David Wright's Helmet

David Wright returned to the lineup for the first time since being beaned in the head. Wright decided to sport the new helmet, which provides extra padding and is much safer for a hitter. The helmets will be mandatory in the minor leagues next season.

If you like Mets failures, you should visit Deadspin , who has a lovely photo and video gallery. Hard to believe SI picked the Mets to go to the World Series this year.

In other news, Carlos Carrasco, the former Phillies farmhand, made his major league debut. His line: 3 IP, 6 ER, 9 H, 3 BB, 3 K. He allowed three home runs. The Cleveland Indians lost to the Detroit Tigers, 8-5.

PHOTO COURTESY: The 'Ropolitans and The Fightins

Survivor: Mets Edition

In order to make money to help pay for their new stadium, the New York Mets agreed to do a reality show to help pay for funds. The show-- Survivor: New York Mets Edition-- is schedule to air on SNY at the end of the season.

Originally, none of the players agreed to do it, until it was decided that the winner would get traded. Once David Wright heard this, he was on a mission. He wasn't about to win a championship in New York, so why not win this tournament.

Wright thought everything through. He was smart enough to know that performance enhancing drugs weren't going to work; it'd just lead to disqualification. He researched hard, and hired a team of professionals to create a plan.

Before the season started, Billy Wagner, Angel Pagan, and Tim Redding were already on the disabled list. David knew they weren't a threat anyway, but it still helped. Not much happened in April, other than Brian Schneider straining a muscle. One player gone wasn't enough for David, so he fired the crew that he had been working with.

"Hmmm... injury," David mischievously thought regarding Schneider. He did not want to hurt his teammates. He knew he'd feel bad, but it was the only way he'd be able to seek victory, and a new ballclub. He looked toward his own, the Mets athletic training staff.

"I have to win this thing! I'm already trying my best to get traded by not hitting home runs! This is my only hope. I need you guys to help me out," David said to Ray Ramirez, the head of the training staff.

"I don't blame you for wanting to go. We already know what the outcome is," Ray replied.

"Okay, I wa--" David was cut off.

"On one condition. You must give me $100 for each player that goes down."

"Deal."

"Just tell me who you want voted off Citi Field first?"

The answer was easy, Oliver Perez. He never returned to his 2004 form when his ERA was under 3.00 with the Pirates. Fed up with his 7.03 ERA, David wanted him gone. "He's so unpredictable. I'm so fed up with this 'Good Ollie,' 'Bad Ollie' bull. Just be good for crying out loud!" Next thing ya knew, Perez was on the DL with knee tendinitis.

The DL grew. Carlos Delgado (hip), Alex Cora (thumb), and Ryan Church (hamstring) were added. But the Wright's biggest competition was still on the island; Jose Reyes. Wright was always good buddies with Reyes. They'd pose for magazines together, they'd dance in the dugout. Many thought they were soul mates.

But David was always jealous that he didn't have a fancy chant for when he stepped to the plate. Reyes was the most popular Met and the favorite for the competition, and David wasn't down with that.

David had a serious talk with Ray, and soon enough, Reyes was placed on the disabled list. Just when Reyes was about to return, the training staff "forgot" to stretch out Reyes during a rehab assignment. First calf tendinitis, now a hamstring injury.

And the DL grew. Once a guy returned, another one fell down. Ramon Martinez, J.J Putz, John Maine, Fernando Martinez, Fernando Neive and Gary Sheffield were on put on the DL.

Even after Church returned, Wright convinced Omar Minaya to trade him to Atlanta because he felt that Jeff Francouer would be a better "fit for the team." In other words, less competition for David.

But David wasn't done. The season far from over, players were becoming closer to returning. Tired of seeing the instant replay of Luis Castillo dropping a ball that would have ended the game, David placed a banana peel on the dugout step. Castillo tripped over it, and was significantly hurt.

The next day, Jon Neise left the game because he was injured. He's done for the year. Sheffield was just coming back, and he left the game because of another injury. The Mets are dropping like flies.

The Mets have used 47 different players this year. "Wright" now, David is currently the leader of Survivor: New York Mets edition.

Mark Reynolds, The King

Ever since Mark Reynolds saw the "Lion King," he just couldn't wait to be king. He wanted to do everything better than others.

One day, Reynolds, Ryan Howard, and Adam Dunn all went out to dinner, and the conversation turned to baseball. It was the offseason of 2004 and Dunn just broke the single season strikeout record with 195.

"I am the strikeout king," Dunn said, not so proudly.

"Once I break the majors, I'll beat you," Howard replied.

