Why I Hate West Coast Games....The 2006 Edition

Before I start my rant, you have to watch the best thing that NESN has had on the air in years. Thank you, Denis Leary and Lenny Clarke.

You can file Tuesday night's loss under taking one for the team. For Villone and Wright pitching in relief. And for me having to stay up watch this buzzkill.

Because Torre is determined to get some rest for his position guys and the bullpen in this 21 in 20 bataan death march part of the schedule....L's like this are gonna happen. I've banged my head against the wall over losses like this in the past. However, post-concussion syndrome and intensive psychiatric treatment has made me realize that this is about winning the marathon not the sprint. So in the hope that I can inspire Pavlov's pooch to end the cycle of emotional violence, I'm going to try and take Tuesday night's loss in stride.

Besides, with Red Sox Nation collapsing like Troy, it's wise that Torre is resting his guys when he can. It would be nice to increase the lead, but six and a half games right now to the Sux and their pitching staff might as well be 15. Better to get your ship in order for the stretch run than overextend your guys for one win.

Especially when the late season buggaboos start rearing their antennae. Looks like we know what Alex's problem has been. He's got cooties!!!

Sweeping those five games gave them some breathing room in the standings. They now control their own destiny. They're probably not catching Detroit for top seed in the AL. They're five games ahead of Oakland which means it would take a significant slide on our end or run on theirs...for things to flip. Which means things will probably remain status quo for the time being.

That being said, It was nice to see Wang right the ship Wednesday. He had been scuffling a bit, particularly on the road. But the Mariners are a good matchup for him so their stop at Starbucks Central came at a great time. 15 wins? Very nice for his sophomore campaign. It's funny how he's done that under the radar. Probably because he doesn't strike guys out. It's a shame that good old fashioned pitching doesn't get the same press that strikeouts and homeruns do these days. The point is to get batters out, how you do it is irrelevant. I've talked about wanting Wang to develop an out pitch to complement his sinker. The reason being, is that hitters know they'll get strikes when facing him. If he's off his game, he's going to get pounded. A strikeout pitch would keep hitters honest and make them less likely to sit on a fastball.

That being said, it's a shame, he's not getting his due. Am I saying that he's Santana or Halladay. No, but he is a big reason why the Yankees have the third best record in baseball. That should count for something.

Whenever the Yankees surge like they have recently, you can always count on a couple of things. One is a rant from the Scions of Shea. Thanks Metstra, for not letting me down.

Let me go on the record, by saying this.....Carlos Beltran should absolutely be in the conversation for NL MVP. He's put up comparable numbers to Pujols and Howard, while playing a premium defensive position. He's probably not going to win because, 1)their numbers are slightly better across the board while playing on inferior lineups(at last check, the Mets have a pretty sick lineup) and 2)anti-New York bias along with the country's love with all things Pujols probably means Beltran finishes second...third, if Howard and the Phillies win the wildcard.

Is it fair? Maybe yes, maybe no. But you have to ask the question, are the Phillies in the wild-card without Howard? No. Are the Cardinals in first place without Pujols. Hell no!

Now are the Mets in first place if Beltran is putting up his career averages instead of these monster numbers? My guess is that, yes they are. However they probably don't have the second best record in baseball. A factor that should ultimately work in his favor.

Then again, these are the same idiots that voted Ichiro, AL Rookie of the Year and MVP one year, and decide to give Angel Berroa the Rookie of the Year a couple of years later over Hideki Matsui, because they decided that Matsui shouldn't be considered a rookie. Forget what the rules say. We're the writers...WE RULE!!!

What kills me is that Metstra and his brood continue to get their panties in a bunch over the fact that Chris Carlin and company have decided to insert Jeter's name into MVP consideration. The fact that Carlin is an unabashed Yankee-hater who's trying to generate interest for his show so he can get from under Imus' boot probably never dawned on these mooks.

There is no figure who's more polarizing in the New York Sports scene than Jeter. And mentioning his name on the Flagship station of the Mets is guaranteed to generate buzz. Looks like Pavlov's pooch has season tickets at Shea.

For the record, I think Beltran has a better chance of winning the MVP than Jeter does. I think he's more deserving as are several candidates in both leagues. Here's how I would stack it.

AL MVP
Ortiz
Mauer
Thome
Liriano
Papelbon
Jeter

NL MVP
Pujols
Beltran
Howard

That being said, it kills me how this team's fans are still so obsessed about all things in the Bronx. I haven't written one line about Glavine, Green or Pedro lately. Know why? This is a Yankees blog and I don't care!! As a baseball fan, of course I'm aware of the goings on around the league. But I'm more focused on the Yankees pennant race rather than hypothetical MVP races and Wanna-be Francessas who are trying to make a name for themselves. Call me an arrogant Yankee fan, I don't care. But being fan is about loving your team not hating someone else's. Something some Mets fans have failed to grasp.

As for his digs about the mini-marathons the Yanks and Sox played this weekend....all I can say is this, welcome to Yankee baseball baby. Working counts and pitchers over is what they do. Get used to it, whoever you face in the World Series will probably give you a first hand lesson in that practice as they beat you in five games.

I think what irks the Mets fan the most is that they know that they won't be able to prove their worth to the baseball world until the Fall Classic. and that if they fail to get there, in a year where the senior circuit is putrid, that the entire year is a failure.

Welcome to what it feels like being a Yankee fan. You guys are whining after one year of this, talk to me after a decade.

The Met fan in his heart of hearts also knows that their last chance to face a championship-caliber team in the regular season was during inter-league when they faced the Yankees, Boston and Toronto(a team, btw, as dysfuctional as they are, that is better than every team in NL except for the Mets...but ask yourself, who would you rather face in a seven game series....Halladay, Burnett and Lilly with Ryan closing out or Martinez, Glavine and Tracshel with Wagner in relief? Interesting question to ponder. Martinez and Glavine are HOF bound, but Halladay is the best of the bunch right now. That would be an interesting seven games).

Nobody's saying that the Mets wouldn't crush Boston in their current condition. But when they were healthy and wreaking havoc during interleague, the Mets looked like Boston against the Yankees last weekend. The Mets went 5-7 against those teams. The finale being put on A-Rod's highlight reel to Cooperstown. This Cardinals series is a good barometer for what they can expect in the NL playoffs. But they have no clue what awaits them when they have to faceoff versus Detroit, Chicago, New York or Minnesota in the Fall Classic (Sorry A's fans, I don't think Oakland has enough offense to get there....and Halos fans, you're five games back).

It's the same reason why the big conference teams like the ACC, Big East, SEC and others usually dominate the NCAA basketball tournament. They're so used to playing a high level of competition during the regular season and tourney play, that they're ready for the big tournament.

Sometimes, it can work against you because you're beat up and you exert so much energy to get there. But more times than not, your game is so honed, that you look like the Red Sox in 2004. Adrenaline takes over.

Right now the AL is the Big East or the ACC. The NL is Big Sky conference or the WAC.

But come October, will the Mets become UNLV circa 1990-91? Or Gonzaga?

Stay tuned.