My Two Cents Worth

It's time for the latest "Idiotic Mets Fans Claim" portion of the program.

While no one can blame Mets fans for being upset at everyone in the organization -- from the Wilpons to Mr. Met -- the reasoning must make a little sense. And there are plenty of legitimate reasons to get on Omar Minaya lately. However, one of the fashionable gripes has been that even the Mets' triple A team -- the Buffalo Bisons -- is in last place, 18 games out of first and 22 games under .500.

Now, let's be somewhat objective about this and have a look at how things work. The big club has been riddled with injuries and replacements are needed. So, the hierarchy has a look at who should be brought up to replace the injured player. Guess who they're going to call? That's right, the best player in the Minors.

Just like in Trickle-Down Economics, if you take away from the top the bottom loses. Only with a baseball club what gets taken away from the top goes to the wasteful DL, instead of wasteful politicians. The ones reaping the benefit of that is the rest of baseball, both in the majors and the minors

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It's getting ugly in a hurry in Queens. The Phillies have forgotten that this is baseball and teams are supposed to lose every once in a while, leaving the Mets and the rest of the NL east in the dust.

If the Mets don't get a quick lead the team loses all confidence and the game is all but over. True, this lineup is not high powered enough to create significant comebacks but lying down and playing dead is a serious indictment of Jerry Manuel.

As Mets rooters well know the story in 1969 when Gil Hodges Jr., after looking over the Orioles lineup, asked his father "How are you possibly going to beat these guys?" The Godfather of Mets' baseball replied "Shhh - I've got 25 guys who think they can."

This team does not believe it can comeback, and it's evident every time they fall behind.

The handwriting is also starting to appear on the wall for Omar Minaya, it comes in the form of ink in the paper. Over the past several days both New York tabloids have put forth devastating articles about the GM.

One, by Joel Sherman, claiming the Mets front office has a reputation for not being proactive or returning phone calls. The second, by Adam Rubin, pointing to many problems throughout the organization. As every New York sports fan knows, when the writers start turning on someone, it's the beginning of the end.

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Although bringing Roy Halladay to the Bronx would look great on Brian Cashman's resume it is not a smart move to make. Toronto claims that it would be willing to trade the ace to a division foe, and there is no reason to doubt that.

However, nobody likes helping the Yankees and Doc would pitch against the Jays several times over the next year and a half. For the deal to make sense for Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi he would demand a king's ransom, which is something the Yankees are prone to doing.

In this case you must ask yourself this: Do you give up your farm system to bring in a pitcher, albeit the best in the game, who is 32-years-old, has close to 2000 inning on his arm, has never pitched in the postseason and still there are no guarantees that you can beat the Red Sox in the playoffs?

To top it off, Halladay's contract is over after next season, and the Yankees -- just this past off-season -- spent a whole lot of money bringing in CC Sabathia who is supposed to be their ace.

Also, consider that the clubs top prospects, no doubt what Toronto would want, fit right into the needs of the near future. Jorge Posada is not going to be around much longer, enter Francisco Cervelli and top catching prospect Jesus Montero. The outfield could already use a little pick-me-up in the corners; Austin Jackson may very well be that guy in the next year or so.

All this is not including the pitcher -- either Joba or Phil Hughes -- that would also have to be sent north.

It would be nice to bring in the Doc to remedy the club's postseason woes, but all things considered, in this case you're better off taking two aspirin and taking your chances with what you've got.

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In a game the other night between the Houston Astros and the L.A. Dodgers there was a play that will no doubt live on in bloopers films for years to come.

Mike Hampton had just been backing up the catcher on a play at the plate. The run scored and Hampton is dejectedly walking back to the mound, Houston catcher Humberto Quintero hands the ball to the pitcher who fires the ball into his glove in frustration. Only he misses. That's right he missed his glove from point blank. The ball rolls into foul territory and another run scores.

Apparently the Colorado school system doesn't teach anger management.

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Stewart Cink may have won the British Open and deservedly so. But the tournament will be remembered for Tom Watson.