Reynolds looked them both in the eye. "I'll be in the majors one day and I'll beat you both," he claimed in a serious manner. Reynolds was now on a mission.

In 2008, Reynolds and Howard went back and forth for the strikeout title. Howard was on pace to win, however, his September stats consisted mainly of contact instead of K's. Reynolds finished with 204 strikeouts, Howard with 199. Not only did Reynolds break Dunn's feat, but shattered it and reached the unthinkable 200 total.

But Reynolds was not done. He wanted more, and he wanted better. Reynolds sometimes had a reputation of a bully, so he decided to pick on a last place team. He thought about the Washington Nationals, but deep down he felt bad for them. He wasn't that low, so he decided to pick on the team right above them; the New York Mets.

His good friend, David Wright was on that team. They played ball together as kids growing up in Virginia. Wright warned Reynolds not to mess with Citi Field. Wright told it like a ghost story.

"It may be cursed. Stray cats cross in front of the dugouts. Sometimes, the apple doesn't go off after a home run," Wright whispered as held a shining flashlight to his face. "They even named the right field corner after an opposing player, Chase Utley."

But Reynolds was fearless. It was his 26th birthday and he wanted to give himself a present. In three games, he homered four times, the same amount of homers as his good pal, David, has at Citi Field.

Everybody was amazed. Now, Reynolds can call himself the strikeout king, and he sits on the throne at his new palace, Citi Field.

This is not a true story, although it's based on real things.

David Wright Licks Bats

David Wright was caught on camera licking his bat while getting ready to hit on Friday.

"I think I do that quite a bit," Wright said with a sheepish grin. "It's
something that comes natural."

QUOTE SOURCE: Newsday

USA's Comeback

Look at the photo above. A Met. A Phillie. A Red Sock. A Yankee. In one uniform, one team, one country. Together. That is what the World Baseball Classic is about.

Team USA dog piled after they advanced to the semifinals in their dramatic come from behind victory against Puerto Rico.

For the first few innings, the game was back and fourth. Alex Rios and Carlos Delgado each hit home runs for Puerto Rico. Shane Victorino and Brian McCann drove in runs for USA.

Carlos Beltran flashed some leather when he leaped against the wall to rob McCann of a home run in the 4th inning.

On the other hand, Derek Jeter was unable to flash leather a few times as the ball squeaked up the middle twice. Jimmy Rollins, the better defensive player of the two, was the designated hitter. Davy Johnson's decesion to play Jeter at short was controversial since the hits led to runs for Puerto Rico.

Going into the bottom 9th inning, 3 outs from eliminating USA, Puerto Rico was up 5-3.


Shane Victorino led off the 9th inning with a single off his Philadelphia Phillies teammate, J.C. Romero. As he jogged down to first, he and Romero had a chuckle, but Romero would have the last laugh.

Brian Roberts singled and Derek Jeter flied out to right. With runners at the corners, Roberts stole second base. Jimmy Rollins would draw a walk against his Phillies teammate after a long at bat. Romero was lifted for Fransico Cabrera.

"I just had to bear down, the concentration you have in that situation, the
adrenaline, the feeling of importance is very close to what it was like in the
World Series last October," said Rollins.

Kevin Yokilis, who homered earlier in the game, drew a bases loaded walk with just one out. USA was down by one.

David Wright followed with a bloop down the right field line scoring Brian Roberts and Jimmy Rollins to give USA a 6-5 victory.

QUOTEABLE:

"The celebration was pretty wild," Wright said. "I never thought that we'd
be dogpiling in March, but it was pretty special and something I'll always
remember."

"All I know is that David Wright's face was in the dirt, and all the Mets
fans were panicking," said Brian Roberts. "When people say these games aren't important
they should have been in the dugout in the ninth inning."

"I heard a guy in right field yelling you guys don't have the desire or
attitude to win. We showed them that we do. I think that's one of those things
everyone criticizes, but we find a way to win." Victorino said.

"It's right there with it, I think, the excitement and that adrenaline rush," Youkilis said. "When you win the World Series and stuff like that, the dogpile is the same. That was nuts to go out there and do that, and just to be able to celebrate with different guys. I think that's the most special thing is, you're celebrating a game, you're celebrating a nation."

"Being with the United States and all the fans out there were supporting us today, you're celebrating as a whole, and that's what is so special about that."

Rollins on being teammates with player of their rival teams:

"We'll deal with that when we get there," Rollins said. "Tonight, we're
celebrating.".

USA will play Venezuela tonight to determine their seed in the semifinals.

