Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - June 18, 2013

Today on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I look at the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets. There is reason for legit dread with all three teams.

However, the Mets do have a slight silver lining on its way.

Josh Johnson, Giancarlo Stanton, Nelson Cruz and hard luck loser Dillon Gee all owned baseball on June 17, 2013.


To see the up to date tally of "Who Owns Baseball?," click HERE.
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - June 18, 2013

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - June 15, 2013

The Mets are in a free fall and unlike the Marlins and the Astros, they don't seem to have a plan either.

How much can be blamed on Las Vegas?

That is a question asked on today's Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Eric Stults, Gregor Blanco, Justin Masterson and Billy Butler all owned baseball on June 14, 2013.


To see the up to date tally of "Who Owns Baseball?," click HERE.

Subscribe on iTunes HERE.

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - June 15, 2013

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - May 21, 2013

DON MATTINGLY IS GOING TO BE THE MANAGER OF THE METS!

Did you hear that? I hear it is true!

Actually it is a rumor I am starting on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast today. Why not shake stuff up?
 
Yan Gomes, Patrick Corbin, Brandon Belt and R. A. Dickey all owned baseball on May 20, 2013.

To see the up to date tally of "Who Owns Baseball?," click HERE

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - May 21, 2013


 

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - March 28, 2013

Just when you thought the Mets couldn't dig a deeper hole for themselves, they grabbed a shovel and kept on digging.

 Subscribe to The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast HERE.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - March 28, 2013

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - March 13, 2013

 


While driving along the 101 heading to San Jose, I decided to talk about Johan Santana, the Mets, the trade block and Manny being Manny in Taiwan.


Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - March 13, 2013

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Watching the Mets game with my sons

Last night I was folding laundry with MLB Network on. They were doing MLB Tonight where they jump from game to game, or as I call it, heaven.

My boys were playing with their animals and kind of watching the TV.
They played little league this year and their team was the Mets. MLB Network cut to the Mets and Reds who were scoreless in the bottom of the 9th.

My son Matty got excited when he saw the real Mets were on the TV. My son Aidan looked up as well.

Aidan figured out how to read the score. Mets 0 and Reds 0.

"Who are you rooting for, daddy?" Aidan asked me.
"The Mets." I said, completely disappointing the 14 year old version of me angry about the 1986 World Series.

The boys started cheering. "Go Mets!"

Brandon Phillips singled starting a potential game ending rally.

I explain that if the Reds score a run, the game is over.

"Boo Reds!" They yelled.

We watched the game unfold. Matty asked me "When do the Mets bat?"

I replied "If the Reds score, they won't bat again. All the Reds need is one run and they win the game."

A look of urgency went across Matty's face. He figured out the scoreboard as well. Mets 0, Reds 0.

Jay Bruce got a hold of one and it went higher and higher until it cleared the fence for a walk off homer.

"That's it." I said. "The Mets lost."

Aidan looked angry. "But the Mets should get another chance to hit."

"Nope", I said. "They had their chance."

"That's not fair", Aidan pouted.

Matty kept looking at the TV screen. Something didn't make sense.

"Daddy" he asked. "Why did they get three runs?"

"He hit a home run" I explained. "So all three runners scored."

"But Daddy," Matty continued. "If they only needed one run, why did they get three?"

"Well, the home run was worth three runs." I said.

Matty kept looking at the TV. "That doesn't make sense."

He might be right.

Aidan then turned to me and said "When is hockey on?"

 

Think the Mets need some bullpen help?

The Mets bullpen probably blew three leads since I started typing this sentence.

Think this wasn't demoralizing? They got a three run go ahead come from behind ninth inning jack from Jordany Valdespin, a go ahead double from Josh Thole and a wonderful pitching performance from Jon Niese.

And what are the Mets talking about?
A bullpen that blew ninth and tenth inning leads and sent the Mets to their fifth straight loss and perilously close to .500.

The Mets have been one of those amazing surprising National League teams like the Nationals and Pirates. They could be a real contender. But dropping five games in a row at this point of the year is never a good thing.

Call it a hunch, but I bet a reliever is going to be heading to Queens soon.


 

Why Matt Cain Starting over R.A. Dickey Is a Good Thing - A Bleacher Report Article

I think R. A. Dickey should win the NL Cy Young Award and is one of the best stories of the season.

That being said, in my latest for Bleacher Report, I defended why Tony LaRussa picked Matt Cain to start the All Star Game tonight.

You can read the article HERE.

Smile! It's good to be a Met

That was an amazing weekend that just finished up in Queens.
Jonathan Niese went 6 innings, no runs and struck out 10 Cardinals and that was by FAR the worst pitching performance of the weekend.

R. A. Dickey's complete game shutout was a hell of a Silver Medal.
Of course Johan Santana threw the great regular season masterpiece that Met fans were waiting 50 years for.

But there is something cool happening in Queens and I am slowly becoming a believer.
The Mets are tied for first.
The Mets are exciting.
The Mets are fun.

Now I WOULD eat crow and say "Man, I was wrong" when I wrote all sorts of posts saying that the Mets were no good.

But I wasn't wrong.
And there is no reason to eat crow.

I was right.
The Mets team filled with overpriced veterans was no good.

The Mets team that is relying on Lucas Duda, Josh Thole and Kirk Nieuwenhuis is good. They are young and hungry and don't have the whole "We're not big enough to win in New York" BS hanging over them.

Take all of the big priced free agents and pickups the Mets have made over the past few years and I bet none of them are as popular with Met fans as Duda or Mike Baxter.

