what with Reyes still learning how to play 3rd base, them being at home till the All-star break, Wilmer Flores getting hot and Reyes still having a cloud over his head what with the domestic violence charges controversy, you would've thought that the Mets would wait till after the break and them being on the road to bring Jose back. In other words, the timing just seems to be off.