The Rivalry: Talking the Talk

Philly vs. New York. The City of Brotherly Love vs. the Big Apple. The Liberty Bell vs. Broadway. Cheese steaks vs. Pizza. No matter the sport, both cities hate each other's guts. Eagles vs. Giants. Flyers vs. Rangers. Sixers vs. Knicks. Bad blood. The Phillies and Mets on the other hand... talk about a high blood pressure.

Before 2006, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets didn't have much of a rivalry. Both teams were never good at the same time, or both teams were horrific. When the Braves finally gave up their 14 year streak of division titles, the Phillies and Mets were the two teams on top of the division. The focus of the Phillies and Mets moved away from the Braves, and onto each other. Something that may have started between fans in the stands carried onto the field.

In Part I of this series, we will look at the roots of the rivalry and how this rivalry has come to grow.

Everybody knows about the classic Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees rivalry. While the Phillies and Mets don't have the history of that rivalry, it's becoming one of the better rivalries in Major League Baseball.

A bat flip, finger point, or dancing after a home run could start controversy. All it took was a few words for the rivalry to get started. Perhaps it started with the saying "Ya gotta believe!" said by Met turned Phillie, Tug McGraw, originally stating it with the Mets. However, it became a slogan for the 1980 World Series Championship Phillies, and McGraw carried it throughout his life. Although it wasn't a big deal in the day, it may be now more than ever. Which team has rights to the quote?

Billy Wagner also may have played a role in the rivalry. In the 2005 offseason, Wagner turned down an offer from the Phillies, signing with the Mets. Wagner claimed he chose the Mets because the Phillies failed to offer him a no trade clause, but the real reason may have Pat Burrell, who reportedly called Wagner "a rat" after Wagner claimed the Phillies had "no chance" at the postseason.

Instead of a positive quote like McGraw's for the use both teams, talk was directed at each other. The Mets won the division and lost the NLCS in 2006. You'd think they would be the favorite for 2007 with talented young players David Wright and Jose Reyes, but Jimmy Rollins thought differently.

"I think we are the team to beat in the NL East - finally. But that's only on
paper." -Rollins

Rollins knew he wasn't going to get away empty handed.

"I read in the paper that Jimmy Rollins thinks nobody else has a chance. … When
you read that, it irks you a bit and makes you want to go out there and beat
them that much more." -Wright

Other comments from other players were overshadowed due to Rollins bold statement, such as Tom Gordon's.

"Everybody pencils in the Mets. Everybody pencils in the Braves because they've
done it every year. But why can't the Phillies win this year and next year and
the following year, and be one of those teams?" -Gordon

After being swept by the Phillies in August, the Mets heads were up a little too high.

"They’re dancing around the field now, but we’ll see what happens when the time
comes." -Paul LoDuca

"I’ve been there many times and this all feels very normal to me, very much like
what a pennant race should be. My players are feeling it, too – and this will be
a good experience for them. When we sip a little champagne later on, it’ll be a
little sweeter." -2007 manager Willy Randolph

Leading the division for the entire season, 17 games to go and a 7 game lead, the Mets won just 5 games, while the Phillies went 13-4. The final day of the season marked an epic collapse. The Florida Marlins toppled the Mets, and Brett Myers threw a curveball to Wily Mo Pena capturing the Phillies first division title since 1993. Not only was Rollins right, he backed himself up winning the 2007 MVP Award.

After the collapse, the Mets had no other way to respond to Rollins than to go out and get one of the best pitchers in baseball, Johan Santana. The Mets were declared favorites by all baseball experts. With their new addition, the Mets felt confident that 2008 would be different than 2007.

Carlos Beltran was the first to let everybody know.

"Without Santana, we felt, as a team, that we had a chance to win in our
division. With him now, I have no doubt that we're going to win in our division.
I have no doubt in that. We've got what it takes. To Jimmy Rollins: We are the
team to beat." -Beltran

Coming from Beltran, a quiet player, the comment was shocking. Rollins joked about it, but also made another prediction of his own.

"We’ll win probably 100 games … 100 games will get us to the playoffs."

"There’s going to be fireworks, I know that much … and I plan on another
celebration, but not just one. I don’t plan on giving up that title of NL East
champions, I know that much. I don’t know if we can make a run like the Braves
did, but we’ve started." -Rollins

It turned out that Beltran's comments were wrong. For the second straight year, the Phillies came out on top of the division. Although the Phillies won 92 games in the regular season, 11 postseason wins totaled them to 103. Rollins was right again.

During the 2008 season while the Phillies were starting to slump, Hall of Famer, and all time Phillie great, Mike Schmidt used the Mets to motivate the Phillies.

