The Mets have struggled to score runs, and it certainly hasn't helped that they've been without Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes. But then again, it didn't help that they had a few below-average positions offensively to begin with.

Outside of first, short, third and center, didn't the Mets need to desperately upgrade somewhere -- anywhere -- to been seen as legitimate contenders in the National League East? I'm not just talking about Gary Sheffield upgrade but a high-end upgrade.

Bob Klapisch writes the Mets offense has reached code red-stage desperation.

It's an inspiring scenario for Met fans - the bolstered lineup makes a second-half charge straight to the playoffs - but in its current state, Jerry Manuel's team remains mired in mediocrity.

The manager openly wonders about the "fatigue" factor that's wearing on Wright and Carlos Beltran. There's no help in sight, not unless general manager Omar Minaya can pluck, say, Adam Dunn from the Nationals before the trading deadline.

...

But with one crisis extinguished, another one comes roaring to the forefront. How much longer before Wright and Beltran crack from having to carry the lineup?

Beltran, in particular, appears close to breaking down, revealing that he's undergoing an MRI on his right knee Monday. The ramifications are, of course, beyond critical. Manuel says, "Carlos assures me he can play," but you can flip the calendar to 2010 if the center fielder is out for any length of time.

As it is, the Mets' lack of offense is at code red. They're 10th in runs in the National League in June, and tied for last in home runs. Take Beltran out of this equation and there's no reason to believe the Mets won't be caught by the Braves.

A lot of publications, including Sports Illustrated, picked the Mets to go a long way in the postseason. I was a little skeptical about them. I understand their rotation is fronted by Johan Santana, but in a seven-game series, both Oliver Perez and John Maine would likely start two games for them. That shows the lack of depth in their rotation.

But the offense was where things could've gotten messy in a hurry. Luis Castillo has had a bit of a turnaround this season, even if he isn't hitting the ball with authority (.321 slugging percentage). Other than that, the Mets are stocked with mediocre types like Daniel Murphy, Fernando Tatis and Ryan Church taking at-bats.

It seems as if general manager Omar Minaya is in a position to justify his job. The Mets have one of the highest payrolls in baseball, but they have collapsed epically the last two seasons. Their rotation has never been fixed despite the money, and the team still relies on too many spare parts.

Scott Boras spoke about Magglio Ordonez's situation in Detroit in a recent piece by Lynn Henning of the Detroit News.

Scott Boras, Ordonez's agent: He began warming up for a possible showdown before the arbitrator when he launched into a 10-minute, phone-line indictment of the Tigers for making a "myopic" decision to sit Ordonez.

"I admit to you that Magglio had a rough April (.240) batting average," Boras said. "But if you want to talk about why his production is down in 2009, it's about one thing and one thing only: His home runs are down by seven. I submit to you that's not compelling information for declaring failure."

Here's what good agents do: They look at some evidence and try to spin things his way.

Yes, Boras in right in saying Ordonez's home runs are down by seven from this point last season. What he failed to mention is that Ordonez only has two home runs this season, as opposed to nine last year. Nine's not a terribly big number and two is even worse, especially for someone hitting in the middle of your order.

But let's dig a little deeper, deeper into the numbers Boras conveniently neglected to mention.

Ordonez's bread-and-butter has been his ability to get on base. His career OBP is .370, which is an excellent figure for a player over a full season by any measure. This year, Ordonez is down to a paltry and barely passable .347 mark.

Now, you'll see players with that figure in the majors all the time. But remember: Ordonez is supposed to be a highly paid, middle-of-the-order bat on a contending club. He's not some No. 7 hitter for the Seattle Mariners. There's a big difference there.

Another number Boras is failing to mention is the precipitous drop in Ordonez's slugging percentage. Last season, it was a quality .494, but it has fallen to .343 this season. That .151-point decline is a huge drop.

Whether or not Ordonez had a huge option on the table, it's no wonder they decided to bench Ordonez. He's a terrible hitter right now. Too bad Boras doesn't realize that.

