Red Bulls Need to Get Back to Winning Ways

The New York Red Bulls started the season with a 5-1 record in their first six games but have now lost 4 straight and find themselves 5-5 with two matches to play before the World Cup break. The defense needs to tighten up and not let teams get open looks in the box. More shots are needed if they expect to win the next two and beyond. Head coach Hans Backe has done a terrific job with the team but more is needed from the players at this point. My friends and I will be going to Red Bull Arena this Wednesday for the Houston Dynamo match and hope to see more intensity from the Red Bulls. LET’S GO RED BULLS!

Heading to Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium as Patriots Visit Bears Tonight

My Wife and I are driving to Newark shortly to see the Somerset Patriots take on the Newark Bears at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium. We began going to Bears and Patriots game in 2007 before picking the Patriots as our home team.

Mets Lost to Brewers 8-6 at Miller Park Saturday

The New York Mets wore the away grey New York Cubans old school uniforms last night as a tribute the Negro League team from years ago and the Brewers wore the Milwaukee Bears home uniform. Unfortunately the New York Mets lost again to the Milwaukee Brewers by the score of 8-6 last night at Milwaukee. The starting pitching and Ol’ Ollie let them down this time out. Fernando Nieve got shelled in the start for Mets giving up 5 earned runs, 3 hits (2 HRs), 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. It was the 2 home runs that killed Nieve last night, who got his first start of the season with John Maine on the disabled list. The real nightmare started when Oliver Perez came into the game to pitch the 3rd and 4th innings. He completely sucks and doesn’t deserve to wear the Mets uniform. Perez (who completely sucks, in case you missed it) gave up 3 earned runs and a home run in the process. Dessens, Mejia and Igarashi did a great job pitching the final 4 innings and gave up no runs. Corey Hart is in the zone for at the moment for Milwaukee as he hit 2 more homers off the Mets. If he was wearing his sunglasses last night I wish he’d take them off! Jose Reyes had another multiple hit game going 2-for-4, run and RBI. Jason Bay also collected 2 hits and rookie Ike Davis hit a 3-run homer in the 4th inning giving him 5 homers on the year. The Mets were 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position but it was the pitching unfortunately that did them in.

The Carlos Beltran Saga is a Complete Joke at this Point

I posted on May 11th (and in a few previous posts) that Carlos Beltran was hitting line drives all over the Mets’ Port St. Lucie facility but that the pitches were all thrown to him underhanded. Beltran is not any closer to returning to the center field even now and has not been “cleared to resume baseball activities.” Believe it or not there is absolutely no timetable for his return. GM Omar Minaya (aka Nomore Goodbya) said that the team doctors will have the final say on when Beltran returns. Yeah, right, just like they did when Beltran went to Colorado and had Dr. Stedman (not a team doctor) perform surgery. They said it was a cleanup job at the time. He’s making $19,401,569.00 this season guaranteed by the way. What a joke!

Brewers Defeated Mets on Two-Run Walk-Off Home Run at Miller Park Friday

Johan Santana pitched a brilliant game for the Mets through 8.0 innings but manager Jerry Manuel decided to take Johan out. Johan gave up no earned runs, only 3 hits, with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts on 105 pitches (72 strikes). Since Jerry saw him go over the “magical 100 pitch count” he thought it wise to take him out. I’m sure Johan could have started the 9th inning with the Brewers’ big hitters coming up. Pedro Feliciano came into the game in the bottom of the 9th inning and left after getting the first out of the 9th inning. Ryota Igarashi came into the game and threw exactly 6 pitches, 4 for strikes. The only problem was that two of the 4 pitches were hits and the second was a two-run walk-off homer by Corey Hart. Too bad Corey wasn’t wearing his sunglasses last night. Maybe he would have struck out. The real issue was that the Mets could not produce runs and they put up nothing on the scoreboard. They hit into three inning-ending double-plays and that encapsulated the game. Igarashi needs to get work and he was great before injuring his hamstring and going on the DL. The works help him and helps the bullpen. Unfortunately it didn’t work out for the Mets last night.

Mets Shut Out Hated Phillies Again to Complete Three-Game Sweep! This Time 3-0 at Citi Field Thursday

The New York Mets shut out the hated Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 for the three-game sweep last night at Citi Field. With a little luck it could have been 6-0 as Jason Bay missed a towering home run down the left field line that was above the foul pole and just foul. Mike Pelfrey 3-hit the hated Phillies with 5 walks and 5 strikeouts over 7.0 innings. It was important that Big Pelf get 7.0 innings pitched to save the bullpen some work. The win brings Pelfrey’s record to 7-1 on the season. I think it’d be great seeing a Met Battery of Mike Pelfrey pitching to Rob Barajas in the All-Star Game! The Phillies were visibly upset as the game went along. Pedro Feliciano pitched a scoreless 8th for the hold and Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless 9th for his ninth save of the season. Jose Reyes continues his multi-hit game streak going 3-for-5 (1 double), 1 run and 2 RBIs. Angel Pagan had a great night with an diving catch in right center field and went 2-for-4 at the plate. Watching Jayson Werth strike out 3 times and Cole Hamels get the loss for Philadelphia made the night complete.

WFAN-AM’s Mike Francesa and Pierre McGuire on NHL Stanley Cup Finals – Mike Knows Zero About the NHL

Listening to Mike Francesa and Pierre McGuire chat today on WFAN-AM was almost painful. Pierre is a regular contributor to the show and assumes Mike has some knowledge of the NHL. When Mike said this it floored me:

“You will see Pierre McGuire when the Stanley Cups begin tomorrow night…”

When did they have more then one Stanley Cup? Last time I checked they had one Cup, singular, not Cups. Mike mentioned that we’ll see Pierre on “NBC and all over”. He neglected to mention Versus or the Canadian TV outlet he works for most often. Mike then proceeded to mispronounce the head coach of the Flyers as Peter “Lavalet”. It’s Laviolette, not “Lavalet”. I’m not exactly a fan of Pierre McGuire but I had to listen. Mike obviously knows nothing about the NHL and this proved it with his dumb questions for Pierre. Mike asked Pierre if he was shocked with the Blackhawks getting into the Finals. Mike had no clue the Blackhawks came in 2nd place in the Western Conference, 1 point behind the San Jose Sharks. Last year they lost the Western Conference Finals to the Detroit Red Wings. Mike has no idea that Chicago’s an excellent team. Maybe the Yankees should lace up the skates and get on the ice!