"One pitch, one at bat, one play, one situation, think ‘small’ and ‘big’ things
result, tough at-bats, lots of walks, stay up the middle with men on base,
whatever it takes to ‘keep the line moving’ on offense, 27 outs on defense, the
Mets know you’re better than they are," Schmidt wrote. "They remember last year.
You guys are never out of a game. Welcome the challenge that confronts you this
weekend. You are the stars. Good luck. #20."

While the Mets were playing golf, the Phillies went onto win the World Series. At the parade, talk was still about the Mets, from the mouth of Rollins.

"A lot of things were made in the offseason," Rollins said. "We can talk about
the New York Mets. They brought in that great pitcher, Johan Santana, but they
forgot that it takes more than one player to bring home a championship."

If that was enough for the Mets, Cole Hamels took a shot. While be interviewed on WFAN, Hamels was asked if the Mets were "choke artist."

Hamels replied: “Last year and this year we did believe that. I think three
years ago we didn’t, because they smoked everybody and I thought that was the
year they would go to the World Series - and unfortunately that didn’t happen.
But, you know, that’s kind of what we believe and what we’re gonna always
believe until they prove us wrong. Yeah, over the last two years they’ve been
choke artists.”

Former Met Darryl Strawberry had an answer.

“That’s sad… If we had a team say that about us – oh, no – they were gonna be in
trouble… I mean, it would definitely be hard if, in the days us playing, if
somebody said that, I mean, we’d have stuck one right in his neck. We’d be
fighting. There’s no way any one would be allowed to disrespect us like that,
and that is what has happened to the Phillies.” -Strawberry

The Mets bullpen was their main problem in 2008, blowing 29 saves, posting a 4.24 ERA. The Mets addressed this problem signing the all time single season saves leader, Francisco Rodriguez. He immediately got into the rivalry.

"Of course we're going to be the frontrunner. Of course were going to be the
team to beat," Rodriguez told reporters. "I don't want there to be a
controversy. I don't want the other team to take it personally, or take it in a
bad way. But I'm a really competitive guy. I like to win. If they ask me, 'Oh,
which ball club is going to win the National League East?' It's going to be the
Mets. Easy question."

K-Rod used two of Rollins words: "frontrunner" and "team to beat." The last time a Met used JRolls words, it didn't work out to well for the Mets.

David Wright has also gotten into the action. Wright has been respectful toward the Phillies, stating since they won the division, they're the team to beat. However, he finally snapped, admitting his true feelings toward the Phillies.

"I don't like [the Phillies]. I know they don't like us. There are guys that I
respect on that team. I respect them, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I'm
going to be friends with them. My whole career, I've tried to stay away from
that. I’ll shake somebody's hand and say hello, but I'm not going to be
buddy-buddy with anyone before the game."

"I'm not a big fan of the teams in our division just because we play them so
much. I would hope as a competitor that you would have that edge, that you would
have a genuine interest to go out there and beat them by as much as you can." -
Wright

Not only has the talk been between the Phillies and Mets, it has spread throughout the National League East. Just recently, Chipper Jones expressed his feelings of the rivalry, and being left out of NL East chatter.

"From a Mets standpoint, they've had a running feud with the Phillies the
past couple of years. It's kind of weird not to be in it."

"We won for 14 consecutive years, and you never, ever saw any bulletin board
material. And now that these two teams are on top of the division, they can't
keep their mouths shut. Just go play baseball. It's Cole Hamels now. It was
Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Beltran the past couple of springs. These two teams are
constantly going at each other verbally. You know, win with class, lose with
class. Just keep your mouth shut and go play your game."-Jones.

There hasn't been a brawl... yet. With all the talk already, this is only the beginning of the rivalry. The rivalry continues to grow day in and day out. It's the early stages on a rivalry that could become of the classics. Every they play each other on the field, they give it their all, as we'll look at in Part II. The rivalry makes the game so much better.

QUOTE SOURCES: Wikipedia, ESPN, Home Run Derby, MetsBlog, The InterMet, The Sexy Crimes

The Real MVP

Could the Phillies go back-to-back-to-back in the Most Valuable Player Award? Chase Utley was the favorite earlier in the year, but Ryan Howard's name is the one that keeps being mentioned. Could Ryan Howard win the MVP? Yeah. Should it happen? Absolutely not.

Look, I'm a die hard Phillies and Ryan Howard fan, but I'd be the first one to tell you that Ryan Howard does not deserve the MVP Award in 2008.

New York Met, Carlos Delgado's name has also been coming up in the MVP talks. Well, to tell you the truth, nor Howard or Delgado are even the MVP on their own team.