Are you dumb?  I don't mean to be crass, but, well, let's just see what 'HR' said:

"And one of the stats that has become real popular is OPS. On-base plus slugging. All of a sudden, it's this stat that defines whether a guy is a good ball player or not. And the fact of the matter is, if you're a power hitter then the situation will dictate what a pitcher does with you - either walk you or pitch you real careful. So more than likely you're going to end up on base and therefore you On-base percentage goes up. This is my mind has become the stat the everyone thinks is the be all and end all. It is not. If you have a ball club that's a great offensive team then that changes everything. But if you have a guy like Adrian Gonzalez, for example, his OPS is going to high - he's got a lot of home runs and walks a lot...because you're not going to pitch to him!"

Not to curse, but the what the f*ck does that even mean?

So, um, a slugger's OPS will be high, because he hits a lot of homers and draws plenty of walks, and that's because the pitcher won't pitch to the batter?

What the f*ck does that even mean?

Harold, my friend, I guess I thought you were smart because you sat next to this joker, but, as it turns out, you aren't.

Okay, let me help.  You only get on base through hits, walks, or being hit by a pitch.  I guess two out of those three can reasonably be created in the event of a pitcher 'not pitching' to a batter.  But to suggest that home runs come as a result of a pitcher 'not pitching' to a batter is ludicrious.  In fact, Harold, in the event of a home run, it would seem that the pitcher threw a pitch and the batter not only swung, but connected, and the force behind the swing drove the ball far, far away.

But I wouldn't expect you, the one being paid to talk about baseball, to know that.  I mean, talk about high expectations!

P.S.

Did you pass high school English?

Adam writes two pieces a week for AHP and also muses about lots of stuff on his blog.  So, you know, please read it.

And another leak from the 2003 tests: According to the New York Times, Sammy Sosa, then with the Cubs, tested positive for an unknown substance:

The 2003 test that ensnared Sosa was the first such test conducted by Major League Baseball. Under guidelines agreed upon with the players union, the test results were to remain anonymous but would lead to testing with penalties the next year if more than 5 percent of the results were positive.

That is indeed what occurred. But for reasons never made completely clear, the test results were not destroyed by the players union and the 104 positives were subsequently seized by federal agents on the West Coast investigating matters related to the distribution of drugs to athletes.

...

The lawyers who had knowledge of Sosa’s inclusion on the 2003 list did not know the substance for which Sosa tested positive. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified as discussing material that is sealed by a court order.

... he was fading as a player when he traveled to Washington in March 2005 to testify with Palmeiro and McGwire and others at a hearing called by a House committee to examine the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

At the hearing, Sosa testified that “everything” he had heard “about steroids and human growth hormones is that they are bad for you, even lethal” and that he “would never put anything dangerous like that” in his body.

“To be clear,” he added, “I have never taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs. I have never injected myself or had anyone inject me with anything.”

Frankly, I would be really surprised to learn that more than literally a handfull of players from the 90s and early 2000s did not use steroids. This is a multi-million dollar industry and if you did not play by the rules and juiced, you did not play. How many bankers could elude the dubious practices of their craft the last years? Pretty few, I would guess, because that is how the game was played. Eat or be eaten.

If you are looking for untainted heros of that decade, be careful to put too much faith in the precious few names who still appear to be clean. Would you really bet your fortune on Jim Thome or Ken Griffey Jr. not take anything? At least for a short time? A try? Not that I'm accusing them of anything, but seriously, how much would you wager?

We should instead recognize those talented minor leaguers that refused to take that final step that may have pushed them into the bigs and whose names therefore are long forgotten. They were the ones who are the real role models.

First off, kiddies, read this.  Bill James and Joe Posnanski are two of the best sports writers in the world, so reading them will be daily material.  There will be a quiz.

The title of the post is 'on pitch counts' for a reason.  James is absolutely correct when he says that teams have went effing bonkers with the pitch count 'rules', in particular the magical 100.  There really isn't any reason to stop at 100.

It would appear that each situation is different depending on the pitcher, first, and his history, the stress of the game, the location and weather, the opponent, and the pitcher's performance.  It must be a hands-on decision, because it's a hands-on situation.

I'm excited to see where Nolan Ryan's ideas run, and if he ends up succeeding or if he buys land next to the Dusty Baker Graveyard.

Adam writes two pieces a week for AHP and also muses about lots of stuff on his blog.  So, you know, please read it.