Red Bulls Earn Their Way Into 16 Team Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tournament by Defeating Rapids 3-0 in Final Qualifying Match at Red Bull Arena Wednesday

The New York Red Bulls defeated the visiting Colorado Rapid 3-0 last night in the final qualifying match of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tournament. With the win the Red Bulls are now in the actual tournament as they swept the three qualifying rounds. My friend and I sat in Section 108 once again with a great view just to the right of midfield next to the Red Bulls bench. It was absolutely hot as hell with a game time temperature of 91 degrees and lots of humidity. The lineup consisted mostly of the rookies and younger players but they played very well again and continue to impress. As my friend noted for the second straight U.S. Open Cup qualifying match veteran John Wolyniec scored two goals. Wolyniec scored them both in the 1st half to give the Red Bulls the 2-0 lead. The more I see Tony Tchani the more I like his tenacity and competitiveness. I hope he gets lots of playing time the rest of the season in MLS games. Tchani made a great play at midfield to keep possession of the ball, turned, and then made a great pass that led to one of Wolniec’s goals. Every time Irving Garcia touched the ball we erupted with cheers of GAR-CI-A, GAR-CI-A. You have to love that guy. Conor Chinn scored the 3rd goal for the Red Bulls to give them the winning 3-0 edge over Colorado. Sinisa Ubiparipovic was also very noticeable again last night. This game differed from the other Cup qualifiers in that head coach Hans Backe substituted in some starters as the game progressed. We’re glad we went to root on our team, and now to bring the Cup to the Red Bulls. I took the picture of Garcia.

Mets Shut Out Hated Phillies Again, This Time 5-0 at Citi Field Wednesday

The New York Metropolitans shut out the hated Philadelphia Phillies once again last night, but this time by the score of 5-0. The Mets got strong starting pitching from Hisanori Takahashi who gave up no earned runs, only 5 hits with no walks and 6 strikeouts to earn the victory and bringing his record to 4-1 on the season. Mejia, Igarashi and Nieve combined to pitch the final 3 scoreless innings. Jose Reyes continues to produce in the leadoff spot going 2-for-4 (HR), 1 run and 2 RBIs. Angel Pagan’s average is not at .291 as he went 2-for-4 with 1 run scored. Rob Barajas has been amazing for the Mets this year doing an excellent job behind the plate and providing lot’s of offensive power from the 8th spot in the lineup. Barajas had 3 huge RBIs last night giving him 27 on the year, ripping a 2-run double in the 6th inning. I love watching the Mets beat-up on the Phils. The Mets are now 1 game over .500 on the year.

Heading to Red Bull Arena as Red Bulls Play Union in Preliminary Round of Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tournament

The New York Red Bulls host the Colorado Rapids in the final preliminary match of the U.S. Open Cup Tournament. Whoever wins tonight goes to the 16-team tournament. I’m heading there with my friend. The weather’s hotter than hell with midday temperature in the 90s. The match will be streamed live at 8:00 PM EDT here. Click MLS Live tab. LET’S GO RED BULLS!

It’s Excellent that New York/New Jersey Will Host Super Bowl XLVIII

I was very happy yesterday as I listened to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced at 4:17 PM that New York/New Jersey will host Super Bowl XLVIII in February 2014 at the new Meadowlands Stadium. There was a lot of pro New York City sentiment after September 11th for a Super Bowl, Giants Stadium being the only option at the time. It took a simple majority and four votes to get the win. The only mistake I made was listening to the “experts” on sports radio beforehand yapping about how it’s a shoe in. The reality is that it most often goes to four votes. I am glad Tampa Bay or Miami didn’t get it again as well as so many have been played there already. Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey said it may bring $500 Million dollars to the area.

Mets Shut Out Hated Phillies 8-0 at Citi Field Tuesday

The New York Mets shut out the hated Philadelphia Phillies 8-0 last night at Citi Field in their opener of the three game series. Met starter R.A. Dickey was awesome throwing great knuckleballs all night. Dickey gave up no earned runs, 7 hits, with 3 walks and 7 strikeouts in 6.0 innings to earn his first win of the season. Raul Valdes came into the game and earned the old school save, no earned runs, only 2 hits, with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts in 3.0 innings. The Mets scored a run in every inning except the 3rd then scored 3 more in the bottom of the 8th to take the 8-0 lead and whooped the Phillies. The Met bats came alive with 13 hits and as a team went 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Jose Reyes led the way going 3-for-5 (3B) and an RBI. Rob Barajas and Jeff Francoeur each had 2 hits and Jason Bay had 2 RBIs. Jose Reyes has hit .375 in the last 5 games. Valdes helped his cause by hitting a double in the 9th inning off of Nelson Figueroa, getting and RBI and scoring a run in the process. Wow, the way Figueroa’s been pitching I’m glad the Mets didn’t sign him out of Spring Training. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard each had 2 strikeouts for Philadelphia. Hisanori Takahashi pitches tonight for the Mets as they face the hated Phillies at Citi Field in the second game of the series.

U.S. Men National Team Play Friendly Soccer Games in Send Off Series Against Czech Republic on May 25th, Turkey on May 29th and Australia on June 5th

The U.S. Men National Team will play the Czech Republic in a friendly soccer game tonight in East Hartford, CT. The match will be televised on ESPN at 7:30 PM EDT. The Czech Republic is coming off a 2-1 loss to Turkey in a friendly match Saturday at Red Bull Arena. The U.S. Men play Turkey at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on May 29th at 2:30 PM EDT and Australia in South Africa on June 5th at 8:30 PM EDT. The final two games will be televised on ESPN2. After that it’s England in the World Cup on June 12th.

WFAN-AM’s Mike Francesa’s Famed “WAIT A SECOND!”

