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.

You Can Own a Mets 1986 Autographed Team Jersey but be Prepared to Spend Some Money

If you’ve recently hit the Lottery or are independently wealthy you can buy a New York Mets 1986 Autographed Majestic Cooperstown Collection Team Signed Jersey and Mahogany Jersey Display Case. Now the only catch is the jersey will run you $989.99 and the display case $249.99, so all in you’re looking at a whopping $1,239.98, and that doesn’t include tax and shipping! I LOVED that team and the tenacity they played with every game but even if I could afford it it’d be tough to spend that kind of money. I’d rather meet them at a fantasy event in Spring Training or something like that. By the way the Cooperstown Collection are nice jerseys that look just like the originals but I’d rather have an Authentic jersey from that season versus a late model replica.

Rumor Has it that New York Red Bulls Looking to Sign Thierry Henry After World Cup - The Most Hated Man in Ireland & Perfecter of the "Professional Foul"

With MLS allowing teams to sign another designated player, rumor has it that the New York Red Bulls have been eyeing Thierry Henry to be their man. I've asked two of my Irish friends who are huge soccer fans for the best way to describe Henry and they offered the following:

The Most Hated Man in Ireland

Perfecter of the "Professional Foul"

Henry admitted to a handball that led to the deciding goal that knocked Ireland out of the 2010 World Cup during their qualifying match last November. He later said that the match should be replayed, knowing damn well that would not happen. Henry kept the ball in with his left hand, pushed it down to his foot so he could cross it to teammate William Gallas who scored the deciding goal.

"I will be honest, it was a handball. But I'm not the ref," Henry said. "I played it. The ref allowed it. That's a question you should ask him."

FIFA eliminated the possibility of France and Ireland playing a rematch. How the hell can I root for this guy? I also have strict instruction to boo him from my friend! Michael Lewis reported in bigapplesoccer.com that Henry may be headed to the Red Bulls:

MONTCLAIR, N.J. -- Red Bulls coach Hans Backe admitted he hadn't heard the latest rumors and reports concerning French international and Barcelona star striker Thierry Henry getting out of his contract with the Spanish First Division team to join the MLS club. But he hopes they are true.

"I hope, of course, the rumors are correct," Backe said with a smile after practice Tuesday. That would be nice. If you see Barca now, even if he is on the bench, they [don't] sub him.."

As for Henry's performance in South Africa next month, the Red Bulls coach doesn't wish the French striker a poor cup only "a medium, an average" one, so his club would be in the running to sign him.

Mets Get by Reds 5-4 at Great American Ball Park on Barajas’ 9th Inning Home Run Tuesday

The New York Mets won on Rob Barajas’ home run in the top of the 9th inning to take the game 5-4 from the Cincinnati Reds. It was Barajas’ 7th home run of the year and 4th in his last 4 games. Met starting pitcher John Maine pitched very well giving up only 1 earned run, 4 hits, with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Mejia was solid in the 7th but Nieve blew the save by giving up back-to-back home runs in the 8th inning and getting the Reds back in the game with a 4-4 tie at that point. Felicano pitched the final out of the 8th and earned the win! Rodriguez came in the 9th and earned the save for the Mets. K-Rod’s ERA is a minuscule 0.71 and he now has 4 saves on the season. Jose Reyes had another 2-hit game and his batting average is slowing climbing. David Wright hit his 6th home run of the season. This is a very welcome sight as Wright hit only 10 homers in all of 2009. Jon Niese gets the matinee start for the Mets today and hopes to build upon his last great outing.

Escobar's Season is Over Before He Even Threw a Single Pitch - What a Joke!

The Mets signed Kelvim Escobar in the offseason with the expectation that he will fill the 8th inning setup role that J.J. Putz vacated with a guaranteed one-year $1.25 million deal. This guy should give the money back to a worthy cause as he came into Spring Training hurt already. This guy hasn't pitched since 2007 and the Mets gave him over a million dollars for the hell of it. He had "shoulder weakness" that apparently nobody thought to check out in advance and now he's having surgery tomorrow. Does anybody get kickbacks in the Met organization? What a joke!

Reds Defeated Mets 3-2 in 11 Innings with Walk Off Home Run in Perez’s Best Outing of Season Monday

The Cincinnati Reds took game this game over the New York Mets 3-2 in 11 innings with a walk off home run by Nix in the bottom of the 11th inning. Oliver Perez gave up 2 earned runs (1 HR), 6 hits, with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts in 6.0 innings in his best outing of the season. He left the game tied 2-2 and got the no decision. The Mets could not get the big hit the entire game and were only 2-for-10 with men in scoring position and left 7 on base. That’s simply not going to get it done and the Mets need to get back on track as they were during their recent home stand. Ike Davis struck out twice with runners on base in key situations and got visibly upset. Mejia, Nieve and Felicano were terrific allowing no earned runs for 4.0 innings. Unfortunately Acosta gave up the walk off homer in the 11th with 1 out. The Mets will look to bounce back tonight as they’re on a 3 game slide.

Monday, May 3rd Installment of What’s Up Jerry?