Major League Jerk has noticed that the Mets don't just lose, they lose badly:

4/12/09 Marlins 2 Mets 1: This game was the Easter Sunday special. Josh Johnson vs Johan Santana. Johnson was the tits, he let up one run in a complete game. Johan let up no runs and got the loss. Yes, no runs allowed and got the loss. Why? Daniel Murphy dropped a fly ball in left field that allowed a run to score and put another guy at third.  This loss stunk because they maintained a theme of blowing Johan’s starts. This time they did it with Johan in the game as opposed to the bullpen doing it. The Mets left 8 men on base.

5/18/09 Dodgers 3 Mets 2 11 innings: This game is as bad as it gets. In the top of the 11th, Ryan Church, who had been ice cold, got a 2 out single. Then Angel Pagan, who was 4-6, hit a long drive into the gap in left center. Ryan Church scored from first. There was one little problem. He missed third base. He F***ING MISSED THIRD. The Dodgers appealed and he was called out. [*** mine]

In the bottom of the inning more horseshit, with a man on first Xavier Paul hit a pop up to right center. Beltran and Pagan went for the ball. It was Beltran’s ball but Pagan kept charging and then pulled up as Beltran pulled up and the ball dropped in. After that the Mets loaded the bases and Brian Stokes got a big out. With one out, a ground ball was hit to Jeremy Reed, who was playing first base for the 8th time in his life. He fielded it cleanly, but rushed the throw home and threw it over the catcher’s head. The Dodgers win it. Overall, the Mets had five, FIVE, errors in the game. 15 men were left on base.

...

6/12/09 Yankees 9 Mets 8: This was a see-saw battle. With the Mets up 6-5, the Mets newest 2nd lefty, Jon Switzer, came in to face the colder then cold Hideki Matusi who promptly but one in the second deck in right field at Yankee Stadium. The Mets came back to tie it. In the 8th, The Yankees brought Mariano Rivera into a tie game. He walked Carlos Beltran and then gave up a rope double to David Wright to score the go ahead run. In the Bottom of the Ninth, Frankie Rodriguez was doing his typical high wire act. He had saved 16 games in 16 chances so far. He let up a one out single to Jeter. Jeter stole second on Johnny Damon’s strikeout. With 2 outs K-Rod pitched around Teixeira and walked him. He then got Alex Rodriguez to pop up to shallow right field. Luis Castillo got under the ball and dropped it. He dropped the f***ing ball. He then threw the ball to Alex Cora at second when he should have thrown home. Teixeira, hustling the whole way, scored from first beating the throw and the Yankees won it. The Mets left 17 men on base

I call curse! Yes, you read it hear first. I say a Braves fan hid a Chipper Jones jersey under the new home run apple.

The Angels are second to last in home runs in the American League. Neither Bobby Abreu nor Vlademir Guerrero have flashed any sign of power this year. Fortunately, the Angels have two infielders hanging around the home run leaderboard in AAA, second baseman Sean Rodriguez (21) and short stop Brandon Wood (14). While Wood is still destroying pitchers in Salt Lake City, Sean Rodriguez has finally been called up following the demotion of Howie Kendrick. However, it looks like at-bats will be hard to come by for S-Rod. Steve Bishop of the LA Times:

"When Izzy goes five for eight [as he did against the San Diego Padres for a couple of games], it's tough to take him out," the Angels manager said Sunday. Remember, this is the same manager who has had Izturis batting third on occasion.

What about platooning the right-handed-hitting Rodriguez with Izturis, who is a much more effective hitter left-handed? Nope, that doesn't seem in the plans, either. "We want to keep Izzy fresh," Scioscia said, "but we're not going to platoon. We'll give Sean some playing time."

This is no knock on Izturis. He's a solid little player with good skills. But despite what occurred during the sweep of the pathetic Padres over the weekend, the Angels are still glaringly short on power. ...

That's why Rodriguez would be so welcome. Sure, he struck out a lot in the PCL (67 times in 202 at-bats, compared to 36 in 160-plus at-bats for Brandon Wood). But his ability to hit the ball out of the park could elevate the punchless bottom part of the Angels' lineup to a new level.

Izturis can't do that.

Do I still wish Wood were in the big league lineup? Absolutely. But I understand not wanting to change the whole defense, especially with Figgins playing at an All-Star caliber at third. When Howie Kendrick was sent down to rediscover his batting stroke, there was no question Rodriguez was the right one to replace him, not just on the roster, but in the starting lineup as well.