If you’ve listened to WFAN-AM then I’m sure you’ve heard Mike Francesa and his famed “wait a second” that he tells his radio callers on a regular basis. I found this video from his radio show that’s simulcast on the YES network and loved it! He’s an absolute Jets and Mets hater, although he’s the first to tell you he’s not. Come to think of it he hates the Knicks and Rangers, too. He doesn’t even count NHL hockey as a sport. Yeah, well, now, Mike, wait a second...

Red Bulls Defeated Juventus FC 3-1 in Great Win at Red Bull Arena Sunday

My Wife and I had a great time at the soccer match last Sunday as Juventus FC came into the friendly confines of Red Bull Arena with 18,735 in attendance. We sat in Section 132 and were serenaded by the Red Bull Supporters to our left and Juventus supporters to our right at midfield. At times the Juventus supporters were loud but didn’t have a lot to cheer for in the 2nd half. The Red Bulls started their subs once again and they played with energy from the opening kickoff. Red Bulls Irving Garcia, Conor Chinn, Tony Tchani and Sinisa Ubiparipovic were all terrific. Juventus controlled the play early in the match with great passing and ball control. Late in the first half Juventus Captain Alessandro Del Piero ripped a shot off the crossbar that deflected right for their best scoring chance in the 1st half. The score remained scoreless 0-0 at halftime. To begin the 2nd half Roy Miller was subbed in for Borman. In the 50th minute Garcia was fed the ball to the right of the goal outside the box. He took a rocket of a shot that hit the crossbar and Jeremy Hall followed it up and scored. Red Bulls took lead 1-0. In the 55th minute Miller fed a very nice through ball to Chinn who settled the ball and scored. Red Bulls led 2-0. Juventus then took out two of their top stars Diego and Del Piero. A few minutes later Juan Pablo Angel, Dane Richards and Seth Stammler were subbed into the game. In the 75th minute Richards streaked down the right side with the ball and crossed it to Angel who put it into the net. Red Bulls took a commanding 3-0 lead. Albright was subbed very late into the match. Unfortunately Juventus scored in the 90th minute, with about 10 seconds of regulation to go! I saw trouble in the box where the Red Bulls could not gain possession. Juventus’ Amauri held the ball, spun around 180 degrees and scored. That play reminded me of a hockey spin-o-rama. All in all we saw a great effort and match, and the rain held as well. I took the picture of Diego taking the corner kick in front of us.

New Statue of Yogi Berra to be Placed in Front of Yogi’s Museum in Little Falls, NJ

A new statue of Yogi Berra, truly one of the greatest players to every play Major League Baseball will be placed in front of the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Little Falls, NJ. Yogi was present today for the unveiling of the artist’s rendering. The statue shows Yogi holding a bat in the on-deck circle. Yogi is the proud owner of 10 World Series Rings which are on display at the museum. My Wife and I root for and attend New Jersey Jackal games and will be visiting the museum this summer before a game. I remember Yogi well as a coach and manager of the New York Mets years ago.

"I think it's great," Berra said. "I didn't know I looked that good."

"I still root for the Mets, but not when we play them," Yogi said.

"You have to love to play it and I loved to play it," he added. "Where else could you make that kind of money playing ball. I still love baseball. If I'm not out there, I could watch three or four games."

I completely understand what Yogi says about baseball. I too love it to that level, but never made a buck off it. In fact I’d pay to play some games at Citi Field!

Mets Take Last Two Games from Yankees 5-3 Saturday and 6-3 Sunday at Citi Field

The New York Mets took 2-of-3 and won the first Subway Series from their cross town rivals the New York Yankees on great pitching and timely hitting. Most Yankee fans will poo poo the losses, tell you they have 27 World Series Championships, better overall record, etc., but this was a big deal to them and to the New York Mets. If not why did Joe Girardi have so many pitching changes in all games as if it were the World Series? I will post more information later today.

Heading to Red Bull Arena as Red Bulls Host Juventus FC in Friendly Match

My Wife and I are going to Red Bull Arena as the New York Red Bulls host Juventus FC this afternoon in a friendly match. I am looking forward to seeing a top class team play the Red Bulls. LET’S GO RED BULLS!

New York Football Challenge Tickets for Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting Clube de Portgual And New York Red Bulls

From the Red Bulls via e-mail:

SECAUCUS, NJ (May 21, 2010) - Red Bull New York and the World Series of Football (WSF) announced today the ticket purchasing information for the New York Football Challenge at Red Bull Arena. The showcase will take place from July 22nd through July 25th and features English Premier League sides Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, Portuguese club Sporting Clube de Portgual, and the host, the New York Red Bulls.

SALE DATES:

Red Bulls Full Season Ticket Holders will have a chance to purchase their seat locations for the match during a pre-sale which will begin on Tuesday, May 25th at 10:00 AM ET, and will continue until Thursday, May 27th at 10:00 AM ET.

Beginning Thursday, May 27th at 10:00 AM ET, Full Season Ticket holders will be able to purchase additional unlimited tickets in available locations, and Partial Plan holders will be able to purchase unlimited tickets in available locations.

Tickets will be on sale to the general public beginning Friday, May 28th at 2:00 PM ET.

MATCH SCHEDULES:
Day 1: Thursday, July 22nd: Red Bulls vs. Tottenham Hotspur – 8:00 PM
Day 2: Friday, July 23rd: Manchester City vs. Sporting Lisbon – 8:00 PM
Day 3: Sunday, July 25th: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Sporting Lisbon – 1:00 PM; Red Bulls vs. Manchester City – 3:30 PM (one ticket for both matches)

We Were at Game One of the Subway Series at Citi Field Where Visiting Yankees Won Over Mets 2-1 Friday