If Ryan Howard were to win the MVP Award, it would not be the first time a Phillie undeservedly won MVP. Jimmy Rollins undeservedly won the MVP last year. I'm happy for Jimmy, but no way he deserved it over Matt Holliday or even David Wright.

Ryan Howard won the award in 2006. In 2006, I believe he deserved it rightfully so, although many folks disagreed and felt Pujols should have won it.

A similar outcome could happen this year. Ryan Howard winning the MVP, and Pujols getting snubbed once again.

Give credit to Howard, he is on a roll right now. Same with Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado. They have both gotten hot at the right time. However, neither should be named MVP. The season started in April, not after the All Star Break. Pujols has been good all year.

The first debate that usually comes up in MVP talks is the letter "V". Valuable. Since Pujols' Cardinals might not make the playoffs, why should he be MVP? Is Pujols hurting the Cardinals? Certainly not. Is it Albert's fault his teammates aren't preforming and doing their job? Certainly not. The Phillies missed out on the playoffs in 2006, and Howard still won it. Playoffs shouldn't matter.

Ryan Howard has a Major League leading 45 homeruns and league leading 136 RBIs. That's about the only case you can make for Howard. Howard beats Delgado, who has 35 homeruns with 104 RBI. He also beats Pujols, who has 31 homeruns and 101 RBI.

There's a huge downside to using RBIs on determining how good a player is. RBIs are a team stat. In order to get more RBIs, you need more men on base. Is it a certain players fault if he doesn't have as many RBIs because his teammates are not on base for him?

Runs work the same way. Howard has scored 95 runs compared to Pujols' 91 and Delgado's 85. However, each have to rely on their teammates to get a hit so they can score.

Howard's batting average is .249. He has raised it a lot since the beginning of the year when he was batting under the Mendoza line. Delgado is batting .263.

Let's also not forget Howard's 190 strikeouts compared to Pujols' 51. A 139 difference! Sure, an out is an out, but when you make contact you have a better chance to get on base in case of an error or miscue by the fielder. Delgado is up there in strikeouts with 114.

Also, Howard's on-base-percentage is .335. Delgado has an OBP of .345. That's extremely low. Pujols' overall average is higher than both of their on base percentages. Pujols' average is .357 and his OBP is .461.

Pujols' .645 slugging percentage is greater than Howard's .537 SLG and Delgado's .508 SLG.

Put OBP and SLG together and you get OPS. Pujols OPS is a MLB leading 1.106. Howard's OPS is .873 and Delgado is at .854.

Each aren't a threat to steal bases, but Pujols has 6 steals compared to Howard and Delgado's one steal each.

Remember how I said Howard and Delgado aren't even the Most Valuable Players on their own team? That is because Utley of the Phillies and David Wright of the Mets have both been better. You can even make a case for Jose Reyes.

Utley and Wright are even, or close to even in almost every category.

Utley has been inconsistant all year, but has put up better numbers than Howard. He is batting .289 with 31 HR, and 95 RBI. His OBP is .377. His SLG is .533. His OPS is .910.

Wright is batting .290 with 31 HR, and 114 RBI. His OBP is .386. His SLG is .534. His OPS is .920.

Both are putting up better numbers than Delgado and Howard, outside of run production.

Factor in defense, and all the players I mentioned have better defense than Howard.

Personally, I don't like to use errors because you have to get to the ball to make an error. Some players will range over to get to a ball, miss it, resulting in an error. On the other hand, another player won't even make an attempt at the ball. Since the fielder did not get any leather on the ball, he will not be charged with an error. Would you rather have a guy who makes an effort all the time, and makes a mistake here and there? Or would you want a guy who doesn't make an effort?

Errors are a judgemental stats. The official scorer determines whether to give the guy an error or not. It's simply an opinion.

However, from watching both play, Pujols' Gold Glove type defense is much better than Howards. Pujols' throws to second are almost always on the money.

There are even more players I'd put ahead of Howard and Delgado. Lance Berkman should be second behind Pujols.

Berkman has a .322 AVG, with 28 HR and 100 RBI. Berkman has a .426 OBP and .586 SLG. His OPS is 1.012.

Matt Holliday should also be in contention.

Holliday is hitting .325 woth 25 HR and 84 RBI. Holliday has a .411 OBP, and .546 SLG. His OPS is .957.

Compare those guys to Howard, and each have Howard beat.

There are plenty of others you can make a case here, but my case is done. I'm not trying to bust on Howard. He has improved all year, and has put together a solid year. However, there are players who have been better. Howard is not the 2008 Most Valuable Player.