They are spitting in the face of the concept of "You need big stars in New York to get the fans attention."

BS. I've been saying that is BS forever. You need good baseball players who play hard and want to win.

The best fortune for the Mets have been their bad injury fortune.
They had to play these kids.

They were given no choice except to do the thing they should have done years ago.

And it is paying off.
The First Place New York Mets... the Last Place Philadelphia Phillies.

How cool is THAT Mets fans?





   

The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated for June 1, 2012)

The Mets have a no hitter! They've had no shortage of pitchers who have THROWN a no hitter, but for other teams.

Hell, Nolan Ryan threw seven himself. Dwight Gooden, Tom Seaver, David Cone, Mike Scott, Hideo Nomo, Phillip Humber... etc. They all had no hitters after wearing the Mets uniform.

It was one of the great statistical oddities in sports.

And it is all over now.

Johan Santana pulled it off. He shut down the defending World Champion Cardinals.
The Mets are off the schide!

I know Met fans who thought they would never see that. These are the same fans who witnessed the 1986 World Series. THAT seemed plausible. This no hitter? No so much.

Let's update the list.

THE MOST RECENT NO HITTERS
FOR EACH FRANCHISE

NEW YORK METS

Johan Santana - June 1, 2012

8-0 over St. Louis.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
Jered Weaver - May 2, 2012.
9-0 over Minnesota.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Phillip Humber - April 21, 2012

4-0 over Seattle. (Perfect Game.)

DETROIT TIGERS
Justin Verlander - May 7, 2011.
9-0 over Toronto.

MINNESOTA TWINS
Francisco Liriano - May 3, 2011
1-0 over Chicago White Sox

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Roy Halladay - October 6, 2010
4-0 over Cincinnati. (Playoff Game)

TAMPA PAY RAYS
Matt Garza - July 26th, 2010
5-0 over Detroit.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Edwin Jackson - June 25, 2010
1-0 over Tampa Bay



OAKLAND A'S
Dallas Braden - May 9, 2010
4-0 over Tampa Bay. (Perfect Game.)


COLORADO ROCKIES
Ubaldo Jimenez - April 17, 2010
4-0 over Atlanta.


SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Jonathan Sanchez - July 10, 2009.
8-0 over San Diego.


CHICAGO CUBS
Carlos Zambrano - September 14, 2008.
5-0 over Houston.


BOSTON RED SOX
Jon Lester - May 19, 2008.
7-0 over Kansas City.


FLORIDA MARLINS
Anibal Sanchez - September 6, 2006.
2-0 over Arizona.


HOUSTON ASTROS
Roy Oswalt, Peter Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner -
June 11, 2003.
8-0 over New York Yankees.


ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Bud Smith - September 3, 2001
4-0 over San Diego.


NEW YORK YANKEES
David Cone - July 18, 1999.
6-0 over Montreal. (Perfect Game.)


PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Francisco Cordova and Ricardo Rincon - July 12, 1997.
3-0 over Houston. (10 innings.)


LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Hideo Nomo - September 17, 1996.
9-0 over Colorado.


TEXAS RANGERS
Kenny Rogers - July 28, 1994.
4-0 over California. (Perfect Game.)

ATLANTA BRAVES
Kent Mercker - April 8, 1994.
6-0 over Los Angeles.


SEATTLE MARINERS
Chris Bosio - April 22, 1993.
2-0 over Boston.


KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Bret Saberhagen - August 26, 1991
7-0 over Chicago White Sox.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (AS MONTREAL EXPOS)
Dennis Martinez - July 28, 1991.
2-0 over Los Angeles. (Perfect Game.)


BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Bob Milacki, Mike Flanagan, Mark Williamson and Gregg Olson - July 13, 1991.
2-0 over Oakland.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Dave Steib - September 2, 1990.
3-0 over Cleveland.


CINCINNATI REDS
Tom Browning - September 16, 1988.
1-0 over Los Angeles. (Perfect Game.)


MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Juan Nieves - April 15, 1987.
7-0 over Baltimore.

CLEVELAND INDIANS
Len Barker - May 15, 1981.
3-0 over Toronto. (Perfect Game.)

Bonus
WASHINGTON SENATORS
Bobby Burke - August 8, 1931
5-0 over Boston.

So the Padres remain the only franchise to never have a no hitter.

And the Nationals have never had one in Washington.

Relax Met fans. You now have the no hitter you've always wanted.

I can't figure out the Mets, and neither can you

The Mets got hit with the injury bug and I thought the Mets were staring at disaster.
I never thought the Mets were going to amount to squat and I've been screaming they need to rebuild.

And here we are, almost at Mid May and the Mets are not only above .500 but winning dramatic games including tonight against Philadelphia.

In a way, they are proving me correct.
Young players are taking the lead. Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Ruben Tejada and Lucas Duda and Jordany Valdespin are the ones showing up on the highlights.

And with Philadelphia not exactly lighting the world on fire right now and a team like Washington can't hold onto the top spot for long, could the Mets become a contender?

I picked them to lose 90 games.
But THAT Met team was the one loaded with veterans and playing sluggish and uninspired baseball.

THIS Mets team is young and kind of exciting.

And trust me, if this team keeps playing, even if they fall far short of the playoffs, Met fans will embrace this team a hell of a lot quicker and with much more love than if they tried to pick up another expensive player.

And maybe by the end of the season every Met fan will know how to spell Nieuwenhuis!