Thanks to my friend for procuring tickets for the game last night at Citi Field. The three of us sat in the Mezzanine Section 518 among a lot of Yankee fans. I took the picture from out seats. It looked like a lot of Met fans must have sold their tickets on StubHub. We all had a great time and the only that would have made it better would’ve been a Mets win as the Yankees took the game 2-1 from the Mets. It was a pitching duel between starters Javier Vazquez and Hisanori Takahashi through the first 6 scoreless innings. Gary Matthews, Jr. struck out naturally for Takahashi as he came in to pinch hit in the 6th inning. Manager Jerry Manuel took him out since he reached that “magical 100 pitch count” with 101 pitches through 6 innings. Elmer Dessens came into the game in the 7th and gave up 2 earned runs in 0.2 innings. With the score 2-0 Yankees going into the bottom of the 7th the Mets had a chance to tie it up. Alex Cora got the first Met hit with a single to left-center field. Ike Davis reached first on a throwing error by Yankee catcher Cervelli as he hit Davis in his back with the throw to first base. With runners on first and second David Wright (aka K-Rite) came up to the plate. Wright (aka K-Rite) looked at strike three on the inside corner of the plate and furiously argued the call. The home plate umpire was calling a wide strike zone all game so I’d rather see him swing there than take the pitch. Wright also struck out swinging in the 5th inning. In the bottom of the 9th Jason Bay doubled off of Yankee closer Mariano Rivera with 2 outs. Davis then doubled in Bay to bring to score to 2-1. Luis Castillo came in to run for Davis at second base. With a chance to tie the game with a single Wright (aka K-Rite) tapped the ball weakly to second base for the final out of the game. Wright (aka K-Rite) had two chances to be the hero and could not capitalize going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. It would’ve been great seeing him tie it up in the 9th.

Crew Defeated Red Bulls 3-1 at Red Bull Arena Thursday and Took Over First Place in Eastern Conference

The Columbus Crew came into Red Bull Arena last night and took the match 3-1 and first place from the Red Bulls. The Red Bulls were minus regular starters Salou Ibrahim, Joel Lindpere, Brian Nielsen and Carl Robinson. Head coach Hans Backe played the shell game with his starting 11 last night. They controlled the ball and tempo for the first third of the match but it in the 35th minute former MetroStar (previous Red Bulls team name) Eddie Gavin scored first to give the Crew the early 1-0 lead. In the 36th minute Sinisa Ubiparipovic came running down the right side with the ball then hit the left post. Nightmare of all nightmares happened in the next minute when Iro of the Crew knocked a perfect header into the goal to give the Crew a 2-0 lead. In the 2nd half Dane Richards also had a great scoring chance and also hit the post on his shot. On top of that Angel nailed a free kick from just outside the box that hit the crossbar. Lady luck was not on the home team’s side last night. Rookie Tony Tchani was substituted into the match and scored on a header for the Red Bulls in the 81st minute. That was Tchani’s first MLS career goal. I’d love to see him start for the Red Bulls soon. Unfortunately on a defensive mistake made by Tim Ream and Mike Petke the ball got behind them and goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul could not stop the shot. That sealed the match for the Crew 3-1. This was the Red Bull’s third loss in a row. Tim Ream had another tough game on defense and looked like a rookie.

What it Means to be John Maine is that Raul Valdes Will be Coming in Soon as Mets Take Game from Nationals 10-7 at Nationals Park Thursday

The New York Mets defeated the Washington Nationals 10-7 last night at Nationals Park clubbing 15 hits. The Mets were led by Jason Bay and Ike Davis, with each going 3-for-5 in the game. David Wright (aka K-Rite) had 4 RBIs and went 1-for-4 with a bases clearing double in the 1st inning and a later productive out which was great to see. However the real story was starting pitcher John Maine who lasted only five pitches before getting the hook. Maine should have known he had a short leash seeing reliever Raul Valdes warming up in the bullpen before the game. After Maine’s fifth pitch he was taken out and had a word or two with manager Jerry Manuel as he walked down the dugout steps. Manuel said he didn’t like what he saw and didn’t want to be responsible for ruining a young pitchers career. Maine could not get his velocity any where near 90 MPH and his velocity while warming-up in the bullpen was nowhere near it should have been either. I watched the post game on SNY and saw Maine’s lovely attitude. Maine said the following as reported by espn.com:

"Look, I've felt pain for two years, but I'm over that," said Maine, whose velocity hasn't returned since Sept. 30, 2008 surgery to remove a bony growth from his right shoulder socket. "I don't care about that. I'm well enough to pitch. I wanted to pitch. That's the bottom line."

Pitching coach Dan Warthen also spoke to reporters after the game:

"I just didn't think John had enough to compete tonight," Warthen said. "When he's throwing that way, then there's got to be something incorrect in that arm. Something's got to be feeling bad. John's a habitual liar in a lot of ways as far as his own health. He's a competitor and a warrior and he wants to go out there and pitch. But you have to be smart enough to realize this guy isn't right. The ball is not coming out of his hand correctly."

Valdes was excellent in his appearance for 5.0 innings and earned the win. I don’t know how this will play out down the road or if Maine will get his next start. Maine may have lost his teammates last night and if he was not ready to go should have said something before the game. This can’t be good for a team that needs to get back to .500 as they play the Subway Series starting tonight at Citi Field against the New York Yankees.

Columbus Crew Visits Red Bulls Tonight at 8:00 PM with Match Televised on ESPN2

The Columbus Crew will visit Red Bull Arena for a match against the New York Red Bulls tonight at 8:00 ET. The match will be televised on ESPN2. LET’S GO RED BULLS!

Nationals Defeated Mets 5-3 as Livan Hernandez Earns Victory in Washington Wednesday

It amazes me how Livan Hernandez has the Mets’ number and continues to win over them. You’d think that the Mets would be primed to go against a former New York Met but it doesn’t seem to be that way. Hernandez gave up only 2 earned runs, 4 hits (HR), with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts in 6.1 innings. The Mets brought up R.A. Dickey who got his first start and certainly pitched well enough to win; assuming the Mets could generate some run production for him. Dickey was solid giving up 2 earned runs in 6.0 innings. It was the bullpen that took the game on the chin and Raul Valdes in particular who was tagged with the loss. Fernando Nieve, who leads Major League Baseball in appearances this season, was also ineffective. Oliver Perez even made an appearance and got the last out in the bottom of the 8th inning, after giving up a walk to the first batter faced naturally. Perez simply sucks, period. There was a bunch of baloney surrounding what exactly the Met organization said or did not say to Perez regarding a trip to their minor league team in Buffalo. Keeping him in the bullpen just wastes a roster spot. Angel Pagan had a terrific game with an inside-the-park home run in the 4th inning and also got the first out of a triple play. That was the first time in 55 years that a player hit a homer and started a triple play. I wonder where Pagan will play when and if Carlos Beltran returns. Fernando Tatis hit a solo home run in the top of the 9th inning but it was too little too late. David Wright (aka K-Rite) was given the night off.