Izturis has an OPS of .687 this season and a career mark of .716. He's 28 years old, it's unlikely that he will get much better all of the sudden. That's ok, he is a pretty good sub, but not more. The 24 year old Rodriguez on the other hand has an OPS of .989 this season and had a 1.042 last season. He has nothing more to prove in AAA and now with Kendrick in the minors, he should take over second base immediately.

MLB.TV is Major League Baseball's online service that offers live streams and archives of all games over the internet, available as a regular and a premium service. The premium subscripers get high-definition resolution and a special game summary called condensed games that only show the final pitch of every at-bat, allowing baseball fans with time contrains and abroad to keep track of their favorite teams and players. Or so they thought.

After sustaining a few weeks without any condensed games at all to start the season, the 15-25 minute long condensed games - now also available to non-subscribers for free - were changed to a new format at the end of May. Then, the summaries changed into extended highlight reels between five and eight minutes long, showing only selected at-bats - usually run-scoring plays or strike-outs - often skipping several innings completely and being generally perceived as rather confusing. MLB.com claims that change was made because of customers complaining about condensed games being too long, but some people suspect it had more to do with a new application for iPhone users that was launched recently. Customers have voiced their dissatisfaction in a thread in the mlb.tv support forum that extends over several pages (and that apparently had to be edited to remove additional pages worth of explicit comments), but have yet to receive any substantial feedback about if or when the format will be changed back or even whether their criticism has been acknowledged by MLB.

Considering that premium subscribers had paid about $110 for this year's service and that MLB would probably like them to renew their subscription for about $90, this behavior by MLB is rather puzzling. Leaving the question of alienating of your most loyal fan base aside for a moment, I have to wonder if there really is more money in iPhone users paying $9.99 for an app than in subscribers spending nearly ten times as much on a yearly basis?

It's all the rage to be on twitter (I'm on it, @adkwriter), and it's a blast to read some of my favorite writer's thoughts.  Be it Keith Law, Kevin Goldstein, Bill Simmons, or even guys I don't read other than for the gossip. 

Like Jon Heyman.  Who said this about a possible SF Giants-Florida Marlins swap, Jon Sanchez for Dan Uggla:

"i keep getting asked about jonathan sanchez for uggla rumor. i have to think the giants are a lot smarter than that!"

Really?  Let's look at their second base situation for a moment.

Currently, the Giants are employing Emmanuel Burris, a switch hitter without power, on-base or average skills.  He's hitting a robust .257/.312/.289.  I can see why the Giants would be "too smart" to pass up on spinning him (He did manage an OPS of .686 in 274 plate appearances last year, after all!).

How about Jonathan Sanchez?  I mean, Heyman is a quality writer for a prominent sports publication, it's not like he'd go and say something totally off kilter, would he?  Surely Sanchez has been flat out awesome, right?

Believe it or not, he's been awful.  5.19 ERA in 52 innings, a slim WHIP of 1.654 and a sparkling BB/9 rate of 6.2, which is about double what you want--Lincecum's is 2.8.  Sanchez does strike out a lot of batters, but even more seem to just pound him.  He's spent his entire career in the NL West, and he's never produced an ERA of less than 4.95.  Sanchez is what he is, an awful pitcher.

Now, to be fair to Jon, Dan Uggla hasn't been stellar.  .222/.342/.454 is not pretty, but there is one fine little stat to watch out for: BABIP, which stands for Batting Average on Balls In Play.  It's a wonderful way to see if a batter is slumping like mad or playing liked a Created Player from The Show.  It reads like a batting average, so generally anything in the .280-.320 range is normal, but each batter is different.  Ichiro is sustaining higher BABIPs because of his style, he hits anything within a square mile of the plate.  But, if Adam Dunn has a BABIP of .360, that sucker is coming down.

So, what is Dan Uggla's BABIP?  .234, about 50 points lower than I would think is sustainable for him.  So, essentially, you can bet on Uggla bringing his average to about .290 or so, which will help his OBP, which will make him a far more valuable player than he is now, and more valuable than Burriss, who's BABIP is .300.  Or, um, standard.  He's not unlucky.  Just awful.

So, Jon, um, do you still think a Uggla for Sanchez deal would be bad?

You tweeted, well, "that trade would be simply awful". 

If you don't believe me, Heyman is at @SI_JonHeyman.