The Mets had a chance to extend their lead in the National League East heading into Philadelphia Friday night but came up short. Jon Niese was awesome but Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana were not. Pelfrey has been so good and was due for a tough outing but I think his last rain shortened win bailed him out a bit. The Mets were 3-hit by Roy Halladay, among the best pitchers in baseball so that looked to be an uphill climb before the first pitch. It was Sundays game that I though we’d take and win the series. Jerry Manuel played the percentages and started Gary Matthews, Jr. and Fernando Tatis as their numbers against Phillie starter Jamie Moyer were very good over their career. I still would’ve played the hot hands in Angel Pagan and Ike Davis in center and 1st though. Manuel has to speak up about Santana. Unfortunately Santana’s speed is way down, about 5 MPH and that’s a lot in a fastball, from 94 to 89. Santana’s out pitch is his breaking ball and he’s not getting batters to miss with a decrease in fastball speed. A lot of batters are fouling off his pitches, therefore getting longer at-bats and creating higher pitch counts where Santana’s not getting into the 7th inning. That will continue to tax the bullpen as the season continues. They’re paying him a ton of money and I hope I’m wrong, but his best days may be behind him. He has four years left on his contact after this season. He’s a very smart pitcher and ultra competitive but the Mets missed their shot at the playoffs in 2008 in his first year in New York. Manuel has not said a word about Santana. I wish Jerry got somebody up in the bullpen last night after Johan walked the pitcher and gave a run to the Phillies with bases loaded. Santana’s surgeries the past few years may be an issue as well.

And Now a Word from Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby

I wanted to say a few words about the excellent play by Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby during the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. He’s been leading the way for the Pittsburgh Penguins but I think he still plays, like, well, just see the video below from Eric1270. This was referring to the Series where the Penguins did win in the Finals against the Red Wings last year and Sidney (aka Cindy) was hemming and hawing to the refs per usual.

Mets Getting Clobbered by Phillies 11-5 Thus Far Tonight After 10-0 Drubbing Saturday in Philadelphia

The New York Mets are getting smoked by the Philadelphia Phillies 11-5 and the onslaught may be worsening. With Johan Santana starting for the Mets things looked up and I had high hopes for taking 2-of-3 from the Phillies and remaining in 1st place. Santana was chased after giving up 10 earned runs in 3.2 innings. The middle relief will have their hands full in trying to keep the Mets in the game. I will post more on the game later.

Red Bulls Shut Out D.C. United 2-0 at RFK Stadium Saturday

The New York Red Bulls took care of business again with a 2-0 shut out win over D.C. United. RFK Stadium hasn’t exactly been kind to the Red Bulls in the past and this win was huge for them and brought their record to 5-1 on the season. In the first half it was all D.C United with many scoring chances but Red Bull goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul played another solid game. The back four for the Red Bulls were getting beat early but turned it around late in the 1st and into the 2nd period. In the 9th minute captain Juan Pablo Angel just missed the right corner of the net on a terrific free kick by Joel Lindpere. Forward Simms of D.C. United had two excellent scoring chances in the 16th and 24th minute but Coundoul came up with big saves. As the 1st half was coming to a close Dane Richards was visibly upset after missing a through pass by Angel. Coundoul made another great save on Simms as the 2nd half began. In the 47th minute Salou scored his 2nd goal of the season as Angel passed to Richards along the right side, then Richards gave Salou a perfect cross. Salou muscled the ball into the right corner of the goal as he was being tackled and taken down by D.C. United’s Pena, Red Bulls up 1-0. In the 60th minute Angel made it Red Bulls 2-0 as he leapt into the air and headed from the top of the box a long Lindpere free kick. Tchani, who looked so good in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match last Tuesday came into the game in the 71st minute for an unhappy Salou. Two minutes later Borman substituted for Richards who was hurting from a tackle. One item of note was that Coundoul continued to give up the goal kicks to his defenders throughout the match. A great road win that hasn’t been so kind to the Red Bulls in the past.

Mets Blow Out Hated Phillies at Citizens Bank Ballpark in “City of Brotherly Love” Friday 9-1

The New York Mets won over the hated Philadelphia Phillies last night in a blow out 9-1 and made me exceedingly happy as I kept checking the score. Jon Niese was brilliant as the Met starting pitcher giving up only 1 earned run, 4 hits, with 1 walk and 7 strikeouts in 7.0 innings. Jenrry Mejia pitched a scoreless 8th and Manny Acosta came in to close out 9th. David Wright, Jeff Francoeur and Rob Barajas all hit homers in the game. In fact Barajas hit his 2nd home run off of Brad Lidge in the top of the 9th where it was Lidge’s first batter faced since coming back into the lineup for the Phillies. The difference in this game was that the Mets didn’t leave runners on the base and instead drove them in. The series continues today at Citizens Bank Park where Mike Pelfrey gets the start for the Mets and Roy Halladay the start for the Phillies in what promises to be an excellent pitchers’ duel. LET’S GO METS!

Patriots Snap Losing Streak with 3-1 Victory Over Bluefish as Championship Flag is Raised at TD Bank Ballpark Friday

The Somerset Patriots didn’t disappoint their hometown fans last night with a 3-1 win over the visiting Bridgeport Bluefish. My Wife and I were happy to be a part of the 8,052 fans. This set a new Opening Night attendance record for Somerset. The Championship rings were given out to the Patriot players then the flag was raised in left center field in the pregame ceremony. A nice rendition of God Bless America, the National Anthem and the game was on. It was a pitching duel between Patriot starter Mike Thompson and Bluefish Oseguera until the 6th inning. The game was scoreless tie until the bottom of the 6th. Matt Hagen and Joe Burke singled and Jason Belcher hit a rocket to right field to clear the bases and give the Patriots a 3-0 lead. Thompson gave one run back in the 7th inning to cut the lead to 3-1. For the Patriots Matt Reilly pitched a scoreless 8th and Ryan Houston a scoreless 9th and earned his first save of the season. A lot of the usual suspects were gone from the roster as many contracts were sold to Major League organizations. It was a great night at the ballpark. We are going again tonight for the 2nd game of the series against the Bluefish.