David Wright (aka K-Rite) Strikes Out Three Times and Throws the Game Away in the 9th Inning to Give the Braves the 3-2 Win

The story of the game was that the Mets once again wasted an excellent outing by their ace Johan Santana who only gave up 2 earned runs, 5 hits (HR), with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. In addition David Wright (aka K-Rite) lived up to his new nickname with 3 strikeouts. K-Rite also threw the game away in the bottom of the 9th with a terrible throwing error that allowed the runner on 2nd to come all the way around and score. That’s a play he’d make 98 times out of 100 a couple of years ago. I said his offensive woes would affect his defense and this is proof. He needs a rest and everyone else on the team needs to step up and score some runs.

For the Man that has Everything! Grilling in Style with the Mets Grill Cover

Here’s a gift for the man that has everything with only two assumptions: he’s a Met fan and has a nice grill out back. If you can somehow paint over the leading zero you can tell him it’s the Mookie Wilson Model! Every diehard Met fan with a grill could use one of these covers!

Red Bulls Playing Brazil’s Cruzeiro in Friendly Match on Friday, June 18th at Red Bulls Arena

From the Red Bulls via e-mail:

SECAUCUS, NJ (May 18, 2010) – Red Bull New York announced today that the New York Red Bulls will host Brazilian club Cruzeiro in an exhibition match on Friday, June 18th at 8:00 PM at Red Bull Arena.

“Cruzeiro is one of the elite clubs in Brazilian soccer and we are excited to host them at Red Bull Arena,” said Red Bull New York Managing Director Erik Stover. “Adding Cruzeiro to our summer schedule further emphasizes our commitment to bringing quality sides to Red Bull Arena. Our team is excited to play them in preparation for the second half of the season."

Red Bulls Full Season Ticket holders will have a chance to purchase their same seat locations for the match during a pre-sale, which will begin on Thursday, May 20th at 10:00 AM and will continue until Friday, May 21st at 10:00 AM.

Beginning Friday, May 21st at 10:00 AM, Full Season Ticket holders will be able to purchase additional tickets in any available locations, and Partial Plan holders will be able to purchase tickets in any available locations.

Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, May 21st at 4:00 PM.

Mets Defeated Braves 3-2 Behind Strong Pitching by Mike Pelfrey as Jeff Wilpon Has Meeting of the Minds Before Game Monday

The New York Mets stole a game from the Atlanta Braves last night on a strong outing by starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey. Big Pelf gave up only 2 earned runs, 7 hits (1 HR), with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts in 7.2 innings. It was great seeing Pelfrey get so deep into the game and pitch so well, with 65 strikes in 103 pitches to earn his 5th win of the season. Pedro Feliciano got the last out in the 8th inning and Frankie Rodriguez earned his 6th save of the season by pitching a scoreless 9th inning. The Mets only managed 5 hits as a team and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, so that’s an area they need to work on. Jason Bay batted 3rd in the order with Chris Carter starting in right field and batting cleanup behind Bay. Catcher Rob Barajas batted 6th and was huge going 2-for-4, with a double and two RBIs. I don’t know why Gary Matthews, Jr. is started in center field, going 0-for-3 at the plate with one strikeout. This win stopped the 5-gave losing streak for the Mets. Fred Wilpon had a meeting of the minds before the game in an effort to see what can be done with the team and get them back on the winning track. I thought Omar Minaya (aka Nomore Goodbya) or Jerry Manuel was going to get fired but for now they have their positions but are surely sitting on much hotter seats.

David Wright’s New Nickname is “K-Rite" - You Heard it Here First!

I was thinking that David Wright could use a new nickname in the vein of Frankie Rodriguez’s K-Rod. My Wife gets the credit for David’s new nickname: K-Rite! David ‘s average is not horrible but he’s simply striking out way too much in the clutch and not even moving runners over with productive outs. I’m afraid his offensive struggles have hurt him on defense as well. K-Rite, you heard it here first! By the way I love the Mets and Wright but adding a little levity makes things a bit more bearable heading into the Subway Series this weekend.

Red Bulls Lose Heartbreaker 1-0 to Sounders at Red Bull Arena Saturday

The New York Red Bulls had a tough match last night at the hands of the Seattle Sounders and lost 1-0. The first 10 minutes was especially rough. It was a tough battle but New York did not gel and could not bring the ball across midfield. The game was played quite often in the Red Bull’s end of the field and they unfortunately missed on a few golden opportunities to score. Goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul was caught out of position as well and scared me a bit. Late in the 1st half the ball was struck just to the left of the Red Bull goal and went wide right. Bouna’s still having trouble with goal kicks and Tim Ream stayed back later in 2nd half to take them. I was watching and hoping for a 0-0 draw when the inevitable happened: hated Fredy Montero, who came in off the bench, scored in the 86th minute. That goal gave the Sounders the 1-0 lead and the match. With 5 minutes of stoppage time after regulation I’d hope the Red Bulls would've kicked downfield and applied pressure to tie the match but they couldn’t get on the scoreboard. The picture was taken from our seats at Red Bull Arena.

I Will Try to Not Say Anything Mean About Mets’ Last Two Losses to Marlins

Since I don’t have anything nice to say about the Mets recent road games in Florida I won’t say anything. What I will say is that it was painful seeing the Mets lose in the fashion they did with poor starting pitching on Saturday and today. A comeback was almost the order of the day but they came up a bit short. The Mets will hit the road and play the Atlanta Braves tomorrow night at Turner Field.

Heading to Red Bull Arena as Red Bulls Host Sounders

The New York Red Bulls host the Seattle Sounders tonight at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. The weather looks to be excellent and my Wife and I will be leaving shortly for the match. LET’S GO RED BULLS!

Marlins Blew Out Mets 7-2 at Sun Life Stadium Friday as Oliver Perez Sucked Even More than Last Time Out and I Pray it’s His Last Time for New York

Oliver Perez must have thought it was batting practice as he gave up 4 home runs last night. I can’t believe it, 4 homers! He absolutely sucks and giving him a ridiculously expensive contract was a complete joke. Perez gave up 7 earned runs, 9 hits (4 HRs), with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts in 3.1 innings. That’s pathetic and looks like a bad high school pitcher’s numbers. After his last debacle he said “never again.” I guess Perez forgot already. I sincerely hope he shuffles off to Buffalo this weekend. I remember seeing a Buffalo Bison game last season on SNY-TV and Ol’ Ollie fell off the mound and reinjured himself throwing warm-up pitches. You can’t make this stuff up! I know I’m highly critical but I don’t see him bettering himself in any way for the Mets. I would love to see him give back 90% of his salary for breach of contract. The bullpen effort by Valdes, Acosta and Mejia was terrific allowing no runs. The Jose Reyes Batting Third Experiment was not working and he needs to flip-flop with Angel Pagan in the batting order. I would like to see David Wright shorten his swing and try to hit the ball flat up the middle to get going. Wright seems to me that he’s swinging for the fences in an effort to prove this his ten home runs was an abortion last season. Their Mets’ faces in the dugout in the top of the 9th said it all.

Friday, May 14th Continued Thoughts on 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Thus Far

Knowing that Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby and his Champion Penguins lost in Game 7 of the second round of the Playoffs to the Montreal Canadiens was absolutely exhilarating. I checked the score as we returned from the Red Bulls match Wednesday night and I almost fell off my seat. What a way to close that dump of an arena known as The Igloo. The Penguins open their new arena next season but they won’t be raising a Stanley Cup Champions banner again, fortunately! Crosby, Malkin and Staal were shadowed by Canadien players the entire series and stuffed. Montreal had unreal goaltending from Halak and the combination got Montreal to the Eastern Conference Finals beginning this Sunday. The Flyers (aka Effers) have done a great job coming back and forcing a Game 7 against the Bruins tonight in Boston. That game promises to be a barnburner. A final note on Sidney (aka Cindy) (as reported by NHL.com) was that he received a phone call from Mark Messier asking if he could join Team Canada and replace injured Ryan Smyth at the World Championships. Cindy declined, what a punk.

Friday, May 14th Continued Thoughts on Jets Offseason Moves Thus Far

Here are a few continued thoughts on the Jets wheeling and dealings thus far:

• Defensive end Shaun Ellis’ “The Big Cat” request for a contract extension has been turned down by the Jets. The Jets want to get younger but The Big Cat has been one of my favorite Jets and has been the face of the defense for a decade. I hope he stays and finishes out his career as a Jet. They will most likely look to trade him unfortunately.
• Linebacker David Harris and All-Pro center Nick Mangold have requested contract extensions as well. Harris was awesome last year. No brainer, they should extend both. The Jets are already negotiating with cornerback All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis.
• Jet Owner Woody Johnson will not lower the price on unsold PSLs in the lower bowl of the new Meadowlands Stadium. The problem is that if the Jets don’t sell 8,000 available PSLs for non-club or suites in the lower bowl the Jets stand the risk of being blacked out on local TV. I remember the last time the Jets were blacked out in 1977 and it wasn’t fun for us fans. The Jets have been spamming my e-mail inbox like mad in an effort to bring me to the stadium and allow me to pick my own seats. Johnson will also not lift the PSLs for the unsold lower bowl seats in an effort to get them sold. He said the price is fair! I’m buying some of my friend’s seats once again this upcoming season and this time we’re in the 200s, with PSLs!

Marlins Take One from Mets 2-1 on Wild Pitch in the Bottom of the 9th at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Thursday

The Florida Marlins stole one from the New York Mets last night 2-1. I was out at the diner eating and watching the pitching duel go into the 7th inning between Josh Johnson and Johan Santana and said to my Wife “I bet the Marlins win it in the bottom of the 9th 2-1” and sure enough they did. The game just had that feel to it. Johnson shut down the Mets’ bats after the 2nd inning and their bullpen did the rest. Santana pitched as well as he has all season and ended up with the no decision. After the bottom of the 7th you could see the feeling on his face in the dugout as the score remained 1-1 and he was already out of the game. The Mets are 4-9 on the road and need to turn that around now before it’s too late. Manager Jerry Manuel said he may need to make adjustments in the lineup and if he does it should be this weekend, not sometime in August. Santana only made one mistake on a throwing error to second base in the 3rd inning that led to an unearned Marlin run as he airmailed the ball to the base. Santana’s changeup was unhittable as he only gave up 6 hits with 5 strikeouts. Once again the Mets could not hit the baseball and had too many strikeouts. David Wright has an incredible 46 strikeouts on the season! An unfortunate wild pitch in the bottom of the 9th by Met Fernando Nieve allowed Cody Ross to score the winning run for the Marlins. Nieve was trying to keep the ball down and bounced some into the dirt before he threw the wild pitch. The series continues in South Florida tonight.

Red Bulls Shut Out Revolution 3-0 in Second Qualifying Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tournament Match at Chilly Red Bull Arena Wednesday

The Red Bulls bench players played solidly last night, especially in the 2nd half. The Red Bulls were pretty much even with the New England Revolution (who only brought 14 players) in the early going of their Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying match until their 1st goal was scored by veteran John Wolyniec in the 36th minute to give the Red Bulls the 1-0 lead at the half. Chinn missed the first shot and Woly put in his own rebound. In the 2nd half Sinisa Ubiparipovic scored in the 62nd minute and Woly scored again in the 64th minute coming off a rebound in front of the Revolution goal. The crowd was a little over 1,000 fewer fans than the last U.S. Open Cup qualifier. The ESC Supporters entertained us the entire night and didn’t let up one bit, especially in the 2nd half with the Revolution goal in the South Side of the arena. I’d like to see Wolyniec get some regular season minutes soon. As we were waiting for the PATH train back to Newark-Penn Station I saw that the Red Bulls had already e-mailed information on the next U.S. Open Cup qualifier at Red Bull Arena against the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday, May 26th at 8:00 PM! A great meal at Fornos on Ferry St. followed by a chilly win at home made for a very nice night.

Heading to Red Bull Arena as Red Bulls Host Revolution in Next Leg of Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tournament Tonight at 8:00 PM

My Wife and I will be meeting a friend of ours in Newark for a nice meal in the Ironbound then will head over for the qualifying soccer match at Red Bull Arena. Naturally it’s nasty weather with drizzly rain and cold temperatures. We’ll be sitting in the ridiculously expensive club seats for only $15.00 so it’s well worth it. We’re looking forward to good food and hopefully another great match.

Mets Come From Behind with 6 Runs in the 8th Inning to Defeat Nationals 8-6 at Citi Field Tuesday

The New York Mets did something they haven’t done all season: they came back to win a game while being down after the 7th inning. The Mets exploded for 6 runs in the bottom of the 8th to take the game 8-6 and give the team a much needed lift in the process. Chris Carter doubled into the right field corner while pinch hitting in the 8th. The middle of the order came through with David Wright and Jason Bay each getting 3 hits. Starting pitcher Jon Niese was shelled last night giving up 6 earned runs in 4.1 innings. Niese has been roughed up his last two outings. The bullpen was outstanding again and Francisco Rodriguez earned his 5th save in the process. Jose Reyes went 0-for-4 and is hitting .230 on the year. All I can hope for is that they move him back to the top of the order and he gets in gear. The Mets play a day game today with rainy skies and cool temperatures on tap.

Tuesday, May 11th Installment of What’s Up Jerry?

The New York Mets announced that Frank Catalanotto was designated for assignment which means that his Major League career will most likely be over unless a team picks him up. They should have done that with Gary Matthews, Jr. who naturally struck out while pinch hitting last night. The Mets called up Chris Carter and catcher Josh Thole as Henry Blanco was placed on the bereavement leave list and will miss at least 3 games. Carter’s been ripping it up offensively while playing with the AAA Buffalo Bisons and will hopefully impress the organization. Jerry Manuel will need to get Carter in the lineup sooner than later. Nothing’s been said about the status of pitcher Ryota Igarashi who will be missed very soon in the bullpen. I hope Pedro Feliciano doesn’t have arm problems pitching so many innings. In addition Daniel Murphy hasn’t been mentioned either. I’m not sure where Murphy will be playing upon his return so it will be interesting watching that play out. See previous posting on Carlos Beltran’s status. What’s up Jerry? We need to know what’s going on with these guys.

Nationals Edge Mets 3-2 at Citi Field Monday and Leapfrogged Mets in NL East Division

The New York Mets once again could not come up with a key hit and lost to the visiting Nationals 3-2 Monday night at Citi Field. The Mets mustered 12 hits but were only 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. The middle of the lineup has been striking out like crazy lately and they need to turn that around to contend for the National League Wildcard. Starting pitcher John Maine certainly pitched well enough to win but got tagged with the loss as the Mets could not give him run support. Maine gave up back-to-back homers to the Nationals in the top of the 3rd inning for his only earned runs in 6.0 innings pitched. Alex Cora came in during the 7th inning for Jose Reyes as Reyes and Jerry Manuel were thrown out after Reyes argued balls and strikes. Jeff Francoeur had a nice assist on Kennedy gunning him out at first base and Angel Pagan threw out Rodriguez at home. Pagan homered in the bottom of the 9th.

Will Carlos Beltran Return to Mets Lineup this Season? The Likelihood is Slipping Away, Again

Carlos Beltran was hitting line drives all over the field last week at the Mets’ Port St. Lucie facility but the pitches were thrown to him underhanded. He is wearing a brace on his right knee to reduce the pain as he rehabs but still hasn’t started running. The thing is that running is the name of the game when playing center field and stealing bases. I’m hoping he’ll return but even if he does how long will it take him to get in top form? The likelihood of Beltran returning to All-Star form anytime soon is slipping away, again. He’s making $19 million this season guaranteed by the way.

Giants Topped Mets 6-5 at Citi Field Sunday as Oliver Perez Sucked Once Again and David Wright Wore the Golden Sombrero

The New York Mets lost yesterday to the visiting San Francisco Giants 6-5 in a game where they had a 5-4 lead going into the 8th inning. Unfortunately the very productive Jenrry Mejia gave up a 2-run homer in the 8th inning and the Mets could not come back. David Wright wore the Golden Sombrero with his 4 strikeouts in the game, two looking. In the 9th Wright wasn’t happy with the call strike 3 and spun around on his heels to bark at the plate umpire. He was promptly bounced out of the game for arguing balls and strikes. But the real story of this game was Oliver Perez absolutely sucking once again. He’s complete garbage at the point and doesn’t even deserve to be on the Mets roster, or anybody else’s in the Major Leagues. Perez gave up 3 earned runs (4 total runs), 2 hits, with 7 walks and 2 strikeouts in 3.1 innings. I can’t believe he had 7 walks in that short an outing. That’s almost impossible to do if you wanted to! His ERA is 4.50 but he’s miles worse then even that stat. He’s an albatross that’s not going away anytime soon unfortunately. It would have been a great win if the Mets could have pulled it off and earned the sweep of the Giants. A few bright spots were the excellent pitching of Raul Valdes, Fernando Nieve and Pedro Felicano & Ike Davis going 2-for-3 with an RBI and 2 walks. The bullpen has been stellar but we have to get rid of bums like Perez. I think I can safely speak for all Met fans on that one.

Earthquakes Shut Out Red Bulls 4-0 in Santa Clara Saturday

The Red Bulls had an awful match yesterday in San Jose as they were shut out 4-0. The game was pretty much over in the 12th minute when Luke Sassano got a red card on a dumb challenge, coming up high with his cleats. This left the Red Bulls short-handed the rest of the game. There was no need in arguing the call with the referee as it was an obvious call. Bouna Condoul gave up soft goals and didn’t look like he was on his game. Tim Ream was out of position a lot during the game and certainly looked like a rookie last night. This is a game that the Red Bulls have to let go and look to their next Lamar Hunt U.S. Open match this Wednesday night at Red Bull Arena as they host the New England Revolution. My Wife, friend and I will be going to that one.

Mets Won 5-4 Again on Blanco’s Walk Off Homer in 11 Innings at Citi Field Saturday

The New York Mets won on another walk off home run by their catcher once again, but this time it was Henry Blanco who came through in the bottom of the 11th inning. Starting pitcher Johan Santana gave up 4 earned runs, 8 hits, with no walks and 6 strikeouts in 7.2 innings. The combination of Nieve, Feliciano, Mejia, Rodriguez and Takahashi pitched the rest of the way through 11 innings masterfully. Takahashi earned the win. Blanco went 3-for-5, with 1 run and 1 RBI. Citi Field was a wind tunnel for most of the afternoon and the fans weren’t disappointed with the walk off homer served up by ex-Met and now Giant Mota. Somehow Mota’s managed to pitch better in the recent seasons then he had in years past. This was a critical win for the Mets who will face Tim Lincecum of the Giants on Sunday afternoon who’s been one of the best pitchers in the Major Leagues.

Mets Won 6-4 on Barajas’ Walk Off Homer at Citi Field Friday

The New York Mets defeated the visiting San Francisco Giants 6-4 last night in front of almost 35,000 fans at Citi Field. Met starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey had a very strong game last night but unfortunately was not credited with the win and left the game in the 8th inning with the no decision. Big Pelf gave up 3 earned runs, 8 hits, with no walks and 4 strikeouts in 7.1 innings. Fernando Nieve pitched the rest of the 8th giving up no runs. Francisco Rodriguez gave up an earned run in the 9th and blew the save but got the win on catcher Rob Barajas walk off home run in the bottom of the 9th. Barajas was called for catcher’s interference in the 7th inning on a pitchout and was in pain the rest of the game at the batter slammed his bat into Barajas’ mitt. He had one swing left in him and made it count to give the Mets the needed win in their last at-bat. It was Barajas’ second homer of the game to give him 17 RBIs on the year. Ike Davis also came though with two homers and Jose Reyes went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Johan Santana takes the mound for the Mets today in their matinee game at Citi Field with the Giants.

Reds Will Tour North America in July, 2010

Manchester United will tour North America this summer with matches in the following cities:

• July 16th vs. Celtic in Toronto, Canada
• July 21st vs. Union (MLS) in Philadelphia, PA
• July 25th vs. Wizzards (MLS) in Kansas City, MO
• July 28th vs. MLS All-Starts in Houston, TX

It would have been nice to see them play the Red Bulls but they’d most certainly want a large stadium and it’d be awkward with a game in the brand new Meadowlands Stadium vs. their new Red Bull Arena, which seats 25,000. Perhaps a road trip to Philadelphia is in order.

Diego and Famed Juventus FC Looking Forward to Playing at Red Bull Arena on Sunday, May 23rd at 1:00 PM

The New York Red Bulls will host Juventus FC in a friendly match on Sunday, May 23rd at 1:00 PM. My Wife and I will be attending and looking forward to a good time and a nice dinner in the Newark Ironbound afterwards. I’m hoping that not too many of Juventus’ players will be heading to the World Cup and play this friendly match. Here are some comments made by Diego as reported on newyorkredbulls.com:

“Of course, the information is really good about Red Bull Arena,” Diego said. “So that’s what I expect, a beautiful stadium.”

“We are at a very good level at this moment,” Diego said. “The last two weeks, three weeks the team is very tired, but it’s not a problem to play one game, ninety minutes. We are ready to do that.”

I asked the gentleman who's my contact for ticket sales at the Red Bulls about possible players in the match and thankfully received the following:

• Del Piero - legendary Italian player, Won World Cup in 2006 (scored in semifinal), holds all-time scoring record at Juventus
• Trezeguet - French striker of Argentine decent, Won World Cup in 1998 an Euro 2000
• Diego - Brazilian Midfielder, has played for Santos, Porto and the Brazilian U23 and National Team
• Amauri - Striker, Born in Brazil but has Italian citizenship
• Sissoko - French Born Midfielder but plays nationally for Mali, has played for Valencia and Liverpool
• Zebina - French Back
• De Ceglie - Italian Winger/Midfielder, young player, played at '08 Olympics and for Italian U21s

Individual Tickets and Family Packs are available for sale.

Who Will Lou Lamoriello Hire as Devils Head Coach in 2010-11?

As you may know the New Jersey Devils are without a coach again and Lou’s list will certainly include the Lowell Devils (AHL affiliate) head coach John MacLean. MacLean was a longtime Devil playing 14 seasons with the team. MacLean also played 1 season with the San Jose Sharks, 2 seasons across the river with the New York Rangers and 2 with the Dallas Stars in an excellent NHL career. He was also an assistant coach with New Jersey for 6 seasons before taking over as head coach of Lowell last year. MacLean makes the most sense to me as he can walk into the job and Lou knows him very well. Scott Stevens and Mario Tremblay are also possibilities that are already in the Devil organization. I think MacLean as head coach with Stevens or Stevens & Tremblay as assistants would work well. The team needs consistency in coaching and this may just fit the bill.

Disgusted Hearing that Lawrence Taylor (the Real LT) Charged with Raping 16-Year-Old Runaway Girl Thursday

I was absolutely disgusted hearing the news of the rape and solicitation charges against LT. The young girl was reported missing to the NYPD in the Bronx in March of 2010 when she was 15-years-old. She’s had a birthday since then but it’s horrible to think of LT doing this to a 16-year-old girl. Taylor’s lawyer was spouting nonsense during his press conference such as:

“caring and loving family man…” and “in town to play golf and work…”

It’s reported that the meeting was arranged by a man who beat her up before driving her to Taylor's hotel room while she texted her uncle for help. The charges against LT were Statutory Rape and Patronizing a Prostitute. Bail was lowered from $100,000.00 to $75,000.00. Obviously more shall be revealed and I hope to God it’s not this horrible and if it is LT deserves everything that’s coming to him. Who knows it may be a setup but either way it’s a nightmare. If you want to see where LT will be down the road check this New York State site and other Megan’s Law sites.